‘Palestine Needs a State, Too’

As one who treasures my friendship with Philip M. Klutznick, and enjoys a continuous exchange of views and information, I’ll observe with great interest how the Jewish “establishment” spokespersons will react to his sage advice as to negotiations with the PLO in Israel’s need for peace (“Palestine Needs a State, Too,” Op-Ed Page, Jan. 10). Will they distribute Phil’s opinion piece to their constituency for independent judgment(s), or skewer his remarks?

If the treatment Stanley Sheinbaum and the others in the “Stockholm five” received is any example, Klutznick will be the target of abuse and distortion of purpose. Few people in the Jewish, as well as general community, know that these American Jews who went to Sweden to meet with PLO leader Yasser Arafat were representatives of the highly respected International Center for Peace in the Middle East. Its current chairperson is Abba Eban whose skills and talents have been certified by his work in the United Nations, as Israel’s ambassador to the United States, and its foreign minister. Nahumm Goldmann and Klutznick were among the founders of the Center for Peace as these Jewish statesmen realized Israel’s future was at stake by continuous warfare, regardless of the finger-pointing on who’s at fault.

I can only echo what Klutznick writes: “Now is the time to make peace . . . to talk.”

In a nuclear age, it’s either peace under mutually acceptable conditions, and enforced agreements, or the continued march to the eventual day of world suicide.

HYMAN H. HAVES

Pacific Palisades