Nationalistic Dreams of Unity in Middle East

Prof. Augustus Richard Norton aptly summarizes the nationalist modern Arab dreams of Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, Hafez Assad of Syria, Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran and Saddam Hussein of Iraq (“Grand Delusions,” Opinion, Sept. 16). Their dreams are quite similar and characterized by each striving to be the leader of the new aggressive empire, and each has the destruction of Israel as the central goal.

Since Hussein considers both East and West Palestine as an integral part of “the Arab nation” centered in Baghdad, and since the Palestinians, including the PLO, support his plans, it follows that the latest demand for a new Palestinian state is specious. Such a demand is designed as a temporary state, to weaken Israel sufficiently to make it possible to eliminate it.

One might ask, why should we care if the demand for another Palestinian state is specious, if peace is promised in return for territory? The speciousness of the demand for a Palestinian state concerns us because, contrary to promises, it would not produce peace, but more wars. Weren’t the borders of Lebanon, Kuwait and Iran clearly recognized before being overtaken by Syria, and Iraq respectively? Now that we clearly know that the demand for another Palestinian state is a shameful sham, we can devote our time and effort to produce real peace, by settling the Arab refugees in Arab lands, and motivating the countries in the Middle East to stay independent on a live-and-let-live basis.

BERNARD I. LINDNER

Los Angeles