Israelis and Palestinians

Marvin Hier’s recommendations (Commentary, Aug. 6) are right on track: The Arabs can learn from the recent turnabout in relationships between the Soviet Union and the United States. The Soviets will gain much by being friendly rather than threatening their former adversary.

Israel is a democracy. It is not Shamir, Sharon, Perez or Rabin; it is the Israeli people. In poll after poll, Israelis have voted 60% or better in favor of giving land for peace. So why don’t they elect representatives who support this position? Because they do not believe that they will get peace for land. Rather, they fear the giving of land will jeopardize their security and lead to the Arab taking of more land, eventually all of it.

If the Arabs were smart they would realize that the key to attaining land is to persuade Israeli citizens that they are not a threat to Israel. They can do this by making peace with Israel (as Egypt did), by eliminating the boycott, by cooperating with Israel on regional problems and by getting rid of their “destroy Israel” mentality and the radical leadership that promotes it. This will take time, but since past “stick” tactics have lead nowhere but backwards, their only real hope is to use the “carrot.”

JULES MOSTER

Los Angeles