Peace Process in the Mideast

It was comforting to read Abraham Rabinovich’s Jan. 9 commentary that there is a nurturing of the “inevitable” within Israel for Arabs and Jews living together in peace, regardless of any periodic disharmony. I hope he is right. That the Hamas “master bomb maker” was killed at this time, justified as it may have been, made me question who is in control during this sensitive period of readjustments.

In this country, the loud voices from “right-wing” Zionist leaders and religious zealots continue to assail Yitzhak Rabin’s legacy and Shimon Peres’ vision. While freedom of speech is to be treasured, the Jewish press and mainstream American Jewish leaders have failed to exercise the wisdom and judgment needed to counter those doomsayers who favor disunity over unity, and a position contrary to the Jewish hope of a world where justice shall reign and peace prevail. That hope is not singular, but shared by peoples everywhere.

HYMAN H. HAVES

Pacific Palisades

* Rabinovich’s article indicates that the Israeli right wing is now acquiescing in the land-for-peace framework. It’s too bad this acquiescence didn’t come through in time to keep the right’s most hot-headed sector from fostering the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin.

It now seems that Rabin’s great offense was to “accept the inevitable” a little earlier than the right wing was publicly willing to do so. The right wing’s rapid turnabout is something that the assassin, Yigal Amir--as well as the whole Israeli public--would now do well to reflect upon.

IRVING L. SELK

Los Angeles

* In an otherwise thoughtful commentary on the challenge of Islamic resurgence (Jan. 8), the Muslim Public Affairs Council director, Salam Al-Marayati, attempts to minimize the role played by Islamic terrorists in the international terrorist movement by engaging in an act of intellectual sleight of hand. First, he shares his questionable interpretation of a U.S. govern- ment report on terrorism to argue that most casualties of international terrorism are the victims of attacks perpetrated by individuals of Jewish and Christian “background.” Al-Marayati somehow forgets to remind readers that while terrorists of Jewish and Christian “background” are regularly condemned by their religious institutions and clergy for their actions, Islamic terrorists are often revered, and in case of death, declared martyrs by theirs.

Those who blow up buses carrying women and children or plant bombs in business and shopping districts solely to maximize numbers of civilian casualties are neither heroes nor holy men. And those individuals and groups who sponsor and glorify them do not merit the special consideration that Al-Marayati would have us confer upon them.

AARON BREITBART

Senior Researcher

Simon Wiesenthal Center, L.A.

* Re “Reveille for Israeli Yuppies: Give Us Your Trucks,” Jan. 6: The article regarding Israeli yuppies’ purchases of $75,000 vehicles has me incensed. I have written to President Clinton requesting him to request Congress to drastically cut foreign aid to Israel.

Why should I, on a retirement income, pay money to Israel so its citizens can drive $75,000 vehicles? I cannot afford them and if Israeli citizens can, then they should be paying more to support their country.

EMMA W. WILLSEY

Huntington Beach