Peace Talks

* Re “For Arafat, It’s Always Been All or Nothing,” Commentary, July 26: Yasser Arafat meeting, talking, posturing or writing is the same as he has always been--unwilling to compromise. The Palestinians are, again, the losers, when they might have finally been able to go about the business of extricating themselves from the results of 52 years of their leaders’ blind intransigence.

Arafat and parts of the Arab world do not want “peace.” Just as in 1948, Arabs do not want a Jewish state and are willing to sacrifice their own people to forward their goals. Palestinian self-pity over the consequences of their own actions has a very hollow ring to it.

I fear that extremist thugs will take matters to the streets and many innocents will suffer. How I wish that Arafat had had the courage of Ehud Barak and been willing to work within new paradigms, those of real statesmanship.

SHERRI LIPMAN

Fullerton

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* Your July 26 editorial was headlined “No Time for Finger-Pointing,” but in fact you unjustly pointed your finger toward Arafat by saying, “Barak showed a great deal of flexibility in offering concessions on . . . the future of East Jerusalem.” East Jerusalem is not Barak’s property. It seems you tried but failed to conceal your bias, which does not help peace efforts.

GHASSAN F. DURR

La Puente

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* Even Israel’s harshest critics have to pause and marvel at the degree to which Prime Minister Barak was willing to make concessions to the Palestinians, even though many of those concessions could actually place Israel in physical jeopardy. Barak’s proposed compromise was brilliant and workable. The provision of Arab sovereignty over Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem in exchange for the annexation of several Jewish settlements in the West Bank would have benefited both sides and harmed no one. Arafat’s precipitous rejection of this proposal raises grave doubts about whether the Palestinian delegation was ever truly negotiating in good faith.

Israel took enormous risks in the quest for peace. The ball, or should we even say the time bomb, is now in the Palestinian court.

EDDIE TABASH, Pres.

Democrats for Israel, L.A.