Arab-Israeli Conflict

* As a non-Jew, non-Arab non-Middle Easterner, I have one thing to say in response to Hussein Ibish’s May 26 commentary, “Know Now That Arab Lives Are as Worthy as Israelis’ “--enough already! The Israelis had security reasons for invading south Lebanon. The Lebanese now have every right to be angry about the conduct of the Israeli occupiers. Zigzagging back through history, chronicling one side’s “ghastly massacres” and then the other’s, serves no purpose except to keep the flames of passion roiling.

Just stop killing each other, Mr. Ibish. That’s the action required to prove Arab and Israeli are equally worthy of living. But the Arabs won’t stop now that the Israelis have withdrawn, will they? As one who couldn’t care less which group “wins,” I say a pox on both your houses.

RON DUPLANTIS

Huntington Beach

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It was so satisfying to read Ibish’s column. It seems that we read mostly of the U.S. concern for the Israelis. Have we forgotten that the Israelis demolished 418 Palestinian villages and that 75% of all Palestinians lost their homes to the Israelis? Let us not forget the injustices that the Palestinians are still enduring at the hands of the Israeli Defense Forces.

GWEN JOHNSON

Corona del Mar

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A 3-year-old still believes he can hit without retaliation. An adult knows better. Japan struck us at Pearl Harbor and we eventually occupied Japan. Lebanon-based terrorist groups hit northern Israel and the Israelis eventually occupied southern Lebanon. We left Japan on the assumption we would not be attacked again. Israel left Lebanon on the assumption it would not be attacked again. Isn’t it time Arab leaders grew up?

ARTHUR YUWILER

Woodland Hills