Nablus Strike: Who Will Control Mideast Terror?

Re “Stop Israel From Executing the Innocent,” Commentary, Aug. 2: Does Mustafa Barghouthi really believe that civilized society, of which the Palestinian Authority may be his supreme exemplar, should tolerate the coldblooded murders of children on hikes, teenagers enjoying the night air at a disco or even two soldiers who take a wrong turn into a town? The “extrajudicial killings,” about which Barghouthi weeps with such a double standard, are the price the Palestinian Authority should pay for the acts of depravity that it allows to issue forth from the territory under its control.

It was always the Palestinian Authority’s responsibility, both under the Oslo agreements and under international law, to bring the perpetrators of terror to justice. Its failure or refusal to perform that responsibility has left the Israelis no other choice but to take matters into their own hands and strike terror at its source. The opportunity to protect the lives of wanton terrorists is still within the power of the Palestinian Authority. The question remains whether it will operate with the same civilized, humanitarian and democratic conduct that Barghouthi so hypocritically expects of Israel.

Avi Davis

Westwood

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When the Israeli government strikes at the hornet’s nest that is Hamas, it knows that the hornets will swarm out and sting their assailant (“8 Killed as Israel Attacks Militant Site,” Aug. 1). This will be shown as proof that the Palestinians are not interested in peace. The Israeli war machine will rumble through Palestinian cities and will crush the Palestinian people. This, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will say, is necessary to end the terror. And when the tanks and soldiers depart, they will leave behind mud and crushed homes, the perfect ingredients for a hornet’s nest.

Sean Paroski

Santa Paula