Mideast Proposals

* Re “Arafat’s Qualified Nod to U.S. Plan Paves Way for Talks,” Jan. 4: A neutral Martian of the logical kind would have difficulty understanding why Bill Clinton, a U.S. president professing democracy as his creed, would want to place the Jewish people and the state of Israel under the yoke of an agreement that has only 20% support among Israeli Jews.

Ehud Barak, Israel’s chief negotiator, is not a lame-duck prime minister. He is much less: a resigned, caretaker prime minister who has the support of less than one-quarter of the members of parliament. Even some of those within his meager support group are opposed to the present Clinton proposals.

Ariel Sharon, who is most likely to become the elected prime minister of Israel, has stated unequivocally that he will not be bound by the agreement that Barak may be about to enter into. Wouldn’t it be better to wait a few weeks and allow Sharon to negotiate an agreement acceptable to the Jewish majority, rather than create an undemocratic, contentious piece of paper that will lead only to war?

BERNARD LINDNER

Los Angeles

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Yasser Arafat has been given a “Sophie’s Choice.” To add insult to injury, he will be accused of “having failed to seize this historic moment” if he cannot throw away the hopes and dreams of over 4 million Palestinian refugees for these last 52 years. Shame on us. Shame on the world.

JEAN K. GLASSER

Van Nuys

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Re Yossi Klein Halevi’s “The ‘Right of Return’ Dashes All Hope,” Commentary, Jan. 4: Is there no limit to hypocrisy? How can people who champion Israel’s “Law of Return”--which applies to Jewish individuals throughout the world who have no way of demonstrating an origin in Palestine--at the same time deny the right of return to Palestinians who still hold the keys to their original homes?

YIGAL ARENS

Los Angeles