Uprooting Terrorism From All Nations

Re “Israel’s Not the Issue; Pass It On,” by Robert Satloff, Commentary, Oct. 10: Ah, but Mr. Satloff, Israel is the issue. Israel’s creation introduced the word “terrorist” to the Middle East. I grew up in Palestine in the late ‘30s and ‘40s, living in Haifa until the creation of the state of Israel in May 1948, and personally witnessed 19 cases of Irgun and Stern Gang terror, including the destruction of the school I attended in Haifa.

My mother used to say she could forgive the Zionists for the killing of her children, the destruction of her nation and home and the demoralization of her husband, but she could never forgive the Zionists for turning Palestinians into fighters. By introducing terror to the Palestinians in their attempt to create a state and succeeding, with the help of Western nations, in creating Israel, the Zionists taught the people of the region that terrorizing civilians works.

Israel is also very much the issue because of its continued treatment of the Palestinians. The U.S. does well to finally admit that there should be a Palestine.

Sally Bahous

Fallbrook

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Satloff makes a strong point that should be self-evident to all Americans. While we all hear our president speaking about the elimination of terrorism throughout the world, our State Department appears to be working hard at placating nations that sponsor such terrorism.

While it is understandable that the State Department places great importance on building an international coalition to join us in this battle, we cannot forget what our goal actually is.

If our aim is truly the eradication of terrorism throughout the world, this war will have to expand beyond the borders of Afghanistan. Terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah will also have to be targeted and destroyed. Will nations such as Syria and Jordan remain members of this coalition when we are forced to bring the fight into their own lands as well as the West Bank and Gaza?

Just as Osama bin Laden has attempted to cloak himself in altruism throughout the Arab world by taking on the “Palestinian cause,” is the U.S. not also seeking favor from those same Arab nations through its failure to protest Syria’s appointment to the U.N. Security Council and its omission of the Palestinian terrorist groups from the list of organizations whose assets will be frozen?

Dan Schochet

Stevenson Ranch