Sharon’s Occupation of West Bank Cities

Re “Ariel Sharon’s Folly,” editorial, Oct. 24: Do you have any better ideas for Israel? Prime Minister Ariel Sharon tried for months a policy of restraint, during which there was no abatement in the attacks on soldiers and citizens (including two devastating suicide bombings, at the nightclub in Tel Aviv and the Sbarro pizza parlor). Ideally, Israel should desire a negotiated settlement, but with whom should Israel negotiate? Yasser Arafat has had either no desire or no ability to cease attacks on Israel; in either case, the facts indicate that negotiations with Arafat would not lead to termination of attacks on Israel. Should Israel negotiate with Islamic Jihad, Hamas, Hezbollah and others, all of which have declared a policy of continuation of attacks on Israel notwithstanding any demand by Arafat for a cease-fire, and all of which demand the destruction of Israel?

Jeffrey Rabin

Los Angeles

*

Sharon must stop slaughtering Palestinians in the West Bank, especially in Bethlehem, Beit Sahour and Beit Jala. Israel is a sovereign state, but it cannot survive without the billions we give to it each year. He has gone on record that the U.S. must do what Israel bids it to do. It is time that Washington does what is best for the American people--not the Israelis. We Americans are hated in much of the Third World because of the green light Washington gives Israel to mistreat, humiliate, imprison, maim and murder Palestinians.

Israel says it is justified to invade and bombard Bethlehem, Beit Sahour and Beit Jala because Arafat won’t turn over to it the two Palestinians who assassinated the right-wing Israeli extremist who carried the title of “tourism minister.” Why should Arafat turn over Palestinian suspects to Israel, for certain torture until death, when Israel assassinates Palestinian leaders almost daily?

Samir Twair

President, Arab-American

Press Guild, Los Angeles

*

When have Palestinian officials ever abided by international law (letters, Oct. 21)? Israel targets terrorists whose aim is to terrorize and destroy the civilian population of Israel. Palestinian suicide bombers routinely seek out buses, shopping malls, restaurants and a disco with teenagers to murder as many people as possible. There are no Israeli suicide bombers. Arafat is unwilling to control his people. Former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was assassinated by one of his own. He sincerely was looking for a peaceful resolution.

Vivian Thomsen

Laguna Woods

*

The Israelis and Palestinians will never settle it, so the rest of the world should impose a settlement. But how to decide? The political process has repeatedly proved ineffective. A judicial process is irrelevant to the human scale of the conflict. But surely there are enough fair and wise people in the world, acceptable to both sides, to form a deciding body. Their resolution will not fully satisfy either side and will never satisfy extremists anywhere, but it would marginalize terrorists. Let’s take this conflict out of Israeli and Palestinian (and American) hands.

Gordon Globus

Laguna Beach