End Mideast Conflict to End Terrorism

So The Times wants Israel to negotiate with the No. 1 terrorist, Yasser Arafat (editorial, Sept. 18). The man who ordered the murder of Israeli Olympic athletes, the man who ordered the killing of the U.S. ambassador to Sudan in 1973, the man who encourages Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah suicide terrorist bombers. This all in the hope that the U.S. can add Arab dictatorships and Arab countries that have harbored and supported international terrorism to a coalition against international terrorism. How absurd!

Betzalel N. Eichenbaum

Encino

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Why is it OK for Americans to “hunt down and punish” terrorists, but when Israelis need to do it the world reprimands them? Now we Americans know what it is like to live in Israel under the fear of terrorism.

Jennifer Beckwith

Ventura

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Ronald Brownstein (“War on Terror Will Test U.S. in Terrible Ways,” Sept. 17) claims that no possible change in U.S. policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian dispute would satisfy Islamic radicals. But there is at least one practical step that the Palestinians themselves have requested which, if it did not fully satisfy both parties to the dispute, would at least work to neutralize the most radical and destabilizing elements on both sides.

Because we annually give Israel $3.5 billion in military aid, we have the decisive influence to prevail upon it to accept international monitors in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Such a move, while not in itself resolving the conflict, is probably an essential step in creating the right conditions for going forward, would work to de-escalate the most egregious and deplorable violence, cost us very little politically and would likely reward us with an increase in goodwill among Palestinians and the Islamic world in general. But where in the U.S. government is the leadership for such a move?

Kenneth Canatsey

Agoura Hills

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We must, along with the world coalition that has formed since Sept. 11, insist that the Israelis and Palestinians end their violence and come to peaceful terms. We should go so far as to impose a peaceful solution on these warring peoples. Enough is enough. The greatest move we could possibly make toward finding and ending the terrorist world network would be to end the conflict in Israel and Palestine. That single move would free and inspire the Muslim world to help us find and apprehend these criminals. Short of that, I fear we face endless war and retaliation.

Neil Reichline

Sherman Oaks

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Now is the time for President Bush to arrange a meeting between Colin Powell and Osama bin Laden to negotiate a settlement of our differences. He can use as a model the advice we are giving the Israelis to negotiate with the most experienced terrorist on Earth, Arafat.

Henry Weiss

Los Angeles

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It has always been a mystery to me why the U.S. government has never taken any degree of blame for the recent tragedy at the World Trade Center. The U.S. would never tolerate a foreign power on its soil, yet views its military forces and influence in the Middle East as justified. Arabs and Muslims throughout the world have every right to resent American troops in their homelands, particularly in Saudi Arabia, the home of Mecca. The age of imperialism has been over for a long time.

As long as this government continues in its misguided foreign policy toward the Middle East, it will be the American people who pay the price.

Mike Miller

Northridge

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Bin Laden has repeatedly declared four countries as enemies of Islam. They are India, Russia, Israel and the U.S. He is fighting proxy wars against the first two in Kashmir and Chechnya, respectively. Thus, support for Israel is hardly a requisite to have jihad declared against your country.

Jay Kulsh

Simi Valley