Palestinian Transition

Re “Help Palestinians Nurture Democracy,” May 28: Noah Feldman might like to believe that a Palestinian democracy is possible in perhaps six months, but actions on the ground point in a different direction. Regular efforts to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip from Egypt through the Rafah tunnels and the disclosure in Die Welt, a German weekly, that the Palestinian Authority requested $20million from the European Union for new weapons are not indications that Israel’s neighbor is planning a peaceful transition to becoming the second democratic country in the region.

By the way, the amount earmarked for more arms was higher than those for health and education. Does that sound like the road to democracy?

Martin Hardstark

North Hollywood