Pointing a Finger of Blame in the Middle East

Once again The Times fails to draw distinctions about who’s responsible for the continued violence in Israel. “Sharon’s West Bank Folly” (editorial, Nov. 20) stated that “permanent peace between Israel and the Palestinians ... was interrupted nearly two years ago by a failure to agree on how to exchange land for peace.”

I suppose that, technically, Israel offering 98% of the West Bank, plus the difference made up from land in Israel proper -- an offer turned down by Yasser Arafat -- is “a failure to agree.” But pointing out the truth would only dilute the strength of The Times’ editorial purpose of condemning Israel.

Douglas Friedman

Oak Park

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Your editorials are usually good intentioned but they miss the Jewish perspective. Hebron is the place where our biblical patriarchs and matriarchs are buried: Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob and Leah among others. Your editorial seems to blame the Jewish presence in Hebron as an obstacle to peace. The only obstacles to peace are the terrorist organizations that rule Palestinian lives.

Jews will never give up their access to Hebron and the Jewish sites. Jewish history in Israel goes back 3,800 years. When Palestinians decide to get rid of Arafat and his reign of terror and accept Jews in the area, they will find peace.

Isaac Bensussen

San Diego

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Your editorial selectively addresses Islamic Jihad’s refusal to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist. True, but the root cause of the ongoing violence is the refusal of the entire Palestinian population to accept Israel’s right to exist.

Despite the Oslo accords, the Hebron agreements and the Camp David peace proposals, the surrounding Arab governments, the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian media and Muslim clergy still publicly vilify Jews, Americans and the West as their enemies. The dysfunctional countries of the Muslim Middle East are filled with virulent racism, hatred and rage. Until they are willing to accept other religions and cultures different from their own, we will have war in the Philippines, India, Russia, Malaysia, Israel and anywhere else Muslims are urged by their leadership to direct their rage at non-Muslims.

Jerry Levy

Aliso Viejo