West Bank Settlements
No viable Palestinian state can exist amid a dense patchwork of Israeli settlements. Hence the key to peace is rolling back these settlements. This need not be done by force, since most settlers are there for economic reasons, as “Israelis Not All Deeply Settled In” (June 18) shows. A simple, peaceful and effective way to reduce settlement activity would be to stop subsidizing settlers. The United States can facilitate this process by conditioning its aid to the Israeli government on an end to the subsidies. This, and not increased military aid, will bring Israelis and Palestinians closer to a stable, lasting two-state solution.
Martin S. Putnam
Oakland
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