Gaza withdrawal leaves a gaping divide

Re “The Gaza gamble,” editorial, Aug. 16

You imply some kind of Israeli wrongdoing in Gaza, where Israelis live in “red-tiled homes reminiscent of Los Angeles suburbs,” while most of the Palestinians in Gaza “live jammed together in ramshackle apartments.”

Israelis take care of Israelis. Instead of launching intifadas and terror attacks for decades, which have gotten the Palestinians nowhere except an utterly warped reputation for being eternal victims, Palestinian leaders could have applied their vast human resources and talents to improve the living standards of their people.

I’ll bet that Yasser Arafat’s cronies in corruption aren’t living in ramshackle apartments. And for sure, Mrs. Arafat doesn’t. Ask those folks where the money went that could have made economic conditions better in Gaza.

MARTIN ZUCKER

Canoga Park

*

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is betting that the withdrawal from Gaza will mean withdrawal from the West Bank will never occur. He is hoping to give up a little to keep a lot.

WILLIAM N. HOKE

Manhattan Beach

*

Re “Why Sharon?” Opinion, Aug. 15

Aluf Benn calls Sharon’s deep distrust of Arabs “unilateralism.” I would call it “bigotry.”

Here we have a grown man who still heeds his mother’s misguided advice to “never believe them.”

In the past we have been told that it was the Palestinians who would not negotiate. Instead we learn that it was Sharon who refused to negotiate, fearing he would fail. Why would he fail if he had justice on his side?

We learn from Benn that, to Sharon, peace talks equaled a “corral” leading Israel to the slaughterhouse.

It appears that Sharon is a bigoted man who is afraid of talking peace or negotiating.

PHYLLIS SOLOMON

Laguna Woods