The U.S. role in the Mideast

Your Nov. 16 editorial “Condi gets it” emphasizes an important point: The U.S. needs to be actively involved for the Israelis and Palestinians to make progress. Israel’s Gaza disengagement created an opportunity to return to negotiations, but then it seemed that no one was prepared to take advantage of this opportunity.

On the face of it, the agreement covers one issue but still represents the possibility of what could happen in the future. Although the U.S. cannot force a settlement, Washington has the potential to be a credible broker. I hope the Bush administration learned this lesson from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s visit, and that it uses the agreement to push for a return to negotiations. Sustained U.S. leadership is critical to achieving a two-state solution, which is in the interests of Israelis, Palestinians and Americans.

LYNNE WASSERMAN

Beverly Hills

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You praise Rice’s achievement with the Gaza border “agreement” because otherwise “the territory will remain an economic sinkhole.” Two important points:

* Gaza will remain an economic sinkhole anyway unless the Palestinian Authority starts helping its own people. It has built no infrastructure. Enormous amounts of money given by Western countries have gone to line the pockets of corrupt officials and for arms.

* The open border will only be an easy way to bring in arms and missiles. Does anyone really believe that closed-circuit television transmissions of crates and boxes will really prevent the entrance of terrorists and weapons? This “agreement” is another in the long line of Israeli concessions with nothing received in return.

GEORGE LEBOVITZ

Los Angeles

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Re “The torture rule book,” Opinion, Nov. 17

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and others need only read reports from human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Israel’s own B’Tselem to know that Israel continues to torture Palestinian men, woman and children on a daily basis.

The Bush administration already emulates too many of Israel’s policies. There is little doubt that Americans have used torture techniques learned during training by Israeli specialists.

It’s good that McCain feels the U.S. should take a stand against torture, but for a model he should not look at Israel.

MARY HUGHES

Los Angeles