The United States' policy with respect to Israeli-Palestinian relations is that a two-state solution be forged. However, "facing restiveness among some Jewish voters," Obama may take direct measures to prevent such a thing by casting a veto of a United Nations Security Council vote recognizing Palestinian statehood.
Is it any wonder that Arab nations do not trust the United States? America's days of coddling Israel to preserve the flow of campaign contributions and domestic political support must end.
The Obama administration should support peaceful steps to a two-state solution, even if they don't come about on terms dictated by the United States.
James Rochford
Glendora
In Sunday's Times there was a picture of a Jewish Israeli women demonstrating for an Arab Palestinian state. When we see a picture of Arab women demonstrating for the acceptance of Israel as a Jewish state, we will have a better idea of the Arabs' seriousness in calling for peace, which could well come quickly after that.
May that picture come soon.
Robert M. Miller
Sherman Oaks
A lot of dogs
Re "Ensuring street food cred," Column, Sept. 16
It was interesting to read that an illegal hot dog vendor can make as much as $300 a day. Working five days a week with two weeks off for vacation, that's $75,000 a year.
In addition to not paying licensing fees, how many of these vendors pay taxes? That's money our schools and social services in California could sure use, but I doubt we'll ever see it.
Although I agree that rich people need to pay their fair share, so do people making $75,000 a year—and there's a lot more of them.
Leslie Rodriguez
Los Angeles
Tatooine's twin
Re "Planet with 2 suns like Tatooine in 'Star Wars,' " Sept. 16
Astronomers may have wondered if and when they could detect planets with two suns, but there has never been any doubt that they should exist. All you need is for a planet to be far from a close binary, which was the situation recently discovered, or for the stars to be far apart, so that a planet can be much closer to one star than either star is to the other.
So although this is an interesting discovery, the double-sun planet is not unique. It is just the first of many such planets which should soon be discovered.
Courtney Seligman
Long Beach
