Israeli Deportations

I note with displeasure one of your Israel-bashing editorials ("Erecting Obstacles to the Peace Process," Jan. 4). Israel is not supposed to retaliate against the murder of its citizens. Israel, a country smaller than Connecticut, is supposed to return land to its Arab neighbors who control sparsely occupied territories larger than the United States and Canada combined. Where is the logic? HENRI TEMIANKA Los Angeles

Palestinian representatives said Friday they want to delay the next round of the Middle East peace talks, scheduled to begin Tuesday, until Israel agrees to expedite the return of Palestinian deportees and ease restrictions on the West Bank and Gaza Strip. U.S. officials, caught by surprise, replied that Palestinian interests would be served best if the talks, in recess since last December, resumed as planned.

The U.N. Security Council issued a statement deploring Israel's decision to deport four Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and expressed concern over the "serious situation" in the occupied territories. The council also expressed concern about the "current serious situation" resulting from the imposition of curfews in the occupied territories since the beginning of the Gulf War.

I note with displeasure one of your Israel-bashing editorials ("Erecting Obstacles to the Peace Process," Jan. 4). Israel is not supposed to retaliate against the murder of its citizens. Israel, a country smaller than Connecticut, is supposed to return land to its Arab neighbors who control sparsely occupied territories larger than the United States and Canada combined. Where is the logic? HENRI TEMIANKA Los Angeles

The deportation or expulsion of Arab inhabitants from the West Bank and Gaza is one of several measures used by Israeli military authorities to deal with what they term "incitement to subversion." Because deportations occur precipitously, without any preliminary hearing or trial, it is difficult to pin down just what is meant by "incitement" or "subversion."

Palestinian representatives said Friday they want to delay the next round of the Middle East peace talks, scheduled to begin Tuesday, until Israel agrees to expedite the return of Palestinian deportees and ease restrictions on the West Bank and Gaza Strip. U.S. officials, caught by surprise, replied that Palestinian interests would be served best if the talks, in recess since last December, resumed as planned.

Masked Palestinians wielding axes killed an Arab farmer suspected of cooperating with Israel, witnesses said Thursday. Other masked men attacked Palestinian laborers they accused of defying a strike order and injured three. The attacks reflected growing divisions among Palestinians over the future of their 8 1/2-month uprising. Meanwhile, Israeli aircraft attacked a Palestinian guerrilla base near the southern Lebanese port city of Sidon, the army command said.

The Palestine Liberation Organization pressed Sunday for a U.N. Security Council debate on Israeli deportations, the politically charged issue that has cast a sudden shadow over this week's scheduled resumption of Middle East peace talks. PLO leader Yasser Arafat met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo, then flew to Amman for talks with Jordanian officials as key Arab states continued to hold back their delegations to the conference, scheduled to begin Tuesday in Washington.

The U.N. Security Council issued a statement deploring Israel's decision to deport four Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and expressed concern over the "serious situation" in the occupied territories. The council also expressed concern about the "current serious situation" resulting from the imposition of curfews in the occupied territories since the beginning of the Gulf War.

The deportation or expulsion of Arab inhabitants from the West Bank and Gaza is one of several measures used by Israeli military authorities to deal with what they term "incitement to subversion." Because deportations occur precipitously, without any preliminary hearing or trial, it is difficult to pin down just what is meant by "incitement" or "subversion."