Oslo Peace

Thank you for Max Abrahms' Aug. 14 commentary, "Terrorism Casts Pall on 'Road Map.' " The security fence that Israel is constructing is not a barrier to peace. To the contrary, if the fence can prevent terror attacks, it may actually promote peace by compelling the Palestinians to negotiate in good faith without having the option of threatening terrorism if they don't receive everything they want. Moreover, it bears emphasis that, if and when there is a peace agreement, the fence can be removed or relocated in accordance with the terms of the treaty.

Thank you for Max Abrahms' Aug. 14 commentary, "Terrorism Casts Pall on 'Road Map.' " The security fence that Israel is constructing is not a barrier to peace. To the contrary, if the fence can prevent terror attacks, it may actually promote peace by compelling the Palestinians to negotiate in good faith without having the option of threatening terrorism if they don't receive everything they want. Moreover, it bears emphasis that, if and when there is a peace agreement, the fence can be removed or relocated in accordance with the terms of the treaty.

In "A Dead-End Movement Hits the Wall" (Opinion, Feb. 3), Gene Lichtenstein refers to me, not by name but by position, as regional chairman of Americans for a Safe Israel in 1994. He claims that I called Baruch Goldstein, the gunman in the massacre of 29 Arabs, "a hero and a Jewish martyr." Lichtenstein is way off base in his claim. Although, prior to that incident, based on personal acquaintance, I had a high opinion of Goldstein as a dedicated doctor and a devoutly religious and deeply spiritual person, I could not in good conscience call him a hero--certainly not before the hearings conducted by Israel's Commission of Inquiry.

There's nothing like a national threat to unite a country behind hard-liners. And there's nothing like a united country to cow moderate politicians into silence--even when popular extremists make destructive decisions. Such is the case in Israel today, where the wave of terror has united the bulk of the country behind Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's archconservative Likud Party, and moderate politicians trying to hold on to threads of power can think of no better strategy than playing dead.

Re "American Jews Need to Stand for Peace," Column Left, April 12: In his pronouncements about peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, Michael Lerner views the road as being only one-way. He is totally self-absorbed in his own view of righteousness and leaves little room for those in the peace camp who differ with him. Were it not for his obvious Jewishness, his constant sniping at the Israeli lobby, as if it were a nefarious poison injected into the body politic, would reek of anti-Semitism.

A group of Jewish radicals will be out today, gathering in an Arab neighborhood to celebrate the end of what came to be known as the Oslo peace process. But they will definitely be in the minority. Most Israelis and Palestinians, some with relief and some with sadness, have decided to observe the day with only a passing nod.

In one July 19 article, I read that President Clinton is delaying his trip to Japan to close a Mideast peace deal with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat at the Camp David summit. In the same edition, I read "Israelis and Palestinians Are Bracing for Violence at Home," detailing how, peace deal or no peace deal, the Palestinians are planning massive, armed violence and are instructing "boys in how to kill, fabricate and deliver firebombs and break down and reassemble automatic rifles."

There's nothing like a national threat to unite a country behind hard-liners. And there's nothing like a united country to cow moderate politicians into silence--even when popular extremists make destructive decisions. Such is the case in Israel today, where the wave of terror has united the bulk of the country behind Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's archconservative Likud Party, and moderate politicians trying to hold on to threads of power can think of no better strategy than playing dead.

The leading candidates for this year's Nobel Peace Prize, to be awarded in Norway's capital Friday, are not individuals but international organizations, according to informed sources, with the Salvation Army the favorite among 25 nominated groups. Another prime candidate is the French-based Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders). Among 95 individuals nominated for the prize, African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela and South African President Frederik W.

Cautioned by President Clinton that poverty and economic stagnation breed terrorism, international donors Monday pledged more than $3 billion in new aid to the Palestinian-ruled areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The figure was well above the expectations of the U.S. officials who organized the daylong donors conference, attended by representatives of 43 countries, most of them affluent, and six international organizations.

In "A Dead-End Movement Hits the Wall" (Opinion, Feb. 3), Gene Lichtenstein refers to me, not by name but by position, as regional chairman of Americans for a Safe Israel in 1994. He claims that I called Baruch Goldstein, the gunman in the massacre of 29 Arabs, "a hero and a Jewish martyr." Lichtenstein is way off base in his claim. Although, prior to that incident, based on personal acquaintance, I had a high opinion of Goldstein as a dedicated doctor and a devoutly religious and deeply spiritual person, I could not in good conscience call him a hero--certainly not before the hearings conducted by Israel's Commission of Inquiry.

In one July 19 article, I read that President Clinton is delaying his trip to Japan to close a Mideast peace deal with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat at the Camp David summit. In the same edition, I read "Israelis and Palestinians Are Bracing for Violence at Home," detailing how, peace deal or no peace deal, the Palestinians are planning massive, armed violence and are instructing "boys in how to kill, fabricate and deliver firebombs and break down and reassemble automatic rifles."

A group of Jewish radicals will be out today, gathering in an Arab neighborhood to celebrate the end of what came to be known as the Oslo peace process. But they will definitely be in the minority. Most Israelis and Palestinians, some with relief and some with sadness, have decided to observe the day with only a passing nod.

Cautioned by President Clinton that poverty and economic stagnation breed terrorism, international donors Monday pledged more than $3 billion in new aid to the Palestinian-ruled areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The figure was well above the expectations of the U.S. officials who organized the daylong donors conference, attended by representatives of 43 countries, most of them affluent, and six international organizations.

Re "American Jews Need to Stand for Peace," Column Left, April 12: In his pronouncements about peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, Michael Lerner views the road as being only one-way. He is totally self-absorbed in his own view of righteousness and leaves little room for those in the peace camp who differ with him. Were it not for his obvious Jewishness, his constant sniping at the Israeli lobby, as if it were a nefarious poison injected into the body politic, would reek of anti-Semitism.

The leading candidates for this year's Nobel Peace Prize, to be awarded in Norway's capital Friday, are not individuals but international organizations, according to informed sources, with the Salvation Army the favorite among 25 nominated groups. Another prime candidate is the French-based Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders). Among 95 individuals nominated for the prize, African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela and South African President Frederik W.

Re "Peres wins Israeli presidency," June 14 With all the accolades and congratulations being tossed around, let us not forget that Shimon Peres played a major role in the disastrous Oslo peace accords with the Palestinian Liberation Organization, resulting not only in the death and suffering of thousands of people on both sides of the conflict but the current situation in Gaza as well. MARTIN HARDSTARK North Hollywood

Re "Palestinians call release of 429 prisoners inadequate," Dec. 4 The article on the Palestinian prisoner release was missing a crucial piece of information, which is the number of Palestinians who have been imprisoned since the last few bulk prisoner releases. Also absent was mention of conditions under which prisoners are kept or Israel's as-yet-unmet obligations under the Oslo peace accords to release prisoners.