It has been said lately that the Palestinians act from desperation, that they have nothing to lose. This is wrong and should be exposed as such.
By JERUSALEM POST READERSLetters 370(photo credit: REUTERS/Handout )Peace process Sir, – With regard to “US envoy Indyk to meet today with Livni, Erekat in effort to salvage talks” (April 6), it should be overwhelmingly clear by now that the so-called Palestinian peace negotiators have nothing but the utmost contempt and hostility for Israelis. The “Palestinians” are the latter-day avatars of the biblical Amalekites, the sworn, eternal and unrelenting enemies of the Israelites. We cannot parley with murderers.The only fitting response that Israel can make toward them is to maintain its policy of confrontation and unending vigilance backed by plenty of military muscle and the abrupt cessation of aid and other humanitarian gestures.Perhaps then they will lessen their contempt for the Jewish State of Israel and be more willing to conclude a peace.ROY RUNDSTel AvivSir, – It has been said lately that the Palestinians act from desperation, that they have nothing to lose. This is wrong and should be exposed as such.Imagine a Palestinian state that was created 40 years ago. Today it would be a dynamic, advanced state, blooming in freedom, prosperity and well-being. I should add that an accommodation between Israel and this state would do much promote to the interaction between Jews and Arab citizens right here.Palestinians, you indeed have something to lose. You must lose your blindness. You must get your sight back, and that is a lot.Your leaders play at talking with Israel while there is no accommodation even among themselves.They lead you and lead you, and in the end you get doodle.I do believe that there is a lot of talent, ambition and creativity hidden in the Palestinian masses.Such a waste.ALEXANDER BERLINBitzaronSir, – As usual, our enemies set the terms and we meekly follow, not wanting to upset US President Barack Obama, never mind that he has no qualms about publicly taking us to task for anything that meets with his displeasure (and this covers a lot of ground). In contrast, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas gets a free pass, with hardly a murmur passing Secretary of State John Kerry’s lips – because that is what you do when you are a real friend.The discussion of freeing Jonathan Pollard in return for terrorists is disgusting and shows up Obama as one who is only interested in beating Israel into submission for his own nefarious purposes. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his cabinet should be under no illusions and must act accordingly, with a demand that Pollard be freed because he was unjustly sentenced to life imprisonment for spying on a friendly country, when some of those who spied for enemy states and harmed America served lesser terms.We were once known as a stiffnecked people. To have a stiff neck, one usually needs a straight back. We must show the world we are still a stiff-necked people with a back so straight it will never bend to the whims of those who would destroy us.PHYLLIS STERNNetanyaSir, – I have been reading about the peace process for several months and am confused about whom we are actually negotiating with.At times we are negotiating with the Palestinians. At other times we are negotiating with the Palestinian Authority (PA).Though I assume the Americans will support any peace that is agreed to, I have seen no comments to say that this peace will be recognized by any of our enemies.I now see that the PA is claiming to speak for all Palestinians when it applies to international bodies.Does this mean the UN and all its affiliates recognize its right to negotiate on behalf of all Palestinians, including Hamas in the Gaza Strip? Does the Arab League? Have Hezbollah and Iran also joined the queue? Does the PLO recognize the PA’s right to negotiate and agree to recognize the agreement in light of its failure to implement the Oslo Accords? Maybe it’s time for the PA to put up or shut up with its demands.If Israel has no demands it can make of the Palestinian Authority, it should demand that it bring to the table offers from the Arab League that show the PA is acting in good faith. I would suggest the Arab League recognize Israel immediately and suspend the Arab boycott, and the UN and its Human Rights Council should come forward and agree to no anti-Israel declarations for two years.MICHAEL H. DAVISRishon LezionWho really knows? Sir, – In “To my colleague Caroline: A caveat” (Into the Fray, April 4), Martin Sherman criticizes Caroline B. Glick’s “one-state solution” on the grounds that it won’t work in practice. In doing so he ignores the highly likely events to start on the very day Israel declares sovereignty over Palestinian territory: 1. Egypt and Jordan suspend their peace treaties with Israel.2. Hamas and Hezbollah begin firing large numbers of rockets and missiles into Israeli cities, towns and villages including Tel Aviv, west Jerusalem, Haifa and Beersheba. Essentially, life and commerce come to a halt.3. Iran either gets directly involved by firing missiles on Tel Aviv or rushes additional arms to terrorists.4. Violent riots break out all across the Palestinian territory.Arabs attack Jews in both east and west Jerusalem, attack the Kotel and block roads.5. Israeli cars are shot at by terrorists.Many Israelis are killed or wounded.6. Isolated Jewish villages in the Palestinian territory are attacked and cut off.7. Israeli Arabs riot within Israel.Many are killed, causing increased violence and attacks on Jews in many cities.8. The United Nations Security Council passes severe sanctions against Israel. The US abstains.9.The EU declares immediate and severe financial sanctions against Israel. El Al is prohibited from flying to European cities.9. The IDF is unable to deal with the enormous violence on so many fronts.So what is going to be the solution? Nobody knows.YEHUDA GELLMANJerusalemAmused, appalledSir, – I was both amused and appalled at the Reform clergypeople who shaved their heads (“Rabbis’ mass head-shave, inspired by ‘Superman Sam,’ raises nearly $600K,” April 6).Let us ignore the question of how such an act can help cancer victims – a bizarre thought on its own. Just recall that the Yiddish colloquialism for a Christian priest is galach. This is based specifically on those Christian clergymen who shaved their heads, a practice that is anathema to normative Judaism. No surprise that this project was co-sponsored by the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.Have these Reformers no sense of Jewish history?IRA L. JACOBSONPetah TikvaLetters about letters Sir, – Regarding Prince Harry’s faux pas (“Shame for us all,” Letters, April 6), from what I remember he was severely chastised and later made a public apology. The children in Mevaseret Zion, though, seem to still think slavery is funny.The adults involved in this should be ashamed of themselves.If this is how they behave, we shouldn’t worry about anti-Semitism. Hatred of one people should not mean hatred of another.JUDY GOLDINKiryat OnoSir, – Kol hakavod to reader Minny Mock-Degen (“Unkosher bust,” Letters, April 4).The main criticism about “Kosher lust” (No Holds Barred, March 25) is that Rabbi Shmuley Boteach appears to have understood the Song of Songs as being categorical, while every other great rabbi realizes it is allegorical.I refer your readers to the Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 101a.LEONARD BOOKAshkelonThe writer is a rabbi
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