Readers React: No need to be ‘balanced’ on Israeli-Palestinian debate

To the editor: In an effort to present a balanced view on the recent random attacks by Palestinians on Israelis, The Times turns a blind eye to repeated Palestinian rejection of Israel’s offers of land for peace, their refusal to sit down at the bargaining table, end-runs around the peace process by seeking statehood with the United Nations, unprovoked attacks on innocent Israelis and glorification and financial support of Palestinian terrorists. (“New Palestinian-Israeli violence shows the urgent need for a two-state solution,” editorial, Oct. 20)

All this raises the question: What should Israel be doing that it hasn’t already done?

It’s time for the United States to take the lead in applying pressure on those who, in the memorable words of Abba Eban, never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.

Bruce Friedman, Beverly Hills

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To the editor: From The Times’ editorial, it would appear that Palestinian-Israeli violence is a recent phenomenon, whereas the fact is that Israelis have been perpetrating violence on Palestinians on almost a daily basis, not only for the last few weeks but going back at least to the original ethnic cleansing in 1948.

That’s not to say that the random knifing of Israelis isn’t deplorable, only that it is occurring within a context of the often brutal oppression of a native people by their colonial masters. Needless to say, the natives never take well to settlers, especially when they attempt to permanently occupy the natives’ homeland, as is happening right now in Palestine.

Resistance is the inevitable response by a people to the loss of homeland, and the magnitude and type (nonviolent or violent) of resistance depends mostly on the amount of oppression that can be endured before striking back. Obviously, the Palestinians have reached their limit.

Jack Kent, Huntington Beach

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To the editor: Your editorial misses the point. The Muslims killing or attempting to kill Jews are not interested in the peace process or settlements or even the fact that more Jews are visiting the site in Jerusalem that is sacred to both faiths.

This is happening because these Muslims are seeking to kill Jews to comply with “orders” coming from religious leaders and social media. This is a continuation of what has gone on as far back as the 1920s, long before Israel was declared a state.

Israel and its Jews are entitled to defend themselves from this terror, and the United States should unequivocally support their doing so.

Richard S. Weiner, Los Angeles

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