Kudos to Bruce Dov

Bruce Dov Krulwich had his letter published in today's NYTimes:-

To the Editor:

Re "Cold, Hard Cash," by Geoff D. Porter (Op-Ed, May 11):

I find it mind-boggling that anyone can continue to think that supporting terrorists will lead to a moderation of terror. The Palestinians were offered a state by Israel's prime minister, Ehud Barak; the answer was terror. Israel has pulled out of Gaza, and the response has been more than 500 Qassam rockets fired into Israel. The Palestinians were given weapons to control terror; those weapons were used in terrorist acts.

I beg the world, for the sake of the lives of my children and all children living in Israel, please do not revert to giving money to terrorists.

Beit Shemesh, Israel

And this was what he was responding to:-

On Tuesday, the United States endorsed a European proposal to establish a fund to channel aid to the West Bank and Gaza Strip. That fund will grant the Palestinian Authority a momentary reprieve. But by sidestepping the Hamas government and dealing only with President Mahmoud Abbas, the deal leaves the Palestinian prime minister and his cabinet hunting for money of their own.

The window to push Hamas to moderate its position is still open. If Arab governments are able to get their money to the Palestinian Authority, they stand a good chance of being able to compel Hamas to embrace the 2002 Arab peace initiative, abandon its charter and recognize Israel. But if Iran figures out how to get money to the Palestinian Authority before Arab countries do, Hamas will be in no position to say no, and Iran certainly won't urge it to recognize Israel.

Geoff D. Porter is the acting director of the Eurasia Group's division for the Middle East and Africa.

And by the way, Porter publishes academic pieces, he's a professor, in radical journals who fits in with the 'liberal education' model as an expert on North Africa.