If Olmert Seeks Good Hasbara Material, It's Here

The New York Timesd published an editorial and some lucky people got their letters in response published. They make good points.

To the Editor:

In “A Truce for Lebanon” (editorial, Aug. 7), you write, “Enough.” You propose a “truce” followed by an eventual “political settlement” to resolve the conflict.

As I read your words, I could not help but think of the prior crisis in southern Lebanon and Security Council Resolution 1559, which was enacted to end those hostilities.

The formula for resolution affirmed the Israeli withdrawal and called upon the government of Lebanon to remove Hezbollah from the region. But that did not happen, and no further resolution seeking compliance was enacted.

One might say that the present situation is in no small part due to the lack of international will to obtain compliance with Resolution 1559. If so, where is the international will to enforce what you suggest?

Lacking the will to enforce a solution, the world will continue to lurch from one Middle East crisis to the next — and the next.

Richard W. Bennett
Westfield, N.J., Aug. 7, 2006

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To the Editor:

Your solution hinges on the ability of the international community to impose a truce on a horde of hate-filled, well-armed terrorists who want to kill as many Jews as possible and who are willing to sacrifice as many Lebanese civilians as necessary to achieve their goals.

It hinges on the assumption that Hezbollah will start behaving in a civilized manner, for the first time in its history, after it stops raining rockets and missiles down on Israeli civilians. It hinges on the ability to halt Iran’s military and financial support for Hezbollah.

Iran, the country that does not care what the international community thinks about its nuclear weapons program. Iran, the country whose leader calls for Israel to be wiped off the map.

Oh, and there’s still Hamas, that other implacable terrorist menace, and Syria, that other hostile state.

Good luck on all of that.

Kenneth Freedland
St. Louis, Aug. 7, 2006

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To the Editor:

Nicholas D. Kristof (“Let’s Start Talking,” column, Aug. 6) says “to hand over Shebaa Farms to Lebanon” and “an exchange of prisoners” would “remove the raison d’être for Hezbollah’s militia.” But that’s not true.

Hezbollah’s leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, has repeatedly called for Israel’s destruction, claiming that Israel is a “temporary country.” Thus, no matter the concessions Israel agreed to, it would not end Hezbollah’s true raison d’être, to end Israel’s existence as a Jewish state.

Therefore, the only solution to the problem of Hezbollah, which is on the State Department’s list of terrorist groups, is to disarm and dismantle it, not to appease it.

Morton A. Klein
National President
Zionist Organization of America
New York, Aug. 6, 2006

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To the Editor:

Re “Charity Wins Deep Loyalty for Hezbollah’’ (front page, Aug. 6):

Hezbollah may indeed be charitable, but using citizens as human shields, which Hezbollah does, negates any trace of charity.

George Jochnowitz
New York, Aug. 6, 2006

In the meantime:-

PM meets with spokespeople to sharpen PR message


Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met yesterday with some 50 spokespeople from the Foreign Ministry, the Israel Defense Forces, the Prime Minister's Office and other government agencies to instruct them on the principal messages that they should be delivering in appearances before the foreign media.