Well, Another Letter That Didn't Get Published

I had sent this letter in to the Int'l Herald Tribune after commenting on it on a previous posting:

You report that Ehud Olmert's decision to remove checkpoints on West Bank roads "could remove, or at least reduce, a source of great frustration there" ("Israel agress to remove 2 dozen checkpoints", Dec. 26). Indeed, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice has repeated this theme of "frustration". Nevertheless, another result is possible.

Over the years since the roadblocks have become a target of concern for those sympathetic to local Arabs, not once has a removal of a roadblock ever led to a decrease in terrorism, including suicide bombers, but quite the opposite. May I suggest that the responsibility for these roadblocks be shifted to the Arabs and that for every time an incident of smuggling munitions or arms or a terorist succeeds, the roadblock then becomes permanent. Let it be their choice because between the alternative to frustration seems to be killing and the there can be no moral equivalency between the two.

The IHT selected two other letters and just as well:-

Dealing with Hamas

Robert Malley and Henry Siegman ("The Hamas factor," Views, Dec. 28) think it is "unfortunate" that Hamas will not recognize Israel and ask whether it is really worth plunging the region into greater chaos because Hamas will not recognize Israel.

The issue here is not recognition of Israel, it is Hamas's declared goal to destroy Israel. There are several nations in the world that do not recognize Israel and have no diplomatic relations with Israel. But Hamas is the only elected political entity that openly advocates the destruction and annihilation of an entire state and its people. Fortunately this is not acceptable to the majority of the world's nations.

Michael Seelig, London

Robert Malley and Henry Siegman say that Hamas must be dealt with by the Israelis to secure peace in the region. At the same time, they admit that Hamas will never agree to Israel's right to exist. Malley and Siegman are seeking a solution to the wrong problem.

Hamas is not Israel's problem. Hamas is the central problem of the Palestinian people. There is nothing that Israel can do to remedy the situation other than to capitulate to the demands of Hamas, an inflexible terrorist group. The Palestinians voted Hamas into power. Therefore it is up to the Palestinians to work out a solution to the dilemma they created.

Israel should allow the Palestinians to sort out the Hamas problem. Only then can an Israel-Palestinian conference on a two-state solution have real meaning.

The United States refuses to deal with terrorists. So should Israel.

Bernard Ilson, New York