Israel: Retaliation or Right to Exist?

Re “Suicide Bomber Kills 12 at Busy Jerusalem Cafe,” March 10: After summarizing the violence in that part of the world, The Times stated that the Palestinian attacks were in revenge for the ongoing Israeli military offensive. In reality, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered Yasser Arafat 97% of what he was asking for. When that offer was refused, the wave of Palestinian terror began and has been constantly increasing, the victims being innocent civilians. Israel’s retaliation has been in response to the escalating terrorism. I am not condoning the violence on either side. I am asking for an accurate recounting of the recent history in that war-torn region.

Arthur S. Friedman

Newport Beach

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Overrunning another country from impregnable bases in tanks, crushing houses, Apache copters killing car-crammed children with rockets--this is “self-defense.” Retributive strikes by sacrificial bodies strapped with explosives is “terrorism.” Let’s label both with the same ugly name, terrorism, or not use it at all. Parallax, seeing the same reality from a different point of view, has made us self-blinded accomplices of bullies.

Robert Brophy

Los Alamitos

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Was it truly necessary for The Times to put a ghastly color photograph of the bloody and burnt man in Jerusalem on the front page on Sunday? While this tragedy is serious, this gruesome photograph was unnecessary. We have children in our family who do not need to see such vivid photos.

Mignon Bullington

Camarillo

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The photo of an Israeli soldier herding Palestinians with “U.S.” stamped on his back says it all (March 9, Page A5). It is America’s wealth and arms that is allowing this occupation and madness to continue. It makes no sense to be sending one-third of all our foreign aid to the Middle East so that Israel can bomb schools and civilians. Think how different today would be if for the past 35 years our aid had been used to build schools and hospitals instead of settlements and bypass roads. Enough is enough. If Israelis want to continue this madness, let them do it on their dime, not ours.

George Saade

Downey