Letters

• Share

(2 of 3)

Arafat funded violent groups throughout the territories. Even in the optimistic early days after the signing of the Oslo accords, Arafat turned a blind eye when Palestinian terrorists bombed defenseless Israeli civilians. Apparently he believed that such acts would force more concessions from Israel. What Palestinians needed was a leader like Nelson Mandela. What they got was a sort of Robert Mugabe. Good riddance, and please, no more crocodile tears.
GEORGE REISS
Paradise Valley, Ariz.

There is nothing wrong with seeking justice or independence for your people, but at what price? To state that Arafat won legitimacy for the Palestinian cause "despite sometimes [using] deplorable means" was cruel and idiotic. The next time you are worried that a terrorist will kill your loved ones or are haunted by the image of the Twin Towers, thank the guy who invented it all: Arafat. His dedication to violence has spawned a generation of thugs.
JOSHUA MARCUS
West Orange, N.J.

Palestinians are the forgotten victims of human-rights violations. Arafat brought their plight to world consciousness. Their oppression by Israel is a grave matter that must be addressed if there is to be a chance for peace.
ANNETTE THOMAS
Clarkston, Mich.

Arafat imbued the Palestinian movement with self-deception. His legacy is a shattered economy, a bankrupt government and numerous militant organizations like Hamas.
DONALD MINTZ
Sunnyvale, Calif.

The longer a Middle East peace deak is delayed, the more the final agreement will be to the disadvantage of Palestinians. Israel doubled the number of settlements during the lengthy Oslo peace process. And soon after the collapse of Oslo, Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon agreed they would not pursue a peace agreement until Arafat was out of power. Now, after his death, they have implied that any agreement must wait until the Palestinians establish a democracy. Those delaying tactics do not serve the interests of Palestinians or Israelis who want an end to the devastating cycle of violence and a fair two-state solution now.
RAMZI SHAKRA
Glendale, Calif.

The Values Debate

Columnist Joe Klein's analysis of why the Democrats failed to win the election was right on target [Nov. 22]. Klein noted that the Democrats' "economic issues are not nearly as compelling as the Republicans' religious appeal." The Democratic Party needs to focus on the attraction that religious values hold for the middle class instead of promising voters complicated and expensive government programs. Democrats also should take a long look at those who are benefiting from the faith-based social programs. Those factors are worth pursuing before the next election.
CAROL A. BROOKS
Manlius, N.Y.

Klein implied that John Kerry lost the election because a lot of Southern Christians felt ignored by the Democrats. But Klein overlooks the fact that President Bush has shown himself to be a strong leader with a spine of solid steel. Kerry's claims that he would "hunt down and kill the terrorists, wherever they are" were not believable, coming from someone with a 20-year demonstrated lack of leadership in the Senate.
AMY NOCERA
Martinsville, N.J.

Bombs Along the Border?

Your Notebook item "Bordering on Nukes" [Nov. 22] reported on al-Qaeda's possible plans to smuggle nuclear material into the U.S. from Mexico. Not to worry. We'll take them out at the Rio Grande with one of those billion-dollar antimissile defense rockets recently installed in Alaska. They can't seem to hit many test targets, but surely one rocket could hit a terrorist driving a pickup across the border. Couldn't it?
JOHN REID
Portland, Ore.