World without Palestinians
J Street seems to operate in a world void of Palestinians. In an op-ed (“Land or peace? The moment of choice approaches,” WJW, March 6), Alan Elsner insists it’s Israel’s choice alone: land or peace. Wake up. You need a willing partner to make peace. No final proposal has ever been agreed to by even the most “moderate” Palestinian leadership.
Also, no consideration is given to a Palestinian ability to actually implement a peace treaty when most Palestinian factions (terrorist organizations) adhere to a doctrine of no Israel at all.
Elsner places responsibility solely on Israel. While he chooses to highlight opposition to a land-for-peace proposal presented by some members of the Knesset, he ignores the daily stand most Palestinian leaders take on Israel’s legitimacy. Even their moderates claim that a peace deal now simply gets them one step closer to their ultimate goal of eliminating Israel altogether.
A vast majority of Israelis are ready for land for peace. Find a Palestinian to sign the deal and then place responsibly on the heads of Israel’s leaders. Until then, stop your constant barrage of lashon hara (gossip) against your own people.
LANNY PLOTKIN
Olney
Don’t the Palestinians need to choose?
In “Land or peace? The moment of choice approaches” (WJW, March 6), J Street vice president Alan Eisner explains in a lengthy op-ed how Israel and American Jews must choose life over land for the sake of peace.
Nowhere in the op-ed does it mention what the Palestinians need to choose, as if their view has nothing to do with the outcome. It takes two for there to be peace and to solve any conflict.
Presently, the conflict is stuck over whether the Palestinians will recognize Israel as a Jewish state – so much so that the Palestinians are ready to walk away from the negotiating table. This is their sticking point. If someone could explain what recognition of Israel as a Jewish state has to do with the aspirations of a Palestinian people wanting a state of their own, how this impedes that supposedly huge desire, I would love to hear. What the alleged peace camp at J Street continues to miss, which becomes more and more apparent on how Palestinians choose their sticking points, is that an agreement and peace are not necessarily synonymous.
MICHAEL BERENHAUS
Potomac
