Commenter Steven Spiegel missed the point
Reader comment on item: Letters to the Editor: Does Israel Need a Plan?

Submitted by Mel Fechter (United States), Jan 29, 2005 at 21:12

In his comment, Professsor Steven Spiegel of the University of California wrote:

"Daniel Pipes offers nothing but continued conflict, and supplies no mechanism for testing Palestinian reform. We offer concrete steps that would force the Palestinians to end the violence and subsequently ease the plight of victims on both sides, without dooming Israel to endless bloodshed."

The fact is that until quite recent days through Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), it is the Palestinians who offered "nothing but continued conflict." Now, Abbas says it will be otherwise and Ariel Sharon is reciprocating. But we cannot overlook the fact that 70% of the Palestinian electorate in Gaza has voted to place Hamas in power. It is scarcely a secret that Hamas's vows of Israel's destruction remain unabated. For my own part, having witnessed every moment of the last 56 years since Israel's founding, it is not easy for me to anticipate anything more than a temporary respite in hostilities.

Mel Fechter

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