Letters to the Editor

Honor all victims

To the Editor:

Walking in and out of Houston Hall on Wednesday, I could not help but notice the signs bearing the American and Israeli flags calling for a rally for the victims of terrorism. I only hope that this rally will be in support of all victims of terrorism, and not just Americans and Israelis.

In addition to those murdered on Sept. 11 and in the tragic suicide bombings in Israel, we must also remember the five Palestinian schoolchildren killed when an Israeli car bomb exploded in Gaza.

These tragedies, among numerous others, are all significant and all contribute to a dangerous cycle of violence that we all have become accustomed to. While the Gaza car bomb exploded, Ariel Sharon called for seven days without violence.

After the recent bombings, Yasser Arafat was called upon to arrest the militants responsible. Though the Palestinian police arrested over 100 almost overnight, their headquarters were destroyed in the subsequent Israeli raids, making further arrests more difficult. Nevertheless, we often fail to recognize violence as terrorism when it is in favor of the status quo.

Today's rally should not be an excuse to demonize the Palestinian cause or to justify more terrorism on either side. Indeed, all parties to such violence must assume some level of responsibility. Unless we acknowledge the victims on all sides and approach this process accordingly, we can never expect an end to the violence on either side.

Matthew Girgenti

College '02

No partner for peace

To the Editor:

In Israel, 25 more mothers and fathers must bury their children. The horror of terrorism perpetrated by extremist Muslim groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad is now becoming more apparent to the world.

Mass murder of innocent people is never justified. The Israeli occupation of territories in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip is often cited as the cause of Palestinian aggression. But this occupation is not an aggressive act. It is a strategy to provide security to a people who have been forced to expect daily bombings and shootings. Occupation would have never been necessary if security was ever ensured.

When America was introduced to the violence of Islamic fundamentalism on Sept. 11, President Bush announced a plan to "smoke out the terrorists," yet called for Israel to show restraint in dealing with the terrorists that threaten her. This is no longer an option.

Both sides complain that the other is not a true partner for peace. But do not let baseless propaganda distract us from the truth -- at Camp David last year, then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered almost 95 percent of the occupied territories to the Palestinian people. Such an offer showed that at least one side was indeed willing to compromise for peace.

Yasser Arafat's response to the offers at Camp David was the start of the current Intifada, characterized by suicide bombing campaigns and road gunmen targeting Israeli civilians. If Arafat is unwilling to delegitimize terrorist groups, the world must finally realize that the Palestinian Authority will not participate in a peace based on compromise and security. The terrorist organizations that act as Israel's chief negotiating partners must be systematically destroyed alongside al-Qaeda.

Jason Chinitz

College '03

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