Divide and conquer by Palestinians

Dear Editor:

I am continually amused and dismayed at the lack of factual and/or historical information presented in letters about the Israeli-Palestinian situation and the tendency to characterize Israel’s reactions to provocations as biased aggression (“Spirit of ’76 has decayed,” letters, July 4, 2011, The Aspen Times).

It appears that Mr. Branscomb’s “fact-finding trip to Israel” did not include talking to Israelis who have been traumatized by cross-border rocket attacks and suicide bombers. If he had done his homework he would have discovered that Israel’s “land acquisition” resulted from Israel defeating the unprovoked cross-border attackers and then using a portion of their adjacent lands to create buffer zones to protect her citizens from continued attacks/incursions by terrorists in those neighboring lands. Many of those buffer zones have been offered in past negotiations in exchange for a secure border and a stated recognition of Israel’s right to exist (as mandated by the U.N.). However, instead of seizing the opportunity to create a “Palestinian State” alongside Israel, Fatah (under Arafat’s leadership) and Hamas chose to reject those peace overtures and continued cross-border attacks on Israel, even to this day.

The lack of a Palestinian state is a direct result of the Palestinians’ own leaders’ decisions to maintain a state of war with Israel, based on the premise that they can ultimately occupy all of Israel.

It is a fact that within the State of Israel thousands of Arabs live peacefully and enjoy rights not afforded to their brothers and sisters in the neighboring Arab states. In fact, not one of those neighboring Arab states would grant Jews the life and rights Arabs enjoy within the State of Israel. I applaud the U.S. support of Israel and her right to exist as the only “democracy” in that region.

The Spirit of ’76 lives on!

Lawrence M. Aleamoni

El Jebel