Editor,
It is beginning to seem that Israel does not want to make peace with the volatile Hamas leadership, based on the assault on a prison in Jericho by Israeli forces last week and other recent events. It is interesting that few Americans know Israel once actively promoted the formation of Hamas to counter the secular Fatah party.
It seems unlikely, however, that the lid on the pot of violence between Israel and Hamas will remain in place much longer. Lately, Israel seems to want to do something that will inflame and incite the Hamas to retaliate in stupid ways - which seems likely, given its record. Thus, the cycle of violence will continue as usual and Hamas will be weakened.
If we really wanted to be the peacemaker and nation-builder in the region, we would have situated ourselves between the Israelis and Palestinians years ago, and certainly now that both sides have become highly polarized with Hamas versus the Israeli Likud Party.
In our own interest, we must form a more objective policy toward Israel's humiliating control methods and what appears to be a slow, eventual capture of Jerusalem and other viable portions of the West Bank. The United Nations has taken an objective position on Israeli actions in the past, but it has taken no action. It is up to us.
What happens in Palestine is heard throughout the Arab world. Thus, we need to send them a new message to promote peace.
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Maybe if we simply provided truly substantial assistance directly to the Palestinian people - perhaps equal to what we give Israel each year - most of the terrorist threat from that region would rapidly diminish. In addition, our efforts in Iraq might be viewed in a more supportive light.
Israel is the beacon of a modern worldview in the region that we must continue to support, but it is not above reproach. Likewise, we cannot continue to indirectly support Palestinian terrorism.
Yet, Israel's extreme need for our loyalty should not influence United States policy to the extent that Israeli interests are better served than our own. Continuation of the same old policy and relations between Israel and the United States will not lead to success in the long war on Islamic terrorism.
Bill Niendorff
UNM student
