Seeking a peace partner

Thank you for providing the viewpoints on the Arab-Israeli conflict (“Pursuit of Peace: Where To Go From Here,” Sept. 13). Abdallah Amr suggests that Israel has no incentive to achieve a solution, which is untrue. If that were the case, they would never have offered Yasser Arafat a two-state solution that he promptly rejected.

Israel is looking for a partner for peace. Amr is mistaken if he believes a majority of Palestinians recognize Israel. Not one Palestinian or Arab country has ever stepped up and recognized Israel’s right to exist. Palestinians continue to elect Hamas as their representative whose charter calls for the total destruction of Israel. And we all know what Hamas did after Israel withdrew from Gaza. Rather than take the opportunity to foster economic growth for its citizens, they stockpiled arms, built tunnels and fired more rockets.

I agree that extremism on both sides is an impediment to peace, but if the vast majority of Palestinians want peace, then it should start with a formal recognition of Israel’s right to exist. The practical solution is for the United States to continue to recognize Hamas as the terrorist organization that it is and support Israel’s efforts to live in peace.

Larry Kuznetz

Spokane