How NOT to Make Peace With Palestinians

Sir, - When Gershon Baskin declares "We know how to make peace" it becomes immediately apparent that he is attempting to use the royal "We" to serve as a cover for the load emanating from his pedestrian boastful "I." Without any hesitation he informs us that the imaginary agreements that he is comfortable with regarding borders, divided Jerusalem, refugees, security, prisoner exchange, etc.  must be the ones that the State of Israel adopt in order that peace can come to our region.

I personally beg to differ with Gershon, and also unhesitatingly declare that most of Israel's citizens, as clearly established by the results of Israel's recent democratic elections, do not accept his quite obvious pro-Palestinian positions and the one-sided concessions that he is prepared to make.

I would like to challenge Baskin on two most important issues. Despite the ease with which he divides Jerusalem, I would like him to address the absurdity of the reality that prevails today on the Temple Mount. After a costly war to liberate Jerusalem and the declaration that "Har habayit b'yadenu," Israel with super magnanimity granted the Muslim Wakf supervision over that sacred area. This magnanimity has resulted with the arrest by the Muslim Wakf of any Jew who dares move his lips even in silent prayer on the Temple Mount. Has this travesty ever troubled Baskin, and how would he in his superior wisdom deal with it?

The second issue is that of releasing Palestinian terrorist prisoners. I noticed that Gershon in the short biographical sketch beneath his article now includes "Initiator and negotiator of the behind-the-scenes that led to the release of Gilad Schalit." I would like to enlist Baskin's boasted negotiating skills so that Israel can release one Palestinian terrorist prisoner in exchange for 1,000 terrorists that they hand over to us, made up of 500 Hamas's Izz al-Din al-Qassam and the remainder from the PA's al-Aksa Martyrs Brigade, and only then may he rightfully gain our respect.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

Peres on a Pardon for Katsav

Sir, - While on a state visit to Vietnam, Pres. Shimon Peres was queried by interviewers of an other paper about granting a pardon to former Pres. Moshe Katsav. Although no request for a pardon has yet been made, Peres responded by saying that he "tends to view harshly crimes committed against women."

Although I take no issue with the above response, I and many others felt the appalling lack of a clearly stated public declaration of abhorrence concerning his awful task of having to sign pardons for the hundreds of blood drenched terrorists released in the Schalit exchange.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

Part of the Problem: Baskin on Prisoner Swap

Sir, - When reading of Gershon Baskin's activities aimed at effectuating the prisoner exchange deal, I could not escape the thought that places Baskin himself as part of the wider problem.

In describing the Hamas spokesman Dr. Ghazi Hamad as "sharing the same values of humanity, compassion, and hope for peace", Baskin declares his warped appreciation of the terrorist morality and value system. This helps explain the fact that despite his many high level contacts with 'humanitarian' Hamas, Baskin does not insist that Gilad Schalit be allowed visits by the Red Cross as required by international law.

Baskin's equanimity when faced with Hamas's grotesque demand for the release of over a thousand inmates of Israel's prisons in exchange for one Israeli soldier, undoubtedly gave them the impression that the disproportionality was acceptable.

In Baskin's constant use of the term 'prisoner exchange' and ignoring the fact that they included mass murderers with rivers of blood on their hands, he helps blur the distinctions between good and evil.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

Ugly Betrayal: Peres Pardoning Terrorists?

Sir, - Although I had deep misgivings about the awful price Israel had to pay for the release of Gilad Schalit, I had genuine feelings of joy and elation about his return to his family and home.

However, upon reading today's sub-headline on the front page "President's office preparing pardons for Peres to sign," I have the sense of ugly betrayal and deception being forcefully injected into my intense deliberations.

The need to choose between the urgings of the heart and the dictates of the brain, is in itself completely agonizing when the issue is only the release of hundreds of terrorists who have rivers of blood on their hands. The granting of pardons to these animals, however, offends our very souls and does violence to the ultimate meaning and foundations of our Justice system.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

Image Credit: Tom Spender

J.Post January 4: Shabbat in...Gaza

Sir, - The behavior of the Natorei Karta delegates increasingly becomes more bizarre, and perhaps reaches its climax with four of them spending Shabbat inside Gaza (''A Guten Shabbos' in Gaza,' January 3). Undoubtedly, they were able to enjoy a genuinely warm and Torah-filled atmosphere in the intimate company of their terrorist hosts.

However, I wonder if, while the Natorei Karta-ites were assiduously trying to convince our enemies that the terrible tragedy in Gaza was not in the name of Judaism, they gave the slightest thought to questioning their hosts about whether the terrible gut-wrenching suffering of Gilad Schalit and his family is in the name of Islam.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva

J.Post December 4: Coddling Hamas Prisoners

Sir, - I was dumbfounded to read that the proposed bill that sought to limit visits to Hamas prisoners, and remove some prison perks during the period that Schalit was denied any visits, including by Red Cross representatives, never made it past the Ministerial Committee for Legislation ('MKs nix bill on Hamas prisoners' conditions,' December 3). The reason given for the failure of the legislation was the security services' argument 'that it would make the conditions more difficult for negotiations working to secure Schalit's release.'

The fact that these Hamas terrorists have been indulged with extensive coddling for several years does not appear to have had the slightest effect on the Hamas negotiators.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva