An Israeli-Palestinian dialogue?

Letter to the editor in Maariv:

I'm writing this letter in my house in the town of Dura next to Hebron, which is under full curfew. In the street next to me IDF tanks go by. I've not been able to leave my house for a week. It's dangerous even to open a window. And I ask you, citizens of Israel: now that you've conquered us, all of the towns in villages in the West Bank, and you've made almost a million men, women, and children into prisoners and their houses into prisons - now what will you do?

For you were here once before; the IDF was in all our villages and towns almost 30 years; and then there was the Intifada and you weren't able to continue ruling over us. And now you'll be able to? Just yesterday I saw on Israeli TV the soldiers stationed in Balata refugee camp who already feel as they did in Lebanon. Is this what you want - to relive the Lebanon experience with us in the Palestinian towns and villages?

I always opposed the suicide attacks in Israeli cities, as they are an aweful thing in opposition to to our religion and heritage, and they only help Sharon to unite the Israeli nation against us, but both I and every other Palestinian in the world will never surrender to life under an occupying government or under the dominance of the settlers who come to take our lands and to uproot the trees. When will you decide where your country's border is? When will we try what we have never yet tried: to put a clear boundary between us - between the state of Israel and the state of Palestine?

The government of Israel isn't ready to speak today to Arafat and seeks to replace him - and you've now acquired the support of President Bush in this regard. But if we, the Palestinians, choose a different leader in free elections, what would you recommend to our new leader? Would you then be ready to leave our territories and end the occupation? Maybe it's you that should switch your leadership - which is bringing destruction both to you and to us,

Naif Alarjob, Dura

"Rina" comments at the bottom:

Subject: "Alzheimer's as the typical Palestinian disorder"

It's interesting that the current situation bothers you so much that you're not even capable of remembering what happened 2 years ago.

The Israelis didn't start the intifada; Sharon was in the opposition; and the Oslo peace accords (RIP) were in effect. If you perpetually blame others and not yourselves then there really is no hope and the present situation will continue forever - so be it then.