December 16, 2008 Letter to the Iowa City Press- Citizen

Palestinians missed another opportunity

In 2005, the Palestinians of Gaza were presented with an opportunity of a lifetime. Israel had just withdrawn every one of its citizens and soldiers from the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians could have chosen the path of peace and reconciliation or the path of resistance and extremism. Tragically, they overwhelmingly chose the latter, and the dire situation they now are in is a direct result of that collective choice.

The entire world was willing to pitch in to help the Palestinians' fledgling country, assist them in developing a healthy economy, building hospitals, schools and factories. All they needed to do was to demonstrate their peaceful intentions. Instead, Gazans chose the path of violence, firing rockets into Israeli communities nearly daily, and investing their resources in building an arsenal of ever more powerful weapons.

Six months later, Gazans had the privilege of voting in democratic elections for the first time in their history. They could have voted for a party that advocates peaceful coexistence with Israel. Instead, they voted in the terrorist organization Hamas on a platform of rejecting Israel's right to exist and the goal of replacing Israel by a Palestinian state. Time and again, Palestinians prove the constant historic truth: "Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity."

Paul Meyer, in his Dec. 6 letter, shifts the entire blame onto Israel. By so doing, not only does he turn reality upside down, but he also acts counter to the best interest of the Palestinians.

Pnina Luban
Ames