Responding on issues of peace and terrorism

Letter writer Jonathan Gold's comments about Aref Assaf (Letters to the editor, April 4) are sad and one-sided. Assaf is not justifying the violence in Israel and Palestine, he is stating that both sides have terrorized each other, and he believes that since Israel is a responsible democratic state that is collectively punishing the "citizens" of Palestine (especially in Gaza) it is committing terrorism at a worse level than the Palestinians. That is because Israel's policies are affecting all Palestinians, and unlike Israeli citizens, they do not have a government to go to; that is one reason they end up supporting terrorist groups.

Still, despite his one-sided view, I would like to make a broader point.

Assaf is a community leader who is trying to bridge gaps between different groups, including those that are pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian. To try to attack him for holding a personal opinion on who causes more terrorism is shallow. We should support such men if we hope to resolve the Palestinian and Israeli issues.

In Israel, Palestinians and the Jews resolve their issues by killing each other. If we here, geographically removed from the situation, cannot discuss the issues at hand in a moderate and balanced way like adults, what chance do those living overseas have?

Salah Issa, Highland Park

Related, An unyielding Arab voice