Printed in the Oregonian May 25, 2002

Letter to the Editor:

Michael Kelly ignores Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s brutal
history, Israel’s decades-long stealing of internationally recognized
Palestinian land for settlements and the realities of former Prime Minister
Ehud Barak’s peace offer (“If U.S. were in Israel’s shoes, Arafat would be
a goner,” May 8.) Please don’t perpetuate myths.

I am waiting for The Oregonian’s in-depth reporting on the history
and facts of the illegal Israeli settlements, the Barak offer and Sharon.

Israel’s land grabs include 60 percent of the West Bank and Gaza
with 400,000 settlers and 200 settlements. Four hundred-fifty kilometers
of highways/by-pass roads for Israelis-only create massive barriers to
Palestinian movement.

Barak’s “generous” offer was four separate land parcels, with
Israel controlling borders, airspace and water resources.

Israel’s governmental inquiry found Sharon responsible for the 1982
massacre of hundreds of Palestinian refugees. Too bad I have to learn all
of this via Internet accessing of government and nongovernmental reports.

Jennifer Grosvenor