In "Israel and the Surrender of the West" (op-ed, June 21), Shelby Steele posits that the Palestinians ". . . are driven to militancy and war not by legitimate complaints against Israel or the West but by an internalized sense of inferiority," and that they embrace hatred and victimization to bolster their self-esteem. He presents no evidence to support this contention and goes on to assert that Palestinians have rejected peace because of this mentality. I take strong exception to this characterization of the Palestinian people.

It should be noted that Palestinian behavior is affected by the degree of dignity with which they are treated. In Gaza, where they suffer the most, the Palestinians have chosen the most radical anti-Israel party, Hamas, to govern. In the West Bank, where conditions are better, the more moderate Fatah movement predominates. Finally, in Israel proper, Arab-Israeli citizens, who enjoy the right to vote, own property and conduct business, have representation in the government, access to medical care and education, and exercise complete religious freedom. They have not been fertile ground for any radical group and very rarely participate in any terrorist activity or socially disruptive behavior.

Clearly, like all people, the more dignity and respect that is accorded the Palestinians, the more reasonable their behavior will be.

Joseph Kaufman

Mission Viejo, Calif.

Shelby Steele's excellent analysis points to the demonization of Israel—portrayed as a white supremacist, apartheid state and colonial nation—as a means for Western nations to cleanse themselves of past sins.

Ironically, almost half of Israel today is made up of descendents of those who came from mostly Muslim nations. Between 1948 and 1972 close to one million Jews were expelled or fled from Egypt, Libya, Syria, Iraq, Tunisia, Yemen, Algeria, Iran and Morocco, with the majority going to Israel. Given the greater birth rate of their descendents, Israel will soon be a nation with a majority of Jews from Muslim, not Western, nations. These people, plus 50,000 from India and another 100,000 from Ethiopia, don't have the foggiest idea of the meaning of the West's demonization of Israel, especially as applied to their own histories living with "dhimmi" second-class status in Muslim countries.

Mr. Steele should also note that Israel, fast becoming a true nation of the Middle East, acted in accordance with the rules of the neighborhood: the same Gaza inspection rules applied by Egypt.

Seymour Yusem

New York

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