Massacre Must Not Stop Peace

I am writing in response to the guest commentary of March 4 written by Omar Maabreh and Rami Thabet.

I found that the authors had some potentially legitimate grievances with the media's perceptions of Muslims. I recognize that despite what one may find in the media, most Muslims want peace as much as members of any other religion.

I was troubled, however, by the confrontational tone that the authors took towards Israeli and Jews in response to the Hebron massacre. It is unfair to label Islam as a violent and crazed religion solely because a few extremists gain attention by violent acts perpetrated "in the name of Islam."

It is equally unfair to claim that the few Rabbis who praise Dr. Goldstein somehow represent Judaism or Israel.

Most Jews, religious and other wise, as well as most Israelis, probably agree with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who rhetorically commented to Dr. Goldstein, "You are an errant weed. Sensible Judaism spits you out. You placed yourself outside the wall of Jewish law. You are a shame on Zionism and an embarassment to Judaism."

There is a long history of mistrust and apprehension on the part of both Palestinians and Israelis. It would seem that the leaders of both sides have finally shown themselves willing to work to put much of this discord behind them.

The Hebron massacre was a tragedy enormous proportions. It would, however, be a far greater tragedy if Dr. Goldstein actually managed to reverse so much recent progress towards peace. We must not allow ourselves to be divided by the deplorable action of a single horrible man. Robert Ditzion '96