Letter Distorts Information About Opening Israeli Tunnel

We would like to correct certain misrepresentations and distortions of fact in Ramy M. Tadros' and Mohamad M. Al-Ississ' letter ("Netanyahu Lacks Vision and Will for Peace," To the Editors, October 1).

The Hasmonean tunnel, which has existed for roughly 2,500 years, was rediscovered and re-excavated in 1987. At the time, the Muslim religious authority, the Wafk, permitted excavation of the tunnel provided that the excavations did not extend under the Temple Mount (Al-Haram Al-Sharif). Israel adhered to these requests. The excavations have not in any way disturbed any Muslim religious sites, nor does the tunnel run under the Temple Mount as the Palestinian Authority had originally claimed. The only action the Israeli government took last week concerning the tunnel was to open another entrance at the far end, on the Via Dolorosa. The tunnel has been trafficked by tourists of three faiths for years, and the only difference now is that instead of having to enter and exit at the same end, visitors will now be able to enter at one end of the tunnel and exit out the other. Tadros' and Al-Ississ' anger at Israel's opening of a tunnel "which borders the foundations of Al-Haram Al-Sharif-- the third holiest site to Muslims around the world" is particularly baseless; first, because the tunnel has been open to tourists for years, and second, because the subterranean tunnel in no way disturbs Muslim holy sites.

Tadros and Al-Ississ imagine a long history of Israeli compromises to the integrity of the Muslim holy sites on the Temple Mount, referring vaguely to "previous [Israeli] attempts at undermining the Islamic character of the shrine." No such attempts have ever been made. In fact, Israeli soldiers stand at the entrance of the shrine to prevent anyone wearing Jewish skullcaps or carrying Jewish religious articles from entering, so as not to offend Muslim worshippers.

Tadros and Al-Ississ claim that "the current move violates Israeli assurances under the Oslo Accords that no changes will be made in the disputed city until final status negotiations are concluded." Israel's actions in no way violate the Oslo Accords. Article I of the Interim Agreement, Oslo II, states that Israel shall continue to exercise exclusive power and responsibilities over Jerusalem. There are no prohibitions in the Accords against Israeli archaelogical maneuvers anywhere in Jerusalem.

Tadros and Al-Ississ further describe the opening of the tunnel door as a "change [in] the demographic nature of the city," illegal under Geneva Convention laws concerning "occupied territories." This is another ridiculous charge. The tunnel in question has been in place for 25 centuries and opening up its back door does not alter the city's demographics. Secondly, Jerusalem is emphatically not an occupied city. The whole of Jerusalem is the undivided capital of the sovereign state of Israel, as President Clinton himself has affirmed.

Tadros and Al-Ississ describe the Palestinian riots of last week as follows: "55 Palestinians and 11 Israeli-Jews were killed during clashes between Palestinian civilians and certain elements of the Palestinian police on one side and the Israeli army on the other." The description itself is an egregious error of reporting, neglecting completely the point that the "certain elements of the Palestinian police" fired live ammunition at Israeli soldiers who were guarding their own checkpoints, when the Israelis had not fired on them. In some cases, Palestinian police roamed with the armed Palestinian mobs and shot into Israeli neighborhoods and army outposts. The Israeli soldiers involved were defending themselves and Israeli civilians against the unprovoked Palestinian onslaught.

Journalistic honesty and accuracy of reporting is always necessary. But in the case of the Middle East in general, and of Israel in particular, the opposite can have explosive consequences. Immediately after Israel opened another entrance to a pre-existing archaelogical site in Jerusalem, the word spread throughout the West Bank and Gaza that Israel was digging under Islamic holy sites in a blatant gesture of hostility towards Israel's Muslim residents. The rumor was a lie, but it nonetheless had a quick and deadly effect. For three days, Palestinian mobs armed with automatic weapons, stones and bottles terrorized Israeli towns and army outposts. This was an offensive campaign: no Israeli soldiers retaliated with live ammunition until they came under Palestinian fire and had no choice.

The distortion of information by Tadros and Al-Ississ is of the same sort that led to last week's Palestinian riots in Israel. Whether in the West Bank or at Harvard, people need to be certain of their facts before they speak. There is, tragically, no room today for error in discussions about Israel.

Above all, the Palestinians need to realize that violence will only damage if not halt the peace process. When the Palestinians take an inconsequential gesture as an excuse to intitiate bloody conflict, any prospect of peace is put in jeopardy. --Miriam B. Goldstein '99   Dov. P. Grossman '97   Michael I. Sugarman '98