Palestinian chasm

Re: How six days of war shaped the next 50 years, Fr. Raymond J.de Souza, June 7

In Fr. de Souza’s inspiring op- ed, he notes Yossi Klein Halevi’s observation that the Six-Day War created two kinds of Israelis: those of May 1967, who fear imminent annihilation, and those of June 1967, who feel secure enough to take risks for peace.

The Palestinians today face a similar chasm — between 1957 and 1977.

In 1957, Israel offered Egypt the Sinai Peninsula for peace. Egypt, however, refused to negotiate, confident Israel could be forced to surrender the Sinai without Cairo making any concessions. In 1977, by contrast, Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat flew to Jerusalem to advance peace talks. He realized he had to take the initiative, negotiate in good faith and agree to peace before Israel would return the Sinai again.

The Palestinians today are stuck in 1957. When Israel offers them a state born in peace, they reject it and respond with terror, confident that Israel can be forced to relinquish the disputed territories without the Palestinians making any concessions.

The Palestinians must transcend to 1977. Like Sadat, they must negotiate in good faith if peace talks are to succeed. Stephen A. Silver, San Francisco