Reading Sameer Hassan’s letter, “U.S. supports freedom? Not for the Palestinians,” (Jan. 22), merely confirms what I have believed for years. The facts, as plain as they might be, have little effect on someone whose mind is firmly made up. Despite that, I’ll present a few facts.

Over the course of 70 years, Israel has by word and deed made concessions to its adversaries in the pursuit of peace. For example, it has granted territory (the Sinai to Egypt), freedom of access for religious purposes within its borders (the Temple Mount), or autonomy to its adversaries (Gaza) for the cause of peace. It might be noted that only in the case of Egypt have these efforts been successful, the reason for that no doubt being that the Egyptians genuinely wanted peace in the first place, a sentiment obviously not echoed among the Palestinian leadership.

My assertion of this persistent Palestinian hostility is supported by their on-going pattern of violence against Israeli civilians, most notably but not limited to, the continuing rocket attacks from Gaza and the building of tunnels into Israeli territory for the purpose of kidnapping and killing Jews.

The only reasonable conclusion one can make is that any hardships the Palestinians may have to endure are the direct result of their own actions.

Edward Wood

Killingworth