Refugee Camps

The Times accurately reported that the Simon Wiesenthal Center has endorsed the $2-billion plan of Israel’s Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir to demolish refugee camps in Gaza and the West Bank through an internationally funded plan, which over the course of five years would provide the Palestinian Arabs in these camps with decent housing and improved economic conditions (Part I, Feb. 18).

It is unfortunate, however, that The Times chose not to give these equally important points any space.

--The complete radicalization of the young people in the occupied territories. Without exception, everyone of the scores of young people under the age of 30 who we interviewed, stated that their vision of a future Palestinian State included all of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Jaffa. Each of them said that there would be no room for any Jews in such a future entity and that “they should all be sent back to Europe.”

--The Wiesenthal Center gathered numerous flyers which are being distributed in East Jerusalem and throughout the West Bank and Gaza by the PLO, Islamic Jihad and other radical groups seeking to direct the revolt of young Palestinians. These flyers are replete with vicious anti-Semitism. One included the following quote: “You have to burn the land under the feet of the Zionists--the offspring of the culture of AIDS.”

In our view, the best way to help the forces of moderation in the Middle East, is by accurately portraying all sides of this complex situation.

RABBI MARVIN HIER

Dean

RABBI ABRAHAM COOPER

Associate Dean

Simon Wiesenthal Center

Los Angeles