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Palestine should want peace

The Middle East is more and more in desperate need of an attitude solution. Oslo failed largely because it brought about little change of heart in the Palestinian population. While security has never been the trademark of the Jewish people, living in peace with our neighbors has been a generational dream and though noble dreams are elusive, they challenge us to work toward their realization.

In this generation, many in Israel are outspoken about their dreams for peace. This fervent desire for a real peace persists even in the face of ruthless tyrants who encourage hatred and violence.

Arafat to this day lives in a trench with his hatchet ever ready for use against the Jews. Arafat's approach is that of the bandit who declares, "Give me what I want or I'll kill you!" His "peace of the brave" speech is lamentably false because at heart, all dictatorship is a lie.

Today, on Palestinian TV there are emotional appeals urging Palestinian children to put down their toys and join in the violence against Israel. Needed desperately is a Palestinian peace movement where peace marchers both young and old walk with flowers, hands outstreched in peace.

Would Palestinian peace marches make a difference? You bet they would! Dozens of marches could only hasten the day that poisonous fear vaporizes itself into the dust. An attitude change would do wonders for this region. Arab and Jew together could then humbly celebrate societies that -- though respectfully different -- would equally partake in the G-d given right to think freely, speak freely and work diligently for the betterment of all.

YONATAN ZUKOWSKY
Pardess Hanna, Israel

Death penalty dead wrong

The Taipei Times is to be congratulated on its editorial "Time to end the death penalty" (May 18, page 8). Taiwan has made great strides in embracing democracy. Surely abolishing the death penalty can be the next part of the process.

This could only serve to raise Taiwan's standing in the international community and help distinguish it from its neighbor across the Taiwan Strait.

David Reid
Hobart, Australia

Passport fraud intolerable

Thank you to your staff for reporting on stories like "Taiwan passport dupes other countries" (May 17, page 2) because it helps to raise the public awareness of moral and legal questions effecting the entire community of Taiwan independence activists.

Such enlightened reporting helps to inform the general public and their Taiwan supporters about the more criminal methods being used by those few individuals seeking to promote their single-minded objectives by any means, especially in the highly explosive legal minefield of passport fraud. Just because the "Republic of Taiwan" is not yet dejure under international law, there is no legal justification for any Taiwan supporter to resort to such illegal means.

For comparative purposes, the international realm of diplomatic fiction is full of legitimate "governments-in-exile" like the Ecclesiastical Soveriegn of Tibet, His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The international support for his Tibetan spiritual movement has recently resulted in a bill being introduced into the US Congress called the Tibetan Policy Act.

Regardless of the present absence of the US from the UN Human Rights Commission, the enlightened human rights supporters of the Tibetan Policy Act sought competent legal advice before they embarked upon their Tibetan legislative crusade in Washington.

Obviously such competent legal advice has indelibly influenced the legislative drafting of the Tibetan Policy Act. Any attempts to gain a greater international standing with the US does required the maximum utilization of their legal options. Such were readily available to these smart Tibetan supporters.

While Tibetans do not enjoy the perks of a Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), their pending legislative equivalent has not included any perpetuation of wantonly illegal passport frauds. This begs the social question of when will unruly Taiwanese learn to follow the rule of law? Until that day arrives, the inalienable rights of self-determination for the "Republic of Taiwan" will remain a diplomatic fiction under the auspices of the TRA.

JEFF GEER
Las Vegas, US
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