Israeli journalist Ari Shavit (“A N.Y. Minute,” Dec. 26) says that the first necessary step to bring about Israeli-Palestinian peace “is for Israel to instigate a settlement freeze.” Can Shavit have forgotten so quickly that Israel recently tried doing that? From November 2009 through September 2010, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu froze all construction in Jewish communities in Judea-Samaria. Yet it did not bring about peace; it only increased the Palestinians’ appetite for more unilateral Israeli concessions
Why is there any reason to think it would be any more successful now? Those who are concerned about achieving Middle East peace need to come up with ideas that have not already been tried and failed.
Chairman Religious Zionists of America, Philadelphia
