Aftermath of Jerusalem Market Bombing Re “Burial Rules Compound Family’s Tragedy,” Aug. 5:

A rabbi refuses burial to a 15-year-old boy, who had come to the land of Canaan in search of his roots only to find a terrorist bomb, because his maternal grandfather married a “non-Jew.” A priest stolidly refuses burial to the same boy as he is about to be interred, because of his own insistence, against the family’s wishes, that he intone his Christian prayers over the coffin.

The Israelis are weeping and wailing, blaming Yasser Arafat and the Muslims for all their woes. The Palestinians are doing the same, calling the Jews their enemies, the source of all their misery. Both fail to see the real enemy, the one within. As long as we insist on putting a priest, a god, or a law outside and above the human being, as long as we fail to perceive that we are humans before being Jews, Arabs, Americans or Chinese, we will keep having Israels and Palestines, Cambodias and Vietnams, wars at home and abroad.

ALAIN BERGER

Sherman Oaks

Re “Israel Deprives Arafat of Funds for Payroll,” Aug. 4:

It is apparent that Israel is unable to prevent terrorist attacks by Palestinian bombers. Inasmuch as each month Israel collects taxes and customs fees on Palestinian goods and labor, an allocation from these funds could be used to establish a compensation fund. Payments from this fund would be made to families of the murdered and those who are injured. In addition, all property damage would also be reimbursed from this fund. Thus Arafat and the Palestinian people would have to pay for their failure to curb their terrorist bombers.

CHARLES GILBERT

Beverly Hills

Michael Lerner’s observations of Israeli policies and (according to him) subsequent tragedy in Jerusalem are typical of armchair quarterbacking (Commentary, Aug. 1). He should realize that where extremists such as Hamas are concerned it doesn’t matter if Israel gives up the West Bank or the entire capital of Jerusalem. They won’t be content until the entire country is wiped off the map. Instead of preaching appeasement in order to mollify radicals, he should reflect on what appeasement did for the Jews 55 years ago.

DANIEL ZIMMERMAN

Los Angeles

On the same day Lerner informed us two terrorists murdered 15 people because there was no visible progress in the peace process, The Times’ editorial (Aug. 1) attributed the crime to extremists’ opposition to the talks’ impending resumption. Maybe at least some terror is directed not against Israel’s policies but its existence.

After we are reassured the terrorists are a fringe group that does not represent mainstream Palestinians, we read on Aug. 2 (“Conflicting Pressures Converge on Arafat”) how Arafat cannot fight terror because he would lose the support of the Palestinian masses. But if the masses truly want peace, why would they oppose a campaign against the extremists?

MITCHELL KEITER

Los Angeles