I do think that the Militant should not use the term "gunman" when referring to Palestinian freedom fighters as you did in the article on the Atlanta socialist conference in the April 8 issue. The article said, "One Palestinian gunman recently shot 10 Israeli soldiers and escaped unscathed."

This term, along with the use of the word "terrorist," used by the Israeli and U.S. governments and their media mouthpieces, is meant to de-legitimize the Palestinian struggle and make working people believe that the Palestinians are lawless terrorists. Much better terms to describe those Palestinians resisting Israel's brutal occupation are fighters or freedom fighters.

Sandi Sherman
Minneapolis, Minnesota
 
 
Sharon's assaults
Sharon's merciless assault on the Palestinians is an outrage. It is Israel's unceasing repression and indignities against Palestinians that have created people desperate enough to resort to suicide bombings. Few U.S. citizens can imagine the hopelessness and despair that would lead a young person to make such a choice. Perhaps only Native Americans or African Americans can look back to the history of genocide against their people to be able to visualize how certain death might seem a necessary choice against unendurable oppression.

The only chance for peace in the Middle East is for Israel to return the occupied territories and recognize a sovereign Palestinian state with the right of return for all Palestinian refugees. We in the U.S. can help make this happen by forcing our government to stop funding the carnage. Under no circumstances should U.S. armed forces set foot in Palestine.

Helen Gilbert
Seattle, Washington
 
 
Palestinian struggle
Would you please explain if the Palestinian suicides are terrorist acts? What are the political differences between Fatah and Hamas? Co-workers at Metro-North are asking these questions, and I would like to be clear when answering.

Wendy Banen
New York, New York
 
 
Concert for Palestine
The General Confederation of Greek Workers will organize a benefit concert for Palestine this week. Greece's biggest singers are signed up. A brief anecdote will illustrate the deep support among working people here for the Palestinians. The janitor at work walked up to me yesterday and handed me a 20 euro note. "Look, that's all I can afford," he said, "but I want to do something. Please see to it that it gets to the Palestinians." I plan on giving the money to the Palestinian Community Center, which has been raising funds for the education of refugee children in Lebanon and the West Bank.

Georges Mehrabian
Athens, Greece

The letters column is an open forum for all viewpoints on subjects of interest to working people.

Please keep your letters brief. Where necessary they will be abridged. Please indicate if you prefer that your initials be used rather than your full name.  
 
 
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