Conflict and Consequences in the Middle East

After years of civil war followed by a long occupation by the Syrians, a remarkable thing happened in Lebanon: The Christians, Muslims and Druze managed to come together in a nonviolent movement to bring about the Cedar Revolution. Aided by international support after the assassination of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri last year, this movement led to the withdrawal of the Syrians from Lebanon and the formation of a pro-Western democracy.

We as Americans supported and applauded this miracle. Now, with the Israeli attacks on Lebanon, we sit by while a fledgling democracy is subjected to assault. In its desire to eliminate Hezbollah, Israel has decided to bomb bridges, roads and runways throughout Lebanon.

Thousands of American citizens are trapped in Lebanon, and more than 200 Lebanese civilians have been killed. We are scrambling to move our citizens to safety ["U.S. Works to Evacuate Its Citizens," news story, July 17]. Israel has destroyed the infrastructure of the country, which took years to rebuild and will cost billions of dollars to reconstruct again. Yet this aggressive attack and disregard for human life gets a pass from our government and our media.

We always support Israel. But there are times when it is important and necessary to disagree with allies and friends.

TED W. SOFIS

Pittsburgh

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Although I deplore the loss of life on all sides in this latest conflict in Israel and Lebanon, I remain firmly in support of the right of Israel to defend itself against states and terrorist organizations that have sworn to destroy it.

The people who founded the modern state of Israel learned long ago that the world will not speak up enough to stop the extermination of the Jewish people. Anti-Semitism is the most universal of hatreds, a hatred that has in the modern era been tacitly (and often openly) endorsed and promoted by those who are in a position of political power.

The state of Israel has the right to exist; so do the Jewish people who live in Israel and around the world. They are not morally obligated to secure a consensus for approval of that right and can defend themselves, especially from a world that has for centuries conspired to undercut or even deny their right to exist.

If the media and responsible political leaders around the world would begin to seriously hold Middle Eastern nations and terrorist organizations fully accountable for their stated goal of eliminating Israel, then serious steps could begin to be taken to finally resolve the festering conflicts in the region. I sincerely hope that the world will do what it has never done: speak out loudly to prevent yet another potential Holocaust against the Jewish people.

JAMES W. BAILEY

Reston

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My entire family is stranded, scared and desperately trying to get out of Lebanon. But all efforts are too dangerous right now. I'm watching the coverage of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice calling for the release of the kidnapped Israeli soldiers, yet no one is speaking up for the thousands of Americans in Lebanon who wish to leave. My family feels as though they are prisoners.

I hope that Americans don't view the lives of people in Lebanon as expendable. Or is it possible that the public thinks most of the U.S. citizens in Lebanon happen to be Arab Americans or Muslims, and that somehow makes them less important?

I am not a political person, but I am becoming increasingly outraged at the lack of effort and decision on how to get U.S. families home.

AALIA BLEIBEL

Fremont, Calif.