Letters to the Editor
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

‘History Mystery: Who Left Symbol In a City Building, and Why?’
It’s ironic that an artifact, of possible, though unknown significance, preserved from a 175-year-old building in Manhattan, is being treated with such reverence, while artifacts of unquestionable significance and inestimable value to the combined religious, historic, and cultural legacy of Jews, Christians, and Muslims are being trashed — even as I write — by unsupervised building by the Wakf on the Temple Mount [New York, “History Mystery: Who Left Symbol In a City Building, and Why?” July 23, 2007]. Several years ago, previous building resulted in the careless destruction and removal of tons of artifacts, spanning centuries, to a Jerusalem garbage dump.
Viva the mysterious relic which has garnered so much attention — but let’s alert our representatives to the careless construction on the Temple Mount, which is resulting in the loss of an irreplaceable historic legacy that a good many of us share.
Jeanette Goldsmith
Brooklyn, N.Y.
‘Israel Is Set To Free 256 Fatah Prisoners Today’
Regarding the article concerning the latest Israeli prisoner releases, one must question that if President Abbas is sincerely interested in peace, why would he demand that Israel release 256 Palestinian prisoners and more in the future [Foreign, “Israel Is Set To Free 256 Fatah Prisoners Today,” July 20, 2007]?
On the contrary, shouldn’t Mr. Abbas prefer that these extremist prisoners remain in prison to ensure they don’t cause trouble for future peace negotiations? Wouldn’t Mr. Abbas support Israel arresting even more extremists to reduce the likelihood of peace-harming terror attacks?
After all, the head of the Justice Ministry’s Pardons Department, Emmy Palmor, said this week that 17% of the Palestinian prisoners who had been freed by Israel later returned to terror activities. And the Almagor Terror Victims Association said that 179 Israelis have been killed over the last seven years by Palestinians freed in previous deals in the Jerusalem Post.
Even though Prime Minister Olmert claims those released “do not have blood on their hands,” many have recruited trained, dispatched suicide bombers or planted bombs that didn’t detonate, or fired shots that missed.
Mr. Abbas’s demand for these prisoner releases brings into question his commitment to fighting terrorism and forging a true peace with Israel.
Morton Klein
President
Zionist Organization of America
New York, N.Y.
Please address letters intended for publication to the Editor of The New York Sun. Letters may be sent by e-mail to editor@nysun.com, by facsimile to 212-608-7348, or post to 105 Chambers street, new York City 10007. Please include a return address and daytime telephone number. Letters may be edited.