The Aug. 29 news story “Olmert, Abbas Discuss ‘Core Issues’ for Peace” stated that a recent meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas “touched on as-yet-unfulfilled pledges by Olmert to Abbas to improve living conditions for Palestinians.” But it ignored the fact that Mr. Abbas and the Palestinian Authority have not fulfilled any of their 14-year-old obligations under the Oslo accords to jail terrorists, confiscate their illegal weapons, and end incitement to hatred and murder in the government-controlled media, mosques, schools and youth camps that feed terrorism.

This is crucial, because without an end to terrorism and the incitement that feeds it, Israeli security measures must remain in place to protect Israeli civilians. Any pledges that Israel makes on easing restrictions on Palestinians are thus dependent on Mr. Abbas and the Palestinian Authority taking unprecedented action to eliminate the conditions that necessitate Israeli security measures, not the other way round.

MORTON A. KLEIN
National President
Zionist Organization of America
New York

The Zionist Organization of America, founded in 1897, is the oldest pro-Israel organization in the United States. The ZOA works to strengthen U.S.-Israel relations, educates the American public and Congress about the dangers that Israel faces, and combats anti-Israel bias in the media and on college campuses. Its past presidents have included Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis and Rabbi Dr. Abba Hillel Silver.