The page B2 thought-provoking political cartoon in your Sept. 24 edition indicated that the continual threat of terrorist violence in Israel makes every day a Sept. 11 for them.

And that makes sense.

But apparently the 27 Israeli reserve aviators, who just signed a petition of refusal to take part in “illegal and immoral” air strikes in Palestine’s West Bank and Gaza Strip, and the hundreds of reserve soldiers, who signed a petition of refusal to serve in those occupied territories also, think that every day is a Sept. 11 for Palestinians as well.

In his excellent letter, directly beneath the cartoon, Fred Lloyd pointed out how the “doctrine of revenge,” the way the leaders of both the opposing sides of the Middle Eastern conflict think, is the real problem.

His closing began: “The real issue to me is that both the Arabs and the Jews are using outmoded approaches to problem-solving. Further, that the United States enables the process because we take a “political” position instead of attacking poor thinking.”

And this is true. But the U.S. further complicates the conflict by financing Israel’s “doctrine of revenge.”

If Israel’s powerful war machine were reduced to the sticks, stones and makeshift bombs of the Palestinians, might their “poor thinking” improve, their aggressive encroachment in the Palestinians’ “Palestine” decrease, if not stop altogether, and their willingness to negotiate peace increase?

Robert C. Currie Jr.