To the Editor:
Jon Schroeder, in his May 1 column, "Barak's Mixed Metaphors," quoted Amos Oz to the effect that the Palestinians are "fighting two wars" -- one to gain their freedom, and the second, (by the extremists), to eliminate Israel. Oz failed to mention that Israel, too, is fighting two wars: one, to put an end to the intifada, the second, advocated by Sharon's right wing (and American zealots such as Dick Armey) to eliminate altogether the Palestinians as an independent entity on the remaining 22 percent of their land.
Oz thus makes it seem that only the Palestinians have an "extremist problem" when he knows this is not true. And the Israeli extremist position is far less justified, ethically, because it is by an overwhelming military power that already has effected much of its program through repeated atrocities over the years.
