Dear FRONTLINE,Peace will come outside the limited realm of politics. Throughout the world, at this very moment, their are religious Jews and Muslims holding joint prayer services. These small gatherings may not make news, but they are ultimately what will make the news. The religious leaders are the ones who will ultimately make or break any treaty. Yet they are never invited to the bargaining table. I suggest reading "At the Entrance to the Garden of Eden" by Yossi Klein Halevi. Shalom/Saalam!
ashland, oregon
Dear FRONTLINE, Had I known that Barak had insisted that Israeli forces be permanently positioned between Gaza and Egypt during the Camp David negotiations, I would have understood completely Arafat's refusal to sign a peace treaty with Israel... This documentary, therefore, proved to me that the media, by its lack of depth of reporting, has left a public greatly misinformed ... how can one expect the U.S. public to make the right choices when kept in the dark like so? Only if every news report was as balanced and detailed as Frontline... this war, and many others, would have ended long ago...
Ian Rees
tucson, az
Dear FRONTLINE, Unfortinately at this time I do not believe that meaningful dialog is possible so long as either Sharom or Arafat remain the respective leaders of their countries as no one on one side will trust the leader on the other side. It would be political suicide for any Israeli political leader to negotiate with Arafat, or for any Palestinian leader to negotiate with Sharom. Yet just as the western world cannot accept the Israeli people being "pushed into the sea" as many radical arabs would like, the west also cannot accept the Palestinians being pushed completely out of Palestine as many radical Zionists would like. So the horror goes on.
Frank Wilson
tempe, az
Dear FRONTLINE, This was a great resource for current facts and historical context. Thank you for producing it. For those interested, Golda Meir's autobiography "My Life" (out of print, but worth the search) is another great resource that provides insight to Israelie, Arab and world attitudes then, which are almost parallel to now.
seattle, wa
Dear FRONTLINE, Thank you for an informative and balanced program on the Isreali-Palastinian conflict. It was an ecellent documentary. I too wish that President Bush had watched it and maybe gained a greater understanding of both sides. It saddens me that both sides came so close to a resolution and now seen so very far apart. With Bush's limited knowledge of the situation, and Sharon's hard line against the Palistinians, I don't see much hope for peace. It almost seems like Sharon has a very personal hatred of Arafat. I can only pray that both sides put aside personal vendettas and work towards a peaceful solution for all. Both sides have suffered much too long.
Susan Bell
bremerton, wa
Dear FRONTLINE, It is interesting to see that there are a lot of wild accusations against the Palestinians and/or Arafat. The Frontline program had a crew and staff that contained many Jews. Their views may not agree with some but I beleive it was UNbiased.
Issue is not Arafat. It is occupation. You can skirt it only for a short time. It will come back to you very soon.
gig harbor, wa
Dear FRONTLINE, Considering the fact that it was an American TV production, it was surprisingly informative and even fair. I am used to seeing much worse. Someone in the discussion group is getting quite bored by wailing Palestinian women. Well, I reckon the answer to your boredom is simple enough: stop killing their men and children and they won't bore you with their wailings none. Someone else suggested that PBS did not make Arafat look like enough of a villain . Does it occur to you all that maybe, he isn't? I was pleased to see it being pointed out that he was pleading with Barak ( a fact foreigners know but few of us do) that Sharon not be allowed up the Hurrm-el-Shareff/Temple Mount. Does this not exonerate him from the mess that is going on today?
Bryan Wilmott
houston, lone star state
Dear FRONTLINE, I don't want to sound like a pessimist but the radical Palistinians and radical Jews are so entrenched in the cycle of violence that I do not believe they will be able to achieve a lasting peace. Any agreement that is met I believe will be short lived. All it takes is a few radicals to spark up the fire again. This is sad but I believe it is true.
Terrence MacKenzie
port coquitlam, british columbia
Dear FRONTLINE, With regard to "Shattered Dreams of Peace" I think it is one of the few reasonably accurate documentaries on the Israeli/Palestinian situation. The documentary portrays Sharon timing his visit to the sacred Islamic site in Jerusalem during Barak/Arafat talks purposely attempting to end negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis thereby undermining an already fragile basis for peace. True peace between Palestinians and Israelis will not arrive until mutual respect is first achieved !
hamden, ct
Dear FRONTLINE, Let us all face the truth of the matter; Arafat, the P.L.O., and almost all of the Palestinian people are coconspirators in terrorism against Israel, America, and anyone who they deem as a friend of Israel. I remember how the P.L.O. and Arafat began long ago, by robbing American banks, highjacking commercial flights around the world, and blowing up innocent people around the world. For this vary reason, I do not feel any compassion on the Palestinians and their plight because it is of their own making. No Palestinian will ever truly keep their word in a peace agreement, nor will they ever stop killing others for no reason. The Palestinian view of the matter is that ìmy way or the highway.î Palestinians are a cruel and barbaric people who have no clue what it is like to behave in modern civilized terms. Until they learn this lesson of life, one that most in America learn by the third grade, no peace will be possible in the Middle East. Bushís lack of leadership has not helped this problem. Not only does he need to act with a clear firm agenda, but he also needs to let both sides know where he stands on issues. He should be the first to condemn Arafatís terrorism campaign against Israel and its citizens, and he should inform the Israelis that they could count on his full support against the campaign of terrorism they face at the hands of the Palestinians extremists. It is my sincere hope that Israel will evict the Palestinians from Israel as soon as possible. Let the Arabs who like them so much absorb them into their country.
Ovid Bruce
okmulgee, oklahoma
Dear FRONTLINE, I would like to ask Sharon today, after seeing the consequences of his unnecessary visit to the Temple Mount, if he would do it again.
And I can't agree more with the last comment from the Chief Palestinian negotiator, "the only difference between today and the day when we finally reach peace with the Isrealis is the amount of dead people from both sides".
Jose Umana
pinecrest, fl
Dear FRONTLINE, These are my thoughts. They have changed very little over time.
1) Sharon is a mad man
2) There can be no peace without the dismanteling of the settlements
3) The world will never forgive Clinton for giving the Palistinians (and other Arabs) a voice on the world stage
4) Arafat,for all his other mistakes,has made himself unable to accept peace and thereby irrelevant to the situation because he has not been able to prepare his people and give them the desire for peace
5) If you want to see a preview of the days following the peace that will eventually come,review the part of the film "Lawrence of Arabia" when it depicts the days following the entry of the arabs led by Lawrence into Acquiba. Hamas is now a major problem to be dealt with!
They are no longer bound by the actions of the Palestinans.
marshville, nc
Dear FRONTLINE, By the end of the program I was literally in tears, at the tragic loss of opportunity for peace. The program was articulate, fair, and informative. I was moved that the two Israeli film makers were able to be so dispassionate and clear. I spent two years in Egypt in the early '70's and all of April there this year. One-on -one, the entire middle east is full of compassionate people but en masse, we all become doctrinaire and oppositional. Hearing the brave convictions of the negotiators and the security forces is truly uplifting and encouraging. May their wisdom and humanity prevail in the end. Thank you for your continued superb journalism.
austin, tx
Dear FRONTLINE,
i have learned from this program more than i have learned from 20 years of school and living in the midle east. the program war very fare to both sides and it didnot portray either side to be right or wrong thank you for such wonderfull and informative program
sean elia
w.bloomfield, michigan
Dear FRONTLINE, Two things that were not presented by the facts in the way things happened.
The first of the killing of the child Muhammed Al Dura, if you will notice the bullet holes surrounding where the boy was squatted, they were not from an angle where the Israelis were, but straight in shots from the camera angle, the Plaestinians killed him their self. The second is Ariel Sharons visit to the Temple Wall, there is a law given for such a visit, Sharon abided by the law and had the right of any Israeli citizen to visit the holiest place in Jewish religion.The protesters had rocks stock piled for when he came and also had plenty western newsmen available to make it appear it was spontaneous rioting, when it fact it had been well planed.
los angeles, ca.
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