Stop wasting time and money, Svend

Editor: In his letter ("MP clarifies views on Mideast," Bulletin, June 21), Svend Robinson spends much time telling us about his admirable qualities, his past accomplishments, his relatives' good deeds in wartime Denmark and that other prominent people agree with him.

Maybe it was for lack of space, but he never gets to the point. That is, given the historical record, why on earth does he think that terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians will cease if Israel withdraws from the territories and dismantles settlements?

As for Yasser Arafat, I quote Edward Said, a widely respected Palestinian intellectual who recently wrote in Al-Ahram, a weekly published in Cairo:

"Arafat is simply interested in saving himself. He has had almost 10 years of freedom to run a petty kingdom and has succeeded essentially in bringing opprobrium and scorn on himself and most of his team; the Authority became a byword for brutality, autocracy and unimaginable corruption."

Svend, stop wasting Canadian taxpayers' money and your time in silly and naive attempts to deliver a message to Arafat. The media attention that you engender simply plays into his hands.

Richard Brail
North Vancouver