In response to Walied Abdelkarim's letter about the Middle East fliers, let's clarify that almost all of the injured Palestinians received their wounds because of their deadly actions against Israeli civilians and soldiers. The United Nations regularly passes unfounded, subjective condemnations of Israeli action against Palestinians who throw large rocks and Molotov cocktails (homemade bombs) with deadly accuracy. Yet, if any of us threw a rock or a bomb at an armed police officer to express political objections, we might receive a warning shot but certainly a bullet fired to disable us. That would be the response in Pittsburgh, Paris, and Amman (in 1970, the Jordanian military killed 20,000 Palestinians during "Black September").

This week, 60 Minutes' Bob Simon walked with Palestinian Authority (P.A.) official Marwan Barghouti through Ramallah, as hundreds of children around them threw rocks and bombs at Israeli soldiers. Barghouti audaciously called that "a peaceful demonstration." Perhaps it is, in the twisted minds of cowards who let children battle as they watch under armed cover. But in the civilized world, children go to school while their parents negotiate for a better future.

The convenience with which the P.A. turns children into foot soldiers demonstrates the gross difference between Israel's concern for its people and that of the Palestinians' for theirs. Yasser Arafat tells Ehud Barak to "go to Hell" and expects Israel to capitulate at the sight of CNN cameras. Arafat values media points more than life, but Israel will not compromise its citizens' lives for public relations.