To the Editor:

Peter Jamison makes an entirely inaccurate analogy (“‘The Greatest People in the World,'” 9/12) when he writes of the Palestinians: “No one would speak of punishing the citizens of Scotland for an IRA attack on Buckingham Palace.”

If Scottish nationals received training in terrorism from the IRA; if Scottish nationals received guns and mortars from the IRA; if the premier of Scotland were a former Irish terrorist who regularly praises the IRA (in Gaelic) among his own people while condemning them (in English) to the media; if at least 80 percent of the Scottish people were known to support Irish terrorism — then would we have reason to punish them?

The Palestinian nation embraces terrorism wholeheartedly and always has. They are supported by Iraq, Syria, Libya and, yes, the Taliban. They are one of America’s enemies. Americans have had trouble grasping this. Now, perhaps, they will finally understand.

When I hear mortars from my apartment, I certainly understand.

Isaac Meyers ’01

September 13, 2001

The writer lives in Jerusalem.