THE PUBLIC MINDl MIDDLE EAST DIFFICULTIES HAVEN'T ENDED WITH THE WAR

Dear Editor:

If you have room on your editorial page this week, I would like to share some thoughts with local readers.

Today, citizens of the United States and our allies have much to be grateful for as our triumphant troops return home. Most of us are jubilant as we give thanks for those who willingly and, yes, heroically marched off into the unknown. Some were not sure why they were going or what was going to happen when they got there, but most simply honored their commitment to country and stated they "had a job to do."

Most of the people who went to "the Gulf" were not well enough versed in the intricacies of the politics of the Middle EAst to hold strong convictions about the Arabs and that is natural -- for the nation as a whole knows little more than it reads in the newspapers or sees on television. Much of what we saw and heard before the recent conflict came only form the sensationalism of the Palestine Liberation Organization and, during the hostilities, Peter Arnett of CNN, in his quest to be the "voice at the front," was more than happy to espouse the views of the Iraqi Madman. Unfortunately, Arnett was more concerned about being in the limelight, at any cost, than he was in accurately and fairly presenting the news. The result of Arnett's reporting is that, besides adding to our confusion, many citizens of Iraq are more convinced than ever that the lies of their leader must have credence since one of their enemies own journalists reported those "facts."

But, just suppose our troops had known what created much of the havoc in the Gulf area. Suppose they knew exactly why the citizens, rather than the military posts, of Israel were the targets of the Scuds. After all, Israel had not thwarted Iraqs' invasion of Kuwait. Why was Israel attacked? Because of an irrational hatred that most of the Arab people have had for the Jews since before the time of Christ.

We Americans were not pleased that our troops were not allowed to fly the flag of our country, nor even allowed to display the symbol on their uniforms. We were outraged that our troops were willing to tempt death in an effort to help the Arab states, but no symbol of Christianity could be displayed, and those who went to give spiritual aid were classified as "morale officers." However, in the interest of a greater goal, we abided by the Arab rules. How much harder do you think it would be to send a son who, until the time of Desert Shield, could not even enter the borders of Saudi Arabia? To send a son to defend those countries who unceasingly call for the destruction of his father's or grandfather's homeland? To defend countries who support the very Palestinians who cheered as missiles rained down upon innocent children? Many American Jews did that very thing and one of those who willingly went was U.S. Air Force Captain Marc Breslauer of St. Louis.

It makes this writer wonder why Capt. Breslauer did not suddenly seek some means to avoid such a conflict. Maybe it had something to do with the personal make-up of the man, or maybe it had to do with the religious upbringing he had -- a religion in which those who are hated can still pray for the good of all mankind. To emphasize my point, the following is an excerpt of a prayer that Rabbi Jay B. Goldbery of the St. Louis Rabbinical Association offered: "In this solemn hour when life and death, freedom and tyranny and justice and injustice are in the balance, our fervent prayers are with the valiant men and women from America and the international coalition who are in suffering citizens of Kuwait and a termination to the reign of violence and intimidation. Our prayers are also with the threatened lives of our loved ones and friends in Israel, as with all of God's children in the Persian Gulf and Near East whose lives are imperiled." The Rabbi ended his prayer with the supplication that "a new day will dawn in the Persian Gulf -- a day in which every man, woman and child shall rest under the vine and fig tree with none to make them afraid."

No, I am not a Jew -- and even though the mess in the Middle East is nearly as incomprehensible to me as it is to any other American, I have been convinced since I was a child and saw the evidence of the Holocaust that the Jews must have homeland. They must have that area of safety to return to when the world goes intermittently mad. Before Mr. Baker asks the Jews to "return" land to the Palestinians, to make room for those who so militantly hate the Israelis? It is the Palestinians who refused to abide by the agreements when the Arab states were carved from the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I. If mankind cannot find a way to make room for all men to live in peace, then all men will surely suffer the terrors of war.

Name withheld by request