To the editor, (Salt Lake Tribune)

I am saddened that Mr. Kelsey in his letter of July 14th called for President Bush to "do away with Israel completely, and give that land back to its rightful owners." To follw this line of reasoning, we, as Americans, after forming the land of the United States, should give the country back to its rightful owners, the Native Americans. This logic certainly applies after our unfounded war on a soverign nation and declared "war on terrorism".

The State of Israel was legitimately voted into legal existance in 1948. The response by the Arab leaders surrounding this tiny Democratic state was to continue the violence and demand that their people wipe out the State of Israel and force all the Jews into the sea.

The Hamas Consititution refuses to recognize Israel as a legitimate State and exhorts its followers to kill all Jews throughout the world. Both Hezbollah and Hamas have demonstrated again and again that they are terrorists.

Where is Mr. Kelsey's sympathy for the citizens and civilians of Israel when they are bombed in Pizza parlors, at Bar Mitzvah celebrations, and in nightclubs where teens congregate?

I am sorry that his anger towards the tragedy in the Middle East brings forth such a simplistic response.