To the Editor:

The ink had barely dried on Robert Novak's latest one-sided attack on the Israeli security barrier [''Caught by Israel's wall,'' April 17] when news of a suicide bombing causing the death of nine Israelis in Tel Aviv demonstrated the need for this security measure. The bombing was approved by the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority.

Novak is correct that Christians face hardships resulting from Israeli security measures, but their major fear is of being marginalized and persecuted by fellow Palestinians. Hamas' recent victory and its commitment to Islamic Sharia law intensified those concerns.

Novak neglects to mention that the situation for Christians has worsened since Israel withdrew from the Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank and Gaza, as part of the Oslo agreements. For example, the city of Bethlehem, once more than 80 percent Christian, is today less than 15 percent Christian.

Many Christians believe they are being treated as second-class citizens in the Holy Land, not primarily because of Israeli policy, but because Muslim extremists dominate the Palestinian Authority.