To the Editor:

Contrary to Saree Makdisi's argument, "recognition of Israel's right to exist" are not mere words that Israel has invented, nor are they far from "meaningless" ("In the war of words, The Times is Israel's ally," March 11).

The demand that Palestinians and other peace partners recognize Israel's right to exist reflects the reality that there are many who have long believed that the State of Israel should never have been established and that it should not exist now.

In recognizing Israel's right to exist, Egypt, Jordan, the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority accepted the reality of Israel's existence and rejected efforts to eradicate Israel.  It is Hamas's refusal to recognize Israel's legitimacy that is at issue now.   Hamas, through its founding Charter, is committed to the elimination of Israel's existence by whatever means necessary 

Just this week, Hamas reassured Al-Qaeda's Ayman al-Zawhari that it "is still the group you knew when it was founded and it will never abandon its path" and "will not betray promises we made to God to continue the path of Jihad and resistance until the liberation of Palestine, all of Palestine." 

It is not diplomatic semantics, but Israel's very survival that is at stake if Hamas continues to refuse to accept the Jewish State's right to exist.