In the Dec. 10 letter to the editor, “Harsh problems in Bethlehem,” Mr. Schack notes the “great suffering … in Bethlehem … caused by a massive wall.”

Unfortunately, like so many issues in life, the wall is more complex than portrayed in Mr. Schack’s letter. Why is the wall there? It was a tool of last resort, to limit bombings and sniper attacks on Israeli citizenry. Since the construction of the fence, the number of completed attacks throughout the country has declined by over 90 percent.

Let’s consider for a moment if our lives and those of our loved ones were endangered by regular attacks, with risk of injury and even death, coming at us from distances as close as Seattle. Undoubtedly, our government would respond to protect us. Are other countries not entitled to protect their citizens? It is unfortunate it requires a wall to achieve this, but this is the reality Israel faces.

I was not aware of the Dec. 16 presentation at the Redmond Library advertised in Mr. Schack’s letter, and am hopeful the issues were fully represented by the speaker Mr. Odeh. I hope he mentioned that Palestinians, who are undoubtedly affected by this barrier, can bring grievances to the Israeli Supreme Court on this matter, which has ruled in favor of Palestinian claimants in several cases. I hope he mentioned that 2010 has been an unprecedented year for Bethlehem tourism (1.4 million visitors), due in part to an influx of Christian groups.

We all look forward to the time when Bethlehem and other areas of the Middle East will be accessible to all. Until such time, we should consider carefully the rationale for the wall, and the protection of innocent lives that have resulted from its presence.

Sharon Kipersztok, Redmond