Yale Hollander’s June 17 commentary about his father (“Gimlets and shopping with Dad: Priceless”) brought up some fond memories of my own dad, Sam Pallo, who was really a trip.

My dad passed away a long time ago, but one of my favorite memories is looking at the newspapers with him every Sunday to look for classified advertisements about pets for sale or to give away and then going to see them with him. One ad was about a German Shepherd, whom we brought home and named Cookie. My mom, though, did not have the same reaction to Cookie, a huge dog who would often scratch at the door to come in. Mom’s nickname for the dog was “Divorce.”

Dad was so fatherly and kind. One time, when I was around 18 years old, I came home drunk and was not feeling well. Many fathers simply would have been angry, but my dad just wanted to help. He put ice on my forehead and wrists until I was feeling better.

One piece of my favorite pieces of advice that Dad gave me, I use to this day: “When you go to a hamburger place, order a hamburger. When you go to a steak place, order a steak.” 

Barb Floom, Ballwin

Palestinians’ priorities

One of the biggest fallacies that exists today in discussions of the Middle East is that if or when a Palestinian state is created, there will be peace between the Palestinians and Israel.

There will never be peace between these two longstanding adversaries. Why? Because, although statehood, no doubt, is a priority for the Palestinians, it’s not their top priority. Their top priority is the eradication and complete annihilation of the Jewish State, and they won’t be happy or satisfied until they accomplish that goal. 

The Palestinians have already wasted many opportunities, not only to have achieved statehood, but just as importantly, to have achieved a lasting peace with Israel; however, their animus for the Jewish State is so deeply rooted and ingrained that it even transcends their desire to become an independent nation. 

Even if the Palestinians were to achieve statehood, their quest to obliterate Israel and destroy the Jewish people would continue ad infinitum.

What a sad commentary, made even sadder by the fact that, shamefully, much of the world couldn’t care less.

Gene Carton, Olivette