Sir, – The visceral need of the Israeli people to exact retribution for the horrific slaughter perpetrated on them on October 7th is not just understandable, but also justifiable.
The political response to this need has been to deploy the frightening power and might of the Israeli military machine against the civilian population of Gaza. It is clear that Israel intends to continue to do this until it, and only it, decides it may wish to stop.
The procession of western leaders into Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to offer unqualified support to Israel for this response represents poor judgment. Israel is traumatised and while it undoubtedly needs support and solidarity right now, it does not need to be given carte blanche in allowing its humanitarian responsibility to be subordinated to its worst instincts for bloody revenge.
Israel has every right to expect the full support of the West in its quest to eradicate Hamas. The price for that support however should be an unequivocal demand that an end be brought to the incessant bombing being inflicted upon Gaza.
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Israel’s trauma at the slaughter of its innocent citizens will not be lessened by inflicting an equivalent trauma on other innocents.
Now is the time for those leaders, who claim to stand both with Israel and for peace, to follow the lead of UN secretary general António Guterres and call out Israel for her responsibility in this regard. – Yours, etc,
GERRY PRIZEMAN,
Clontarf,
Dublin 3.
Sir, – Following a brief period of sympathy for Israelis after the horrific Hams attacks of October 7th, it has been very sad to see large parts of public opinion turn on Israel so quickly.
Following the Holocaust, the world said to the Jews: “Never again.”
Through the foundation of the state of Israel, the Jewish people not only gained a homeland, but gained the power to defend themselves. And while imperfect, Israel grew to become the only democracy in the Middle East, and a homeland the Jews can depend on.
In 2005, the Israeli government left the Gaza Strip. In the subsequent elections, Hamas came to power, and have since used this election to form their own dictatorship, ruling through fear and a philosophy of hatred and anti-Semitism
On October 7th, that hatred reached its pinnacle.
When Hamas built its terrorist infrastructure under civilian populations, it was relying on the world turning against Israel if it fought back to protect its citizens and demolish the infrastructure with which Hamas seeks to slaughter Jews and drive them out of all of Israel.
Hamas is testing the world. When you said, “Never again”, did you mean it?
We Jews are watching and waiting to find out.– Yours, etc,
GIDON OHANA ,
London and formerly
Dublin 14.
Sir, – Given the high cost in terms of the loss of innocent lives in Gaza, Israel must ask itself is the bombardment and siege of Gaza the only solution?
It is not desirable for the inevitable hatred and desire for revenge arising from the heinous October 7th attacks to cloud the logic behind any solution to the current crisis. A simple thought experiment may help in this regard.
Setting aside the absurdities inherent in such thought experiments, imagine that every person in Gaza that is not a threat to Israel, the innocent civilians, are replaced by people that are also not a threat to Israel, that is Israeli citizens. Now if the bombardment and siege of Gaza is killing Israeli citizens in place of Palestinians would they also be unavoidable collateral damage or could there be an alternative solution to Israeli security? – Yours, etc,
VINCENT O’BRIEN,
Moorepark,
Co Meath.
Sir, – I wonder will the Jews ever be forgiven for not converting to Christianity or Islam? It must be difficult for those two (comparative) newcomers to see their precursor defiantly surviving all attempts to deny its existence. The masks are slipping like autumn leaves in a gale. – Yours, etc,
EUGENE TANNAM,
Firhouse,
Dublin 24.
Sir, – Congratulations to the secretary general of the UN for calling out the behaviour of Israel in Gaza for what it is.
How long will it be before before some world governments are prepared to accept that Israel’s conduct in attacking Gaza is nothing but a war crime.
What Hamas has done is despicable and without doubt a war crime but what the Israelis are doing is no less and they should be called out by responsible governments. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL O’CONNELL,
Listowel,
Co Kerry.
Sir, – If an 85-five-year-old Israeli woman, who was brutally kidnapped, driven on a motorbike across a ploughed field, beaten by young men so she couldn’t breathe and whose husband is still in captivity, can turn around on her release, say “peace” to her captors and shake their hands, so can anyone. Shalom to Yocheved Lifshitz. Shalom to our crying world.
GERTRUDE COTTER,
Carrigtowhill,
Co Cork.