Letters

Israel’s war against Hamas

“Where is the outcry by the Irish for the Israeli children held hostage by Hamas?”

Thu Nov 16 2023 - 00:08

Sir, – The Israeli ambassador explains why Israel is in Gaza, killing over 10,000 civilians including women and children, and why this is not revenge for October 7th (“Where is the outcry by the Irish for the Israeli children held hostage by Hamas?”, Opinion & Analysis, November 15th). She says Gaza was vacated by the Israelis. This happened in 2005. Except Israel retained control of its airspace, its borders and territorial waters. It controls who goes in and out, its electricity and water. It is an open prison watched over by the Israelis. One side’s version of the truth. As for “co-existence over conflict”, why would Palestinians agree to give up their right to exist as a country and just “co-exist” alongside Israel? – Yours, etc,

MAGGIE FITZGERALD,

Killiney,

Co Dublin.

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A chara, – The Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th was indeed horrific, as is any aim to destroy the State of Israel.

But the Israeli ambassador fails entirely to acknowledge actions of Israel which are the context of the attack. She wrote: “Israel has gone a long way in trying to achieve peaceful coexistence. It recognised the Palestinian Authority and relinquished territory to the Palestinians. Israel vacated the entire Gaza Strip, including the dismantling of all Jewish settlements in that territory. However, Israel was not rewarded with peace or security.”

She writes as if these are magnanimous actions.

If Israel “relinquished territory to the Palestinians”, it is far short of ending its 56 years of occupation of Palestinian territories. “Israel vacated the entire Gaza Strip”, but retains tight controls over the borders, so that Gaza is in effect an open prison. In addition, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that fatalities since 2008, up to but not including October 7th and after, were 309 Israeli, and 6,541 Palestinian. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reported on July 10th, 2023, that there were 5,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons, including 160 children, and approximately 1,100 of them detained without charge or trial.

A report of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel ( September 5th, 2023) lists actions to be taken. Three of these in Section 78 are that the government of Israel:

(a) Recognise and respect the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination; (b) Comply fully with its international law obligations and end without delay its 56 years of occupation of the Palestinian territory and the occupied Syrian Golan; (c) End all settlement construction and expansion in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and act effectively to prevent violence by settlers against Palestinians, including by holding settlers accountable for their acts of violence.

Such actions would reward Israel with lasting peace and security far more effectively than all the actions which are being undertaken by the Israeli Defence Forces.

Even now it is not too late. –Is mise,

PÁDRAIG McCARTHY,

Dublin 16.

Sir, – Following on from the proposed expulsion of the Israeli ambassador to Ireland, perhaps the next move of Sinn Féin will be to call for the closure of the Irish Embassy to Israel? Sure who needs diplomats when you can use TikTok? – Yours, etc,

PJ O’MEARA,

Cahir,

Co Tipperary.

Sir, – The brutal murder of innocent civilians perpetrated on October 7th by the terrorist organisation Hamas is reprehensible and should always be condemned. The brutal murder of innocent civilians perpetrated from October 7th by the Israeli government is reprehensible and should also always be condemned. – Yours, etc,

STEPHEN JOHNSON,

Castlebridge,

Wexford.