Sir, – As a doctor who has lived and worked in Lebanon, I am deeply distressed by Israel’s ongoing attacks in Lebanon and Gaza. An expression in Lebanese Arabic that has come to mind in recent days is “to’borni,” a term of endearment meaning “May you bury me.” More poignantly, it can be understood as, “May I die before you, so I don’t have to live even one day without you.”
Today, this tender phrase carries a tragic weight. Over the last year, thousands of families in Lebanon and Gaza have been forced to bury their innocent loved ones after waves of senseless violence.
I also remember the victims of Hamas’s attacks on October 7th, whose families endure similar grief.
More death cannot be the answer. – Yours, etc,
Dr RALPH HURLEY O’DWYER,
Rathmines,
Dublin 6.