Sir, – During the first six months of 2014, some 200 rockets and mortars were fired from Gaza at villages in southern Israel. Israel's low-key response had no effect on the attacks. Those, including Dermot O'Rourke and D Flinter (December 30th), who criticise its operations in the subsequent conflict as "disproportionate" need to recognise the frustration within Israel that the ongoing disruption to life in the south of the country caused by Gazan militants is considered a non-story internationally. The world only seems to take notice when meaningful action is taken. – Is mise ,
CIARÁN
Ó RAGHALLAIGH,
Cavan,
Co Cavan.
Sir, – When Dermot O’Rourke wonders if “killing 469 children and injuring 3,000 in Gaza is the best way to stop rockets falling in Israel”, and when D Flinter reinforces this line of questioning by asking if those rockets that actually landed seemed “to cause less actual damage than its own regularly repeated mowing of the grass”, it seems to imply that because Israel did not suffer mass casualties from Hamas’s rocket barrage that it was somehow ineffective.
This is not the case. Hamas launched nearly 4,000 missiles at Israel, which caused a wave of psychological terror, if not physical injuries throughout the country.
Moreover, the only reason Mr Flinter’s so-called “rag-tag resistance” did not kill scores of Israel civilians is the success of Israel’s Iron Dome defensive system.
If this rocket interception system had not worked, hundreds if not thousands of Israelis would have died. One then has to wonder if Israel is being castigated because it successfully protected its civilian population, and furthermore, if it had suffered mass casualties would it have been the focus of such a mass global condemnation? – Yours, etc,
Dr KEVIN McCARTHY,
Kinsale,
Co Cork.
A chara, – Recent correspondence on the letters page refers to a war in Gaza. I contend that the last military assault on Gaza cannot be rationally described as a war. The use of the word “war” conjures up images of two or more armies of more or less comparable strength, engaged in combat. This surely was not the case in Gaza.
One side possessed and used the most sophisticated and deadly weapons known to man, with the world’s only superpower on the sideline giving financial and moral support.
The other side possessed and used weapons that can only be described as militarily pathetic and had no other nation in the world willing to step up to the plate in its defence. – Is mise,
BARRY HAMILTON,
Swords,
Co Dublin.