Legislation focuses on the children

I am dismayed by the article accusing U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle (D-District 14) of co-sponsoring a bill that would defund military aid to Israel (“U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle co-sponsors bill that would limit defense funding to Israel,” June 19).

H.R. 4391, the Promoting Human Rights by Ending Israeli Military Detention of Palestinian Children Act, is a human rights bill trying to constrain mistreatment of Palestinian children by the Israeli government. If there are human rights violations on the Hamas side, it is really not relevant; Hamas does not get U.S. aid. The act proposes to prevent U.S. tax dollars being spent to promote human rights violations. Your article lists many organizations that support this bill. They are organizations that care about human rights, regardless of where they are violated. If they also support the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement, it is not relevant and does not mean that they care any less about the welfare of children.

As a Holocaust survivor, I feel very strongly about human rights and am surprised that your paper does not share my views.

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Edith Bell
Pittsburgh