Letters to the editor: 1/15
Israel has done enough
I recently got into a debate about what my friend called “the plight of the innocent Palestinians being manipulated by their Hamas leadership to use their places of worship and homes in which to stock their weapons and from which to fire their missiles.”
Since the movie “Valkyrie” is now in the theaters, the combination of the two caused me to ruminate about rebellion or lack thereof in Gaza.
If 15 attempts could be made by moral, high-minded Germans to try to kill Hitler over five years, how were no efforts made to assassinate Arafat or any of his progeny over a much longer period of tainted leadership of the Palestinian people? If the Palestinian citizenry really wants peace in contrast to their radical, corrupt, hard-line, Iranian-sponsored, suicide-bomb-rewarding leaders, where is the proof?
The Palestinian people voted for their Hamas leaders, cheered when Saddam’s scud missiles fell on innocent Israeli cities, and rejoiced when Hezbollah killed many Jews and harmless hostages. Not even the more moderate Fatah has yet rewritten the Palestinian Constitution to recognize the right of Israel to exist. How can anyone truly believe that any Arabs really want the potential peace of a two-state solution if all evidence points to them wanting every last Israeli to be wiped off the map?
The Jewish state has given land for promised peace, which was never delivered. It has unilaterally given away property it won while fighting wars in self defense — all for little or no safety. It has turned the other cheek so often that it must be dizzy; why else could it be so generous in the face of such hatred? Israel should not have to die to prove its legitimacy and right to exist. It has done so much to just be left alone in peace.
Jeff Pollock
Squirrel Hill
A different slant
Headlines in The New York Times report that over 10,000 rockets have been shot into Israel since Israelis left the Gaza Strip in the hands of the Arabs three years ago. Each time there were complaints about the rockets the Arabs said they would stop; they did not keep their word.
Now here’s my point: The current argument that supports the Arabs is that the Israeli response is disproportionate to the harm that the Arabs have done to the Israelis.
In the recent conflict over 900 Arabs have been killed and only 13 Israelis. It’s easy to discern that the intentions of the Arabs were to kill as many Israelis as possible. Lack of technology and availability kept them from achieving their goal.
Shouldn’t the intentions be more important than the actual numbers? Especially now when they are getting help from Iran and Egypt to destroy Israel. In the long run they could achieve their goals.
Israel must stand firm.
Shirley T. Shratter
Shadyside
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