Alan Landau wades in:
I am writing to respond to your editorial
, “Negotiated settlement the only answer to Israel-Hamas war” (October 10), which seemed to characterise the attacks by Hamas – which many countries have labelled a terrorist group – on Israel as provoked by Israeli actions.
There is no action that Israel is accused of that could ever justify the carnage and brutality that Hamas unleashed on civilians.
We have seen videos and photographs and heard testimony of young people at a music festival executed at point-blank range, elderly people taken hostage, and children murdered and kidnapped. It has also been reported that soldiers were beheaded and women raped. This is not to mention the thousands of rockets indiscriminately launched at civilian areas.
The world is witnessing not the banality of evil, but its very face. What responsible government would sit on its hands and sue for peace? If this were happening to China, what would China do? If the Irish Republican Army were to engage in such reprehensible acts against England, what would the United Kingdom do? What would the United States do? What would Russia do?
And who indeed would Israel even “negotiate” with?
Hamas’ founding charter committed it to the destruction of Israel, while the Palestinian Authority seems to have no authority, with a president – Mahmoud Abbas – in the 18th year of a four-year term. No, Israel cannot “negotiate” a settlement with those who vow its destruction, and torture and murder non-combatants.
Alan Landau, Mid-Levels
