Israel’s actions justified

August 26, 2014 · 0 Comments

I greatly appreciate Mark Pavilons’s editorial regarding the killing of civilians in conflicts around the world. Innocent people dying through acts of terrorism or through wars should cause people in the civilized world to speak up and pressure their governments to take action.
The group ISIS in Iraq and Syria is committing horrible crimes against humanity. Boko Haram in Nigeria is perpetrating equally brutal acts against those who disagree with their extreme interpretation of Islam. The Western world needs to speak up and find ways to restrain this evil. President Obama is finally, although reluctantly, taking some action to protect religious minorities in Northern Iraq.
Mark Pavilons takes up much space in his editorial to write about Hamas and its history. Unfortunately he did not give a complete picture of this organization and its goal. Gaza was captured by Israel in the war of 1967. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 and since 2007 Gaza has been ruled by Hamas.
The goal of Hamas has never been to build a prosperous economy and to provide for the citizens in the Gaza strip. (Note the millions of dollars it has spent on building concrete reinforced tunnels into Israel). Its goal is to wipe Israel from the face of the earth. A quote from their charter: “Israel will rise and will remain until Islam eliminates it as it has eliminated its predecessors” and further: “Hamas has been looking forward to implement Allah’s promise whatever time it might take. The prophet, prayer and peace be upon him, said: The time will not come until Muslims will fight the Jews (and kill them) until the Jews hide behind rocks and trees, which will cry: O Muslim! there is a Jew hiding behind me, come on and kill him.”
These are not “cultural attitudes” – this is antisemitism.
In my opinion, Hamas falls in the same category as ISIS and Boko Haram. I am not condoning everything Israel has done in the past but I am in total support of its action against Hamas.
I don’t call them “draconian actions” but self-defence. The western world should wake up and take action to protect the citizens of the world from the draconian actions of ISIS and Boko Haram. This way civilian casualties will be kept to a minimum.

Harry deGeus
Newmarket