Letter to the Editor: Rich Lapin

To the Editor,

In the November aftermath of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, Rabbi Baroff offered a hopeful plea for dialogue being the key for peace in the Middle East. It is a sincere sentiment, but I have a different viewpoint.

How does Israel coexist with people (Hamas) who want to destroy it? Israel evacuated Gaza in 2005, and Hamas violently displaced Fatah in 2007. Hamas’ focus was and is to destroy Israel while denying 3,000 years of continuous Jewish presence in the region of Israel. Apparently motivated by a belief that once Muslim Arabs conquer and rule an area, as the Ottoman Empire did for 300 years, it must remain so in perpetuity. Israelis, referred to as Jews or Zionists, are considered occupiers. Even more dangerous are the textbooks used in Gaza which demonize Jews/Israelis and why they must be eliminated. Here, education creates a renewable source of generational hatred toward Israel.

Note that Hamas misappropriated over $1 billion of multiply sourced foreign aid designed to improve Gaza’s telecommunications system, electrical grid, and sewer system. Instead, Hamas built underground tunnels meant to protect its commanders and operatives, not ordinary Gazans. Hamas has used their civilians as human shields at least since 2007. When Israel attacks Hamas operatives purposely hiding behind civilians, Hamas cynically bemoans civilian casualties as a PR stunt for foreign media even if some of their own operatives die.

Hamas is intransigent and efforts by Israel for dialogue are currently meaningless because they are dealing with a disingenuous opponent. It is Israel’s destruction, not accommodation, that Hamas seeks.

Respectfully submitted,