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Vail Daily letter: Inaccurate comparison

In response to your letter “Thoughts on Gaza” (Letters to the Editor, Sept. 8), I have to repeat your first sentence — what did compel you to write this?

Your attempt to compare Gaza with the Warsaw ghetto is inaccurate on so many levels. You gave an incorrect historical summary of Israel’s beginning while totally ignoring the history of the Palestinians and what brought them to where we are now.

For many years there was free movement between Israel and the West Bank. Palestinians worked in Israel and many Israelis would travel into “occupied territories” all the time. Unfortunately, when extremists decided to become suicide bombers and began entering Israel and killing innocent civilians, Israel had no choice but to close the territories, hence the picture you now portray as the Warsaw ghetto. Not only that, but it is the explicit policy and mandate of Hamas that the destruction of Israel is their one and primary goal. How this scenario can even be compared to the Warsaw ghetto and the evil of the Nazis is unbelievable.



You say you have empathy for the Jewish people and then say that Israelis have not suffered much of a human toll. Have you been subject to thousands of missiles raining down on you or your family? Have they had to run into shelters at all times of the day?

I do not deny that Israel can and needs to try to achieve a peaceful solution. But for that to happen, they need a partner that recognizes their right to exist. They need a partner that stands up to Hamas and says, “Enough!” Stop putting our children at risk and stop firing from schools, hospitals and mosques. Until the Palestinians take some responsibility for themselves and their actions, and stop blaming Israel and the U.S. for everything that has happened to them, nothing will change. You state that the military wing of Hamas needs to take a sabbatical and go to Lebanon and Syria. Then what? After the sabbatical come back and continue their mission to destroy Israel?

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Your final statement that the United Nations is the most experienced and best equipped to handle the “rebuilding” of Gaza is as ludicrous as everything else. We have seen how impartial they have been as they have allowed Hamas to store and retrieve rockets from their schools and facilities.

The Jewish people were almost destroyed by the Nazis and the statement “never again” applies to every action that Israel takes. Israel understands that it needs U.S. support but it also realizes it can only rely on itself to ensure the survival of the Jewish people. It cannot and should not be forced to negotiate with an enemy whose sole purpose is the destruction of Israel and the Jewish people.

Dan Brajtbord

Edwards


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