Israel’s stance on Gaza

Re “Israeli ground forces enter Gaza,” March 2

This article could have better explained the reasons for Israel’s reluctant incursion in Gaza. When Israel withdrew from Gaza, there was naive hope that Palestinians would build a civilized home for themselves. Instead, they appear to be building a terrorist state next to Israel. After months of restraining itself, Israel had no choice but to take action now, knowing that Hamas terrorists would, as always, use innocent Palestinians as human shields to score points with world media and try to portray Israel as the aggressor.

It is the responsibility of journalists to realize the deception and name the true enemies of peace, civilization and decency.

A.M. Cohen

Los Angeles

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How does Israel’s siege of Gaza benefit the U.S.? Our troops and treasure have been in Iraq for five years. What is Israel doing to help us succeed in the Middle East?

Dozens of civilian deaths and bombed medical clinics don’t make our job of winning hearts and minds any easier. If Israel chooses to do these things, it is Israel’s choice. But why are we borrowing billions of dollars to help subsidize Israel’s bombings, which make our own aims harder to achieve? Friends shouldn’t let friends act against their own interests. Our silence didn’t help Israel during its 1982 invasion of Lebanon or its 2006 bombing campaign. It’s not helping now either.

George Saade

Downey

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Re “The end of the ‘guilty Israeli,’ ” Opinion, March 2

Yossi Klein Halevi suggests the existence of Israeli empathy toward Palestinians. To take him seriously, one would have to revisit the definition of empathy as encompassing such things as a brutal 40-year occupation, large-scale bombings, collective punishment tactics and economic strangling. It would also have to include the illegal destruction of thousands of Palestinian homes to make room for the “chosen people.” If that is empathy, and if Israelis no longer have to feel guilty, then God help us.

Arnaud Forestier

Irvine

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I sincerely hope that people took the time to read Halevi’s insightful article, especially those who read the article from the same day about Israel’s military operation in Gaza and felt that the actions taken were excessive or even unjustified. The point to keep in mind for those who criticize Israel for the smallest violation against the Palestinians is that the government and military of Israel are made up of human beings, not angels. If they are to be held to impossibly high standards in dealing with real threats to their country, then they should not be expected to take any such criticism seriously.

Lyle D. Medved

Santa Barbara

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Halevi still does not get it. Israelis should feel guilty for their nation’s crimes. He should not bemoan and dismiss the helpless victim’s desire to get his home and life back just as his nation prepares for another senseless attack. How about recognizing the crimes, asking for forgiveness, finding reconciliation and moving on?

Shame on The Times for printing such a rationalization for violence on the eve of another bloody invasion.

Shant Agajanian

Joshua Tree