Letters to the Editor: Israeli protesters put their democracy on display after hostage deaths

To the editor: What stands out to me in the protests against Israeli leadership is that Israel is a democracy that allows for dissenting voices to be heard. (“Strikes and protests roil a divided Israel amid funerals for hostages, including California native,” Sept. 2)

Where are the Palestinians demonstrating against the Hamas terrorist leaders in the Gaza Strip? Hamas fighters barbarically murdered Israelis at a music festival, took hostages and killed hostages. It is the cause of thousands of Palestinian civilian deaths.

Let’s see protests against Hamas in the West Bank and Arab countries. Is it just that they don’t have the freedom Israelis enjoy, or do they approve of Hamas’ mission to kill Jews?

Esther Friedberg, Studio City

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To the editor: It’s hypocritical for President Biden to express disgust at the murder of six Israeli hostages and state that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not doing enough to bring about peace.

Netanyahu knows that Biden will continue to supply him with weapons to kill innocent Palestinians regardless, so he can afford to ignore him.

With a stroke of his pen, Biden could stop arms shipments to Israel, and Netanyahu would stop the carnage immediately.

Charles Blankson, Menifee

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To the editor: Six Israeli hostages were murdered in cold blood. This is another heinous, despicable crime perpetrated by Hamas. Israel, as to be expected, will retaliate severely.

Expect then that Israel’s critics will scream quietly about what Hamas has done, yet scream “bloody murder” very loudly at what the Israelis will be doing.

Hamas, by its very mandate, is directed to the destruction of Israel. How, therefore, should Israel negotiate with a group that is ideologically determined to destroy its people?

I therefore ask that Israel’s critics spare us their piety and calls for a “balanced” response. Israel will do what it must to survive.

Jack Salem, Los Angeles

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To the editor: After seeing the huge protests resulting from the deaths of six Israeli hostages, Benjamin Netanyahu fired back with, “No one will preach to me.”

Here is the mind of a dictator revealed.

A democratically minded prime minister would say, “I’m here to serve the will of the people, as our laws require, so I will pay close attention to their concerns.”

A despot pays no attention to the will of the people. He has no room for learning, no desire for compromise, no need to serve.

Kimball Shinkoskey, Woods Cross, Utah