IN THE MEDIA

Letter in The Age: Under threat

Jul 25, 2014

Under threat

The Age – July 25 2014

 

Your editorial (”Might overwhelms the right to defend”, 23/7) was inflammatory. Hamas, a terrorist organisation proscribed by many nations, including Australia, initiated this conflict by escalating rocket attacks across Israel. It rejected Israel’s overtures to de-escalate, as well as three Arab ceasefire proposals Israel accepted. Hamas positions its military assets – rockets, launchers, weapons, command centres and tunnel entrances – amid civilian homes and buildings, even mosques, schools and hospitals; a war crime.

Every Gazan civilian killed is tragic, but they are overwhelmingly victims of these callous human-shield tactics. Israel warns civilians of impending strikes by dropping leaflets, texting and phoning. As Bill Clinton recently said, Hamas has ”a strategy designed to force Israel to kill their own [Palestinian] civilians so that the rest of the world will condemn them”. The partial Gaza blockade, deemed legal by the UN’s Palmer Inquiry, targets only materials with military uses, allowing food, medicine, consumer goods, water, fuel and power. It was only imposed after rocket attacks.

Israel doesn’t want ”ugly vengeance”, as your editorial suggests, but seeks to protect its people from Hamas’ threatening rockets and extensive terror tunnel infrastructure aimed at killing or kidnapping its civilians.

Mark Leibler and Colin Rubenstein
Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council

 

Tags:

RELATED ARTICLES


A room in Herod the Great's palace near Jericho (image: Flickr/Ian Scott)

Is UNESCO Going to Erase Jewish History From Another Israeli City?

Sep 11, 2023 | Featured, Fresh AIR, In the media
Iran Protests (52383779726)

Australia must do more about Iran

Aug 25, 2023 | Featured, Fresh AIR, In the media
Image: Shutterstock

Australia’s government has taken an anti-Israel stance

Aug 16, 2023 | Featured, In the media
Image: Shutterstock

Labor’s Israel shift is a blow to peace and our credibility

Aug 15, 2023 | Featured, In the media
Image: Shutterstock

Ill-conceived posturing on Palestine is undermining Australia’s reputation as a trusted peace broker

Aug 14, 2023 | Featured, In the media
Israel and Palestinian territory divided by the security wall (Image: Shutterstock)

Australia’s Middle East decision ill-conceived

Aug 10, 2023 | Featured, In the media

SIGN UP FOR AIJAC EMAILS

RECENT POSTS

Palestinians receive their food rations from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) warehouse in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah (Image: Shutterstock)

Palestinians declare war on main benefactor UNRWA over required pledge not to discriminate

Israeli tanks in the Sinai Desert, 1973 (Image: Public domain)

From 1973 to Israel’s next war

Image001

The Last Word: Jeremy Jones – In Memoriam

Clinton appreciated Netanyahu’s political skills, but the two were divided over some key policy issues, leading to a tense relationship (Image: Shutterstock)

Essay: Bibi’s seven presidents

Destined to be an iconic landmark: The new National Library of Israel (Image: Herzog & De Meuron/ National Library of Israel/ Twitter)

Biblio File: Unique monument for the “People of the Book”

Palestinians receive their food rations from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) warehouse in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah (Image: Shutterstock)

Palestinians declare war on main benefactor UNRWA over required pledge not to discriminate

Israeli tanks in the Sinai Desert, 1973 (Image: Public domain)

From 1973 to Israel’s next war

Image001

The Last Word: Jeremy Jones – In Memoriam

Clinton appreciated Netanyahu’s political skills, but the two were divided over some key policy issues, leading to a tense relationship (Image: Shutterstock)

Essay: Bibi’s seven presidents

Destined to be an iconic landmark: The new National Library of Israel (Image: Herzog & De Meuron/ National Library of Israel/ Twitter)

Biblio File: Unique monument for the “People of the Book”

SORT BY TOPICS