U.S. support for Israel makes us all criminals

Editor, The Times:

Thank you for “Israel stumbles, again” [editorial, Opinion, June 2] regarding the Israeli attack on the humanitarian flotilla attempting to relieve the suffering of the people of Gaza. The Times’ strong condemnation of this action is very much appreciated — especially in view of the tepid, actually cowardly response of President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The security needs of Israel and the rights of the citizens of Gaza are reconcilable in the short term by diplomatic means. Hamas is showing currently that it is capable of maintaining almost complete control over rocket fire coming out of the Gaza Strip. The same has been true in the past, so a blockade of Gaza is not necessary from the Israeli point of view. Israel could have decent relations with Gaza if it chose to do so.

Unfortunately, Israel has chosen to wage “economic warfare against the Hamas regime” in the words of one Israeli official, involving the collective punishment of the ordinary people of Gaza. This is a crime.

The unquestioning support of the United States for Israel is immoral and makes us all complicit in the crimes of that country. The rest of the world sees this very clearly and doesn’t much like what it sees.

Thank you again for your courage, for that is what it takes in dissenting from the acceptable noncommital stance one is so used to seeing in the mainstream media.

— Richard Clark, Seattle

A media circus to provoke, embarrass Israel

This is a response to “Israel sees threat in group assisting Gaza aid flotilla” [News, June 1].

Suppose the peace activists cared enough about Turkey’s Kurdish minority to ship “humanitarian aid” to the Kurds of Eastern Turkey. Would Turkey not have a legal right to inspect such shipments when they cross its borders?

Israel voluntarily and unilaterally evacuated Gaza in 2005 in hopes of establishing peace. Hamas, which gained control of Gaza and rules by force, has declared war against Israel. It calls for Israel’s destruction and the murder of Jews in its founding charter, and it has shelled southern school playgrounds and civilian neighborhoods in Israeli towns with rockets and mortars for years. To defend its citizens, Israel has every legal and moral right to maintain a naval blockade to prevent weaponry —including longer-range weapons —from reaching Gaza.

This flotilla was planned as a media circus to provoke and embarrass Israel —not to help Gazans. Israel sends more humanitarian aid to Gaza every week than the aid contained on the entire flotilla. Israel also offered to transfer humanitarian cargo to Gaza after inspecting it. The activists rejected this offer.

The Insani Yardim Vakfi, or IHH —the Turkish organizers of the flotilla —is a jihadist organization seeking “martyrdom” for its operations.

The Danish Institute for International Studies has detailed the terrorist activities and al-Qaida links of the IHH. Israel’s real failing was believing the “peace activists” would demonstrate nonviolently, rather than with crowbars, knives and live fire.

— Peter Mark, Seattle

Terrorists setting fire to Jews; politically correct world turns blind eye

The Gaza Strip is ruled by Hamas, which has declared war on Israel and murders Jews at every opportunity. Many — including the U.N. — have remained silent while Hamas fired thousands of missiles at Jewish men, women and children in Israel for years.

Each of these rockets was clearly an act of war and a war crime, intended to murder and terrorize as many Jewish men, women and children as possible.

Now no time is being wasted to condemn Israel for preventing a group of ships carrying “humanitarian aid” from reaching the Gaza Strip. I do not recall any humanitarian missions to Sderot while the Palestinians were firing rockets into that town on a daily basis for years. I do not recall any “peace-loving” activists standing in front of restaurants or cafes in Israel to prevent suicide bombers from blowing them up and killing everyone inside.

Of course, if Hamas were to abandon its war of terror and destruction against Israel, there would be no need for the Israeli blockade. But I guess that is too simple and obvious to grasp when the opportunity to condemn the Jews of Israel presents itself.

Hamas has convinced the world that it should be able to wage war against Israel and kill Jews as it pleases, then suffer no adverse consequences as a result of its actions. When Jews are the targets of annihilation, apparently the rules of war are different.

The politically correct world is essentially condemning the Jewish people for defending themselves and refusing to die. Apparently, it has become politically correct to incinerate Jews again.

— Michael Kolker, Seattle

All aboard the U.S. flotilla

After the bloody interception of humanitarian aid to Gaza by Israeli forces, the United States and Israel are in talks about the best way for aid to reach the Palestinian people.

How is this for a novel idea? The United States could assume the leadership role in coordinating an annual or semiannual flotilla of the necessary assistance to this besieged region.

As Israel’s chief military and financial supporter, the United States’ motives could hardly be questioned as being anything other than strictly humanitarian. It would show the rest of the world that we, as a people, actually believe in more than just a one-nation policy in this critical part of the Middle East.

— Don Rogers, Camano Island

Israel should submit to international law

If any other country’s military had fired upon and boarded ships in international waters, killed or kidnapped the passengers, captured or destroyed the ships and shut off all communication with the victims, we would be screaming “piracy” and “terrorism.” After their usual “blame the victim” tactics proved inadequate, the Israeli government now says the problem was that it did not use enough force against the civilians.

As usual, their transparent lies are repeated as fact. For example, if the soldiers were only armed with paintball guns, what is the explanation for the two pistols snatched from the troops? And why are humanitarian-aid activists labeled “pro-Palestinian activists”? If you believe Israel will give the Palestinians the food, medical supplies, etc., from the flotilla, I have a bridge to sell you.

The few times Israel has actually taken responsibility for delivery of shipments of food or clothing into Gaza, it has detained the shipments up to a year so that they arrive moldy and useless.

We are still supplying Israel —whose standard of living is equal to ours —with billions of tax dollars in aid annually. Yet we never require that they abide by international law, or even U.S. laws against giving military aid used against civilians. We should treat Israel like any other country, condemning terrorist acts and making monetary aid contingent upon their abiding by international law.

— Anita Ross, Seattle

Unanswered questions

Burying facts such as how more than a ton of food per person is let into Gaza by Israel each year —or that the “peace” activists were carrying live weapons and firing first on the Israelis soldiers — is just misleading.

Why not pose the unanswered questions such as if the flotilla cared about getting aid into Gaza, why did they not just give it, after allowing it to be checked for terror-producing materials?

What were the “peace” activists hiding other than their guns and metal weapons?

— Joshua Newson, Issaquah