LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Hamas and Israel

In the August 28 issue of The Carillon columnist James Loewen asks me two questions in his column “As I See It”.

“1) Given the grotesque reality from Israel’s own intelligence that 83 percent of the people slaughtered in Gaza have been innocent children, women and seniors, do you still defend Israel’s war crimes?

2) Do you believe that a Palestinian life is just as valuable and precious as an Israeli life?

I hope the following clarifies my position on both questions.

The loss of innocent life in war is always tragic. But anyone with a reasonably functional moral compass should recognize that responsibility for those deaths lies first with those who start wars, and secondly, with those who refuse to end them. In the case of the Russian – Ukraine war in both cases that country is Russia. Even James Loewen (August 30, The pure joy of watching the Little League World Series) will have to admit that in both cases, in Gaza, that party is Hamas, not Israel.

Almost two years ago, Israel was brutally attacked by Hamas in the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust . Over 1,200 Israelis were murdered, families slaughtered, women raped, and more than 200 hostages taken. Any responsible government would act decisively to protect its citizens from such barbarism.

Israel does not seek the destruction of the Palestinian people; it seeks the defeat of Hamas- a terrorist organization that fires rockets indiscriminately, uses civilians as human shields, and boasts of its intent to wipe Israel off the map. Israel has consistently taken extraordinary steps to limit civilian casualties: warning residents before strikes, using precision munitions, and facilitating thousands of aid deliveries into Gaza-even knowing Hamas will seize much of it. No military in history has done more to minimize civilian deaths while facing an enemy so determined to maximize them.

Every innocent life lost in Gaza is a tragedy. Palestinian lives are just as valuable as Israeli lives, and Israel recognizes this. But, the grim reality is that Hamas embeds its command centres in hospitals, stores weapons in schools, and digs terror tunnels beneath neighbourhoods. The moral responsibility for this suffering lies with Hamas, not with Israel.

As for Loewen’s call to ban Israel from the Olympics: such a move would punish the only democracy in the Middle East for defending its people against an aggressor sworn to destroy it. As has been repeatedly pointed out: if Hamas were to lay down its weapons today and release all the hostages the war would end tomorrow; if Israel were to lay down its weapons, Israel would cease to exist tomorrow.

Israel did not start this war. Hamas did. And until Hamas is defeated, Israel has both the right and indeed the duty to defend its people. That is not a war crime. That is self-defence.