Dear Editor,
The recent actions by Hamas were barbaric, vile and inhuman and must be condemned for the atrocity that it was. However, this does not justify Israel’s continuous bombing of innocent Palestinian civilians, including women and children. Even if they used the Old Testament yardstick of an ‘eye for an eye’, the Israelis have now taken four times the number of eyes. And as Gandhi reminds us, an ‘eye for an eye’ and soon the whole world will be blind.
While not condoning Hamas’ actions, it must be argued that those brutal actions were directly related to the brutality by Israel’s countless years of occupation. I was part of President Carter’s team to observe Palestine’s first election in 1996. Even though I showed my Carter Center accreditation to the Ben-Gurion immigration staff, the treatment I received was inhuman. At the same time, I noticed that all the fair-skinned members of our team had no problems at all. Since I had to observe the voting in Gaza, I had to cross two Israeli checkpoints to get there. I witnessed again how they treated me as well as every Palestinian. That night in my hotel I cried for the Palestinians, for man’s inhumanity to man. And when I was leaving Israel, the treatment I received was even worse!
But just examine the duplicity of Israel. When it was convenient to them, they took sides with Hamas against the PLO. Now that the PLO has been subdued, Hamas has become the new great enemy. And the USA, with its holier-than-thou hypocrisy, is aiding and abetting Israel’s brutality. I ask the USA to remember the My Lai massacre, Iraq and Afghanistan as just three examples of their own brutality, as well as their refusal to join the International Court of Justice. No wonder they are silent on Israel’s war crimes. A few days ago the Israeli ambassador to Guyana spoke of “enemies who despise international law and humanitarian standards.” Just today the Turkiye minister told the United Nations that, “Collective punishment is not self-defence. It is a war crime.”
Considering the multiple cases of international law violations and the murdering of civilians, the ambassador’s words are nothing short of rhetoric, propaganda and hypocrisy. There can be no peace in the region until Palestine gets its own state. All fair-minded people must support their cause.
Sincerely,
Clairmont Lye
