Letters: Readers Respond

Brian Fegely

Royersford

» READ MORE: fegely@montgomery19.com

Israeli policymakers have another test of the Lyndon Johnson method of tactical bombing versus the Nixonian model. As was said many times, President Johnson bombed a little and halted, waiting for the enemy to come to the peace table; President Nixon bombed until they came to the peace table. Keep bombing until Hamas sues for peace.

It is a myth that Gaza is surrounded; it has a border with Egypt, which Israel does not control, and access to the sea. Humanitarian supplies could get in if the Palestinian gunmen had invested some of the resources they put into unguided antipersonnel rockets into infrastructure, ports and airports. It is not Israel's responsibility to assure Palestinian comfort or subsistence.

Nina Walls

Ridley Park

Re: "Scores die in Israeli attacks," Sunday:

Your front-page report correctly suggests that the Israeli air strikes could "make it harder for President-elect Barack Obama to push new diplomatic initiatives in the Middle East." Is the Israeli government trying to trap the incoming U.S. administration into supporting yet another Middle East war? Americans voted in November for diplomacy, not more war, and for rescuing the U.S. economy. The United States has poured billions in military aid into Israel. We need that money at home.

Peter Crownfield

Bethlehem

» READ MORE: workforpeace@verizon.net

Israel claims the attacks are intended to stop rockets being fired into Israel, but that's nonsense. To stop them, all Israel would have to do to is stop brutalizing the Palestinians and stop blocking humanitarian relief from around the world.

Arthur Horn

East Windsor, N.J.

The Jerusalem Post reported that "a Hamas spokesman made Israel the following proposal: You keep the stream of humanitarian aid and supplies flowing into Gaza and we will keep launching rockets and mortars at Israeli civilians."

The Israeli government had little choice in responding to the terror against its citizens. Southern Israel, adjacent to the Gaza Strip, has long been the victim of ever-increasing violence. Perhaps the clarifying statement by Hamas made it certain what the only reasonable alternative really is.

David Horowitz

Yardley

Once again The Inquirer has shown its anti-Israel bias. A headline Saturday screamed: "2 Palestinian girls killed in attack."

The clear implication, based on your history, is that the attack was by Israel. Nothing could be further from the truth, as one fortunately learns in the first sentence of the story. Rockets were fired by Palestinian extremists intending to hit Israel; instead they hit inside Gaza.

Your headline should have read: "Palestinians kill their own."

Ken Kelly

West Chester

It seems that the United Nations never comments on Hamas' violence, but always calls for a cease-fire when Israel retaliates. The U.N. needs to understand that the 15th century is over, and that every life should be given the same importance. Every violent act, no matter the perpetrator, is wrong. The alternative is for the U.N. to languish in the backwaters of irrelevance.

Moe Salim

Norristown

» READ MORE: moe1970@comcast.net

The Israeli occupation deliberately makes daily living unbearable, withholding electricity, water, food and medical care, and will make it impossible for Palestinians to find work. In addition to that, there have been thousands of Palestinian fatalities since 1948 that are never reported in the American media.

I am angered that our government contributes to this by supplying Israel with weapons and money.

Ahmed Bouzid

Herndon, Va.

» READ MORE: ahmed.bouzid@gmail.com

Israel seems to have learned nothing from its disastrous invasion of Lebanon in the summer of 2006. Instead of drawing the basic lesson that you cannot massacre your way to a solution, here again is the Israeli air force bombarding civilians in the name of fighting terror.

Back in 2006, civilians in Lebanon were massacred in the name of wiping out Hezbollah. But Hezbollah was not wiped out - far from it.

This time, civilians caged in captive Gaza are being massacred, again in the name of fighting terror and wiping out Hamas. Is this really the most effective way that an overwhelming nuclear power can reach peace with the captive and dispossessed people of Palestine?