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Readers take exception to recent letters condemning Israel

Open letters to MP John Duncan draw ire of Israeli supporters

Dear editor,

I would like to respond to the two recent letters to the editor, that were sent into your department asking John Duncan to intervene in the Israel/Gaza conflict (authored by Fred Zumpano and Scott Agur).

Namely these two articles castigated Israel for killing some 1,900 – as they called it – civilians.

This is not true, as approximately 50 per cent of those slain people were Hamas terrorists, with, I might add, no identifying uniforms and who were cowardly hiding amongst civilians.

If people are so “gung-ho” to blame Israel, why have they forgotten the approximately 3,000 people killed on 9-11, by these same type of terrorists. Correct me if I am wrong, but were these not civilians?

Also, the Olympic athletes killed in Munich… the list goes on and on and why are some people “cherry picking” events?

I am personally very proud of Steven Harper and his cabinet, for their supportive position on Israel responding to the daily barrage of Hamas rockets and the tunnels which have caused so many unnecessary problems.

Israel has never initiated action without provocation and why do some people refuse to recognize that fact?

Boyd Lundquist

Courtenay

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Dear Messrs. Zumpano and Agur,

Let me take the liberty to bring a few facts to your attention.

1. The weakest side in a conflict is not always right, even if they picked the fight.

2. If only 10 per cent of the Hams rockets would have hit their intended targets, the amount of civilian victims would have been multiples of  victims than in Gaza.

3. In the 1973 Yom Kippur war Israel finished off two major armies in very little time (Syria and Egypt). You might ask, “Why not this time?” Let me tell you. It’s because of political correctness, world opinion and a concern for civilian casualties. It is as if Israel is forced to fight with one arm tied behind its back.

4 By comparison, in Afghanistan the Brits killed 20,000 civilians versus 447 soldiers, and in Iraq the Brits and Americans killed 120,000 civilians compared to 4,500 soldiers.

5. During the Second World War, civilians were killed by the thousands by the allied forces.

We still consider the allied forces as heroes and raise monuments in honour of their exploits.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still grateful to the Canadian forces for liberating us, but when it comes to criticism, we should not become the pot that calls the kettle black.

6. Remember, this war had its start in 1948 when Israel became a sovereign state, and is still going on; a war declared by the Arab countries around them.

In the past many peace accords have been suggested and accepted by Israel, only to be flatly rejected by the Muslim adversaries, whose sole and self-declared goal is to drive Israel from their land and kill every Jew.

I could go on and on, but folks, before you jump (un- or misinformed) on the anti-Israel bandwagon, do some research and check history.

By the way, don’t forget 9-11 where close to 3000 people (civilians) were wantonly killed by the likes of Hamas and others of their ilk.

Lastly, I decry war and violence and bloodshed as much as any of you, and I hope and pray for peace in the region.

Dan Bouman

Courtenay