Israel has been attacked yet one more time and the misinformation is coming fast and furious from those who single out Israel from all other countries of the world. as evidenced by a front-page article that appeared in The Enterprise on Nov. 20. Yet, certain facts are indisputable.

The lives of 1 million Israeli civilians are being threatened and daily life in southern Israel has been totally disrupted. There have been 13,000 rockets, mortars and missiles launched into Israel in the past decade. Since the beginning of the year, more than 800 rockets and mortar shells have been fired at Israel, a record amount since the end of Operation Cast Lead (January 2009). If there were no rockets from Gaza aimed at the civilian population of Israel, there would be no retaliation.

All countries have the right to defend their citizens. Article 51 of the United Nations charter specifically codifies the “inherent right” of self-defense against armed attack. No other nation would tolerate incessant terrorist attacks from neighboring territories on its citizens.

Despite the necessity to respond to Hamas and Islamic Jihad attacks, Israel goes to extreme lengths to avoid hurting non-combatants, including dropping leaflets and sending text messages alerting civilians to stay away from Hamas personnel, sites where weapons are stored, smuggling tunnels, rocket factories and launch sites. Of course, this is unlike Hamas, who not only aims their rockets at civilians but launches them from heavily civilian areas, in effect, using their citizens as human shields.

Now we have the familiar call for a cease-fire so that Hamas can rearm itself with ever more sophisticated and long-range rockets. Does anyone seriously believe that Hamas will cease its missile attacks for even a few months? Does anyone seriously believe that Israel should open Gaza’s borders and, in effect, facilitate the importation of rockets that will be used against Israeli civilians?

Now is the time to seriously cripple Hamas so that this behavior is curtailed. Please let our elected officials know that the only path to peace is through firm resolve to destroy the terrorists.

David Siegel
Davis

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