Everything Israel does is to protect its people
Atlanta: Voicer Stan Rosenson should know that Arab countries (and now, Palestinian leaders) are the experts at perpetuating violence as well as the Palestinian victimhood narrative. While Israel, immediately upon its rebirth in the Jews’ ancestral homeland, began absorbing and uplifting 800,000 Jews thrust from their homes in the Muslim countries of the Middle East and North Africa, Arab states refused to re-habituate some 700,000 Arabs who fled Arab-initiated violence in the 1940s. Ninety-five percent of the Palestinian refugees on UNRWA’s rolls inherited the status from their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.
All residents of Gaza are well aware of Hamas’ objective (not building a Palestinian state, but destroying the nation-state of the Jews). Hamas runs terrorist training camps for Palestinian teenagers, fires rockets from schoolyards, steals helium from hospital MRI units to float incendiary bombs into Israel and stores munitions in private residences. While claiming that an Israeli blockade strangled the economy in Gaza, Hamas managed to build 300 miles of tunnels under the Strip (using Israeli-supplied cement!). Apartment buildings in Gaza collapsed when Israel destroyed tunnels dug beneath the buildings. The tunnels were a legitimate target as they had been used to store weapons and to facilitate the abduction and murder of Israelis.
Israel is not seeking vengeance for Oct. 7. Israel is acting to ensure that Hamas will not be able to stage more such attacks, which Hamas leaders have sworn to do. Toby F. Block
Expansion project
Brooklyn: Does it really come as a surprise to anyone that Israel is now using the Hamas terrorist strike as a pretext to invade Gaza and possibly the West Bank? Israel’s goal is to push the Palestinians out of those areas so that Israeli settlers can take over the land. The Israelis who died in the Hamas terrorist attack will be sacrificial lambs to the greater cause of expanding Israel’s territory into what is now Gaza and the West Bank — Israel’s ultimate goal. This is real-life history repeating itself. George Nader
Organizational silence
Bronx: In the heat of the fighting, the media have given an unacceptable pass to the actions in Gaza of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. UNRWA also refuses to talk about Hamas stealing supplies and aid sent for Gazans. It refuses to tell the world about Hamas’ use of dual-use items such as concrete. It refused to publicize Hamas’ tearing up water pipes to use them to make bombs. UNRWA failed to prevent Hamas from using its facilities and other humanitarian sites as weapons storage and launching sites and then failed to inform the world of this. It is no defense for UNRWA to say that if they publicized it, Hamas would have thrown them out. If it did, the pressure on Hamas would have been overwhelming. Kenneth S. Gelnick
Hapless humanitarian
Manhattan: President Biden has some nerve calling for Israel to cease fire for humanitarian reasons. How come he had no humanitarian feelings for the people he left behind in Afghanistan to be killed by the Taliban? Biden is so phony. Paul Kellerman
Auto reduction
Brooklyn: We don’t need to use cars as much as we do. NYC has a massive public transportation system. Why not institute Motorless Mondays or not use cars based on odd and even plate numbers? Vito Labella
Questionable membership
Oakland Gardens: Did you know that Councilmember Linda Lee, who ran for reelection yesterday, is on the leadership team of an anti-gay church? Perhaps you should have questioned her on whether LGBTQ residents in eastern Queens and NYC can trust her to protect our rights. Here’s a quote from her church’s website: “New Vision is a member of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC)!” Take a look at the EEC website’s discussion of human sexuality. Hal W. Lanse
Masculinity mockery
Manhattan: Sen. Josh Hawley’s book about being a man would be somewhat comical but for the fact that he likely takes it seriously. Of all the silver-spooned cowards in American politics, perhaps Hawley is atop the list of the most repugnant. He should be giving people advice no more than baboons should be teaching prospective pilots how to fly planes. He is a banker’s son who rode the coattails of his father’s bank account and influence; as is often the case in the United States, rich parents bulldoze a clean, easy path to success for their children. Hawley has nothing in common with the people of his largely blue-collar state of Missouri — and humiliated his voters with his now-infamous fist pump on Jan. 6. His run for safety amidst the riot he helped foment laid bare his inauthenticity, self-interest and cowardice. I will not be buying his book and I encourage others to do the same. Daniel Dolgicer
The Trump Show
Austin, Texas: It angered me that the news networks on Monday spent almost all of their airtime providing live coverage of Donald Trump’s civil fraud case testimony. Nonstop focus on his rants and bombastic rhetoric is purely melodrama, in my opinion, and not news. It may titillate some and expand viewership and television ratings, but all it really does is give oxygen to Trump’s irrelevant temper tantrums and vicious courtroom attacks on the judge and the New York attorney general. This helps Trump politically. It is something he has successfully orchestrated for most of his adult life. He is an expert at politicizing legal proceedings. The networks have chosen once again to air the Trump show, which plays directly into his hands and that his supporters want. Richard Cherwitz
Still in his grip
Staten Island: Will the Trump circus ever come to an end? The raft of individuals who will vote for him is amazing. The hold he has on these people reminds me of two other unbalanced individuals, Jim Jones and Charles Manson. Trump may not have killed anyone but he has committed crimes that have divided this country. How will he be castigated and this country become united again? Jeffrey Van Pelt
Tactical questioning
Sayville, L.I.: I listened recently to the ridiculous grilling of Attorney General Merrick Garland by a Republican House panel. They asked “push questions” designed to put forth asinine notions as truth. “Is it not true that (insert falsehood here)?” Before Garland can answer, they say, “My time is limited, I have a more important question.” Lather, rinse and repeat until time is up, then accuse Garland of not answering the questions. It’s only to put forth half-truths and bald-faced lies under the guise of congressional inquiry. Disgraceful behavior. Additionally, why is it that the more the inquisitor sounds like Foghorn Leghorn, the more disingenuous the questioning? Michael Hooker
Being milked
Manhattan: Dear corporate America, you keep shooting yourself in your feet and ruining our lives while you do it. I’m a stoner, and every time I’m in a grocery store buying food, I think, “Let’s get crazy and buy some Wheat Thins or Chips Ahoy or other snacks and munchies” until I see the price, which you illegally ballooned. I then buy yummy ramen noodles for 50 cents instead. Of course, even if I was rich, I would not pay your prices because it’s about principle. Your intent is to gouge Americans who are already on thin ice. You lost 100% of my money this way and made me detest you and your brands. Time to try a new way. #MaximumWage is a good start. Roger Stoneham
Competing truths
Glendale: Thank you for the daily reminder when reading letters from Voicers that discuss the different perspectives of so many. It is highly disconcerting to read letters from individuals immersed in their delusions. No matter the topic, there’s always a difference of opinion that reflects how differently we view our shared society. Ironically, the word “share,” one of the first things taught to children, is lost on many adults today. It has denigrated our ability to communicate and act accordingly with respect and decency towards one another. Every aspect of daily living is based more on negativity than anything else. Is it anything new, or are we just being lazy about changing things? Sadly, too many people have lost the ability to think for themselves. They embrace agendas to make them feel they are part of a group that wouldn’t share anything with them in private. Jonathan Kiddrane
Voice of the People
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