Back in April, I read an open letter to the Irmo News that started with the writer saying “I am opposed to Benjamin Netanyahu’s genocidal war in Gaza.” I have wanted to address this highly false statement since then.
Let’s first explain what truly was genocidal on October 7, 2023. When a group of armed militants invade a country for the sole purpose of killing civilians (mostly women and children) is, by definition genocide. Brutally I will add, filming such atrocities in order to create fear, but also in order to send those videos to fellow militants, their parents and family members with the intent of getting praise from them, is below the human scale, that is not war.
War is one thing, fighting, and killing other armed soldiers is one thing, but even videotaping that for the sole purpose of bragging rights is not war. It is the definition of terrorism and terrorist acts. Anyone who overlooked that, or downplays that, I do believe, is sympathizing with the attackers.
Israel has a right to defend itself, its people, its land, its way of life, just as you and I do, and would. Yes, we as a nation, and as a people, have called for this, done this, and will do this, if a foreign militant group attacked us.
And as far as her statement “More than 50,000 civilians have been killed, most of them women and children. “ being accurate when the numbers come from the militant group or it’s government affiliates is preposterous to state as a fact. When you add that Hamas uses civilians as their shields, by launching the rockets, storing, living, fighting from hospitals and residential buildings, homes etc., then those deaths are on Hamas.
By the way, doing as Hamas did, is a war crime based on the international law describing war crimes and all that it constitutes. The October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israeli citizens is also a war crime because it does constitute genocide. Both of these are the word-for-word definition of what genocide and war crimes constitute.
She next makes a statement, “ Note to President Trump and Secretary of State, Marco Rubio: “ that she is not an anti-Semite, that this open letter has nothing to do with her regard for the people of Israel. Just as a reminder, this letter was written to the Irmo News, read by people in the Irmo area, not to President Trump, our Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but I guess if you want to put a political jab in here somewhere that’s about a good place as any.
The war in Gaza is in response to the actions of Hamas, which they have pretty much let it be known to all, that they want to kill all Jews in Israel and destroy them as a people group in that area. The people of Israel do want justice and expect their elected officials, their leaders which includes Benjamin Netanyahu and their military to do just that and defend Israel from future attacks such as this.
I do not read any sympathy for the Jewish people and the atrocities that occurred October 7, 23 anywhere in her very long letter. I do agree that her letter does not make her a terrorist, nor is it interfering with American foreign policy, and that she is not a threat to national security. However, as a resident of United States myself, I am simply exercising my constitutional right to express an opinion, which is, she is making excuses for Hamas , their actions and downplaying those actions, which would lead to me to believe that she does sympathize with Hamas and not Israel, but again just my opinion.
The rest of her letter is nothing more than anti-Trump bashing, which is not worth my time to address, since I do believe most readers will see through that for what it is.
Hardy King, SBO, CC, JCB
