Letter to the editor
RE: Letter to the editor printed on January 26, 2009. Volume 41 Issue No. 19.
First of all, a war is a period of active military operations between two armies; the Gaza Strip did not have an army. What has happened during the Gaza crisis is, in fact, a carnage, a massacre or as described by Pope Benedict “a concentration camp” which has ended with the death of more than 1280 Gazans, half of them being children, women and elderly men, and 13 Israelis, in which 10 were soldiers and three were civilians. Out of the 10 Israeli soldiers, four were killed in a “friendly fire” incident.
Secondly, what would be the response of any country if a terrorist state i.e. Israel, started attacking schools, notably U.N. schools, places of worship and innocent citizens, especially children, women and unarmed men who live in one of the most densely populated regions on Earth with tons of rockets? This is the question to be asked as compared to the initial biased one. The North American mass media portrayed only a window of reality, the big picture was omitted. The conflict started when Israeli forces killed six Hamas gunmen inside the blockade-surrounded Gaza strip on November 4th, 2008. As an act of defense, Hamas intervened in November by firing home made rockets, however no one was injured. Hamas continued until a target was hit and then “war” was declared by Israel.
Thirdly, the democratic election in Gaza that was promoted by Europe and the US was won by Hamas, and yet the latter party was labeled as a terrorist organization by the western world. What kind of democracy is this? Hamas are fighting for the rights of the marginalized and highly oppressed Gazans, just like Bobby Seale and the Nobel Peace Prize recipient Nelson Mendela fought for justice and human rights and who, similarly, were also considered as terrorists.
In regards to white phosphorous, it is known that it is a harmful and potentially toxic substance that was used by the Israeli forces in an illegal manner as it was stated by the Human Rights Watch officials. Refer to the Protocol III of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons for more information.
As it was falsely claimed, Hamas individuals were not hiding among children and women, they were living within their family members; their intention of entering mosques was not to hide, but to fulfill their religious duties. Also, the fact that Israel is the one who ‘ensures the humanitarian aid continues arriving in Gaza' indicates the extent to which Israel is oppressing and controlling the Palestinian territories. It is also said by several intellectuals, such as former US President Jimmy Carter, that Palestine is unfortunately being treated as an apartheid state.
Being indifferent about this event is one thing, however; defending the position of Israeli authorities is a crime in process. SHAME on the individuals who cover justice and facts with misleading and biased falsehood, SHAME on these hypocrites until justice prevails.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
First of all, a war is a period of active military operations between two armies; the Gaza Strip did not have an army. What has happened during the Gaza crisis is, in fact, a carnage, a massacre or as described by Pope Benedict “a concentration camp” which has ended with the death of more than 1280 Gazans, half of them being children, women and elderly men, and 13 Israelis, in which 10 were soldiers and three were civilians. Out of the 10 Israeli soldiers, four were killed in a “friendly fire” incident.
Secondly, what would be the response of any country if a terrorist state i.e. Israel, started attacking schools, notably U.N. schools, places of worship and innocent citizens, especially children, women and unarmed men who live in one of the most densely populated regions on Earth with tons of rockets? This is the question to be asked as compared to the initial biased one. The North American mass media portrayed only a window of reality, the big picture was omitted. The conflict started when Israeli forces killed six Hamas gunmen inside the blockade-surrounded Gaza strip on November 4th, 2008. As an act of defense, Hamas intervened in November by firing home made rockets, however no one was injured. Hamas continued until a target was hit and then “war” was declared by Israel.
Thirdly, the democratic election in Gaza that was promoted by Europe and the US was won by Hamas, and yet the latter party was labeled as a terrorist organization by the western world. What kind of democracy is this? Hamas are fighting for the rights of the marginalized and highly oppressed Gazans, just like Bobby Seale and the Nobel Peace Prize recipient Nelson Mendela fought for justice and human rights and who, similarly, were also considered as terrorists.
In regards to white phosphorous, it is known that it is a harmful and potentially toxic substance that was used by the Israeli forces in an illegal manner as it was stated by the Human Rights Watch officials. Refer to the Protocol III of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons for more information.
As it was falsely claimed, Hamas individuals were not hiding among children and women, they were living within their family members; their intention of entering mosques was not to hide, but to fulfill their religious duties. Also, the fact that Israel is the one who ‘ensures the humanitarian aid continues arriving in Gaza' indicates the extent to which Israel is oppressing and controlling the Palestinian territories. It is also said by several intellectuals, such as former US President Jimmy Carter, that Palestine is unfortunately being treated as an apartheid state.
Being indifferent about this event is one thing, however; defending the position of Israeli authorities is a crime in process. SHAME on the individuals who cover justice and facts with misleading and biased falsehood, SHAME on these hypocrites until justice prevails.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
