Dear Editor,

In response to Brian Cooney’s article on June 2, I must try to clarify a few things. He wrote of the Palestinian flags flying against black clouds from burning tires, but failed to say it was the Palestinians who set them on fire. He wrote that they were unarmed, but they were armed with grenades, stones and fire bombs, which they were launching across the border into Israel. He made it sound like the Israelis were killing them randomly, when in fact, they only killed those who threatened to kill them. 

He failed to mention that it was Hamas who bussed in thousands of Gazan residents to launch a six-week protest just before the 70th anniversary of Israel. He said 58 were killed, but other reports have a much lower number. He also failed to mention that rockets are continuously being launched from Gaza to Israel, and the Israelis must constantly be on the alert to deflect those rockets.

He also wrote of the appalling lack of food and electricity, but Hamas is the one causing Gaza’s woes, not Israel. Any blockading Israel is doing is strictly in order to defend itself against the constant attacks launched from Gaza.

He referred to the “open air prison” that was Gaza, and its concentration camp status. Israel was told by the UN to give up Gaza to the Palestinians in 2005, which she did in an effort to attain peace, but now Hamas controls Gaza and all they do is launch attacks from a nearer site. Hamas has been given millions of dollars in humanitarian aid to help the Gaza people, but instead, they spend it all on ammunition to attack Israel.

He also wrote that the Israeli government does not hide its contempt of Palestinians. But it is the Palestinians who chant “Kill the Jews.” Israel does not attack unless it is in self-defense. They live with the knowledge that some want to “wipe them off the map.”

I am regularly amazed and distressed at the lies that are constantly being spread about Israel, God’s chosen people. There are some reliable news sources that support the truth and not an agenda, such as Breaking Israel News, Zola Levitt Ministries, Jewish Voice Ministries, to name a few.

I pray people would not believe the lies and distortions being spread, but rather seek the truth.

Marie Garland

Danville