Israel’s war in Gaza ‘not right’

As of Monday, February 26, 2024

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Thank you again for space in your valuable publication.

In a world that has gone topsy-turvy or one that is seeing its karma in spades, it is difficult to know where to begin. In this moment we will step outside of The Bahamas and cast our gaze elsewhere.

For this time we will begin in what is called the Middle East. Given the genocide and the inhuman savagery being visited upon the people of Gaza, it is far beyond our ken to understand much less accept how the world continues to stand in apparent paralytic silence and allow the public annihilation of a people without raising a finger!

Well, the United Nations is again demonstrating its impotence in the face of Right Wing Zealot Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s intransigence and insistence on snuffing out the lives of millions of Palestinians without penalty! We commend the International Court of Justice in The Hague (where our own eminent jurist Sir Burton Hall has laboured for many years), but of what utility is it to pass resolutions that are ignored and cannot be enforced?

No sane or rational human being would deny the horror visited upon the citizens of Israel on October 7, 2023, or the right of Israel to defend and avenge this tragedy. But the destruction and or destabilisation of an entire population? No! That cannot be right!

The idea that the only way to avenge this atrocity is to annihilate an entire population is unacceptable!

We are old enough to remember Operation Wrath of God in 1972, directed by the Mossad and authorised by then Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, to assassinate individuals they believed responsible for the kidnapping and massacre of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. We also remember the successful raid to get Israeli citizens who were under threat of death, out of the Entebbe airport in Uganda in 1976! Well who could forget? They made movies glorifying what they called the unmatched bravery and skill of the Israeli Mossad in executing such surgical operations. Raid on Entebbe was hailed far and wide! Why not in Gaza? One irony in all of this is the only casualty in that Entebbe exercise was Yonathan Netanyahu. You guessed it; he was Benjamin’s older brother!

If for no other reason than to address the critical health crisis that has been visited upon the citizens, especially women and the, oh so innocent children of Gaza, for God’s sake, won’t the world intervene and stop this crazy bloodlust that seems to have consumed the leaders and armies of Israel?

It was encouraging to see US President Joe Biden say that the Israeli actions in Gaza are “over the top” and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken say that new Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal. Really a decades-long US position that was changed by President Donald Trump. Let’s see how far this will go and whether it will bring some relief to the beleaguered residents of Gaza who are being slaughtered daily!

We ask forgiveness if we missed it, but It would also be uplifting to hear the voices of our local comm. unity, especially those who made it a yearly ritual to pilgrimage to Israel? Has your belief in God and the spiritual principles you hold so dear not moved you to cry shame on the behaviour of your brethren in the Holy Land? Or do you also believe that their status as the “Chosen Ones” gives them carte blanche to slaughter anyone who offends them?

ANTHONY “Ace” NEWBOLD

New Providence

February 25, 2024

birdiestrachan 9 months, 4 weeks ago

What is the difference between the Israel PM and Putin there is no difference

birdiestrachan 9 months, 4 weeks ago

Talk is really cheap if they continue to send the weapons they will stand in the judgement with bloody hands

joeblow 9 months, 4 weeks ago

... many Palestinians have aided and abetted Hamas and other terrorist organizations for years, so many of those people are not innocents, but enemy combatants. There have been offers on 5 separate occasions from Israel for a 2 state solution that Palestinians rejected, so they are not interested in peaceful coexistence, but the annihilation of Israel. After the atrocities of Oct. 7th, let Israel do what it must to ensure its survival. It is war and just as Israeli innocents were collateral damage so too will the Palestinians be!

trueBahamian 9 months, 4 weeks ago

I strongly suggest you study history. Clearly you have no understanding of what's going on here. Annihilation is not bringing justice ti anyone harmed on October 7th. If you understood anything about the ongoing conflict and what's happening now your response would be one of condemnation. If you read anything at any point over the years, you would know Hamas is labeled a terrorist organization. All Palestinians are NOT Hamas. There are many Palestinian leaders who push for a peaceful response to the land conflict. If the Israeli government seeks to one up Hamas, wouldn't that make them terrorists. As the writer stated, Israel can do what it has always done, a targeted attack against those responsible. The response now is deliberately designed for carnage. The callous killing of innocent civilians. If you were in the Palestinians shoes you would have a clear understanding. As stated at the beginning, learn the history before you make these nonsensical statements.

Porcupine 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Thank you.

joeblow 9 months, 3 weeks ago

... thank you enlightened one!

birdiestrachan 9 months, 4 weeks ago

Women and children deserve to be slaughtered but there is a just God and his justice will prevail The God of Abraham is not pleased with this

Porcupine 9 months, 3 weeks ago

birdie, You are one sick, sick, mentally challenged person. You clearly have outlived your useless brain.

trueBahamian 9 months, 4 weeks ago

A really good letter. A brief history lesson fir those who don't know much about that region. A lot of people, particularly in the West, don't have a good grasp of what's happening there. Thankfully, a lot of people are seeing what's happening and are, in their way, speaking up. It's important for all of us who are good to speak up for those who can not fight for themselves. The innocent poor people of Gaza needs the entire world to condemn Israel in the strongest terms for the atrocities committed. No one would fault them for responding after the October 7th attack. However, the innocent blood of Palestinians can not be the "eye for the eye" or the "tooth for the tooth".

Porcupine 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Yes. great letter. We could go on for those who actually read. Israel has never been a friend of anybody. Zionism is an evil political group with no relation to Judaism. Israel is merely an outpost of the genocidal US. We are watching the greatest crime ever. At least in the holocaust most Germans could claim they did not know what was happening. Today, we are all watching it in real time. Who calls themselves a Christian and remains silent, or worse complicit in this crime against humanity? Perhaps Christians should think, instead of just believing what uneducated and ignorant pastors tell them.

Dawes 9 months, 3 weeks ago

The letter takes some truths and then strings them along. Yes Israel went after the Munich Terrorists in a different manner. But at the same time the Olympic Terrorists were not the de facto Government of a nation. By taking this example, the US should not have declared war on Japan after Pearl harbor, but only taken out those responsible. When a nation attacks another nation, all inside both nations are thereby participants. Of course the above does not deal with the very complex affair of what caused October 7th to happen and how to fix it so these issues never happen again (without eliminating at least one side completely)

trueBahamian 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Ummm...interesting. There is no nation for the Palestinians, that's the first point. Second point, Hamas is labeled a terrorist organization. So, a nation should not be trying to outdo a terrorist group. Every Palestinian isn't a part of Hamas. It is very disturbing that you would condone the callous disregard for human life displayed by the Israelis. Even the US, the last ally that was silent, is speaking up. This is slaughter on a massive scale. Only a deranged person would think this is justified. Babies, little children, innocent women and men are all being slaughtered. Only a monster would agreed with that. The world should not sit back and be silent. NOTHING justifies the extermination of the innocent.

Dawes 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Correct there is no nation called Palestine, however there is a self governing territory called Gaza. The people who are in charge of this (after an election) are Hamas, as such when Hamas did what they did on Oct 7th, the territory of Gaza did this.

trueBahamian 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Interesting logic. So, this justifies annihilation then? If you understand the rules of war, you don't attack civilians. These are war crimes. I'm sure you know this.

trueBahamian 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Just to be clear, if I understood your earlier comments, you are advocating genocide. That's heavy and quite disturbing.

Dawes 9 months, 3 weeks ago

No i do not advocate Genocide. At the same time i also believe that those responsible should be held accountable. They happen to be the party in power in Gaza. Right now Hamas wants Israel to stop and withdraw. Israel wants Hamas gone and the hostages back. Until they come to an agreement this war will continue. You seem to think that Israel should just do nothing to numerous citizens being killed by the same people who run Gaza and who's expressed desire is the genocide of Israel, this is heavy and quite disturbing.

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