To the editor: Hezbollah hit Israeli civilians with a barrage of rockets on Oct. 8, 2023, and has accomplished so every day for nearly a 12 months now. Was Hezbollah “retaliating” on Oct. 8? And for what, precisely? (“Hezbollah hits again with rockets because it declares an ‘open-ended battle’ with Israel,” Sept. 21)
In keeping with United Nations Decision 1701, no armed forces aside from U.N. forces and the Lebanese army are allowed south of the Litani River in Lebanon, making a buffer zone near Israel. Hezbollah has not solely violated the decision, however it has additionally elevated its armed forces in that space.
Hezbollah’s yearlong rocket barrage burned and depopulated northern Israel’s cities and villages. Israel can not tolerate this, which ought to shock nobody.
Apparently, Hezbollah can defy U.N. Decision 1701 with impunity, however Israel’s actions in self-defense should be “retaliated towards,” which is a daunting show of political ethical inversion.
Julia Lutch, Davis, Calif.
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To the editor: If a Muslim nation had been doing this, “preempting” an assault by participating in a strike that killed practically 500 folks, it will be referred to as terrorism. Why are we permitting this to proceed occurring?
It’s been practically a 12 months since Israeli forces began completely decimating the Gaza Strip. Israel has the correct to defend itself, however that is not protection — it’s an outright egregious assault.
Punishing Hamas by killing so many Palestinians just isn’t one thing the U.S. must be supporting. Now we’re persevering with to ship Israel support because it units its sights on Lebanon?
Sufficient is sufficient. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration is a significant menace to world peace.
Sol Siddiq, Riverside
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To the editor: I’m fed up with The Occasions calling Hamas and Hezbollah fighters “militants.”
Militants are people or small teams which can be keen to make use of violence to attain their political goals. Somebody who bombs an abortion clinic when nobody is in it so it received’t have the ability to carry out abortions is a militant; somebody who does so when individuals are in it’s a terrorist.
However teams of hundreds of people who find themselves armed with standardized weapons, who’ve uniforms and commanders and tactical and strategic plans, are usually not militants.
Militants don’t have corporations, battalions, brigades and divisions. Militants don’t have hundreds of rockets and missiles.
Hamas and Hezbollah are armies. The Occasions ought to use the phrases “troopers” or “items” when talking of them.
Ephraim Landau, Ashkelon, Israel
