To the editor:
I would like to respond to the LTE by Eliot Kalman on Feb. 26th entitled Hamas Bears Full Responsibility for the Gaza War.
The attack of Oct. 7th did not occur in a vacuum. The Balfour Declaration established Israel in Palestine as a Jewish homeland. The agreement stated that the new settlers would not interfere with the lives of the inhabitants in any way.
In 1948, Israeli militias began methodically destroying Palestinian villages. Large numbers of Palestinians were killed and the survivors were put into reservations in the areas we now call Palestine. They have been severely oppressed since that time.
For the last 17 years, Palestine has been under brutal military occupation. The day-to-day shootings, humiliations, arrests, torture and imprisonments are extremely well documented from many sources. Here is a resource list with many links to information about the subject.
The events of October 7th are a result of 75 years of occupation. The attacks launched by Israel since that date are far more than a war against Hamas; they are an ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population. The radical right wing of the Israeli government has long wanted to eliminate the Palestinians, due to their belief that it is their Biblical mandate. Now they have the power to do so.
Information about the situation in Palestine has been strongly suppressed by the power of the Israel lobbies. After 75 years, the world is finding out about the horrors being committed by Israel on the Palestinians.
Those trying to stifle the emerging information are claiming that people opposing the genocide in Palestine are antisemitic. This is unfounded. Many of the strongest voices against the slaughter are Jewish organizations, such as Jewish Voice for Peace (JVC), and extremely large numbers of Jewish people. They often state that “never again means never again, not for anyone”; and “Not in our name.”
The intensity of this situation is hard to fathom. It is hard to believe that Israel is intentionally depriving over 2 million Palestinians of food, water and medical supplies. Their infrastructure has been mostly destroyed by the systematic bombing. An estimated 30,000 people have been killed.
1.4 million people are corralled in Rafah, a supposedly safe zone. People are living in tents under conditions of starvation and disease. Yet, they continue to be bombed.
A permanent ceasefire, and the delivery of massive humanitarian aid, must begin immediately. Unfortunately, it is not on the horizon, and the lives of millions of Palestinians hang in the balance.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered Israel to stop the killing and provide the needed humanitarian aid. Israel has ignored the mandate. About 70 cities in the U.S., including Athens, have passed resolutions demanding a ceasefire.
It is time to stop blaming the victims. The situation today is a culmination of 75 years of oppression. The world is watching.
Drake Chamberlin
Amesville, Ohio
