Letters

I couldn’t help reading the letter adjacent to mine last week titled “Scripted Protest” [August 28]. The author of this letter is tormented by the belief that the suffering in Gaza is due to U.S. involvement and that it is an “unfair fight.”

I would have to admit I wasn’t aware of any military involvement by our country. In fact, our current president has stated clearly that he believes our engagement in foreign conflicts in the past has been a serious mistake. Consequently, he has left the fighting in Gaza to the Israeli forces and the militant Islamic combatants.

Rue Matthiessen is troubled by the carnage of war, as most peace-loving people are. But the destruction of Gaza was not the goal of Israel. Nor was the humanitarian disaster visited on its occupants.

Hamas has been at war with Israel for decades now. Its charter defines its primary objective as the elimination of the State of Israel. This was tolerated to some degree by Israel over the years, with Hamas confined to the Gaza territory. Then the sponsor of Hamas — namely, Iran — became deeply concerned about imminent agreements by Arab nations with Israel. This prompted Iran to order the October 7 attack by Hamas.

Israel, and Israel alone, has responded with its own military. Israel alone has taken the casualties. The current horrors visited on the residents of Gaza are the result of (a) the condition of war that exists, and (b) the deliberate use of innocent civilians to shield Hamas combatants, while using the suffering of these noncombatants as propaganda tools to disturb the conscience of good people like the East End for Peace and Justice.

But do not let your empathy for the innocents blind you to the heart of the conflict. Hamas does not want the suffering to end. This is why the effort to supply food and basic services to the noncombatants has been contested by Hamas. The suffering serves their interest. Unfortunately, the United Nations, which we believed was an honest broker of food distribution, was in fact putting Hamas in control of the chaos of starving people fighting for access to food.

Presently the United States is involved in securing food delivery to the Gazans, excluding interference by Hamas. Well-meaning people should not be seduced into sympathizing with antisemites here, on campus or with an international effort to make the conditions of this war owned by Hamas an indictment of Israel. Israel will not need any help defending itself and knows its enemy all too well.

Our president has shown no interest in direct military involvement and is actively working with regional partners on plans for a free and prosperous Gaza territory.

Ed Surgan

Westhampton