Your two latest editorials (“Stricken Gazans need a respite from the bombs”, last week, and “The world needs to act to avoid a wider conflict”), along with several related articles and letters concerning the Israel-Hamas war, cover many important points, but do not discuss Israel’s stated aim of “destroying Hamas”. Understandable as this aim may be, it will never be achieved by Israel’s strategy of bombing and ground offensive into Gaza. These actions may eventually kill most of the present Hamas fighters and destroy their infrastructure but they will also fuel Palestinian hatred and despair, thereby inevitably creating a new generation of Hamas terrorists.
As recent voices make clear, speaking out of the troubled experience of Northern Ireland, the only way that Israel can establish lasting security is by heeding the voices that call for moderation, stopping the violence and holding bilateral talks towards mutual understanding and toleration – as per the UN two-state policy. Bold international leadership is urgently required to support reconciliatory voices within both camps.
David Vincent
Wimborne, Dorset
