I agree that the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Gaza situations are not similar (Letters, 29 March). If one were to draw an analogy, one would have to imagine Russia as having wholly and brutally occupied Ukraine decades ago, taking away their right to self-determination (to be placed in some distant future, depending on the favour of Russia).
One would then have to imagine Russia funding a civil Ukrainian structure in places where Ukrainian lands and fields have not already been taken away and awarded to Russian citizens. The Ukrainian government would then be allowed only limited self-rule – in charge of rubbish collection, sewage disposal and the distribution of aid.
People wishing to continue with the analogy would then need to imagine a Ukrainian society where not even the country’s leader could leave it without explicit permission from Russia, and certainly all imports, exports and control of basic amenities such as electricity and water would be in the hands of the Russian government, who could decide when and how much of these privileges the Ukrainians deserve to have. So yes, the situations are not similar at all.
My point is not to take away the horrific nature of the Hamas attacks, but rather to point out that this prevalent idea (even now!), that Israel was right to have responded as it has done, is callous and lacking in empathy and imagination.
I did find rather distasteful the accusation from one letter writer that while Israel had worked at “inventing the best defence systems it could”, the Palestinians had failed to do so. Israel has relied on US military aid more than any other country, importing military equipment even as we speak. The US has not even managed to enable queueing food aid trucks to enter Gaza amid famine.
Ayesha Masood
Slough, Berkshire
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