"Israel Will Hit Gaza Again – Unless YOU Do Something!"

27 December 2006

We are joining our pen-friend's, Charles Oren's proposal for this REALLY PRO-ACTIVE letter-writing campaign.

Without any theory this time; simply look first at Charles' and then our own Reader's Letters, and - using these as your samples or not - write your own letters to your favorite papers:

Reader's Letter 1:

"Dear Sir, 24 December 2006

Here is an opportunity for your newspaper to prevent casualties !

Hamas has fired more than 50 Kassams at Israel since they agreed to the current cease-fire. So far, Israel has restrained from reacting. Hamas is now waiting impatiently for Israel to fire back at missile launchers. They anticipate casualties and hope to score PR points when you print the gory details. Your newspaper can prevent this catastrophe by making it very clear to Hamas that you will put all the blame on them when Israel reacts. It is Hamas that provokes Israel to attack. Casualties will be due to Hamas launching missiles from amongst civilians in violation of the Geneva Convention. Hamas will stop firing Kassams when they realize that they will lose more than they can gain from this provocation.

Charles Oren

Givatayim, Israel

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Reader's Letter 2:

"Dear Editor, 27December 2006

Sub.: Israel Will Hit Gaza Again! - or...

It seems inevitable that Israel will hit again, or even re-occupy Gaza, unless You, (the Newspaper's NAME), and the mainstream media in your trail do something to prevent the coming catastrophy.

Today it seems inevitably coming, because since the Hamas-led Palestinian government agreed to the cease-fire, the 'military wing' of the same Hamas have fired Kassam rockets at Israeli civilian targets every day, a total of 60 since the ceasefire.

So far, Israel has restrained from any retaliation. How long can it continue?

You don't report the Hamas attacks, since they are 'dog bites man'. Some even say, "These are harmless home-made rockets." Are they? Until now in the vicinity of Gaza eleven Israelis, all civilians, were killed and many maimed by Kassam rockets. Yesterday a high-school student was seriously, his friend moderately wounded. A friend of mine, a mother of three from Sderot, a rather poor small city there, told me yesterday she feels guilty every morning of playing Russian roulette with her own kids when she sends them to school.

Therefore sooner or later Israel WILL hit missile launchers in Gaza again, and then (hopefully for Hamas) civilian casualties will also occur and can be shown to the world. Hamas does its best to provoke this when it launches rockets from densely populated Palestinian areas, using its own civilians as human shields - which is a war crime.

You can prevent these human tragedies on both sides by saying it loud and clear that Hamas must stop deliberate attacks on Israeli civilians. That otherwise Hamas is fully responsible for all harm, also to its own civilians when Israel reacts. And if Hamas stops this, you can expect that Israel refrain from military action in Gaza.

Endre Mozes

Haifa, Israel