150 Civilian Rocket Victims in Germany

The International Herald Tribune doesn't support free speech in case that speech reveals IHT distortions

Reader's Letter to International Herald Tribune:   
                                

To the Letter Editor                                          17 December 2007

 Sir,

"150 Civilian Rocket Victims in Germany"

Thanks God this title is not true. But it will help us to understand the situation in Gaza, after the article "End Gaza sanctions" (Dec. 14) misleads readers both by untruths and crucial omissions.

First, the term "Israeli blockade", even stressed as subtitle, is simply not true. The article itself says later that Israel provides Gaza with food and health products. Gazans who need medical care, or merchants not suspicious as terror collaborators, can enter Israel. This is not ‘blockade'.

Secondly, you condemn sanctions, but tell only in line 40 that Gaza's ruling Hamas is a terror organization, according to US, EU, Israel and all democracies. Hamas earned this qualification by deliberately murdering hundreds of civilians and injuring thousands, including hundreds of minors. Hamas is an extremist affiliate of Iran, vows to eliminate Israelis, and a main contributor to international terrorism.  Should Israel give them free pass?

You don't tell at all the acute reason of sanctions. Palestinian armed groups, supported by Hamas, launch rockets at Israeli civilian targets daily -above 2000 rockets since Israel withdrew its soldiers from Gaza two years ago.

Let's do a ‘Gedenkenexperiment' - an experiment in thinking: In case - fortunately only theoretical case - had Hamas in Western-Europe launched 25,000 primitive rockets into Germany, killing 150 civilians and maiming thousands (increased numbers relative to Israel, proportionally to populations), would Germany exercise economic sanctions only?  And if so, would IHT demand to stop even these sanctions?

Respectfully,

Endre MOZES, Chairman

Take-A-Pen - a multilingual grass-roots media-watch network
Haifa, Israel