Web Letters: Justified Violence: Breaking the Gaza Wall

What is quite obvious from the content and tone of the article is that the author had an agenda to support, not a truth to relay.

There is no mention that the Egyptian government quickly moved to close its border even to those who only goal was to "shop, not bomb". Why would they do that? Why has every country who have hosted those who call themselves Palestinians soon found it necessary to evict a "deprived, peace loving group of people"?

Jordan... Lebanon...Syria... Egypt and Israel all found that the vast majority of those who cry for the world's symphathy are little more than a bunch of criminals who have been rejected by every country they have wandered into. The ONLY country that has tried to separate those who seek some kind of peace and coexistence has been Israel.

Thousands of people previously trapped within the criminal elements of Hamas, the PLO, and Hizbellah and have opted for the safety and economic freedom of Israel. Let's hear a little more truth and a little less diatribe.

Art Berkowitz

Aliso Viejo, CA

Thank you to Allan Nairn for an intelligent and honest article.

To the question: "Would the IDF destroy people to save concrete?" the answer is sadly yes, but one could argue that this would be a resistance action worth carrying out for the Palestinians. If this created "martyrs," those might win some points with world opinions.

But Gazans have showed creativity and determination. It's perplexing to observe this from the part of the land that has drifted toward more fundamentalist religious political leadership, but to the observer who has been to Gaza and the West Bank, this is not surprising.

West Bankers in Ramallah can negotiate a permit to get to Jerusalem and Israel. There are many individual opportunities that can be seized in the middle of collective suffering. The people of Gaza are running pretty low on options, and have long had a greater sense of cohesion. The same cohesion which can help create collective action. And tearing down a wall to do some shopping is a brilliant one.

It is not surprising that the Qassam rockets' attacks are condemned. And they should be. But it's the same as condemning gang violence in downtown Baltimore. Condemning is not finding the solution. Especially when Gaza lives under total, absolute and violent control: control of the seas, control of the roads and very ubiquitous control of the air with blimps, manless drones, Apache helicopters, F-16s and military incursions and assassinations at night. Those make for a tough brackground to present a convincing case about putting down the stupid Qassams.

Sadly, Palestinians sometimes aim at the wrong targets. The most obvious case is the immoral and counterproductive recourse to suicide bombers by some radical factions. Another case is sadly the beginning of sectarian violence inside Gaza (which has not been covered in the media, except for propaganda pieces exagerating and enflamming it with ulterior motives).

But when they took down that wall, they received the applause of all who have seen the situation first hand. That anyone but Palestinians and Egyptians should be concerned about a breach in that border is a sign of how crazy the world has gone in giving Palestinians a second-class identity. Gazans are very aware that this second- and third-class identity has been given to them. They're just a stuborn bunch and they won't take it.

Of all people, the people of Israel should understand that and stop the escalation of violence. Drastic measures such as talking to people you don't like might be required.

Robert Berr

Jerusalem, Israel/Palestine