To the Journal editor:

I am replying to Sarah Redmond’s letter entitled, “It’s still genocide.” Not only is her criticism of Israel unfair, it’s inaccurate and ignores the history of the Middle East.

Genocide is defined as “the systematic killing or extermination of a whole people or nation.” (Websters unabridged dictionary) This term was first used to describe the attempted extermination of the European Jews by the Nazis. That this wasn’t repeated in the Middle East, is not because the Arabs didn’t try.

The Israelites are God’s chosen people and have lived in the Holy Land for 3,500 years. They have as much of a claim to this land as the arabs who arrived later. The Jews live on less than 1/2 of 1 percent of the territory occupied by the Arabs, yet the Arabs refuse to accept them on this small sliver of real estate that is their historic homeland.

Israel was born in conflict when they declared their independence in May of 1948. They fought four major wars and several smaller conflicts for their survival. They are the only democracy in this region and have never known real peace. The unrelenting hostility of the Arabs is the root cause of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Efforts to delegitimize Israel by enlisting world opinion against them in the United Nations and elsewhere are ongoing. There is constant incitement against the Jews in the arab media where Jews are referred to as descendants of dogs and pigs.

Three Israeli teenagers were brutally murdered in the West Bank and shown as three rats on a string. This anti-semitism is taught in the schools and feeds from the same well of poison the Nazis used to incite hatred.

Starry-eyed liberals are exercising a double standard by criticizing Israel, while remaining silent about Arab atrocities like using civilians as human shields. How can any nation be expected to negotiate with those that call for its destruction and refuse to recognize its right to exist?

The threat to Israel is existential, because unlike larger nations, they can disappear. They live in a very tough neighborhood. All sovereign nations have the undisputed right of self defense and in Gaza, they show remarkable restraint to avoid civilian casualties.

Not so with the Palestinians. Israel uses military force to protect civilians. The Arabs use military force to target civilians. That is the difference between barbarians and a civilized society.

John M. Hongisto

Deerton