To the Editor:

In his August 20 letter to the Durango Herald (“With Israel, U.S. behaves like naïve spouse”), Bill Vana makes misleading allegations about Israel. First, he accuses Israel of committing war crimes that include methodically exterminating Gazans. Vana’s accusations are categorically untrue. Israel has shown utmost restraint in dealing with Hamas’s blatant hostility. Israel has gone to great lengths to provide advance warnings via texts, phone calls and non-explosive bombs. Moreover, Vana ignores the fact that Israel is a sovereign country with the absolute right and responsibility to protect its citizens from war crimes perpetuated by Hamas. Israel targets those that command and control Hamas, who purposefully endanger their own civilians by hiding in homes, hospitals, mosques and schools. At the same time, Hamas indiscriminately fires its rockets into civilian areas of Israel with no pretense of attacking those that command and control Israel’s defense forces.
Second, Vana fails to note Israel fully withdrew from Gaza in August 2005. In an effort to gain peace, Israel uprooted settlers, removed military installations and left behind thriving businesses upon which Gaza could have built its economy. Almost immediately, Hamas turned Gaza into an armed camp, creating and maintaining the conditions for a humanitarian crisis, and forcing the isolation of the Gazan population. Additionally, Vana does not mention the fact that Israel remains committed to a negotiated agreement. Hamas, an organization recognized by the United States and European Union as a terrorist organization, is firmly dedicated to the eradication of Israel and is opposed to any peace negotiations. Vana portrays Israel as a villain when in reality Israel is doing what would be expected of any nation that finds itself under attack.
Perhaps the most troubling part of Vana’s letter is his abrupt transition from critiquing Israel to his polemic against Jews who “are so clearly guilty of horrific acts of violence or other sadistic and vicious crimes.” Conflating the actions of an entire religion with those of a nation engaged in defending itself serves only to foster the hatred of an entire people.

Sincerely,

Scott L. Levin
Anti-Defamation League Regional Director, Denver

http://www.durangoherald.com/article/20140906/OPINION03/140909708/-1/opinion03