Assassination of Haniyeh won’t bring Mid-East peace

The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran is notable for two reasons. First, that Tehran is not beyond the strike range of Israel and, second, members of Hamas cannot live lives of luxury in Qatar, totally insulated, by money and distance, from Gazans. What’s unusual is those suffering in Gaza have failed – or not even tried – to bring to account the political wing of Hamas dwelling in villas in Qatar.

Similarly, the Lebanese people have been unable to shake off the yoke of Hezbollah, which dominates both government and military. Those living under these Islamic terrorists must have the will to seek freedom in order to better their lives. Until Israel’s neighbouring states are ruled by governments seeking peace and security, there is no possibility of peace or a two-state solution.

Michael Neustein, Bondi, NSW

While the fanatical Iranian regime is clearly the root cause of destabilisation throughout the Middle East, especially by means of its proxy forces in Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon and Syria, the Biden administration – by releasing billions of dollars to Iran and not shutting down the Iranian oil ghost ships – has indirectly benefited from Iran and its military and political actions.

Despite this being an election year, the Biden administration, supported by other Western nations, needs to shut down the flow of money into Iran, which will in turn limit its ability to support its proxies and therefore relieve the military and political pressure on Israel. The time has long passed for hand wringing and wishful thinking when dealing with Iran.

Tom Moylan, Dudley Park, WA

Middle East analyst Roger Shanahan refers to Iran being part of a “so-called Axis of Resistance” (“Tehran assassination won’t alter strategic impasse in Mid-East”, 1/8). Although the term “axis of evil” has been used before in world history, its relevance today to Iran and a number of other rogue states and organisations is totally apt.

Riley Brown, Bondi, NSW

Whatever the ultimate results of the military and social upheaval currently occurring in Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Yemen and other countries across the Middle East, one thing is for certain: never again will the Jewish inhabitants of the state of Israel be able to take for granted its security blanket, which was once a source of pride before the October 7 terror attack.

Eric Palm, Gympie, Qld

Rodger Shanahan is sadly correct when he predicts that Israel’s assassination of Hamas’s political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, will not help Israel resolve its strategic problem of ending the Arab-Israeli conflict. Having unsuccessfully offered statehood to the Palestinians several times, and facing enemies committed to its destruction, Israel can do nothing else other than defend itself when attacked, which it has been forced to do many times since 1948.

In eliminating Haniyeh, Israel has acted in the same manner as America did in 2011 when it assassinated arch terrorist Osama bin Laden. At the time, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said that America’s action represented “a watershed moment in our common global fight against terrorism”, words that apply in equal measure to Israel’s recent Tehran strike.

Merv Morris, East St Kilda, Vic

No civilised person will mourn the death of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, who had overseen many wars against Israel. This was a man whose niece received a bone-marrow transplant in a Tel Aviv hospital in May 2021, whose daughter was admitted to an Israeli hospital for emergency medical treatment in 2014, and who was filmed cheering Hamas’s horrific barbarism and slaughter of more than a thousand innocent Israelis on October 7.

Alex Selby, Point Piper, NSW

As Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in his brilliant address to the US congress: “If you remember one thing, one thing from this speech, remember this: Our enemies are your enemies, our fight is your fight, and our victory will be your victory.” Fully focused on the big picture and spoken like the strong, wartime leader he is. I hope Peter Dutton, who is on the ground in Israel, showing leadership and solidarity on behalf of the vast majority of Australians for the Middle East’s lone democracy, will extend our congratulations on Israel’s latest triumph over barbarity.

Mandy Macmillan, Singleton, NSW