Hamas-Israel war is a clash between civilisations

The public narrative needs to change regarding the Hamas-Israel war. Hamas have complete disregard for Palestinian lives as well as Jewish lives. Hamas spokesperson Ghazi Hamad interviewed recently on Lebanese TV proudly said: “We are called a nation of martyrs, and we are proud to sacrifice martyrs.” The world’s media ought to reflect that Israel is trying to liberate the long-suffering Gazan population from their cruel, oppressive and inhuman Hamas rulers.

Alex Selby, Point Piper, NSW

Gemma Tognini’s piece is dire reading, even for the most hardened individual, and it raises the logical conundrum of why so many people in this country seem to support Hamas (“Crisis of courage in the face of unspeakable barbarism”, 4-5/11), some Australian politicians included.

However, there appears to be a blending of two main issues. First, there is Hamas and, second, the Palestinian people. The former is a militaristic Islamic dictatorship and the second are people who have been used and abused to gain political leverage for successive leadership organisations. The current inaction by other Middle Eastern countries to assist the Palestinian civilians escape danger in Gaza is deafening. Hamas knew exactly what the Israeli reaction would be to their bloody October incursion and they therefore, by those actions, deliberately placed the civilians of Gaza into harm’s way. It is time to free Gaza – from Hamas.

Tom Moylan, Dudley Park, WA

Gemma Tognini’s piece in The Weekend Australian highlights the Western world’s history of ambivalence toward Israel’s defence against Hamas terrorism.

In 1939, the St Louis, a ship carrying 937 Jewish people trying to escape Nazi Germany, sailed to the US, Canada and Cuba seeking refuge. Immigration authorities denied them entry and they were forced to return to Germany where many were killed in the Holocaust. The lesson of the Holocaust has not been learned.

The current “river to the sea” chant of protesting crowds in the capital cities across the West emphasises how Jewish people continue to be the victims of religious and secular state persecution like no other race in modern history. It’s time for Western democratic countries to stand up and be counted, lest history condemns us for standing by and watching them continue to suffer intolerable barbarism by their hateful, frightening enemies.

John Bell, Heidelberg, Vic

Those who criticise Israel’s tough response to Hamas atrocities need to understand its aims. Israel is not trying to convince civilised Westerners to leave them alone; they are trying to convince ruthless extremists like Hamas not to do such things to them ever again. The message is simple, ruthless, violent and clear: if you treat us that way, we will retaliate. Negotiations, truces and peace agreements don’t work with enemies like this. I understand that decent people, such as Janet Albrechtsen (“Not every silence is a sign of latent anti-Semitism”, 4-5/11), can support Israel but question some of its actions – I do myself at times – but this is not a struggle between equals. It is a clash of civilisations.

Doug Hurst, Chapman, ACT

Anthony Albanese insists Israel “must comply with international law and the rules of war” (“Labor at odds on calls for ceasefire”, 4-5/11). We should ask him what rules and laws Hamas gets to play by, or do they not apply to them?

Meg Davis, Corinda, Qld

According to the Geneva Convention, Israel’s responsibility to Gazan civilians is to warn them of an impending attack and encourage them to leave. Should they decide to not heed the warning or are prevented from doing so Israel is obliged to avoid direct targeting of civilians but is absolved of any further responsibility. In this regard Israel is fully compliant with the rules of war.

George Fishman, Vaucluse, NSW

I like Henry Ergas’s expression “exterminationist barbarism” to describe Iran and its proxies’ policy toward Israel. To it can be added the attack on liberal democracy by Russia and China. Western political elites, who determine what is to be done about all this, preen and puff themselves up with humanitarian virtue-signalling and drag their feet on making decisions that would allow Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan to combat their foes.

Jim Wilson, Beaumont, SA