Reporting from Israel
Mark Patinkin’s in-depth reporting on the current political situation in Israel has been very informative. His love of Judaism and for the people of Israel is undisputed. His extensive first-person interviews of survivors and military personnel are heartfelt.
I would hope Mr. Patinkin could tell his readers as to whether the overwhelming Israeli war response to the Oct. 7 massacre is acceptable or has any possible benefit toward peace.
On Oct. 7 Hamas fighters broke out of their cage and brutally killed 1,200 citizens and took hostage an additional 240. In response the Israeli Defense Forces have leveled huge swaths of densely populated Gaza and have killed over 25,000 citizens, mostly women, including 10,000 children. Since the beginning of the Israeli offensive of Gaza, 227 IDF soldiers have died. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is exasperating because of the difficulty of safe access for supplies.
Other reporters have noted the parallels between the Jewish ghettos of World War II and the Gaza of today. The ideology of racial supremacy drove the Germans in their attempt to destroy European Jewry. Some have argued the same principle holds for the Israeli government policy. In Israel, disdain for the Arab populations, on the part of some citizens, military personnel, and especially the ruling politicians, is well known. Many examples of inhumane treatment of Palestinians are well documented, including torture.