#Letters to the Editor — May 18, 2021

The Issue: Comments by politicians and the media on the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Kudos to progressive Rep. Ritchie Torres for following true progressive ideology by supporting Israel — the victim of the genocidal aspirations of Hamas and its supporters (“Why I Back Israel Despite Twitter Mob,” PostOpinion, May 15).

How so many so-called “progressives” can adopt the cause of a violent, misogynist, homophobic terrorist group that openly seeks to kill innocent civilians and wipe out an entire nation is bewildering.

Elliot Press

Bergenfield, NJ

Kudos to Rep. Ritchie Torres for so strongly supporting Israel during these tumultuous times. His steadfast support is especially noteworthy since it comes in the face of anti-Israel sentiment from within his own party. That’s courage.

Israel is our strongest ally in the Middle East, and the congressman’s position is a true modern-day profile in courage.

Jerry Chiappetta

Monticello

I want to thank Rep. Torres for his support for Israel.

There is nothing progressive about hating on the Jews. That any American would support Hamas, a terror group, is truly mind-boggling

Alice Lemos

Woodside

I applaud Rep. Torres for speaking out.

Voicing his commitment to Israel’s safety and security while responding to endless propaganda and harsh Twitter backlash to his support of the Jewish state’s sovereignty was clearly the right thing to do.

As a longstanding civil-rights lawyer and former majority leader of the Rockland County Legislature, I believe he has demonstrated the courage we need from our elected public officials.

I join him in unequivocally standing with Israel, because as he so well put it: “With sovereignty and security comes the inherent right to self defense.”

Sanford Rubenstein

Brooklyn

It seems abundantly clear that Israel has the right to defend itself from terrorist annihilation (“ ‘Squad’ rips Jewish state,” May 12).

What’s not abundantly clear is why representatives in our Congress are siding with those terrorist groups.

Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib have sided with terrorists openly in their speeches against Israel.

Isn’t it time to remove these turncoats from Congress for openly supporting terrorism?

Dan Foley

Port St. Lucie, Fla.

As usual, the progressive Democrats like Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Omar are casting the Israeli government as a dehumanizing force for defending itself in the fight against Hamas.

Other far-left groups, like Human Rights Watch, are even accusing Israel of “apartheid” and “crimes against humanity” in its treatment of the Palestinians.

This rhetoric is fueling the fire of a dangerous rise in anti-Semitism in this country and in the rest of the world.

Have we so soon forgotten the genocide of six million Jews? The terrible lesson of “never again” seems to be forgotten.

Anthony Scro

Whitestone

Israel has every right to fire upon Hamas based on their attacks on Israel.

If there’s outrage from the Democratic lefties in our government, what will their response be when Hezbollah in Lebanon starts its attacks on Israel?

The Biden administration’s decision to ramp up discussions with Iran and to not pursue the Trump policy of peaceful agreements in the Middle East is making all of this possible. The people behind President Biden and his administration need to wake up.

Bob Robustelli

Stamford, Conn.

Israel’s response to Hamas has been judged as harsh and inappropriate by critics.

In fact, it is Hamas that is extreme for sending a barrage of missiles over possible evictions of Jerusalem Arabs.

Hamas has changed the old adage, “Don’t bring a knife to a gunfight,” to, “Bring a missile to a housing dispute.”

Richard Carhidi

Manhattan

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