Comfort in Gaza

I feel I must respond to reader Fonda Dubb’s letter about the suffering of the people in Gaza (“Our warm beds,” February 9).

They don’t need to suffer. They just have to change their leaders and give up violence. Israel will be very willing to help. In fact, I remember that Moshe Dayan wanted to build Gaza for the Arabs, but they refused because they would lose their refugee status.

Yes, I have compassion, but the people have to get rid of their corrupt and violent leaders. The amount of money invested in Gaza should have bought some comfort for the masses. Instead, it went for rockets and tunnels and guns.

FREYA BINENFELD Petah Tikva

Reader Fonda Dubb’s letter can be summed up by a famous saying my grandparents used. Roughly translated without the inference, it goes: “A righteous man in a fur coat.” In other words, it is easy to be righteous when you are comfortable.

LENORD HORWITZ Herzliya Pituah

I read Fonda Dubb’s letter regarding the condition of Gaza’s civilian population. A letter of caring and compassion. I find myself in total identification with the message it carries and I commend her on her writing – but more than that, on her courage.

I say courage because, quite legitimately, there are many who disagree. However, not legitimately, there are those who do not accept her right to her point of view and are harshly critical. I refer particularly to those ex-South Africans who, like Fonda and myself, come from a country where conflict based on race, hatred and fear brought many of us here in the belief that in this country it would be different.

As in Israel, many people in South Africa always sought to justify discrimination and the suffering borne by others. Of course I do not speak of all South Africans – there are many who think as we do.

Well done, Fonda. As long as there are people who care for all people, there is hope.

RICHELLE SHEM-TOV Kiryat Ono