Just a smokescreen

With regard to your front-page photo accompanying “PM: Gaza protesters’ true intent is to destroy Israel” (April 8), which shows black smoke billowing from burning tires in the Gaza Strip near the border fence with Israel, I googled 20 great uses for old tires. The following are just some: playgrounds, community gardens, recycled furniture, wastewater treatment filters, retaining walls and many other things I am certain the Gazans could use with the current state of their economy.

Nowhere on this list is the suggestion to burn tires for the purpose of protesting, obscuring terrorists and attempting to breach sovereign borders.

If the Syrian regime were to create a toxic smoke cloud over rebel children, you can be sure there would be a great outcry. Where were the left-wing parties, the green parties, the Europeans, the World Health Organization and all the other regular voices against this outrageous environmental terrorism that seriously threatened the whole area?

Why is it only the IDF and COGAT that seemed to care about the health of the Gazans? Can it really be that leftist and green organizations are willing to sacrifice Gazans’ lives for their own political agenda because they cannot speak up against any anti-Israel activity?

Once again, it is obvious that these groups’ concern for the Gazans is just a smokescreen.

JULIE BLOCH MENDELSOHN

Zichron Ya’acov

I do not understand why the Israeli authorities did not bring in one or several of their airplanes for treating forest fires to put out the burning tires along the Gaza fences. This would have put out the fires and also thwarted the strategy of burning items to obscure attacks. In addition, the use of chemically treated water could have had a calming affect on the crowds by disbursing them.

Please, Israel and IDF, use your legendary strategic maneuvers to deal with this real and present danger. Live up to your reputations!

BETZALEL MESSINGER

Beit Shemesh