Letter writer supports professor’s piece
This is in response to a letter to the editor on Jan. 19, in which the writer commented on Professor Ghassan El-eid’s op-ed concerning the ongoing Israel-hamas conflict [Opinion, Page 2, “Professor’s claims don’t pass the test”]. I cannot find the words to express my disappointment in her portrayal of the current situation in the Middle East.
The summary of the situation is not only simplistic in nature, but also inaccurate and misleading. Furthermore, her portrayal of Dr. El-eid and his students was even more concerning. To insinuate that successive Israeli governments have accepted UN resolutions 242 and
338 is baseless. On Jan. 18 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated there will be no two-state solution as long as he is in power. This, of course, is in direct contrast to the vast majority of the world, including the United States, which favors a two-state solution to the current conflict in Gaza.
The reality is that Netanyahu’s government is among the worst in the modern Israeli state. This ultra-conservative and right-wing government has outwardly called for full and total destruction of
Gaza and the current status quo, and for settlement building on the West Bank to be expanded. This is a significant impediment on the road to peace. Peace that Israelis deserve. Peace that Palestinians deserve.
Peace must be based on concessions from both sides. Peace based on justice, justice for the Israelis and justice for the Palestinians, can only come to fruition if the ones negotiating have true intent. While it is true that Hamas has never recognized Israel’s right to exist, Hamas does not represent the majority of the Palestinians who now find themselves suffering from relentless Israeli bombings. Bombings that have killed north of 26,000 people, women and children accounting for more than half of those casualties with numbers rising by the hour. The bombings of hospitals, schools and other centers of refuge in Gaza has created a humanitarian crisis unseen in decades. It has resulted in a global outcry due to images of carnage and mayhem people have seen across the world. The reality is extreme response to extreme actions only strengthens extremist elements on both sides.
Finally, the letter writer’s “concern” over Dr. El-eid’s impact on his students is unfounded and regrettable. As a former student of his, I can attest that his courses were always of the highest caliber. Dr. El-eid has only ever sought to bring understanding to a misunderstood region. His lectures have always remained insightful, objective, informative and factual. I can definitively state that my classmates share this view. Also, to insinuate that students, seeking truth and yearning to learn, are unable to critically think about these issues or understand when they are being misled or deceived by someone is lamentable. I have nothing but the utmost confidence in Dr. El-eid’s ability to impart truth and fact and full and total confidence in the ability of students across the state to think critically and deeply about these issues. They are the future leaders of this world.
Reality, unfortunately, can be brutal, and the truth, inconvenient. But understanding realities of the Middle East is the only way to deal with the issues that have plagued the region for decades, and we cannot embark on a coherent strategy that brings about peace without true understanding.
Mathew Perillo, Waterbury