To the Editor:
Once again the Palestinians have committed hari-kari. I'll say it again: of course they have a right to resist with armed force, but it's a bad strategy, especially when it involves attacking civilians. It just feeds the Zionist entity-U.S. propaganda machine, with ever more dire consequences for the Palestinians. The Palestinians appear to say, "Butt out - we'll figure it out!" Well, after 75 years, they're not figuring it out, it's only getting worse. Meanwhile we're expected to shell out more money to staunch their bleeding.
Dale Carnegie of How to Win Friends and Influence People fame wrote, "Do not do the impulsive thing - it is always wrong." In this case, impulsive, indiscriminate violence was the wrong strategy. What's a better strategy? Perhaps a Palestinian has answered that: Dr. Mustafa Barghouti. But will they hear, much less heed, his advice?
Meanwhile this magazine, despite its general excellence, continues to use some of the euphemistic red herring terms of the Zionist entity such as "Israel Defense Forces" (October 2023 issue, P. 18) and "the Land of Israel." As you otherwise document so well, the Zionist entity's armed forces are wolves in sheep's clothing. They're not about "defense." They're all about aggression, occupation, dispossession, ethnic cleansing, murder and apartheid. And Palestine isn't "the Land of Israel" (Israel's land). Using the language of the criminal validates the criminal. Please cut it out or count me out.
Gregory DeSylva