Letter to the editor: Condemning Hamas

If you live in Iran and are brave enough to speak up, by all means condemn Hamas. But if you live in the U.S., and are brave enough to speak up, you should condemn your government’s supply of blind support and weapons to Israel.

Every time I see someone condemn Hamas, I know it acts less as a condemnation (Hamas doesn’t care what you think) and more as cover for Israel to continue the bombing and intentional starvation of 2 million people that the Israeli defense minister likes to call “human animals.”

Every time I see someone condemn Hamas, I know it makes Americans more likely to see a crying boy who just lost his home and mother as a “human animal” and not what he is … a crying boy who just lost his home, and mother.

And I am left to wonder how much of Americans’ support for Israel stands on the lie perpetuated by Israel’s supporters that to criticize Israel is to be anti-Jewish. That it somehow goes against Jewish values to speak up for the dispossessed. That Israel acts on behalf of the Jewish people. Well, it does not act on behalf of this Jew.

Ben Mermelstein

New Kensington