Israeli strikes against Gaza

Re “Israel pounds Gaza, pledges more strikes against Hamas,” Dec. 28

Now comes the inevitable vilification of Israel for “attacking” Gaza.

But please consider this hypothetical: A terrorist group is holed up (behind civilians) in Baja California. They fire rockets into California, indiscriminately, hoping to kill some Americans -- any Americans. The Mexican government in this hypothetical situation is unable or unwilling to make these terrorists stop firing missiles into the United States.

How long would you expect to wait before the United States eliminated that threat from beyond our borders? And would you vilify the United States for defending its own citizens?

First, walk a mile in someone else’s bomb shelter.

Mel Powell

Sherman Oaks

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While Hamas and other extremist organizations are abhorred by any sane person, so too should be Israel’s surprise attack, a gross overreaction to rocket attacks by Hamas, and Israel’s recent months-long blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

I found it fascinating that alongside this article was a story about the use of deadly police force in Inglewood. We don’t allow sketchy, frightened, angry police officers to overreact when faced with what might be another gang-banger in Inglewood. Nor should Condoleezza Rice condone a barrage of Israeli airstrikes that take out Gaza’s good and bad alike.

My husband and I have been happily married for almost 20 years. We agree on almost everything except the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I sometimes wonder if he thinks all Palestinians are Hamas. Next week, I’ll ask him to drive through Inglewood to see if every house is filled with gangbangers. I’ll ask whether we should pit the power of the Inglewood Police Department against the entire neighborhood. Would he think it fair?

The Israeli government needs either to take out Hamas extremists one by one or to warn civilians in Gaza of oncoming attacks. Otherwise it becomes guilty of terrorism itself.

Joni Ravenna Sussman

Newport Beach