I would like to thank Bill Sherwonit for his recent letter concerning the genocide of the Palestinian people. He gave a very clear picture of what’s been happening there long before the horrific attack by Hamas on the Israelis.
This conflict has been on my radar for about 10 years since I went to a talk on a college campus by a former Israeli soldier. In his words, ‘What Israel is doing to the Palestinians is terrorism.’ He said as part of his duties, he would routinely go into Palestinian houses and lock their inhabitants in a room or closet and then proceed to eat their food or watch their television. He said one time he ordered an elderly man to sit on the curb in the hot sun all day without any shelter or water until he passed out.
I’ve watched this mass murder with anger, horror, and sadness. I don’t understand how we as a country are openly supporting this slaughter of innocent people, many of whom are children. How can we sit by and watch them dying not only because of the mass bombings but also the withholding of basic needs like water and food? Israel is also bombing supposedly safe zones where Palestinians were told to go.
I’ve called our senators, the White House, and Rep. Mary Peltola’s office to ask them to put parameters and stipulations around the aid we give to Israel.
Peltola’s office is the only one where staff would speak to me. I was told that she is very aware of the situation. Her aide thanked me for calling and said she likes to hear from her Alaska constituents. I urge everyone to call and make your opinions clear. If we are truly a country that supports human rights, then we cannot support this genocide.
— Elizabeth Durnford
Anchorage
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