Hamas must go. But how?

Published in the Washington Post, March 16, 2024:

America’s complicity in Gaza’s tragedy began long before Oct. 7 and Israel’s response to that barbaric massacre. It didn’t take long after Hamas won the 2006 Palestine Legislative Council elections and violently overthrew Fatah to take control of the Gaza Strip in 2007 before it was obvious that terror group, officially recognized as such since 1997, could not be tolerated.
Yet every time attacks by Hamas — including rockets launched from Gaza and the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers — started another conflict, the United States, joined by many other countries, pressured Israel into a premature cease-fire.


These same countries then poured even more aid into Gaza, despite warnings that much of that aid was being diverted by Hamas. As long ago as 2016, for example, then-Israeli Foreign Ministry director-general Dore Gold said 95 percent of the cement delivered to Gaza was being taken by Hamas and used for military purposes. Even the aid not stolen by Hamas freed it to keep strengthening itself and construct its massive network of tunnels, which are strategically placed underneath homes, schools, mosques, hospitals and facilities used by the U.N. Relief and Works Agency and are currently holding many if not all the hostages kidnapped on Oct. 7.


Yes, Mr. King, the United States should not be complicit in Gaza’s tragedy. Our government should help put an end to this intolerable situation by ending its equivocation and doing what President Biden pledged in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 massacre: standing firmly with Israel and helping it free Gaza from Hamas.


Alan Stein, Netanya, Israel




The following is the original version submitted to the Washington Post March 9 with the subject "The real complicity in Gaza's tragedy (sent March 9)":

America's complicity in Gaza's tragedy is very different from the picture presented by Colbert King.

It didn't take long after Hamas took over Gaza in 2007 before it was obvious that terror group had to destroyed. Foolishly, each time Hamas started another war, the United States, joined by many other countries, pressured Israel into a premature ceasefire and then poured aid into Gaza while ignoring the way most of it was taken by Hamas. That enabled Hamas to keep strengthening itself and construct its massive network of tunnels, far larger than the New York City subway system, strategically placed underneath homes, schools, mosques, hospitals and UNRWA facilities.

This led to the war started by the barbaric massacre perpetrated by Hamas, with the assistance of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Fatah and thousands of ordinary Gazans, on October 7.

That de facto complicity with Hamas continues with the constant criticism of Israel's necessary response to October 7, despite the fact that the ratio of civilian to combatant deaths in Gaza has been less than a sixth of the norm for modern warfare recognized by the United Nations, and with aid being sent to Gaza even though 60% of it is being stolen by Hamas. That pressure and that aid serves as a lifeline for Hamas while prolonging the war and increasing the death and destruction in Gaza. It also puts in even greater danger the lives of whichever hostages kidnapped by Hamas, including several Americans, haven't already been murdered.

Yes, Mr. King, the United States should not be complicit in Gaza's tragedy. Our government should help put an end to that tragedy by ending its equivocation and doing what President Biden pledged in the aftermath of the October 7 Massacre: standing firmly with Israel and helping it free Gaza from Hamas.

Sincerely,

Alan Stein

I also included the following note with my letter:

I suspect you will want to fact check what I wrote about the ratio of civilian to combatant deaths in Gaza being less than a sixth of the norm for urban warfare recognized by the United Nations. Here are the facts:

On May 25, 2022, the UN Security Council had a meeting and the summary put out by UN's press office had the headline "Ninety Per Cent of War-Time Casualties Are Civilians, Speakers Stress, Pressing Security Council to Fulfill Responsibility, Protect Innocent People in Conflicts." That translates to 9 civilian casualties for every combatant killed.

At this time, Hamas claims approximately 30,000 deaths in Gaza. Israel has determined approximately 13,000 have been terrorists, leaving about 17,000 civilian deaths. That comes out to about 1.3 civilian deaths per terrorist death. (It's likely the ratio is actually lower, since Hamas is notorious for inflating casualty figures while Israel is generally conservative when it comes to estimating how many terrorists it has killed.)

1.3/9 is approximately .145, which is considerably less than 1/6; indeed, it's closer to 1/7.

By the way, I am a retired Professor of Mathematics, but those simple calculations could have been done by an intelligent middle schooler.

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