Maybe now people will understand the terror threat Israel lives with

When the French-born Muslim extremists of the so-called Islamic State murdered nearly 130 Parisians on November 13, the civilised world reacted in two ways.

First came the horror and outpouring of compassion for the victims (mostly young people out socialising), this intuitive response was immediately followed by a realisation that all of us who cherish democratic ideals of political, social, cultural and gender equality are now targets for the nihilistic, perverted ideology of Islamic fundamentalism.

Within hours, observers commented on the vulnerability of western society to confront and contain internal threat from radicalised individuals living in the community; demands were made for immediate legislation to protect citizens.

Yet when Israel, the only democratic state that has consistently lived with, and constantly protected its citizens from Islamic terrorism in the form of suicide bombings did something to negate the threat, it received global condemnation.

Perhaps now the bleeding heart liberals who call the Israeli government’s defensive strategy apartheid will rethink their simplistic and hypocritical critique of a state that is determined to protect its children on the way to school, its workforce as they ride the bus to offices and factories, its healthcare professionals on the way to hospitals, its students on the way to university.

Imagine this terror pervading the streets of Dublin, Cork and Limerick, and then dare to criticise a country determined to protect its citizens.

Dr Kevin McCarthy

Kinsale

Co Cork