Israel can't stand idly by
This is Palestinian authority (PA) polemic pure and simple.
His description of "indiscriminate" Israeli defence forces (IDF) tank-fire into a "peaceful Palestinian protest march" takes no account of Israel's version of events in which the protestors were not deliberately targeted and in which the march was being used by gunmen to advance on Israeli infantry units.
The conclusion of the Palestine Monitor is that one-sided public relations activities of organisations such as Amnesty International have contributed to the distortion of events and the demonisation of Israel during its anti-terror operations in Gaza.
This is not to say that operation rainbow did not cause hardship to the residents of Rafah; that it did is indisputable. But a study of the bigger picture reveals that ultimate culpability for last month's destruction lies with the Palestinian groups who continually use the city's civilian infrastructure to smuggle in weaponry and launch terrorist attacks against Israel.
Last summer, the IDF offered to cease operations in Rafah if the Palestinian Authority (PA) took action against the smugglers but the PA did nothing. Why? Because, as Mr Love admits, some of those involved are closely linked to chairman Arafat himself.
In the light of PA inaction, how does Amnesty International believe Israel should have responded to intelligence regarding the landing in the Sinai of rockets and missiles destined for Gaza through the tunnels of Rafah? Is it suggesting that Israel should have just sat back and done nothing?
With 1,000 killed and 6,000 horribly wounded in the past three and a half years alone with weapons illegally smuggled into the territories during the Oslo era, Israeli inaction in this matter is no longer an option.
Seán Gannon,
Irish Friends of Israel,
Charlotte Quay Dock,
Dublin 4.
