Israel editorial was ‘dishonorable’

To the Editor:

The Riverdale Press has dishonored proud roots and sunk to a level beneath contempt by its editorial challenging Rep. Engel’s support of Israel and Israel’s perfectly correct assault on the terrorists who dominate Gaza and use its population — some knowingly and others uncaringly — as human shields.

The only answer to rockets fired at innocent civilians, to those who murder and kidnap and to those who proclaim their determination to eradicate you is to destroy their ability to do so. And if wittingly or by silent connivance Gaza’s population permits such terrorism to dominate and continue to work its evil (and there has not been a scintilla of evidence that residents of Gaza have made any effort to oust or even shun Hamas or its barbaric ilk) then it shares responsibility.  

History teaches that appeasement never works. Some of us recall, with sadness, that those  who listened to similar siren calls to “take the high road” found it led to Dachau, Auschwitz and other unspeakable horrors.

It really is too bad that the misguided person who authored the Riverdale Press editorial never learned or understood Santayana’s apt advice that “those who do not learn the lessons of history  are doomed to relive it.”

Israel was entirely correct in its vigorous retaliation against terrorism and aggression. And Rep. Engel has my hearty congratulations on his ringing defense of Israel’s actions.

 Charles G. Moerdler