To the Editor,

Some years ago, I think in the 1990's, I read an open letter which was published in the New York Times and written by the Central Rabbinical Congress Of The U.S.A. and Canada, founded in 1953, which stated in part, "Clearly, the creation of the State of Israel in 1948 was in no way a fulfillment of the Jewish people's millennial-long yearning for redemption. It was a bizarre secularist substitute for the redemption. And it is certainly absurd to sacrifice even one human life for this illegitimate state". Strong words written by some of the holiest and wisest men of Judaism. Were they right? Is this the reason for so much misery? Who can say for certain?

Ever since the State of Israel was founded, it seems that she assumed a position of constant precariousness in the Middle East, a position of vigilant defense with much blood being spilled, Israeli and Palestinian and others.  This letter seeks not to lay blame, but to question why this continues to be a tragic, perennial story.

The events of October 7th were horrendous and sadly the Israeli Defense Force has recently admitted that many of the casualties were do to friendly fire, firing on cars and homes that were thought to be harboring Hamas soldiers. The collateral damaged were the deaths of innocent Israelis.

Meanwhile, we, in the West, are seemingly watching the daily genocide in Gaza and doing very little. And this is 2024 not 1940. If it weren't for South Africa and its 84 page appeal to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for an apparent genocide, no one in the West would have lifted a serious finger. There have been several attempts at the ever impotent United Nations to call for a cease fire, but unfortunately seem always to be thwarted by the US and Israel.

In the long run, it all comes down to who and what we think we are as human beings.  Have we always been the blood-thirsty barbarians of history, barbarians down deep inside, the human monsters of Leopold II's Belgian Congo in Conrad's Heart of Darkness, enjoying high civilization but not wanting to know that women and children were being murdered in far off lands in our name?

I don't know the ultimate answer to that question. I do know that at this moment in history it would appear the answer to be..... yes, and perhaps the rest, well, has always been theoretical.

Jim Morgan

Warwick