The cost of silence in Gaza

It’s hard to see the images of the suffering in Gaza caused by Israel’s response to the barbaric attack by Hamas. The s ight of bleeding, crying children and sobbing adults cannot fail to move anyone with a soul.

But it should not be forgotten that we Americans, with our allies, killed innocents in World War II: Hiroshima; Nagasaki; firebombings of major Japanese cities; the Dresden firebombing in Germany; strategic bombings of Berlin and hundreds of other targets throughout Germany. We knew civilians would be killed.

Estimated civilian death toll in Germany during WWII is 1.5 million to 3 million. It’s 550,000 to 800,000 in Japan, including both atomic bombings.

We did it then because we were faced with implacable enemies dedicated to our destruction. Israel is doing it now because they are faced with an implacable enemy dedicated to its destruction.

German civilians died because they accepted a monster as their leader. Japanese civilians died because they accepted the myth that the emperor could do no wrong. Gaza civilians are dying because they accepted terrorists as their rulers.

Yes, weep for the innocent Palestinians, but never forget they stood by and literally watched while rockets were fired from their territory into Israel; while massive machines dug miles of tunnels under hospitals and neighborhoods; while terrorists used those tunnels to launch attacks on Israel’s innocents.

Perhaps now the innocent Palestinians will claim they abhorred Hamas’ policies and practices. German civilians did the same when the war came to their doorstep, insisting they were helpless to stop Hitler. Perhaps one day Gaza civilians will make the same claim about Hamas. But now, as then, qui tacet consentire– silence gives consent.

Don Frost

Lake Summerset