LETTER: War is Israel’s only choice

Michael Morris misinterprets the war in the Middle East (“Israel mirrors SA in justifying any means to achieve an ideal”, September 30). He characterises it as only revenge for October 7, but doesn’t understand that it is a pivotal change in strategy due to an acceptance by Israel that there can be no diplomacy, negotiations or compromise when dealing with enemies whose non-negotiable is your eradication, and that their patience in living under threat and tolerating daily attacks waiting for any such co-operation was futile.

It is in fact to confront these threats and change the balance against Iran’s proxies, and very likely against Iran itself. This is classic self-defence, which is the right and obligation of any government. For some bizarre reason Morris chooses to quote Al Jazeera columnist Belén Fernández (a mouthpiece for Israel’s terrorist enemies) to reinforce his argument, saying that “Israel is imperilling decades of diplomacy to get the world to recognise the right of the Jewish people to national self-determination and self-defence in their historic homeland”. 

Morris and Al Jazeera may think Israel should sacrifice itself on the altar of so-called centuries of diplomacy, which is to them more important than Israel’s right to live in peace and security and free from the threat of a new extermination, but Israeli opinion may differ somewhat.

Sydney Kaye
Cape Town

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