Dear Sir,

In October 11, 2023 edition of your paper, there was a cartoon that reflected on the tragic situation in Israel after the terrorist attack, leaving an estimated 1,200 murdered and up to 150 hostages taken by the Hamas terrorists.

Whatever the message one gets from that cartoon — I and many of my community were offended — the one thing that should not be taken from it is that there is some equivalence between the retaliatory actions taken, and to be taken, by the Government of Israel and the brutal and merciless violence perpetrated on innocent people who were going about their ordinary lives.

Regardless of where one stands on the complex Israeli-Palestinian conflict, how can any right-thinking person condone and seek to justify the rape of women, execution en masse of people of all ages, burning people alive, beheading babies and parading corpses in the streets in front of rejoicing crowds?

Hamas has abducted Israelis, Americans, Britons, Italians and other nationals, including children and babies, and is threatening to execute these hostages just like Isis did with hostages it took not too long ago.

If anyone seeks to justify such barbaric actions, there is little hope for the future.

I and The Jewish Community of Bermuda respectfully ask that common sense and goodwill prevail.

FIONA ELKINSON

President

The Jewish Community of Bermuda