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Rick Longinotti’s opposition to Jimmy Panetta’s support for Israel needs a response. Longinotti glosses over the fact that Israel was invaded and over 1,000 of her people were killed on one day last October.  

Hamas would have killed more if they were not stopped by Israeli forces. Since then Israel has killed over 17,000 terrorists who were intent on killing more Jews. A cease fire as Longinotti wants would have prevented the Israel Defense Forces from removing the terrorists from our midst. Israel has been accused of disproportionate force because thousands of Hamas’ human shields have also died.

It is Hamas that started this recent conflict and it is Hamas that uses human shields as part of their strategy, yet Longinotti is angry with Israel for trying to destroy this terrorist organization that has brought ruin to Gaza. Now that Israel has removed Hamas as an existential threat she is going after Hezbollah which has fired over 10,000 missiles into Israel forcing 80,000 people from their homes. Israel has eliminated the leaders of Hezbollah in targeted strikes and disabled 1,500 Hezbollah fighters with the push of a button. Those pagers were distributed only to terrorists and their allies such as the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon. You can’t get much more targeted than that. 

It is unfortunate that a few bystanders were also injured or killed, but this is a war, not dodgeball.

Israel is a small country of 10 million people surrounded by mortal enemies backed by Iran who wish to destroy her and all of her people.  Israel is the only country in the region where women have equality and the LGBTQ  thrives. She has free elections and a free press and freedom of religion.Her enemies persecute gays, subjugate women and imprison or kill political enemies,

Thanks to Rep. Jimmy Panetta and others in Washington we have given Israel the tools to combat terrorism and defend herself. Panetta understands that Iran is a threat to all of us.  She is backing Houthis who are attacking merchant shipping. She supports Hezbollah which has turned a once thriving  Lebanon into an economic basket case, and of course Hamas has turned Gaza  into a welfare state.

Iran is also on the road to becoming a nuclear power. Cease fires are only good if they will lead to permanent peace, otherwise they allow the parties to regroup and rearm which is exactly what Hamas and Hezbollah have done in the past. They have no intention of recognizing Israel or renouncing terrorism. If they did, the bloodshed would stop. Panetta knows this. 

We need more people like Jimmy Panetta in Congress who are willing to take a stand in favor of our democratic ally and against international terrorism.

Gil Stein

Aptos