Israel

Gov. Martin O'Malley will travel to Israel in April for an economic development mission that was canceled during last fall's violence in the Gaza Strip. The itinerary has not been finalized, an aide said, but the trip is meant to replace the eight-day visit planned for November but canceled as Israel and Hamas forces exchanged rocket fire. O'Malley's original journey was meant to include an entourage of business executives that with him would visit Israel, Jordan and Ramallah.  The April trip will be O'Malley's second to Israel since taking office.

The article, "Jewish population hits new high in West Bank," (July 27) states that 350,000 Jewish settlers now occupy the West Bank, as well as nearly 300,000 in the occupied East Jerusalem. Israel is in violation of international law, the 4th Geneva Convention and the U.N. resolution 242, and it is condemned around the world for its brutal occupation and oppression of the Palestinians. In addition, Israel continues to maintain a strangulation blockade on the civilian population of Gaza, causing the Vatican to accuse Israel of turning Gaza into "a giant prison camp.

I beg to differ with the premise set forth by columnist Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. in his article concerning Jewish voters and President Barack Obama ("Can Jewish voters be sure of Obama's commitment to Israel?" Sept. 2). I care deeply about Israel, and I believe that Mr. Obama has been and will continue to be a good friend and supporter of Israel. However, as an American, I will vote for the person who has saved our country from a great depression and will work on behalf of middle class and poor people in spite of the lack of Republican cooperation.

Egypt has closed its border with Gaza and is building a 10 millimeter thick steel wall there to defend against Hamas. We hear no howls of outrage from the international community. The U.S. has hundreds of miles of security fencing to keep illegal immigrants from crossing our borders. Hundreds of millions of our tax dollars pay for it. China has a wall that is thousands of years old, originally built to defend her boundaries. We travel thousands of miles to walk on it. Hamas is a declared terrorist group with a charter that calls for the destruction of the state of Israel.

Amid all the falsehoods and distortions in Laila El Haddad's diatribe against Israel lies a great truth: the situation in Gaza is tragic. It is tragic that after Israel acceded to international demands to "end the occupation" and forcibly evacuated thousands of Jews from their homes in Gaza, the people of Gaza decided not to use the infrastructure abandoned by the Israelis and the billions of dollars of foreign aid poured into the region as...

While much remains unclear about the early-morning Israeli raid on a humanitarian aid flotilla bound for Gaza that left nine people dead, what is apparent is that some poor decisions were made — both by the pro-Palestinian activists who chose to defy the Israeli naval blockade and by those who sent the Israeli equivalent of the Navy SEALs rappelling down ropes from Black Hawk helicopters onto the ship's deck at 4 a.m. Monday's violence could prove...

Your Maryland Politics blog "Cardin: Obama should seek authority on Libya" (June 27) describes a speech that Sen. Ben Cardin gave to the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs Monday evening. Senator Cardin spent most of his speech praising Israel and saying that Israel is always right and must be supported more strongly by the U.S., meaning that American taxpayers should send billions more dollars to Israel. Yet Mr. Cardin failed to mention that Israel has been brutally occupying and oppressing the Palestinians for over 40 years, engaging in land and water theft, home demolitions, mass arrests including torture, targeted assassinations, hundreds of humiliating road blocks and check points, and daily settler violence including the murder of unarmed Palestinians.

The Sun recently ran an article titled "Israel bombs Islamic Jihad base, killing 5. " I must object to your method of reporting. The article gives the impression that Israel started bombing the base with no reason. It is only in paragraphs two and three that you state that Islamic Jihad launched rockets into Israel last week. It appears that you are intentionally giving the wrong impression to someone who only reads the headline. Why not state that Jihad launched rockets and Israel retaliated?

After reading your editorial on President Obama's remarks on Israel ("Obama's un-radical Israel policy," May 24), I wondered if the entire Sun editorial staff lives in a gated community. For Israel to cede its borders to a Palestinian state is like protecting your house by locking the bedroom door and totally disregarding the open windows and unlocked front door. During my lifetime I have seen Israel make one concession after another in the spirit of peace, only to have them taken for weakness or exploited through acts of terrorism and war. Even today, Palestinians are calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent speech to Congress an act of war. Would you give the convicts in a halfway house next door free reign to come into your house, or permit them to commit any illegal acts they pleased?

On May 10, 2007 ISRAEL PHILIP formerly of Baltimore and Boca Raton, husband of Muriel Israel (nee Yolles) beloved father of Linda and Douglas Lamm of El Salvador, Sandor Israel of Ocala, FL. and Abbie Sue Israel, loving brother of Milton and Betty Israel, Ethel Wigutow, Bunny Goldman and the late I. Mitchell Ames. Interment will be in Boynton Beach, Florida. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Hospice of Marion County, 3231 S.W. 34th Ave., Ocala, FL. 34474