This letter is in regard to the story subtitled “People gather to share information, call for end to killing of civilians” in the Feb. 18 Ashland.news.
If I had a poster, it would say “Free Palestine — From Hamas.” I would like to challenge the information that Hamas has won elections: The last and only election in Gaza since Israel turned Gaza over to the Palestinians in 2005, was in 2006, 18 years ago. Hamas won the election with 44% of the vote. The election in Gaza was won by plurality voting (candidates win by securing more votes but it does not have to be a majority share of votes). There has not been another election in Gaza, mostly because of the conflict within the Palestinian population between Hamas and Fatah, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s political party. No one wants to risk losing an election!
Please also recognize that in today’s population in Gaza, many adults were not old enough to vote in 2006. So, when it is reported that Gazans elected Hamas, it should be qualified that the first and only election was in 2006 and that a large part of the population of Gazans alive today did not vote in that election.
It should also be noted that Hamas is a terrorist organization. They began using suicide bombers in 1993. Egypt began destroying Hamas tunnels that connected Egypt to Gaza in 2013. Hamas is a major contributor to Iran. Hamas used millions and millions of dollars to build an underground mirror city in Gaza and spent millions on rockets that they have been lobbing into Israel for many years.
Hamas is responsible for the deaths in Gaza: Hamas is hiding within the population of Gaza and using innocent Palestinians as shields. This war is ugly — that is not in doubt — and the Palestinian people have suffered. But this is not genocide by any definition of the word: This is not an intentional mass extermination of a group of people.
Also, this war is NOT a war of Israeli aggression but a war that Israelis are waging to DEFEND their country. Until Oct. 7, there was a cease-fire in place. Hamas is the aggressor.
It would be a miraculous day if and when a cease-fire is negotiated, one that would include releasing all of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7, one that would bring a two-state solution for Palestinians and would ensure that both countries would have safe and secure borders.
The rally held in Ashland was not to share information but to spread disinformation about the war.
Mary Ann Gernegliaro
Ashland
