Madam, - In his letter of January 29th, the Egyptian ambassador, Mr Helmy, overlooks a key factor regarding the current situation, that of the ongoing rocket attacks against Israeli civilians in the Western Negev by Palestinian militants based in Gaza.
In the past number of years, more than 7,000 rockets and mortars have been launched against Israel, causing death, injury and destruction.
Since January 16th these attacks have escalated, with over 200 Kassam rockets and mortars being fired from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip at the Israeli cities of Sderot, Ashkelon and other communities in the western Negev. These rocket attacks by Palestinian militants have one sole purpose: to kill, maim and terrorise innocent Israeli civilians.
Ambassador Helmy ignores the fact that Israel is doing what no other country on earth would be expected to do. Israel supplies electricity and aid to a neighbouring region controlled by an openly hostile terrorist organisation which targets Israeli civilians and uses its own population as a human shield. Each day Hamas enables and permits attacks against Israeli citizens by using fuel intended for civilian purposes to manufacture rockets and carry out its wider terrorist activities.
In view of these circumstances, Israel cannot be expected to remain inactive when faced with this form of aggression while the suffering of its own people is largely disregarded.
The most recent actions taken by Israel were an effort to stop these rocket attacks through non-military means. A clear distinction must be made between Palestinian terrorism and Israel's actions taken in self-defence - not only in practice and tactic, but also in terms of their morality and legality.
Israel sees Egypt as a key partner in the region and values its constructive efforts to achieve a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
- Yours, etc,
Dr ZION EVRONY, Ambassador of Israel, Dublin.