Letter to The New Yorker, about what else?

I sent this in to the New Yorker just a little while ago:

To the Editor,

David Remnick writes a nice Comment piece (Homelands) regarding Barack Obama and the advent of his presidency. However, like much of American politicians and the media, Mr. Remnick unfortunately discounts the disaster that has unfolded in Gaza. He writes "The civilian suffering and deaths are inevitable; the lessons less so." No, Mr. Remnick, the civilian suffering and deaths are not inevitable. The human tragedy in Gaza is not just another conflagration in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that we should passively view as inevitable and therefore accept. It is blind American support for Israel and American-made F-16s and bombs that are allowing Israel to rip Gaza and its people apart. Hamas certainly is to blame for triggering this assault, but by no means do their rockets justify what Israel is doing to Gazans. There is just no comparison in the suffering between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

And the lessons are not less inevitable. By now, Americans and one would wish Israelis should know that unjustified war (Iraq) or a disproportionately violent response are not the answers to terrorism. Fighting terrorism with even greater terrorism (yes, these wars are terrorism) is exactly the wrong way to go about achieving peace. Only further anger and radicalism ensues. Mr. Remnick is right; "the obligation of constant engagement is deep", but when the engagement is not occurring and a people are being pummeled with the many lives forever torn or lost, there should be an immediate and fierce effort to achieve a peace. America should be a part of that effort. Resignation to inevitable violence, such as it is in Gaza and in 2006 in Lebanon, is lacking in compassion and is unnacceptable.

I am sure that Barack Obama will bring back that American engagement to the Israeli-Palestinian situation that has been sorely missed over the past 8 years. So far though, he has been disappointingly quiet about Gaza or only supportive of Israel's right to defend itself. I hope though that during his presidency the Israeli-Palestinian situation will be truly treated even-handedly by America as 71% of Americans would like it to be (http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/international_security_bt/503.php?lb=btis&pnt=503&nid=&id=).

Regards,