In today’s MetroTalk, readers discuss the contentious issue of civilian deaths in war.
One reader draws a bold comparison between Israel’s tactics and those employed by Britain during World War II and it was considered inevitable then, and another reader examines double standards in the treatment of self-defence by Israel compared to Iran by the West.
Meanwhile, is the country gripped by ‘trans hysteria’? A reader shares her thoughts on what it was like for her brother to come out in the 1980s to similar condemnation and prejudice. So, have we learned nothing? And on a (somewhat more) lighthearted note, readers ponder the fate of two rescued lambs.
Share what you think about these topics and more in the comments.
'Exactly the same principle applies here as in WWII'
Elliott (MetroTalk, Thu) says ‘if the only way for Israel to survive is the ability to kill thousands of civilians without international condemnation, then frankly it shouldn’t’. That is tantamount to a denial of Israel’s right to exist.
Hamas started this whole scenario with its atrocities of October 7. It still has more than 100 Israeli hostages it refuses to return. It even cannot say whether any of them are still alive.
Hamas has declared a state of total war against Israel, and, in order to survive, Israel has to defend herself.
Hamas also hides its arms stores and fighters behind and within hospitals, schools and other civilian buildings, making it inevitable that civilian casualties will increase.
Israel is the victim of continual and unrelenting terror from Hamas and other Arab Islamic organisations.
During World War II, our country bombed Germany into utter devastation, causing hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths.
Many who took part stated that this was necessary in order to destroy Nazism. There was no other way to do this effectively.
Exactly the same principle applies here. In order for Israel to survive, it has to respond to Hamas’s desire for continual war by making sure Hamas is eliminated. This, sadly, involves civilian deaths.
Those who think otherwise stand charged with rank antisemitism and the kind of hateful anti-Jew prejudice we have seen rampant on our streets each Saturday, very much to our extreme national shame. Michael Lampard, Merseyside
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Is there a double standard?
With the West’s response to the latest events in the Middle East, it appears as if the rest of the world needs saving from Israel’s right to so-called self-defence.
Israel self-defends itself by making unprovoked attacks on bases within Iran, which unsurprisingly counters it. Yet Iran is then told by the US and the UK that not only does it not have the right to self-defence – that is Israel’s right alone – but by countering the attack from Israel they are making a dangerous situation even worse.
Nothing to do with Israel, of course – they are innocent bystanders. The irony of this situation cannot be overstated.
Israel’s right to self-defence means it can illegally occupy Gaza and the West Bank and unleash genocide against the Palestinian people, all while it is live-streamed to the rest of the world.
Aided and abetted by the US and UK in this endeavour, even though natural justice would seem to indicate you cannot in turn be both the occupier and then claim the right to self-defence when the opposed people whose land you are occupying fight back. Such is the ever and ongoing hypocrisy of the West.
Little wonder that aside from occupying Gaza and the West Bank, Israel also occupies parts of Syria, invades Lebanon at will and makes periodic attacks against Iran. All acceptable to the West because Israel is an ally.
Never mind though, hey. Should it all go to hell in an handbasket and the current unrest lead to a nuclear war, the governments of the US and the UK will take great comfort in informing those who survive it that it was a just war because Israel had the right to defend itself. Julie Partridge, London
Hysteria returns for trans women
Paul (MetroTalk, Fri) seems to suggest that schools should be able to ‘out’ trans pupils to their parents.
Many LGBT people will use someone who they trust as a confidante to discuss their sexuality/gender identity.
The confidante could be a friend, a family member or maybe a teacher. It’s really important that the confidante doesn’t reveal this to anyone without the person saying so.
Sadly the wider world, including the parents, might not be open-minded enough to accept the person’s sexuality/gender identity.
In the early 1980s my little brother (I’ve written this with his blessing) talked to me about his sexuality. I was OK with this but he made it clear I mustn’t tell Mum and Dad.
He came out as gay a few years later. Mum and Dad were fine with it but other parents might not have been, and it was really important that my brother could come out to them at a time that was right for him.
There’s this disturbing and dangerous hysteria at the moment about trans women posing a threat to cis women. It’s exactly the same as the homophobia from the 1980s (and before) about gay people being paedophiles.
It’s just as wrong and just as bigoted, and in the future it will be held in the same extremely dim light. Sharon, Manchester
Bleating about happy ending for lambs – and the mystery of missing post in Brum
Health and safety practitioner Terry (MetroTalk, Mon) questions why a farmer was applauded for crawling 20ft into a flooded tunnel to rescue two lambs.
Given the danger Marian Porter placed herself in, he asks whether she was ‘heroic’ or ‘foolhardy’?
The short answer is probably a bit of both. The longer answer is that, being clouded by your occupation, you are probably making too much out of a story that had a feelgood ending in contrast to much else of what we have read in the media of late. Dec, Essex
Replying to Scott (MetroTalk, Fri) who said the story of Marian’s rescue was ‘so touching’.
What will happen to the two lambs? No doubt they’ll be on someone’s plate in the near future. So, maybe it was more about rescuing profits. Mike, Slough
Fiona (MetroTalk, Wed) praises Royal Mail, saying even the increased price of a first-class stamp at £1.35 is exceptional value.
I think they’ve got a nerve to put up stamp prices yet again. I sent cards out 11 days ago and they still haven’t been received. I’m not asking much – they were only going to Bournville from Stechford, not a great distance.
What’s going on? A few people have said they haven’t received cards from their families, either. Jacquie, Birmingham
Rishi Sunak’s Sambas
Not that my say matters, but Rishi Sunak ‘ruining Adidas Sambas’ street cred’ by wearing a pair of the trainers (Metro, Thu) reminded me of the quote from the Adam Sandler movie Billy Madison: ‘Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it.’ Jordan, London
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