Gaza deaths are fault of Hamas

Your May 15 editorial “Hamas’ catastrophe” is entirely correct to observe that Hamas tells its Gazan subjects that, if they get killed trying to murder Israelis, “they will be rewarded with a place in paradise.”

Take, for example, the words of a Hamas TV host during the 2014 Gaza war regarding slain Gazans: “They have gained [paradise]. Don’t be disturbed by these images. He who is Martyred doesn’t feel. His soul has ascended to Allah.”

This is certainly the message Hamas gives directly to Israel. Thus, Ashraf al-Qidra, Hamas Ministry of Health spokesman, stated to the Israelis this week, “Today you are fighting divine soldiers who love death for Allah like you love life and who compete among themselves for martyrdom like you flee from death.”

But then, after all, former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has said: “We love death like our enemies love life! We love martyrdom.”

It is clear where responsibility for Gazan deaths lies.

Morton A. Klein, national president, Zionist Organization of America

This article was published by the NY Post and may be found here.