Dear Mr. Bardem and Ms. Cruz,

I will write this on the assumption that your letter was constructed from a genuine disdain for the murder of innocents.  We have that in common.  I too hate to see innocent people killed.  It is the worst thing to happen in this world on a daily basis and if it were to stop the world would indeed be a better place. The issue that can not be ignored however is who is responsible for the murder of innocents and what is its root cause.

The term Genocide is being thrown around a lot these days.  I too see Genocides happening.  The ones I see happening are in Iraq and Nigeria. The definition of genocide is the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation.  ISIS in Iraq and Boko Haram in Nigeria have made it very clear that  they are targeting Christians who have 2, sometimes 3 choices.  Convert or be killed are always on the table, while leave and go somewhere else are only occasionally on the table.  Even if one would accuse Israel of conducting this war incorrectly, a point I will address later in this letter, they would have a very difficult time proving that an actual genocide is being committed.  Unless of course one chooses to listen to the Hamas version of the story only, in which case Israel is doing everything wrong and Hamas is doing everything right.

I recently was concerned that the problem we have in dealing with this situation is that we are trying to use reason with the unreasonable.  I read your letter and it certainly comes across as having been written by a reasonable person, but then I see a very narrow argument being given and I naturally question the motives and logic behind your arguments.  Imagine Spain was being threatened by a strip of land attached to it, that strip of land was being supported by an enemy nation sworn to Spain’s destruction, and that same strip was being governed by a group of people who in its charter declared it wanted all the Spanish out of Spain.  What would you do?  If the territory bordered water, and that waterway had access to the hostile nation, would you not stop shipments to that territory?  If missiles were being fired at Spain from that strip of land would you not fight back, no matter how much stronger you may be?  And if you were to fight back, would you, as the humanitarians that you are,  feel responsible for the deaths of innocents placed in the location of the missile launchers?

It is a tragic situation.  We agree on that?  But the bigger tragedy may be how the people causing this tragedy are duping reasonable people, such as yourselves into believing their lies.  Israel has accepted almost every cease-fire offer made.  Hamas has mainly refused all but one.  If you are to make the argument that Israel is wrong for the deaths of the innocents despite the fact that Hamas puts the innocents in the line of fire, how can you justify not criticizing Hamas for rejecting the cease-fire?  You want to see the death stop.  So do we.  Ask yourself a question.  Look into your heart and be honest.  Do you truly believe that Hamas wants the death to stop?  If you truly are reasonable and honest you will come up with the correct answer.  If not, your opinion may be tainted by something you are not revealing in your letter, in which case there is no point in debating this with you.  If however you are sincere, I believe you will see the truth.

Sincerely,

David Groen

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