The anti-Israel letter, printed Jan. 17, from an “appalled” Deanne Danforth appalled me for its lack of facts.

I wonder what reaction she would have if terrorists lobbed exploding rockets into her home, or if a few landed on a nearby nursery school? I’ll bet she would be screaming for the Army to attack the terrorists immediately.

Every nation has the duty to protect its residents from harm and Israel is finally fulfilling that duty. Regarding the “murder” of Palestinians – Israel does everything possible to avoid civilian casualties.

Hamas routinely launches rockets from, and stores explosives in residential areas, knowing that Israel will avoid harming innocents. Prior to bombing a Hamas military site, Israel warns residents to flee the neighborhood.

Does Danforth know that in the past weeks of warfare, Israel has allowed hundreds of truckloads of food and supplies into Gaza, and it has continued to supply both electricity and water to the inhabitants of Gaza?

If the people are truly hungry, why doesn’t Egypt, which also shares a border with Gaza, send supplies? Or why doesn’t Hamas, which is so good at smuggling guns through tunnels, smuggle in food and medicine?

The fact is that Hamas doesn’t care about the Palestinian populace. It only wants to obliterate Israel. The “concentration camp” Danforth calls Palestine is the only remaining displaced persons camp from World War II. The residents should have been absorbed into neighboring countries decades ago, but even their Arab brothers don’t want them.

Joel Goodman, Auburn