While I have in the past enjoyed your writings about mental illness, Liz, I am sorry to say that I have been unable to say the same concerning your periodic writings about Israel. I was therefore, unfortunately, not surprised by your January 16th depiction of the situation in Gaza (“madness that, in my opinion, the Israelis are currently culpable for”).

That Israel has withstood thousands—thousands—of rocket attacks from Gaza, in recent years, seems to not have registered with you.

I will simply add a much-cited—and very much to the point—quote from Barack Obama, who while running for president, in the summer of 2008, made a visit to Sderot, the town in Israel which has over time been under regular assault, from so many of these rocket attacks.

Mr. Obama said, at the time, very eloquently: “If somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I’m going to do everything in my power to stop that.”

Mr. Obama said: “And I would expect Israelis to do the same thing.”

Here is a story from the January 24th LA Times:

“John Holmes, humanitarian affairs chief for the United Nations, told reporters that Israel was allowing 120 truckloads of food and medical supplies a day to enter Gaza. Holmes praised the ’spirit of goodwill’ shown by the Israeli government, saying the level of cooperation was far greater than in the weeks before the offensive began with airstrikes on Dec. 27.”