Peace and love, and then war and death
M. W. Cowan (Letters ODT 27.1.25) rejects the claim that the Israeli IDF deliberately target civilians. He goes on to assert that "Israel would love to live in peace with all its Arab neighbours".
I imagine that it is peace and love that has motivated Israel to bomb Gaza to an uninhabitable rubble with vital infrastructure almost completely destroyed. This peace and love has killed thousands of Palestinian citizens, a good many of whom are women and children.
Further, Israel’s overwhelming beneficence has motivated it to continue into Lebanon on a righteous mission of search and destroy there as well.
Of course, the many Palestinian hostages being exchanged at present are largely made up of people detained and tortured without proper evidence, charge or trial. Some of these are children who may possibly have been caught picking up stones. The female detainees are likely to receive a bashing before departure – one for the road, I presume.
Where is the hope Cowan asserts?
Letter endorsed
I fully endorse the narrative of M. W. Cowan’s letter to the editor.
Unfortunately the cycle of violence will seemingly go on in perpetuity given the unsurprising words of the new Hamas leader for more attacks on Israel, unless there is a regime change in Iran and all Iranian armed and funded terrorist organisations in Gaza are permanently removed .
Hamas has failed the people of Gaza particularly the children, most of whom are impoverished, have lost members of the families through violence and these are the children that are raised on a well-documented steady curriculum of violent rejectionism of all Jews.
It is no wonder that the likes of Jordan and Egypt have given US President Donald Trump an emphatic no to his very recent request for these (and other Arab ) countries to take significant numbers of Palestinian refugees so that a cleanup of the devastation of Gaza can start.
That rejection is purely out of fear of a destabilisation of their countries by way of a potential infiltration of terrorist groups like Hamas.
Remarkable things
Several remarkable things about Gaza. First, despite every university, school, hospital and 90% of houses being pulverised, the Gazans are determined to clear the rubble and decomposing bodies and erect tents on the land they have occupied since time immemorial. A lesser people would have fled.
Second, the young women returned to Israel were not only alive — unlike the tens of thousands of Palestinian women, babies and children unable to hide from bombs — but looked well fed and healthy as they cheerfully waved goodbye to their captors. So the IDF never found them in the "tunnels" under the hospitals they blew up.
What happens next? Well, Donald Trump is licking his lips as he declares: "There's nothing left but it's a very interesting place with good weather and by the sea, a very interesting place."
I see a deal with Netanyahu on the horizon. The bombing isn't finished yet. But hey, during the "ceasefire" we can make a start on clearing the West Bank. Our near-million illegal settlers are making too slow progress.
A reader’s very own DCC awards horror show
The start of the year is often a time for awards.
It would be a shame for Dunedin Ciy Council to miss out so here are my ratings for them on some key issues.
Immediate response to the October floods 8/10; follow-up response to the mess after the floods 5/10; for care of the greenery along Portobello Rd 2/10; for the nurturing of weeds along Portobello Rd 9/10; keeping the shared path clear of overhanging bushes 1/10; providing clear guidance for the safe use of the shared pathway 4/10; keeping pedestrians safe from irresponsible cyclists on the shared path 1/10; effective response to ratepayers’ demand for adequate city centre parking 1/10; timely, actioned, response to "fix it" requests 2/10; traffic planning and parking around Kmart 1/10.
Sadly, this is all very depressing and reflected by many posts on the Otago Peninsula Bulletin site. There is a real feeling of frustration at the way DCC treats the peninsula community (and probably all other ratepayers).
Whilst we can vote for the councillors, it seems they are not the problem. Shame we can’t vote in (or out) staff who treat the ratepayers with disdain.
Unambiguous communication is very critical
Sir Ian Taylor (Opinion ODT 17.1.25) states that "communication between all is critical".
So true. But as always the devil is in how it is said, or what is not said. To be effective communication has to be clear, concise, honest, and lacking in ambiguity.
Sir Ian provides us with a translation of Article One of the Treaty of Waitangi by Roimata Smail. Her translation is as follows: "kawanatanga (governance) — The Queen governs her British subjects in Aotearoa."
To clarify any ambiguity perhaps Sir Ian could provide us with Smail’s definition of "British Subjects".
Is Smail referring only to British settlers, or does her term also encompass Māori?
Where do the non-British Europeans, Chinese, Japanese, South Americans, Filipinos, and members of all other ethnic groups now settled in New Zealand fit into this translation — are they all outside the governance of the Queen (i.e. the "Crown")?
Now wouldn’t that would be an interesting situation?
Smail’s translation of Article One is so strikingly different to the Māori to English translation of Article One by Professor Sir Hugh Kawharu (his contemporary translation of the te reo Māori Treaty text is the one found on the tribunal’s website) that I even wondered if they had been looking at the same treaty.
Unimpressed
Subbing Dr Reti for Simeon Brown is akin to shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic.
Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@odt.co.nz
