To the editor:

Last week KU’s graduate teaching assistants union’s executive board issued a letter condemning Israel for the conflicts in the Middle East. That Hamas, a terrorist group, attacked Israel, killing, raping and torturing more than a thousand women, men, children and even babies appears to be irrelevant to the GTA union executive board. Hamas’ butchery was unmitigated evil to which Israel had every right to respond. It is normal for all of us to desire peace in the Middle East, to hope for a two-state solution between the Palestinians and Israelis, and to want everyone in the region to be respected and treated with humanity. We understand that many Palestinians desire these things. They oppose, as do we, what Hamas stands for, which is the extermination of Jews and the destruction of the state of Israel. We encourage others to speak out in support of the state of Israel and the Israeli and Palestine civilians and the condemnation of the perverted goals and actions of Hamas.

Doug and Pam Houston,

Lawrence