Letter to Washington Post

Dear Editor, Why are there no cries of disproportionate force, disproportionate casualties, war crimes or Goldstone reports against Syria where close to 20,000 have been killed? Apparently, those rebukes are reserved only for Israel, a country that has been defending itself from existential threats for its entire 64 years of existence. Thumbing its nose at humanity, the Syrian regime is now dropping bombs on residential apartment buildings in Aleppo. (See “Syrian planes bomb Aleppo”, 7/25/12.) The double standard in the way in which Syria is treated in the press and by the world community compared with the attitude adopted against Israel is astounding. In the most recent wars in Gaza and Lebanon, Israel went to extreme measures to safeguard bystanders, confirmed by the low ratio of bystanders to combatants killed in action. In Syria, however, as reported by The Post, the bystanders are the targets. Still, media sources such as the Washington Post refuse to point out the disparity of treatment of Syria versus Israel or more bravely, take a stand.