LTE: genocide in Gaza

Dear Editor,

As the world bears witness to the ongoing genocide in Gaza (caused directly by Israel and its network of supporters) and the broader Palestinian territories, I am distraught and disappointed by the silence of our local elected officials, both our MP Eric Duncan and MPP Nolan Quinn and the weak response from our federal government. The scale of devastation, including the indiscriminate killing of civilians, the destruction of homes, and the targeting of essential infrastructure like hospitals and schools, has reached a level that many international organizations and legal scholars now describe as genocidal.

Regardless of one’s political position on the conflict, it is undeniable that innocent Palestinians, many of them children, are enduring unimaginable suffering. Yet our representatives have failed to offer even a word of public solidarity with the victims, let alone call for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid, or accountability. The starvation is even more horrifying, babies left to skin and bones, families getting shot for seeking food to survive. When will it ever stop?!

This silence is not neutrality. It is complicity and it is horrifying.

We elect our officials not just to manage domestic concerns but also to reflect our values on the world stage. The lack of moral courage shown by our elected officials dishonours that responsibility and leaves their constituents without a voice on an issue of grave international importance.

History will remember who had the courage to stand for human rights and who chose silence.

Sincerely,

Kelly Bergeron