We will have to disagree on some points of the Palestine issue, but I’m sure that we share the values of treasuring peace and holding human life in high regard. And that’s a good start.

Not wishing to let Israel off the hook – just because vicious, cynical bastards like Hamas use civilians as human shields doesn’t mean you should go ahead and kill them – but if you want to find modern-day acts more worthy of the term genocide, look no further than Congo. On Christmas Day 400-odd civilians were hacked to death by militias. The world, in its dubious obsession with Israel and the Palestians, didn’t bat an eyelid. Just thinking about it, if you want an example of modern-day fascism, look no further than the chilling, bloodthirsty, racist, medieval, martyrdom-obsessed evil scum of Hamas.

Look, the suffering of the Palestinians shouldn’t be trivialised. But its a highly complex set of circumstances has led us to this point. I personally find it neither helpful nor appropriate to use words like concentration camp in relation to Gaza.

Yes, I did make the connection between Gaza and a concentration camp and I do see why you may have a problem with that. It is not exactly like Auschwitz, no, but I never equalled the term concentration camp with just that particular death camp. You may agree that Gaza is an incredibly densely populated area inhabited by a number of people living in deplorable conditions under constant treat of being killed, who are not able to move freely.

You wrote: “Yes, maybe many people do leave there in unbearable conditions, however, they are not being tatooed, forced to slave labour, and thrown into furnaces.”

Luka, now this is out of line in my book. I think Pengovsky made an excellent point saying that while Gaza may not be a concentration camp, it certainly can feel like one. How does one grade human suffering? How does one rank tattooing, slave labour and furnaces against hopeless future, constant threat of death and use of chemical weapons? Impossible.

You say: “I know what holocaust means in Greek, but I seem to have missed the objective of “complete and total destruction of people” in this Israeli attack. You don’t kill 1000 people if you are aiming for annihilation, right?”

They certainly annihilated those you mention.

You say: “Again, not because I would like to justify the war, but because I want to preserve the memory of the unimaginable inhuman atrocity of the Holocaust.”

This I certainly support wholeheartedly. My point is that just remembering achieves nothing. Remembering the Holocaust in order to prevent future atrocities, that is to protest loudly against any and all actions against humanity, that is what true remembrance means to me. And in doing this, I find that we are paying respect to the victims of the Holocaust in the best possible way.

Mr. P, thank you for the thoughtful comment. This issue is so extensive in its scope that it is a great disservice to all involved to succumb to the temptation of overly simplifying its background and current implications. Some things, however, are pure and simple and should remain such.

Article 3 of the Geneva Convention (ratified by Israel in 1951)
In the case of armed conflict not of an international character occurring in the territory of one of the High Contracting Parties, each Party to the conflict shall be bound to apply, as a minimum, the following provisions:

1. Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and those placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction founded on race, colour, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria.

To this end, the following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever with respect to the above-mentioned persons:

(a) Violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture;

(b) Taking of hostages;

(c) Outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment;

(d) The passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court, affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.

2. The wounded and sick shall be collected and cared for.

I know what holocaust means in Greek, but I seem to have missed the objective of “complete and total destruction of people” in this Israeli attack. You don’t kill 1000 people if you are aiming for annihilation, right? You try killing them all, unselectively. So yes, even though I condemn the war of this kind, I still think that terming it as “holocaust” would be extremely tasteless. Again, not because I would like to justify the war, but because I want to preserve the memory of the unimaginable inhuman atrocity of the Holocaust.

“I cannot think of a greater insult to the victims of the Holocaust than their descendants committing crimes against humanity.”

I agree, using Holocaust as an excuse for the eternal role of victim is tateless in a similar manner.

“I, too, would want my family to sleep undisturbed by military attacks.” Obama, you, the Palestinians in Gaza, the Israelis in the cities within the range of Hamas rockets … Everybody!