Israel is U.S. ally in Mideast; it has earned Bush's support

Israel is U.S. ally in Mideast; it has earned Bush's support
EDITOR:
In your July 14 editorial & quot;Unqualified U.S. support of Israel is a dangerous tactic," you call upon President Bush to join those who condemn Israel's recent action against the Hezbollah and Hamas terrorist organizations.
Forget for a moment that Israel, mainly under U.S. pressure, retreated completely from Gaza and Lebanon in recent years, and was rewarded for that with ongoing rocket attacks on its cities from the evacuated territories. Let's look at the big picture: Iran and its manic president is gradually becoming a strategic danger to the United States and its interests. Hezbollah and Hamas are Iran proxies, financed, trained and equipped by Iran to the tune of $250 million dollars a year. Any real or perceived victory of these terrorists will be a significant achievement to the Iranian regime and a step forward in their ultimate goal: the collapse of the & quot;big Satan, & quot; the United States.
Israel is fighting these terrorists with its own army, never asking any military support from the United States. The only help Israel asks is political support, preventing the United Nations from its usual practice of denying Israel its right of self defense. Clearly President Bush's support of Israel is the correct approach. Acting otherwise will be a betrayal of our friends to the great benefit of our enemies.
A. Z. RABINOWITZ
Liberty Township
Journalists should report that Israel is the aggressor
EDITOR:
I would like to urge you and your fellow journalists to properly report the barbaric Israeli attack on Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. Israel is in violation of every rule of engagement, international law, Geneva convention and more than 276 United Nations resolutions, 73 of which have been passed by the U.N. Security Council.
Israel has been the aggressor more than 45 years in this region. Israel has been constantly violating Lebanese airspace, stealing Lebanese natural resources and running covert assassinations within Lebanon for the past 20 years.
Israel holds over 10,000 innocent civilians in its jails. The latest Israeli soldier kidnapping is merely the result of the refusal of Israel to release women and children from its prisons. Israeli military were the target of its enemies, but Israeli targets have been nothing but civilian targets. Deaths on the Israeli side were military. Deaths on the Lebanese and Palestinian side have been civilians.
SAM MAWLAWI
Warren
Schools have options
EDITOR:
As a schoolteacher of 30 years, I saw some drastic changes take place. Most of these did not seem positive to the classroom teachers when they took place and are not looked at as an improvement to our students and teachers today.
One of those is the homogeneous grouping of students. The students who understood new material more quickly were in the quicker classes. This allowed everyone to move at a quicker pace. Example: 9th grade students were classed from 1 to 10, one being the quickest and 10 being the slowest.
Today, teachers have students who want to move more quickly and get bored waiting for teachers to repeat for slower students.
Another issue that can help education at no additional cost to the taxpayers would be classes of the same sex. It is proven that there are less distractions in all-boys or all-girls classes.
The schools are able to improve education, if they want improvement. We must put politics aside and help our students get better educated.
R.A.CANACCI
Youngstown