To the editor:

Nathan Thrall ("How the West Chose War in Gaza," July 17) is correct that the road to war was paved by the West, but not in the way he misleadingly argues.

The road to war was paved when the West did not carry through on its commitment, after Israel completely left Gaza, to monitor the flow of goods going into Gaza to make sure weapons did not flow to the terrorists.

It was paved when the West insisted, contrary to the Oslo Accords, that Hamas be allowed to run in the Palestinian Authority elections.

It was paved when the West did not allow Israel to disarm Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Fatah and the other terror groups in Gaza in 2008 and again in 2012.

There will be repeated "flareups," with ever increasing violence and civilian casualties, until the West stops rescuing the terrorists in Gaza and finally helps to root them out.

Sincerely,

Alan Stein