Dear Editor:

It's curious that The New York Times seems to find it surprising that after Hamas was joined by thousands of ordinary Gaza civilians in perpetrating its barbaric massacre on October 7, there isn't a tremendous amount of sympathy for the problems of those in Gaza who overwhelmingly approve of that atrocity. (Israelis Extend Little Sympathy For Gaza Plight; June 24, 2024)

Does anyone express any surprise that the people in Gaza have no sympathy for the Israelis they've murdered and slaughtered? Or that, while Israel has made sure massive amounts of food and other assistance has been sent to the people in Gaza, Hamas has done nothing to help the thousands of Israelis whose families it has destroyed and driven from their homes? Or that Hezbollah has done nothing to help the roughly hundred thousand Israelis it has driven from their homes in the north?

While Israel, like Jews, is systemically subject to double standards, the Palestinian Arabs and their allies are systemically subject to the bigotry of low expectations.

Sincerely,

Alan Stein