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To the editor:
When President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu meet, both UN human rights agencies and human rights NGOs have to work overtime to keep track of endless violations of international law, committed with impunity, by these leaders. Two recent examples are the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, and Israel’s latest invasion of Lebanon.
The U.S. and Israel attacked Iran twice since June 2025. When the bombings began, Washington had been participating in promising negotiations with Tehran. These attacks violate a basic principle of international law, clearly stated in the UN charter. Nations are prohibited from using or threatening to use force against another nation, except when authorized by the UN security council, or in self-defense. Neither condition applied to the Iran attacks.
On Feb. 28, the first day of the second attack, Israel assassinated the Ayatollah as well as senior Iranian commanders and officials. Because there was no ongoing armed conflict, these targeted assassinations were violations of the UN charter (Article 2 (4)). They do not comply with international humanitarian law.
In November 2024, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire. Israel still carried out near-daily airstrikes that killed over 300 people.
According to the UN, it violated the ceasefire over 10,000 times. Since March 2, 2026, Israel, with US arms and other support, has relentlessly bombed south Lebanon, Beirut and other cities while launching a ground invasion in the south. It now controls 10 percent of Lebanon.
Israel claims its focus is on disarming and dismantling Hezbollah. During this invasion, however, it has killed over 2,100 people, including women and children, injured thousands more, extensively destroyed civilian infrastructure, bombed bridges that connect south Lebanon to the rest of the country and displaced an estimated 1.2 million people. These multiple actions violate international humanitarian law.
Taxpayers, including NYC residents, have to foot the bill for what are illegal and militaristic policies. They should hold accountable politicians who are responsible for these policies.
Howard Elterman
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Valete
I could not in good conscience ignore Mr. Elterman’s one-sided essay on the military actions of the United States and Israel against Iran and Lebanon .
Perhaps Mr. Elterman’s letter is influenced by tunnel vision or preconceptions, but in either case, he has neglected to present the complete narrative of the Iran war and failed to explain the connection between Iran and Lebanon.
To complete Mr. Elterman’s narrative, it’s important to mention Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite militant group allied with Iran, frequently chants death to Israel. Iran and its proxies have committed countless atrocities against Israel and America’s military, a narrative Mr. Elterman has conveniently ignored in his essay.
Mr. Elterman, as you rightly point out, taxpayers must bear the financial burden of controversial militaristic policies because the cost of freedom and global stability has always been substantial, both in terms of economic and military expenses.
In conclusion, my final conscious thoughts on this matter in free verse : “In essence, global peace is like the ephemeral winds that swiftly pass and disappear into the annals of history.”
--Word man--
Thursday, April 23 Report this
namrogm
Absurd Man, you remind me me of TS Eliot's "Hollow Men," empty except for your attacks on the truth in support the malicious Trump and the genocidal killer, Bibi Netanyahu. Your free verse is free alright - free from truth, free from objectivity and free from rational thought. However, you ar entertaining, so keep up the nonsense.
Thursday, April 23 Report this
namrogm
Word Man’s critique of Mr Elterman’s accurate criticism of Trump’s and Netanyahu’s violation of international humanitarian law displays his bias for the two criminals who are also war criminals. Word Man’s free verse about global peace makes no sense except as an attempt to excuse war criminals. Global peace has nothing to do with ephemeral winds, and it is only achieved by honest and courageous leaders who unselfishly do the right thing for their own nations and for the people of other nations.
Saturday, April 25 Report this
Valete
My post provides additional factual information to Mr. Elterman’s essay, thereby completing his narrative.
In my poetic composition, the term “ephemeral winds” serves as a metaphorical representation of global peace, a transient phenomenon in the annals of history. Consequently, this metaphor effectively encapsulates the ephemeral nature of global peace.
If you were a student of literature and poetry, you would have grasped the metaphor “namrogm.”
Sunday, April 26 Report this