To the editor: As someone who hopes and prays for a ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and an end to the horrific destruction and loss of civilian life in Gaza, I cannot help but be offended by Mark Ruffalo's unilateral plea to President Biden to somehow, single-handedly, bring about a conclusion to the war.
Where in his scenario has Ruffalo placed the October 7 attack by Hamas? Where has he referred to the role Hamas is playing in the deaths of Gazan civilians by hiding among them? Where does he explain why Hamas leaders keep changing the parameters of the ceasefire negotiations?
How exactly does Ruffalo draw a parallel between President Lyndon Johnson and the Vietnam War, in which Americans were direct participants, and this Israeli war, in which only Israeli soldiers fight and die for the survival of a country surrounded by those bent on eliminating it?
The end of this war cannot come soon enough, but placing the blame solely on Biden and the Israelis is misinformed and shameful.
James Zimring, Tarzana
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To the editor: Hats off to Ruffalo for his op-ed. While the president may turn a deaf ear to his voice, his sincere plea for cutting off U.S. military aid that perpetuates the genocide in Gaza shows that he is not only a good actor, but also a decent humanitarian who embodies care and empathy.
Those who paid tribute to Biden at the Democratic convention conveniently forgot that for the past ten months the man himself has been complicit in genocide in Palestine. The tragedies in his own family apparently taught him nothing about empathy in cases of mass suffering.
By failing to stop Israel’s ongoing slaughter of Gazans, Biden is writing the final chapters of his legacy of senseless massacres, mass displacement, and abject misery for Palestinians. His ignominious demise into political twilight is perhaps the best thing that could have happened to him.
Abdul-Majeed Azad, Columbus, Ohio
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To the editor: Ruffalo omitted a key fact: that Hamas launched the war last October, knowing that Israel would respond with all its might. The disaster in Gaza today is Hamas's sole responsibility.
Hamas could have ended the war any day since October 7, releasing the hostages and accepting reasonable conditions to ensure the security of Israel's border with Gaza. Instead, Hamas has shown no regard for the well-being of Gazans.
Thus, the responsibility for the destruction of Gaza, regrettable as it is, falls on Hamas, whose remaining leaders are hiding in tunnels or in other countries, safe from paying the price of the murder of nearly 1,200 Israelis, Americans and others.
American presidents have long asserted that our country stands between Israel and its mortal enemies. When attacked, Israel does not believe in a proportional response. That is what has kept Israel safe for years. Hamas knew all this when it attacked last October.
Let us hope that Hezbollah in Lebanon will finally stop its attacks, knowing that what happened in Gaza can happen in southern Lebanon if it repeats Hamas's mistake.
Gary Wartik, Camarillo
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To the editor: Disheartened by the status quo in Gaza and the Israeli hostages, he was on the verge of accepting the harsh reality of another protracted war between Israel and the Palestinians.
Ruffalo is right in his article and it gives hope to many people like me that the president will heed this request. If Biden can achieve a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, his legacy will not only be respected at home, but also around the world.
Malayo Sinha, Moorpark
