Editor,

I THANK Rabbi Shmuley Boteach for this awakening message (see the article, "Don’t rely on international community for protection – Jewish rabbi” The New Times, April 14), and I wish Rwanda had the same military might and powerful lobbies (the case of AIPAC in the USA) as Israel. 

Being surrounded by vicious enemies, Israeli Defense Forces had always been invincible.

Jews vowed that they will never be killed again, and so they put mechanisms to defend themselves without waiting for the reticent and dormant international community. 

And if you dare kill them, such as the case of Black September (a Palestinian terrorist organisation responsible for the kidnapping and murder of eleven Israeli athletes and officials, and the fatal shooting of a West German policeman, during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich), Israel will unleash Mossad to man-hunt you – wherever you will be.

The mastermind of that terrorist act ultimately felt the punishing muscle of Israel during the "Operation Wrath of God”.

We Rwandans should learn from this Israeli big lesson. Israel is a self-reliant country that vowed to put the interests of Jews before anything else. You try to spill their blood and you’ll bear consequences.

Interahamwe and its genocidal regime executed the Genocide against the Tutsi while the United Nations and powerful countries crossed their arms. They even knew, through intelligence, that a genocide was being planned. RPA Inkotanyi refused to watch but decided to do something until they single-handedly stopped the massacre.

This is the spirit (in every field) that should be with Rwandans even today, and that’s what Rabbi Shmuley Boteach was talking about.

Mutara Intore, Rwanda

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POWERFUL WORDS by Rabbi Shmuley and he certainly is right in all aspects. I agree that the UN should be more aggressive in genocidal situations in the world. I never understood the crossing of arms and letting it happen.

I am an educator and I teach about the resilience of your people who, today, are moving in a better direction.

I applaud your efforts as Rwandans to rise to greatness again. All of you deserve it. I am in admiration of you all.

Christine Boisvert, Maine, USA