Sir, – As a doctor who has lived and worked in Lebanon, I am deeply distressed by Israel’s ongoing attacks in Lebanon and Gaza. An expression in Lebanese Arabic that has come to mind in recent days is “to’borni,” a term of endearment meaning “May you bury me.” More poignantly, it can be understood as, “May I die before you, so I don’t have to live even one day without you.”
Today, this tender phrase carries a tragic weight. Over the last year, thousands of families in Lebanon and Gaza have been forced to bury their innocent loved ones after waves of senseless violence.
I also remember the victims of Hamas’s attacks on October 7th, whose families endure similar grief.
More death cannot be the answer. – Yours, etc,
The welcome I received from Jennifer Johnston is something I will never forget
Oscars 2026: Will Hamnet with Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley get a best picture nomination?
‘My son is getting married in the summer, and the likelihood is that I’m going to be able to see that’
Is it true that women need more sleep each night than men?
Dr RALPH HURLEY O’DWYER,
Rathmines,
Dublin 6.
