Thank you. Very good article. A small island of reality in a big ocean of lies.
I completely agree with the author that critics of Israel and anti-Israeli anti-Semitic media have absolutely no idea what they are writing and talking about. I am horrified by the total illiteracy of the progressive world.
They take lies like a drug, cannot live without it and become hysterical when they do not receive a dose of lies or when they hear the truth instead of lies.
Thank you. I’m not Jewish but I’ve come to understand something of Jewish culture from having been married into it briefly and from visiting Israel. I saw the ‘Nakba’ memorial mural in nazareth portraying the Arab idea of what flag the entire land mass of Israel should be governed under-no room for any Jewish state. I’m very aware nothing like that from a Jewish perspective would ever be allowed in any of the Muslim states surrounding Israel. I’m so glad I went before this happened but if an old ER nurse with bad eyes and arthritis can be useful-I’ve signed on at the Israeli embassy in Canada to help. I can’t sit back and do nothing.
It's a real "mask-off" moment in history. These atrocity apologists are showing us exactly who they are. We need to believe that they really mean it, and not make excuses for them!
Exactly. Unbelievable (yet predictable) to watch virtue signalling idiots claim that a group who repeatedly state that they want to kill Jews and Israelis and who then do exactly that are actually not so bad
Nice post. Cease fire bad idea. Just recently IDF uncovered Hamas guided missile development factory. Hamas needs to be eradicated. Not pretty but they created that reality.
I can also give an example of why a ceasefire is very bad.
First, there are hostages whom Hamas did not plan to keep alive. They were needed for torture, sexual violence and just for fun. Some of them have died, but some are still alive. A truce for them is a death sentence.
Secondly, a ceasefire without the destruction of Hamas means leaving the Gaza Strip, returning to the status quo and, in two or three years, repeating the war. This already happened in 2009, 2012, 2014, 2018...
The ceasefire means the further development of the conflict according to the Hamas plan. And in Hamas's plan, the end result is the destruction of Israel. The ceasefire now is a signal that Hamas is on the right track
All valid points. I do remain extremely concerned about the degree of suffering and the scale of the loss of life however, and find it hard to persuade myself that it is the only course of action available. It may be that that is the case however.
I understand this concern. Many people think that Israelis are soulless bastards who hate Arabs and whose biggest dream in life is to commit genocide before lunch and implement apartheid policies in the afternoon.
In fact, the moral principles of an Israeli soldier are much higher than the moral principles of soldiers of other armies (I served in other armies and I understand a little what I’m talking about).
Israeli soldiers and officers do nothing beyond the necessary defense of their country. This is inherent in education from preschool age and throughout life. This is controlled by strict laws and strict legal and media oversight. All cases of violations of the rules are investigated and known to the whole society. Any attempt to hide or silence gross violations in Israel is impossible. Of course, there are exceptions. Israel is not a perfect country; this is a little better or a little worse than a dozen countries declaring the triumph of democracy and justice.
Therefore, the suffering of any people touches an Israeli no less than, for example, a Norwegian, and, most likely, even more. Israelis know better what suffering from wars is.
I am not asking you to believe that the IDF is doing everything to avoid increasing the suffering of people on the enemy side, there is a lot of information about how the IDF organizes the evacuation of civilians, canceling operations if they could cause harm. Before 7.10, decisions were made that endangered the lives of Israeli soldiers in order to ensure the safety of the population of Gaza.
The time has simply come for it to work against Israel and its citizens. And from the world media I see that the fate of Israeli citizens depends only on the actions of the IDF. It is difficult to count on global support.
A very interesting comment and I agree with a lot of it. My instinct is to try and save as many lives as possible so I remain very worried about the amount of deaths. But as I have not been in the armed forces and have only a very basic understanding of the nature of warfare, military tactics etc I do not feel qualified to seriously comment on what should/should not be done. It is interesting to hear from someone like yourself who has first hand expertise. Which army did you serve in if you don’t mind me asking (fine if you’d rather not say).
Your instinct should be to try to save as many of those that you personally can save and have the ability to do so.
To people who are unavailable to you, you can show empathy, pity and compassion.
In a normal society everything works. If you see danger for someone nearby, you help, call the police, and the entire government structure, including the army, protects people.
This is how it works in Israel. In case of shelling, there are warning systems, rules of behavior during shelling, training, and classes for children. Medicine, security services, police and home front services are required to take care of people. Just like the army.
In the Gaza Strip the opposite is true. The current government, known as Hamas, is only dedicated to fighting Israel. He is not interested in the protection and safety of the population. They don’t even hide it and state it openly. Fuel is not for people, but for war. Food and water are not for people, but for war. Safe rooms are for Hamas, not for the people. That is, they do not have the instinct that they need to save as many people as possible.
Now attention. Your compassion is automatically conveyed to those suffering in the Gaza Strip. Because you are replacing those who should not only have compassion, but also help people in Gaza. You can't help them.
This is where Hamas' plan comes into play. Anyone who has compassion is given a false way out. They point out that Israel is to blame, and if it is stopped, people will stop suffering.
That's exactly how it works.
It is normal to feel compassion, but feeling compassion does not change the fact that Hamas is to blame. And if you stop Israel, people will not get better.
Sorry this is so long, but the point is that compassion is also a weapon of Hamas, and I showed how it works.
As for the army, I also cannot call myself an expert, because 25 years ago I served first in the Soviet army and then in the Russian army. It's hard to say whether this experience is negative or positive, but it helps me understand the current situation.
If there is a cease fire it will only perpetuate the current situation and lives will continue to lost on both sides. The only way this ends is for there to be a clear victor and an unconditional surrender by one side or the other. I choose Israel. While this may currently seem drastic I believe it will actually save lives in the long run.
These people are the biggest frauds on planet earth. They cosplay against imagined oppression and label almost anyone who disagrees with them a ‘Nazi’, a ‘white supremacist’, etc, while downplaying or justifying the almost indescribable savagery of an actually fascist, actually supremacist jihadist death cult, and demonising the victims of that cult.
I don't understand how anyone can still be defending and even be praising Hamas at this point. But then again, I never understood why some people defend (National) Socialism either and yet people keep doing it.
Even worse is if you defend Israel they call you a nazi, if you defend Hamas they say you are fighting for freedom. These are the same people who believe if you wear a MAGA hat you’re a threat to democracy but if you block traffic in a bridge and chant death to America and Israel you are part of the resistance.
The Israeli economy can't survive eternal insecurity on its western, northern and eastern borders. The economy requires absolute security. You can't have daily rockets raining on the country and tunnels being dug everywhere. You can't have hundreds of thousands of people evacuated from the southwest and the north for months at a time. No country can survive like that. For Israel to have a future it must have unquestioned security and that means the total destruction of Hamas and Hezbollah, and ultimately, the destruction of Iran's nuclear capability. This is not negotiable.
Yes, I’ve tried to be as comprehensive as possible with the links and sources as the gaslighting is intense when discussing this issue. Thanks very much for reading and for your comment!
There is no doubt that this will remain in Jewish memory forever. This is difficult for anyone been through. I spoke with Jews, Druze, Bedouin Arabs who were at the scene of the tragedy and saw blown up cars, burned houses, children's car seats and toys scattered on the ground. These people could not even tell what they saw. Several different people in different places told me the same phrase: “I feel like I’ll never be able to smile again.”
I spoke with a man who spent more than a month identifying the bodies of victims, his life changed forever.
I grew up with memories and stories of the cruelty of Nazism and I understood that this was a different, more terrible level of cruelty.
Therefore, when I hear some justifications for this inhuman cruelty, I feel that reason is leaving the planet. That there are suddenly a lot of insensitive zombies in the world, that the world has been taken over by a terrible sect. And that now I don’t have to be afraid of nightmares because everything I can see in a dream won’t be so scary.
Sad reading..... but only because it is an erudite, direct and honest account of a devastating day, and its ramifications, that will change Jewish history forever, Am Yisrael Chai
Excellent essay, captures the extent of the atrocity and doesn't mince words. Appreciate the inclusion of links to support assertions and statements.
Thank you! There’s so much evidence out there the hard part was choosing what to include and what not to tbh!
Thank you. Very good article. A small island of reality in a big ocean of lies.
I completely agree with the author that critics of Israel and anti-Israeli anti-Semitic media have absolutely no idea what they are writing and talking about. I am horrified by the total illiteracy of the progressive world.
They take lies like a drug, cannot live without it and become hysterical when they do not receive a dose of lies or when they hear the truth instead of lies.
Extremely well put and I totally agree.
If they know so little about this topic, what else are they lying about?
Thank you. I’m not Jewish but I’ve come to understand something of Jewish culture from having been married into it briefly and from visiting Israel. I saw the ‘Nakba’ memorial mural in nazareth portraying the Arab idea of what flag the entire land mass of Israel should be governed under-no room for any Jewish state. I’m very aware nothing like that from a Jewish perspective would ever be allowed in any of the Muslim states surrounding Israel. I’m so glad I went before this happened but if an old ER nurse with bad eyes and arthritis can be useful-I’ve signed on at the Israeli embassy in Canada to help. I can’t sit back and do nothing.
That’s great.
It's a real "mask-off" moment in history. These atrocity apologists are showing us exactly who they are. We need to believe that they really mean it, and not make excuses for them!
Exactly. Unbelievable (yet predictable) to watch virtue signalling idiots claim that a group who repeatedly state that they want to kill Jews and Israelis and who then do exactly that are actually not so bad
Nice post. Cease fire bad idea. Just recently IDF uncovered Hamas guided missile development factory. Hamas needs to be eradicated. Not pretty but they created that reality.
Thank you! You may well be right, I am torn on it.
I can also give an example of why a ceasefire is very bad.
First, there are hostages whom Hamas did not plan to keep alive. They were needed for torture, sexual violence and just for fun. Some of them have died, but some are still alive. A truce for them is a death sentence.
Secondly, a ceasefire without the destruction of Hamas means leaving the Gaza Strip, returning to the status quo and, in two or three years, repeating the war. This already happened in 2009, 2012, 2014, 2018...
The ceasefire means the further development of the conflict according to the Hamas plan. And in Hamas's plan, the end result is the destruction of Israel. The ceasefire now is a signal that Hamas is on the right track
and motivation to continue.
All valid points. I do remain extremely concerned about the degree of suffering and the scale of the loss of life however, and find it hard to persuade myself that it is the only course of action available. It may be that that is the case however.
I understand this concern. Many people think that Israelis are soulless bastards who hate Arabs and whose biggest dream in life is to commit genocide before lunch and implement apartheid policies in the afternoon.
In fact, the moral principles of an Israeli soldier are much higher than the moral principles of soldiers of other armies (I served in other armies and I understand a little what I’m talking about).
Israeli soldiers and officers do nothing beyond the necessary defense of their country. This is inherent in education from preschool age and throughout life. This is controlled by strict laws and strict legal and media oversight. All cases of violations of the rules are investigated and known to the whole society. Any attempt to hide or silence gross violations in Israel is impossible. Of course, there are exceptions. Israel is not a perfect country; this is a little better or a little worse than a dozen countries declaring the triumph of democracy and justice.
Therefore, the suffering of any people touches an Israeli no less than, for example, a Norwegian, and, most likely, even more. Israelis know better what suffering from wars is.
I am not asking you to believe that the IDF is doing everything to avoid increasing the suffering of people on the enemy side, there is a lot of information about how the IDF organizes the evacuation of civilians, canceling operations if they could cause harm. Before 7.10, decisions were made that endangered the lives of Israeli soldiers in order to ensure the safety of the population of Gaza.
The time has simply come for it to work against Israel and its citizens. And from the world media I see that the fate of Israeli citizens depends only on the actions of the IDF. It is difficult to count on global support.
A very interesting comment and I agree with a lot of it. My instinct is to try and save as many lives as possible so I remain very worried about the amount of deaths. But as I have not been in the armed forces and have only a very basic understanding of the nature of warfare, military tactics etc I do not feel qualified to seriously comment on what should/should not be done. It is interesting to hear from someone like yourself who has first hand expertise. Which army did you serve in if you don’t mind me asking (fine if you’d rather not say).
I think it works differently.
Your instinct should be to try to save as many of those that you personally can save and have the ability to do so.
To people who are unavailable to you, you can show empathy, pity and compassion.
In a normal society everything works. If you see danger for someone nearby, you help, call the police, and the entire government structure, including the army, protects people.
This is how it works in Israel. In case of shelling, there are warning systems, rules of behavior during shelling, training, and classes for children. Medicine, security services, police and home front services are required to take care of people. Just like the army.
In the Gaza Strip the opposite is true. The current government, known as Hamas, is only dedicated to fighting Israel. He is not interested in the protection and safety of the population. They don’t even hide it and state it openly. Fuel is not for people, but for war. Food and water are not for people, but for war. Safe rooms are for Hamas, not for the people. That is, they do not have the instinct that they need to save as many people as possible.
Now attention. Your compassion is automatically conveyed to those suffering in the Gaza Strip. Because you are replacing those who should not only have compassion, but also help people in Gaza. You can't help them.
This is where Hamas' plan comes into play. Anyone who has compassion is given a false way out. They point out that Israel is to blame, and if it is stopped, people will stop suffering.
That's exactly how it works.
It is normal to feel compassion, but feeling compassion does not change the fact that Hamas is to blame. And if you stop Israel, people will not get better.
Sorry this is so long, but the point is that compassion is also a weapon of Hamas, and I showed how it works.
As for the army, I also cannot call myself an expert, because 25 years ago I served first in the Soviet army and then in the Russian army. It's hard to say whether this experience is negative or positive, but it helps me understand the current situation.
Would you have wanted a cease fire in world war 2 before the Nazis were decimated? This war was totally started by Hamas.
If there is a cease fire it will only perpetuate the current situation and lives will continue to lost on both sides. The only way this ends is for there to be a clear victor and an unconditional surrender by one side or the other. I choose Israel. While this may currently seem drastic I believe it will actually save lives in the long run.
A Quote from the article.
These people are the biggest frauds on planet earth. They cosplay against imagined oppression and label almost anyone who disagrees with them a ‘Nazi’, a ‘white supremacist’, etc, while downplaying or justifying the almost indescribable savagery of an actually fascist, actually supremacist jihadist death cult, and demonising the victims of that cult.
🙌🏼
I don't understand how anyone can still be defending and even be praising Hamas at this point. But then again, I never understood why some people defend (National) Socialism either and yet people keep doing it.
Yep. It’s unforgivable.
Even worse is if you defend Israel they call you a nazi, if you defend Hamas they say you are fighting for freedom. These are the same people who believe if you wear a MAGA hat you’re a threat to democracy but if you block traffic in a bridge and chant death to America and Israel you are part of the resistance.
It’s f’ing sick.
I think you will find Barton Swaim’s recent piece in the WSJ informative and enlightening. https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-antiracism-becomes-antisemitism-american-politics-9f611501?st=xmsl8yppb2i9ny3&reflink=article_copyURL_share
Thanks, I’ll give it a read
The Israeli economy can't survive eternal insecurity on its western, northern and eastern borders. The economy requires absolute security. You can't have daily rockets raining on the country and tunnels being dug everywhere. You can't have hundreds of thousands of people evacuated from the southwest and the north for months at a time. No country can survive like that. For Israel to have a future it must have unquestioned security and that means the total destruction of Hamas and Hezbollah, and ultimately, the destruction of Iran's nuclear capability. This is not negotiable.
That may well be correct. It’s hard to imagine another country putting up with a similar threat.
Specific links and verbatim statements with names and dates are very helpful to counter lies by Hamas supporters.
Yes, I’ve tried to be as comprehensive as possible with the links and sources as the gaslighting is intense when discussing this issue. Thanks very much for reading and for your comment!
Sad reading, but only because it is an erudite, honest and direct account of a devastating, tragic day, that will change Jewish life forever
Thanks you. Yes, an unimaginably horrific day and one that will be ingrained in the Jewish psyche
There is no doubt that this will remain in Jewish memory forever. This is difficult for anyone been through. I spoke with Jews, Druze, Bedouin Arabs who were at the scene of the tragedy and saw blown up cars, burned houses, children's car seats and toys scattered on the ground. These people could not even tell what they saw. Several different people in different places told me the same phrase: “I feel like I’ll never be able to smile again.”
I spoke with a man who spent more than a month identifying the bodies of victims, his life changed forever.
I grew up with memories and stories of the cruelty of Nazism and I understood that this was a different, more terrible level of cruelty.
Therefore, when I hear some justifications for this inhuman cruelty, I feel that reason is leaving the planet. That there are suddenly a lot of insensitive zombies in the world, that the world has been taken over by a terrible sect. And that now I don’t have to be afraid of nightmares because everything I can see in a dream won’t be so scary.
Please leave a comment and let me know what you think of the piece. Thanks!
It brought into "sharp relief" "certain disturbing trends." So very true. Thank you for initiating a hard but necessary discussion.
No problem thanks for reading.
Your piece is well argued and a strong treatise in befuddled times like these. Like me, you cannot/should not keep quiet or still.
Thank you! And I agree, people need to understand what’s happening
Sad reading..... but only because it is an erudite, direct and honest account of a devastating day, and its ramifications, that will change Jewish history forever, Am Yisrael Chai
Thanks!
The absurdities pointed out in this article remind me of one of my favorite satire sites about the Israel-Palestine conflict:
http://www.preoccupiedterritory.com/jnf-shifts-to-planting-only-gharqad-trees/