Fact or Fiction?

So, the war/military action is over, peace reigns throughout the region once again, the 29th of November came, went and saw the blindingly obvious happen at the ever-Israel supportive UN. 

It's easy to sell a story. It needs to be one of two things: either a true story that has some form of interest to the reader, or a work of fiction that is adapted to do the very same thing. The reader connects and enjoys the story. In the case of the outside observer, or international diplomat, they need to find a story that they like the sound of, that fits with their political agenda and makes them look good to their public. And so the narrative of the Palestinian people takes hold, one terminological inexactitude at a time. 

A work of fiction, made believable because people want to believe it, not because it's true. Don't believe me? Here, have a look at this photo taken directly from the official Palestine National Authority website, in the section entitled: Prime Minister, CV. 

"Dr Salam Fayyad was born in Nablus, Palestine in 1952."

Good trick that. 

In 1952, Nablus, Jewish holy sites included, was part of Jordan. Jewish access to aforementioned sites was, of course, forbidden. Palestine, had it existed, would have allowed for Jewish access, of course. That's even in the future plan, according to Abu Mazen himself. Or not. 

Still, it makes for a good CV. And a good story for the world to buy. Or vote for. 

Open letter to Prime Minister David Cameron

Dear Mr Cameron,

As an expatriate British citizen now living in Israel, I feel the need to write to you to express my feelings about the on-going crisis between Israel and Hamas-controlled Gaza. 

Life in much of Israel is, in many ways, almost identical to life in Britain. People get up in the mornings, send their children to school, go to work, try to earn a living and give their families as comfortable a life as possible.  Much like your government, the Israeli leadership comes in for regular criticism on a whole barrage of issues, from the cost of cottage cheese to the number of hours a week forced on newly qualified doctors and the general state of healthcare provision. All this sounds familiar to you, I’m sure, although cottage cheese is probably not as high on the staple-diet list in England and Wales but you get the idea.

We even complain about the cost of fuel.

We have a society that is finding its feet socially and becoming more open and accepting of people from all walks of life. All religions are respected, there is a freedom to choose any religion or none and there are representatives thereof in every single walk of life, including the higher echelons of political power. This too, I’m sure, sounds familiar to you.

Equal rights for all, the backbone to an open, accepting and tolerant society, is the mainstay of Israeli society too. Colour, creed, gender and sexual orientation all comfortably find their place within our society, as they do in yours.

We are also both at war.

Britain is fighting a war against a shadowy enemy whose main goal is the destruction of the British way of life. Israel is fighting a similar war.

Britain is fighting to keep terror away from its shores and its people - so is Israel.

Britain is fighting a war thousands of miles from its own borders - Israel is not.

It is the one ‘luxury’, if one can ever describe any aspect of war as a luxury, which Israel does not possess. Our war is on our very own border; our enemy sits within spitting distance of our towns, villages and civilians and directly threatens not only our way of life but our very lives.

Israel is battling not only for its identity, but for its very survival. It is fighting to allow its citizens the ‘luxury’ to live their lives without having to spend time thinking how far away they are from the nearest bomb shelter;  not to have to worry about whether they will finish their important phone call before yet another air-raid siren shatters the air; not to have to keep the children at home for yet another day, as sending them to school is just too dangerous.

War is evil, at least in the eyes of any person who respects life more than he dreams of death. No right-thinking person wants to go to war. No normal society wants to go to war. Yet war has been thrust upon this tiny land time and time again over the past decades. Israel does not seek war – it seeks peace, however, just as in Britain, if war is forced upon us, then we must fight.

We must fight because our very existence depends upon it.  You and your government are doing the same.  The war in Afghanistan is a war which you claim is just, is defensive and is necessary to protect your way of life thousands of miles away.

Britain and her allies use aerial bombardment of enemy forces, inflicting casualties not only on the militants, or, if you prefer, terrorists, but also on civilians.  According to United Nations figures, over 3,000 civilians have been killed by coalition forces in Afghanistan and this, in a country where the enemy hides and is engaged in mountainous, sparsely populated areas.

Israel, while fighting a similar enemy with similar ideology, is fighting in a densely populated area where civilian casualties are almost totally unavoidable.  This is particularly true as it has been proven time and time again that Hamas and the other militant, or, again, if you prefer, terrorist organisations, specifically hide behind human shields in order to raise the tally of those killed and use them as ammunition in a propaganda war.

William Hague, your Foreign Secretary, issued a rare statement placing the blame for this latest escalation squarely on the shoulders of Hamas. That recognition is appreciated. It is proof that someone is hearing our voice for a change. However, as if to soften the blow to Hamas, an organisation that Britain, the United States and the European Union have all placed on a blacklist of terrorist groups, you have told Israel that not only do you not support a ground offensive, but that Israel in so doing would lose any worldwide support it currently, for want of a better word, enjoys.

What is it, Mr Cameron, that gives you the right to dictate military policy to Israel, to decide what is or isn’t acceptable to the rest of the world, whilst your troops are carrying out identical operations (and with far worse civilian casualties) in a land thousands of miles from your borders?

Why is it, Mr Cameron, that you feel that Israeli operations must come to a halt after days, whilst your troops are fighting a similar war for years?

How is it, Mr Cameron, that you feel you can allow for only a partial victory against terrorism in Gaza, whilst striving for complete success in Afghanistan?

It’s easy to call for Israel to sit down for talks with Hamas. It isn’t so easy to defend that position. There have never been calls for talks between Britain, the USA and Al Qaeda, neither have there been calls to show restraint towards them. There has never been condemnation from any part of the Western world for the assassination of Osama Bin-Laden. In all likelihood, there never will be such a call or condemnation. One cannot discuss peace arrangements with a foe whose entire dogma is based around the very destruction of one’s way of life or of life itself.

Mr Cameron, I can guarantee that Israelis do not want a ground offensive. We would rather know that there is no need to risk the lives of our soldiers as well as the lives of the innocent civilian population in Gaza but we have to end the risk that the terrorists pose to our very own people. If it can be done by agreement, then so be it. However, if a ground offensive is what is required to destroy that threat, then I’m afraid that not only will it go ahead but it will do so with the blessing (and no small amount of fear) of the vast majority of Israel’s population. It will happen despite your hypocritical threats of a loss of world support; support for following a course of action identical to the one in which you are yourself equally as guilty. 

Israel Under Attack

To say that it's been a busy twenty-four hours or so, would be somewhat of an understatement. 

Nationally, Israel, facing an ever-growing threat of rockets to an ever-increasing number of its population, has decided that enough is enough and targeted the leader of the military wing of Hamas. Alongside the targeted hit, several other targets have been destroyed in Gaza by the Israeli Air Force. These targets housed missiles, long-range Fajr5 missiles, capable of hitting Tel Aviv from Gaza. Not wanting to name names or apportion blame on the innocent, but Fajr5 missiles are the product of our friends in Iran. 

The hit

Just as a point of reference, Ahmad Jaabari, the top level commander of the Hamas who was killed by Israel, has more than a short record of terror. Amongst many other lesser known crimes, he was instrumental in the capture and imprisonment of Gilad Shalit (whose human rights were ignored by the world for five years), as well as being responsible either directly or indirectly for the hundreds of missiles that have been fired into Israel over the past few years. 

The world wakes up

Internationally, Israel has faced reaction that has varied in scale, intensity and attitude. The UN, along with its leader Ban Ki-Moon, yes, the very same who expressed his relief that "justice had been done" when the USA hit Mr Bin Laden (of blessed and watery memory), was a little more reserved when it came to yesterday's news. No press release has been forthcoming and no sigh of relief heard or expressed, although an emergency meeting of the Security Council (UNSC) has been called to discuss "Israeli strikes against the Gaza Strip." It took one direct hit from Israel on a known arch-terrorist to kick the UNSC into gear. 150 missiles in four days into Israel from Gaza terrorists is clearly just not bad enough. 

The US State Department has finally issued a strong statement condemning rocket attacks on Israel and supporting Israel's right to defend itself. No other country in the world needs outside support for this right, but it's nice to hear nonetheless. 

The UK, my old stomping ground, is still stomping, calling for restraint from both sides on the Foreign Office's twitter feed. They seemed to keep fairly quiet in the days leading up to this escalation. The FCO does wax lyrical on the situation in Gaza, urging Israel to end restrictions. No such lyrics appear to ask Hamas to end the rocket attacks. 

The Arab world, those beautiful, peace-loving people who have done so little to help their slaughtered brethren in Syria, have suddenly woken up to the plight of their other brethren; but only because it suits their common cause - the hatred of the Zionist entity. Thousands upon thousands of innocent civilians have died in Syria. Many more are left homeless, refugees, scared, maimed, and tortured. Executions are a daily occurrence. No flotilla has been forthcoming. No international outcry of condemnation from the Arab League. No calls for the Security Council to meet. One dead arch-terrorist and pinpoint strikes on weapon caches later, and guess who's joined the party? It'd be funny if it wasn't so obviously tragic. 

Twitterverse

Personally, I have seen that having discussions with open-minded people on what can be loosely termed the left-wing, is nigh on impossible. Twitter is a wonderful place for such exchanges. So far, I have been blocked by one leading anti-Israel gentleman, the infamous Ben White (@benabyad). My exchange with him ended when I asked him if he condones rocket attacks on Israeli civilians. It was a civilised exchange but came to an abrupt halt at this question. No answer was forthcoming and it took me a little while to realise that I could no longer see his tweets. Lucky I have two twitter accounts.

Another exchange was with a young lady in South Africa (@tehillahnis) who couldn't see the difference between celebrating death and demonstrating for peace. I can only presume she fell asleep mid-conversation, or got bored of making up facts that she couldn't corroborate. 

Elsewhere, multiple twitterers, many I can only presume to be part of the Arab world have called for anything ranging from the annihilation of Israel, to the return of gas chambers for Jews, to mass murder of Jews anywhere in the world. The word "genocide" has been bandied about by these same people who can't tell the difference between a direct hit Israel and a government-led massacre of its own people by Hamas or Syria. You choose. 

A game of numbers?

In the meantime, here are some numbers. The world loves using numbers to show the disproportional response undertaken by Israelis, claiming that only a few dead Israelis means we mustn't fight back. Few dead is thanks in no small way to several factors: The Iron Dome anti-missile defence system; Israelis following orders for a change and staying in or close to shelters; luck, or miracle, depending on your view of the world. As I write these lines, reports come in of three Israeli civilians killed in Kiryat Malachi, with four injured, including four children. I wonder how long before the BBC mentions the latter. 

Those numbers:

One million Israelis have spent the night in shelters. 

Those within 7km of Gaza have 15 seconds from the sound of a siren to find somewhere to hide. 

Those within 20km have 30 seconds. 

Those within 40km have 60 seconds. 

If the rockets reach this far, I'll have 90.

It's a sobering thought, but one that Israel, its Government and its Defense Forces, are finally trying to push out of our minds. It's going to be a tough few days ahead, particularly for those within range of the rockets, although, it seems, that even they are prepared to face up to it in the hope that this will bring some much sought-after peace and quiet. 

Flying the flag for Gilad

It's just one moment, that solitary second at a Jewish wedding when all those rejoicing are reminded that all is not well. The groom raises his foot and smashes the glass that's on the floor in front of him. It marks that no Jewish celebration is full of complete joy. At some weddings, a song that tells of the everlasting Jewish dream and hope for a rebuilt Jerusalem and reunited Jewish people is sung either just before the glass is smashed or whilst this is done. Some people I've spoken to have told me that at that moment, as they tinge their joy with sadness, they think of relatives or friends who couldn't join physically in the festivities, but whose spirits are there to celebrate. 

No joy in Judaism is totally free from sadness. And so too, days of joy in Israel are touched by memories of those who helped make dreams a reality and are not around to witness it themselves. The day of celebration of Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel's Independence Day, is always preceded the previous day by Yom Hazikaron, Remembrance Day for all those who fought for and died over many years, including in terror attacks, for that very independence. 

The impending joy of Gilad Shalit's release is more than just touched by sadness - it is engulfed in it. Hundreds of what the Western press calls prisoners, but who should be more accurately described either as terrorists at the very least, or mass murderers at their worst, are about to be released from Israeli prisons. Some will head back to their own homes, some will be exiled, but all will be free. Hundreds of murderers in exchange for one Israeli soldier. It's an awful price to pay. It's a price that no other government would even consider, but one that the Israeli government, after indescribable tormented debate, has no choice but to pay.

It has no choice because of an age old solemn promise that Israel will always look after its soldiers, and the army is sworn never to leave an injured soldier in the field. These are promises that keep morale high in the IDF and in society at large, and if threatened, have the potential to change the very fabric of Israeli society. 

It is a choice enforced by the fact that the Jewish State holds precious the lives of its citizens in a way that no terrorist organisation ever has, does, or will, whether those lives be those of their enemies or even their own people. 

It is a choice that everyone prays will never have to be made again. 

Hundreds of mourning Israeli families, whether or not they were pre-warned, having looked at the list of those being released, are once again grieving for their lost sons, daughters, parents, friends. Israeli society and the Jewish world at large is torn apart. When is the price just too high? When is saving a single life, a life that the ancient Jewish sages tell us is worth an entire world, just not worth it? When should the Israeli government just say no? 

Tomorrow, if the rumours are to be believed and if all goes to plan, Gilad will celebrate his independence. His family will welcome him home, his friends will celebrate, his brothers-in-arms will breathe a sigh of relief. Israeli flags will fly, mine included. But there's something inside that tells me that out of respect to those who are hurting, the flags should only be flown at half-mast. 

Gilad - a citizen of the world?

You're the Prime Minister of Israel.

You have two choices.

1) You negotiate with terrorists, possibly releasing several hundred of their incarcerated, perhaps murderous "brothers". By so doing you release one, just one, captured Israeli soldier.

2) You don't negotiate, and this soldier, who's been held in solitary confinement for five years remains there even longer. 

Either way, you're breaking one of the most solemn promises held for generations by successive governments - either that of not negotiating with terrorists, or that of never leaving a soldier behind. 

I'm glad I'm not the Prime Minister of Israel.

As we approach the fifth anniversary of Gilad Shalit's capture by Hamas, one blogger has started a new initiative, campaigning for the Mayor of London to confer an honorary citizenship on Gilad, as several other cities worldwide have done. It may not bring about his immediate release, but it will raise awareness of Gilad's plight and highlight once again the evil that is Hamas. 

H/T OyVaGoy

Boycott

This video made the rounds some time ago, but as the voices calling for boycotts of Israeli goods increase, maybe it's time for a short, sharp, if slightly tongue-in-cheek, reminder.

The tone may be a little light-hearted, but the issues raised are deadly serious.

So, dear boycott sympathiser, can you really afford to be as politically correct as you claim to be?

Probably not. 

But you'll pretend to, anyway...  

Work Accident

Few phrases in news related to Israel upset me as much as the title of this post. 

A "work accident" gives the impression that someone going about their daily, legal, legitimate business has been injured or killed in a regrettable incident. 

In this brief report in "Haaretz", along with many others in various news outlets in the past, it refers to terrorists, in this case three members of Hamas, being killed by their own explosives. They were, undoubtedly, preparing them for use against the Israeli population. 

This sort of activity may be "work" for Hamas, but to call such incidents "Work Accidents" lends them an air of legitimacy. 

Perhaps "Reverse Engineering" or "Boomerang Terrorism" would be more appropriate? 

Make mine a Double

Double standard, that is. 

In the aftermath of Osama Bin Laden's death, the West in the form of European leaders and the United Nations have gone out of their way to congratulate America on this triumph over terror. 

The hypocrisy of the West is shocking, but unsurprising. The very fact of his death, in a targeted killing, has brought what can only be described as joy to millions. Whilst watching scenes of jubilation across the United States, I have to admit that I understood that joy, but felt a little uncomfortable with how much these scenes of celebration reminded me of the celebrations held in Gaza and other parts of the Arab world after September 11th 2001, and more recently after the massacre of the Fogel family in Itamar. Having said that, I'm not comparing the events. In the latter cases people were celebrating evil and the murder of innocents, whilst in New York and Washington they were celebrating the demise of one of the purveyors of that evil. 

His death, as the news has been slowly revealed over the last few days, came about in a combat action, despite the fact that he was unarmed and reportedly ill at the time. The comparisons with Sheikh Yassin, the Hamas leader killed in 2004, are inevitable. Yet the United Nations along with several Western leaders have lauded the death of Bin Laden as a strike at the heart of terrorism. 

When Israel killed Sheikh Yassin, who was also supposedly ill and unarmed, it was accused of war crimes, of illegal executions and wrongful assassinations. His death was even described as tragic by the now, thankfully, defunct UN Commission on Human Rights. This was a man who was directly responsible for ongoing terrorism against the people of Israel, and multiple lethal attacks prior to his death. Israel's actions were said to "...not do anything to help the search for a peaceful solution." (Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General at the time.)

You can't have it both ways. Either the death of a terrorist is a good thing, or it is a bad thing. 

Either the extra-judicial killing of an arch-terrorist is a move towards peace or a step away from it. 

If the USofA was right in its actions, then so was Israel. 

The West, its leaders and its people, owe themselves as well as Israel, a little honesty. It shouldn't be that difficult, but seeing the inevitable hypocrisy rear its ugly head, it could drive a man to drink. 

Just make mine a double. 

Yom Hashoah

Tonight marks the start of Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Memorial day, in Israel. It is the day when, as a nation, the Jewish people mourn the loss of six million souls of their brothers and sisters in a systematic slaughter designed to wipe out the Jewish people, particularly in Europe. The Holocaust was part of a war that took the lives of millions more, and neither should be forgotten.

Only a few days ago, on Seder night, we read a short part of the Hagadda, that reminds us that throughout the generations there has always been somebody who wanted to do the same, and how, against all the odds, the Jews triumph, rise from the ashes, and continue to grow and develop. 

Our generation has no shortage of enemies who would love to claim to have completed Hitler's final solution, not least amongst whom are Hamas. In just a few short pages, StandWithUs show key parts of Hamas's charter, publicly declaring their aim at destroying Israel as a Jewish state, and the Jews within it. 

Jewish people have much to be proud of, as do all Israelis - not least of which is the power of their collective memory and determination to prevent the history of evil from repeating itself. 

The concept of remembering six million people is almost impossible, but it's easy to remember and pass on the heritage of one or two people at a time. You can search the database at Yad Vashem's website, and light a candle in the memory of one person. Maybe choose someone who had a similar name to yours, was a similar age, but choose someone. Learn what you can about them, even if it is only their name, and make sure that their memory is cherished by at least one other person. 

יהי זכרם ברוך -Yehi Zichram Baruch - May their memory bring a blessing for us all, and may we never forget what is so important for us all, Jews and non-Jews alike, to remember. 

Announcements

I've just read that Hamas and Fatah have announced a reconciliation and a renewed partnership. At a meeting in Cairo they've signed "an understanding" that they will, amongst other things, bring about a Palestinian state and put a stop to the Judaisation of Jerusalem. Not a word about actually making peace with their neighbours.

Personally I'd have hoped for a much more important announcement prior to this one, particularly from Hamas: a cessation of violence against Israel and Israelis. 

Brothers in Arms? 

Until they do, until they change their charter that calls for the destruction of Israel as a Jewish state - they're nothing more than the terrorist group that they have been up until now. The only difference now is that Fatah, the so-called moderate wing of the Palestinians, are to become their accomplices. Interesting choice, considering how Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007 by torturing, imprisoning, exiling and even killing many of their Fatah brethren. (See photo - Hamas terrorist masked and armed, threatening his "brothers" as they're marched, humiliated, through the streets to an unknown fate.) 

Prime Minister Netanyahu has tried to warn Fatah of the dangers of walking back into the arms of Hamas, but to no avail. According to Fatah, however, Hamas are part of the fabric of the Palestinians, and therefore reestablishing their relationship is more important than dialogue with Israel, despite the fact that there's so much more to be gained for by Fatah through such negotiation. 

Peace needs partners. Somehow, I can't see this partnership bringing much peace, either for themselves, or, more importantly, for Israel. 

Hasbara in Arabic

Five minutes of perfect Hasbara.

An IDF spokesperson, Avichai Edrei, speaks on Al-Jazeera television.

In Arabic.

No mincing of words.

No mixed messages, one for the world and one for the citizens. We know who does that, right?

Just one simple message - You want peace? Put down your weapons.

There are subtitles in Hebrew and English - definitely worth watching and spreading.



H/T "The Muqata"