Tag Archives: Gaza
Recently I found myself more frequently engaged in discussion about the event that not so long ago changed everything. That turning point in one’s life that impacts how one thinks and even acts, very possibly for the rest of their lives. Although, as in this case, it is so often a tragedy, it can also be such a positive paradigm shift that it not only remakes the tragedy, but occasionally makes you feel a debt of gratitude to the victims.
The tragedy I am referring to is the kidnapping and subsequent murder of Naftali Frenkel, Eyal Yifrach, and Gilad Shaar. So much has been written about the impact their loss had on the events that took place in the weeks that followed. The evidence that Hamas was responsible for their murder, together with the ongoing barrage of rockets being fired into Israel, was the motivating force for Israel’s operation into Gaza this past summer. As we know, the operation uncovered the terror tunnels built by Hamas to carry out potentially devastating terrorist attacks. It’s widely been recognized, even by Naftali Frenkel’s mother, that the death of the boys, as tragic as it was, saved many lives. That was the immediate impact. What we don’t know yet is the impact their deaths will have moving forward based on the residual effect of the events that have taken place. We will learn that as time goes on. What I do know right now however, is the profound effect the tragedy had on me personally and many like me.
There is a major difference between turning to hate and no longer being tolerant of evil. Granted it is sometimes hard to distinguish between the two, but doing so is important. Baseless hatred and anger can be and often is more destructive than beneficial. However, being aware of what is happening around you, recognizing the truth no matter how harsh it may be, and knowing who your enemies are is something positive that can save lives today and in the future. Tolerance for one’s enemy is not a good quality. It’s dangerous, even life threatening. Being a moderate in this day and age is a luxury we can no longer afford. It is something I once was and now no longer am. That ended when the boys were found dead. When they were declared kidnapped I became involved like so many others did, getting behind the rallying cry of “Bring back our boys”. When they were found murdered, I had finally had enough. My limit of tolerance had been exceeded and I was changed for what I believe is most likely forever.
The Jewish High Holidays make many of us extremely reflective, and when I reflected on the change that had taken place in me as a result of these boys deaths, as sad as the event made me, I came to the conclusion that it made me a better person. It made me care a lot more about the well-being of others as opposed to primarily caring about myself. It made everything my parents taught me growing up blend together in a way it never had till now. It made me feel that I no longer am happy not being part of the problem. Now I want to be part of the solution. I want to be one more voice for Israel and the Jewish people. I want to be one more voice for humanity, for what is right. When I reflected on this over Rosh Hashana, I wanted to thank these 3 young men for having such a profound impact on my life. Unfortunately, as we all know, I’ll never be able to express my gratitude to them directly. But what I can do is tell their mothers and fathers that in more ways than they can imagine, their boys changed the world. They changed my world. They made me and so many others care more about the things that are really important. Their lives were far too short, but their lives had such deep meaning, and because of that they will never be forgotten. Because their deaths caused others like myself to become better people, it may translate into saving more lives down the road, and I can’t imagine a better way to honor their memory and to bless their souls.
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Leave a comment | tags: Bring Back our Boys, Eyal Yifrach, Gaza, Gilad Shaar, Israel, Jewish people, Naftali Frenkel, Rosh Hashana | posted in Uncategorized
Dear Mr. Zanoli,
Maybe it’s the fact that I am the son of Dutch Jews who survived the Holocaust and that I have an inherent faith in the people of Holland, but when I first heard this story I knew something had to be wrong. Please don’t misunderstand me. I know the Dutch are from perfect and that with the ultra liberal influence in the country it is certainly possible that someone could come to a misguided conclusion as to what is a human rights issue and what is not a human rights issue. I also know there is a growing and increasingly powerful Muslim population in Holland which could very well lead to someone getting misinformation when it comes to events regarding Israel and Gaza. I took all of this into account and subsequently remained silent when I heard of how you returned your Holocaust medal because you felt you could no longer hold the honor due to the death of 6 of your relatives from an Israeli bombing in Gaza. After all, who am I to criticize a man of your courage and decency?
Mr. Zanoli, your actions speak for themselves. You saved a Jewish child from the Nazis putting yourself in grave danger. That in itself should tell everyone that your intentions are good. My concern here is not with your intentions but with the intentions of those close to you.
Sir, my mother is 92 years old and I often believe sharper than many people half her age, so unlike many others I do not have some preconceived notion that your age impacted your decision. The only impact I believe your age has is in on your value system. By that I mean that you have an old-fashioned and decent value system. All this leads me to believe that in giving back your medal you did so because you felt the deaths of your family members in Gaza was an act by the Israeli government in direct contradiction with those values. What I am not sure of however, is whether or not you know the whole story.
I am truly sorry for the deaths of any and all innocent civilians, particularly the members of your family that were killed in the aforementioned bombing. I truly am. I am also saddened by any grief this may have caused you. That said I am concerned as to whether or not you are aware of the unfortunate connection certain members of this family have to Hamas, an organization with ideologies similar to those of the Nazis. Although the BBC made every effort to avoid telling this part of the story, your great-niece, the woman who married into this Palestinian family, has a brother-in-law who is a member of Hamas’ Al Qassam Brigades. This is a terrorist organization committed to the death of Jews to the same extent that the Nazis were when you behaved in the courageous and righteous fashion that you did so many years ago. My understanding is that her brother-in-law was in the house at the time of the bombing. It has also been reported that visiting the home on the day of the bombing was Mohammed Maqadmeh, also a member of Al Qassam. To put it in a different perspective, Al Qassam is to Hamas what the SS was to the Nazis. Brutal murderers with almost no conscience. Again let me say that you have my most sincere condolences for your loss, but I believe the presence of 2 terrorists on the premises at the time of the bombing is an important factor that can not be ignored.
Putting this in perspective, the allies killed at least 25,000 Germans in the bombing of Dresden. Many were civilians who had nothing to do with the war. However, the enemy they were fighting was evil, and despite the close connection they may have to you, this part of your family consisted of, or interacted with people who were just as evil. I am not saying the family deserved to die. I would never say that. But just like there were innocent people that died in Dresden to help preserve our freedom then, unfortunately there are innocent people that will die to preserve our freedom now. It is just an additional tragedy that they were related to you.
Mr. Zanoli, there is no question that the innocent women and children that were killed this past summer in Gaza are tragic victims of a most unfortunate situation. However, with these new details coming to light they sadly may have been victims of the cynical actions of the members of Hamas who consistently used their citizens as human shields. I am hopeful that you understand that these are people who would not hesitate to do this to your family regardless of how close they may seem to you and despite the decency you’ve exhibited in your life.
Once again, it is my respect for you and human life that makes me feel sadness for your loss. I just hope the picture is entirely clear to you. You at the very least deserve that much from people who may claim to care about you.
Sincerely,
David Groen
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6 Comments | tags: Al Qassam, BBC, Dresden, Dutch, Dutch Jews, Dutchman, Gaza, Germans, Hamas, Henk Zanoli, Holland, Holocaust, Israel, Jewish, Jews, Mohammed Maqadmeh, Muslim, Nazis, Palestinian, SS | posted in Uncategorized
Dear Mr. Gates,
There is an excellent chance that you will never read this. It is my hope however, that at the very least, someone makes you aware of this letter, for in it I am showing appreciation for your actions and overall approach towards the world’s problems. What makes this so important and frankly somewhat personal, is that it is a lot more common for the famous of the world to gravitate towards the “popular” issues and nowadays that often means attacking Israel, something you clearly do not do. On the contrary, while others look for and often fabricate reasons to hate Israel, in this clip (CLICK HERE) you speak highly of Israel’s achievements in technology.
While so many are weighing in on Gaza, Israel, and the rise of ISIS, on your Twitter page you see more about Ethiopia, Rwanda, Ebola, and education. To be quite honest, I am just as guilty of this as anyone. Most of my letters and articles discuss Israel, Gaza, and the rise of terrorism. Like so many others out there, I am far too ignorant to what is happening in other parts of the world or the challenges facing us in the United States. That is why I am so grateful to you at this time. I have constantly sat here questioning where everyone is when there are true human rights violations and people who are suffering in tragically large numbers. I am not alone in feeling this way. As a Jew and a Zionist, I sit here wondering why people remain silent to the suffering of millions of people but open their mouths all of a sudden when Israel bombs Gaza in defense of their homeland. So today when I looked at your Twitter page and saw what you wrote about your trip to Ethiopia, your concern for the well-being of those in Rwanda, and the attention you gave to the rising danger of the Ebola virus, I couldn’t help but think, this man truly gets it. This really is a good man. (CLICK HERE FOR BILL GATES BLOG, GATENOTES)
You do not stop there. You are clearly focusing tremendously on education, something so critical to the future of America.
It must not be ignored that your “involvement” in issues also means that you provide tremendous amounts of resources providing substantial funds to help these causes. My point being, you are the furthest thing from all talk. You are doing many special things and providing so much for many of the most needy people of the world.
Mr. Gates, I am no one particularly important in the world’s big picture. I have somewhat of an audience, but it pales in comparison to many others and I am certainly a small fish in a very large ocean. As I said to start this letter, I don’t imagine you will ever see this, but to be honest, seeing all the good you are actually doing, I truly believe you have more important things to do with your time. I just wanted to say that this small fish appreciates your genuine efforts to make the world a better place and hopes that others who prefer to spend their time obsessed with what Israel does will spend more time worrying about the millions of people out there neglected even if it’s not as big or popular of a news story.
Wishing you continued strength and success in your efforts.
Sincerely,
David Groen
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Leave a comment | tags: America, Bill Gates, Ebola, Ethiopia, Gates Notes, Gaza, human rights violations, ISIS, Israel, Jew, Rwanda, terrorism, Twitter, United States, Zionist | posted in Uncategorized
Dear Mr. Eckford,
I am a Jewish activist and author living in New York who was made aware of your stance on the Canadian government’s approach towards Israel by one of my friends and followers on social media. As per his request I am reaching out to you in response to some of the comments you made on your radio show in Vancouver regarding the war and ongoing situation in Gaza. Albert Einstein once said, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. So is a lot.” Well as evidenced in your statements. you have the first part covered. You certainly know a little. However, if you knew a lot you might see this very differently. Then again, not knowing you and how you feel about Jews in general, I wonder if it would make much of a difference.
You’re not well-known at all in my neck of the woods and I am guessing not in many places outside Western Canada, but because of an uncommon twist to your statements I was intrigued enough to take a half an hour out of my time to write to you. The twist I’m referring to is that unlike so many others who speak out against Israel, you are actually aware and willing to admit the fact that Hamas wants to not only destroy Israel but murder every Jew worldwide. You are also correct in the statement you make about the people of Gaza being trapped. And as far as your comments stating that the only peaceful outcome to the situation is a 2 State solution, although it’s a debatable subject, one I no longer have much faith in, it is a reasonable opinion on your part.
And there you have it. I’ve just reviewed the small amount of knowledge you have and once again seen why Albert Einstein truly was a genius. For you went on to say that Israel’s actions were acts of barbarism. Disproportionate, disgusting, inhumane. That the people of Gaza are trapped, implying it is of Israel’s doing. In saying these things and leaving out some very important points either out of malice or ignorance, your knowledge becomes dangerous due to the fact that people listen to your show and believe they are learning truths from you. That is why I needed to write this letter.
You see Mr. Eckford, your Canadian government, as it so often does in so many instances, is indeed getting it right. Lead by one of the world’s great leaders Stephen Harper, the government of Canada realizes that by supporting Israel it is indeed supporting peace. Words like barbarism and eradication are not words to be thrown around irresponsibly. War is tragic no matter which way you look at it. That does not mean however that it is never necessary. You said the people of Gaza are trapped. That they are, but not by Israel, by Hamas. If you look at Israel’s track record with Egypt and Jordan, nations that once were at war with Israel as well, once they were willing to stop fighting Israel and peace was declared, there was a degree of normalization of relations between the countries. If you think that Israelis don’t dream of a Gaza where they could vacation rather than bomb, you know nothing about the mentality of the Jewish state. That dream is at least for now, destroyed by Hamas. They took the money provided to develop and build the territory and instead bought missiles and built terror tunnels. The poverty in Gaza is created by Hamas to perpetuate hate and frustration and the people are made to believe it is a result of Israeli occupation. But Israel neither does, nor do they want to occupy Gaza. Hamas teaches the children to be terrorists. They will do anything to destroy Israel, even destroy their own people. The difference is very clear. Israel does things they wish they did not have to do in order to provide safety and security to their people, not as you so irresponsibly said, to eradicate a people. Hamas does everything they do to eradicate Israel.
Benjamin Netanyahu once said, “if the Arabs put down their weapons there would be no more war. If Israel put down their weapons there would be no more Israel.” Israel did not bomb Gaza because, as you made it sound, they wanted to. They bombed Gaza because they were given no other choice. When Hezbollah does it in the north will you criticize Israel for fighting back then too? Assuming of course they are winning. Maybe if they are losing or suffering major casualties it will be just fine. It will be fair, proportionate, not as you called it “lopsided, disgusting, inhumane”. Does that imply if more Israelis had been killed it would have been humane? The only reason there was a disproportionate amount of deaths in the Gaza war Mr. Eckford was because Hamas was not successful in its attempts to kill tens of thousands of Jews. You, like so many others with a bias against Israel seem to be mad at Israel for not allowing themselves to take a beating. Well I am here to put you on notice Mr. Eckford. The Jewish people are not prepared to be victims any longer. Not victims of Hamas, Iran, and not of a DJ in Western Canada with a little bit of knowledge. I have a suggestion and a challenge. The suggestion is you raise the level of your knowledge before you speak about Israel again, and the challenge is, if you want, to invite me to debate you on your show. Or do you prefer to have no one challenge you when you impart what is merely a little bit of knowledge? I look forward to finding out.
Sincerely,
David Groen
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5 Comments | tags: Albert Einstein, BC, Canada, Canadian government, CKNW AM 980, Egypt, Gaza, Hamas, Hezbollah, Israel, Jew, Jordan, Mike Eckford, New York, Stephen Harper, The Shift, Vancouver, Western Canada | posted in Uncategorized
It’s Sunday, I love Football and I am preparing my Fantasy Football squad, but I saw something that angered me so much I was compelled to post it now. I clicked something titled, “Ever wonder what the past looked like in color”. The first picture was this picture. It is an 18-year-old Jewish Russian girl the day Dachau Concentration Camp was liberated. I challenge all those anti-Semites who draw comparisons of Israel’s actions in Gaza to the Nazi’s treatment of the Jews to find me one, ONE 18-year-old Palestinian girl who was put through anything close to what this poor girl was put through. Don’t bother. You won’t find it and never will. It’s another example of how the truth is secondary to hatred of Israel and the Jews and how for some bizarre reason people believe things even when they are clearly lies.
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7 Comments | tags: Dachau Concentration Camp, Fantasy Football, Gaza, Israel, Jewish, Nazis, NFL Football, Palestinian, Russian, Sunday | posted in Uncategorized
I’ve recently been, for lack of a better term, creeping or trolling on pro-Palestinian anti-Israel websites to get a sense of the latest lies being told and what the latest propaganda is coming out what I like to call, the Hamas information center.
A perfect example of this is the story they tell behind Israel’s financial reasons for “ethnic cleansing” in Gaza, particularly in light of a current arrangement Israel made with Jordan. Israel will be supplying Jordan, a nation primarily consisting of Palestinians, with Natural Gas. The story being told on some of the websites is that Gaza is sitting on an enormous amount of natural gas and that the real reason for the operation was to rid the area of Palestinians so that Israel could harvest the natural gas unimpeded. Of course it has nothing to do with a constant barrage of missiles, kidnappings, murders and years of other terrorist activity. It has nothing to do with a charter of Hamas that calls for the death of all Jews. Not to mention how ridiculous it is to claim Israel is killing off Palestinians in Gaza to facilitate providing Palestinians in Jordan with a more efficient and affordable source of energy. But again, it doesn’t have to make sense when it’s an indictment on Israel.
Then there are these claims, the first of which may enrage many as it did me, claiming the 3 Yeshiva boys actually died in a car accident and Israel used it as an excuse to attack Gaza. One person even goes as far as claiming the Israeli government killed the boys for this purpose.
And of course this weeks Number 1 on the Hit list, “ISIS, ISIS Baby.” In this case the lie is being promoted by none other than Fidel Castro (I swear I thought he was dead and sorry, I kind of wish he was) who backs up the claim that Israel created ISIS to create division within the Arab world and did so with the likes of the U.S. and U.K. The following is displayed on top of a picture of ISIS leader al-Bagdadi, implying he said these exacts words, “We kill every man, woman, child Shia, Sunni…Zoroastrian, Kurd or Christian. But we don’t touch Israel”. Yeah, that makes sense. Israel helps establish a Jihadist organization brutally killing Christians in its own backyard and helps mold them into a group that hates Jews even more than Christians. It’s so ridiculous that if you were watching it in the movie theater you would likely walk out because it was too unrealistic. But when it comes to Israel the first rule of storytelling isn’t that it makes sense. The first rule is that it makes Israel look bad to as many people as possible. Even when logic totally destroys the premise and contradicts the lie, these people still choose to believe it if it makes Israel guilty of something.
There were 2 comments in one group that were particularly enjoyable to read merely because it showed there are actual voices of reason. Either that or there are people who take it a little further than I do, make up names and attempt to wreak some havoc. Here are my 2 favorite comments.
The first comment I loved was:
“I wonder from where Hamas’ propaganda machine will get more photos of dead children now that the fighting is over. Oh well, guess there are plenty of dead children in Syria and Iraq that you don’t care about…”
And my personal favorite:
“Thank you Hamas for enslaving us and protecting us! I love how you never let me out of my house and killed my entire family. Thank you!”
Of course it doesn’t matter, because for those who believe the lies, those comments are the words of the brainwashed or misguided. They must be if they don’t think Israel does everything wrong, no matter how little sense it might make.
I’ll understand if you say, “I don’t care what idiots say”, but the problem is, there are a lot of idiots. And occasionally they do more than just talk or type. In the meantime I admit that when I see these things I go back and forth between amused and disturbed. Amused by how bizarre some of these claims are, and disturbed by the overwhelming amount of people who believe the lies no matter how crazy they may sound. But what do I know about the truth? I’m a Zionist.
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Leave a comment | tags: 3 yeshiva students, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, anti-Israel, Bring Back our Boys, Christian, ethnic cleansing, Facebook, Fidel Castro, Gaza, Hamas, ISIS, Israel, Jews, Jihadist, Jordan, Kurd, natural gas, Palestinian, pro-Palestinian, Shia, Sunni, U.K., U.S., Zionist, Zoroastrians | posted in Uncategorized
Dear Russell,
Frankly I am not sure what upsets me more, the fact that you are still talking or the fact that last week the Huffington Post chose to provide you with a forum to regurgitate more of your self-serving ramblings(CLICK HERE TO READ THE OP-ED). I am glad you think you’re not an anti-Semite because indeed that may be a step in the right direction, but unless you wrote that piece after once again dropping acid, something that in the past gave you your “pro-Jewish” epiphany, you are missing some very important points in your argument.
First of all, there is no fair way to discuss Israel’s military action in Gaza without mentioning the terrorist activities of Hamas. Not only do you not do that, you never once even mention Hamas. I maintain, as I did in my last letter to you(CLICK HERE TO READ), that you, like so many others don’t go after terrorist groups as hard as you go after Israel because you know the Israeli government won’t hunt you down and kill you in the street. Hamas just might. So conveniently leaving Hamas out of the discussion, and with all the dribble you wrote I am sure it was not a mere oversight, you are once again showing your cowardice.
Here is why mentioning Hamas is so key to the discussion. You claim the actions by Israel are based in the economic gains of a right-wing government aligned with right-wing institutions in other parts of the world. You do not back it up with facts, facts I would love to see because it would be enlightening to see how the Gaza campaign did anything to better anyone economically. In truth the Gaza campaign was necessary, and sadly more campaigns will be in the future, because the ruling party of Gaza is sworn to the destruction of Israel and to the death of all Jews. You somehow missed that in your long Op Ed professing your love for the Jewish people.
Allow me to teach you something you are required to learn if you do not want to be deemed an anti-Semite or someone who promotes anti-Semitism. What you need to understand is more than just what you choose to see about an Israeli government. What you need to grasp better is the concept of the modern State of Israel.
The State of Israel declared independence in 1948, 3 years removed from the murder of 6 millions Jews. Or as your buddy Khaleed Meshaal says, a genocide only half as bad as what Israel committed in Gaza. Israel was not set up as a way for Jews to colonize the entire Middle East or commit atrocities. It was set up as a safe-haven, a guardian nation so to speak, for a race of people, my people incidentally, that was devastated in an unspeakable fashion. The State of Israel was in somewhat set up as a nation designed to guarantee that what happened to the Jewish people under Hitler would indeed never happen again. So when you promote political and philosophical viewpoints that put the State of Israel in danger for its life, you don’t merely attack Benjamin Netanyahu and Likud, you attack Jews worldwide. You may claim that you are not an anti-Semite, but your statements increase the likelihood of many dead Jews. Regardless of what you claim to be your intentions, it doesn’t get much more anti-Semitic than that.
I loved this line of yours in your Op Ed: “It is the exclusion of the sane majority that allows extremists to prosper. The insanity across the Middle East is so deeply terrifying and giddyingly futile that most people, despondent and bilious want to look away.” And yet, no mention of Hamas. No mention of terrorism. No mention of how similar Hamas is to ISIS or how Israel gives more civil rights to their Muslim citizens than almost every Arab country. It seems like you almost get it sometimes, but then your personal bias or delusion takes over and you revert back to the Neo anti-Semite you so don’t want to be. Cough cough.
Although most people seemed to like my first letter to you, there were some disturbed my personal attacks on you. I almost felt bad about it till I read how in referring to Bill O’Reilly you said he was “A hollering parasite of his own punctured anus,” and Sean Hannity you called a “Fox News’ shop-dummy-polemicist.” I feel much better about calling you an idiot and a coward now. Something I still believe to be true.
Since you claim to believe in positive action, here’s a suggestion for some very positive action. Shut up. You are actually doing more harm than good. I know you think you are this generations Jesus, but in truth you are merely a court jester giving more Brits the ultimate justification to jump on a plane to Syria, (via Turkey) to sign up for ISIS and battle the west you clearly seem to hate so much. Funny enough, it’s the same west that made you rich. I think you need to realize there is something far worse than being so despondent and bilious that you want to look away. It’s looking right at it and ignoring the truth. Something anti-Semites are very good at.
Sincerely,
David Groen
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Leave a comment | tags: 1948, anti-Semite, Benjamin Netanyahu, Bill O'Reilly, FOX News, Gaza, Hamas, Hitler, Huffington Post, ISIS, Israel, Jesus, Jews, Khaleed Meshaal, Likud, Middle East, Muslim, pro-Jewish, Russell Brand, Sean Hannity, State of Israel, Syria, turkey | posted in Uncategorized
Long before it became the newest fad to feign concern for the well-being of the civilians in Gaza, Israeli civilians were being murdered by Hamas terrorists. Blown up in Pizza places, malls, bus stops, murdered in their homes or anywhere the terrorists could find them. Young children, sometimes babies, often member of the same family. The following list is a partial list of civilians TARGETED. They were not collateral damage. They were targeted and the criminals who targeted them were seen as heroes by the same people so many in the world choose to defend today. Thank you to Baruch Bruno Sharaby for researching this list and posting it on a thread in Facebook. PLEASE SHARE.
IsraelAlexander Sandler (5) R.I.P
Gabriel Issachar Sandler (3) R.I.P
Daniel Ariye Viplich (16) R.I.P
Elad Fogel (4) R.I.P
Yoav Fogel (11) R.I.P
Hadas Fogel (3 months) R.I.P
Yonatan Flamer (1) R.I.P
Shlomo Nativ (13) R.I.P
Segev Pniel Avichail (15) R.I.P
Yonatan Isaac Eldar (16) R.I.P
Yonadav Haim Hirschfeld (18) R.I.P
Neriya Cohen (15) R.I.P
Yohai Lifshitz (18) R.I.P
Abraham David Mozes (16) R.I.P
Roy Aharon Roth (18) R.I.P
Anas Awisat (18) R.I.P
Eliyahu Pinchas Asheri (18) R.I.P
Mazal Zaribi (15) R.I.P
Daniel Waltz (16) R.I.P
Amir Naim (17) R.I.P
Shaked Lasker (16) R.I.P
Omer Menashe Pisachov (8) R.I.P
Ella Abuksis (17) R.I.P
Racheli Cheli Ben Abu (16) R.I.P
Oz Israel Ben Meir (14) R.I.P
Nofar Horovitz (16) R.I.P
Avihay Levi (16) R.I.P
Yuval Abeba (4) R.I.P
Afik Ohayon Zehavi (3) R.I.P
Lior Azulay (18) R.I.P
Aviel Isaac Atash (3) R.I.P
Dorit Massrat Beinsan (2) R.I.P
Ronny Sarah Hatuel (6) R.I.P
Meirav Rachel Hatuel (2) R.I.P
Hila Esther Hatuel (10) R.I.P
Hadar Simcha Hatuel (9) R.I.P
Benaya Yehonatan Zukerman (18) R.I.P
Lior Niv (3) R.I.P
Gilad Niv (11) R.I.P
Shaked Abraham (1) R.I.P
Tomer Almog (9) R.I.P
Haviv Dadon (16) R.I.P
Binyamin Bergman (15) R.I.P
Abraham Bar Or (12) R.I.P
Shmuel Zargari (1) R.I.P
Noya Zer Aviv (1) R.I.P
Liran Zer Aviv (4) R.I.P
Erez Gizro Hershkovitz (18) R.I.P
Tom Hershko (15) R.I.P
Daniel Harush (16) R.I.P
Shmuel Taubnfeld (1) R.I.P
Moran Menachem (17) R.I.P
Yuval Mendelvich (13) R.I.P
Avigail Laytel (14) R.I.P
Noam Leibovich (7) R.I.P
Samich Sarsur (10) R.I.P
Tehila Natanzon (3) R.I.P
Elisheva Meshulami (16) R.I.P
Elizabeth Liz Katzman (18) R.I.P
Assaf Zur Zolinger (17) R.I.P
Smadar Firstater (16) R.I.P
Assaf Shteir (10) R.I.P
Issachar Dov Reinitz (9) R.I.P
Tal Kerman (17) R.I.P
Shani Abuzdaka (16) R.I.P
Osnat Abramov (16) R.I.P
Matan Ohayon (5) R.I.P
Noam Levi Ohayon (4) R.I.P
Yael Ohana (11) R.I.P
Orly Ofir (15) R.I.P
Noa Orbach (18) R.I.P
Dvir Anter (14) R.I.P
Yaakov Abraham Eliyahu (1) R.I.P
Lidor Ilan (11) R.I.P
Oriah Ilan (1) R.I.P
Gal Aizenman (5) R.I.P
Galila Bugala (11) R.I.P
Noy Anter (12) R.I.P
Shovael Zion Dickstein (9) R.I.P
Almar Dezbarilov (16) R.I.P
Adi Dahan (17) R.I.P
Yehonatan Gamliel (16) R.I.P
Hadar Hershkovitz (14) R.I.P
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Leave a comment | tags: Gaza, Gaza civilian casualties, Humanitarians, Israelis, terrorists | posted in Uncategorized
July 8, 2014 was the day Israel began Operation Protective Edge. After countless missile attacks with no end in sight and the kidnapping and murder of 3 Yeshiva students by Hamas, Israel finally had enough. It began with airstrikes and turned into a ground operation. Once Israel discovered the terror tunnels, they were committed to staying in Gaza till each and every one was destroyed. Over 2,000 people died during the operation, a large percentage of which were Palestinian civilians. Awful. Just awful. Especially if the first day of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was July 8, 2014.
However, despite what Palestinian leadership, the Turkish President, Russell Brand, Bryan Adams and millions of Muslims everywhere want you to believe, this conflict did not begin this past July 8th. If you are to look at the events that took place from July 8, 2014 without going back further, you may see Israel as being a lopsided aggressor. Even then you need to choose to ignore how Hamas uses its people as human shields. If however you look at the months, years and decades leading up to this operation you see a completely different story. The true story.
I could go back to 1929 and speak of the Hebron massacre when Jews were slaughtered by Muslims prior to any establishment of a Jewish state. We could talk about how after the United Nations in 1948 partitioned land for the new Jewish State of Israel, of which the West Bank and Gaza was not included, and how all the surrounding Arab nations attacked it in am attempt to wipe out the Jews and finish Hitler’s work. We could talk about how the West Bank belonged to Jordan but Jordan didn’t want it back because they didn’t want to deal with the residents. We could also talk about how Egypt controlled Gaza and never wanted it back for the same reason or how Israel withdrew from Gaza and gave it every opportunity to develop into something special, but instead allowed Hamas to take over and drive it into the ground.
We could talk about the civilians Israel killed while aiming at missile launchers or we could talk about the thousands of Israelis killed in terrorist attacks. We could talk about a blockade or bombing of a hospital shielding Hamas missiles, or we could talk about how entire families were blown up in Pizza places and malls by people who were proud to kill as many Jews as possible. I could go back to Yasser Arafat, the Godfather of terrorism and hijacked planes, murdered passengers and the murder of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics. I could go back to 3 murdered Yeshiva boys.
But none of the matters if you want Israel to look like the aggressor, because when you do you only go back as far as July 8, 2014. If you go back any further you might have to admit that Israel has every right to defend itself. Something it has always been forced to do and has become so good at doing it now gets criticized for it. It’s the greatest lie of omission you will ever see. It pretends nothing ever happened before July 8, 2014. And too many people are believing it.
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Leave a comment | tags: $47 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza, 1948, 3 yeshiva students, Arab, Bring Back our Boys, Bryan Adams, Egypt, Eyal Yifrach, Gaza, Gilad Shaar, Godfather, Hamas, Hebron massacre of 1929, hijackings, Hitler, Israel, Jordan, Munich Olympics, Naftali Frenkel, Operation Protective Edge, Palestinians, president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russell Brand, Sbarro Pizza, Sbarro Pizza suicide bombings, State of Israel, Turkish, United Nations, West Bank, Yasser Arafat | posted in Uncategorized
I have a friend named Stuart. I’ve known Stuart for close to 40 years. Some of you reading this even know him. I recently came to the realization that there is no friend on Facebook, excluding family members or friends of the family that I know longer than I know him. He and I used to argue so passionately on Facebook that we went through an “unfriended” period, the details of which are unclear, specifically in regard to who initiated the “unfriending”. Frankly at this point it is unimportant. We no longer argue. Why? Because we share a common understanding. The understanding that most of the issues we used to argue about will mean nothing if we don’t preserve the freedom and safety of the civilized world. Maybe even more importantly, we share an unapologetic love for Israel and the Jewish people.
Those of you who know him may know that 2 of his favorite words are obfuscate and metanoia. Stop pretending you all know what those two words mean and click on each one for the definition. Stuart and I have certainly gotten into it over the past few years. He has what can only be defined as conservative views while I hold some very liberal positions, particularly on social issues. He believes that what has happened to me is metanoia. I agree on some levels, but I’ve always loved my people, been pro-Israel, and hated bigots of any kind, especially anti-Semites. That doesn’t mean he’s entirely wrong. The events of the last few months certainly did change me, as I wrote in my piece “My Summer of Gaza”.
But here is what I believe has become the common ground in our discussion. If we allow Muslim extremism to run rampant all over the world the other issues won’t matter. The issues we argued about we’re allowed to argue about. We live in a free country. If we don’t wake up, and wake up soon, those basic freedoms may vanish before our very eyes.
I urge those of you reading this who are really tempted to address my views on specific subjects to leave it for another time. Why? Not because I don’t want to have the discussion but because it goes against the exact point I am trying to make.
All these other issues are secondary to the greatest issue of our lifetime. Freedom from an evil spreading over the planet like an out of control cancer. It’s why my next vote for president will be for whoever has the strongest stance on foreign policy and whoever is most pro-Israel. Even if on the issues they think just like Stuart does. In fact, I might just nominate Stuart for president.
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4 Comments | tags: anti-Semites, Bring Back our Boys, Facebook, Gaza, metanoia, Muslim extremism, Stuart | posted in Uncategorized
Recently I found myself more frequently engaged in discussion about the event that not so long ago changed everything. That turning point in one’s life that impacts how one thinks and even acts, very possibly for the rest of their lives. Although, as in this case, it is so often a tragedy, it can also be such a positive paradigm shift that it not only remakes the tragedy, but occasionally makes you feel a debt of gratitude to the victims.
Holland's Heroes 