Tag Archives: United States
Even the most blatant liar portraying Israel as the brutal aggressor is aware that Israel is showing tremendous amounts of restraint. They just won’t say that publicly. It doesn’t fit with the Public Relations smear campaign so central in their war strategy. But let’s face it. They know that if Israel really was targeting civilians and committing Genocide as they’re accused of doing, tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of Palestinians would be dead by now. So why does Israel show the restraint that it does?
Let’s examine what might happen if Israel took off the gloves and waged this current war without concern for civilian casualties. World opinion would be overwhelmingly against it, the United Nations would condemn it, enemies like Iran and Turkey would try to rally nations to destroy it, the United States administration would be shaky in its support, Israeli Soldiers would die, missiles would be fired at cities, anti-Semitic crimes and demonstrations would increase worldwide , and violent protests would increase in the West Bank. That’s what would happen if Israel took the gloves off, right?. But wait just one second. That is what is happening now. So realistically we can conclude that the situation wouldn’t be much worse for Israel if it used the full extent of its force and wiped out significant portions of Gaza to achieve its objectives quicker and with a greater degree of success. So why don’t they? The answer lies in one word, morality.
It is the most infuriating irony of the past month that terms like “War Crimes” and titles like “Nazis” are being thrown around to describe Israel when the very facts being used to justify those terms are the very facts that destroy that argument. Israel isn’t holding back for fear of consequences or for concern of world opinion. What you would think Israel would endure if they weren’t showing restraint, is indeed what it is enduring while showing restraint. That means that if put in a position where it has no choice but to take off the gloves, the blood of the civilians in Gaza won’t be on Israel’s hands, but on a world ignoring the truth that exists today. Instead of lauding and supporting Israel for showing respect for human life, too many people with power are attacking it and obstructing it, behaviors that may at one point force Israel to intensify the operation to a point where tens of thousands do get killed. If that happens, the hypocrites and the corrupt of today will be able to look back and see that they were the cause of the increasingly higher death toll, not Israel. But that’s not what will happen. Instead they will say what they are saying now, just with more passion and conviction. Even if it isn’t genuine and honest.
1 Comment | tags: Gaza, genocide, IDF, Israel, Israeli, Nazis, Palestinians, Public Relations, United Nations, United States, war crimes, West Bank | posted in Uncategorized
In some ways it feels like we are watching the first 45 minutes of an epic disaster movie. Of course we all know about the war in Gaza. Israel, a free and democratic country fighting a government controlled by the terrorist organization Hamas. That in itself is bad enough. But my friends, when you look at today’s events, and what tomorrow is on the Muslim calendar, it could get a lot worse. It is not in my nature to be alarmist or sensationalist, but we also live in a time when all things need to be considered, no matter how frightening they may be.
Earlier today we get word that Ali Hosseini Khamenei, the spiritual leader of Iran made the following comments regarding Israel: “As said by Imam Khomeini [the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran] Israel must be destroyed…However, until that time with the help of God for this cruel and murderous regime to be destroyed, strong confrontation with steadfast armed resistance is the only solution against this destructive regime.” He also stated, regarding the United States: “The anti-American and anti-West view in Iran is a logical view based on experience and a righteous calculation.”
His sentiments are not news. We know he feels this way, as do millions of his followers. What is different is the timing, and hopefully not, but possibly another difference is the biggest news story of the day.
First the timing. Tomorrow is “Quds Day”. Quds, Arabic for Jerusalem, is a day created by Iran since its revolution in 1979, celebrated on the last day of Ramadan, as a day to express solidarity for the Palestinians against the State of Israel. Comments made by any Muslim leader today are at least partially designed to motivate and instigate the people into not only protesting and demonstrating, but to do so as violently as possible. There is no question that Khameini is looking to incite as much violence against Jews as possible, not only in Israel, but throughout the world.
And then there is the biggest news story of today. A plane taking off from Algeria has gone missing. Yes, you read correctly, gone missing. Algeria, a North African Muslim nation that donated money made in the World Cup to Hamas and a people who make up the majority of France’s Muslim population committing brutal acts of anti-Semitism. It is from that country that a plane has gone missing on the eve of Quds Day. It’s an awful day in world history when one must say, let’s hope the plane only crashed.
It is possible that tomorrow comes and goes and is a repeat of many of the days of the past few weeks. Awful, but not catastrophic. But the days of underestimating the enemy’s brutality and capabilities are behind us now. We no longer have that luxury.
1 Comment | tags: Algeria, Ali Hosseini Khamenei, anti-American, anti-Semitism, anti-West, Arabic, Bring Back our Boys, France, Gaza, God, Hamas, Iman, Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Jerusalem, Jews, Khomeini, Missing Algerian plane, Muslim, north african, Palestinian, Palestinians, Quds, Quds Day, Ramadan, Swift air, United States, World Cup | posted in Uncategorized
After calling Senator Charles Schumer’s office in regard to the $47 million in aid pledged to Gaza, I sent the following letter to the U.S. State Department. Should anyone else wish to do the same you can do so by going to http://www.state.gov/contact/
To whom it may concern,
It has been made public that the United States has pledged $47 million in humanitarian aid for the residents of Gaza. Working from the premise that genuine humanitarian aid is a proper use of funds, as a concerned citizen of the United States and a supporter of Israel, I would like to know what provisions are being made to guarantee that these funds are being used for the designated purpose. Since a large percentage of donations to Gaza have clearly been used on the purchase of missiles and the building of sophisticated terror tunnels, I believe, as do many others, that every citizen has a right to know that money sent to this area is not being used to further a terrorist agenda.
Please let us know how, as a citizenry, we can remain updated on the proper allocation of these funds.
Sincerely,
David Groen
Leave a comment | tags: $47 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza, Bring Back our Boys, Gaza, Israel, Senator Charles Schumer, State Department, United States | posted in Uncategorized
In light of the events of earlier today in which the FAA shut down flights from the United States to and from Israel, I ask the following question. If, God forbid, a plane travelling into Tel-Aviv were to be shot down, who would be held accountable for yet another unspeakable tragedy in the skies? Last week when Malaysian flight 17 was shot down killing all 298 passengers, Russian supported rebels were identified as responsible for firing the surface to air missile that brought down the plane. The world has understandably been in an uproar over this horrific act. Governments, including the United States government have been demanding action from Vladimir Putin, as the leader of Russia, the nation most people are blaming for this tragedy. So if such an awful event would take place near Tel-Aviv, naturally any logical thinking and fair-minded individual would blame Hamas who is firing the missiles, or even take it one step further, Iran, the nation that sponsors the terrorist organization ruling Gaza. Naturally, but unlikely.
As much as that should make sense to anyone reading this, we all know Israel would be blamed and pressured into stopping the operation whose sole purpose is to stop these attacks. There would be no headline reading, ‘Plane shot down by Iranian missile”. I pray to God this theory isn’t tested, but I know that any such test would prove my theory accurate. There is, more often than not an unfair standard when it comes to world opinion and the State of Israel. I am quite confident this would be no different.
Join the “Global Coalition for Israel” Group on Facebook
Leave a comment | tags: Bring Back our Boys, FAA, FAA prohibits flight to Israel, Gaza, Hamas, Iran, Iranian missiles, Israel, Lionel Messi, Malaysian, Malaysian flight 17, Russian, State of Israel, Tel-Av, United States, Vladimir Putin | posted in Uncategorized
Yes, I am referring to the Iron Dome. Or am I? Those of us who believe in God would argue that there has been an invisible shield over the Jewish State since its creation. Only now it is in a more visible physical form.
I was pleased when earlier today a major news channel assessed the situation in a more honest and accurate manner. FOX News, in a report about the Iron Dome, said the following. I paraphrase:
‘When 4 Palestinian children were killed in Israeli attacks it captured world attention, however when one looks at the map of where Hamas is firing it shows that a large percentage are aimed towards highly populated civilian areas.’
The importance of this statement, one I discussed in a previous piece about what many in the world call a “disproportionate response”, (CLICK TO READ), is that it reveals how Hamas is not attempting to miss Jewish civilians, they are indeed targeting them. Were it not for the amazing technology, invented by Israel and funded by the United States, these missiles would have caused serious damage and even worse, a large loss of life. The science of the Iron Dome technology can certainly be used to argue against Divine intervention, but those such as myself who do believe in God will maintain that it is not only another example of God’s hand but one made more visible to people at a time when faith is more critical than ever.
Either way, thank God it works.
Leave a comment | tags: 4 Palestinian Children, Divine Intervention, FOX News, God, Hamas, Iron Dome, Israel, Jewish, jewish press, Jewish State, Palestinian, United States | posted in Uncategorized
Yes I am born and raised in the United States, and as everyone knows I am proud to be Jewish. However, the name of the website is Holland’s Heroes, with its origins being the experiences of my parents in Nazi-occupied Holland.
Well today I have a pride for my Dutch background I have not felt in quite some time as Holland steps to the plate and shows the world what it means to do the right thing by approving a motion stopping financial aid that was being used by the Palestinian Authority to support terrorists in Israeli prisons.
Holland: ‘Not With Our Money,’ Slash Funds to PA
I have always said that what sets the Dutch apart is that it is truly a nation that tries to be fair and tolerant towards everyone. That approach sometimes puts them at odds with my viewpoint, but today with this action they showed the sincerity in their beliefs.
Today as much as ever, I am proud to be Dutch.
Leave a comment | tags: Dutch, Holland, Jewish, liberal, Nazi, Nazi-occupied, Palestinian Authority, tweede kamer, United States | posted in Uncategorized
I often feel guilty when I come out in favor of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) taking the harshest of approaches. After all, who am I to say this? I live in New York. I do not live in Israel, I do not live in Judea, Samaria, or Southern Israel. I do not have children being called up to fight and risking their life to do the things I comfortably encourage from a safe air-conditioned home in the United States.
Who am I? I am a human being, I am a Jew, and I am the son of Holocaust survivors. I have made every attempt in my life, both in practicality and in theory to learn lessons from the past. Sometimes successfully, sometimes not. If there is one lesson I have learned, and I truly believe it may be the most important lesson of our time, one that could mean the difference between the death or survival of modern civilization, it’s that we can not apply rational standards to irrationally thinking people. Do I believe the answer is to wipe out anyone who lives by those irrational standards? Of course not. Do I believe re-education of the greatest kind is needed. I do. I also believe that sometimes the only way to begin that re-education is by a show of force of the most enormous proportions.
Two of the most civilized nations today, and strong American allies, are Germany and Japan. Go back 70 years ago to the year 1944 and no one would have thought that to be realistic. Yet the world was saved, at least temporarily by the drastic change in direction initiated by the allied forces basically pounding the two nations into submission. Many people who wanted nothing more but to live a decent life died in the process, on both sides, but the fact remains that with the strong force brought on to both of these nations, history was changed for the better.
We face a similar threat today, at least as far as its potential danger, even if the landscape is very different. Many people such as myself, who believe a powerful approach is needed against our enemies, are getting criticized for our viewpoints. “Jews don’t act like that, the enemies do”, is one of the things I have heard. To that I reply, yes, in the past we did not. But we also say Never Again.
I find the murder of any innocent person to be tragic. But I also believe in the phrase coined by our ancient Rabbis in Ethics of our Fathers, “im ain ani li mi li”, which translated into English means, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me.” As a Jew, my sad assumption is that as a collective, there will be no one. There are many righteous people who have and would sacrifice their lives to protect innocent people, Jew and non-Jew alike, but there are no nations or groups who will look after the Jewish people any better than their fellow Jews will.
So although I feel somewhat guilty for sitting in comfort and speaking in favor of force by the IDF, as a Jew who has learned from history I would feel more guilty if I did not.
Leave a comment | tags: Allied forces, American, English, Ethics of our fathers, Germany, Holocaust, IDF, Israel, Israeli Defense Forces, Japan, Jew, Judea, Judea and Samaria, Never Again, New York, Rabbis, Samaria, Southern Israel, United States | posted in Uncategorized
12 days have passed with 26 countries searching, billions of dollars being spent, and all sorts of resources being used, such as military and space technology, and still no sign of Malaysia flight 370. Everyone has a theory, and of course we have all sorts of experts chiming in, but the reality is that we do not know where this plane is or has been since it disappeared.
There’s a trust factor we all try to have when listening to law enforcement officials. After all, with their extensive experience and immense responsibility, if they are saying something publicly, it must be based in truth and reality, right? The post 9/11 world has seen security precautions never before seen. Nevertheless we find out that there were two passengers, Iranians no less, on the plane with stolen passports. Thankfully, through the infinite wisdom of experts and security personnel, we’ve been assured that those two passengers were definitely not terrorists. After all, Iranians with stolen passports are the last people you’d consider terror suspect, right?
We know the plane took a sharp left turn before it vanished off the screen. Well I feel better. Thank goodness our developed technology can show us that much, right? Maybe I’m being unfair. After all they have been able to narrow the search down to an area of a little smaller than the continental United States. Also of great relief is the fact that so many intelligence officials think it is more logical that the plane is in the ocean than on land. Sarcasm aside, when someone can’t find something, and says it is definitely not in a particular place, unless it is somewhere they never go, I always ask the same question. If you have no idea where it is, how can you be so sure where it isn’t?
The whole point I am trying to make is that any uneasy feeling anyone is feeling right now is more than justified because of what we now know that most of us lay people did not know 12 days ago. First of all we know that we can indeed lose a commercial airliner. We know that a plane can fly long distances without being detected by flying below the radar. We think we know there was foul play, which either means that Malaysia’s security is highly suspect, or that their airline had at least one crew member very organized and ready to commit an act of terror or mass suicide. We know that passports can get stolen, reported and still used to board an international flight. Most of all we know that with all our experts and costly intelligence and security mechanisms, we are just not as smart as we thought we were.
I would say we also learned that we are not all that safe no matter where we are, but I think most of us probably already knew that. Even without the experts telling us.
Leave a comment | tags: 9/11, Iranians, Malaysia, Malaysia Flight 370, mass homocide, passport, suicide, terrorists, United States | posted in Uncategorized
How important is it that the Ukraine, a country of more than 40 million people is on edge? Besides the human factor, no one likes to see people die violent deaths, does the current situation matter to us? The answer to this is a resounding yes.
I am sure that there are some out there that see the current situation as merely interesting news. However, it is a situation like this that magnifies the tensions between countries and weakens the resolve of alliances. More specifically, Russia with its connection to the Ukrainian government finds itself at odds with the European Union and of course, as has become far too frequent, at odds with the United States. With both the EU and US considering sanctions to pressure the government of the Ukraine, the schism between Russia and the west is growing. It has the frightening impression of a situation where the lines are being drawn, and divisions are becoming stronger. With growing economic problems and worldwide unrest in a variety of nations, the situation is one that should concern all of us.
I do not usually use this forum to stir up fear. However, being that this is a site dedicated to those lost as a result of the biggest war and worst atrocities in mankind’s history, it becomes more and more important to bring to light issues that have the potential to put the world on the brink.
Let’s pray and hope that calmer heads prevail.
Leave a comment | tags: EU, European Union, Russia, Russian, Ukraine, Ukrainian government, United States, US | posted in Uncategorized
As a supporter for Israel I have no difficulty in saying that I despise the current Syrian regime. Starting with the current Assad’s father, this dictatorial fascist government has been a catalyst in attacks on Israel and a financier of worldwide terrorism specifically against Israel and world Jewry for decades. With that said one would think I would be in favor of a U.S. lead attack on Syria in response to the evidence of chemical weapons being used by the government against the rebels in the ongoing civil war. This is not the case at all. Not only am I not in favor of United States involvement in Syria, I’m more opposed to it than I have been to any military action in a very long time. The reason being is that it is clear to me that nothing good will result from any type of US lead attack.
The first question that comes to my mind, one that I asked a week ago, is why now? Why is it so much worse that people get slaughtered with chemical weapons than it is that they get blown apart by a bomb? My mother, who is 91 and a survivor of the Holocaust, gave me what I consider to be the best answer to that question. Her response was, and I am paraphrasing; ‘others get involved when it scares them and they are in danger. If Syria has chemical weapons they can use it elsewhere. They don’t care about the other people. They only care about themselves.’
If we think the people we are pretending to care about don’t see this as well then we have become blinded by our very arrogance.
I don’t have a problem with our government or any other government looking out for the safety of its citizens, but I do have issue with it being done behind the smokescreen of concern. It eliminates the full and honest disclosure necessary to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. And make no mistake. This is a major crisis. The Syrian government is backed by Russia, a powerful and important player in world politics and one we are already at odds with. The collapse of governmental structure in Syria could lead to chaos that could indeed start a major conflict involving multiple nations aligning on different sides. The Syrian crisis has immediate impact on Israel, Turkey, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq and Jordan. This would follow with a multitude of other countries likely getting involved. Although Russia has not taken a hard stance against US involvement, the relationship it has with Syria is a wild card that makes this an even more dangerous venture.
I am generally in favor of anything that protects the State of Israel. This would not protect Israel nor would it bring any additional stability to the crumbling region. Syria is already an enemy of Israel and the Jewish people and has and will continue to harbor and support terrorists committed to its destruction. The Israeli government is fully aware of this and has and always will take the appropriate action to ensure the safety of its people and neutralize the enemy. A US attack on Syria does neither.
I am not a bleeding heart who is opposed to any type of war. However, of all the reasons to go to war, going to war to send a message is one of the most barbaric and unproductive. If someone can show me how bombing Syria accomplishes anything more than that I am willing to listen. I just don’t see it that way.
1 Comment | tags: Assad, chemical weapons, fascist, Holocaust, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jewry, Jordan, Lebanon, Russia, Syria, Syrian, terrorism, turkey, United States, US | posted in Uncategorized
Even the most blatant liar portraying Israel as the brutal aggressor is aware that Israel is showing tremendous amounts of restraint. They just won’t say that publicly. It doesn’t fit with the Public Relations smear campaign so central in their war strategy. But let’s face it. They know that if Israel really was targeting civilians and committing Genocide as they’re accused of doing, tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of Palestinians would be dead by now. So why does Israel show the restraint that it does?
Holland's Heroes 