Moral Oblivion

 

It is interesting that somehow Ashraf Amra//Anadolu Agency via Getty Images has a photo of Hamas blasting down a fence to enter into Israel to begin their murderous spree.  Interesting.  How did the photographer know to be there at that moment!!  Hmm. 

In 2000, Israel made efforts that would have provided peace, security, and an opportunity for the Palestinian people to begin moving forward in peace and safety.  They chose the alternative.  It was not Israel, it was Arafat.

Prime Minister Barak offered to withdraw from 95% of Judea and Samaria, all of Gaza, and half of Jerusalem.  The response - war against Israel in September 2000.  Those areas would be free of Jews.  Their homes and villages (hundreds of thousands of Israeli Jews) would be bulldozed down, to make way for the Palestinians to live Jew-free.

For Arafat that wasn't enough.  There was no desire for peace as his deputy Faisal Husseini stated that all discussion of peace was a "Trojan horse."

Since that time, Israel has provided electricity to Gaza, water, food, medical support, medicines, and allowed Palestinians to have work permits to work within Israel.   The financial aid from the United States is and was staggering - Obama sent over $200 million to the Palestinians in the waning moments of his administration.  The European Union in 2022, provided over $290 million.  The EU projected $1.1 billion in aid from 2021 to 2024, although that may well be done by now.  In an area of 140 sq miles, The billions in aid it has been given since 2000, should have amounted to something.  It should have made their lives better.  It hasn't.  But that money has gone to other purposes, other than to help the people live better and healthier lives - it has bought missiles and bullets and grenades and tunnel digging tools that make no ones life better, just situate it to become even more miserable.

To argue that the poor people are struggling against an oppressor - Hamas is not struggling on behalf of the people or it would not hide among the people knowing Israel will bomb them and kill the innocent, but they do.  It isn't about moral equivalence.  People who argue that after all these years what can you expect from the poor Palestinian people?  It isn't the people who want to die, who want to murder babies and rape and behead people - it is Hamas.  Hamas acts for Hamas, not the Palestinian people.

I have a friend, actually four friends who were in the IDF.  Two were in infantry, one was specialized and was a sniper and demolition expert, and the third was in intelligence.  I know them well, I trust them, and I believe them.  Belief is built in trust over time and in the last 13 years I have come to trust them.  Do they speak for everyone in the IDF - no.  Do they know everyone in the IDF - no.  They do know others in their squads and units - so that would be quite a few and they were all in for 4+ years each, and at different times.  

One of them said at no time ever did he or anyone he knew laugh, joke, or celebrate when they shot any bad guy.  Another said never did he ever enjoy having to take the life of another human and he tried to avoid it, but many times had no choice if he was to remain alive.  Another, an infantry solider, told of a story where he and his patrol were in a market place and the Palestinians began shooting at them, a young boy was shot and my friend crawled to the boy and covered him with his body.  The boy was Palestinian.  My friend dragged the boy back behind a walled area and gave him medical attention.  He called for a medic who came in a couple minutes and provided care.  The boy was taken to the hospital and survived.  When he was released, he went back to his home - his family was visited by some men who shot and killed him.  They gave his mother some money and sweets and said her son was a martyr.  My friend learned of this because he and his unit would be on patrol in the area in the weeks that followed and he asked after the little boy, who was 9.  

There was another story I was told about - a 12-13 year old boy, had a mental issue of some type - downs or something.  My friend only knew of this from his friends who were at the border crossing and told him.  This boy walked up to the crossing gate and started to cry - he told the IDF he had bombs on his body.  They sent out a robot to cut the bombs off, and took the boy into custody.  After figuring out the background to the story, they called the boys mother to come and get her son.  She did, and took him home.  The boy told the IDF that he had been approached by some men who promised him virgins in heaven and a street would be named after him, his parents would be proud of him, would receive money, and everyone would know his name and think of him well ... as contrasted with his having no friends and no possibility of a girlfriend and his family being poor.  So he agreed.  But at the last minute he couldn't go through with it and wanted to live.  His mom took him home where she was met by some men who killed her son, handed her sweets to hand out, threw some cash at her, laughed and walked away.  The woman was interviewed by the press and revealed too much - she ended up being gunned down in the marketplace within the week.  

But Israel is to blame for all this.  Israel values life, even the lives of Palestinians, because they aren't the enemy - Hamas is among others.  Israel didn't make any Palestinian cross into Israel and slaughter innocents - they brought hostages back into Gaza and under international law, are obligated to care for and protect them - not slaughter them.  What happens to the hostages and the innocent people of Gaza, is not and are not the responsibility of Israel, for it lies directly at the feet of the Palestinian killers.