Israel has been under the most profound siege since the fall of 2000; some would say, since the day after it won the 1967 war of self-defense; others would insist that the siege began the moment the sovereign Jewish state came into being in 1948.
They are all right.
Hamas rockets have been launched against Israel for years now—only the world refused to see or hear them or to understand what this meant in human and civilian terms. Jewish children, (adults too), have been traumatized by the siren which tells their parents and teachers that they have 30 seconds to reach a shelter; they have been traumatized by the chronic and unexpected sound of explosions, the need for gas masks (!), the need for bomb shelters.
As we know, Hamas has launched more than 700 rockets into Israel in 2012. They launched one hundred and twenty rockets in the last two days.
Finally—finally—Israel has acted to defend its civilians.
Sickening demonstrations have been held around the world and are still taking place—for Hamas!!—and for Al-Jabaari, the jihadist who masterminded the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit and is responsible for planning the murders of nearly 600 Israeli civilians.
The good news: In my opinion, the steady, culture war "ground cover" that pro-Israel activists, including bloggers, twitterers, columnists, and activists have provided, have, in part, made Israel's current act of self-defense more understandable to the world. So far, the governments of the United States, Britain,Germany, and Canada have asserted that Israel has a right to defend itself. The liberal democracies in the West are speaking out.
But, Ban Ki-Moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations stated that"Israeli reactions need to be measured so as not to provoke a new cycle of bloodshed." International groups are urging "restraint."
Amnesty is calling on "all sides must step back from the brink to protect civilians;" Physicians for Human RIghts say: "Israel's decision makers (should) refrain from an attack on Gaza which may cause many victims in Gaza and Israel;" Oxfam International calls for "immediate restraint as Gaza-Israel violence escalates."
These groups did not call for restraint when Hamas launched their 700 rockets into heavily populated Israeli cities such as Ashdod, Ashkelon, and Beer Sheva.
Do Ban Ki-Moon and Amnesty and the allegedly medical groups know that Israeli civilians have been murdered and wounded in these current rockets attacks—including a pregnant Chabad representative who was visiting Israel for a memorial service for the Chabad rabbi and rebbitzen z"l who were murdered in an Islamist terrorist attack in India? Do they care?
The media is mixed, guarded, essentially still pro-Hamas. The world view is still one in which Palestinians are not seen as "as terrorist Islamist aggressors" or "death-eating suicide killers" but rather as innocent and noble victims.
The lead piece in Thursday's New York Times, (upper right column), is titled "Israeli Assault Into Gaza Kills a Hamas Leader" followed by "Wider Conflict Feared," followed by "Twenty Targets are Hit After Rocket Strikes by Palestinians."
Note: They describe Al Jaabari as a "Leader" not "terrorist."
He has personally been responsible for the terrorist attacks against Israel after Israel withdrew from Gaza. The piece goes on to detail the suffering of the Palestinians but says little about the Israeli wounded and murdered. They also have an editorial which challenged whether Israel made the right or only decision possible in terms of the impact on an already fragile peace and unstable region. The NYT does mention that "750 rockets" were launched against Israelthis year but does not focus on what that means nor does it detail the current Israeli casualties and victims.(Note - CNN does the same: see this video)
Although Jews are strong and militarily efficient, there is no shame in explaining, again and again, that Jews are being victimized by Big Lies, Blood Libels, Pallywood tricks, and by murderous terrorist attacks. Jewish Israel is the victim here.
Al-Jaabari is Israel's Osama Bin Laden.
In a briefing given as I write this article, according to Lt Col Avital Leibovich, the IDF destroyed Iranian missiles. She confirmed that only Iran has these kinds of rockets. Yesterday, the IDF destroyed at least 20 underground rocket launching pads in Gaza. There are 220 such targets. The Iranian missiles can reach Tel Aviv.
Nevertheless, Lt. Col Leibovich confirmed that Israel has allowed fourteen chronically ill Palestinians into Israel for hospital treatment--today.
What a people!
