Friday, January 30, 2009

Turkey Speaks

One of the more incredilble demands asked of President Obama lately, is that which comes from the President of Turkey. The leader of this “moderate” and “secular” Islamic state as he puts it, has called on President Obama to redefine the meaning of “terrorism” and terrorists in the Middle East. Where I am sure many find this extraordinary, we must appreciate his honesty. The President has simply stated the way most Muslims feel regarding the Jewish state and nation, for that matter, the way they feel regarding any infidel. At a time when the west is still involved in it’s war against terror, Islamic bombing still occurring almost every week somewhere in the world, what could have brought about this brash statement?
In most Muslim minds, killing Jews is simply part of life and religion, the only reason Israel still exists today is because it has continuously (Thank Gd) be able to defeat our Arab neighbors and in doing this, nip Islamic terrorism in the head.
Apparently a new dawn is upon us, and it seems like it will not be an easy day. One of Hadrian’s strategies to weaken and destroy the Jewish people was to change the name of their country to “Palestine” or translated as conquered. The point being, affect their identity and how the world views them and time will bring about the damage needed. How interesting today that Israel is viewed as the aggressor, and the mere mention of Israel brings about biased opinions and mal treatment.
Op editorials are filled with this new reality to the point that it is just old news, and Jews worldwide are beginning to accept this just like another “pogrom”, or worse and join the other side so as not to appear politically incorrect or not in fashion.
We in Israel do not share this ghetto attitude, so prevalent among our brothers outside and in the executive staff both here in Israel and other other Governments. We are witnessing new growth against all odds. Even our “own” Peace Now shouts of 60-70% growth in Judea and Samaria. More Israelis every day realize that if we are to survive and grow, it is up to us. No one is coming to defend us, there will be no international force to act as a buffer to the rockets. Just as we were rejuvenated in 1948, we will continue to grow today, by our own hand with help only from above. This was done as a people, spread out as we were and are, we did and do this together. Even though the job was left undone in Gaza, its success bares witness to the unity and strength that is possible. Jews came from all over, religious, non-religious and from a vast spectrum of opinions, and joined hands to say, no more! The nation looked at our soldiers, at ourselves and decided we do not have to apologize to anyone, we saw how the world reacted, with fear and hatred to the concept of a strong and Jewish nation.
I take personal pride in our nation noticing one of the major sources of this strength, Judea and Samaria. The numbers of soldiers from Judea and Samaria alone spoke to our people, finally noticing what a valuable resource these communities are to the nation. The number of Jews from the US that arrived was astounding, in their minds they came to provide support and strength, yet it is us who provided them with strength, as they saw a nation together.
In the coming months and years, we will continue to see a rise in Anti Jewish and Israeli activity, the only remedy being a strong and united Israel. Even though this apparently is not a US interest, it is never less the only protection for Jews throughout the world. The US government is taking sides in the Middle East and a strong Jewish Israel is not the right side, the results on Jews outside of Israel will not be favorable. As President Obama and his staff continue to reach out to appease the Islamic world, in a feeble attempt of avoiding Islamic terror, the attempted isolation of Israel will continue. This of course will affect all US citizens, who will see the separation of church and state, take on new meanings. Eventually they, who supported this strategy will regret it and realize that if there is a true US interest in the Middle East, it is Israel as a sovereign nation in all of its land.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Operation Euphoria

As the euphoria of our operation in Gaza falls behind and as Obamamania is becoming routine, we must now tread carefully so as not to make mistakes that future generations will pay for. Like any other democratic society, as elections near, headlines change and accusations fly as fast as missiles are smuggled into Gaza.
Yes we are heading back to the norm, where recent events and lessons are forgotten and another sort of victory is on the agenda. The citizens of Israel are safe for now, rockets are not falling, and everything is OK.
What finally caused the government to decide to attack? There are plenty of speculations, one of my favorites, and possibly the most accurate is that the Hamas were about to acquire new missiles with an increased range. The possibility of Tel Aviv becoming a target was about to be a reality, reminiscent of the Lebanon War of 2006.
In most countries, when civilians or the military is targeted, the sovereign government acts to defend it’s people, and quickly. This is the accepted reaction by all “civilized” nations. The fact that Israel is not part of this club is known, as our membership was yanked when we started bowing to terrorism years ago.
I am more concerned at this point what is accepted in Israel as a prerequisite to act in order to put a stop to attacks against our people. Why did the Jews of Gush Katif and northern Gaza not merit such defense while they were there? Why do the Jews of Yehuda and Shomron still not merit such a response? More people have been killed and wounded in Yehuda and Shomron than the south and north during rocket attacks, so why does each Government throughout the years choose not to grant these people the full strength of the IDF?
Recent statistics have shown that 30% or more of IDF combat troops and 50% of the officers’ course are from Yehuda and Shomron. Strange how those that put there lives on the line the most are the least protected. Rational thought would dictate that a country in Israel’s situation of constant defense would be prudent to watch over such a valuable commodity. We know that rational thought isn’t part of the mentality of our leaders. That’s all right though. As time goes by, more and more of these soldiers are born, more and more of these people of Yehuda and Shomron become leaders, and most important, more and more of the people of Israel become aware of the fact of just how valuable the Jews living there are, and how important an area it is, strategically and historically. On the other hand, Tel Aviv has become known as the “anti Israel”, the bastion of hate towards the Jewish state. While the rest of the country gathers behinds it sons and daughters called up to defend us, Gazan and other terrorists get there greatest support in Israel from the first built modern Jewish city.
The voices against Israel in the world continue to grow, every day someone else or some other country joins in condemning Israel and the Jews. It makes perfect sense, when we show strength and defend ourselves, our enemies become frightened and do what they do best, attempt to make our lives more difficult. The concept of Jews ruling over their own homeland has always been a pill too large to swallow for them, so they use a tactic that has become their favorite, seek out the weak and defenseless and attack them. While working security in the Shilo region, I noticed this to be the norm, attacks on school children and civilian cars are the most prized, while at times when Jews would stop to defend themselves, the attackers would run, disappearing amongst their own children as most cowards do, an apparent tradition among our Arab neighbors in Yehuda, Shomron and Gaza.
The question still remains regarding our future in Israel, with the chapter of Yehuda and Shomron opening again. I had hoped for better. While not being swept away by the great hope of “Yes, we can” currently sweeping the United States, I did expect the newly elected President of the USA to at least show less ignorance than his predecessor regarding the importance of Yehuda and Shomron in regards to the security of Israel. How can America pledge to stand up for Israel’s security while they take steps to cut us down? How can we blame them when our own leaders in Israel themselves show no self-respect or true caring for the safety and protection of all of our citizens?
Diplomats and newly appointed envoys come to our region in an attempt to carve us up, geographically and demographically. Our enemies rush to embrace the new political reality in Washington D.C. and are greeted with opened hands as the rest of the world bands together to weaken our hold on that which is historically ours.
All of these latest events should be taken as a wake up call. The strength of Israel exists within the people of Israel (Gd willing). We cannot and should not depend on others to be there for us. One of the lessons that must be learned from the last Gazan Campaign is that “Yes, we can” defend ourselves, and yes, we can defeat our enemies, and yes, we can come together as one from all corners of the world to unite and be a strong Israel and Gd willing provide security to all of our people, no matter where they are.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

View from the ground.

“I'm surprised at how buoyant people are given the circumstances. Talking to them, I find morale high and an overall sense of defiance”.
These are words a CNN correspondent uses to describe Gazans in the present conflict. In fact, most news agencies use nothing but words of praise for the Gazans and their Hamas representative. I am not going to write about the injustice of the Media towards Israel, or how the world is biased against us and so on, as this is just the way it is and will remain until the world decides to wise up. It has become politically correct to bash Israel and “in” to promote terrorists.
I will write about how “buoyant” the Israelis are and you want defiance, sit back and enjoy.
Let me speak about our country today, that in the face of terror from our rebirth, we have continued to grow and evolve into a productive positive society. We have made desserts bloom. We have brought life saving technology to the world. Despite the hatred and prejudice against us we have maintained a value system that few can still present. We have our ups and we definitely have our downs, but we learn from them and grow stronger by the day. Despite the fact that we have had leaders, that due to their lack of identity and faith attempt to weaken us and bow to the enemy, we endure, as our numbers grow.
We have never resorted to proclaiming destruction of another as our national goal, nor cheered at the news of mass murder. Our mothers cry when they hear of the death of a child and do not consider murder to be honorable.
Defiant??? We cherish life despite living in the face of terror and death for so long. Where so many would lose their humanity, ours is only emphasized. Our warriors do not hide behind the skirts of women or behind the school bags of children.
It would be prudent of all of the world media to take a long hard look at Israel today, for change is about to come. The strength of Israel that we read about in the Torah is alive today. The sparks are rising from Judea and Samaria bringing new light to an ancient people. The combination of Faith, Heritage, Strength and Wisdom grows everyday from the communities of our heartland spreading throughout our land and people, bringing about this change as the rains of winter bring about new life to the arid ground.
So many in the world prefer to accept the lies rather than see the whole picture. This is their loss, as they are pulled down to the level of those that spread the distorted truths.
We have no need to apologize to anyone for no one, no one would ever put up with what we have. To prove this, you may ask anyone how they would react to being shot at, or have rockets fall on you daily while living with the threat of terror.
The Arabs living in Gaza should be thankful they attacked Israel and none other for the results would have been very different, for if they had attacked anybody else, there would not be a soul alive there today for the crimes they have committed.
The more the world, under the guidance of Muslim extremists, hidden and not, continues on its tirade against Israel and the Jews, the more we learn that we may only depend on ourselves, the more we band together and loose the branches that are wrought with decay. This will only weaken those that believe in freedom and democracy. Europe made this mistake 70 years ago, and today we hear the echo of the mullahs everywhere we turn there.
When photographers wish to show the Israeli army, the images are often of soldiers wrapped in prayer and unity. This is the common picture we are shown by all while our Arab enemies are shown hiding their faces as they fire indiscriminately on civilians. We aren’t the publishers of these images, the world media is, so how is it their words do not match their images? Perhaps lies are an easier sell.
Arab propaganda definitely has the upper hand, how else can you explain the ignorance of the media (besides the blatant hate that is shown).
So let me give a lesson in defiance and buoyancy, you may continue with your lies and hatred, you may continue to give a distorted picture to the world. We will continue to grow and gain strength. We will continue to settle and live on our land. We will continue to fight terrorism and evil, alone if we must. We will endure while the lies will disappear into the night.
I didn’t speak of society in Gaza or the Arabs of Yehuda and Shomron, as most intelligent people are aware of the facts, whether they admit to them or not. Any society that prides itself on suicide bombers and murder, and votes in leaders that put their constituents in danger speaks for itself.
It is time to move on to next stage. “Change” has become the new buzzword. Lets pray and hope that that “Change” has to do with truth, better yet, lets make sure that “Change” does do with the truth.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Fool me once

The saying goes, “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, and shame on me.” What about fool me three times and four and five???? The elections are getting closer and closer, and the supreme cause of getting elected seems to be leading the call for a one sided cease fire on Israel’s side. The timing is strategically correct, we have the upper hand, thank Gd. What better way is there to go into an election, then with a winning team? However, I have to ask, have we won and for how long? Have the residents of Gaza learned that Hamas is not the answer? Have they learned that the IDF and the people of Israel are not to be toyed with? I think not, it is the Arab mentality to blame everyone else but themselves. The world will continue to blame Israel as they have become used to doing and the vicious circle of violence will continue to grow. The Arabs are already claiming this to be a victory and will soon once again return to raining violence upon our cities.
This of course will spread to Judea and Samaria, where they will attempt to gain more support then they already have which will eventually lead to them taking over the leadership roles in that region. This may lead to the eventual firing of missiles on other Israeli cities including the closure of Ben Gurion Airport. All of this while two US Generals continue to feed false hopes of a capable “Palestinian Authority” ruling over Judea and Samaria. Sound crazy, check with your local Intelligence or Counter Terror Analyst.
We in Israel have been granted one the most precious sights one could ask for, seeing the unity of our people against a common evil. Unfortunately it takes a war now and then to achieve this. Finally we were able to see a country and it’s people join together and say enough! The plight of our brothers in the south became all of ours, and the country decided to finally do something about it. We watched as Jews from around the world came in droves to show their support and absorb the strength of a unified people.
Where do we go from here? It is a known fact that our memory here is a short one. The politicians will soon return to discussing “disengagement” from Judea and Samaria. Bending to the pressure of foreign governments who care little for our survival as a country or people, new summits will be called for and more Israeli concessions will be demanded.
One of the most valuable assets of Israel, Judea and Samaria, will be once again put on the table. The memory of our cities being rocketed in the south and north disappearing into the rhetoric of those politicians who value vanity over life.
They will forget the sights of our strong and courageous soldiers fighting against the terrorists in Gaza, scores of these soldiers and commanders coming from the same communities they wish to sacrifice. They will forget the Arab agenda of destruction of Israel, and worst of all, they will forget their heritage, and their responsibility to the entire people of Israel throughout the world.
I have been watching as people all over the world have been joining different groups supporting Israel in its fight against Hamas and terrorism. Those that value true peace continue to rally behind Israel and a new force is being born. The Arab leaders themselves remain relatively quiet in awe of this new unity and strength they are witnessing among the Jewish people and their friends. The world is witnessing a strong Israel and choosing sides. Good is triumphing and it is within our power to continue down this path.
The people of Israel are learning that an Israel with a strong Jewish identity and heritage is the answer to the threats of our enemies. While this is a threat to our enemies it is a sign of hope to the world. Again I say, the secret to this strength is our unity, in order to see a small and potent sample, one just has to look at our soldiers. They come from all over Israel, geographically, culturally, various levels of religious observance, yet they all work together as one. This is what we must preserve at all costs. We must not let anyone from anywhere, even within, to cause any more rifts in our society or our country. We are a strong people and a strong country. We will only grow stronger. We must not be fooled again. Hopefully our government will realize this sooner than later.
Truly the Lion of Judah has lifted his head and roared.

Monday, January 12, 2009

The Smell of Blood

Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, thousands upon thousands have taken to the streets in demonstrations against the Israeli incursion into the Gaza strip. They claim to be defending the poor residents of Gaza against Israeli aggression. They claim their intentions are to better the lives of the people living in Gaza. Words such as slaughter and murder describing the Israeli action.
We don’t hear them demonstrating against the Hamas booby trapping of civilian houses and schools. We don’t hear them demonstrating against the use of families as human shields, the theft of humanitarian aid, the killing of members of rival groups, the taking of women and murder of those that stand up for themselves, the list goes on and on.
It is understood that the only reason they demonstrate is their hatred of Israel. The timing is interesting, the convenience of war a wonderful opportunity for them to adopt a cause while attempting to hide their true agenda.
At almost every demonstration the true intentions of the organizers rears its ugly head, that of the destruction of Israel. While this is not news to anyone who breathes air, it is interesting how many Muslims are coming out to these demonstrations. They weren’t present during the Shield Wall operation in Judea and Samaria, they didn’t appear during the Lebanon War of 2006, so what is bringing them out now? For quite sometime now Hamas has been publicizing their claim that Gaza would turn into a slaughterhouse for the Jewish Army. The pictures of the multitudes of Gazans shouting “Death to Israel”, the pictures of children wearing explosive belts, the joyous shouts of Arab mothers who sent their children to die by suicide bombing, promised nothing less than an Arab victory over Israel.
The reason for the success of these recent anti Israel demonstrations is simple, the enemies of Israel smell blood. They once again embrace the lies of hatred and deceit, something common in the Arab world, which the West has yet to understand. What most people aren’t noticing though, is that amongst those who are calling for the “Death of Israel and Jews” are the regular everyday “moderate” Muslims that we come across during an average workday in the western world and not just the extremists.
Notice, however the absence of similar calls from the Arab leaders, absent are similar calls from within the Arab cities in Judea and Samaria, and absent are the calls from those that know the truth about Hamas. It is interesting that most of these calls only come from Muslims who live outside of Muslim countries, where freedom of speech is a basic right, something that does not exist in Gaza or the rest of the Arab world. It seems strange that they show support for the type of regime that they themselves chose to leave.
How lucky they are that they can voice the true thoughts and intentions of their leaders, and they can express their true feelings towards the Jews of the world, while others join them in this distorted celebration of hatred, disguised as humanity.
What remains now is to see just how Israeli and Jewish leadership will use this valuable information. Will they ignore it as the Jews of Europe did in the thirties? Perhaps they will turn a blind eye as they did in South Lebanon or Gaza until now.
It seems that the people of Israel want more, demand more of their leaders. For years the Israeli left and Kadima government has been trying to convince the Israeli public that the Arab residents of Judea, Samaria and Gaza are “Partners for Peace”. The disengagement of Gaza and the continued bombardment of our southern communities proved their commitment to a peaceful solution. The further election of Hamas to represent the populous only confirmed that which we already knew.
How many more lessons are needed in order for us to understand what is going on right in front of our eyes? It seems, Thank Gd, we are learning, slowly but surely, but time is of the essence.
The threat of radical Islam is upon the world, where anyone who supports Israel or Jewish causes is being threatened. With the eminent defeat of Hamas coming closer, and the blow it represents against Radical Islam, we need to stand by Israel more than ever.
We also must be concerned regarding the increase in anti –Jewish incidents through out the world. Everyday there are reported attacks against Jewish targets, with no end in site, only the continued increase of these violent incidents with the expected danger of terrorism on Jewish communities worldwide. As the face of the free world increasingly turns towards Mecca, we see there is only one place to turn as a Jew, to the Land of Israel and our heritage.
A strong Israel will have a positive effect on the world. What is needed now is a strong government intent on being true to our heritage, committed to the safety of our people, and not other governments. Lets honor the men and women involved in the security of Israel and learn from them as they battle to defeat terrorism. Lets join them in their effort to make Israel and the world a safer place.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

The Challenge in front

It is over two weeks that the war in Gaza has been going on, and the calls for a cease-fire continue with out any regard to Israel’s security. Muslim protests and acts of violence continue through out the world against Jewish communities and Israeli targets. These protests and violent acts claim to support the “Palestinian” cause, meanwhile the majority of “Palestinians” cringe at the thought of Hamas ruling over them. Sharia rule is not really to their liking and the stories they hear from their family and friends from Gaza gives them a real fear of the “Hamas” lifestyle. We are fortunate to see the spread of Islamic influence through out Europe, as it partners with the ignorant masses, it’s talons reaching the United States, growing daily by the ever increasing influx of Muslim immigration.
Still, we are fortunate to see the real face of so many people in the world. These so-called “partners in peace” are interested in anything but a peaceful solution, in fact the term peace is a rare find in their vocabulary. This is no surprise to anyone who looks at the Middle East with open eyes. Already this virus of Hamas violence has been spreading through out Yehuda and Shomron, daily attacks are growing against civilians, going to work or school is becoming more perilous day by day. Sparks spreading up to Lebanon bring with it the possibility of a renewal of violence backed by the Hezbollah champion, Iran.
We are also seeing a change in the ever-changing status of unity of the people of Israel. The memory and reality of a strong Israel capable of defending ourselves against our enemies is resurfacing and in its wake the spirit and strength of a people that brought pride to so many of us. I listen to our soldiers’ motivation, their dedication, one goal in their mind, the safety of Israel. Nothing short of victory is acceptable to them, the deciding factor being the strength or lack of strength our government will show to the world. This is the Israel we grew up with, this is the Israel that kept Islamic extremism and enemies of the Jewish people at their knees. Many have been wondering just where has this “Israel” been for so many years. The media in Israel is overflowing with pictures of our soldiers, concentrating in prayer, with their talitot (prayer shawls) blowing in the wind, Soldiers in full battle gear, assuring us of their courage. The essence of Jewish identity joined with the historical connection to our Gd given land proves once again to be a winning combination.
In the absence of a strong Israel some of our own people have abandoned us to join those that rejoice in harming the Jewish state, their views being perverted by an enemy who seeks out the weak and those lacking identity. In Israel their numbers drop everyday while outside Israel our enemy solicits them.
We must now make sure that this rebirth of strength stays with us. All to often Jews, especially in Israel forget the lessons of survival learned through trials and tribulation. The Arabs living in Gaza have shown the world repeatedly their intention of harming Israel. By electing a government whose goal is murder, they too bear the responsibility. It is also in their power to change their reality, if they wish. I still have to wonder whether we will remember this lesson when the time arrives to confront the Arabs of Yehuda and Shomron. The fear of a Hamas takeover is a real concern there. Both US generals Dayton and Jones spend a great amount of time trying to figure out how to hold out against the almost inevitable confrontation with Hamas, as we saw in Gaza not so long ago.
Learning from the past and present so not to repeat the mistakes in the future is a responsibility that we all bare and owe to our families. Our men and women that serve Israel are precious, ignoring these lessons puts more and more of them in harms way and endangers all of us as a people. It is we who set the price of sacrifice, not our enemies. It is we that hold the key to how we live.
The main challenge is still ahead of us, that of holding onto our land and ensuring our peace. I say it again, OUR PEACE. It is obvious that we can only depend on ourselves. We cannot trust the so-called peaceful intentions of our Arab neighbors, only a strong Israel will bring peace to this region. We have to remember just who started these wars. I often quote a friend of mind who has said, they whole Israeli-Arab problem started when Jews decided to defend themselves.
The battle in the south reaches far beyond our borders in Israel, far beyond the Middle East. It touches all who value freedom. The outcome of this war will affect the Jews as a people and the world in its quest against Islamic terror.