Shalom all,

It’s been three and a half months since the kidnapping and murder of the 3 Jewish teens, who were returning home from their yeshiva studies. An extensive search was undertaken for their killers, which ended in their deaths following a fire fight with Israeli troops during the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday morning. When the bodies of the students were found at the beginning of July, P.M. Netanyahu said that their blood would be on the heads of whoever carried out the kidnapping and murder and that “we wouldn’t rest until we brought these killers to justice”. As mentioned, two days ago, this mission was completed and justice came to pass, with the killing of the two Hamas operatives responsible for committing those acts. Indeed, it is a just end to Operation “Brother’s Keeper”.

Among the many Members of Knesset who spoke about the elimination of the Hamas murderers was Housing Minister Uri Ariel (Jewish Home party), who said: “The success of the security forces is the success of the entire nation in removing this curse for the [Jewish] new year [which began at sundown Wednesday night].”

Similarly, Danny Danon (Likud party) said “This is a clear message to all of our enemies that we will settle the score with any terrorist, no matter where they are hiding”. In offering his condolences to the bereaved families of the yeshiva students, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon stated: “There is no relief for the loss experienced by the [three] families during this difficult time, but I do hope that knowing that their sons’ killers have been punished and will not threaten the lives of other Israelis will offer them the slightest comfort.”

In a statement issued by the three families, they said, among other things: “The world now knows that Jewish blood is not worthless…An evil circle has been closed today and with the start of a new year…” One of the mothers, Rachelle Fraenkel, who was interviewed by a major news station here, added that the families were glad that the murderers were killed and not captured, so that they would “not have to see their laughing faces in court, or see their names in prisoner exchange negotiations”. This is a healthy perspective of how “the system” sometimes misses the point of its existence.

It will be recalled that following the abduction of the boys, a massive search was undertaken, which included a crackdown on the Hamas in the areas of Judea and Samaria. This, in turn, increased long-standing tensions and accelerated into the 50-day Gaza War this summer.

Lest we be misled into thinking that the two Hamas operatives acted alone, a total of eight operatives and accomplices were arrested, who were reported to be directly related to the kidnapping and murder.

Hussam Kawasme, the brother of one of the kidnappers, was arrested early in July for masterminding the operation, including its planning and the purchase of the plot of land where the three boys were buried. He admitted receiving money for the attack from senior members of Hamas’s military wing.

With the two Hamas murderers out of the way, that leaves only Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the 25,000 more Hamas operatives in the region of Hebron, about 9,000 of whom spent time in Israeli jails. Hamas confirmed that the two were killed with the following statement: “Two members of the Izz-A-Din al-Qasam brigades, Marwan Kawasme and Amer Abu Aysha, were killed after a journey of sacrifice and giving…This is the path of resistance and we walk it side by side.”

As long as the ideology exists of pursuing armed struggle to establish a world-wide Islamic caliphate, ruled by Sharia law, there will be more attempts at kidnapping and murder. As long as terrorists are eulogized with words of praise and with a religious, belief system that glorifies death as a martyr, no country is immune from attack.

We’ve been fed a bunch of double-talk regarding the Islamic State, more commonly referred to as ISIS. We are being led to believe that it is an extreme, radical, irrational organization. In reality, however, they are not extremists, but are living out what they understand to be the mandates of “their book”, as envisioned by Mohammed. On the whole, the goal of practicing Islamists is to set up a worldwide caliphate governed by Sharia law, however that law may be interpreted to the extreme.

The actions of ISIS are intended to grab and maintain their hold on more and more territory. In order to accomplish this, they seek to weaken their opposition, by terrorizing the very people that it seeks to rule over. Their actions are anything but irrational. Violent and merciless, yes. Irrational, no. It includes both male and female brigades, even though the men use rape as a weapon to terrorize and terrify populations, who are predominantly Sunni moslems, like ISIS itself.

ISIS is smart and learns from the mistakes of its predecessors, such as al-Qaeda. It is also politically astute and has set up various social institutions (in Syria) that are intended to gradually lay a groundwork for the establishment of a future Islamic state. Politics and the desire for power go hand in hand. The political branch plans the approach, while the military branch seeks to forcefully implement the goal. It is the same as Hamas, which has both its political, as well as military, branches – each one pursuing the common goal of setting up an Islamic state.

Like any military organization, ISIS can be defeated on the ground. But, it would immediately be replaced by another terrorist entity, with the same ideology and the same goals. In order to defeat Islamic terrorism, we need to eliminate the ideology that spawned it. As stated recently by one writer: “We can kill every Islamic terrorist and almost immediately millions more will fill their places. There must come a time when innocent people around the world will cringe when anything Islamic is mentioned. The Islamic ideology must be considered no better than Hitler’s ideology.”

That may not be politically correct, but then, truth usually isn’t! 

It is primarily the “Western” mindset that is repulsed by Hitler’s ideology. The Middle-East mindset, which is the one that governs the thinking of our neighbors in the region, is different. What do the “Palestinians” think about the Holocaust? A few minutes of viewing will help to give an idea of the horrendous lack of historical knowledge, of the willingness to disbelieve documented facts and of the ideology that permeates this region. Regrettably, even the “Western” mindset is slowly being un-repulsed by Hitler’s ideology.

We are being systematically duped by the media, by politicians of all persuasions and in all levels, as well as by others, into believing that Islamist ideology advocates the pursuit of peace. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are over 160 passages in the Quran that advocate jihad, which include chopping off heads and fingers, as well as killing “infidels” wherever they may be found. Some of the clearer, representative examples can be seen from the following passages of the Quran (see translations taken from http://www.answering-islam.org/Quran/Themes/jihad_passages.html and http://al-quran.info):

Quran (2:216) – “Warfare has been prescribed for you, though it is repulsive to you. Yet it may be that you dislike something while it is good for you, and it may be that you love something while it is bad for you, and Allah knows and you do not know.” (describes the “virtue” of fighting offensively)

Quran (4:74, 76) – “Therefore let those fight in the way of Allah, who sell this world’s life for the hereafter; and whoever fights in the way of Allah, then be he slain or be he victorious, We shall grant him a mighty reward…Those who believe fight in the way of Allah, and those who disbelieve fight in the way of the Satan. Fight therefore against the friends of the Satan…” (Note: these are Muslims who die in battle, while seeking to kill and destroy in the cause of Allah – a theological basis for suicide bombers).

Quran (4:95) – “Not equal are those of the faithful who sit back — excepting those who suffer from some disability — and those who wage jihād in the way of Allah with their possession and their persons. Allah has graced those who wage jihād with their possessions and their persons by a degree over those who sit back; yet to each Allah has promised the best reward, and Allah has graced those who wage jihād over those who sit back with a great reward.” (Note: those who do not join in the violence are criticized and are considered less worthy by Allah.)

Quran (5:33) – “The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His apostle and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned.”

Quran (8:12) – “…[Make] firm those who believe. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them.”

Quran (9:29) – “Fight those who do not believe in Allah…nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection.”

Quran (9:5) – “So when the sacred months have passed away, then slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush…”

Quran (9:111) – “Indeed Allah has bought from the faithful their souls and their possessions for paradise to be theirs: they fight in the way of Allah, kill, and are killed…” (contains the definition of a true believer in Islam – fight, kill and are killed)

Quran (9:123) – “O you who have faith! Fight the faithless who are in your vicinity, and let them find severity in you, and know that Allah is with the Godwary.”

Quran (18:65-81) – These verses set forth a parable, which creates the basis for honor killings (murdering a member of the family who brings shame on the family in various ways, usually perceived immorality or religious apostasy).

Quran (33:60-61) – “If the hypocrites [i.e., Muslims who won’t “fight in the way of Allah”, see Quran 3:167, and thus are not behaving as true Muslims] do not relinquish and [also] those in whose hearts is a sickness [Jews and Christians, among others, see Quran 5:51-52], and the rumourmongers [those who speak out against Islam] in the city [do not give up], We will surely urge you [to take action] against them, then they will not be your neighbours in it except for a little [while]. Accursed, they will be seized wherever they are confronted and slain violently.”

Quran (47:4) – “So when you meet in battle those who disbelieve, then smite the necks until when you have overcome them, then make (them) prisoners, and afterwards either set them free as a favor or let them ransom (themselves) until the war terminates. That (shall be so); and if Allah had pleased He would certainly have exacted what is due from them, but that He may try some of you by means of others; and (as for) those who are slain in the way of Allah, He will by no means allow their deeds to perish.”

Quran (61:4) – “Surely Allah loves those who fight in His way.”

Quran (61:9-12) – “It is He who has sent His Apostle with the guidance and the religion of truth [i.e., Islam] that He may make it prevail over all religions though the polytheists should be averse…Have faith in Allah and His Apostle, and wage jihād in the way of Allah with your possessions and your persons. That is better for you, should you know. He shall forgive you your sins and admit you into gardens with streams running in them, and into good dwellings in the Gardens of Eden [i.e., Paradise]. That is the great success.”

Some of the practices of organisations like ISIS may differ from what “mainstream” Islamists want to believe to be proper. But, those who call themselves “moderate Moslems” are deemed to be hypocrites by those who openly practice what the Quran teaches. Jihad is a way of life and children are being trained for it by ISIS. We need to change our terminology and stop referring to those Islamists who live according to the instructions in their book as “extremists”. If we continue to do so and fail to change our perspective and realise that theirs is the normal and expected behaviour for practicing Islamists, we will end up ignoring the ideology that spawned groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS, with the natural consequences that flow from it.

Rosh Hashanah – The Jewish New Year (in Hebrew: “Zicharon Truah”, Leviticus 23:23-25), just finished … and we are still here, oof!, but we’re looking forward to being lifted up (1 Thess. 4:13-17; 1 Cor. 15:52-58; see Isaiah 27:13).

May you all be blessed with a healthy, joy-filled and God-honoring year. May it be a year of peace and contentment, of accomplishment and satisfaction, of prosperity and enjoyment of the Lord God of Israel and of one another. 

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Shabbat Shalom,

Marvin