Shalom all,

The leftist media tries to explain the latest terrorist attacks as an unexpected wave of terror, as if these incidents suddenly popped out of nowhere. Then they try to justify the attacks, claiming they are the result of frustrated “Palestinians”. Most of the time, they try to put the blame on Israel, distorting facts and photos to make it appear that we are the ones who killed so-called “Palestinians” for no reason. Last week, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry ignored what is obvious to most Israelis, namely: the attackers are primed and encouraged to go and do whatever they believe to be necessary, including being willing to die, to defend what is not in danger. And so, the false claim continues, and grows, that the Temple Mount – which includes the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock, is in danger of being “desecrated” and taken over by Jews.  This is nothing new. There have been unfounded accusations along these lines for a long time. 

The stirring motivation for this latest string of terrorist attacks is the speech from the head of the “Palestinian” Authority, Mahmoud Abbas (also known here as “Abu Mazen”), who continued his verbal incitement to violent action. Only a month earlier, the Israeli security services conducted on operation on the Temple Mount, resulting in finding a cache of pipe bombs. The raid prompted violence by the Islamists who were there and P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas wasted no time in accusing Israel of attacking the mosque. He added that such an attack crossed a “red line” and that the “Palestinians” would not allow attacks to be made against their holy places. 

The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism and third most holy place in Islam. But, the leader of the P.A., speaking to a group of “Palestinian” activists, expressed a mixed bag of well-rehearsed narrative, asserting authority not only over the mosque, but over Christian sites as well: “The Al-Aqsa Mosque is ours. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is ours as well. They have no right to desecrate the mosque with their filthy feet, we won’t allow them to do so and we will do whatever we can to defend Jerusalem.”  (my emphasis) While saying that “Palestinians” were determined to prevent Israel from dividing the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, he threw in for good measure: “There will be no Palestinian state without Jerusalem…We are in Jerusalem and we will stay in it to defend our Islamic and Christian holy sites. We’re not going to leave our country…Each drop of blood that was spilled in Jerusalem is pure blood as long as it’s for the sake of Allah. Every shahid (martyr) will be in heaven and every wounded person will be rewarded, by Allah’s will.” (emphasis in italics mine)

Early yesterday morning (Shabbat), a female “Palestinian” stabbed a female soldier near the Tomb of the Patriarchs (the cave of Machpelah) in Hebron. She defended herself and killed her attacker. Then, a short while later, while a civilian was returning from his prayers at the same place, he shot and killed a knife-wielding attacker, who tried to stab him. Another attacker, this one from East Jerusalem, was shot and killed yesterday morning by Israeli security forces, when he tried to stab one of the officers. That was how the day started.

Lies that touch emotional issues are expected to produce results. Do words like the ones mentioned above incite? Obviously they do. Since then, there has been a substantial increase in terrorist attacks here, most of which were perpetrated by teens. This is how it shaped up here this month alone and up to the time of posting this:

Last week, Abbas publicly claimed that Israel was “executing … our sons in cold blood, as they did with the kid Ahmed Manasrah and other kids in Jerusalem and other places in Palestine.” That was on October 14th. On October 15th, Ahmed Manasrah was photographed in Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital in Jerusalem, receiving the best treatment that we can offer. He was actually hit by a car, whilee trying to flee from the scene where another 13-year old Israeli was attacked and critically wounded. Manasra reportedly admitted to the police that he carried out the attack, telling investigators: “I went there to stab Jews”, adding that he was motivated to do so because Israel was trying to change the status quo of the Temple Mount. Caught in an outrageous lie, which only further inflamed an already incited public, Abbas’ office said this past Friday that the head of the P.A. “was given incorrect information right before the speech as a last-minute addition”. From the point of view of effective communication, a press release from Abbas’ office is not the same as an apology from Abbas for lying to the public.

On October 15th, P.M. Netanyahu held a press conference and did not mince his words. At 11:45 minutes into the press conference, he said: “There is an a-symmetry here. Israel will not tolerate terrorism, from anyone. Jews or arabs. It doesn’t make any difference for us. But, in point of fact there is a difference, because we take an active policy. If we find the murderers and we have the proof, you will hear about it immediately. Believe me. You don’t have to press me, because I’m doing everything within my power to press our security forces…I think this idea that this is justification for murder … Nothing justifies the systematic and deliberate slaughter of the innocents. The attempt to menace, maim and murder innocent people. Nothing justifies it. I don’t justify it. It’s time that President Abbas stops, not only justifying it, but also calling for it. He says he wants to see more blood spilled in Jerusalem. And it’s time for the international community and fair-minded people to make that distinction. Stop justifying murder and stop calling for it.”

Starting at 22:29 of the press conference until the end, he added, in part: “The first order of the day in fighting terrorism is moral clarity. Nothing justifies terrorism. Nothing exonerates it. And stop trying to explain it away. This is terrorism murder, pure and simple. Abu Mazen is inciting murder. Make him accountable. And stop trying to justify it in any way, not with settlements, not with peace process, not with anything. It is unjustifiable and unacceptable and the mere fact that this is brought up as a possible explanation of course gives…the terrorists a justification that they don’t even use. They might now, but they haven’t up to now. And that tells you a lot.”

Is it possible that the U.S. was paying attention to what Netanyahu said? While at first trying to justify the “Lone Wolf” terrorist attacks as being the product of “Palestinian” frustration, Secretary of State John Kerry is now back-tracking, saying: “There’s no excuse for violence…No amount of frustration is appropriate to license any violence anywhere at any time. No violence should occur. And the “Palestinians” need to understand…President Abbas has been committed to non-violence. He needs to be condemning this, loudly and clearly…And he needs to not engage in some of the incitement that his voice has sometimes been heart to encourage. So that has to stop.” 

“Abbas has been committed to non-violence”? Maybe for himself, but not for those who hear his voice. And what does the world have to say? We’re still waiting for an answer.

While most of the media tends to condemn Israel at every opportunity, there are occasional voices of reason expressed by the media personalities. One such voice is that of an Israeli TV anchorwoman, Lucy Aharish. It’s worth the 2-1/2 minute watch. Another one is that of Chloe Valdary.

Most of the readers of this blog do not get the news that we get here. At around 7:20 p.m., Israel time, a terrorist incident took place this evening in Beer Sheva. A terrorist armed with a gun and a knife managed to get into the Central Train station in Beer Sheva. He shot and killed a soldier, grabbed his M-16 and shot and wounded ten other people, five of whom are in serious condition as of this writing. Others were admitted to the hospital for shock. These folks need your fervent prayers. The terrorist fled and was killed outside of the station. I wonder how many will hear about it on their local news or read it in their local papers. 

Catering to our enemies and trying to placate them with nice sounding words, or placing foreign troops on the Temple Mount, or promising them that we will not do what we already are not doing, only encourages them to continue pursuing terrorism. For it to stop, we have to fight it with every means possible. The world already holds us to a double standard that no one else is held to and which they, themselves, cannot adhere to. They don’t like that we defend ourselves and pursue terrorists and terrorism with all the means at our disposal. And it is right that we do so. But, if this happens on “their soil”, watch how the media will pick it up and soak it all in. When will they ever learn? Maybe when it is too late.

Have a great week.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin