Shalom all,

Israel Update – Day 9 of the War.

Most of the population in northern Gaza is heeding the warning of the IDF to move south, to avoid being killed or wounded by the Israeli military action designed to flatten the area, allow for the beginning of the ground operation and help to facilitate the search for those who were kidnapped by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The terrorist organization is now preventing Gazans from vacating the area. From past experience, we know that Hamas and Islamic Jihad use their citizens, particularly children, as human shields. There is another reason for wanting the population to remain: If they are killed or wounded as a result of the action of the IDF, Hamas can show the dead bodies and wounded children to the foreign media (which they are already doing), who accept without hesitation, the false and deceptive reporting of both terrorist organizations. Last night, as Hamas was preparing to show the body of a small child supposedly killed by Israeli forces during the explosion of buildings in the northern part of Gaza, they made a fatal mistake of showing that the child was actually a toy doll, which should have been a red light to the foreign journalists covering the present war. The video was quickly deleted. I wonder when the media will come to the conclusion that they cannot accept anything that is said by Hamas, who has learned how to successfully manipulate the media into believing fake news, including its assertion that the victims in this war are the occupants of Gaza and not the citizens of Israel. Part of this war is to expose and neutralize the lies of Hamas and the false news that it publicizes. 

There were a few isolated incidents of rockets fired into the north of Israel yesterday, one of them coming from Syria. Obviously, the militants in Syria want to remind everyone, including Israel, that they are still a player in the region. But, insurgents in Syria, like the Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, are all paid puppets of Iran, who is pulling the strings of hatred and discord. Then, late this afternoon, 9 rockets were fired into the area of the Golan Heights, the Western Galilee, and other locations not far from the border with Lebanon. Israeli fighter jets retaliated and struck Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon. There is no doubt that the tense situation in the north continues to heat up, with the Hezbollah making efforts to target IDF bases in the area of Mount Herman and the Golan Heights. Without question, it is the most difficult day of the war from the point of the northern front. Five people were killed as a result of the activity of the Hezbollah, with a number of others wounded. 

Hezbollah knows that Israel doesn’t want to get involved in a second front in the north. But, it continues to provoke Israel, little by little, and stokes the fire, but it hasn’t yet made up its mind whether to take an active role in the present war. The Israeli Air Force is fully prepared to act in the northern arena, if necessary. Hopefully, there won’t be a need to do so. The big question for Israel right now is whether to move more troops to the north. 

Not to be ignored is the ongoing armed confrontation in the south. With darkness descending on the region of the Middle East, there was a heavy rocket barrage from Gaza on Tel Aviv, Gush Dan (extended metropolitan area of Tel Aviv, located along Israel’s Mediterranean coastline) and Hashfela (the geographical area between the Judean Hills and the coastal flatlands). This came after a constant flow of missiles were fired into some of the communities surrounding the Gaza Strip and included rockets fired into the coastal cities of Ashdod and Ashkelon.

The Minister of Defense, Yoav Galant, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have differences of opinion regarding whether to intensify the present efforts in the war in the south – Galant wants to do so, Netanyahu doesn’t. It’s OK for members of the war cabinet to disagree with one another, as long as the ultimate goal, desired by both, is reached, namely, elimination of Hamas and, particularly, every terrorist that was involved in the slaughter carried out in the communities surrounding Gaza.

Notwithstanding the actions of Hamas and Hezbollah, and the retaliation of the IDF, the issue of the day is the return of the hostages. The government is committed to doing everything it can to bring about their return. That was the promise of the Prime Minister, who met today with number of the families of the hostages. But, what does such a promise entail? The taking of hostages, particularly civilian hostages, is a violation of the rules of war. But, Hamas does not consider itself bound by any rules, much less international rules of war. By the second day of the war, the Hamas spokesman said that there would be no negotiation regarding the hostages. Everyone understood that such a statement was intended as a show of strength and that it was intended to be a public relations statement for the entire Arab community. But, less than a week after the war began, Hamas announced that it was willing to release the women and children being held hostage, in exchange for the release of all of the so-called “Palestinian” prisoners held in all of the Israeli jails. That was a non-starter and Hamas quickly realized that its demand would never be accepted by Israel. 

When Israel began to act aggressively and started its move to eliminate Hamas, the terrorists revised their demand. Now, they want medical supplies and humanitarian aid. And, in exchange for that, they are willing to return the women and children who were abducted. This greatly affects how the war against Hamas will be carried out. At the outset, the IDF was given the green light to pursue whatever military action was necessary to achieve the stated goals: elimination of Hamas and obtain information that would lead to the return of the hostages. But, the military action would be undertaken without regard to the actual situation of the hostages. The latest proposal of Hamas creates no small dilemma for Israel. The families of those taken hostage are extremely vocal and demand that the government take the necessary action to insure that their loved ones would be returned. The fate of many of those abducted is still unknown. Are they alive or were they killed sometime between the 7th of October and today? Were they abused? Are some of them wounded? The head of the governmental unit appointed to deal with the return of the hostages, said today: “We have no indication of the situation of those who were kidnapped.” This is not a good fact upon which to base any negotiation.

Negotiating with Hamas is severely problematic. They do not provide any information and their promises are not to be trusted. Any compromise by Israel with Hamas is a public relations and “face-saving” victory for Hamas within Gaza and the “Palestinian” community and the Arab-speaking peoples worldwide. In other words, “they” set the terms. The fact that they have to return some of their hostages to achieve their goals is irrelevant. If they are not decisively defeated, they are seen as being victorious.

From the Israeli side, agreeing to negotiate with Hamas weakens the original resolve to defeat this terrorist organization, without taking into account the situation of the hostages. It also creates a public relations problem for the government, namely: agreeing to the release of some of the hostages – women and children, while the men remain in captivity in the hands of Hamas, whose demands would undoubtedly then revert back to the release of all so-called “Palestinians” being held in all Israeli jails, in exchange for the men (maybe even some of the men, not including the soldiers who were taken hostage). Such a situation would bring about the end of the political career of P.M. Netanyahu, which is teetering on the brink, as well as members of the war cabinet.

I certainly want all of the hostages to be returned, alive and well. But, having undertaken a military campaign designed to end the existence and related threat of Hamas, it would seem clear that negotiating with it at this point is self-defeating. It extends the life of an entity that should be killed. It strengthens the resolve of terrorists, who should be forced to capitulate and be tried as war criminals. It encourages other terrorist entities (governments, organizations and individuals) to pursue their own vile acts against Israel, knowing that in the end, we would agree to negotiate again, because Israeli public opinion will demand it. I understand the agony of the families whose loved ones were taken hostage by Hamas. I think we all can. But, if we are faced with a decision to either pursue our stated military goals and eliminate a totally immoral, murderous terrorist organization that has acted against Israel time and time again, or negotiate with it, again, to bring back some, but not all, of the hostages, how should we decide? Is it really a Hobson’s choice? Why is it that Israel is the only country that the world doesn’t allow to win a war?

I am attaching a political cartoon from “the Dry Bones Blog” of Yaakov Kirschen that appeared today <blog@mrdrybones.com>. The explanatory content accompanying the blog speaks for itself: 

After The Second World War we reacted to the Nazi horrors by trying to convince ourselves, and the rest of the world, that the “Holocaust” had been a “crime against humanity” instead of the expression of an ages-old and unique war to destroy the Jewish people.

It wasn’t the German people who were responsible , we liked to think, it was the Nazis.

But like the Germans who cheered the vile acts of their beloved Nazis back then, today the Palestinian Arabs and their supporters around the world are cheering the vile acts of their beloved Hamas.

“Never Again” is not a wish. It is our pledge to fight any reappearance of the beast. And the beast is back.

[A time will come when] He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war. (Isaiah 4:2) 

Until that time: Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, in spite of this I shall be confident. (Psalm 27:3)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing,

Marvin