jpost.com “mayhem”
Steve Kramer – Ethnoreligious War in Gaza and Israel & Not Enough Dead Jews
Here is my latest update about Operation Guardian of the Wall. Luckily, our city, Kfar Saba, has been spared any damage. But because (3,000) rockets are still being launched into Israel from Gaza, Israelis of all types have had to contend with ethnoreligious rioting in mixed Arab-Jewish towns, even to an actual pogrom in Lod, a city near Ben Gurion Airport, where synagogues, houses, stores, and cars were torched and residents attacked.
May 15: “In a statement with unusually strong language, President Reuven Rivlin said that, ‘the sight of the pogrom in Lod and the disturbances across the country by an incited and bloodthirsty Arab mob… is unforgivable. The silence of the Arab leadership about these disturbances is shameful, giving support to terrorism and rioting and encouraging the rupture of the society in which we live and in which we will continue to live once all this has passed.’ said Rivlin, who has long worked to improve Jewish-Arab ties in Israel.”
In my previous article, I mentioned gangs of Jewish zealots screaming “Death to the Arabs” and many more numerous Arab mobs screaming “Death to the Jews.” Usually violence follows; lynchings and even worse have resulted. The fact is that the Jewish gangs are a very small minority among Jews. Their actions aren’t celebrated by the majority of Jews. Conversely, the jihadist Arab mobs have supporters among Israeli Arabs. These supporters are a sizable minority among Israel’s 2 million Arab citizens.
This intra-Israel violence is happening in Israel’s mixed Jewish-Arab populations, primarily in Jerusalem, Lod, Ramla, Haifa, Acre, and Jaffa. Eye-witness accounts have decried the fact that many Arab neighbors of Jews have turned on their Jewish neighbors, sometimes even pointing out “Jewish” cars to be set on fire and Jewish-owned apartments to be ransacked and even worse. This is reminiscent of the horrific 1929 Hebron pogrom, which led to the Arab Revolt against the Jews and the British during the Mandate period.
It’s not all bad though. There are solidarity marches by Jewish-Arab mixed groups, such as medical professionals, and large mixed events in city squares to proclaim affinity for peace and prosperity. The majority of the Israeli Arab population is satisfied or close to satisfied to live under a Jewish government. They fear that their progress toward nondiscrimination/inclusion will be set back by a generation.
Let’s examine some of the causes leading to this conflagration, the most significant anarchy since 2014. Always there is Iran, in the background if not the foreground. It supplies money, training, propaganda, and materiel to conduct carnage against Israelis.
Internally, there is the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood housing dispute. A brief summary: the area the Arabs call Sheikh Jarrah is known to Jews as “Shimon Hatzadik,” (Simon the Just), a revered, third-century BCE, Jewish High Priest whose tomb is located there. The mixed neighborhood is often visited by Jewish pilgrims and tourists. Jews lived there for centuries until being forced out in 1948 by the Jordanians during the War of Independence.
The pro-Palestinian community claims that Israel is unjustly evicting several Palestinian families (about 50 residents) from their homes in the neighborhood and that this exemplifies accusations against Israel in the context of the broader conflict with the Palestinians. The Palestinian Authority has influenced the inhabitants not to make an amicable settlement, making this into a “national struggle.”
“It must be stressed also that this is a civil dispute over ownership rights and rent, and the Israeli government is not a party to the litigation. Over the years some of the Palestinian tenants have been evicted over non-payment of rent, but this is a private rather than a government matter. The Israeli government is not evicting anyone.”
(https://www.camera.org/article/sheikh-jarrah-the-facts/)
Unfortunately, this legal battle was to be reviewed by Israel’s Supreme Court at just this fraught time. Thus a relatively insignificant real estate dispute has become a partial justification for rebellion, as the mob sees this as Jews kicking Arabs of their homes.
Another factor leading to warfare was the conflict at the Al Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount. There, Israeli police forcefully entered the mosque (not for the first time) to confront terrorists who throw rocks on Jewish worshippers at the Western Wall, which the mosque towers over. This “holy” mosque is used as an ammunition dump for the violent mob.
From where does this Arab rage erupt? The Arabs of Israel have complained for years about the terrible violence in their own communities and the failure of the government and the police to stop it. This being the Middle East, one must remember that the Arabs in Israel identify, in general, with their family clan. “Honor” and “shame” are of supreme value. An analogy in the US might be the Hatfields and the McCoys, but raised to a higher, broader level.
Add to this propensity to violence, the huge number of illegal weapons secreted in many Arab residences, and the propensity for “honor killings” which are still frequent in the 21st century. This is stoked by the Muslim Ramadan festival, which requires a month of fasting, reflection, and prayer on a daily basis from sunrise to sunset. The evening is the time for huge family meals, then entertainment and socializing. The younger generation imbibes vast quantities of energy drinks, which hop up the excitable young men (Islam forbids alcoholic beverages). With the education they receive from their Palestinian Authority curriculum pumping them full of hatred of Jews, young people (and some older ones) are primed and looking for trouble. They find it when coming upon Jews or facing policemen who are charged with attempting to keep the public order.
Finally, the timing. Ramadan often coincides with Israel Independence Day, Jerusalem Day celebrations and marches, Shavuot, and the Muslim Eid festival marking the end of Ramadan and the Naqba, the “disaster” of the Jews’ victory over the Arabs in 1948. Altogether, this is a recipe that results every year in violence and rioting. This year, there was the additional fact that Palestinian Authority ruler Mahmoud Abbas (in the 16th year of a 12-year term) canceled elections which Hamas seemed poised to dominate. Altogether, it was a catastrophe waiting to happen. Hamas’ bet that Israel wouldn’t react to some rockets fired into Jerusalem turned out to be a losing bet, one that has been devastating for Israel but many times worse for the Arabs.
What’s next? Inevitably, world opinion will be ramped up against Israel, which will be blamed for the violence by the mass media and many national and international organizations. More than 2,300 rockets have been fired at Israel, but Israel will still be called the perpetrator. Its efforts to shut down Hamas inevitably result in the death of civilians, victims of the cynical Hamas tactic of storing their weapons of war among the non-combatants. But Hamas’ dual war crimes atrocities (firing indiscriminately at Israeli civilians and firing from behind a shield of Arab civilians) will be papered over.
Calls for ceasefire are being heard daily, but are being ignored for the moment. Inevitably, the violence will cease, and there will be a return to “normality.” The goal of Hamas to show resistance to Israel and to humiliate the Palestinian Authority will have been met. Israel’s goal, to change the equation of rocket launches at the discretion of Hamas perhaps will be met, but isn’t a sure thing. As to a ground incursion of IDF soldiers, that will hopefully not occur – unless there is an unhappy instance of major Israeli deaths, such as a direct hit on a school or a large Jewish gathering. Israel is loathed to sustain the loss of so many young people that would be its price to pay for sending soldiers into Gaza’s cities.
I would be remiss if I neglected to mention the contribution of Biden administration blunders in this horrific warfare. One, by negotiating with, and enabling, Iran to continue its drive to nuclear weapons capability while continuing its efforts as the leading sponsor of global terrorism. Two, by resuming funding to the Palestinian Arabs, which inevitably funds and sustains terror against Israel. Still, the administration is using it’s veto in our favor at the UN, for which we are grateful.
Let us all pray for the best possible ending to jihadist mayhem!
Not Enough Dead Jews
israel21c.org “solidarity”
Israel’s battle with Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza exceeds one week. It may not end soon. The citizens of Israel most impacted by the daily rocket attacks (3300 and rising) are those who live in the “Gaza envelope,” very close to the Gaza borders, but towns across Israel have also been hit, some many times. Are Israelis physically exhausted, psychologically exhausted, and scared? Yes. Do they want Israel to sign a ceasefire today or tomorrow? No. What Israelis want is a different paradigm in their country, which will lead to a better, more peaceful relationship with the Gazan Arabs.
For that to happen, the Islamist terrorists’ hold on Gaza must be broken. Since there is no chance of that yet without a full-scale war, more pressure must be applied by the IDF on the jihadists. Unfortunately, they are hard to pressure because JIHADISTS DON’T CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO GAZANS. In fact, they are not deterred by the civilian deaths resulting from Israeli fire power. Rather, civilian deaths are an advantageous arrow in their propaganda quiver putting blame on Israel for the carnage. Lost in the shuffle is the indisputable fact that the conflagration engulfing Gaza and Israel was started by Gaza’s firing rockets on Israel’s capital, Jerusalem. Ironically, the Palestinian Arabs claim Jerusalem as Islam’s third holiest city, a city with a large Arab population which the jihadists rained rockets onto indiscriminately.
Hundreds of deaths and thousands of wounded Arabs have resulted from Israel’s defense of its residents, Jewish and Arab. So far, ten Israelis have been killed, ten Jews and two Arabs, plus two Thai agricultural workers. What’s wrong with this picture? Clearly, not enough Jews have been killed according to many individuals, organizations and even countries. According to many people’s skewed “logic,” the party with fewer deaths is obviously the guilty party, the aggressor. The party with many more deaths is obviously the innocent victim, suffering from the cruel oppressor.
For example: Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar: “Israeli airstrikes killing civilians in Gaza is an act of terrorism. Palestinians deserve protection. Unlike Israel, missile defense programs, such as Iron Dome, don’t exist to protect Palestinian civilians. It’s unconscionable to not condemn these attacks on the week of Eid.”
(May 11, 2021 / Jewish Journal)
“[TV personality Trevor] Noah ultimately chose to ignore the complicated origins of Israel vs. Palestine, maintaining that regardless of how the conflict began, it’s no longer a fight between two equals. The host called out Israel for having “one of the most powerful militaries in the world,” saying, “they can crush Gaza like that,” and clenching his fist to illustrate his point. … All I’m asking is, when you have this much power, what is your responsibility?” (www.vanityfair.com)
What is one supposed to make of comments like those above. Blame for a conflict can’t be gauged by counting fatalities on each side. By that measurement, the US was the aggressor in WWII. Trevor Noah answers his own question about responsibility when he correctly identifies Israel as having a very potent military. Obviously, Israel could devastate all of Gaza in a few hours if it didn’t care about minimizing Arab deaths. Instead, Israel puts every operation through rigorous tests before initiating action. Even so, in war, things don’t always go right.
Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland Abdalmajid asked, “‘How many Palestinians have been killed so far?’ The comparison is not equal. The international community has a ‘great responsibility’ to protect the Palestinian people from attacks.” The ambassador’s call for “equal deaths” is even more obtuse. (www.newstalk.com 5/13/21)
If that were the standard, then the US acted disproportionately in killing so many Germans in WWII. Bad America! Why didn’t it tell Hitler that the huge Operation Overlord invasion would take place in Normandy? Not fair!
Yes, there are many more deaths in Gaza than in Israel. How could there not be? Israel spends a huge amount of its yearly budget to defend its citizens. Hamas, which rules Gaza, spends no money to defend its citizens. Instead it spends donations from individuals, organizations (UN, EU), many non-governmental organizations (NGOs), countries (IRAN, Qatar, Turkey, US, various European countries) on offensive weapons, tunnels, rockets, mortars, drones, etc. Not only that… it locates its intelligence and logistic departments, rocket launchers, and weapons caches in Gaza’s residential and commercial neighborhoods. The idea is, that when Hamas/Islamic Jihad fires weapons indiscriminately to kill as many Jews as possible (war crime #1), its military will be protected by human shields (war crime #2).
What about “proportionality,” a term used to discredit Israel’s defense against thousands of rockets unleashed upon it.
“The Law of Land Warfare, specifies, ‘Those who plan or decide upon an attack, therefore, must take all reasonable steps to ensure that the objectives are identified as military objectives or defended places within the meaning of the preceding paragraph but also that these objectives may be attacked without probable losses in lives and damage to property disproportionate to the military advantage gained.’ The reference to the manual’s preceding paragraph is noteworthy. There the list of acceptable targets is rather broad, including defended cities and towns, factories, warehouses, ports, railroads, and other places that offer an enemy a military advantage or accommodation, all venues that by their very nature could have large civilian populations. The proportionality rule does not negate attacks on such facilities so long as a reasonable military necessity exists and that necessity can be reasonably balanced against anticipated civilian casualties.”
(https://www.army.mil/article/25298/the_end_of_proportionality)
This week may bring a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. (Islamic Jihad remains a shadowy presence.) The advantage of surprise that Hamas had at the beginning of this conflict dissipated quickly and Gaza’s infrastructure and weaponry have been mightily degraded. But the terrorist leaders (those who weren’t killed) won’t suffer too much – after they rebuild their luxurious villas. Hopefully, Hamas and Islamic Jihad will be deterred similarly to Hezbollah in Lebanon, which fears Israel’s retaliation since its devastation after attacking Israel in 2006. That’s about the best conclusion that I can see from the latest jihadist misadventure . We thank God for protecting Israel!
