Hear Our Voice

What is the alternative?  That is what I keep asking myself and others.  And nobody screaming “ceasefire,” has a quality answer.  Finally, the US is calling upon the UN Security Council for a ceasefire that requires the return of all hostages.  Why is this so anathema?  Shouldn’t this be the obvious requirement?  

If Hamas wants Israel to halt its attacks launched in response to the pogrom of October 7, 2023, shouldn’t the most obvious (even if not sufficient) concession by Hamas be the return of all hostages?  To say otherwise, is to accept the claims of the mainstream Palestinian leaders and far too many leaders throughout our city, our country, and the world – that, Israel is an “occupying power” and therefore cannot claim a defensive posture…anywhere.  

Is it not clear that the attacks Israel is responding to, took place in an area of Israel, about which no responsible world leader would claim isn’t Israel proper.  Yes, we can all debate about green lines, blue lines, red lines, and more but there is no question, except for the blindest or most heartless, that the residents of Kibbutz Beiri, and Kibbutz Nir Oz and Kibbutz Kfar Aza, the 360 murdered at the Supernova music festival, those who died at the hands of rabid terrorists in Sderot, and areas farther inside Israel proper, were living peacefully, contributing to the land and the people (including so many thousands of Palestinians who benefited from untold kindnesses given to them every day regular Israelis).  Today, if you walk through Kibbutz Nahal Oz, and by the home of kidnapped 1-year old Kfir, and 4-year old Ariel Bibas, their tricycles and dolls and toys lay there frozen in time like a still-life painting.  But are they still alive? We don’t know, but it’s doubtful.  This all happened in Israel proper, by everyone’s definition – unless you’re just blind to facts.  

Please, I am begging you, you protesters at U of H, holding up your red painted hands throughout a lecture delivered by Israeli academic, Aron Troen, whose daughter and son in law were murdered on October 7, and whose grandson survived a bullet in his belly because his mother’s body bore the brunt of the bullet first.  Please take your red painted hands and hold them up to Hamas and tell THEM to STOP! Ask them to stop threatening the actual and eventual existence of the Jewish people. Stop their cowardice, hiding in tunnels, not only allowing, but hoping that more of their people are maimed and die.  Ask them to stop pretending that they care one iota more about saving Palestinians than they do about destroying Jews…not Israelis…Jews. 

And to you with the painted hands, here and throughout the world, please stop pretending that you mean something different than wiping out all Jews in the land “from the river to the sea,” when you scream out that in this area, “Palestine will be free.”  And could you please stop rooting for the gosh-darned Houthis?  Are you kidding me?  Did you actually chant, “Houthis, Houthis, don’t let us down, turn another boat around?!”  I think it might be possible that you’ve hooked your wagon to the wrong star.  Hamas may love for you the evening, but you’ll never wake up again if you get anywhere near them.