A Last Look, We Hope

There are still a few small piles of it left, but this scene on our street is now a just a memory. I will not re-visit it.
I have been doing some reading concerning the Hamas/Israeli conflict in Gaza. The beauty of the Internet is that one can access sources of information other than mainstream media.

There is a reason that, generally speaking, world opinion is not on Israel's side. I think that there is a concerted effort on Israel's part to get more information out to the public that defends their position and could turn the tide of that opinion. There are some things that you will not hear well publicised regarding the current conflict, but could influence one's thinking about the situation.

The Hamas, a militant faction that has taken over Gaza from the Palestinian Authority, knows for a certainty that they cannot win a fighting war with Israel. Their strategy, therefore, is to garner sympathy for their cause and turn public opinion against the Israeli's. That people around the world fall for this, as demonstrated by the well supported protests held by pro Arab rallies around the world, is quite remarkable. The Hamas are a recognised terrorist organisation and yet they get public support even here in North America.

Their favourite method for discrediting Israel is to flaunt the civilian casualties via world wide media. You will rarely if ever hear why there are civilian casualties in the first place. You will rarely if ever hear that Israel sent thousands of text messages and emails and cell phone calls to people all over Gaza, days before the air strikes, warning of impending attacks. You will rarely if ever hear about the tons of leaflets dropped from planes warning people of Gaza to remove themselves from any proximity to any Hamas terrorists or their strong holds. You will rarely if ever hear about how Muslim Mosques were storehouses for weapons and munitions and not houses for prayer. You will rarely if ever hear about the truckloads of food, medicine and water that Israel is sending into Gaza as she suffers for the sins of its terrorist leaders. You will rarely if ever hear how the school that was struck by Israeli fighter planes was loaded with explosives, and Hamas soldiers sent to the rooftop to fire rockets, thereby enticing attacks. The resultant damage and death was a macabre and cruel trick both on the Israeli's, the citizens of Gaza, and on world opinion.

Israel has been bombarded continually with rocket from within Gaza, putting fear and terror into the hearts of all living within range. Israel is putting a stop to it now. It is destroying the tunnels that run under the Egyptian/Gaza border, whose purpose it is to smuggle arms and munitions, it is targeting the Hamas leadership, and it is temporarily occupying the land from which the rockets are being fired. A Nation has the right to defend itself.

I read one every interesting analogy: Imagine a renegade northern province of Mexico defying the national authority of the Mexican government. They smuggle in arms and munitions from Cuba and Nicaragua. Then they demand from the USA that all lands taken from the Mexicans in the past, (California, Texas, and New Mexico) be returned. The USA does not give in to their demands so they begin to lob mortars and rockets into those three states, occasionally hitting shopping malls, schools and private homes. Each time there is "incoming", the US citizens would get 15 seconds of "RED ALERT" warnings. Everyday would be a day of fear and uncertainty. Do you think for one minute that the USA would stand by and allow this to continue? I think not.

The bottom line here is that when fanatics and radicals take over a government, they are not concerned with what the ordinary citizenry wants. I believe the average Palestinian wants peace and security. They want work and safety. They do not want themselves or their children to be killed or maimed. They are also afraid to speak out. Because the ultimate goal of the radical Muslim movement is the total annihilation of the all Jews, this conflict will continue in spite of the wishes of the average mom and dad and grandparent in those nations. I give so much credit to a young Arab girl in Gaza who lost her 4 year old sister in a bomb blast only days ago. She spoke the words that all of her people should have the courage to say. She said, "Hamas is responsible for all of this. They are responsible for all this war."