On Israel And The Palestinians: A Tragedy Is Not A Crime
Posted by Job on January 19, 2009
Despite my sympathy for the Palestinians and many disagreements with Israeli policies, I have always maintained that ultimately Israel has not only the right but the responsibility to defend itself when faced with a population that throws rocks at Israeli tanks trying to avoid civilian casualties rather than at the terrorists using them as human shields. One can oppose political and religious Zionism – as do I – and sympathize with the intractable plight of the Palestinians – again as do I – while realizing that Palestinian civilian casualties are inevitable because the Palestinians allow themselves to be used as human shields.
I remember the Los Angeles race riots when brave residents of South Central Los Angeles risked their lives to rescue badly beaten Reginald Denny. Why? Because they had the mindset to do so, and I also recall specifically that one of the people who ran out in the middle of a race riot to rescue Denny was a Christian woman, a longtime and faithful church attendee. Well, the Palestinians lack the mindset required to drive out the murdering cowards that are using pregnant women and babies as human shields. The article below contains things that I do not agree with, but it is an excellent example of what the Israelis are faced with in dealing with actions of the Palestinian population that defy human reason. I am not going to state that the Palestinians practice some form of Islam that promises heaven to human shields, because not all Palestinians are Islamists, or Islamic fundamentalists. As a matter of fact, only a few are, and a real problem is how outside elements (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria) is supporting the portion of the Palestinian population that is Islamist. So then, what motivates the non – Islamist Palestinian majority to allow cowardly murderers to use their mosques, hospitals, schools, and apartment complexes as places to hide and fire rockets?
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1232292897813&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
By the way, things are only going to get worse. Iran is upset that so few Jews died this time around (more Jewish deaths increases the pressure on the Israeli government to capitulate … I am sorry to say that it works just about every time, even when a conservative Israeli government is in power … Binyamin Netanyahu talks a tough game, but he made a series of concessions after a wave of successful terror attacks just like all the rest) so they are planning to send Hamas missiles capable of reaching Tel Aviv.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1232292910127&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Also, Hamas will be able to rearm itself from whatever weapons and infrastructure damage that Operation Cast Lead inflicted in as little as three months.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1232292908245&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
The Hamas lives lost will take longer to replace, but even Israel acknowledged that the 750 Hamas members killed were only a fraction of the 25,000 members of the Hamas military wing. Incidentally, even that 750 count doesn’t include only actual Hamas murdering cowards; a lot of it included police officers (even the decision to target police officers by Israel’s military was controversial) and also members of Hamas in governmental, administrative, and other non – military posts. So the actual number of people with the desire and training to launch missiles into Israel and perform other acts of murderous mayhem killed … the actual reduction in Hamas’ fighting capacity … is considered to be very small. Thinking that it is 500 or even 400 out of 25,000 would be extremely optimistic. So truthfully, Operation Cast Lead, while completely justified, accomplished absolutely nothing.
All the more reason why we should continue to pray for the return of Jesus Christ, that many be added to the church in the meantime, and that Christians in the Middle East and around the world be comforted in their turmoils and afflictions until the day of perfection, the return of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of those that sleep and those that are alive being changed and caught up, happens. Maranatha!
John said
Job,
Thanks for the post, it takes courage to step out of line and see things as they are and state the Truth, instead of taking a partisan position.
It is as I have always believed, you do not have to agree with Zionism or the view that Israel is a fulfillment of Biblical Prophecy to say that Israel has a right to defend itself when it is doing everything it can to live in peace with its neighbors while its Islamic neighbors on the other hand are doing everything they can to destroy Israel, even violating agreements they have made.
I think we can agree that Jews who do not accept Jesus as their Messiah are not saved, there are not two covenants there is only One! It is the New Covenant in Jesus Christ and what he did at the Cross.
And it is true it will only get worse in the Middle East!
And our prayer should be: Come Lord Jesus, Come!
God Bless,
John
The Prodigal Son said
Job, … ~~~ You are literally steeped in Jewish controlled propaganda and lies ! Why don’t you do all your readers a favor, and perform your due diligence and do some proper research – because wherever you’re getting your information now is LYING to you ! ~~~ … Please visit : What Really Happened.com or : T.V. News Lies.com to find REAL TRUTH !! ~~~ Remember… thou shalt not bear false witness… Even CNN has now admitted that Israel broke the ceasefire – NOT HAMAS ! And again, at least two thirds of the dead were civilians, over 300 children – were NOT HAMAS !! ~~~ Thank You…
Hope said
I received this from a friend and wanted those who have been praying for Israel to be encouraged.
This is written by a MD, who lives in northern Israel.
Read more about author at http://www.out-of-zion.com/ofzemissaries.htm
MIRACLES ARE HAPPENING IN ISRAEL!
While the media in the West are lambasting Israel for killing women and
children, and are saturating their viewers with horrific photos of bloodied
corpses, Israel as a nation is undergoing an astonishing spiritual awakening
as a result of this conflict. It is a pity that the world is unable to be
witness to the miracles that are occurring here daily. Even the most jaded
person would be amazed at the transformation of the people in this country.
After many years of feeling the underdog and fearful of the approbation of
the outside world, Israel is undergoing an absolute renaissance on a
personal and national level.
First and foremost, Israel as a nation has finally decided to throw aside
the fear of being rejected by the nations and embrace its sovereign right to
defend it’s citizens from terrorist attacks. What is so astonishing, for
those who know Jews and particularly Israelis, is that a whopping 92% of
Jewish Israelis actually AGREE that the war is necessary and just. The adage
of 2 Jews, 3 opinions and 4 political parties has vaporized in the face of
the national crisis we are in. Not only is there agreement among the
populace, but also the left wing and the right wing of the political spheres
agree. Even more amazing is the concordance among the various religious
factions: Ashkenazi, Sephardic, reform and conservative, Zionists and
anti-Zionist Jews are all joining together in prayer and supplication to the
Almighty for salvation, protection and victory over our enemies. There are
calls to prayer everywhere, regardless of denomination or ethnic background,
everyone is united in looking towards the God of Israel to keep our soldiers
safe and help us win against an evil enemy who has sworn never to stop until
Israel as a nation is destroyed.
The soldiers themselves seem to have a huge spiritual hunger, and are
unified in not only asking for prayer but also praying themselves, wearing
tzitzit (prayer tassles) into battle and carrying the book of Psalms with
them. The Rabbis are calling the tzitzit “heavenly flak jackets!” Tent
synagogues on the battlefield have no less than 10 sessions every morning,
and it is reported that soldiers who never attended synagogue are now
praying with tefillim. They have reason to cry out to God, since everyone is
aware of the years of preparation of the bloodthirsty Hamas militants, their
desire to kill, maim or kidnap Israeli soldiers is greater than their desire
to live; they have been financed by Iran and supported by Syria and
Hezbollah. Yet, we are defeating them, and there are reports daily of
amazing miracles of protection and Divine direction during the battle. The
following are jus a few examples: A Hamas map was found, with booby-traps,
landmines and sniper positions clearly spelled out. The IDF was able to
counter each installation due to the information given. A large platoon of
soldiers not realizing they were resting in a school that was booby-trapped,
(discovered by a soldier relieving himself in the night), disarmed the bombs
with no one hurt. A single soldier successfully fought off several Hamas
terrorists trying to drag him into a tunnel, and all were captured. Hundreds
of tunnels, hidden in homes under beds and kitchen cabinets, all full of
live explosives and ammunition, yet none have exploded with IDF soldiers
inside.
While there have been soldiers wounded, there are miracles there as well. A
young man who moved here alone from England less than 2 years ago to serve
in the army was in an explosion, and thrown into the air. After being
carried off the field by other soldiers and transported on a tractor to
helicopter and then to hospital, the doctors were utterly stunned when they
saw that a piece of shrapnel that went completely through his neck, missed
the carotid artery, the jugular vein and the spinal cord by millimeters.
After they removed it, he needed only stitches.? Another soldier was shot
through the back but the bullet missed his spinal cord and exited from the
front. A young newlywed, in grave condition, inexplicably turned for the
better and will recover to go home to his wife.
On the ground level, bombs continue to fall, but here again, miracle after
miracle is reported even on the local news. One hears the word “nes”
(miracle) over and over by the reporters and the bystanders. A bomb heading
toward 4 apartment buildings goes into a sewer pipe and explodes
underground, damaging nothing above ground. An elderly woman caught in an
apartment completely demolished by a bomb, walks out with scratches on her
ankle. The mayor of Beersheva felt he should cancel school one day, and a
rocket completely destroys an empty kindergarten. The elder housing complex
that was hit in Nahariya had the sleeping quarters destroyed, but everyone
had just gone to breakfast, so no one injured. A man leaves his car with his
young daughter, and the car is blown up moments later after they entered a
bomb shelter. If they had taken a few more seconds, he and his daughter
would have been burned to a crisp. He was televised saying again and again
it was a miracle.
Similar stories like these were heard during the second Lebanon war,
reported on Israeli radio and television, but no one in the west ever heard;
only negative propaganda from the terrorists was reported, whose aim was to
malign Israel and make us look like a nation of bloodthirsty killers. One
has to grieve over the terrible destruction of the cities in Gaza and the
horrific human tragedy going on there, but the responsibility for the
suffering and death is directly on the doorstep of the Hamas leadership.
These deluded people think that their god, Allah, will give them victory,
and have entered into a battle with the true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
that they will never win. We are literally living in times like those of the
scripture, when the Lord told Elisha all the plans of the enemy, until they
began to wonder if there was a spy in their ranks.
There is hope here and unity of resolve, not despair. Even the parents of
Yoni Natanel, killed by friendly fire, were quoted as saying that their son
died “for the sanctification of God’s name,” and forgave and blessed those
who accidently fired at his unit. There is such heroism and courage here,
one wishes that the world could see it, but as one of our journalists said,
the media have left their brains at the door of Ben Gurion Airport. They are
many miles away from the actual battle, wear flak jackets and helmets for
the cameras, and then take them off to have cappuccino at the local
restaurant!
Fortunately, Israelis are accustomed to being misunderstood and maligned by
the outside world. At this point, everyone knows we have a job to do, and we
are becoming more and more aware that there is a greater Power than us is on
our side. We are fulfilling our commission to be a “Light to the Nations.”
Israel learned from the failure of the Lebanon war, and prepared well to
fight the terrorists who clearly said they wanted to destroy us. The rest of
the nations have not remembered the threats of Hitler, and how the Jewish
people were almost wiped out because no one wanted to believe he actually
meant what he said. Contrary to those who want to hide their heads in the
sands of political correctness, there is a right and a wrong side in this
conflict. It is a battle between darkness and light. Fortunately, we have a
God who was never wishy-washy about defending Israel against her enemies,
when His People cried out to Him for help. The outside world is missing the
miracle of a righteous God who hears the prayers of the humble, and defends
what is His!
If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and
seek My Face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven
and will forgive their sin and will heal their land (2 Chron 7:14).
Dena Gewanter, M.D.
Kiriat Yam, Israel
David L. Williams said
Thank you so much, Hope. How I appreciate this article, and I do believe it, too. You are right that the media is blind to truth, and that leaves Israel looking bad. We are in those days when bad is called good, and good is called bad. God bless and keep Israel….I pray for the peace of Jerusalem. DavWms
The Prodigal Son said
~~~ ~~~… As the firing died down, the family thought their misery was over… but the Israeli soldiers were not finished yet. “When the soldiers came closer, I thought they will kill me.”, said Awaga – who faked being dead. ~~~ “But they were aiming at my young child.”, he said – choking at the bitter memory. One soldier came close to Ibrahim’s body, turning him by his leg and laughing, while another fired his gun to the dead boy’s head. ~~~ Laughs got louder as they carried the body to a higher place to start their party. For a whole hour, the father hushed his cries of pain as he watched the Israeli soldiers compete in sniping on his dead son’s body. ~~~ “They were using his bullet-ridden, bleeding body as a shooting practice.”… ~~~ ~~~
The Prodigal Son said
~~~ ~~~ “We declare openly that the arabs have no right to settle on even one centimeter of Eretz Yisrael… Force is all they do or ever will understand. We shall use the ultimate force until the Palestinians come crawling to us on all fours.” – Rafael Eitan, Israeli Defence Forces Chief of Staff… Apr. 14/1983, in the New York Times. ~~~ ~~~ “If we want to remain alive, we will have to kill, and kill, and kill ! All day, every day ! If we don’t kill – we will cease to exist.” – Prof. Arnon Sofer of Haifa University… in the Jerusalem Post. ~~~ ~~~
The Prodigal Som said
Hope… ~~~ Re: your post… + “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me because My word has no place in you. I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.” They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” ~~~ Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father – God” ~~~
The Prodigal Som said
(cont.) ~~~ Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; Nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My spheech ? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” – John 8:37-44
Reverend Patrick Williams said
Hope
That was an excellent article. God’s hand be upon the nation of Israel, and in the coming days they shall see him for who he is, can call out to him. Thank you.