Note: I published the following post on my Facebook page on October 11 2023. I am reposting it here, unedited.
We are the people of the Jewish State. We have been demonized. We have been delegitimized. We have been defamed. We have been denounced. We have been subjected to double standards.
But all of that is so much sticks and stones in the face of Saturday’s brutal terror attack. Now we have been slaughtered, brutalized, raped, and taken hostage.
To add insult to deep injury there are people out there who celebrate the atrocities committed against us. Or, if they don’t celebrate the atrocities, they offer excuses and justification. Or, if they neither celebrate nor justify the atrocities, they are silent.
It should not be difficult to know which side of the fence to stand on: on the side of evil with those committing the atrocities or on the side of good with those against whom the atrocities were perpetrated. If you’re not standing on the side of good, you’re part of the problem.
It should not be difficult to know that there is no justification or excuse for these atrocities. Every murderer in so-called civil society seeks to excuse his actions and those excuses are rightfully rejected. That is what you should be doing. If you’re not, you’re part of the problem. It should not be difficult to know that silence and inaction can be deadly. As the famous quote (edited) say: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men and women to do nothing.” So, if you’re doing nothing, you’re part of the problem.
And the problem? See the first paragraph. The Guardian is part of the problem. Almost every story about Israel and Jews is designed to show the Jewish State in a bad light. Many events that would highlight the bloodthirsty immorality of our terrorist neighbors are ignored or excused. Like the BBC – also part of the problem – it offers a platform for antisemites and Israel haters to freely express their venom. The New York Times is part of the problem. When’s the last time you saw these outlets cover Arab antisemitism? When’s the last time you saw these outlets feature articles that explained where Hamas got all its rockets from? When’s the last time you saw these outlets acknowledge that the IDF takes more care than any other army on the planet to avoid unnecessary civilian casualties? This unholy trinity are only the most obvious examples that spring to mind, and they are all similar. Piece by piece, bit by bit, byte by byte, they cast Israel as the source of all evil and the only one to blame.
Which brings me to another part of the problem: the UN. In a world where only Israel features as a permanent item on the Human Right’s Council agenda, perhaps it’s understandable that people think everything bad that happens in the world is Israel’s fault. The truth? Well, if you have half a brain you will appreciate that the Chinese might have something to answer for if only there was anyone brave enough to stand up to them. Certainly if you’re Ukrainian you will (rightfully) believe that Putin’s Russia has got off lightly. What about Turkey’s invasion and illegal occupation of Northern Cyprus? Why did Assad get free rein to murder his own people and thousands of Palestinians? Life’s a bundle of laughs for the people living under the rule of the oppressive regimes in Burma, Cuba, Iran, and many more. (Where are the BDS movements about these countries?) Despite all of this, the UN disproportionately targets Israel. The central problem with the UN is it gives a vote to every country, even those who do not give the vote to their citizens. And dictatorships support one another.
Now for the so-called Human Rights organizations. What are they doing? Once, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch (HRW), and the like did a good job. But at a certain moment, many of them cottoned on to the fact that there is so much hatred for the Jewish State (or maybe just Jews?) that so long as they focused on Israel, the money would roll in. That, for example, at least in part explains the obscene Amnesty allegation of apartheid against Israel. What you may not realize is that, not for the first time, Amnesty had to create new law (applicable only to Israel) and a brand new definition of apartheid to make it fit. What kind of hateful people do these things? As for HRW, their Israel coverage became laughable. They were leading lights in the world of double standards, going through contortions to avoid naming the real culprits. For example, when “collaborators” were being executed in Gaza, HRW couldn’t name Hamas as being the perpetrators! As one commentator noted, “You limit your criticism of the Hamas terror group as much as you can, only condemning what cannot possibly be denied and interpreting international humanitarian law in the most conservative way possible for them. You do the exact opposite for Israel. That’s how we know you are biased.” Even the original founder of HRW called them out for their bias. For Amnesty and HRW, money talks and Jews suffer.
For the avoidance of doubt, I neither pretend nor believe that Israel is perfect. (I wish it were otherwise.) People are entitled to criticize us, but using double standards or invented international law or deliberate misrepresentations of legal principles like proportionality highlight how much of that criticism is simply disguised hate.
I ask you to bear all of this in mind when, sadly but inevitably, civilian casualties in Gaza pile up and there are pleas for a cease-fire or humanitarian aid. Unfortunately, war is not a video game and there will be innocent casualties. Israel’s record in minimizing civilian casualties, compared to every other army, is second to none. This, despite facing an inhuman and evil foe that relishes the deaths of its own people whether as human shields or otherwise. Nobody in Israel wants innocent civilians to die. But our military forces must be free to hunt down every member of Hamas. You don’t get to commit an atrocity and then hide behind the skirts of western apologists and peacemakers. Every pause benefits Hamas. Every penny in aid benefits Hamas. Save your charity and save your pleas because, unless I am sadly mistaken, this will not be over until Hamas are removed.
If you want to campaign to improve the lives of Palestinians, may I humbly suggest that you join groups that fight for women’s rights, gay rights, freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, freedom of worship, and democracy for Palestinians. I’ll back you all the way.
For my penultimate point, I want to address the bystanders who have done nothing. If you have reached out to people in Israel, that’s something and it’s appreciated. If you haven’t reached out yet, it’s not too late to do so. Another thing you can do is call out or report antisemitism and Jew hatred when you see it. Also, take everything about Israel that you read in the world media with a huge pinch of salt. For an alternative – one that is genuinely free thinking and not afraid to call a spade a spade – see The Times of Israel. And if you want to challenge yourself, bookmark the Elder of Ziyon blog site and visit every day. This site is a phenomenon. I don’t agree with everything he posts, but it’s a far better and more informative and insightful read than anything you will see on the Guardian, BBC, or New York Times. Haaretz? Keep well away. It’s the Guardian in disguise, but worse. In short, be truly informed so you know what’s really happening. If you want to be more active in your support, consider donating to Magen David Adom, United Hatzalah, IDF Soldiers’ Fund, or Zaka.
Finally, be assured that we will endure, we will survive, and then we will thrive. And in the face of all those engaging in the acts outlined in paragraph one, that will be our greatest victory.