IGM Israel and Hamas

Intergalactic Memo
To: Anyone willing to read a rant by a seriously fed-up guy
Fr: A seriously fed-up Crypto-guy
Re: Palestine


As many of you know, we are currently in our semi-annual cease-fire violation over in Gaza. And once again, like clock-work, the “global community” whatever that is, has come together, whatever that means, to denounce Israel for daring to bomb the innocent Palestinians who were only firing rockets into Israel, which, come on, let’s face it, is like a rite of passage for Palestinians.
Personally, I wouldn’t mind if everyone denounced Israel for the violence, as long as they denounced Hamas in the same breath for theirs. But no one ever does, do they? At least not officially. (And I know all about how far back the animosity goes. So what?)
A brief and overly-simplified history lesson: There has never, in the long history of the world, been a nation called Palestine. The word is derived from a roman term, Palistina, which referred to the entire region now known as Israel, the West Bank, and parts of Jordan and Syria.
The term Palestine in modern times was used to refer to the area where “Palestinians” lived prior to 1948. These were dispossessed people from several countries in the area, including Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and of course, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, who were kicked out of wherever they were living and sort of squatted in what is now Israel, which at the time belonged to no one.
After WWII, and despite impossible odds, a handful of Jewish refugees, armed with nothing but chutzpah and nothing-left-to-lose, invaded a not-country, sparsely populated with a disparate collection of disorganized and constantly squabbling cast-offs, and grabbed a toe-hold. Their dream was a homeland for the survivors of the Russian Pogroms and the Nazi Death Camps and nothing was going to stop them. People have been arguing ever since who has the better claim to the land. Personally, I say Israel does. Two reasons: One, Yahweh gave it to them, and two, they had been living there for what? Six thousand years, off and on?
Some people will discount the Yahweh claim, but no one else (i.e. the Palestinians) have ever claimed a God gave them the land. (For an excellent recounting of that time in history, read Exodus, by Leon Uris. Also see: Refiner’s Fire, by Mark Helprin)
Since shortly after 1948, Israel has existed as an internationally recognized, sovereign nation, which has managed to not only survive, but thrive, despite the fact that they are literally surrounded by people who hate them and claim on a daily basis that they will kill them all. And of course, they are outnumbered about twenty to one by all those hate-spewing people. (It didn’t help that in 1967 Israel not only defeated but humiliated the Arab world in the shortest, most lop-sided war in modern history. Despite the fact that Egypt hit them with a “surprise attack”.)
On the other hand, Hamas, the legally elected Palestinian government which is recognized by no one, not even Cuba, (okay, I made that up. I have no idea who Cuba recognizes, but it sounded good didn’t it?) has, instead of investing in schools and roads, and hospitals and things like that for their people (like Israel has done), spends all their time plotting to kill all the Jews, and firing rockets into Israel at random intervals, with no aiming mechanisms.
Lest we dismiss the media bias inherent in the problem, let us remember that until a few years ago, news agencies consistently referred to Palestinian settlements as “Refugee Camps”, which is how they started out after the Jews moved in and relocated them, even though they have been autonomous and often thriving cities for decades.
Oh, now that I think of it, Hamas is recognized for something. They are universally recognized as a terrorist organization. And yet the “global community” consistently calls Israel the terrorists. Go figure.
Here’s how it works over there. And this is a matter of public record, so let’s not go blathering about “biased opinions”.
Tempers flare, and someone, usually the USA, or France, or the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, steps in and attempts to negotiate a peace agreement. Remember Yasser Arafat and Jimmie Carter? Israel and Palestine sign the agreement. Sometimes even the PLO and or Hamas sign as well. Then, sometime later, rockets begin landing in Israel again, fired by Hamas. Usually Israel displays extraordinary patience and negotiates another cease-fire, which is then promptly broken by Hamas. Every now and then Israel gets fed up with this, after losing a few dozen innocent citizens and launches an attack on terrorist leaders, headquarters, etc. Despite the fact that the Palestinians start the violence every time, and despite the fact that Israel has consistently declared its desire for peace and an end to violence while Hamas and other similar organizations have just as consistently screamed for Israel’s destruction and the death of all Jews, everywhere. So, yeah, I can see how everyone would point the finger at Israel.
Israel is protecting itself. Why is that so hard for so many people to accept? They do not want to hurt innocent Palestinians—and there are some. But they have a right to defend themselves. “Well what about the Palestinians rights!” Some will declare. "They have a right to a homeland too!” Okay, they’re not an actual “people”, they’ve never had a homeland, or a country, but let’s be charitable and agree. Why not give them one where their own people live? Arabs. Why? Because Egypt won’t take them. (They’re not strictly Arab anyway.) Syria won’t take them. Jordan refuses to take them. Lebanon won’t take them. The Saudi’s? No. Iraq? Nope. Iran? C’mon, be serious. Besides, Iranians aren’t Arab either. They’re Persians. No one will accept the Palestinians. Why not? Because then Islam would have no reason to foment aggression against Israel. Then the Arab states would have no overt reason to hate Israel. It would all have to come out into the light of day, and the Global Community would be exposed for what it is. A bunch of sycophantic wanna-be’s, jealous of freedom, independence, success and Hi Def television.
Several years ago my adult niece and nephew went to Israel for a semester. We talked about their experiences while they were there. It was clear that they had some problems with Israelis in general and enjoyed the company of the Palestinians more, and were sympathetic to their situation. Palestinians are considered second-class citizens in Israel. They are not trusted, and this is evident in everyday life. I sympathize as well. But what is a country to do in the face of years of suicide bombers killing people, destroying property? How should they respond to decades of incendiary rhetoric and violent uprisings? What should they do about years of random missile and mortar attacks on innocent citizens? Israel does not do, and never has done, these kinds of things to their enemies. (With the possible exception of the Masad, but that is individual kidnappings and assassinations of known terrorists.) The Palestinian governments have proven time and again that they are incapable of eradicating these terrorist elements from their midst. The reason is as sad as it is obvious; most Palestinians are sympathetic to Hamas and its Jihad against Israel. If Israel gave in and ceded their land to the Palestinians, and moved en mass into the Sinai, nothing would change. The Palestinians (Islam) would continue to cry for the destruction of Israel and the death of all Jews. Despite the fact that there are many Palestinians who believe in peace and tolerance.
I am not suggesting that Israel is perfect. Nor that it has no culpability in some of what has happened over there. But I am declaring unequivocally, that compared to the Palestinians (Hamas), Israel clearly, absolutely, owns the moral and political high ground in this on-going struggle. So someone tell me why the rest of the world continues to pretend that the Palestinians are the victims? No, on second thought don’t. I won’t be able to sustain a pretense of interest.
The initiation of violence is never justified. It is well past time that freedom-loving people stand up and condemn any and all terrorist activity. To do otherwise, including doing nothing, is a tacit approval of terrorism. Period.
And please, whatever you do, don’t respond with nit-picky, technical corrections to my historical facts. Everyone knows I make them up. Even then they’re close enough.