While giving Rabbi David-Seth Kirshner, President, NY Board
of Rabbis, a chance to defend Israel’s
massacre of Gaza on MSNBC All in With
Chris Hayes, the Rabbi said, “But,. Egypt is with us.” Hayes raised his voice, ”My lands, the government
of Egypt
kills a thousand people a day and condemned 800 to death in one trial. The
government of Egypt
overthrew the Hamas friendly Muslim Brotherhood government and seized
power. Of course, they are going to
support Israel ’s
war against Hamas. But I don’t think that is anything for Israel to brag
about.”[1]
Not only am I am encouraged by Chris Hayes, Rowan Farrow is now talking about a “tipping
point” in America ’s support
for Israel .
Every night, we see bombed out buildings, women and children
running in fear for their lives, and they have reason to be afraid; over 1,800 Palestinians killed so far, almost
10,000 injured and 280,000 displaced. No
electricity or water because Israel
bombed their only remaining electric plant. Americans are good people and given the picture
as shown in the nightly news, we will oppose such gross injustice and cruelty,
in spite of media spin. We are reaching a tipping point.
CNN says Hamas “kidnapped a soldier, Kerry says he was
“abducted” and the White House says it was a ‘barbaric’ violation of the
ceasefire. How they can say that when Israel kidnapped and abducted 700
Palestinians, after three teens were killed, is beyond me. So it is “detain” if
Israel
does it, and “abduct”, “kidnap”, or worse if the Palestinians do it. “Barbaric”
is a term used to describe the capturing of a Jewish soldier, but inappropriate
to describe the slaughter of 300 Palestinian children. By the way, as it turned
out, the soldier was not captured. He died in a fight with Hamas defenders.
And where was this soldier killed? Not in his home feeding his
children, but deep inside Gaza , seeking to destroy
the tunnels which were the only means through which some Palestinian Dad has to
feed his children.
It is significant to point out that tunnels, which have
become such a media propaganda tool for Israel ,
were never used to transport Hamas defenders into Israel
before the bombing of Gaza
started a month ago. No Israeli soldier or civilian had been attacked by tunnel
infiltrators during the seven years Israel
had Gaza locked
down.
According to the research done by General James David in an
email sent on July 31, 2014, to a Jewish friend:
The Israelis try to justify their
attacks by claiming that Hamas uses tunnels to infiltrate, attack, and kill
innocent Jews. But, just go back this year before this war began earlier this
month, July 2nd. Hamas has never attacked any Israelis and there
have been no Israelis killed. On the other hand, there have been 123
Palestinians killed in Gaza , the West Bank and East Jerusalem , and hundreds of Palestinian homes
demolished…. There have also been hundreds of attacks against Palestinians in
the West Bank called, “price-tag” attacks by
extremist settlers, destroying cars, uprooting hundreds of olive trees, and
even beating Palestinian children.
The Rabbi may be proud that Egypt
supports Israel
in spite of its crimes against Palestinians.
However, he does not mention that Bolivia ,
declared Israel
a “terrorist state,” and that Brazil ,
Peru , Chili and El Salvador
have called their ambassadors home.[2]
I can only imagine what a Palestinian doctor must feel while
trying to treat screaming children whose bodies have been torn apart. He works with
limited medicines, anesthesia or sterile instruments. His shoes stick to the
floor because of the blood as he tries to focus on the task at hand. He has not
slept for 48 hours. The need for his care is overwhelming. And then the
hospital is bombed. There is no child in Gaza
who has not been frightened, wounded or killed by bombs in the past 27 days. It’s Netanyahu’s version of “No Child Left
Behind.” I can not even imagine the fear in the faces of children who have
suddenly become orphans without a home or family left to care for them. I don’t
have the capacity to put myself in their place.
Someone asked, “What do the people of Gaza want?” Well, they want exactly what we want; a chance
to live life without humiliation, a life in which they may care for their
families and give their children a chance to enjoy the fruits of their labors
in freedom and dignity.
While the Rabbi has the audacity to challenge the concern of
Chris Hayes for the suffering of Palestinians and tries to picture Israel as the
victim, more and more people are reaching the tipping point. At least, I hope so.
Thomas
Are
August
3, 2014
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