— Feature, Musings —10.10.2023 11:15 AM
My latest: now find out who Israel’s real friends are
There’s an old Hebrew proverb. It goes something like this:
“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.”
It’s true. And, this week, we will get to see who really supports Israel, and who doesn’t, won’t we? Now we get to see who is a real friend.
Last week was different. Last week, after Hell opened up and disgorged Hamas serpents spitting death at children and the elderly, the Western world’s social media was full of well-meaning words and images mostly signifying nothing.
Lots of folks tweeted nice words about Israel, and posted nice pro-Israel profile banners on their Facebook pages. Governments shone Israel’s flag on their buildings at night. There were rallies. It was nice.
This week isn’t going to be nice. The coming weeks aren’t going to be nice. So, now, we will get to see who is a real friend of Israel. Now we will get to see if all those well-meaning folks with “Hate Has No Home Here” signs on their lawns really mean it.
Here’s the two main reasons why.
One, some of the highest cell phone usage in the world is found in the Middle East. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics tells us that there are 4.2 million cellular mobile subscriptions in Palestine. In Gaza, as in the West Bank, it’s estimated that 97 per cent of households – no matter how poor – have at least one cellular mobile line.
That’s not an aberration. In places like the UAE or Qatar, smartphone penetration is just about 100 per cent. Canada, in comparison, is slightly less.
Why is all that significant? Because, when Israel sends in ground troops and artillery into Gaza this week – as they must – it is going to be one of the best-documented events in recent human history. It is going to make coverage of the moon landing look like an afterthought.
Hamas is counting on this, of course. There are going to more smart phones pointed at Israel’s soldiers than rifles. Hamas, and their Satanic brethren, wanted to provoke Israel into a disproportionate response to their mass-murder. That’s why they took as many as 150 Israeli hostages, as well: to live-stream their executions, and whip Israel into a frenzy and over-response.
Which they will then document on their ubiquitous cell phones, and beam out to a waiting world.
Which brings us to Reason Number Two. The military response.
The Yom Kippur 2023 attack on Israel, as we have all seen, is being likened to 9/11. For Israel, it was and is a Pearl Harbor moment.
Years ago, when I was last in Israel, I visited the Golan Heights, in the North. Twenty thousand Israelis are there, in about 30 settlements. While there, I heard gunshots. They sounded far away. I asked one of the soldiers I was with what the shooting was about.
He grinned. “They’re shooting at us,” he said, completely blasé. “They’re shooting at you.”
We didn’t get hit, but the episode underlined a simple truth about Israel: it is a small country, where everyone knows someone in the army, or has been in the army. Everywhere I went in the North, I saw soldiers and young people carrying automatic weapons. Many of them looked too young to vote.
Israel, even more than the United States, knows that one does not fund and maintain an army for show. You do so to use it when you have to. And Israel now must.
Cell phones notwithstanding, it must enter Gaza and drive Hamas and its ilk into the sea. It must wipe them off the face of the Earth. It must show no mercy.
These are the two reasons why the coming weeks are going to be bloody and brutal. One, Israel has no choice. And, two, anyone with an Internet connection is going to be seeing what happens.
Friends in good times aren’t friends. Friends when the going gets tough? Those are the real friends.
This week, Jews find out who their real friends are.
Warren,
When I was at Carleton, we discussed in class the topic of Allied war crimes, some committed by Canadian soldiers. In those days, the Americans solved that type of problem with individual firing squads and those numbers were not insignificant. In war, terrible things happen, even by our own forces. Not all soldiers wear halos.
The difference here is that the IDF will go out of their way not to commit them. Can’t say the same thing about Hamas.
There was a big difference between the Allied armies in WW2 (Red Army excepted), and the Axis forces (particularly the Japanese and the Germans). I would love to know what revisionist historical “war crimes” you are talking about.
EHWAL,
Sure, there was a big difference but the point being is that no armed forces likely get through a war with absolutely no war crimes committed.
As to your request, Carleton was forty years ago. All I remember is German prisoners and Canadians with pick axes.
Fair enough. BTW, my wife’s great uncle was stationed in Hong Kong in 1941. He didn’t make it.
EHWAL,
Sorry to hear that.
My grandfather White was Canadian Infantry and lost his leg in France during the First World War. My dad peeled potatoes & cleaned machine guns for the Second World War in Newfoundland’s RCAF base. He never saw action because he was practically blind and wore Coke-bottle glasses.
I don’t participate in wars of violence in any capacity.
War? What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing.
I’ll always be a friend of Jewish people no matter what
people think of my silence when it comes to wars.
You don’t participate in wars of violence in any capacity.
Well ain’t that just precious, because here in Canada you have others who will do it for you.
The average Israeli isn’t so lucky.
They actually have too work for their peace.
I have an Experimental Psychology degree so I can avoid
violence throughout life. I’m not a violent personality.
Most people that study Experimental Psychology are
anti-violence types. Violent behaviour is an indicator of
psychopathology. I’m not a psychopath.
Not a psychopath, eh?
Again, so precious.
You think that fancy degree would have saved your life if you were in one of the kibbutz’s?
Antagonistic much?
Everybody should read this historical UNESCO letter written by Sigmund Freud and addressed to Albert Einstein on the question of civilization’s penchant for war.
https://en.unesco.org/courier/marzo-1993/why-war-letter-freud-einstein
Atrocity propaganda has long been used to influence public opinion during conflicts. We can only hope the stories of Hamas beheading babies(ran on the CBC) is more of the same but I am not optimistic.
This is one guy who will not be bailing on Israel. I’m afraid I can’t say that I feel the same way about the rest of our country though. I was listening to talk radio this afternoon, and if what I heard was any sort of barometer of our citizenry, Israel would be wise not to expect much beyond platitudes from many of us. I heard “yeah, Hamas is bad, but how would you feel if somebody stole your home”, as if the murder of children and the gang rape, torture and murder of women can somehow be considered “a normal response”. I was (and am) outraged. I heard sanctimonious preaching about Israel and the subjugation of the Palestinian people, as if everything was the fault of “the Jews”. It was nauseating. Just as nauseating was the unbridled celebrations in the Toronto area by all sorts of individuals over the weekend in response to the attacks on Israel. All those young men with a keffiyeh around their head and face waving Palestinian flags. Real cool guys. The only thing missing was a swastika. Of course the apologists I heard on the radio said that was just support for Palestine, and of course not for Hamas. Yeah, right. I guess the spontaneous cheering, flag waving, anti-semitic chants, and general hate mongering was just a coincidental incident that had nothing to do with the atrocities being committed against helpless people in Israel. Sadly, I feel that there is something very wrong with this country when people who have been welcomed here and have been given the opportunity to build lives and families can’t wait to display their ancient hatreds and prejudice. Am I pissed off right now? You better fucking believe it. I will be holding all of our leaders accountable to ensure they don’t equivocate one iota during this war. As Terry Glavin put it this afternoon, this is an existential threat to the survival of Israel and its people. The time for half measures and proportional response is over. This evil must be completely eradicated.
EHWAL,
There’s absolutely no moral equivalence between Hamas and the IDF. None whatsoever. Hamas has deliberately chosen the evil road. They’ve rendered the Palestinian issue totally illegitimate. A Palestinian state is off the table, likely for good.
Mr. Kinsella….I agree completely with your view that the IDF must drive Hamas into the sea….with one proviso….when they are done in Gaza……they turn and do the exact same to Hezbollah.
In a perfect world that would include the leadership in Tehran as well.
PJH,
Unfortunately, this is not a world for idealists. No one was able to eradicate Fatah or the mullahs in Tehran so why would they be any more successful with Hamas or Hezbollah? I’ll believe that one when I see it.
Im sure there are just as many Palestinians who would like to throw off the yoke of Hamas as those who would do Israel harm. Same with the mullahs in Tehran. I suspect these days, after living under the oppression of a brutal theocracy for over 40 years, Iranians would rejoice being liberated from the yoke of the mullahs. Im hoping this operation against Hamas starts the ball rolling. .It may not come to fruition, but I suspect Hamas’ days of doing major harm to Israaeli citizens are numbered.
PJH,
Interesting perspective. Essentially, a domino theory. Hopefully, you’re right.
And all that cel phone imagery will make great footage for the Apologists in academia and the MSM, denouncing the Israeli attacks as “irresponsible”, “unjustified”, “oppressive” and “excessive retaliation”.
And in the meantime, Hamas will hide behind civilians and terrorize civilian hostages.
It could get pretty nasty to watch, but Hamas has made its statement and now it will be Israel’s turn.
Hamas wants a cease fire!
They had one. Hamas (and Iran) broke it)
Re ‘progressives’ who call for a proportionate response, What kind of a response is proportionate towards a group that has stated it wants to eliminate you?
WV,
No question the IDF will do what it has to do. By and large, meaning I will give them 99% of the benefit of the doubt. After what Hamas has done, the IDF deserves at least that, at minimum.
The Golan Heights is Israel-occupied land captured from Syria during the 6-day war in the late 60s. Can’t imagine why Syrians would be upset about that. Probably not Palestinians, since they are on the opposite side of the Sea of Galilee. Israel has not done itself many favors with its ongoing illegal(unlawful?, see Crimea) land grabs in the Heights and West Bank.
Michael,
Let me put it to you this way: I would rather Israel hold the Golan for a thousand years than for one inch of it being returned to that monster Assad, Mr. Poison Gas.
As for the West Bank, it’s under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority.
Don’t forget that Abu Mazin isn’t exactly a democrat. It’s perhaps kind to refer to the PA as authoritarian in nature.
Hey, whatever you need to tell yourself to feel better. Current map of the West Bank and controlling forces: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:West_Bank_Access_Restrictions_June_2020.pdf
Israeli rules in Israeli controlled places in the West Bank. All of those areas are considered illegal under international law.
The rise of the Assad regime in the 70s can be linked to the loss of the Golan Heights. FAFO.
Michael,
No one is disputing that some of the land swaps and access roads built are illegal under international law. The point is that most of The West Bank is controlled by Palestinians. As for Syria, where’s their peace treaty with Israel, you know, like the ones Egypt and Jordan have? Assad = puppet demon seed of Russia. End of story.
This ridiculous person(who put on a uniform on apparently?) says she is a friend but she is “too busy” to deal with it as well as she should:
https://twitter.com/mindingottawa/status/1712437454010020146/photo/1
Best gif I saw:
https://media.tenor.com/cEt-mYrhyL0AAAAC/carole-busy-being-busy.gif