Not since the Russian Cossack marauders ravaged Jews in the Pale of Settlement have the Jewish people suffered the indiscriminate murder of Jews as occurred this past Saturday and Sunday in Israel. Not since the Nazis storming across Europe pulled Jews out of their homes, lined them up, and murdered entire families, has the world witnessed such grotesque killing of Jews, men, women, children, infants, and grandparents as was performed by the Hamas terrorists racing calmly through the Israeli kibbutzim surrounding the Gaza Strip. Not since Adolf Hitler and the Gestapo orchestrated the final solution of the Jewish Question has anyone seen the casual murder of young people attending a concert celebrating life. Yet, this and much more is what Israel and Jews throughout the world had to relive over the past few days as the gruesomeness of the horrors perpetrated by the so-called liberation movement from Gaza was revealed.
The taking of indiscriminate hostages by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, with their fate unknown, adds an unspeakable dimension to the horrific picture. The prospect of arguing that human lives can be played with and bargained away like poker chips is reminiscent of Eichmann’s negotiating for the purchase of trucks in exchange for Jewish lives.
The really serious question is whether this attack actually signals the futility for statesmen to try to negotiate a meaningful peace between Israel and the Palestinians as well as her other hostile neighbors. Were the Saudis gaming with Washington and Jerusalem over a possible major move toward resetting the calculus of the region? Are the Iranians at all interested in finding a modus vivendi with the West and with Israel or have all their nuclear negotiations been a charade? Are any efforts being pursued only temporary way stations on the road to Muslim’s search for global hegemony? Can Muslims ever accept the existence of Jews as a sovereign state in the Holy Land?
Certainly, the statement made by President Joe Biden went far beyond merely signaling total support of the Government of the United States for Israel. This is not only as Israel seeks to recover the hostages and to gain some retribution for the horrendous crimes committed against the Israeli people. Biden expressed in crystal clear terms his personal outage at the horror perpetrated against the Jewish people. The President clearly underscored his commitment to prevent any additional outbreaks to occur again. He suggested that the U.S. understood the need to eliminate terrorist groups whose only agenda was to destroy civilized people. Justice will never be achieved in the region through violence and hate.
How and why, this happened will eventually be revealed by an undoubtedly blue-ribbon investigative panel which will need to assess the massive slip-ups. It will become clear what were the conditions which led the Israel Defense Forces to be caught so off-guard. Investigators will determine why the world-renowned Israel intelligence services failed to recognize what was transpiring as this carefully planned land, sea, and air invasion of Israel was evolving. Those politicians beginning with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu himself will be called to reckon before the Israel people how, on their watch. something that has been labelled as Israel’s “day of infamy” or Israel’s 9/11 could have occurred, and nobody was aware of what was evolving. Similarly, what took the national security services at various levels and with the most highly sophisticated and advanced technology so long to respond once the attack developed.
For the moment, Israel will bury its dead and mourn for the unspeakable losses perpetrated against them once again because Israel is a Jewish nation and a Jewish country. At some point, however, a tactical decision will be made as to how to destroy Hamas and prevent them from repeating these crimes. Israel understands that even her friends and supporters in the West will only be willing a degree of retaliation before Israel will be pressured to negotiate. If Israel and its leadership follow the national interest and not transitory parochial political considerations, these tragic deaths will not have been in vain. Out of this tragedy, Israel might be able to attain the stability that it has so painfully sought for 75 years.
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