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| The Destroyed City, by Ossip Zadkine (Rijksmuseum) |
Words are inadequate, almost meaningless, when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, where the preferred mode of communication is to kill people. We saw this Saturday, when Hamas fired 2,000 rockets into Israel as terrorists infiltrated the border with Gaza and murdered hundreds of civilians. A manifesto, written in blood.
But what are they saying? This carnage was committed to show ... help me here ... their readiness to ... ah ... run an independent country? Located ... umm ... where exactly?
They insist, as one sign at the pro-Palestinian rally in Chicago, one of several across the country, put it, to rule “From the River to the Sea.” That is, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, or all of Israel and beyond. That’s their game plan. And to think that Israel doesn't jump to comply.
As for the rallies themselves, has a group ever murdered a thousand people on Saturday and then taken to the streets to declare their own aggrievement and victimhood on Sunday? That has to be a record of some sort.
If not that, what? To punish Israel? Mission accomplished. The Palestinian argument is they are treated poorly by the Israelis — no doubt about that — and are therefore entitled to kill anyone they can lay their hands on and call it “resistance.” Odd, but when the Israelis do the same thing, it’s called a war crime.
Not that the two sides are balanced. Hamas is a terrorist group; Israel is a nation, whether Hamas likes it or not. There’s a higher standard. In theory. In practice, Israel will, over the coming hours, days, weeks and maybe months and years, seek to avenge being caught asleep at the gate by leveling parts of Gaza, killing some of those responsible for the attacks, and a lot of others, too, while cutting electricity, gas and food to the area. That’ll teach ’em!
Thanks for this. Folks keep asking me what I think, not religeous and never been to Israel I am not the one to comment. I will just forward this to them. It just feels we might be the next country to clobber ourselves into a bloody mess.
ReplyDeleteA great philosopher once said, "War. Good God. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing." You can say it again. Sadly, this seems like an endless war. It's always been on the edge with skirmishes (to use a polite term) - but it has always been a fuse waiting to be lit - and a short one at that. Ideologies usually mean the death of innocent civilians.
ReplyDeleteA brave, fair-minded, sad assessment of the horrific situation in Israel and Gaza, which can only get worse, day by day, year by year, century by century.
ReplyDeletejohn
“It’s in the bible.” The cause of so much of man’s inhumanity to man.
ReplyDeleteWe are an overrated species. We are the only ones in the animal kingdom who keep killing each other for absurd reasons.
Vonnegut said it best: “Sometimes I think that’s the trouble with the world: Too many people in high places who are stone-cold dead.” Cat’s Cradle (It’s adaptation is playing now at the Lifeline Theatre in Roger’s Park. Outstanding!)
Outstanding column today.
No apostrophe in Rogers Park! It's named after someone named Rogers!
DeleteSo Hamas came right into people’s homes and murdered them where they stood, children hiding in closets. Then they tell Israel that if Palestinian civilians are killed, they will kill the hostages. What bloody hypocrisy! What are they doing with hostages anyway. They have been offered most of what they want repeatedly and they reject it every time. They look at how Israel made the desert bloom from the impoverished land they live on and feel what? The need to get to work for their people. No, I think they just feel jealousy. Tit for tat is not a winning strategy for either side. No one wins this
ReplyDeleteThanks for your column, it helps provide some perspective. Only one comment I'd make is that while saying "Hope is premature" might seem reasonable, I'd like to think that hope is always something to cherish. Now I'd agree that "Optimism is premature" works better here (semantics I know, but.....)
ReplyDeleteI agree. Our great, great, great, great-grandchildren will be having this same discussion.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how to put this...except as succinctly as possible: I have been now fan or supporter of Israel for a very long time. Call me a self-hating Jew if you like..or even a Slef-hating Jew. I've been called a lot worse.
ReplyDeleteI watch the dueling demonstrations and the scuffles and brawls, all over America, and the old union song drums incessantly in my cabeza..."Which side are you on, boy...which side are you on?" This conflict has been going on for decades, lifetimes, centuries, without resolution...and 2023 will be remembered as one of the biggest explosions...Israel's Pearl Harbor and 9/11 and Tet Offensive, all rolled into one brutal treehouse of horror.
It's difficult, at least for this Jew, to support Israel after their decades of heavy handedness, and after so many instances of dozens and even hundreds of Palestinians and Gazans killed for every Israeli. But it's impossible to see Israelis mourning beheaded babies and children and adults and say: "You did it to yourselves...and you deserved it."
The best way to express my shock and dismay right now is to quote from Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet"...and to utter: "A plague on both your houses." This will not end in any of our lifetimes. Not in any of our descendants' lifetimes. We can only hope it is not the spark in the fireworks factory that finally blows up the planet.
Has there ever been a stockpile of weapons that has not eventually been used? Maybe Trump won't even get a chance to be our last POTUS. Maybe it'll be Joe. It could all happen in a matter of months or weeks, or even in days.
I was fifteen when JFK and Nikita blinked over Cuba, and I didn't have to die a virgin. Can we even be sure that Joe and Vlad (and Xi) will do the same?
Scanning the Apple News items on my IPad last night, I came across an article in the ‘Atlantic’ by Bruce Hoffman, dated Oct. 10, 2023 exposing the original HAMAS Covenant proclaimed in 1988 and updated in 2017. The objectives, spelled out in 36 exact, relatively short statements, leave no doubt as to what their immediate goal is: the annihilation of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. Then come all other non-Muslim peoples, eventually.
ReplyDeleteAs always, they hide behind their own women and children, and now the hostages that they will have no problems executing, no doubt streaming their barbarism for all the world to see.
Back at home, the designated spokesperson for the Palestinian protesters here in Chicago announced that this was all part of an international day of reckoning. So presumably we might be expecting to see attacks on American soil. After all, we’re the ones that keep Israel afloat. Really? The world, in fact, has probably never seen a nation so dedicated and determined to take care of their own business. It’s life and death for them.
Now, we have a couple of ‘progressive’ city council members who have the mayor’s undivided attention saying what happened is kinda sad, but you know, they kinda asked for it, too. Sounds like the people I used to hear calling talk radio programs about the Holocaust: Yeah, it was terrible, but you know, the Jews really brought a lot of it on themselves. As Colonel Potter used to say. “Horse-hockey”!
Yes, the people of Gaza have valid complaints, everyone is aware of this. What HAMAS did was beyond brutal savagery, and, quite frankly, this has been going on in some form or another since the days of the ‘British Mandate’ after WWII.
I've been pondering the same questions. There are gruesome pictures and photos of executions posted by Hamas and Hezbollah, that I will not link. Your point "Then come all other non-Muslim peoples, eventually," makes a lot of sense, putting pieces of the puzzle together. Here an itemized list of foreign nationals from The Washington post:
DeleteUnited States
At least 22 Americans have been killed, 17 Americans remain unaccounted for
Ukraine
two Ukrainians were killed and nine were injured. Six other Ukrainians are considered missing, .
Russia
four Russians were killed and six remain missing
France
Eight French nationals were killed, 20 remain unaccounted for.
Britain
The BBC, citing an unnamed official source, reported Wednesday that 17 British nationals may have been killed or abducted.
Ireland
One Irish national with dual Israeli citizenship is missing in Israel.
Germany
one German national was killed and “some” were unaccounted for.
Austria
Three Austrian nationals with dual citizenship are missing and could be among the hostages.
Thailand
20 Thai nationals were killed. 14 Thais are among the hostages.
Tanzania
two Tanzanians are missing.
Nepal
10 Nepalis in Israel were killed, four were injured and one was missing.
Peru
two Peruvian nationals were killed in Israel, two other Peruvians were missing.
Philippines
Two Filipinos were killed, three Filipinos remain missing.
Argentina
Seven Argentines were killed and 15 were missing.
Paraguay
two are missing.
Colombia
death of a Colombian-Israeli woman, with her boyfriend missing.
Mexico
A Mexican man and woman are believed to be among those being held hostage.
China
A Beijing-born Chinese Israeli woman, was “abducted by Hamas.”
Canada
two Canadians have been killed, one is presumed dead, and three are missing.
Brazil
two Brazilians were killed, One other Brazilian national is missing.
Italy
Two Italian nationals are missing and “have probably been taken hostage.”
Cambodia
One Cambodian national who was studying in Israel was killed.
Sri Lanka
two Sri Lankan nationals are missing.
What is particularly disturbing are the Thai and Nepalis. These are people with work permits, from desperately poor countries with high unemployment, every bit as repressed as the Palestinians themselves. I would thing they would be a little more sympathetic, evidently not.
I've been pondering the same questions. There are gruesome pictures and photos of executions posted by Hamas and Hezbollah, that I will not link. Your point "Then come all other non-Muslim peoples, eventually," makes a lot of sense, putting pieces of the puzzle together. Here an itemized list of foreign nationals from The Washington post:
DeleteUnited States
At least 22 Americans have been killed, 17 Americans remain unaccounted for
Ukraine
two Ukrainians were killed and nine were injured. Six other Ukrainians are considered missing, .
Russia
four Russians were killed and six remain missing
France
Eight French nationals were killed, 20 remain unaccounted for.
Britain
The BBC, citing an unnamed official source, reported Wednesday that 17 British nationals may have been killed or abducted.
Ireland
One Irish national with dual Israeli citizenship is missing in Israel.
Germany
one German national was killed and “some” were unaccounted for.
Austria
Three Austrian nationals with dual citizenship are missing and could be among the hostages.
Thailand
20 Thai nationals were killed. 14 Thais are among the hostages.
Tanzania
two Tanzanians are missing.
Nepal
10 Nepalis in Israel were killed, four were injured and one was missing.
Peru
two Peruvian nationals were killed in Israel, two other Peruvians were missing.
Philippines
Two Filipinos were killed, three Filipinos remain missing.
Argentina
Seven Argentines were killed and 15 were missing.
Paraguay
two are missing.
Colombia
death of a Colombian-Israeli woman, with her boyfriend missing.
Mexico
A Mexican man and woman are believed to be among those being held hostage.
China
A Beijing-born Chinese Israeli woman, was “abducted by Hamas.”
Canada
two Canadians have been killed, one is presumed dead, and three are missing.
Brazil
two Brazilians were killed, One other Brazilian national is missing.
Italy
Two Italian nationals are missing and “have probably been taken hostage.”
Cambodia
One Cambodian national who was studying in Israel was killed.
Sri Lanka
two Sri Lankan nationals are missing.
What is particularly disturbing are the Thai and Nepalis. These are people with work permits, from desperately poor countries with high unemployment, every bit as repressed as the Palestinians themselves. I would thing they would be a little more sympathetic, evidently not.
Excellent column. It might also help if Shi'ites and Sunnis could get their shit together.
ReplyDeleteI am afraid this is going to become a “Last Man Standing “ situation where the last survivor claims victory and goes home. So sad.
ReplyDeleteIt all makes me so sad. Seems like a gang war, tit for tat and no one has the benefit of righteousness. There is no doubt Israel bears some responsibility; Bibi, the populist instigator, has pushed (forced?) policies that have made Gaza a tinderbox, all for power. He doesn’t care about the Palestinians, just does whatever he needs to stay in power. Kind of reminds you of a certain Orange Devil trying to do the same right here in America. That said, this kind of a response by Hamas is completely and utterly unacceptable, heinous and horrifying. Their goal is to terrorize because there’s nothing about this response that will further the Palestine cause. Seems to me that most of the Palestinian people are at the mercy of incompetent and violent government that benefits from the continuation of violence. What would Hamas have to do with themselves all day if there was no cause for which they could martyr themselves? Maybe I don’t know shit, I am not Jewish or Arab, but it seems to me there is a lot of blame to go around. And populism/extremism is at the root of most of it. And America is next in line.
ReplyDeleteBibi and Orangey are very much alike. If not like brothers, at least like first cousins. Both of them are blustering bully boys from New York. One comes from Brooklyn, and the other comes from Queens. Neither of them gives two shits about anybody or anything...except personal gain and power.
DeleteBibi may be even more insane than Trump, because he has a huge army, and an air force. Somebody needs to throw some heavy meshwork over him. Which would then, of course, be a net and yahoo.
Maybe you have to go back to 1917 and the Balfour decleration. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balfour_Declaration A homeland for the Jewish people is an idea rooted in Jewish history, religion, and culture. The Jewish aspiration to return to Zion, generally associated with divine redemption, has suffused Jewish religious thought since the destruction of the First Temple and the Babylonian exile. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeland_for_the_Jewish_people I assume there were Arabs in what was Zion back in biblical days I don't know if they outnumbered Jews than but they certainly did when Israel was carved out of Palastine. I read that it was a narrow vote as in the United Nations as to what to do about partioning Palastine. I don't think the Arabs probably thought it was a great deal for them. Yes Hamas is a terrorist organzation but the Palistinians voted the group to run Gaza in an election which Jimmy Carter observed and said was honest No one condones taking hostages or killing civilans. (Hiroshema & Nagasaki) Great idea droping a bomb on those two cities. I am sure we killed thousand of civilians when we bombed Dresden to smithereens. We don't have clean hands when it coms to murdeing civilians or even condoning it in some cases
ReplyDeleteFrom comments that were just said by Bernie Sanders, sounds like he hates his own.
ReplyDelete