The current Gaza conflict Tzuk Eitan meaning “strong cliff” also know as “Operation Protective Edge” was officially started on July 8, 2014 between Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It is the deadliest conflict between Israel and its enemies in the region since the second Intifada “uprising” that took place between 2000 and 2005. The death toll is now over 2,200 and growing, and much of Gaza has been leveled leaving over 100,000 people without homes.
During this almost two-month long conflict, many attempts have been made to bring it to an end. Various officials such as US Secretary of State John Kerry, the Egyptian government and others have entered the Middle East arena and tried to initiate several cease-fires between Hamas and Israel. Many would agree that the Oslo Accords and the Roadmap for Peace are dead and that a peace process in the Middle East isn’t even on the table at the current time.
There are different levels of international agreements between countries that have been at war with each other either temporary or permanent, unilateral or bilateral. The most fragile, yet most common temporary agreement between two entities at war is the “cease-fire”.
There has been eleven cease-fires since the start of the Gaza War, all broken by Hamas, and several within minutes of being brokered. This makes one wonder about the real motives behind Hamas’ acceptance of these numerous truces? A simple yet sobering message about the cease-fires has been traveling the endless byways of the social networks, and it states: “Israel: ceases, Hamas: fires!”. Sadly, it would appear to be the case.
So the question remains:”What makes this latest cease-fire any different and will it hold?”. I am afraid that the current open-ended cease-fire might just be a short respite, not to rebuild the destroyed civilian infrastructures in Gaza, but simply to reorganize and rearm as Hamas prepares for the next round in their attempt at fulfilling their unaltered destructive agenda. Iran and Qatar have been the main financial backing to supply Hamas with their arsenal and will continue do so.
Even if Hamas is found rebuilding civilian facilities, there is a very good chance that they are doing it to refurbish their missile launching areas with buildings that can be packed with civilians used as human shields. It has been said that “ignorance is bliss”, but in the case of Hamas using their own people as human shields, the willful ignorance of pro-Palestinians and pro-Hamas people turns them into accomplices.
Hamas agreed to this latest cease-fire with Israel, yet both sides have a very different set of expectations. That shouldn’t really be a surprise since there is no moral equivalence between the two parties.
From Hamas’ perspective it appears to be a victory, at least from the public displays of celebration witnessed on the streets of Gaza and even beyond, in Ramallah. Even though Hamas has been severely crippled by the loss of several key leaders in the process, the message from Khaled Mashaal is still clear as he recently said:” this is not the end. This is just a milestone to reaching our objective, we know that Israel is strong and is aided by the international community. We will not restrict our dreams or make compromises to our demands.”
It is an unequivocal fact taken straight from their charter, that Hamas only desires the destruction of Israel. As a matter of fact, ideologically, Hamas lines up with Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram and ISIS. Their goals are identical even if some of their methods have various degrees of radicalism.
From Israel’s perspective, it has been a very costly war so far. The death toll is not nearly as high as the Palestinian death toll, but that doesn’t make it right, as common sense and decency will dictate that even one lost life is too many. Prime Minister Netanyahu is receiving a fair amount of criticism from other parts of his government for what appears to be a war that was neither lost nor won, but nevertheless very costly. His ratings are down, yet most in Israel know deep down that this current cease-fire is unstable at best and that it is still under Netanyahu’s leadership that they might soon have to finish the job that was started in July.
Some have suggested that the Gaza War was becoming another war of attrition like the one involving Israel and Egypt between 1967 and 1970. The problem with that concept is that you don’t really deal with terrorists the same way that you deal with a militarized and somewhat “civilized” power. You cannot really deter terrorists; you must defeat them by disarming them and destroying their infrastructure. Period!
At this point, there is not a whole lot that Israel can do to garner support from those who have already pledged their allegiance to the other side. Additionally, the Palestinian authority is conveniently finding itself a few weeks away from their yearly UN visit in September where they plan to demand an Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria and a huge part of Jerusalem.
As I see it, the current cease-fire might last until the end of September simply because it would serve its purpose into further painting the Palestinians as complying victims seeking a peaceful solution. In the meantime, of course, Hamas will regroup and rearm, making itself ready for the next round of their jihad.
Rabbi Moses Maimonides said in the twelfth of his thirteen articles of Jewish faith: “I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah; and even though he may tarry nonetheless, I wait everyday for his coming.”
I would have to join Maimonides in his yearning for the Messiah and the messianic age for the simple reason that only under the banner of Mashiach Sar Shalom will we all see real peace. It will be a peace that includes the absence of war but also goes way beyond that concept to incorporate peace between men and between mankind and Hashem. Isaiah spoke of that redeemer in several places but especially in chapters 52:13-53:12 where Mashiach is described in a powerful and graphic way as having to come for his people once to atone for their sins (Mashiach ben Yosef) and once again to establish His kingdom on earth (Mashiach ben David).
So, in spite of all the cease-fires broken or respected, I declare that I wholeheartedly believe with perfect faith in the coming back of the Messiah; and even though he may tarry nonetheless, I wait everyday for his coming.”
Middle East Crisis: A Lack of Moral Equivalence!
I am well aware that I run the risk of being accused of stating the obvious by saying that there is a crisis in the Middle East. There is nothing new in that statement, yet it bears repeating. I do not see why conservative fact finding people should stop telling the truth and let liberals indoctrinate the masses with lies. We need equal footing on that war front if we want a chance at victory.
The Middle East crisis is a geopolitical, economic, political AND spiritual battle. Because of all its different aspects, it makes it very complicated to control, let alone resolve. Yet there is another aspect of the crisis that we must not ignore. I believe that it actually is at the core of the issue and that understanding it gives us the best chance at beating the beast. The Middle East suffers from a lack of moral equivalence. Until the West understands that dichotomy between them and us, we have no chance of making real progress.
As I am writing this commentary, I am constantly (on purpose) interrupted by the buzzing of the Red Alert app on my smart phone. This free app alerts me in real time when a terrorist fires rockets, missiles or mortars on Israel. For each one, I stop and pray for God’s protection on Eretz Yisrael and my people. It’s the very least I can do in the comfort of my American abode.
As I watch the events unfold on several fronts in the Middle East, I can hardly find words to describe my feelings about the way it is all reported. It seems that no matter what Hamas/Fatah does against Israel absolutely doesn’t matter anymore. It is nauseating to see the reports. Has the Middle East become this “Bizarro World” where everything is inverted? And why do people around the world not care or even worse, take sides against Israel? I come to wonder: Is the rest of the world suffering from a lack of morality while the Middle East suffers from a lack of moral equivalence?
For those of you interested in the truth and willing to compare facts from both sides, consider these:
USE versus SANCTITY OF CIVILIAN LIVES
• HAMAS: According to Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zhuri, Palestinian human shields are a very good method to defend their territory. They also shoot missiles and rockets from areas in the midst of large civilian communities. To Hamas and the rest of the Islamist factions in the Middle East, human life is a very disposable commodity.
• ISRAEL: The IDF go out of their way to protect civilians BOTH Israeli AND Palestinians. They often send out leaflets or messages to cell phones to alert the civilian population ahead of time, before they hit an area. The IDF will actually cease firing if they notice Palestinian human shielding on rooftops. Not to mention the many Palestinian lives saved in Israeli hospitals in the midst of their obligations to their own citizens. It was even Mahmoud Abbas in recent weeks that had his wife treated in an Israeli hospital while rockets were raining onto Israeli soil. Such hypocrisy!
GLORIFICATION versus PUNISHMENT OF MURDERERS
• HAMAS: Hamas is glorifying the perpetrators of the kidnapping as it has also been elevating other terrorists recently released from Israeli prisons to the status of “heroes“. In some cases they even name streets after them. Imagine walking the streets of Berlin today and finding yourself at the crossroads of Hitler Boulevard and Goebbels Avenue! Of course Hamas has also vowed to kidnap more Israelis. That is the Hamas that has “reconciled” with Fatah and by association is receiving funding from many western nations including the USA.
• ISRAEL: The Israeli government doesn’t play games when it comes to bringing the perpetrators of crimes to justice, as was just witnessed by the kidnapping and killing of young Arab boy Mohammad Abu Khdeir. The Jewish perpetrators were apprehended and will be brought to justice as Mr. Netanyahu stated in y.net: “I wish to send my condolences to the family of the teen and promise them that we will find those behind this horrific crime and bring them to justice. There is no place for such murders in our society,”
Israel also vowed to do everything they could to bring the murderers of the three Israeli teens to justice. Why shouldn’t they, really? Additionally, the mother of Naftali, one of the 3 Jewish boys kidnapped and murdered, sent her condolences to the mother of the Arab boy. Was it reciprocated? Of course not!
DISHONEST versus UNBIASED REPORTING OF EVENTS
• HAMAS: As reported by Palestinian Media Watch or MEMRI, continues to feed the world with false reports, lies and retouched photos in order to gain sympathy from the world, and that, they do well! They recently used the tremendous power of the social networks to post bloody photos allegedly taken in the last few days in Gaza. The postings quickly garnered hundreds of thousands of reposts and retweets. As it turned out, they were old photos taken in Iraq and Syria that had nothing to do with the current conflict between Arabs and Jews in Gaza.
Of course if that doesn’t work, you can try to accuse Israel of opening dams to flood the Palestinian territories. Blaming the weather would be more accurate since the dams in question don’t even exist. But hey, who checks for facts anymore?
• ISRAEL: On the other hand, Israel reports the facts and just the facts. Of course they use caution for security reasons, but they are very straight forward. If a false report creeps in occasionally, it will be denied and corrected rather quickly. Israel is far from being the crybaby of the Middle East. They have been at war since 1948 and as such, they are very used to take care of business.
The rest of the world has a greater appetite for distorted news stories than for the truth, so they are drawn to the “Palestinian victims” and are quick to discredit and demonize Israel. Is it due to stupidity, ignorance or anti-Semitism? The answer is YES!
As long as the rest of the civilized world – and I use the word “civilized”very loosely – continues to side with bloodthirsty terrorists whose ideology is founded upon a false religion worshipping death, WE WILL NOT PREVAIL. It’s that simple!
The lack of moral equivalence between radical Islam and the rest of the world is the number one reason why this war is so difficult to fight, let alone win. The enemies will never adjust their ideology. On the contrary, it will only get worse as we can see with the recent push from ISIS in Iraq and Syria. In the meantime, as the IDF chief of Staff just approved a ground offensive into Gaza, Israel will only count on themselves to defend their borders.
As the enemies are ideologically incapable of toning it down, the rest of us will be forced to flex to their way. This is known as dhimmitude and it is the end of freedom as we know it. Of course that is without counting on the intervention of Yeshua the Messiah the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6-7). So today more than ever, prayer is of the essence, both for Israel’s safety and her enemies’ repentance (Psalm 83).
The Curse of ISIS (not the Egyptian goddess!)
Hamas, Hezbollah, Taliban, Al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood are names that the civilized world has grown accustomed to hear about on the eight-o’clock News. Just when we thought that we had seen the worst of it all, we are now being faced with another group that makes Al-Qaeda look like moderates. How dangerous do they have to be for Al-Qaeda to decide to disassociate themselves from this new splinter group in February 2014? Very dangerous!
In the last couple of weeks, most of us have been introduced to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). They used to be part of Al-Qaeda but are now detached from them and are running on their own. They are on a mission with a very clear goal that is to take over Iraq and the immediate vicinity (Part of Syria) and establish a new state as well as re-establishing the caliphate and sharia law in the region. It goes beyond the scope of this article to discuss the geopolitical aspects of such a move or to point the finger in search of the guilty country or government to blame for the ISIS invasion. What I am more interested in looking at though, is the danger of such a change in the region.
ISIS, in its unrecognized and self-proclaimed status as an independent state would claim that they comprise Iraq and parts of Syria with potential future claims further into the Levant such as Lebanon. The state was (un)officially formed in 2013 by their current leader, somewhat of an enigmatic figure known as Abu Bakr al-Baghadi who also claims to be the state’s emir (prince). In 2011, he was put on the US State Department list of most wanted terrorists with a reward of $10 million. He adheres to the sunni sect of Islam.
While it is not my intention to diminish the danger posed by organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah, Taliban, Al-Qaeda, the Muslim Brotherhood and many others, I think that ISIS needs to be placed in a different category all by themselves. Like all islamists and jihadists, they are extremists and very violent. Their religious affiliation might differ from other islamist groups, as Christian denominations would differ theologically or doctrinally from one another, but at the end of the day, they remain loyal to Allah and the Qur’an. In my opinion, there are three main reasons why ISIS is different from all the other terrorist groups AND a very serious threat that CANNOT be ignored.
ISIS is very organized: While they are still described as a terrorist organization, they are also known as a militia that is well trained in guerrilla warfare. In the last couple of weeks, their methodical advance into Iraq with the invasion and take-over of many key cities has shown great organizational skills from a military standpoint. This is unusual for a group of that sort where corruption, chaos and military inadequacy is usually the norm. The Washington post reported that: what stands out is the level of cohesion and in some cases professionalism inherent to a well-trained and organized force. ISIS fighters can be seen wearing American-style body armor vests, or “plate-carriers,” with magazine pouches well organized and the gear tight to their chest, the way U.S. troops would wear it. Pistol holsters are in well-placed positions on the body, and heavy weapons look well-maintained. In some scenes, ISIS fighters are wearing helmets with night-vision goggle mounts.
ISIS is highly weaponized: You can be as organized as you want to be, if you do not have the weapons to back it up, you will do very little damage. ISIS seems to have the weapons it needs to continue to advance in the region. Some of these weapons were acquired from countries like Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. These countries–at least on the surface–are diplomatic “friends” of the United States. Of course what goes on behind closed doors is a different story. Additionally, as ISIS continues too push their way into Iraq, massive amounts of people (military AND civilians) flee ahead of the invasion, leaving much property behind, including a large amount of weapons both mobile and of the heavy kind. ISIS appears well trained to use a variety of these weapons, especially the more portable kind. They have also been seen destroying the bigger weapons such as tanks.
ISIS has cash flow: ISIS is a relatively new organization, yet it is already worth $2 billion, making it the wealthiest terrorist organization on the planet and even wealthier that a few small countries. It recently stole over $420 million when it took over the Iraqi town of Mosul. Another source of revenue is the money drawn from the oil rigs they own in Syria (which by the way is sold all over the world regardless of the fact that we are funding terrorism, but don’t get me started!). In other words, ISIS doesn’t rely so much on the financial aid of other countries that might share their ideology. This make them much less dependent on other people and increases their autonomy on every level. If, or frankly, more like when they take over more critical cities or tactical areas, we can expect another increase in cash flow. Not to mention the tension created by the possible confiscation of several oil fields in Iraq affecting up to 25% of Iraqi production.
The curse of ISIS will not remain a Middle East crisis. It will spread to the rest of the globe unless those able to nip it in the bud act very soon. Other terrorist groups and sleeper cells in the West will get emboldened by this surge of arrogant takeover in the Middle East. Iran might have to get involved to help their archenemy, Iraq. The US could get involved as well, but that is if we had a leadership capable of making the right decisions, something I no longer believe is possible with the current administration. But, if the US ever gets involved, there is also the risk of joining forces with groups and countries with which we share very little ideologically. Befriending our enemies with the short-term goal of stopping a greater enemy might end-up leaving the United States more vulnerable.
Of course, ISIS might not be militating for the destruction of Israel as their primary goal but you can rest assured that after seeing what they are doing to other sects within Islam, they will have no mercy for the Jewish people. They are jihadists after all, so we must understand that part of their jihad or “struggle” is to rid the planet of the “little satan” being Israel and the “great satan” being the United States. As a matter of fact, Israel and Jordan are included in the territory of their utopian caliphate.
ISIS is moving fast, making great progress and is intimidating the boldest regimes in the region. Israel could come and give Iraq and Syria a hand in that matter and even be quite good at it, but why should they? No matter what they do and how they do it, they will probably be blamed at the end. I suspect that they will seriously consider involvement the minute ISIS controls some of Lebanon and/or Syria. This might not be in a so distant future.
Unfortunately. it looks like a lot more lives will be lost in Iraq and Syria in the near future. But to most Americans, it is far enough not to be a concern until of course gas prices rise to $5 or $6 per gallon right before our summer vacation……then it’s personal!
In the meantime, the whole region is in serious need of prayer. I am reminded of the prayer of Asaph to God regarding the enemies of Israel in Psalm 83:13-18:
13 O my God, make them like the whirling dust,
Like chaff before the wind.
14 Like fire that burns the forest
And like a flame that sets the mountains on fire,
15 So pursue them with Your tempest
And terrify them with Your storm.
16 Fill their faces with dishonor,
That they may seek Your name, O Lord.
17 Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever,
And let them be humiliated and perish,
18 That they may know that You alone, whose name is the Lord,
Are the Most High over all the earth
While Asaph is pleading with God for the destruction of Israel’s enemies, he also knows God’s heart for mankind and recognizes that God allows all men to seek Him and be saved, even terrorists, even anti-Semites and even ISIS members, because when God meant all men, He meant all men. It is hard to do, but in obedience to the Master of the Universe, we should pray for ISIS That they may seek Your name, O Lord. That they may know that You alone, whose name is the Lord,
Are the Most High over all the earth.
You never know, God has done greater miracles in the past!
Is there a link between Fatah, Hamas and the current US administration?
Nobody should really be surprised at the latest move from the US administration. It goes along the lines of current US policy in the Middle East. Every single US president has tried his best to leave a legacy if not bring home a trophy for being a peacemaker in the Israeli/Arab conflict. The current administration chooses to sit at the table with murderers who have been committing crimes against humanity for decades. I wish we could blame the move on stupidity or ignorance but that would vindicate the culprits instead of exposing their grave mistake.
President Obama approved a partnership with the new Palestinian Authority formed recently from Fatah and Hamas‘ reconciliation. The move took place while Secretary of State John Kerry was in Lebanon, reassuring the Lebanese government of US support in the region. Keep in mind that the current Lebanese government includes members of the terrorist organization Hizbollah. So I guess there is a certain consistency in the way the US is handling its partnerships in the region
Apparently, the reasoning behind the willingness to work together with the new Palestinian government is the fact that as of now there are no key Hamas players in any position of leadership. But to think that Hamas’ influence will not be introduced into the decision making of the new authority regarding Israel, is akin to hiring a KKK senior member to become part of the new leadership of the NAACP, it is simply preposterous!
Fatah was originally founded by the late Yasir Arafat in 1965 as a more secular/leftist political party. Fatah comes from a reverse acronym from the Palestinian National Liberation Movement and means “conquering” or “victory”. According to its charter, Fatah is a revolutionary movement calling its members to “sacrifice” and “struggle” for the Palestinian cause. It has always been a more secular and less religious movement, yet Arafat’s bloody trail can be traced throughout its history. Frankly, as moderate as Fatah’s leader Mahmoud Abbas appears to be, it is just a facade. A recent statement by a former Hamas spokesman explains it well: “When I go out [publicly] and say that the [PA]government is my [Abbas] government and it recognizes ‘Israel’ and so on, fine-these words are meant to trick the Americans.”
As to the goals of Hamas, they certainly are no secret, and nothing could be clearer than their official motto claiming that: Allah is its Goal / The Messenger is its Leader / The Qur’anis its Constitution / Jihad is its methodology, and / Death for the sake ofAllah is its most coveted desire.
Further reading of the Hamas charter will leave no doubt in the reader’s mind as to the evil and hatred emanating from such an organization towards Israel and the Jewish people. Especially when we read in article 13 of their charter that: Initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences, are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement.
Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by Israel, the European Union, Canada, China and many other civilized nations including the United States, or so I thought! The recent decision by the US administration to dialog with the new Palestinian authority including Hamas, comes out of two possible approaches. Hamas is either not considered a terrorist organization by the US anymore, or it simply doesn’t matter to President Obama and John Kerry. In both cases Israel and the United States are weakened and further ridiculed in the Middle East, not to mention put at greater risk.
So what’s next America? Since we have a president with nothing to prove and nothing to lose in his second term, we could expect the worst. Additionally, I wouldn’t put it past the Palestinian Authority to again try to obtain recognition at the UN this coming September. This time they might have a real chance since Hamas has shown their “willingness to reconcile” with Fatah. As a matter of fact I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if the new PA would fly under the radar for a short while until they have a chance to gain further recognition at the United Nations.
In the meantime, in the Middle East, Iraq has declared a “state of emergency” since the city of Mosul (biblical Nineveh) was just taken over by members of ISIS. ISIS stands for Islamic State of Iraq and Al Sham, and is a breakaway Sunni insurgent group from Al-Qaeda. How bad do they have to be for Al-Qaeda to separate themselves from ISIS? Bad, very, very bad!
Maybe we will see our administration dialoguing with ISIS in a not so distant future? It doesn’t matter if it is out of stupidity, ignorance or malice because the result is going to remain the same. It will be disastrous for the region and it will further embolden terrorists to manipulate the rest of our civilized world. Somehow, with this last move with Hamas, I question if the current United States administration is still interested in freedom? Is it Anti-Zionism, anti-Israelism or anti-Semitism? Frankly, we are well passed the semantics argument!
When Mr. Obama claims that Israel is one of our strongest allies in the world in one breath, yet rubs shoulders with Hamas and Hezbollah, who’s going to believe him? Then again, does he really care? Is the link between Fatah, Hamas and our current administration a common hatred for Israel? It certainly appears that way.
I fear for America more than I fear for Israel because God promised to never destroy Israel (Jeremiah 31:35-37), as for America, well… no promises there except to curse those who curse Israel (Genesis 12:3) and corporately, we are well on our way!
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