The author is a Major (reserve) in the Israeli Air Force.
Circling above the eastern Mediterranean in the cockpit of my F-16, I have a lot of time to think.
Though it takes only minutes to reach Gaza (Israel is the size of New Jersey), I have time to think while the IDF is deploying its series of hi-tech checks to verify the target is clear of civilians. For while our multi-layered warnings telling civilians to leave the area – leaflets, phone calls, and an explosive "knock on the roof" – for Israel one more calculation remains.
Is it moral to strike?
The rules sound simple: If the target is a murderous rocketeer, strike fast and hard. If it's a civilian, do not harm.
Reality, unfortunately, is not so simple. With Gaza's military matrix – rocket launchers, weapons factories, and munitions depots – dangerously embedded in Palestinian neighborhoods, schools, mosques, hospitals and private homes (in addition to the terror tunnels that IDF ground troops are now neutralizing), the IDF invests great money, time, and effort to ensure that every strike achieves "target clearance" – confirming it's a moral target to hit.
I recoil at how Hamas's asymmetric warfare – deliberately targeting Israeli civilians while cynically hiding behind Palestinian civilians – means that Israel must work to minimize civilian casualties on both sides. As a pilot I provide the final check and will cancel a target at the last moment due to the presence of children, who bear no fault and must always remain off-limits. I am saddened by the loss of every human life, yet clear that makes Hamas solely culpable for any "human shields" that remain in harm's way. And I am proud that collateral damage in this war has been far lower than, for example, the 1999 NATO strikes on Serbia.
I glance out toward my wing to inspect the munitions which are specially chosen for each target. With Gaza's urban density presenting a high risk of collateral damage from ricocheting shrapnel, these GPS-guided missiles are designed to hit with bulls-eye accuracy. Further, they are engineered with a delayed fuse, enabling them to dig deep into buildings to produce a more contained explosion – which is why photos often show columns of smoke rising straight up from the target site.
I look out at the beautiful Gaza coastline and reflect on how it didn't have to be this way. I recall the yearnings for peace that I and so many others had in 2005 when Israel withdrew every one of its soldiers and civilians from Gaza – giving Palestinians the opportunity to create a peaceful and thriving sovereignty that could have become the next Singapore.
Instead, Hamas swept to power, launching a reign of terror and kleptocracy where billions of dollars of international aid have been used – not for civilian infrastructure (can someone please tell me why there are still Palestinian "refugee camps" in Gaza?) – but rather to build a military operation that partners with the world's worst terrorists.
Iran, today's most dangerous global threat, is providing funds, training and weapons to Hamas. When an M-302 missile reached all the way to Israel's northern city of Haifa – in addition to rockets sent from Lebanese, Syrian and Egyptian territory – Iran was spreading its tentacles on our doorstep. We breathed a collective sigh of relief that just a few months ago the IDF intercepted the Klos-C ship delivering dozens of these advanced missiles straight from an Iranian port.
I swell with gratitude for those around the world who – with prayers, online campaigns, and pronouncements from the corridors of power – bravely stand with Israel. I am especially grateful for my American F-16 with its unique Israeli avionic upgrade, and I thank America for helping fund the Iron Dome missile defense system, which Israel developed – out of necessity – from concept to prototype to testing to fully operational in the unprecedented speed of seven years.
And I question the motives of those who stand in support of Hamas and its values.
I think of news footage from France of violent mobs trapping Jews in their synagogue, and I am reminded of dark times in Jewish history. I marvel at how, in just 66 years of statehood, Israel has welcomed immigrants from over 90 countries, and I am grateful to help provide a secure refuge in our eternal homeland.
I think about the long-term traumatic effects of my young children at home, being scurried to the bomb shelter every time an alarm goes off. With Hamas shooting deliberately and indiscriminately at 75 percent of Israel's population, it is our moral obligation to stop them. And I remind myself that despite those who point an accusing finger at Israel's low "body count," we must never be ashamed that Israeli civilians are well-protected from rockets.
Finally, should my two-hour sortie end with no Hamas targets passing the IDF's rigorous humanitarian test – thus sending me back to base with unspent munitions – I do so with the serenity of knowing that even under such challenging circumstances, Israel is guided by the timeless Jewish value that "all men are created equal" – and we are taking all possible steps to protect the sanctity of every human life.
(40) Neicee, April 24, 2015 4:29 PM
I believe this policy will only change when the bad guys make a stepped up attack and threaten more than they ever have before.. Look what the current regime has wrought in the U.S. - rules of engagement that make their training worthless. David, go with G-d. Return home to your family and country safely. We'll keep the prayers in our hearts every day for the safety and peace of Israel.
(39) jay, April 22, 2015 3:58 PM
Why bother, they have collective responsibility and deserve what they get
Personally, I think it is foolish nad even dangerous to have sympathy for our enemies. Gaza bears complete and total collective responsibility both for the "government" they elected and for allowing warfare to take place in their homes via hidden missiles. As far as children being innocent, do you really think that is true? What about a "child" strapped with explosives as a suicide bomber? Is he/she innocent just because they are a child? Parents have the ultimate responsibility to protect their children, Gaza parents obviously do not care nor love their children the same way normal people do. Sympathy for our enemy only emboldens them and costs Jewish lives. I do not think even one Jew is worth ten thousand Gazan deaths, if the Gazans insist on hiding missiles in their hospitals and schools. Didn't we learn the lesson from Amalek? Even to leave a semblance of them alive is a sin, and will create havoc to Jews in the future. Bomb them in to oblivion, get their complete capitulation and surrender, and then negotiate with them . I am just so frustrated when Jewish soldiers are kept from their goals by misplaced sympathy fro the enemy.
(38) tzipporah, August 9, 2014 10:08 PM
thanks!
Well-written! Pleasure to read! Wonderful to have thoughtful, intelligent, humane pilots and people in the armed forces. Thanks for writing this.
(37) helen Schwab (Chaiah), August 3, 2014 11:41 PM
You forget about dual citizens, American Israelis.
My husband, z"l, served in the miluim (reserves) We are dual citizens, American Israelis. As college grads, I would hope we both have decent English skills. And would it be a crime if the writer was Israeli and asked someone to check the article for grammar?
tzip, August 9, 2014 10:05 PM
this is not helpful
Sorry to say, but what is this comment doing here, criticizing the writer's grammar? Is this supposed to be helpful? ( am not sure what I am writing is helpful either.)
(36) Bro. Nick, August 3, 2014 5:29 PM
Morality of strikes against Hamas
Thank G-D for the Israeli moral code of evaluating whether or not to strike a target! How thankful I am, and awed for that factor to be a major consideration in a war!
The difference with ISRAEL is that you love your children and citizens and officially apply that moral value to your enemies
- and yet there is the horrendous increase of hatred and lack of understanding by most of the world against the JEWISH people and your G-D given eternal homeland of ISRAEL - only 66 years since the Holocaust perpetrated by the Nazi German regime.
Let those who truly believe in the LORD G-D of ISRAEL to often, sincerely and fervently "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem" (Ps 122:6)
A long time supporter of ISRAEL - Bro. Nick
(35) John O. Utzinger, August 1, 2014 7:56 PM
definition of hamas
why doesnt the media of the world define the word hamas? it means violence, world violence of intolerance towards anyone who is not islamic!!! this islamic violence ( hamas) has to be eradicated before it destroys humanity!! islam is a dead end road!!!!
(34) Yaakov h, July 31, 2014 5:02 PM
Nice article but off target
The Torah says that if someone is coming to kill you, wake up early and kill him first. Hamas is on a murdeous task to kill all Israelis and then all Jews. If there is collateral damage so be it.
(33) Anonymous, July 31, 2014 2:21 PM
Excellent article.
The ideas and sentiments expressed in this article are 100% right on, and I agree with and appreciate every word. Still, I doubt that anybody in the Israeli army has this level of English. I wonder who really wrote it?
Anonymous, July 31, 2014 8:43 PM
There are plenty of Americans in the IDF
Steve David, April 19, 2015 10:25 PM
What about the PM?
While schooled in part in the U.S., PM Netanyahu, a sabra who also served in the IDF, is one among many Israelis whose English dexterity rivals any American I know.
(32) Albert Hache, July 31, 2014 2:20 PM
Infinite variety is G-D's trademark !
I love the serene and ponderate tone of this article, it is an ode to the sanctity of a just war.
Although it is very doubtful that all men are created equal, Equal in what? This too common statement contradicts the evidence. Except in theory, there is absolutely nothing equal in this world.
(31) roel, July 30, 2014 10:36 PM
To protect your family against any threat is a moral obligation, and is the right thing to do. even though you don't like to take lives you are forced to because it is your duty and moral obligation to do it. This is the same as you are putting yourself in harms way just to protect your people.. It is better than using civilians to protect themselves from harm. It's only God's Love can end all this suffering and hate when people learned to forgive and end this war... Shalom Israel, I know for sure that God will keep you and watch over you and will fulfill His words written in the Bible as a living testimony of God's sovereignty over the universe that it shall be fulfilled. Be of good courage...
(30) Sheila Novitz, July 30, 2014 3:08 PM
Jewish values
Thank you, Major David L. We have always understood that these are Jewish Israeli values, and it is a pleasure reading them so clearly and frankly set out. You and all your colleagues are in our thoughts and prayers every day and night. How you can do your amazing job with such calm and assurance is a wonderful miracle to all of us. Where would we be without the IDF and IAF, the other branches of defence, and our various security services? We thank G-d for all of you.
(29) Motis, July 30, 2014 3:06 PM
An excellant article by the IAF Pilot
My wish is that all of the slanted media moguls, around the world, read , understand, and act on the facts, that this brave individual brings to light in his article.
May Hashem protect you and your fellow military from harm.
(28) Anonymous, July 30, 2014 1:44 PM
Excellent!
This is excellent! Thank you so much for posting this!
(27) Mike, July 30, 2014 2:54 AM
Don't compare Gaza with Singapore !!
I was enjoying your article and flow of thoughts until you mentioned this -- Israel withdrew every one of its soldiers and civilians from Gaza – giving Palestinians the opportunity to create a peaceful and thriving sovereignty that could have become the next Singapore.
Please don't compare Gaza with Singapore!
Do you think Singapore is built in a day?
Why not compare Gaza with Switzerland, or Hong Kong, or Penang?
Incongruent..
Similarly don't compare Gaza with Singapore.
Have you been to Singapore yourself before you make such a comparison?
(26) Leah, July 30, 2014 2:46 AM
chazak!
There is no way to properly thank you, major. I will feebly try to by studying Torah and say saying tehillim in your merit for your protection. May Hashem keep you safe anf strong! Chazak! Chazal v'nizchazaik!
(25) Wayne Austin, July 30, 2014 1:42 AM
Thanks
It is clear that Hamas is a terrorist organization who needs to be stopped. As an American from Alabama I thank you for helping rid the world of this violet trash.
(24) Anonymous, July 30, 2014 1:30 AM
Yes, it is an outrage
to limit soldiers on defending themselves and the Israeli people, for what? Israeli army is not fighting to keep the enemy alive and to give their life for those murderers. The Israeli army owes it to the fallen soldiers' families and to every family to not impose those limitations. the soldiers are there to protect Jews not the terrorists. why sacrifice the life of our soldiers for world opinion? who gives a damn? It does not make any difference anyway, no need to beg. I and many others want to see our soldiers alive. we do not owe anything to world opinion, the more you explain, the more they look down on you.
(23) Robert Van Fleet, July 30, 2014 12:57 AM
My apology for Obama and Kerry.
Our country (USA) should be standing with you at this time and all time! Eventually you will have to kill the snake's head. I hope by then they will awake and see that we will always be the "Big" Satan no matter how we back peddle on our friends. We are praying for you and Israel!!!
(22) Yehudis, July 30, 2014 12:53 AM
thank you
What a beautifully written and thought-provoking account of the reality of the approach of the IDF. Thank you for your part in the mission of protecting the Jewish People. We are all praying for you, and may G-d guide you and shield you.
(21) Carlos, July 30, 2014 12:29 AM
May HaShem keep you'll
I can only marvel when, I can see and feel the pain of my brothers and sisters in Ysrael ones more and how no matter how wrong and bias it's this world agains you as a nation... The way that you do your job and duty and put the lives of those that harm you ahead of yours. If only the world cut see true your eyes, this world would be so different. My admiration and my respect its for all of you. You are a high example to all of us. In Adonai be blessss
(20) anonymous, July 30, 2014 12:11 AM
Misplaced mercy does not save Israeli lives
Our gemara is quite clear. If you are kind to cruel people, you become cruel to kind people. Misplaced mercy leads to suicide and the deaths of innocent Israeli civilians and soldiers. Halachically, you have every right to shoot at these human shields and you should. They are our enemy too and given the chance would kill you. This is a milchemet mitzvah, self defense is a mitzvah and wel learn from our Book of Prophets what happens when you show mercy to the enemy. King Saul could not annhilate Agag and his women and children and cattle and was instructed to. His failure to do so resulted in lost lives during the Purim story. It is time that the military Rabbinate teach the army what true Jewish values are. Turning the other cheek is not a Jewish value. Self defense- even an offensive war to prevent deaths is permissible and preferable (that is what the Six Day War is about) Having said that, Major, you are a good man. You should never feel guilty over collateral damage. The USA had no problem with HIroshima and Dresden, neither should you.
(19) waleed, July 29, 2014 11:30 PM
It's good that you're thinking
It's good that you're thinking, but still you have to think further. The data that you are basing your assumptions on are your community's side of the story, and your opponent has another story that conflicts with yours. So who is right? I guess both are wrong. No one people can monopolize God and claim his blessings to kill the other. Religions should not divide us but should unify us. We all claim that we love this land but refuse to share it with others who also love it. Are we really in the twenty first century! have we gone blind! The Aqsa Mosque or the Mountain Temple are not more valuable than our future. Please think further
(18) McBob, July 29, 2014 10:58 PM
Shalom!
David, G-d be with you and all members of the IDF as you go in harm's way. Praying for the peace of Jerusalem. Shalom, and thank you from a retired American fighter pilot!
(17) Lauren Adilev, July 29, 2014 8:34 PM
Yasher Koach!
Powerful and beautiful. May you and your family be safe! Thanks from a proud Israeli living in Efrat.
(16) David Deutsch, July 29, 2014 7:30 PM
Hit fast and hard!!!!
(15) Dan Landqvist, July 29, 2014 7:26 PM
God be with you Israel and all of you who fight for fredom. God is on your side. Gods revenge is coming soon. If I whas younger i had Come and fight for you beacuse you are Gods People and I love and beacuse in God.God Bless you all?
(14) Georgiamule, July 29, 2014 6:43 PM
Americans support Israel
Major,
On your next mission, know we are with you in spite of Mr. Obama or Mr. Kerry. While our freedoms ensure all, including pro-Palestinians and other Muslims the right to be heard, the majority of Americans support Israel.
(13) Cheryl, July 29, 2014 6:36 PM
Bless you and your colleagues, Major, for all that you do. Please know that there are tons and tons of Christians who stand with Israel always. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the peace of Israel. Psalm 91 is God's protection over all of you. Thank you for all that you do for Israel.
(12) Gayland, July 29, 2014 6:29 PM
I think of the men around David. You are one of those protecting Israel. Do your job with pride. The day is coming soon this will be solved. G-d is getting ready to settle the score and then you can turn your spears into plow shers.
(11) Babs, July 29, 2014 5:41 PM
You are so smert and so good. God bless you and all Israel.
(10) Shelly, July 29, 2014 5:35 PM
Save Our Soldiers
As a lover of Israel and the Jewish people, it is indeed obscene that Israeli soldiers are being killed in order to "protect" Arab civilians. This must stop! Sending out notices to the Arab home owners that their homes will be targeted sends a message to the terrorists as to where the next soldiers will be found. ENOUGH!! This is war! Hamas has declared war on Israel and they were voted in by their citizens. Let THEM pay the price, not OUR boys!
(9) Kathy, July 29, 2014 4:36 PM
Excellent Article
Dear Major (F 16 Pilot) - Thank you for speaking the truth. Thank you for what you do every day to defend your People. Bless You...from VA Beach, VA.
(8) Richard, July 29, 2014 4:14 PM
We'll spoken
Thank you for this . ignorance comes from not knowing the teachings of Islam - how many people have not read the Koran??? - even those who don't believe in a Higher Power.
(7) Daveed, July 29, 2014 4:12 PM
An Excellent Article from The Major
Thank you, Major, not only for your service to Israel, but for your substantive thoughts.
Tens of million of viewers of international media globally, have been deceived by anti-Israel propaganda, so much so that most of them view IAF pilots as glorified GameBoy Joystick-Jockey's who are heartless, as they bomb-away at whim. However to the radical contrary, and as you have shared; IAF pilots harbor a deeply-seated (i.e, in their hearts) understanding of the sanctity of life--even the sanctity of life within their deceived enemies--Hamas.
May the "...shadow of His wings..." (Psalm 91) protect every IAF and IDF member until the evil-element is swept from Gaza.
Am Yisrael Chai,
Daveed
(6) Kathy Raulerson, July 29, 2014 3:29 PM
Thank you for this excellent and heart felt letter from a fighter pilot. I am a Christian and have been subscribed to Aish for years, ever since my first trip to Israel in 2004. Know there is someone who continually prays for Israel and its people. Blessings.
(5) Avi, July 29, 2014 3:24 PM
Maybe when they were created they were equel
"All men are created equal"is not from a Jewish source but the US Declaration of Independence. The torah believes when you are acting in defense of other Jews, the lives of your innocents take precedence over the children the cowards hide behind in Gaza. If a terrorist is preparing a missle launcher with children standing beside them the fault is with their idiot parents who don't move away from them. Even if as a result of millions of $ of investment in Iron Dome few Israelis are getting killed the Arabs still are attempting mass murder and the pilot should do his job and deal with them accordingly. That is the moral thing to do.
(4) marilyn, July 29, 2014 3:16 PM
Thank you for your service.
I am humbled and proud of the will and fight of our people. As a senior living in New York I am, with all my heart and soul, in my mind, fighting with you and praying for the safe return to your families of all the soldiers.
(3) Morton Friedman, July 29, 2014 3:13 PM
An error?
It does not change the thrust of this piece, but i doubt that he was using GPS guided munitions. Most probably GBU's, with either optical or laser heads. A far more appropriate technology for the scenario described.
(2) Yehudith Shraga, July 27, 2014 9:46 PM
While IDF calculates each its step, Hamas uses absolutely different tactics
Mosab Hassan Yousef, a Hamas defector who worked for 10 years as an informer for the Shin Bet, explained to CNN last week that, for Gaza’s rulers, human life is of no consequence.
“Hamas does not care about the lives of Palestinians, or the lives of Israelis, or Americans; they don’t care about their own lives,” Yousef said. “They consider dying for their ideology a way of worship.
“Hamas is not seeking coexistence and compromise; Hamas is seeking conquest,” he added. “The destruction of the state of Israel is not the Hamas final destination.”
Hamas, Yousef asserted, wants to build an Islamic state “on the rubble of every other civilization.”
(1) Yehudis, July 27, 2014 2:22 PM
PROTECT OUR BOYS!
I read, “Reports in Israeli media cite IAF pilots who bitterly complain that due to the strict limitations placed on their use of fire, they sometimes have to refrain from helping comrades facing terrorist fire on the ground.”
So the Jewish state is endangering Jews in order to protect our enemies. The ongoing policy in which we protect the enemy which causes DEATH TO OUR BOYS is obscene.
Aharon Rodef Shalom, July 29, 2014 3:49 PM
Japan and WWII
You are 100% correct Yehudis. Jews are dying because of these policies. Only by a crushing defeat will more Jewish (and non-Jewish) blood be spared. If Hamas is not destroyed, they will come back again, resulting in further tragedy and death for the Arabs. The US delivered a crushing blow to Japan in WWII. Hamas needs to be dissolved for the long term benefit of all peoples.
Mrs. L, July 29, 2014 4:21 PM
You got that right
It's an outrage and an injustice that our soldiers are entering the battlefield with a handicap.