And so now begins the second and most difficult stage. Inside Israel, there is both determination and dread as tens of thousands of Israel's conscript army are called to the front. Untold numbers of these soldiers will lose their lives as the result not merely of the genocidal aims of Hamas (and its Iranian puppet-master), but also the indifference and pusillanimity towards Palestinian terror displayed by world governments over the past six decades of Israel's fight for survival, along with the active encouragement of genocidal Islamists by leftists, Jew-haters, Muslims and useful idiots who were on such thuggish display yesterday in the co-ordinated demonstrations in British and other western cities.
Such people have made no protest at the bombardment of Israeli towns by more than 6000 rockets in the past six years, deliberately targeting innocent civilians. They have made no protest at the way Hamas has used Gazan civilians as human shields, situating its murderous arsenals beneath apartment blocks, in schools and hospitals and mosques in order to maximize the numbers of civilians killed (in order to manipulate all-too pliable western opinion). No, their protest only starts when Israel finally takes the military action aimed at stopping this genocidal barrage.
The worst thing is the moral inversion, in which the murderous victimization of innocent Israelis is ignored while their murderers are described as ‘civilians' when they are finally killed by the Israelis -- who are demonstrably taking care to avoid civilian casualties wherever possible. Tragically, civilians always die in wars; and unfortunately there will undoubtedly be more civilian casualties in Gaza -- along with deaths among Israeli troops -- as the war goes on. But the frenzied misrepresentations, double standards and moral inversion fuelling a hysteria in the west which in turn can only incite more genocidal violence are simply depraved.
Particularly striking in its malice is the way in which the treatment of wounded Palestinians in Israeli hospitals is ignored -- while news of the barbaric behavior of Hamas in Gaza's hospitals is airbrushed out of the picture. At WSJ's Opinion Journal, James Taranto noted that a report of this scene in a Gaza hospital briefly appeared in the New York Times a couple of days ago:
Armed Hamas militants in civilian clothes roamed the halls. Asked their function, they said it was to provide security. But there was internal bloodletting under way. In the fourth-floor orthopaedic section, a woman in her late 20s asked a militant to let her see Saleh Hajoj, her 32-year-old husband. She was turned away and left the hospital. Fifteen minutes later, Mr. Hajoj was carried out by young men pretending to transfer him to another ward. As he lay on the stretcher, he was shot in the left side of the head. Mr. Hajoj, like five others killed at the hospital this way in 24 hours, [my emphasis] was accused of collaboration with Israel. He had been in the central prison awaiting trial by Hamas judges; when Israel destroyed the prison on Sunday he and the others were transferred to the hospital. But their trials were short-circuited...
You won't find that passage now on the New York Times website because, soon after it appeared, it unaccountably vanished into the ether. Nor will many in Britain or the west be aware of this:
Dozens of Gaza Arabs are being treated in Ashkelon's Barzilai Hospital at the same time terrorists are bombarding the city. The medical facility, the largest on the southern coast, is in the line of rocket fire, and medical staff often have to stop caring for patients and run for cover during air raid warnings. The 500-bed Barzilai Hospital has close ties with Gaza City's Shifa Hospital, Barzilai deputy director Dr. Ron Lobel told the Associated Press. ‘It might seem completely absurd, but we have the privilege to be doctors. Our medical ethics do not distinguish between patients. We treat whoever needs to be treated,' he said One Gaza Arab woman refused to identify herself to AP [Associated Press] because of fear of retribution by terrorists if it were known that her two-month-old granddaughter is being treated in an Israeli hospital. ‘I am very sad and hurt. We want peace, not war,' she said as Israel began retaliating after hundreds of Arab rocket and mortar attacks, some of them lethal.
The moral inversion in the west is so egregious, so monstrous, that the better Israel is shown to behave the worse the vilification that rains down upon it. What other country in the world would show such restraint in the face of more than 6000 rocket attacks upon its citizens -- 6000! -- that it took seven years before going to war to put a stop to it?
What other country would treat individuals -- including proven terrorists -- from that enemy territory in its own hospitals?
What other country would continue to provide essential foodstuffs and other supplies to those enemies who continued to fire rockets at it?
What other country, when finally forced to go to war to stop the attacks, would show such concern to avoid the loss of civilian life that it contacts the population in enemy territory -- even households containing identified terrorists -- to warn them to flee from the imminent bombardment?
And what other country would, for showing such unparalleled moral scrupulousness, be vilified and libeled as Israel is?
This conflict is revealing just who is on the side of morality, decency and sanity and who is not.
Israel's behavior is moral, legal and proportionate. This conflict is revealing just who is on the side of morality, decency and sanity and who is not. The President of the Czech Republic, who is also the incoming president of the EU, has emerged in the former camp, declaring stoutly that Israel's behavior is both just and necessary. France's president Sarkozy, however, has called upon both sides to stop hostilities -- a moral equivalence which effectively gives Hamas victory by requiring Israel to abandon the defense of its citizens. Similarly in Britain, Foreign Secretary David Miliband has repeated his call for an immediate cease-fire -- while Prime Minister Gordon Brown, has apparently complained to Israel's Prime Minister Olmert that "too many" people have died.
Would that be, perhaps, too many Hamas terrorists who have died? Would Brown have preferred that more of them continued to live so that they could carry on murdering more Israelis?
In startling contrast Farid Ghadry, President of the Reform Party of Syria, has written:
We Arabs must be the ones to stop Hamas and Hizbullah, rather than support their demonic and twisted logic of resisting development, enlightenment, and progress of the region. Even when development and enlightenment stare them in the face, their instinct is to destroy them pretending to safeguard their honor, the mechanics of which supersede all else including a happy life of fulfillment and accomplishments. So while we abhor violence of all kind, Israel's campaign against Hamas must continue to the bitter end not only for the sake of peace but also to help Arabs realize they have a choice: Destroy like Gaza or develop like Dubai. Will this happen soon? Maybe not, but if a wake-up call and a nudge, once in a while, to pierce through the fog of deceit perpetrated by Syria and Iran is what it takes to see the light, then we stand by the West and Israel in the only hope that an Arab Renaissance in the Levant may actually have a chance of resurrection.
Alas, many in the west don't stand with Farid Ghadry. They stand instead with Hamas. Whatever platitudes they mouth, it is clear that they really don't want Israel to survive at all. The moral dividing line in this battle is very clear. Those who stand with Israel are on the side of morality, justice, and civilization. Those in the media and public life who denounce Israel for having the temerity to defend its people are the fellow-travelers of barbarism. Having done so much to embolden and strengthen Hamas and Iran, who are playing them for suckers, they are continuing to stoke the fires of irrational hatred and genocidal hysteria. As Israeli soldiers die, along with the Palestinian victims of Hamas whether as ‘collaborators' or human shields, their blood will be on these hypocritical western hands.
This article originally appeared in Spectator.co.uk
Visit Melanie Phillips website at http://www.melaniephillips.com
(22) boruch nissim, September 6, 2009 3:24 AM
Israel's Morality BS"D
The govt., and much of the Israeli population are always running scared. Recently there was an advertising campaign in England and (I believe) other places. A poster depicting the Land of Eretz Yisroel showed Gaza with a thin line bordering it. The Arabs complained that Gaza didn't stand out enough, and the Israeli 'hasbara' committee (A failure) quickly took down the posters. Had the Israeli govt., 'hasbara' commitee and people any self-esteem they would have noted that in many Arab schools, etc. Israel is called Palestine. There is no mention of Israel. They should have alerted the Arabs to this and said 'when you demark Israel as it really is: 'Israel' then we will make Gaza stand out. The 'hasbara' campaign will NEVER WORK until the Jews there become proud Jews. The campaign will NEVER WORK until the Jews there declare: 'G-d gave us the Holy Land.'
(21) Cathryn Preston, January 25, 2009 6:44 PM
Media bias
Speaking of media bias, there was an article in the Brisbane Sunday Mail (Australia) on Sunday 25/1/2009. It was about 2 suspected US missile attacks in Pakistan. At the end of the article, it says, "The missiles destroyed two buildings, killing 10 people, at least five of whom were foreign militants". If this article was about Israel bombing Palestinian houses (containing terrorists and munitions, and civilians as human shields) in Gaza, it would have said "killing 10 people, 5 of whom were civilians", rather than saying how many were militants, or, dare I say it...terrorists! I'm sick of the media bias I keep seeing, it's infuriating. I'm in a constant state of indignation. I just don't understand why everyone seems to hate al-Quaida and Jemaah Islameeya, yet not Hamas or Hezbollah. Oh wait, I know why! Cos the first two were terrorist groups attacking innocent civilians, and the last two are ...terrorist groups attacking innocent civilians. Hmm... Also, I'm not seeing anyone protesting about America attacking Pakistan - I guess everyone either assumes it is self-defence (they killed some al-Quaida militants), or they just haven't heard of it cos the media doesn't think it's that big a deal. Infuriating.
(20) mark, January 12, 2009 6:45 AM
Mr. Ghadry of Syria
Mr Ghadry's honest editorial will not have him remain long in today's Syria nor with the living given Syria's national mindset.
(19) Anonymous, January 12, 2009 2:48 AM
we must attack , where were they during the rocket bombardment of sderot, and not defend
We are much too busy defending ourselves. That never works. We must attack all those who are blaming us. Where were they when we got bombed! Including the pope and others. I did not hear or see one word asking them to stop Hamas to stop!! WHere were they??
(18) oilthepoil, January 12, 2009 1:37 AM
Islamic Terrorism Is A Double-edged Sword
While it may be obvious to many of us that terrorist groups like Hamas has one primary objective: to destroy the nation of Israel. But there is another side to this terrorism. It also affects negatively human progress in the name of an Arab Renaissance in the Middle East as Mr. Ghadry of Syria had pointed out. Thus, if G-d forbids, these extremists win, it will not only the Jews who will suffer but also the Arab masses. In such an event, a Dark Age will surely have sweep across the Middle East.
(17) Jacque, January 11, 2009 10:13 PM
Israel too nice
Israel has a history of being too nice to its enemies. I believe that is why she continues to fight her enemies repeatedly and that it has gone on for millenia--not just for years. I'm glad to see israel defending herself, this is the responsibility of her government to provide for her defense. When the IDF goes to the front, Israel is simply doing her job. This is not a reason to vilify Israel. No other country would have put up with such atrocities against its own country that Israel has put up with yet exercised so much restraint. (I am not jewish either, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that Israel is in her right.)
(16) bob w, January 11, 2009 3:43 PM
Jews only will take care of Jews
Forget what the world says, they want us dead. Wipe out hamas or any other who threaten Israel. The same countries who cry for Gaza in 1939 did Nothing to save Jews
(15) Helen Stengel, January 11, 2009 2:22 PM
Amen
Thank you, Melanie for a clear and compassionate article. It''s so refreshing to hear some one speak out in this way for the truth behind the lies mish-mash that we hear in the western media. God bless you for speaking up for Israel.Keep up the good work!
(14) ROBERT LOVELL, January 11, 2009 1:24 PM
great piece glad you wrote it
I am thrilled when I see the truth this article IS the truth in its entirety it speaks about Israel's rights too. Thank you for brightness and proper judgement of what is simply logical.
(13) dov, January 11, 2009 1:09 PM
the final solution
Not a single person I have spoken with has been able to say what the answer to the Palestinian issue will be. We cannot talk the Hamas barbarians out of hating us and we cannot solve the problem by killing for it also generates new enemies! All we can do is defend ourselves by killing as many of the enemy as possible and weakening their infrastructure. But the stated objectives of the Israeli gov't do not come near to addressing the long-term issue: How to live in safety w/this generation of Palestinians, or the next. It seems clear to me that we need to do everything we can, but realize that the real solution all depends on G-d. So far, even hard-headed and secular israelis have not been able to express anything like a long-term solution to me. Now that is saying something for tough, unflinchingly self-reliant folks who profess that Religion is just an opiate for the weak. I guess it is time we ALL admitted we don't have the answer and start acting like there is one who does know and that we need G-d's help. Prayer is a start, but the main thing it seems to me G-d wants from me is clearly described in the Torah and neviim. Taking the actions of Love/kindness to help us learn to focus on true value more than on our gain and greed, walking humbly with our G-d by hearing what others are saying, what they need, and being there for each other, keeping the mitzvos to put our will second to G-d's will and weaken that self-destructive, all-knowing ego, and Your website helps me do just that and I thank you, AISH.
(12) Beverly Kurtin, January 11, 2009 12:40 PM
How many civilians has the U.S. killed?
My right hand is hurting at the moment from hitting a wall in my home. I am filled with anger and rage. The world wants Israel and ONLY Israel to stop their righteous attack on Gaza because “civilians are being killed.” I honestly am saddened when a true civilian is killed, whether it is an Arab, a Jew or any other human being. But why is Israel the ONLY country in the world that is deemed to be wrong when it is simply trying to protect its citizens from being killed in what has been, up to now, a one-way war on Israel. And where is the world’s expression of sympathy for us because of all the deaths that have been caused by Hamas rockets DELIBERATELY AIMED AT CIVILIANS. Of course the answer is relatively simple: Jewish blood is the cheapest commodity in the world. We are not seen as being worth of having a land of our own yet not a single “enlightened” country would take us in and protect us during WWII. Not even the United States would permit us a haven. In short, the world wants us all dead. That is a truth which we must keep in the front of our minds constantly. Speaking of the United States, the country in which I live and love, it has killed tens of thousands of civilians during the heinous Bush administration. How many innocent civilians have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan? The number will never be known except by G-d. But where was the hue and cry over those deaths? Where was the Untied Nations (United ARAB Nations) then? The Arabs celebrated when the Twin Towers were destroyed killing over 3,000 innocent men and women. How could any human being celebrate the deaths of those totally innocent people? Only the Arabs are vile enough to do that, they are sociopaths of the worst kind. It is understandable in the light of where their “religious leaders” have taken their lessons in genocide: From the Nazis. Their Grand Mullah spent most of the Second World War in Berlin learning the fine art of cold-blooded murder of civilians. Again, our blood is the cheapest commodity in the world. Hamas’ goal is two-fold: First, kill all Jews living in the “occupied territories” which just happens to be the entire State of Israel and then kill every Jew in the world. That is their stated intent, they must be stopped in their tracks. Then the question must be asked, are there any true civilians in the Gaza? Their children are brought up almost from birth to hate us. Their women are taught to hate us. But when they are wounded, where do they want to go to be put back together? They want to be treated in the Jewish hospitals in Israel. I am afraid that this is going to have to be a war of attrition. Each and every member of Hamas is going to have to be utterly and totally destroyed. Is that ethnic cleansing? No. Hamas is a virus that must be stopped before millions are killed. I have had pneumonia. My physicians destroyed the virus or bacteria that caused the killer disease. He had to kill the “bugs” before they killed me. I’m stepping out on a very slippery step when I say this, but Hamas is a disease, it is dedicated to killing, period. Therefore, it is our duty to track down each and every member of Hamas and kill them before they kill us. I loath having to say that, but what is the sense of taking part of a cancerous tumor out and leaving the rest to grow to kill? ALL members of the murderous sociopathic group that calls itself Hamas must be destroyed and I pray that it happens this time around. If we leave even one of them alive, it will multiply again and we will have to start all over again. It would be much better if we could change their hearts, if they have one, than to kill them. But sociopaths like Hamas kill for the pleasure it gives them. My hand is swelling, I need some ice water. May Hashem forgive my sentiments.
(11) Hindy Alster, January 11, 2009 12:17 PM
Israel Against The World
Only by listening to Israeli radio in Hebrew directly can one really know what is going on. Finally, the Israeli government has realized that it must put its citizens before world opinion.The world has no idea how much the people in southern Israel are suffering from the rockets coming from Gaza. It is utter chaos. People are completely traumatized. There is no routine living, only waiting for the siren to sound. The Jews as it were, will never be thought of as politically correct. When they went to the gas chambers with little resistance, people asked "why didn't they fight back?" Now, that the Jews are fighting back against the equivalent of the Nazis, the question becomes "why are they fighting back, the poor Palestinian," whatever that means. I never understood exactly what a Palestinian is. Nevertheless, it is incredibly frustrating to hear how the IDF takes such care to be scrupulous not to hurt the civilians in Gaza. What country in their right mind would stop a war for three hours to let in humanitarian aid? Similarly, what country drops leaflets to let the civilians know what will happen? The world knows the truth, and this war has nothing to do with the truth. It has to do with the ancient hatred of Esav and Yaacov. Sadly, even when Israel leaves Gaza, after probably dismantling Hamas, it will be an empty victory, because, just as the story of the Dutch boy who tried to plug up the holes in the dyke against the flood of water failed, so too Israel, will find that another hole has formed with a different group, on another border and it will probably happen again.
(10) G.Guilbert, January 11, 2009 12:13 PM
Gam zu le tova!
What terrorists, those with arms and those with pens doesn´t know is that everything that happens to Israel is for good as we can see in last week Parashat: Bereshit 50:20 (Vayechi) "Indeed, you intended evil against me,but G-d designed it for good" (Joseph to his brothers) Lets pray to Ha´Shem to bring home all those soldiers of the Light soon and safe.
(9) marilyn lefkowitz, January 11, 2009 9:27 AM
I met you at the Hadassah convention this summer. Thank you for all of your efforts on behalf ot the Jewish people and the free world. Marilyn
(8) Rachel Garber, January 11, 2009 9:01 AM
Just another excuse to express anti-Semitism
In a beautifully written letter printed in an now defunct magazine, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., of blessed memory, explained to a "friend" why his anti-Zionism was really anti-Semitism. Last week we had a pro-Israel rally herin Philly which drew a small number of pro-Palestinian supporters. Someone has a sign that read, "Killing children isn't a Jewish value". which led me to conclude that it must be a Muslim value because I doubt that their only victims are adults. Several yrs ago an article posed the answer one of the reasons why they are winning the PR wars. Israeli leaders always look so stern and angry, whereas the Arab leader (it was Arafat at the time) was always all smiles, presenting a benign picture of anyone's grandfather. Even after serious "talks" he always smiled, like we have this all under control, whereas the Israeli gave the impression of a crabby old man. But back to MLK, it is another(more acceptable, as he put it) form of anti-Semitism. If we all disappeared off the face of the earth tomorrow there would still be anti-Semitism. It doesn't help that the Fed has for a number of years been a Jewish man, that Madoff is in the news, as usual for a money scheme, reinforcing the Jews control the money conspiracy theory. Very, very sad and frankly, quite evil. Reporters, even in our own country hate the US, and so by extension, hate Israel. It doesn't help that the UN is one of the most corrupt organizations in the world, that downplays the atrocities in Africa because the perpetrators are Muslim, yet condemns every little "scratch" the Israelis inflict in their own defense. It doesn't help that people forget that the Arab League voted against the partition plan in 1947, or that Sadat refused the Gaza strip way back when, that a Palestinian country was never formed when Jordan controlled the Old City. They never formed a country, have no currency of their own, no do they have a constitution, how is that "occupied"? It isn't, no one cared when the Jordanians were in control, after '67, the whole world had apoplexy over te so-called occupation, including the Catholic church, which should never open it's mouth about anything involving Israel.
(7) Mona, January 9, 2009 8:13 AM
Media bias
I always read Melanie Phillips in the British Daily Mail. Her articles usually generate very positive feedback. Today, however, it seems that Hamas supporters have decided to rally support to swamp the Daily Mail comments pages, and the Israel reports are receiving unusually high traffic on their website. This all adds to the bias against Israel. Thank you Melanie for redressing the balance.
(6) Anonymous, January 9, 2009 6:01 AM
Deplorable
It is sickening to view the misinformation warfare being carried out by the terrorists, their empty-headed patsies, the "ideologues", and the gleeful anti-semites, who have now all joined together to once again, vociferociously attack Israel - and Jews everywhere. I am deeply grateful that Finally, after centuries of being in no real position to defend oneself, Yisroel is able to actually defend itself against those who are only "peaceful", when Yisroel and Israel is annihilated. What truly does it matter, what anti-semites and bankrupt common-sense, and non-existent moral life takes it upon itself to "judge" Israel, and its innate rate of self-defense, and Defense of its peoples? I do not believe it is the role Of Jews, nor of Israel, to satisfy the 'needs' of anti-semitic yearnings, hatred, and terrorists - never mind the deeply biased ideologues and dim-witted "intellectuals" of any stripe. I think that it is a deep lesson that has been long in the waiting to be learned, that it is utterly unnatural for any human being to be aggressed, even one, by missiles, and rockets coming from often-times, private homes, ect. I'd rather be a live Jew, that a fondly remembered one, after I am murdered. I'd rather be contributing to the world, than to a "nostalgic past", in some fellow-human's Musuem -as is the case, apparently, in Poland. I would rather enjoy what the Creator has granted me in daily life, than know that my "neighbour" has robbed me of my "portion", and is squandering it or leaving it to his/her descendants. As Major Livni wisely noted: Enough, is Enough.
(5) Anonymous, January 9, 2009 1:46 AM
wow
you think that just by doing what is right entitles you to judge the world. you have done only the minimum required of us all. and, p.s. you dont speak for me or represent me and I am from the west.
(4) Anonymous, January 8, 2009 10:38 PM
morally bankrupt
Most western societies are morally bankrupt! Keep the faith Israel and don't give up the fight! The Almighty One of Israel is on your side!
(3) Anonymous, January 8, 2009 6:47 PM
Whoa! This is REALLY telling it like it is! Bless Melanie Phillips for using her G-d-given eloquence in the service of the truth! So many of us know and feel what is right, but when it comes to voicing it, we splutter in indignation, our words are lost when they are most needed, submerged in our shock at the malignant lies roaring out about Israel from so many evil (or at best, ignorant) quarters. Eloquence in service of truth is a very high form of hishtadlus, and individuals like Ms. Phillips deserve our praise and our thanks! Now, everybody, please keep praying to the only One Who can make the hishtadlus work!
(2) Pearl Selinsky, January 8, 2009 6:09 PM
Shocking, sad and informative.
Makes me continue to be proud to be a Jew.
(1) Ray, January 8, 2009 2:29 PM
Palestinians are not Innocent
Let's not forget the palestinians elected Hamas by an overwhelming majority. I'm not sure there are too many "moderate" muslims in Gaza.