NO TWO SIDES

  Sorry, world. There are no two sides here. No context of excuse and explanation. No 'reasons' behind such awful, monstrous deeds. Nothing but evil, pure and unadulterated, a manifestation in bloody real horrors, dedicated with crazed fealty to the Hamas charter:  to destroy Jews wherever and whenever, around the world. To complete the program of Hitler, the aims of the pogroms, the auto de-fa of Spain, the centuries of persecution and death.   

Even as the first news out of the realm of horror in southern Israel, in at least 20 small towns, villages, hamlets, individuals caught in cars. at bus stops, on   the streets, making breakfast, playing with their children, reactions were underplayed, muted in volume and accusation. It was an 'incursion' by 'militants'. Attack? No, a mere frightening of music party attendees, with some dead, for after all, this is the Middle East. This is Israel, right, the oppressor of gazillion Arabs, the annoying in your face country of a people who refuse to acquiesce to the wishes of the haters.  Disappear forever.   

Terrorists? Never, simply 'resistance fighters'. Fierce fighters, brave in their war waged against a powerful enemy - the infants, the elderly, the aged disabled Holocaust survivor once again targeted for death. Parents. Grandparents. Young men and women, many of them teens only just inducted into the army, at minimum manpower as the nation celebrated a holiday. Defending the nation. All fodder for the maw of hate and violence, ever open for more dead Jews. Why not, for is not that their role in life?  

Finally, a red line appeared to have been crossed.  Most - not all - of the world gasped with horror, condemned the actions, though continuing to refuse the true names of those involved. Terrorists. Murderers. World criminals. An act of war, more violent and costly in comparative human cost to Dec. 7, and 9/11. It is a refuge, a place of safety and refuge for Jews, a guardian of world Jewry.  

The Arab nations have learned in cold calculation, how to use the Palestinians as a political tool.  For decades. Pre establishment. Post declaration. For 75 years of statehood. In peace and in war.  Struggled always against odds to survive and thrive. To give to the world. To help where there are disasters.  Yet the hatred remains. Encouraged by Arab and Moslem nations. By white supremacists within our own nation. By students at our universities, writing letters of condemnation of Israel and justification of Hamas. By four egregiously antisemitic   Congresswomen who should never have been elected, let alone run, so hateful are they.      

Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles, the world actually sympathized with Israel, a nation in deep mourning, in shock, writhing with pain and danger, shattered by grief, confused at how this had ever happened. Then the world went sideways, bringing in the Gaza population, even to the point of the USA cautioning Israel to limit damage in Gaza during a ground invasion. To write off their dead, their murdered. Well, it is time for war. It is time to finish the job. Israel too has collateral damage though apparently not worth much in the currency of the world. 

It is time for the world to recognize that Israel is not responsible for the lives of enemies. It is their responsibility to take care of their own, to do the best for them and yes, to try to limit collateral damage as they have always done. Though never returned in same coin.     

Pictures of destroyed buildings are compared on the same level as the burned and murdered of Israel. There are buildings destroyed in the kibbutzim and towns of Israel too but are considered negligible compared to loss of life and manner of death. We too have pictures of destruction along with pictures of brutality. Weigh the causes, weigh the provocations, weigh the patience and attempts to live in peace. A country employing many of these same Palestinians, gave medical care to many, who had prominent voices of activism within, some now victims of the attack. The utter garbage that is spewed around, that Israel allowed the attack to go further than intended as the defense was weak- so that was seen as permission for these animals to go further!!!??? Then what, we then proffered an invitation to the Hamas brutalizers to go further?! Dangerous nonsense, spouted by those who know better.              

  Loss of life and limb, of liberty, facing agony, torture, grief, not knowing the fate of family members left behind, or what will be of them, many wounded, raped, added to the beheaded soldiers, the burnt infants, the brutalized children and elderly, parents, grandparents, and the families awaiting news, knowing that death for the captured is better than life among the animals.

Jews are not victims. We will not allow the world to write people off, to do less than we must to redeem them, to protect the nation. Ground entry will be awful, death and wounds in huge numbers, but Israel is the judge of what must be - not the world, not the USA who incidentally will be of little use with the breakdown and chaos in DC, especially within and from the demented GOP.   

No more remnants of Holocaust to return and haunt us. No more discounted casual spilling of Jewish blood.  Psalms tells us there is a time for peace and a time for war. Now is a time for war. There it is.  

Today, Friday, has been called a Day of Rage, by Hamas. Be careful out there. There already has been confrontations. Be safe. Be alert.

We must hang together lest we hang separately. It is a time of great sacrifice, and we must be strong.

It is a time when the tears will flow.

We have been here before and will be there again - if we do not settle this for once and for all. Even then, who knows. Hatred has strong long-lived   roots. In the meanwhile, we pray, we donate, we love, we care, and we hang tight, together, strong.

And we hope the tears will be limited.

A traditional prayer for the captured, those in distress and in existential danger.

"May the Omnipresent One have mercy on our brothers the whole House of Israel who are in distress or captivity, whether on sea or land. May He lead them from distress to relief, from darkness to light, and from oppression to redemption, now, swiftly and soon - and let us say: AMEN. 

Always together. Only together.

That is the only way.

We ask that the One Above hear our anguished voices, dry our tears, sheer us within His arms, and bring all back home, safely.

May peace reign.