HUMANITARIAN?

"Concerned with or seeking to promote human welfare". Or - "A person who cares about people and works to improve human welfare - in any location."

Sounds lovely, does it not. Who would not like to be thought of as a humanitarian, one with a noble calling - to aid others. The only requirement is that aid and concern are justified, truly needed and to be dispensed in a most nonpartisan manner. Just lovely. However, in the real world, this is a pipe dream, for all sorts of factors intervene between the ideal and the actual. 

In our increasingly Orwellian world propelled by hate and prejudice, busily engaged in reviving the worst of the oldest hatred of all - Jew hatred, there is no such thing as a pure humanitarian. Not in the true sense of the word, other than perhaps a few remnants of the truly humanitarian, very much an endangered species. Or the same idiot Jews who look upon their wounded enemy after having avoided murder by those very same hands, or who needs aid, due to some disaster, natural or manmade, and proceeds to give that very necessary aid. Even if it disadvantages the dispenser of aid. 

For generations, Jews have been demonized, even as they have contributed to the world, punching way over their weight class. They are cast as outsiders and worse. They are, have been, deemed and so declared, to be subhuman, devoid of all rights due to a human and proceed to act on that belief, a standard plank in every hater's political platform of beliefs and championed ideas. Hence, Jews, Israelis, their supporters, are therefore to be devoid of any humanitarian concern or attention, let alone deeds. In fact, the best method of dealing with Jews is to ignore their needs, their bleeding, their violated. Simply take the next logical step - eliminate them. Period. Dot. End of discussion.

On October 7 a vicious massacre, butchery, took place in Israeli kibbutzim populated by civilians of all ages. Celebrating a holiday, gathering with family, anticipating a good day as they awoke Saturday morning. Suddenly there were screams of anguish, of warning, horrifying phone calls pleading for help or to say goodbye and pledge their love as they were overrun by animals in human disguise - and I apologize to animals as I demean them in this comparison. These animals proceeded to murder, rape even children, so much violence that the pelvises of violated women were broken or they bled out.  Or dragged naked into captivity to be further abused or die. Whatever, right!!  Rape, gang rape, so instructed to do by their masters. Burn, property and people, alive and dead. Mutilate. Burn alive. Behead, even babies. One second alive and then not. Slaughtering parents in front of children, children in front of parents. The elderly dragged away. Entire communities, people and infrastructure.  

As the world reacted in shock and horror, we dared to believe that possibly, maybe, perhaps, the world had seen the truth of the result of Arabs, Moslems, fed hatred of Jews, of Israel, with the first sip of mother's milk through the rest of their lives, an   inevitable result. However, as usual, by the second day that sympathy began to wane, and fully die out when Israel finally entered and met with success even as they tried way over the top to avoid civilian deaths, but that is where the enemy hid itself and that is where Israel had to go. A massive tunnel network, stores of weapons and explosives, hidden in these tunnels beneath civilian buildings.    Homes, hospitals, mosques, schools, even UN buildings - not a surprise there at all.

 Oh the 'innocent' Palestinians moaned and groaned, so piteously. Claimed for many, many weeks, for   of only a two-day supply remaining of water, food, cleansing possibility. Then, a miracle in our times, as the two-day supply kept replenishing itself and though I perused all photos very closely, saw no sign of that deprivation- well nourished, hydrated clean, active people, frolicking children.   

Yet the world cried for the 'innocent' Palestinians.  Who cheered as captives, naked bodies of violated women, weeping children were paraded through the streets. Who turned over a refugee seeking safety, whose brave 'militants' gifted other terrorists some of their captives, oh such fearsome foes- Kfir, 9 months, Ariel, 4, in need of special sustenance, their frightened desperate mother. Such mighty foes. Now they are 'missing'. Captives, and prisoners of war were murdered in captivity.  Medicines denied and a Red Cross refusing to help, to bring medicines, to seek access and information.  Why would we expect otherwise -   only Jews. Captives were caged, beaten, starved, terrorized emotionally, scarring then terribly. The same 'innocent' Palestinians who mobbed the cars of hostages released, threatening to lynch them, stone them. Oh, such Innocence, why it boggles the mind.    

 Now we will face the consequences of a tactical error -a ceasefire which allowed for Hamas to regroup and rearm, to reorganize. It will cause us more hostages and captives, more release of murderers. But we do that because we are Israel, we are Jews, and the biggest mitzva one can do is rescue the kidnapped, and the Arabs know that too well. Unfortunately. Yet the world sees nothing here but the fault of Israel. Even as nobody wants these 'innocent' Palestinians for no sane nation will accept terrorists in their midst. So....let Israel deal with it. They are used to it already. Kind of like that old ad - "Let Mikey eat it.'     

Ergo, on go the chanting mobs calling for Jewish blood. On go the officials of American government, the UN and other nations, teachers and professors, parents and children corrupted by false information and delusions fostered by haters, celebrities and sports figures glad to express heretofore suppressed Jew hatred. Fighting antisemitism is given mouth service yet nothing is actually done. People step back from outrageous statements, but the harm is already done. Cannot be erased. The fright, ever growing, there, right in our faces. 

  It grows too close to us, as we now walk down the street looking over our shoulder, worrying until the kids are home, peering into the dark as they get off the school bus down the block.

There are many things wrong with the world, with all nations, cares that must be addressed. First - we must regain the proper understanding of humanitarian and follow that definition. Else, there is nothing to say or do, other than to arm ourselves, barricade the doors and windows, defend ourselves as they come for us. And come they will. History tells us so. Unless we are proactive and mean it. Antisemitism must be fought vigorously, chased into oblivion. If not, again, the warning:  we will once again be the citizens of no nation, only foreigners.

Been there, done that and wish for it no more. 

I so do wish I could convince myself that the nations of our birth or adopted by us, will remember we are their citizens, deserving, entitled to their defense of our rights, our very being. 

 We have a long way to go. 

In the meanwhile, we have to do our best and continue to do what we can to ameliorate situations, to help those in need - the world, Yitzy, and my breaking heart.

We must do our best to improve this world for all, and in doing so, we make it better for ourselves. 

And we hope and pray for an answer, a good one, a hopeful one.

Why and why and why. 

Anger and more anger.

Worry. Love.

 So, I plead and pray.

And beg.

Please join with us and raise your voice as we ask for healing. Please. Please.

Answer the pleas of so many, now multiplied by so many, so much. Heal our Yitzy, our so sweet treasure. We need him more than You. 

 HEAL, CURE YITZY

YITZCHOK ELIMELECH BEN CHANA SARAH

DEAR G-D, I PLEAD WITH YOU.

HEAR US.