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Many in the political and media arenas are blaming the IDF for the deaths of 104 Gazans at a site where a convoy of aid trucks was trying to make its way to a distribution point: “US blocks Security Council motion blaming Israel for deadly Gaza aid convoy incident,” Times of Israel, March 1, 2024:
Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares called the deaths “unacceptable” and said they underlined “the urgency of a ceasefire.”
Which deaths are “unacceptable”? The fewer than ten who were shot by IDF soldiers protecting themselves? Those who were trampled or crushed to death in the stampede? Is it the position of José Manuel Albares that IDF soldiers, who were present only to facilitate the safe arrival of the aid trucks to the point where that aid was supposed to be distributed, had no right to defend themselves from Gazans bent on harming therm? Why is Israel to be subject to a standard imposed on no one else? Would the Spanish Foreign Minister have been less displeased if some Israeli soldiers had been killed?
European Union foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell similarly denounced the deaths as “totally unacceptable.”
Of course. What else would one expect from the virulently anti-Israel Josep Borrell? He says nothing about the Gazans’ stampede and the subsequent crush of bodies being trampled, letting it be assumed that “the deaths” were all the result of IDF fire. Should the IDF soldiers, who were there, let’s remember, to facilitate the delivery of food and other humanitarian aid to the Gazans, have allowed themselves to be attacked by those hellbent on harming them? Would Borrell be happier with that? Yes, I’m sure he would.
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro announced his government was suspending purchases of weapons from Israel, describing the deadly incident as “genocide” and blaming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the violence. His statement came months after Israel suspended security exports to Colombia in a diplomatic spat over online messages by Petro comparing Israel’s military response to the Hamas-led October 7 atrocities to the actions of Nazi Germany and calling what is now going on in Gaza as a continuing “genocide.”…
Petro has long been a virulent Israel-hater, so it was to be expected that he would describe the Jewish state’s attempt to wipe out Hamas in Gaza, so that never again would Israelis have to endure the atrocities that took place October 7, as akin to the actions of the Nazis against the Jews.
One would not know, from Petro’s description, that the IDF makes enormous efforts to minimize civilian casualties, just as Hamas makes efforts to maximize them. To this end, the IDF has dropped a total of 12 million leaflets, made two million prerecorded phone calls and 72,000 personal calls, all to warn people in Gaza to move away from areas — such as “northern Gaza” — that will soon become a battlefield, and also to warn them away from buildings, including apartment buildings, schools, mosques, and hospitals, that are about to be targeted. Does President Petro know that when Israel held Gaza, between 1967 and 2005, the Strip’s population rose from 400,000 to 1.3 million, or more than tripled? Is that “genocide”? As for ending the purchase of military equipment from Israel, it’s a meaningless gesture, because Israel had already ended all security sales to Colombia several months ago. Finally, does President Petro know that the ratio of civilian-to-combatant deaths in Gaza is 4:3, an unheard-of low number, almost 1:1, when the closest any other army has come to that ratio is the 3:1 ratio (three civilians killed for each civilian death) achieved by the American military in the Iraq war? No wonder that the commander of British forces in Afghanistan, Colonel Richard Kemp, has described the IDF as “the most moral army in the history of warfare.”
Eventually the truth of what happened in Gaza on February 29 will come out. Only a very few of those who rushed to judgment to condemn Israel will issue corrections, and even then, none will come out with the shamefaced apologies and mea-maxima-culpas that they should be uttering. That truth is this: the IDF fired warning shots in the air, and then fired again at about ten individuals who continued to menacingly approach them at the checkpoint where the soldiers stood. The other 94 Gazans who died that day had either been trampled or crushed to death in a stampede by thousands of Gazans trying to grab food off the aid trucks, or they were run over when they fell under the wheels of those trucks. That is the truth. One hopes that the Bidenites, who have not been treating America’s most loyal ally with the understanding and support it deserves, will this time do the right thing, and declare its satisfaction with the Jewish state’s version of what happened on February 29 in northern Gaza.
You must have missed the Obama years, and what he put our soldiers through.
I have not forgotten. My hatred of Obama was solidified when he told our soldiers to have their guns on safety and wait until fired upon while patrolling in Afghanistan villages where “civilians” had the first shot from their doorways, roofs and windows. NOT ONE DROP of our soldiers’ blood should have been spilt in that endeavor.
” NOT ONE DROP of our soldiers’ blood should have been spilt in that endeavor.”
Really! I’m one that spilled some drops over there on one of my deployments. Thankfully not much, and not enough that it was serious. But that comment sure brings a question to mind:
After retiring after 30 years on the pointy end of the bayonet jumping out of airplanes and multiple tours over to the two way rifle range in A’Stan, I always want to ask those who were of military age during the 20 years we were there hunting the terrorists while they stayed home and decided they were too good to even join their local military reserve unit…
… did you enjoy the peace and security to sit safely at home on your couch while we kept the people trying to get their hands on a nuke or fly more airplanes into office towers and bomb our embassies busy just trying to stay alive?
Rather than revert Afghanistan to Terrorism University where it could once again be the training center to prepare to take out The Great Satan?
Thank you for your service, without which nothing we enjoy in the country is possible.
I believe the military has been betrayed by its leadership, that betrayal is getting worse, and that our response to the attacks upon our soil on 9-11 could and should have been much more brief, extreme and respectful of the lives of men like you, who are precious to me and other Americans. I hate the concept of nation-building and “invade and invite.”
Please feel free to enlighten me if you disagree.
No hero here. My war was Nam. ’68 ’69.Question…to what end was Nam? To what end was the endless sand wars of the Bush family?
“Why is Israel Subject to a Standard Imposed on No One Else?” For same reasons that Whites, & Christians are treated the same way. Double standards, twisting of facts to make a disingenuous point, and outright lies are what the anointed elitist left does.
Why is Israel to be subject to a standard imposed on no one else?
So many reasons.
Israel is hated with all the power of human and satanic envy, because God’s purposes for Israel will not be thwarted. Throughout her diaspora, she becomes a highly successful minority and arouses human envy and suspicion. But she also becomes a “burden” or “curse” to the nations wherever she goes, because she failed to recognize God when He was with her (1 Samuel 8:7; Luke 19:44).
As for the burden to the goyim, see Deuteronomy 28:37; Zechariah 8:13; Jeremiah 29:18 and others.
Christians also are held to a double standard, as well as the white men who are the descendants of western Christianity whose gospel has gone throughout all the earth. Like Israel, we now have left the good way and what awaits us is terrifying. God help us all.
“Israel is hated with all the power of human and satanic envy, because God’s purposes for Israel will not be thwarted.”
Given the small percentage of Americans who are practicing Christians versus agnostics, atheists, Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, etc… here’s a thought.
Got a better explanation that works for everybody and isn’t dependent on a shared Christian faith? Particularly when there’s more than a few professed Christians who view Jews as “Christ Killers”.
How about an explanation where the rational is built around human nature?
Those who stayed safely at home during the entire time we were in A’Stan and Iraq are probably equally ignorant that the Salafist/Wahaabist sect of Islam has been busily killing other denominations of Muslims even more than they have been killing Jews (and the 25+% of Israelis who don’t worship the Jewish faith).
And then we have those pesky Christians that have been slaughtering each other with abandon for centuries… Catholics versus Protestants, etc.
Might be Biblical passages explaining that… or maybe in the Quran or Torah.
Might be some human nature stuff in there that works for all religions (including the religion of atheism i.e. Mao and Stalin) without depending on the holy book of an Abrahamic religion.
Human nature is both religious and fallen. Even the so-called non-religious have their nonnegotiables for which they are willing to die or kill.
I attempted to give a secular reason grounded in envy: the Jews are a tiny minority in all nations of their diaspora, but are disproportionately represented in the arts, media, government, and positions of economic power and influence. Human nature tends to resent and envy them for this.
Our human tendency to commit atrocious acts of wickedness and violence against each another is plainly laid out in the Bible. No other religious text deals with this problem as thoroughly. It is one of the reasons I find the Bible compelling. David was an adulterer and murderer. Moses was a murderer and sometimes quite cowardly. Joseph, while having a truly stellar, almost Christ-like persona, was something of a brat in his youth. Samuel failed in the training of his sons. Jacob / Israel was a deceiver. These are just a very few of the many examples. I don’t think you will find this in any other sacred text – honesty about who we really are, even the very best of us.
The relationship of human violence to religion is valid when assessed in accordance with the tenets of that religion. Islamic violence is encouraged and sanctioned by the Koran.
Violence is also sometimes sanctioned by the Bible. Early examples include Phineas’ actions in Numbers 25: 7-13 and Levites slaying their brothers in Exodus 32: 27 – 28. Does the truth not deserve vigorous defense when falsehood leads to death?
Our IDF brothers are the most moral fighting force in the history of combat. Their adherence to Jewish ethics is its own reward. They suffer every time they must kill.
In deference to Dog, I would add that the worst atrocities are usually committed by the g-dless, and in greater number, e.g. Hitler, Stalin and Mao.
In Jewish ethics, killing is only allowed as self-defense. No matter if the target is Jewish or other. And, we do not celebrate the death of our enemies–we mourn the fact that we are compelled to act against them.
Not so in Islam. Muslims are compelled by Allah to kill to regain territory once ruled by Islam–Jihad. All infidel “occupiers” are equal targets, even babies. For this they are promised paradise as martyrs.
Therein lies the fundamental moral schism. It cannot be reconciled.
The miracle for me is the continued existence of our Jewish Tribe after all these centuries. I pray that the current conflict will strengthen our bonds.
Forget the Nobel prizes, forget if you will, ethical monotheism, the Jews’ greatest gift to humanity is how easy it is to identify the worst people on the planet by their unhinged hatred of the Jews.
Agreed that unhinged Jew hatred is evil. But the Jews’ greatest gift is not ethical monotheism. It is the knowledge of God Himself and the gift to the world of our Messiah, Jesus, the Son of David, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world.
He became sin Who knew know sin, that we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21; Isaiah 53:12; Jeremiah 33:16.
Myself. Fully a Christian. I support Israel.
Islam is slime. Composed of Monkeys and Dogs. As are most DEMONocrats who support/endorse this false “religion.” It really is a political belief. I do not endorse commies either.
Should I “tolerate” them too?”
Because Satan, the lord of this world still has a say in things.