Who would I be? My feelings on the conflict in the Middle East

In 1942, 13 Jozefińska St. in the Jewish Ghetto in Krakow, Poland was home to the Jewish resistance movement. On April 30, 2008 at 1:09 PM I stood in front of this very place, now painted in a bubblegum pink. After spending the last few months learning about pre-WWII European Jewry, I had now spent the last 4 days in Poland. I had seen extermination centres where millions of Jews were murdered, large holes in the ground in the middle of forests where there were mass graves,  rooms filled with toothbrushes and hairbrushes taken from those Jews arriving by train before they were sent to be gassed. Each day was more difficult emotionally than the last. I had learned about so many ways that Jews resisted.  Everything from not removing their hats when Nazi soldiers walked by, having babies in the Ghettos to prove that they would carry on, and of course the resistance movements all over Europe, people who fought back.  I remember very clearly the thoughts that were going through my head as I stood in front of this apartment. They were people, not trained military soldiers or police officers, they were just normal people… people like me. Men and woman who stood up and said, “NO MORE”.  And I questioned, I questioned myself – who would I have been? Would I be one of those people who went like sheep to the slaughter?  Would I try and hide who I was? Would I fight?  Would it be in a forest sleeping on the cold ground, or maybe in a city hiding in an apartment, maybe in one just like the one in front of me? 6 years later I still ask myself the same question. I know I will never actually be able to know what person I would have been had I been alive in 1942, but as I get older I do know what kind of person I don’t want to be. I will not be one of those people who ignore what is happening and goes on with my daily life.  I may not enlist myself in the army, but I will fight for what I think is right in whatever way I am capable of.

These last few weeks have been trying for me.  They have been scary, exhausting, mind-boggling, and upsetting.  Which part of me thinks is semi-ridiculous of me to feel that way. I live in Canada. I don’t have sirens wailing overhead or missiles landing near my home. But, I do have friends and family in Israel living with the threat of death on a daily basis.  This threat is not something that has just begun in the last few weeks. From 1993-2012 there were approximately 161 suicide bombings and Palestinian terrorist attacks on Israel, and since 2001, more than 16,000 rockets and mortars have been fired into Israel. Hamas is responsible for most of the rocket fire on Israeli population centers.  If you are unsure who Hamas is, they are the ruling entity of the Gaza Strip.  They formed in 1987 and are recognized by the US, UK, EU, Canada, Jordan, Egypt, Japan, and Israel as a terrorist organization.  Their goal is to obliterate Israel by whatever means necessary and establish an Islamic state in the area that is now Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank. They also want to kill all the Jews.

I love Israel.  It is a beautiful country – I love the Golan most. There is amazing food – I dream of the chocolate rugelach from Martzipan at least once a week! There is incredible culture, amazing history, wonderful inventions, interesting museums, fabulous skin care products, but I especially love the people.  The passion and love they have is remarkable.  They are vocal and opinionated and don’t sugar coat things, they also are kind, generous, and have an incredible lust for life. But, just like I speak up against the Canadian government when it does something I don’t like, I too speak up against the Israeli government if it does something that I don’t like.  This however, is not one of those times. I make my decisions on a case by case basis, and make them based on what I believe is right, just, and moral.  Israel is like your child. Your child doesn’t always behave in the way you want them to, but you still love them.  That’s how I feel, I don’t always think everything Israel does is right but I still love the country and I love the people. 

Over the last few weeks I have been posting a lot of links, images, and videos on Facebook about what is happening in Israel.  I post them because I think it’s important for people to know the truth about the situation as supposed to just hearing what the main stream media wants you to know.  The main stream media is biased and is failing our society on a daily basis.  Not just about the conflict in the Middle East, but about many things that are happening all over the world. The media is a for profit business where someone(s) are benefiting. Please, turn off your television and seek other sources of information!

There are a lot of people out there who take one side or the other, and there are a lot of people who just don’t know or don’t care about what’s happening.  There are people who dislike what is happening and want it to stop because it’s horrible.  YES, of course it’s horrible!  War, any way you look at it is horrible.  And what’s happening in Israel and Gaza is war.  There are always innocent causalities during war. The sad thing about this war is that it is necessary.  It’s not about oil, power, or money, but it’s about the security of the people in Israel.

I am hippie at heart.  If I could dance around in a flowing skirt with flowers in my hair and no bra protesting against war, I would – but only if I didn’t understand why this war in Israel exists.  Do I hate war and violence? Of course I do!  But what I hate more is when my friends and family who are just trying to live their lives, go to work, go to school, go to get ice cream from Iceberg with their friends, and are just trying to live peacefully are under siege on a daily basis and have 15 seconds to find shelter when an unwarranted missile from Gaza flies overhead.

I want to make it clear that I do not hold anything against anyone because of where they were born or the colour of their skin or whatever god they choose to pray to.  I do not dislike or have anything against Palestinians, Arabs, or Muslims. In fact, my boyfriend – he is Egyptian. His family is Muslim, and I love him to pieces and adore his family! What I do however dislike, are the actions of those that are fundamentalist Muslims, Jews, Christians, or anyone that chooses to act in any fanatical way that puts the safety, freedom, or happiness of another person or people in jeopardy.

There are some people who I feel sad for because they blindly follow their friends’, family’s or the main stream media’s views and end up believing in something that isn’t truth or is incredibly biased. But, you are entitled to your beliefs even if they differ from mine.  What I do ask is that instead of just listening to the news and assuming you know what’s going on or just not caring to know, do some research.  Ask questions.  Ask why. Start talking to people who are learned and people who live there.  Ask them questions that they can answer objectively.  Don’t talk to fundamentalists on any side.  Talk to intelligent people who can be honest even if it means criticizing the side they generally align with.  It’s okay not to be a die-hard!

If you have no idea what’s been going on right now in the Middle East here is a very short and simplified synopsis.

On June 12 three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped. Soon after the kidnapping, terrorist organizations praised the attack and urged Palestinians to hamper the IDF’s efforts to locate the boys. Senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad officials have called for the kidnapping of more Israelis, with the insidious intention of trading them for convicted terrorists. Upon hearing of the abduction, Palestinians handed out candy in the streets and posted messages lauding the incident on social media sites. A Facebook campaign was initiated expressing support for the terrorist kidnapping. Dozens changed their Facebook profiles, posting pictures of three fingers meant to represent the abducted teens. On June 30 the three teenagers’ bodies were found in Hebron. It is still unknown who committed the kidnapping and murder. Hamas has neither accepted nor denied responsibility. 

Shortly after a Palestinian teenager was abducted and killed by three Jewish extremists in revenge. Jews in Israel expressed empathy and sorrow. The Israeli government condemned the actions and promised the father of the Palestinian teenager that the killers would be brought to justice. Within the week 6 were arrested and 3 confessed to killing the teenager. Grieving Palestinians were welcomed in to the home of the family of one of the murdered Israelis, and family members on both sides drew comfort in each other.

After continual and relentless rocket attacks on Israeli cities since the beginning of 2014, and heightened attacks on Israeli civilians since the murders of the teenagers, the IDF was forced to launch Operation Protective Edge.  The single goal of the operation was to stop Hamas’ incessant rocket attacks against Israel’s civilians. The operation is ongoing, and over 2450 rockets have been launched at Israel since July 8th. Of those, most have hit Israel and many were intercepted by the Iron Dome Missile defense system.

In response to these rocket attacks, the IDF has targeted over 1,474 terror targets using precision attacks to pinpoint terrorists and terror infrastructure while limiting civilian casualties. The IDF works to the best of its ability to limit civilian casualties by providing warnings of strikes up to several days in advance and multiple times prior to striking. Throughout the operation, the IDF has gathered more evidence that Hamas takes advantage of the densely populated Gaza Strip and civilian population to protect themselves and their missiles. It is a well known fact that Hamas uses civilians as human shields. Hamas stores explosives and weapons in and around schools, mosques, residential homes, and other civilian infrastructures.

During this ground war, Israel has uncovered at least 36 tunnels below the ground – an underground Gaza, and has already begun destroying them. There are tunnels that burrow into Egypt which allowed Hamas to funnel in resources, guns, and rockets until the Egyptians sealed off many of them. There are also security tunnels for Hamas leadership and their families, and lastly tunnels going into Israel. Finding these tunnels has resulted in the discovery of plans for future operations, and seizing tons of Hamas supplies and even IDF uniforms. The network of tunnels uses hundreds of tons of concrete that might otherwise have been used by the Palestinians for building homes, parks, schools, shopping malls, hospitals, and libraries. It also indicates that Hamas had been preparing for an ongoing conflict for a very long time.

The maze of tunnels and access shafts appears to weave its way throughout much of the Gaza Strip. Access points are reportedly found in homes, mosques, public buildings, and other places. In the last week, two discoveries of missile caches have been found in UN schools that most likely arrived via tunnel. Many of these tunnels lead to kibbutzim and communities in the south of Israel. Under kindergartens, dining rooms, and one tunnel was even found that ended only meters under a baby’s nursery.

During questioning of captured terrorists, information has been discovered that Hamas had been plotting a terror attack of catastrophic proportions to take place on one of the holiest days of the year for Jews - on Rosh Hashanah – the Jewish New Year. Hundreds of terrorists were planning on simultaneously using these tunnels to make their way into these communities to slaughter and abduct entire populations. A massacre of colossal proportions. Tens of thousands of people could have been senselessly slaughtered had these tunnels not been found.

In Europe, even here in Canada, and all over the world, anti-Semitism is on the rise. Anti-Semitism was always there, it’s not a new thing, but it’s certainly not getting any better.  Swastikas on bus stops, signs popping up at stores and restaurants – “No Jews Allowed”, windows of Jewish owned stores being shattered, their businesses destroyed, even Facebook groups popping up where Jewish people in a community and their pictures are being posted with the encouragement of hate crimes and even murder. It’s like Nazi Germany 1935 all over again.  

I struggle with the answer to why this is happening.  Someone, a Jew of all people, the other day actually had the gall to tell me it’s because Israel claims to speak for all Jews.  It made me so sad the misinformation that this guy must have been fed to make him believe this. Jews make up less than 0.2% (two tenths of one percent) of the population in the world. We are an easy target because anti-Semitism has existed for centuries. It’s easy to harness these old prejudices and revive them.

The main stream media doesn’t help by showing one sided numbers and facts.  For example, the alleged number of Palestinians killed during this operation has just exceeded 1000. I say alleged because firstly, the source has a tendency to lie. Hamas governs Gaza, including the health ministry, which is the primary source for casualty statistics that are being reported.  There has certainly been some discrepancy. Secondly, several rockets launched from Gaza aimed at Israel fell short and ended up killing many of their own, including one which hit a UN school and killed 17 and wounded 200 others. Approximately 20-30 percent of Hamas rockets have landed or exploded inside Gaza resulting in an unknown amount of these total deaths. The Israeli death toll has risen to 43.  If you just look at those numbers why wouldn’t you think Israel is specifically targeting civilians?! The number of civilians who have died is a great tragedy. But many of those deaths could have been avoided if Hamas leaders had not urged Gazans to ignore IDF warnings to leave a combat zone despite repeat warnings from the IDF.  Hamas’ strategy is designed to force the IDF to kill innocent civilians so the rest of the world will condemn Israel.  They place rockets in schools, hospitals, mosques, and playgrounds. They shuttle terrorists in ambulances, and use civilians as human shields to either attempt to prevent attacks or to use images of their death as propaganda and to incite hate against Israel. Hamas is bad for Israel, but it’s also bad for Palestinians. They want to see the murder of their own people.

Some people say the rocket attacks are the fault of a supposed occupation.  I hate to burst your bubble people, but there is no occupation.  Israel dismantled its military administration on its own accord in 2005 in Gaza with no stipulations.  They forcibly evicted all Israeli residents and they withdrew every last soldier.  They no longer occupy the territory by any legal definition or other sense of the term. In addition, Israel even left all their buildings, businesses, and green houses for the Palestinians in hopes that they would utilize them and prosper.  They only destroyed a synagogue for fear of desecration, and moved the bodies from a cemetery and reburied them to where their families chose and gave them second funerals.  Instead of using these buildings and green houses to further their lives, Palestinian mobs looted and destroyed the green houses and anything left by the Israelis for them to use.

Hamas runs its own police, courts, jails, schools, media, and social services. They regulate business activities, banks and land registries. They have their own taxes and even impose a dress code. Hamas operates a fully functioning and independent local government.

Israel controls the water and electricity.  Instead of Hamas spending their money on building power plants, they spend it on building missiles and bombs.  Gaza gets 24 hours with no limitations on water, and in Gaza City they get 24 hours of electricity a day and in the Gaza Strip it was reduced to 8 hours a day because when it was 24 hours a day many bombs were being built.  Gaza owes Israel $3 million in fees for electricity, yet Israel doesn’t cut them off, instead Israeli citizens end up paying higher and higher amounts every year to compensate for Gazans not paying their bills.

Gaza's borders are controlled by Israel to the north and Egypt to the south. If Israel's control of Gaza's borders constitutes an element of occupation, then does that mean that Gaza is under Egyptian occupation, or under a joint Israeli-Egyptian occupation? Of course not! The only occupation in Gaza is by Hamas.

Until Hamas is destroyed, no one is safe. Not in Israel, Gaza, or around the world.  There are fanatics that side with Hamas and its charter everywhere. A common slogan is “First we get rid of the Saturday people, then we get rid of the Sunday people.” Saturday being the Jews, Sunday being the Christians. So if you think they’re not coming for you next, you’re in for a big surprise.

I long for the day that Israeli’s – Jews, Arabs, and Christians alike can live in Israel in peace without sirens or rockets flying overhead.  I want so badly for the Palestinians to be safe.  Safe from their brutal leaders who don’t care about them and want them dead for the sake of winning a religious and media driven war. I wish for them to understand that Israel and Jews around the world don’t want them dead, we want them alive.  We want them to flourish, to have businesses, to own homes, and most importantly to be happy and safe. We want to live in this world with them in peace.

So, 6 years after standing in front of 13 Jozefińska St., I ask myself who am I?  I’m that person that will continue to post about the conflict in the Middle East all over Facebook. I’m fighting the war from my computer because it’s what I feel I can do to help.  I do this because I want you to know.  I want you to learn what is really happening out there.  I want you to open your eyes and to understand that everyone there is a victim, the Israelis and the Palestinians. They are both victims of Hamas. So if you ask me to choose a side my choice isn’t against the Palestinians, it’s just that it’s for Israel, because they have the want and the capability to destroy Hamas - those violent sociopathic barbaric extremists.  And while hate towards the Israelis goes beyond Hamas we deal with what’s in front of us now.  My thoughts go out to all the people of Palestine that are dying or whose lives are being destroyed as a result of their leadership.  And of course, my love and thoughts go out to my Israeli brothers and sisters who are living with daily threat to their lives by terrorists and who are fighting to protect the security of Israel and all its people, Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze, Buddhists, Samaritans, Hindus, those who are non-religious, and all others who chose to make the wonderful land of Israel their home.  May there be an end the conflict soon and peace in the region.