The Western world is fixated on solving the Mideast Peace problem.  The “Mideast ” that the world is solely concerned about is the Palestinians and that tiny country called Israel standing in their way for their very own sovereign nation.   As the narative explains, all other problems,  would go away if these stubborn Jews would just let it.  (Or in the eyes of the American senior press corespondent, if those Jews would just go back to Poland).

The pressure on Israel’s leader, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to deal land and additional consolations has reached the pinnacle.  When the bar is raised, politicians make foolish decisions, usually for short term gains, or to make their own personal mark in history.  Here’s a small but very real example of just how dangerous this pressure can manifest itself into our lives.

Sukkot is the Jewish holiday of Tabernacles. In ancient Israel, on Sukkot, Jews brought sacrifices to the Temple in honor of the 70 nations of the world.  The priests would pray for the well-being of our neighbors and that G_d should protect them and shine His light onto all the nations.

In modern Israel, Sukkot also means vacation from school, and a great opportunity for families to go hiking, to visit relatives, and to go to Jerusalem to see our national history and to remember the days of ancient glory.

Mount of Olives – So close, yet so far

For a neighbor of mine, Sukkot this year was almost a period of mourning for his family, and his being around to tell me his eyewitness account of the following events is only by grace of the Almighty.  Mount of Olives cemetery just outside the Old City walls of Jerusalem.  While Mount of Olives is a famous and ancient cemetery where many sages and holy Jews have been buried for many centuries, it is also about 1KM (half mile) on the other side of some Arab buildings in Silwan (City of David – probably where King David would stand and look out to his kingdom).  In modern times, great rabbis and fallen soldiers are buried on Mount of Olives.

Yehuda drove on erev Sukkot with his wife and two nephews to a funeral there.  Not that this should matter in the least, Yehuda is not a “Settler”, nor was he traveling to any “provocative” areas.  Jerusalem’s Dung Gate,  next to the Western Wall, is clearly within plain view from the parking area of the Mount of Olives.

After the ceremony, they returned to their car to drive back home to Bet Shemesh.  They reached the first junction along with other cars driving back.  Suddenly, a mob of knife and club-wielding Arabs jumped out and engulfed them.  Cars were smashed to bits.  Frantically, people called from inside their cars to the Police to extricate them from this ensuing tragedy.  Minutes passed, no Police, no border control.  The Arab mob gained in strength and numbers, buoyed by the lack of Israeli force.

Yehuda’s wife was targeted by one of the angry Arab terrorists.  Yehuda quickly swung into action – although he is not a Settler and does not have a gun – he attempted to shield his wife.  The terrorists shifted their focus on him and stabbed him four times, including twice in his head, broke his arm, and left him battered and bruised all over his body.

45 Minutes passed, no police, no border patrol.  The police who are standing at Dung Gate could have walked uphill to the terrorist attack in 10 minutes.

Yehuda is now bleeding from his head and his chest.  He is battered, but there is noone there to help.  With his remaining ounces of strength, he drove to the nearest hospital, where he was treated and listed in serious condition (??? ?????? ?? ???).

When the police came to the hospital to investigate he asked why there was no response from their emergency calls.  The police told him that they were instructed from “above” not to go to this junction.  Clearly, political decisions stood in the way of the police coming to protect its citizens.

The East Jerusalem junction where the terrorist attack took place is not under Palestinian control.   Although at some point is may be given to the new Palestinian State, it is currently solely Israel’s responsibility to protect and ensure that rule of law is enforced there.

Someone in the police, or perhaps even the government, made a decision that the cost of a few Jewish lives was well worth the potential of public outcry of Israeli police going to a contested area to remove its citizens from imminent danger or even death.  Worse is knowing that the Palestinian terrorist leaders knew this and calculated the outcome, and orchestrated the entire event, knowing exactly how it would play out.  They also knew how far they could go – wound, mame, perhaps kill a few, then run back to your homes – so as not to get negative feedback from the world press.

Yehuda tells me that he identified the young terrorist who stabbed him, and with his description, the police were subsequently able to apprehend him.  However, 7 days later, the magistrate let this 17 year old killer wannabe free since the courts can’t try minors.

I have no words to properly wrap up this account of what happened and all the injustices that Jews suffer in Israel.  Maybe someone reading this can make better sense of it all.

When it comes to Jerusalem, there is no need to mention either natural growth or natural development; what is at stake is nature itself, the nature of our connection to this city and the realization of the right that is rooted in our religion, our history, and 2,000 years of memory and longing, during which the Jewish presence in Jerusalem never ceased to exist.

I wonder how many of our political leaders adhere to this sentiment?

Extremist Poster of Obama as an Arab in Jerusalem

In effect, however, the underlying argument the world is trying to shove down our proverbial throats is “Jews can’t live in Judea & Samaria, period.”

French Anti-Zionist Political Party

France’s comedian Dieudonné M’bala M’bala has created a political party to run in the upcoming parliamentary elections.  The French high court threw out a petition to ban this party from running in the elections as a racist party.

Their platform essentially states the usually rhetoric that Israel, the USA, and the French (by implication) led by the ‘powerful Zionist lobby’ are an axis of evil bent on overturning the world.

Notice how they found the token bearded Jew for this campaign poster to assure voters that they are not ‘anti-semitic’.

People, wake up!  European ambivalence to Jews has already been shaken by change in demographics.  The not-so subtle shift of European anti-Israeli populist movements jumping to the forefround is a harbinger of things to come.

How much longer before America’s populist agenda, especially with the maverick Obamian policies, turns ambivalent, or even worse, against Israel?

Roger Waters of Pink Floyd at the Israel Security Fence

Three years later, at 65, Roger Waters is ambivalent about his having visited Israel (and taking in millions of dollars spent by adoring Israeli fans).  Mr Waters thinks that the wall is actually a colonialist action by Israel.  Never mind that this wall was put up to help prevent terror attacks and bus bombings of innocent civilians.  Never mind that the wall has essentially stopped terrorism from the areas in where it was erected.  Never mind that the US has a longer and bigger wall with it’s Mexican border in several high-trafficked areas (and Mexico is not at war with the USA!).

What would I say to him if I had the chance to sit him down and explain the whole thing.  Would I tell him how the wall has given Jewish families in Neve Yaakov and Gush Etziyon, to name a few, the chance to leave for work in the morning without wondering if their kids would be burying them that night?  How much Jewish blood can be spilled for Mr. Waters to acquiesce to Israel attempting to prevent further savage acts.  How many children living in the southern Jerusalem neighbourhood of Gilo should be forsaken?

These questions may remain unsolved to many, but to me it’s pretty clear.  As Israel’s government spokesman, Mark Regev put it ever so bluntly, “We don’t need no education about suicide bombers coming into Israel and murdering innocent people, and how the security barrier has prevented that by more than 95 percent”.

Israel has not accepted this probe and questions the validity of a UN-led team, with its known anti-Israel bias.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Yigal Palmor said “This committee has been instructed to find Israel guilty no matter what and there is no point in cooperating with such a masquerade.”

Goldstone in Gaza to Probe Possible Israel Warcrimes - Source: Haaretz

The commission is headed by a Jew, Richard Goldstone, a South African judge. The irony is not lost on this author that even in this day and age a Jew and non-Israeli would be willing to lead a commission that investigates Israel in a world forum.

Israel said last week that it will not cooperate with the UN team.

The whole world it seems would be a much better place if Israel and the Palestinians could just get along.  The western world, led by US President Obama, believes that the two-state solution would be the best way to solve this century-long conflict.  Israeli PM Netanyau will be cajoled, then pressured, then threatened to accept a solution that gives the Palestinians a USA embassy.

Now comes the rub…  Where will be the capital of this new Arab state?  Hamas and their terrorist allies will insist on Gaza City to be the seat of government.  Whereas, Abbas and his Fatah terrorists (don’t be deluded to think they are moderates) will stake claim to Ramallah as the new capital.

Political scientist Mkjaimar Abusada, a professor at Al-Azhar University in Gaza said, “It is hard enough to see how peace talks will succeed anyway.  Maybe we’re headed for a three-state-solution:  Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza.”

This is getting harder to score than a credit rating for AIG. Do the Palestinians really want a state right now, or do they want to continue arguing with us. Let’s say we can come to an agreement… To whom do we give the keys?

He shared with me this absurd and truly ‘unreal’, but very real story:

Last week, he visited a few houses in Sderot to check their mezuzot (Jewish families are required to place mezuzot on the doorways of their home). During one of his inspections, a nine year old girl from the home was following him and watching his work. Suddenly, the sirens went off. He froze. What to do? Where to go?

The 9 year girl very calmly said, “quick, follow me to the corner of the sealed room and bend down like this.” Fifteen seconds later he heard a big BOOM outside the house. The girl then said, “wait a little longer, there’s usually another boom or two.” Again, seconds later, BOOM, BOOM.

Shaken and disturbed, my cousin completed his tasks in Sderot and hurried home to Jerusalem. He then realized that the other family members were busy doing other tasks around the house and had deliberately sent their girl to watch over him in case of an attack.

This is Israel, a modern first (or second) world country, with a strong economy, lauded hi-tech sector, and yet our border towns have been afflicted with this absurd ritual for as long as Gaza has been in the hands of the terrorist Iran-backed Hamas.

Imagine that you are visiting your friends in Florida. Miami Beach is nice this time of year. During your visit, sirens start whaling and your friend’s 9 year old child (that’s a 3rd grader) tells you that you now have 15 seconds to run to the corner of the sealed room, where the missiles are less ‘likely’ to penetrate.

What if this scenario was played out in France? Would Sarcozy listen to the world opinion that the French government should show restraint and not fire back against the aggressors? Yes, Israel has the capabilities to fight back, and usually only after many blows does Israel finally takes steps to end the aggression against it.

The world media has always run roughshod over the tiny State of Israel. AP and Reuters have Arab journalists managing and writing stories on Israel. They often make feign attempts to show both sides of the story, but usually the venomous words are directed at the Jewish State. Other media organizations, such as the BBC and The Guardian make no attempts to hide their disdain for Israel. Such tendentious reporting helps to skew the already tainted view of Israel.

When you read Yahoo News about Israel (the world’s number 1 website destination), you are often reading AP’s Ibrahim Barzak, a Palestinian Arab, giving you so-called unbiased accounts of Israel’s fight for freedom against daily terrorist attacks.

The next time you read a story about Israel’s aggression and attacks on Gaza, remember the fifteen seconds you will have to follow your nine year old guide to safety.

Imagine that you are in your living reading a book, watching TV or having a bite to eat, your kids are in the next room playing, and then you hear the sirens sounding that another mortar or rocket is heading your way. You now have 15 seconds, FIFTEEN SECONDS, to run as fast as you can to your shelter and hope that the rocket goes somewhere else.

Gaza Under Fire (AP)

This is the life that has been determined for the residents of Israeli towns near by Gaza the Iran-backed Hamas terrorist organization. Israel has suffered much damage, including loss of civilian lives, damage to buildings, destruction of local economies, and emotional scars to the local residents for eight years.

Israel’s decision to finally (hopefully) put an end to this suffering of its innocent civilians, and to rid the Palestinians of their Iran-backed terror state, was met with mixed responses by the world community. We didn’t expect praise from the Arabist U.N., nor from our ‘so-called’ friends in Europe, but let’s see how any country, democratic or otherwise, would respond to these similar circumstances.

The State of Israel is fighting the same war it has always fought, since it’s inception in 1948. This is a war of “kiyum”, being able to remain a sovereign nation. This is a war we must win.