A Mutual Ceasefire

"Hamas did not fire rockets through the cease-fire. It's clear that the one who violated the cease-fire is the Israelis," says the senior Hamas spokesman. So where did these come from exactly?

I feel the need to write to let everyone know that Emily and I are safe. I also feel the need to vent my frustration with the lies that flood the news organizations and paint Israel as an aggressor.

I’ve been listening to Eyad Saraj, a Human Rights worker from Gaza, on CNN as he declares Israeli aggression in Gaza a massacre, that Israel is oppressing Palestinians as they always do, that this new holocaust will not be tolerated… I have to tell you, hearing things like this makes me absolutely nauseous. It’s a disgusting attempt at misdirection.

When I visited Sderot in November, we got a chance to look at all the rockets that have fallen on their city (above). The volunteer sheriff told us that twenty, thirty, forty or more missiles fall in the region each day. I held one of the Qassam rockets that had fallen less than 24 hours earlier. The man who sounds the Red Alert when a rocket is set to land told us that as a father, he’s afraid to take a shower longer than 10 seconds… that a woman with four small children has to choose, at the sound of the siren, which two of them to save.

And since there’s no way of knowing where the rockets will hit, they make this decision every single time. Can you imagine being the parent who decides which child they love the most, every week? The guilt that comes along with that?

There will always be collateral damage, in any military operation, and it is a tragedy in every armed conflict. But Israel has targeted Hamas militants, policemen, and strategic posts. And whether Hamas was frustrated with the status of the borders during the ceasefire, whether they feel cornered, whether they’re unsatisfied with the state of affairs, when is it ever right to target civilians?

The answer is never.

So take what you hear on CNN with a grain of salt. When they say Israeli aggression must cease, when they call it a holocaust, when they say Israel controls the PR and paints a negative picture of the Palestinian people… just remember that this is a David and Goliath story. And the Jews in Israel aren’t so big. 

It looks like there’s going to be a war here, and it’ll be soon. But until children don’t have to live in fear of having their classrooms, their playgrounds, and their daycare centers blown to pieces, war is what there should be. As long as hospitals are targeted by Hamas, I have absolutely no sympathy for the Palestinian cause. And while I feel sorry for those Palestinians in Gaza who wish only to live in quiet and peace, they will incur collateral damage as long as Israel is forced to defend itself against the selfish and foolish militants that continue to act against the best interests of their people.

End of the day, the message from me is this: I’m keeping my eyes and ears open, and my sister and I will stay safe and aware. Much love from Israel… -m