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| Celebrating mass murder in Ramallah (I24) |
Not that it was the first time that Palestinians celebrated the mass murder of Jews. It happens almost every time a terrorist mass murder is successful. It’s just that this time it makes me realize more than ever that the hope of ever making peace with Palestinians is a virtual impossibility. As long as Palestinians react this way to mass murdering 7 innocent Jews in a Shul in the city of Jerusalem on Shabbos - they are actually worse than the German people who did nothing while their government did the same.
True - the scope of what Nazi Germany did was exponentially greater.by orders of magnitude. And the number of atrocities in pursuit of our genocide was exponentially greater too. There can be no comparison. But the reaction of the the Palestinian people is in fact worse than the reaction of German citizens who stood by and did nothing as their own government mass murdered us. Although that too is contemptible.
How can anyone even dream of making peace with people that hate you so much that they celebrate your death?! Impossible!
I am not going to go into too much detail as to why they hate us so much. It’s complicated. Suffice it so say that it is a function of 75 years of indoctrinating into the hearts and minds of the Palestinian people Sheer HATRED of us. In their homes; in their schools, in their mosques, and among their peers. They see us as usurpers of their land and torturers of their people. That attitude is constantly being reinforced by their leaders, their friends, and their families.
With the exponential growth of their population since the founding of the state – so too did the number of their people willing to become martyrs in the cause of taking back ‘their’ land and liberating their people. The fact that Israel needs to protect themselves from that has indeed made life miserable for Palestinians. Thus exacerbating the hatred.
Some may be tempted to blame this massacre on an IDF invasion into Jenin, a hotbed of terrorism against Israel. They IDF succeeded in killing 9 Palestinians suspected of terrorism (or planning terrorism) in Jenin. 8 of whom were acknowledged by the PA as ‘militants’ (Their euphemism for terrorists.) As such the PA promised there would be consequences. To that end Hamas fired off a few rockets that were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome.
It’s hard to know whether the mass murder of 7 religious Jews praying in a Shul on Shabbos was part of that retaliation. Or had long been planned and executed shortly after the IDF raid in Jenin -and was a coincidence. I don’t know, But it doesn’t matter. It is well known by Israel’s security apparatus that the West Bank city of Jenin is the locus of terrorist activity against Israel. Israel has the right to defend itself. Preempting terror by taking out the terrorists before they act is the best way to do that.
Some will surely be tempted to blame Israel’s new government whose desire is to show the world how much more effective they are at combating terrorism than their predecessors. Thus proving their contention about how dangerous the new government is.
I am no expert. But I suspect that this IDF mission was not hastily planned. I’m sure there was months of surveillance and planning - long before the new government came into power. It is far more likely that the previous government green lighted this mission allowing the military to surveil terrorist activity in Jenin and then plan and execute a response that would best serve the security of their people with minimum causalities to innocent Palestinians.
The truth is that when it comes it Israel’s security the previous left of center government is not much different than the right of center government that preceded them. The current government is clearly far more to the right than that. But it remains to be seen what measures they will take to assure security for their people. And therefore it is too early to judge them.
The question is, what in fact can any government in Israel do about it - whether far right, far left, or anything in-between? How can something like this be prevented in the future?
I have no clue. Those on the left might argue that making life easier for Palestinians on the West Bank might help. And that ultimately a 2 state solution is the best way to end hostilities. But the way Palestinians celebrate mass murdering us, I don't think giving them a state will help. If anything it will make it easier for Palestinians to celebrate even more mass murders like the one in Jerusalem last Shabbos. Giving Palestinians their own state cannot erase over 75 years of indoctrinating into them so much hatred of the Jewish people - that they celebrate our mass murder.
On the other hand if Israel leaves things as they are, increases settlement activity, and tightens security even more- making life for Palestinians even harder, that will surely not win any friends in the rest of the world. It will instead be condemned even by Israel’s closest ally, the US. That is something that is not in the best interests of Israel
This is why it seems to me to be an impossible situation. It’s kind of a Damned if we do; and damned if we don’t situation.
If Israel can enlighten the civilized world to these facts than they will hopefully understand why Israel's harsh security measure\s are the very least they can do to protect its people - and that they take no pleasure in the increased hardship this causes Palestinians on the West Bank.
Until such time where Palestinians see the mass murder of Jews as a tragedy instead of something to celebrate, Israel has no choice but to maintain the status quo and do whatever is takes to keep its people safe.