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| Israel bombing Gaza (The Guardian) |
Well, not exactly. There have been exceptions. A city filled with innocent civilians was actually bombed to the tune of over 100,000 innocent civilians being annihilated. To the cheers of the American people. That happened back in 1945 when the President of the United States, Harry Truman, ordered the US military to drop a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima. And then he did it again to Nagasaki, another city in Japan. At the time, Japan was engaged in war with us. They were our mortal enemy sworn to win at any cost including kamikaze suicide missions.
Instead of calling Harry Truman a mass murderer (perhaps the greatest mass murderer of all time) he is considered a hero to the American people. Bombing those 2 cities into oblivion ended World War II.
These are among my thoughts as I see daily reports about thousands of innocent Plaelstinian civilians in Gaza being killed by Israeli air attacks. Point being that the existential threat to Israel by Hamas is no different than was the existential threat to the US from Japan in the 40s. In fact I think the threat to Israel is even greater. Israel has no choice but to respond the way it has.
Aside form the obvious difference in magnitude, there is another significant difference between what the US did to Japan back then and what Israel is dong now to the Palestinians in Gaza. Killing all those innocent people In Hiroshima and Nagasaki was intentional. Killing Palestinians in Gaza is not intentional. And yet the numbers are high – not because of any intent by Israel - but because of Hamas using their own citizens - including children - as shields.
To argue that Israel should stop because of all the innocent life being lost ignores that reality. A ceasefire now would give Hamas a chance to re-group and re-arm. And to kill as many Jews as possible in a goal to kill us all. Israel cannot stop. Their very existence is at stake. Same as when the US was at war with Japan.
Israel has – not only the right – but the moral obligation to go forward in the mission to destroy their proven mortal enemy, Hamas (and other Jihadist groups like them). Whatever it takes. Regardless of how many innocent civilians are placed in their path by their enemy.
What about the hostages? Getting them out is a priority. But Israel must not be deterred in their existential mission.
In my view, and in what I believe is the view of the entire civilized world (with the US leading the way) is that what happened to Israel on October 7th more than justifies its current response.
And for the first time in my memory the media is being even handed about that. Witnessing the daily news reports that describe the destruction, carnage and misery experienced by Palestinians in Gaza, they always remind viewers of what Hamas did to Israel first. Often in excruciating detail. Which - having seen videos taken by Hamas themselves - noting that what they describe is a fraction of what they saw of the brutality with which Hamas did it. Not to mention the constant and continual barrage of rockets indiscriminately fired into Israel. Totaling well into many thousands.
I am happy to report that the first order of business in the House of representatives under its new Speaker, Mike Johnson, was to show full support for Israel by a vote of 412 to 10, with six members voting "present," This - even though according to Hamas, there have been over 6000 Palestinian casualties in Gaza. Many of whom were children.
All of which brings me to Academia. Many student organizations in prestigious universities have condemned Israel only. Completely ignoring why Israel is doing this.
I cannot understand what kind of moral guideline ignores something like that! I am pretty sure they think they have the moral high ground. But I think something else is at work here: Good old fashioned antisemitism. Whether they realize it or not, they have surely been influenced by the antisemitism of some of their leftist progressive mentors at those schools.
Thing is, I doubt that these students think of themselves as antisemties. They have been influenced to see Palestinians as victims of an Apartheid regime whose brutal military severely mistreats them. And occupies their land illegally.
They may rationalize as follows: Israelis suffering?! Really?! It’s about time those Jews got a bloody nose! Good for Hamas for resisting Israel’s brutal Apartheid occupation. They are freedom fighters for their people. A people that lives in misery because of Israel.
Now it might be true that this kind of thinking is done by a relatively small number of students influenced by mentors so deeply immersed in leftist progressive propaganda that they can’t see the truth staring them in the face. But that they represent the most elite segment of American intelligentsia - some of whom will become the leaders of the future is a scary proposition to contemplate. And it doesn’t help that university officials back them up as a matter of free speech.
I hope there is a silent majority of students on these campuses that recognize their fellow students’ antisemitism for what it is. If there are, I wish they would speak up.