Hamas Relies on Deaths of Civilians
by Michael Oren
The displacement, injury and death of
civilians in war always tragic, and the current fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is no exception. But unlike the vast
majority of conflicts in history, Operation Protective Edge, as Israel calls it, is one in which images of
civilian suffering play a central - and potentially decisive - role in the
outcome.
And the reason is simple: More than a
military strategy, Hamas has a media strategy. Calculatingly, Hamas employs
primitive military tactics to mount a sophisticated media campaign that can
threaten Israel's basic security. And in conducting that
offensive, Hamas can count on one of the world's most powerful weapons: the
international media…
Throughout, Israel strives tirelessly to minimize
Palestinian civilian casualties. Yet in spite of the hundreds of thousands of
leaflets Israel dropped, the countless text messages and
personal phone calls it made warning Palestinian civilians to leave targeted
areas, tragedies still occur...
Hamas gunmen carry out attacks disguised
as women and old men, fight from UN and Red Cross vehicles, store rockets in
schools, and physically prevent Palestinian civilians from fleeing combat
zones. This context, though, is rarely mentioned by the media when covering the
civilian cost of the fighting...
Above all, Hamas
knows that shocking images - some of them taken from the carnage in Syria and Iraq and even from Hollywood horror movies - inflame public
opinion... (Against Israel)
…the international media is complicit in
Hamas's plan. While some may think they help the Palestinians by highlighting
their plight, in reality, the journalists only worsen it. They effectively
absolve Hamas of culpability for using Gaza's population as a human shield, of
stealing its aid money to buy munitions and dig fortified tunnels with the sole
purpose of killing Israelis.
Hamas Praises and Encourages Human Shields
The
Palestinian Authority (PA) and Hamas are urging
residents not to respond to the IDF's warnings to evacuate
towns in Gaza close to the Israeli border on Thursday, as the IDF
gears up for a possible ground offensive. Hamas's
"Public Security Ministry" in Gaza issued a statement praising "martyrs" who
have become human shields: "Our mighty people presented a unique example
of steadfastness and perseverance, and are not affected or fearful from the
psychological warfare from the Occupation. They did not respond to calls from
the Occupation to leave their homes - they stayed there and did not abandon
them… We applaud, in particular, the strength of our residents in border
areas…”
Hamas Fires at Israel as Cabinet Votes to Extend Ceasefire!
US Support Hamas!
John Kerry gets together with Foreign Ministers of
Qatar and Turkey to produce Hamas-friendly cease fire proposal. The draft of cease fire
agreement Kerry passed to Israel on Friday shocked the cabinet ministers not only
because it was the opposite of what Kerry told them less than 24 hours earlier,
but mostly because it might as well have been penned by Khaled Meshal. It was everything Hamas could have hoped for. The
document recognized Hamas’ position in the Gaza Strip, promised the
organization billions in donation funds and demanded no dismantling of rockets,
tunnels or other heavy weaponry at Hamas disposal.
Food for Thought by Steven Shamrak
It took Ukraine less
than one day to collect and present evidence to major international players
that Russian supported separatists, with the help of Russian military personal,
shot down Malaysian passenger plane MH17. At the same time Ukraine also
immediately conducted a press conference which was widely broadcasted. In spite
of all advance intelligence gathering capability, Israel is
unwilling to fight anti-Israel accusations which have been continuously made by
PA and Muslim countries, with the help of international media, even obviously
fake or deliberately staged ones. Israel, due to political lack of national
perspective and self-respect, loosing propaganda war, is losing the propaganda
war, which enemies of the Jewish state are conducting so successfully!
Kerry
and Ban in a Bid to Save Hamas from Defeat.
Monday
night, July 21, US Secretary of State John Kerry and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
arrived in Cairo to press their case. Egyptian President Abdel-Fatteh El-Sisi told them he
would not amend his original ceasefire proposal to suit Hamas’ demands.
Hamas
Refuses Cease-Fire Efforts - Again
Hamas
continues to be uncompromising in its position regarding an international
cease-fire and rejected proposed cease-fire last Wednesday. "We reject
today and will reject in the future," Hamas leader-in-exile Khaled Meshaal insisted.
Has US Imposed Sanction on Israel?
Officials
in Jerusalem are quietly wondering whether the Federal Aviation
Administration’s prohibition on US flights to Tel Aviv is partially a tactic to
pressure Israel into a cease-fire. The FAA’s decision will likely
impact the Israeli economy. The action, while temporary, tarnishes Israel’s image around the world. Even if US flights resume
after 24 hours, the FAA decision sets the precedent for more flight bans in the
coming days in response to any rockets hitting near the airport. (Did US try to Intimidate Israel?)
Iran has Achieved Its Goal - Delay
Iran and the group known as the P5+1 have agreed to a
four-month extension of negotiations toward a final comprehensive nuclear deal.
"Diplomacy takes time, and persistence is needed to determine whether we
can achieve our objectives peacefully," Kerry said. However, Iranian
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated that he had faith in Zarif (as a good procrastinator)
and his negotiating team but also said Iran must boost its enrichment capacity. (Does it mean that Iran needs at least four more months to
build bombs?)
Intimidation is the Tool of Islamic Thugs
For
the past 14 years, since the Oslo Agreement, French Jews have grown accustomed
to coming under attack during periods of conflict in the Middle East from hostile elements within their country’s large
Arab and Muslim communities. One recent incident, however, stood out: the July
13 riot by Palestinian sympathizers outside the Synagogue de la Roquette in central Paris that trapped some 200 terrified people inside the
building. A
street
brawl ensued between the rioters and dozens of Jewish men who arrived to defend
the synagogue.
Hamas Also does not Like Al
Jazeera
Shots
fired into Al Jazeera's office in Gaza. The attack came a day after Israeli Foreign
Minister Avigdor Lieberman was quoted by local media
as saying that Israel will work to close down Al Jazeera's operations in Israel. Al Jazeera "has abandoned even the perception
of being a reliable news organisation and broadcasts
from Gaza and to the world anti-Israel incitement, lies, and
encouragement to the terrorists," Lieberman said. (Al
Jazeera is an Arab news network which has been conducting covert anti-Western
propaganda and defamation of Israel, but the network hardly reports
anything from Saudi Arabia, the greatest human rights abuser, and
territory controlled by ISIS!)
Disgusting ‘Ugly Nazi’
Canadian
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird condemned the fact that Hamas rockets were
discovered in a UNRWA run school in Gaza and returned to Hamas officials. “I was appalled to
hear reports… of stockpiles of rockets… Even more alarming were reports that in
the first case, officials with the United Nations returned these weapons to
Hamas, a listed terrorist organization, once Israeli officials discovered their
location."
Israel
Rejects UNHRC Gaza Probe
The
Israeli government has slammed a decision by the United Nations Human Rights
Council to launch an investigation into the IDF's
operations in Gaza as "a travesty". "Rather than
investigate Hamas, which is committing a double war
crime by firing rockets at Israeli civilians while hiding behind Palestinian
civilians, the UNHRC calls for an investigation of Israel..." - a
statement the Prime Minister's media adviser.
Rockets Found in UNRWA School Again
United
Nations relief agency UNRWA has discovered, for a second time during the
current war in Gaza, Hamas terror rockets stashed
in one of its vacant schools. “UNRWA has reinforced and continues to implement
its robust procedures to maintain the neutrality of all its premises..." (What a joke! For years the ‘Ugly Nazi’ allowed Hamas to use UN facilities as weapon storage and paid
terrorists salaries. As IDF is approaching, the UN tries to show its fake
neutrality.)
Quote of the Week:
“Barack Obama, of all
people, wants to broker a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.
Here’s the thing. Nobody asked him. His offer is just more not-so-subtle
pressure upon the Jewish state. Essentially, Obama wants Israel
to stop defending herself. Obama has been on a jihad against Israel
ever since he took office. He is deeply, deeply anti-Israel.” - Pamela Geller, an American blogger, author,
political activist, and commentator.
Prevailing Threat to Jewish Nation
by Steven Shamrak
They say “when in Rome do what Romans do!” Unfortunately, for almost 2000
years too many Jews have been following this saying, creating great existential
danger to a nation of the Chosen people.
Assimilation is a common issue that many minor ethnic
and cultural groups face when they are conquered by or
interact with dominant national or religious cultures. Quite often, it
leads to complete absorption into the governing societies - complete
disintegration and disappearance of the unique culture of the minor ethnic or
religious population.
Since its inception the Jewish people have
continuously been exposed to this kind of existential threat from many dominant
kingdoms and religions.
Though the history many Jews have been abandoned the
membership of the unique nation under duress or willingly, adopting the culture
of the rulers - during the time of ancient
Egypt, Babylonian exile, Roman Empire, Christian Crusaders and Inquisition, as
well as during and after the horrors of the Holocaust. Many of our brothers and
sisters yielded to the threat of extermination or have surrendered to a temptation
of better and more prosperous life or the illusion of personal safety if they
confirm to the anti-Semitic dominance of Christian or Muslim neighbours.
During
the Roman Empire, almost 2000 years ago, the Jewish
population was 8 million, similar to the population of the Han ethnic majority of China which is around 1.2 billion now. Since the end of WWII, Jewish
population has remained almost the same, around 12 million. The population of
many other nations have tripled or quadrupled at the same time!
The biggest drawback of Jewish assimilation is the
fact that many Jewish converts into Christianity or Islam, or the ones who lost
the knowledge about their Jewish ancestry, due to the strong impulse to prove
that they are good ‘Arians’, became active participants of the anti-Semitic
drive that is often unleashed against Jews by dominating idiots. Some of them
have become leading Inquisitors, Communists, Fascists and even Islamists!
For example, not long ago the most active anti-Semite,
Csanad Szegedi - a founding member of the
Hungarian Guard far-right party, discovered his Jewish roots. Before that he
was elected into Hungarian parliament on the neo-Nazi party ticket and wrote a
highly anti-Semitcally charged book.
The biggest threat to Israel and the future of the Jewish people is coming from
the Jewish community of the United States. It is a six million strong, but divided and is
weakened by the assimilation and political apathy. As a result many of them
have subscribed to anti-Israel propaganda which has been successfully run by
the US government and media. We must not forget that the
similar level of complacency Jews had in pre-war Germany!
Jews around the world need to realize this
existential threat to all of us from the current wave of assimilation. We need
to regain self-respect, pride and understanding of the uniqueness of the Jewish
nation, which has survived the enduring horror of persecutions.
Despite of almost two millennia of discrimination and
genocides, the Jewish people have always been the vanguard and exceptional
contributors to the advancement of the host countries/kingdoms and to the
progress of humanity - from spirituality to successful trade/business and
financial blood-line of societies; from art to advancement of science and
technology!
In order to secure the future of the Jewish nation
and fulfill our destiny we’ll have to make tough but necessary decisions.
Occupation of the Jewish land must end and we have to stand up to international
bigotry. But to do so we need establish coherent unity of our own first!