From Jerusalem Shall Go Forth the Word of God
On June 13th, Israel attacked Iran, ushering in 11 very difficult days in Israel. Powerful ballistic missiles were launched at Israel and despite the IDF’s success in shooting down most of the missiles, the damage was huge. Twenty-nine people were killed and more than 3,000 people injured by Iranian attacks. More than 10,000 people were left homeless.
We spent 11 sleepless nights running to our shelters and praying for God’s provision. And then the US bombed the main nuclear facilities and shortly after that achieved a cease-fire. We were all thrilled that we could sleep through the night but none of us was sure what would happen next. Ever since, there have been speculations from Israel, Europe and the US as to how much damage we actually inflicted on the Iranian nuclear program.
What is crystal clear however are two salient facts: 1. Khamenei is still alive and functioning as the Supreme Leader of Iran and 2. The Iranian leadership is as steeped in anti-Semitism as ever before and vows to relaunch their nuclear program to destroy Israel.
President Trump has issued varying statements regarding his belief in a peaceful resolution of the conflict with Iran while reassuring us that there will be zero tolerance for a nuclear Iran. Is Trump naïve when he expresses optimism about a deal, or is he a very clever, cunning businessman, setting the stage for further attacks should Iran refuse to come to the table. In any case, no one in Israel is naïve, and I do believe that we will continue to monitor the situation in Iran very closely and if they start regrouping in any way, whether their nuclear or ballistic missile capabilities, our air force will be out there doing their job. And they have already proven that they know how to do the job.
The main issue we are dealing with today, is the war in Gaza. While we have successfully defeated Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and while the Assad regime in Syria fell as a direct result of our successful attacks against Hezbollah, we have not yet managed to defeat Hamas. There is no question that the might of the Israeli Army could quash the Hamas easily and quickly. But there are two main sticking points here: 1. The Israeli hostages and 2. The humanitarian aid.
As of the writing of this article there are 50 Israeli hostages still in the hands of Hamas, of whom 20 are presumed to be alive. The IDF knows where most of these hostages are being held, at least the general area. As a result, there are vast stretches of Gaza, where a large number of Hamas terrorists are located, that the IDF will not attack for fear of endangering the lives of the hostages. Israel is often portrayed as a tough country, and accused of horrific crimes of violence, including war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. These accusations, however, could not be further from the truth.
“Wouldn’t it have been better to force Gazans out of Gaza into a safe zone, say in Egypt? They could have received all of their needs, away from the war.”
Israel is actually a real softie. We care deeply about our people and will go out of our way to protect them and save them. Soldiers regularly endanger their own lives to bring wounded and fallen soldiers to safety. That is just part of the ethos of the IDF and of Israel. A well-known journalist in Israel, Amit Segal, recently told a story. Some years ago he was a student at a London university and wrote a paper on Israel’s policy on prisoner and hostage exchanges. He noted that Israel will generally trade 1000 terrorists for 1 IDF soldier. The paper was returned to him with a note that he must have made an error and added a few too many zeros. Segal explained that the number was correct, to the amazement of his professor.
It is truly amazing how much Israel is willing to sacrifice for the lives of our soldiers and citizens alike. Which is why Hamas has us over a barrel. And this was part of their strategy from day one. That is why they kidnapped so many of our civilians – they assumed they could easily demand whatever they wanted because we would be so desperate to get our hostages back. And we are that desperate. Each night, thousands demonstrate in Israel for the immediate cessation of the war and the return of our hostages. But the government of Israel understands that by submitting to Hamas demands, we endanger the lives of the people who are so desperate to see the hostages come home. It is a terrible situation.
And we are also softies when it comes to the humanitarian needs of others, including our enemies. We are being accused of targeting civilians and starving the civilian population of Gaza. In fact, since the beginning of the war, Israel has allowed more food and essential supplies into Gaza than was ever sent into Gaza before the war. And if there are indeed, people who are starving it is because Hamas has been stealing most of the aid, distributing it only to Hamas terrorists or selling it at exorbitant prices to civilians, which in turn provides ongoing income for Hamas terrorism. No country has ever been pressured to provide humanitarian aid to its enemy. And the ongoing provision of this aid is actually harming the civilians – they are not getting the food and it is actually prolonging the war.
So in the end, this war continues because we are not starving Hamas and we are not levelling Gaza. Despite the stories the media tells. Wouldn’t it have been better to force Gazans out of Gaza into a safe zone, say in Egypt? They could have received all of their needs, away from the war. Access to this safe zone would have been for civilians only, effectively separating the innocent from the terrorists. And then the IDF would have finished Hamas, levelling Gaza in a very short time. And chances are, we would have had our hostages home by now as well.
In any normal area of the world, given the enormous success of Israeli attacks against Iran and the strong backing of the US, Hamas would have realized they have no chance and would have surrendered. But Hamas is not normal and neither are many players in the Middle East. The suicidal Islamist ideology is very strong here and it is not easy for a humanist, life-loving, God-fearing society like Israel to respond to this death-oriented ideology effectively.
But there are some rays of hope. Just recently a group of Arab Sheikhs from the Hebron area penned a letter calling for the separation of Hebron from the Palestinian Authority to join the Abraham Accords. These sheikhs have positive relationships with the Jews of Hebron and the Hebron Hills and recognize Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people. There are more than half a million Jews living in Judea and Samaria and anyone who still calls for a Palestinian State is not only naïve. Like those who advocated the ongoing entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza, they actually pose greater harm to the Palestinian Arabs in the area. And these sheikhs understand better than anyone how corrupt and cruel the Palestinian Authority really is to their own people! There are opportunities for peace and cooperation but it can only happen from the ground up and only with those Arabs who truly want to live with Jews in peace in the State of Israel.
Israel is indeed a softie and that is not always the most expedient way to get things done. But it reflects a moral understanding, a belief in the value of every human being, who are created in God’s image. Let us hope that our way of life will serve as a beacon to people throughout the Middle East, who will begin to understand that their leaders are corrupt and treat their own people as expendable. And that the Jewish people are the only people in the Middle East who have built a society on the basis of justice, love and human kindness. Despite what the international media wants you to believe. Let us pray for the fulfillment of Isaiah’s words: From Jerusalem shall go forth the Word of God (Isaiah 2:3).
Sondra Oster Baras is the Founder and International President of CFOIC Heartland, representing the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria to Christians all over the world. To support the urgent needs of the people of Judea and Samaria, during this terrible war, please use the form on the back page and select CFOIC (Christian Friends of Israeli Communities).
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