I was talking to a friend the other day about how horrified we all were on 9/11.  It was not only terrifying, it was also infuriating and so incredibly frustrating. We were all so shocked!  Remember how so many young Americans immediately signed up for the military so that they could fight back? Remember how awful it was, and how helpless we felt?

I remember reading that the “reasons” for the attack included many actions by the US government in the Middle East.  I remember thinking, “Hey! Don’t blame the people for the actions of the Bush administration!”  Sheesh! I didn’t even vote for that guy.

Only a terrorist would hold civilians responsible for the actions of the government.

Right?

So I bet you can see where I’m going here.

I understand the tensions in the part of the world that was once known as “Palestine”.  I totally agree that Israel has to defend itself against the actions of those governments and armies that continue to attack it.   Hamas indiscriminately lobs rockets into Israel in an effort to kill civilians; that’s why the US refers to them as “terrorists”.  The US is right; when you try to kill civilians because you’re upset with their government, you’re a terrorist. It is, purely and simply, immoral to target civilians.

The thing is, its immoral to target civilians.

Even if you say “We’re trying not to kill civilians”, it is still immoral to bomb densely populated villages and towns that filled with those same civilians. It doesn’t make it acceptable just because you tell the people to run and hide; especially when you are holding those people trapped and helpless.

We all know that there is no place for those people to run or hide.

I’m not trying to say that “Israel is to blame” or that “Hamas is to blame”. I’m trying to say that we can’t hold the people of Gaza responsible for the actions of Hamas.  Those dead children didn’t vote for Hamas.

This fight goes back hundreds of years.  Palestinian extremists have been trying to annihilate Israel since 1948.  Its pretty obvious by now that they simply do not have the capability to do that; even the rest of the Arab world has turned against them.  What I’m trying to say is that it is wrong to kill women, children, unarmed old men, grandmothers, innocent boys.  What I’m trying to say is that it isn’t really a “war” when one side has lost 3 civilians and the other has lost approximately 1,000 civilians.

I would love to see pressure put on Hamas in some way; economic, political, social. I would love to see them dismantled, marginalized, ended, removed. I think that they are immoral terrorists and I condemn them with my whole heart.

I just don’t believe that they can be bombed out of existence.

I think that every dead child, parent, grandmother will lead to ten more young men and women  who feel that they have no choice but to strike back, to fight for their families.

And one more thought before I climb down off this soap box.

The idiots around the world who are attacking Jews and Jewish organizations, using the despicable Nazi symbol, are beyond reprehensible. People, your ignorance is showing.

You can’t hold civilians responsible for the actions of their government.

Shalom. Salaam.  Peace.