Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Harvard’s President is correct.

The student groups are to caught up in their own messaging to see the forest for the trees.


The idea the attack on innocent civilians was justified in some way is bizarre. There is absolutely no justification for any of the vicious terrorist attack on innocent civilians. No justification at all.

The idea also that both sides need to end the violence is also bizarre. Israel has a right to domestic peace of which measure after measure was taken including Iron Dome to absolutely no avail killing some of the most dearest and pure hearted of Israeli citizens.

There is absolutely no doubt this was an attack on unarmed civilians by terrorists called Hamas. 

There is no one more than me that wanted to see peace with Israel and the Palestinians. Most Americans, including Jewish Americans demanded over and over for decades for a Two State Solution. That solution had to include an understanding of the international religious understanding placed on these lands. Obviously now and painfully so, that peace would never be forthcoming.

Israel has a right to exist and have peace within its borders. That reality was rattled to the roots by this attack by Hamas. The truth of the religious intolerance is evident now. There is no diplomacy that can erase the truth telling of this attack upon innocent people.

Dear God open your eyes.

These young people, now dead, were magnificent. There was no expression of peace, kindness and inclusion greater than theirs that horrid night. Innocent people were gun down in their homes. They were slaughtered. There is no ignoring the facts. 

If diplomatic relations are to return it will have to be with a Palestine Authority that condemns the violence and accept the fact Gaza will be a very different place without any power to Hamas. Hamas will be disarmed, disbanded and eliminated from any political standing. This will never happen again.

Everyone regardless of homeland should look forward to the day Israel needs no Iron Dome and a peaceful and prosperous Palestinian State exists as their homeland. 

The potential for a larger Middle East conflict

To some extent the Free World enemies are smiling at the extremist attacks by Hamas of the innocent in Israel. With that reality comes the potential for a Middle East confrontation of global concern.

To begin, this war began with attacks on civilians in Israel over an event regarding prayers at a holy site of international interest. This type of aggression has been witnessed in both Syria and Ukraine which involved Russian influence.

This war desired by Hamas also involves innocent women, children and the elderly, no different than Syria or Ukraine. The Geneva Conventions are very clear regarding the protections of civilians and this on all these fronts are human rights violations. I am fairly certain Israel will be pleading before the World Court as does Ukraine on a regular basis.

However, it is my belief China and Russia along with their allies are itching for a fight. Also consider separately Iran for a variety of reasons including domestic unrest as well as hatred of the Free World internationally. Part of this escalated hate internationally with the Free World involved the assassination by Trump of two Iranian generals.

Those deaths violate even USA policy and should be brought before the World Court. The USA was not at war with Iran, but, Saudi Arabia was in conflict with the Houthis and Jared Kushner was running foreign policy for the USA in the Middle East. Everyone knows Kushner was gathering wealth from at least one Saudi charity while serving his role in the Middle East. All of those issues are deeply corrupt, but, not a focus of US Justice Department. I would think the Saudis would run an investigation though.

The point is, Israel has every right to carry out a war with Hamas to secure domestic peace. I also have not read any reaction by the Palestinian Authorities regarding the attacks on civilians by Hamas. If the PA takes a strong stand against these attacks and is found to be innocent of any planning or involvement, the Two State Solution can survive this.

The focus regarding this war is one that involves human rights and international religious freedom. Hamas had no right in attacking civilian populations at all. If they attacked military targets they could have an argument, but, this began with nothing but pure religious based hatred of Israeli citizens. I am still astounded by the extreme hate carried out by leaders in Gaza.

On many occasions Prime Minister Netanyahu stated the holy sites were in danger because of extremist groups like Hamas. He stated that many times and now we know why. He obviously has a clear understanding of such hatred in the region. 

These lands are steeped in religious definition for the Abrahamic faiths and for visitors all over the world. The fact there is this level of religious hatred in the region is a concern for all countries and the nations of people within them. The hatred needs to end with a realization love of God takes many forms and tolerance of differences is a global concern. Within that context is NO reason to escalate tensions among countries outside of Israel.

This war is about Israel and everything we hold dear with these people. This is about ending religious extremism that propagates violence of any kind. This is about peace in the Middle East and the best way forward.

Hamas has always had the reputation of violence and hatred. It was thought by giving them a political status with the Palestinian state the violence would be contained, but, obviously that is not the case. Hamas has been a simmering war for a long time now and prayers by humble people triggered a vicious attack on innocent people.

One of the most disturbing sites of this attack by Hamas was a gathering near the Gaza border with music that celebrated peace. The young people gathered there close to the Gaza border wanted it to be known quite loudly they were interested in peace and inclusion. They danced and sang with pure hearts of love. All that was nothing more than an opportunity to express hatred by Hamas. 

The focus of this level of atrocity has to be expressed by all the major countries in the world and the attacks and continuing assaults by Hamas denounced. This attack by Hamas includes citizens of many countries and that cannot be ignored or minimized.

There is absolutely no reason for any country to take up arms against another in the name of Hamas. This is a specific action by Israel with full justification for it. I am confident Israel is, has been and will continue to follow the rules of war.