Hamas War

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Where's the battle plan? Where's the vision?

I don't think the problem is my nothing-to-brag-about Hebrew. I listened very carefully to the news and all the official spokespersons.

They bragged about how hard they're pounding Lebanon and how they're counter-attacking Gaza. But that's the problem. Our army is reacting. It's letting the enemy set the pace.

Think of a tennis match. Generally the player serving wins that game, since he controls that first ball, how quickly and what angle it goes over the net.

The Arabs know what they want. They want us dead and gone, G-d forbid. They're not shy about saying it, and we have to listen to what they're saying in order to defeat them. And yes, we must defeat them. A friend told me a very disturbing thing. She saw a group of young soldiers and asked them to pose for her, with their finger in the air in the classic international " V for victory sign." As they began with enthusiasm, suddenly their officer told them to stop. "It's forbidden; it's political." Their faces fell, and she could tell by their body language what danger they were in.

How can victory be "political?" What are the soldiers supposed to be? Mannequins? for show? Is this some sort of theatrical farce? Maybe "theatre of the absurd?"

What's the point of endangering themselves if the government is just hoping to turn the clock back a couple of weeks to our former status quo?

At least some people are starting to think. A TV news commentator asked why nothing is going according to the "experts'" predictions. He suggested that the military do a "bedek bayit," a very thorough "spring cleaning" in its entire military concepts and strategy.

Defense Minister Peretz gave a very poorly rehearsed speech that made even less sense. The scenes on the news speak for themselves. Death and destruction. People are confused. Should they stay home or flee and if to flee, to where?

Haifa never thought itself in danger. It's a city where Jews and Arabs live together. Some neighborhoods are more integrated and others less so. No one considered Tzfat to be in danger either. Neither city had shelters ready for use. Some of my neighbors are preparing to receive friends and relatives from the north, and some refugees have already arrived.

We must pray for our survival and we must pray for a new leadership to take over from those holding the strings. And not only must we pray, we must also act. Passively waiting and expecting it all to come from G-d are not enough. Judaism is a religion of action; one that integrates and synthesizes the spiritual and the material. We are in Olam Hazeh, This World. We have a reponsibility to do everything we can. And then HaKodesh Baruch Hu will complete the job. G-d willing.

6 comments:

beakerkin said...

Only the furthest left deranged voices have said a word about Israel's actions. However the sad reality is that Gaza may have to be reconquered. In an ideal world Egypt would take it back but that would prove what a joke this Palestinian ethnicity was in the first place.

Assorted Babble by Suzie said...

There are many of us praying for you and the people of Israel. Please know that.
I linked your blog on one of my post for your excellent coverage.

Anonymous said...

Beakerkin said..."sad reality is that Gaza may have to be reconquered. In an ideal world Egypt would take it back"...
The happy reality is that Gaza must be reconquered and Gush Katif rebuilt! And Egypt can't have it 'back', because it is part of Eretz Israel. This war started because we mercilessly uprooted good Jews from Gush Katif and gave it on a golden platter to the Hamas!
Praying and hoping that this turmoil will lead to the full redemption.

Anonymous said...

This American wepped as Gush Katif was handed over to muslim terrorists, and Jewish residents were forcibly removed by other Jews.

Don't try to appease the cancer known as islam, just keep bombing the shit out of it until they can play nice with the rest of the world! Go Israel!

Esther said...

GREAT post, Batya! Beak, I wish it was just the far left. I'm sick of moderate Dems calling for restraint. Easy to do that when it's not YOUR people or YOUR country. It disgusts me.

My prayers are with you and all of Israel.

Batya said...

Thanks all of you.
Gaza and Sinai were never really "Egypt" in the cultural, historical ethnic sense. Only Israel develped them.
JUdea and Samaria were ignored by Jordon, also no historical connection. Jordan has no history until it was invented to placate some arabs who wanted a kingdom.