“Never complain and never explain.” Benjamin Disraeli

“Never complain and never explain.” Benjamin Disraeli, who also said:
“You will find as you grow older that courage is the rarest of all qualities to be found in public life.”

Yes, that's what was going through my mind last night as I glanced at Israel's Chanel One News, when an IDF, Israel Defense Force's officer was trying to explain, point by point why we hadn't done anything wrong during the recent Gaza "war."

Israeli Military Says Its Actions in Gaza War Did Not Violate International Law

It's foolish and dangerous to justify the complaints and accusations in that way. The only way to respond to say:

That's the price of war. If the Gazans don't like it, they shouldn't attack us.

They certainly shouldn't expect G-d to protect them the way He protects us. Yes, I know that sounds a bit flaky, but there's no other explanation for the very small amount of casualties we've had. Yes, "disproportionate," but just like some families have more "bad luck" and illnesses than others, and some have more boys or more girls or more talent and money, life isn't "fair." It's also not a simple mathematical equation.

After the 1967 Six Days War, there was a popular book, So Sorry We Won, by Efraim Kishon. That's the perfect title to sum things up. The world was ready to give the young State of Israel a glorious funeral, but G-d directed a very different outcome. Yes, G-d, because there was no Israeli battle plan to liberate the Sinai, Golan, the Jordan Valley and our ancient and Biblical Homeland to the Jordan River.

Benjamin Disraeli may not have been the perfect Jew, but that doesn't mean that we can't learn from him.

Recently, there have been all sorts of mailings and articles telling us to bombard US President Obama with urgings to cease his "two states" policy. That would be a total waste of time and energy. The object of such a campaign must be Israel, politicians and media. The problem is here, not abroad. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman is correct when he says that the United States will follow Israel on the issue.

Some countries, like Great Britain, have always been anti-Israel. That's why we had to fight it to establish our state, and things haven't changed. They may be experts at "proper statements," but that doesn't change history. I'm a pragmatist; I don't fall for pretty and unbacked words.

Our battle for survival is really here in Israel. We must change public opinion, the media and the politicians. Actually, the most effective order would put the media first. They control both the politicians and public. The media also muzzles the public, in order to create an impression that the public agrees with the media.

Just like how people are instructed how to avoid being attacked by bullies and muggers, it's the same here. Israel uses the "body language" of a victim. We're easy targets. That must change!