Red Alert

 Email this story

Print

1 Comment

After years of rocket barrages from terrorist controlled Gaza, Israel finally decided to deal seriously with this intolerable situation faced by its citizens…writes Michael Kuttner.

Michael Kuttner

Showing commendable and some would say foolhardy patience in the face of daily threats to lives and disruptions to normal activities, something incidentally no other country would tolerate, Operation Pillar of Cloud (mistakenly translated as Pillar of Defense) was launched. As Hamas fires off salvos of rockets towards Israel, another war, this time in the media is also under way. We are used to lies and fables being spread by Hamas and its supporters but we should at least expect balanced and fair reporting from reporters representing the free media. So far the reporting has been relatively factual and fair although the temptation to believe every story fed to them by terrorists cannot be underestimated.

There are numerous aspects behind the news you may read which will never be reported. The fact that Hamas deliberately targets Israeli civilians while Israel targets terrorists and military sites (often located on purpose next to schools, homes and hospitals) is sometimes overlooked or not stated. Israel takes every care to make sure that innocent civilians are not killed but unfortunately in a situation where civilians are deliberately used as human shields this is not always possible. Listening to the Arab media at the moment one could be excused for believing that Israel is the cause of the current mayhem and that the residents of Gaza are the innocent peace lovers. Amnesia of past years of terror and hate incitement, distorts the true situation and leads to the usual suspects organising protest demonstrations around the world. Of course these people have been mute when it comes to the daily slaughter of innocent Syrians and their selective hypocrisy demands exposure in the media.

Another aspect usually ignored is the fact that when Israel withdrew from Gaza, the abandoned homes and agricultural industries could have formed the basis for a thriving economy and dwellings for refugees living in squalid conditions. Instead, the glass houses were destroyed and homes vandalized or turned into weapons storage places. UNRWA, which is supported by Australia & New Zealand taxpayers’ money, is content to perpetuate this disgraceful state of affairs and instead of solving the problem by resettling the refugees in permanent houses is pledged to continue keeping the refugees in facilities where they languish fed on false promises of a return to places in Israel which no longer exist. Moreover the next generation is being brainwashed on a diet of hate and delegitimisation, thus making sure that in the years to come there will be no peaceful solution.

The human dramas being played out on a daily basis are also forgotten. The traumas inflicted on adults and children which are severe and long lasting plus the stress incurred by social workers, psychologists and emergency responders is something that escapes the attention of the public overseas. Imagine living with constant air raid sirens and the uncertainty of knowing when and where the next barrage of missiles will land. Additionally, the disruption to school and work routines and the effect of being cooped up in a confined protected space or being caught out in the open when the siren sounds are subjects which fall below the radar.

Our oldest son and family live 10 minutes from Ashkelon and just down the road from Kiryat Malachi. They are in direct line of rockets fired from Gaza and their days and nights have been punctuated by code red alert sirens and running to the protected area in their house. How do you explain to a two year old that he cannot sleep in his usual bed or that kindergarten is cancelled? This past Shabbat they came to spend time with us in Efrat, anticipating a quiet stay far away from the mayhem down south. As we gathered in our local minyan for the start of Shabbat, the siren sounded. Everyone looked at each other not quite sure whether this was real or a false alarm. Could the rockets really reach Gush Etzion and if so where would they land? The communal air raid shelter filled up with locals and visitors and after about one minute two loud booms were heard. Needless to say this caused much speculation and conjecture and it was only when one of the Magen David Adom volunteers received a message on his beeper that the mystery was solved. It turned out that 2 rockets had been fired towards Jerusalem and had fallen in fields by Gush Etzion causing no damage or casualties. It seems that Hamas have been supplied with longer range rockets which can reach the Capital and our area so we are now within range as well. After this dramatic start to Shabbat we all wondered what the next 24 hours would bring but fortunately that night and the next day passed without any further alarms. The fact that the Palestinian Arabs have no qualms about targeting Jerusalem or surrounding areas is important because they have more chance of hitting Arab villages or Bethlehem and demolishing Mosques and other holy places. This vividly demonstrates their total indifference to putting their own people in mortal danger and illustrates yet again their real agenda. Carrying out the murder of Jews is still the main goal and if innocent Moslems become “martyrs” in the process, that is just too bad. Most of this will be missing from the international media reports you read or hear.

As we continue with our daily routine we remain confident that thanks to Israeli technology and a determination to not let those who hate us succeed, the prognosis for the terrorists is dire. The Jewish People have outlived all their persecutors and the current crop will also disappear from the scene in due course.

Michael Kuttner is a Jewish New Zealander who for many years was actively involved with various communal organisations connected to Judaism and Israel. He now lives in Israel and works for The Israel Resource News Agency in Jerusalem.