Saturday, August 27, 2011

Terrorist Attacks, Israel, the Gaza Strip and response of the U.N. and U.S.

In the 17th Century BCE, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the patriarchs of the Jewish people settle in the land of Israel.  Well before any other peoples.  Throughout history, the Jews had been pushed out, but inevitably, they returned and were triumphant in getting back Israel for the Jewish People as is promised in the Torah/Bible. 
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Facts+About+Israel/History/Facts+about+Israel-+History.htm

Today there is a dispute about Israel, and in particular the Gaza strip.  First, The Gaza strip does not belong to the Palestinians.  Israel's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Danny Ayalon, deputy minister of foreign affairs of the State of Israel, explains the historical facts relating to the Israeli Palestinian conflict in the video “Truth About the West Bank” http://youtu.be/XGYxLWUKwWo . www.dannyayalon.com

With that being said, let’s take a look at the current attacks on Israel by terrorists and the response to the attacks.

August 18, 2011: Terrorists begin a massive multi-prong attack in Southern Israel on civilian targets.  http://idfspokesperson.com/2011/08/18/summary-of-multi-pronged-terror-attack/  The attacks continue even though on multiple occasions Hamas has initiated a cease fire.  I’ll repeat that “Hamas has initiated a cease fire,” on more than one occasion and then continue to bomb Israel.  Israel’s response is to attack terrorist cells and locations where the attacks are launched from. Hamas continues to target civilian locations.  One only has to follow the IDF twitter timeline to see the course of events as they unfold: http://twitter.com/#!/IDFSpokesperson.  In addition, Israeli response to the civilians in the Gaza strip is to continue to render aid and transporting supplies to the innocent civilians residing in the Gaza strip.

Israel is defending themselves from the attacks of these terrorists.  The terrorists, however are blaming Israel for attacking them when they were the ones to initiate the attacks time and time again, even during the cease fire that they themselves initiated.  They are cowardly and initiated the cease fire to prevent an all out attack from Israel. 

The UN Security Council refrained from issuing a statement after Lebanon blocked a statement that would have labeled the attacks as terrorism. Thereby siding with the Lebanese and silently agreeing, because a council statement needs to be unanimous to be passed, that the attacks are not terror.


Here in the United States, response from both officials and citizens has been mixed:

"This is standard language on terrorist acts, which this council has adopted many times," U.S. deputy ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo said of the blocked draft statement.  "We think the council has to speak out on this issue. We find it regrettable that because of one delegation we could not issue that in a timely manner," she told reporters.

Try as I might, and I did do an extensive search, I was unable to find an official response from President Obama. 

Added 9/4/11
Statement by the Press Secretary, Jay Carney, on August 18, 2011 on Attacks in Southern Israel:
"We condemn the brutal terrorist attacks in southern Israel today in the strongest terms. Our deepest condolences go to the victims, their families and loved ones, and we wish those injured a speedy recovery. The U.S. and Israel stand united against terror and we hope that those behind this attack will be brought to justice swiftly."

Michele Bachmann says: “If We Don’t Completely Support Israel, God Will Curse Us”

Herman Cain, is in Israel, showing his support as I write this.



added 8/30/11
When Allen West toured Israel
He also wrote his constituents, "America is my physical homeland…. Israel, however, is my spiritual homeland. It is a place about which I have read and studied my entire life. It is the place where my Judeo-Christian faith heritage was born. Israel is the place that completes me as a person.” .... “Let us no longer operate under the misconceived notion that Palestinehas anything to do with being Arab. For those who tout, “Free Palestine,” I agree, return it back to the inhabitants [Jews] who had the land taken from them back in the early 1st Century AD by the Romans.” ...Rep. West said he met with PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and told his home district that Fayyad “spoke of freedom and dignity -- but what of recognition and respect of Israel?…. While we were in Israel, the PA never denounced the most recent heinous terrorist attack [near Eilat].”
http://yourjewishnews.com/10536.aspx

Update 8/31/11 Allen West speaking on 8/30/11 in Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Allen West on Israel: Common Judeo-Christian heritage; Shared values of indiv. Freedom/liberty; Commitment to democratic principles; Common enemy
West: Israel and US have a common enemy: Militant Islam, if Israel goes then we’re next. We have a bond with Israel and we cannot let that bond be broken.
West met with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad. Is the Palestinian Authority a credible peace party?  West: “I don’t believe so”  “No one denounced the terror attacks on Eilat” “did not recognize that Israel had been attacked” “We got to have people that will recognize the modern State of Israel have to have people who will denounce the terrorist groups and terrorist’s actions”
Israel that, small little bastion of freedom and democracy in a sea of despots, dictators, theocrats and autocrats”
"There can not be a divided Jerusalem"
On UN Security Council vote on Unilateral Palestinian State next month: "The United States must vote against it"
"We have to dismantle the terrorist threat that threatens Israel"
"Israel, our greatest ally"


From the citizens of the United States, the comments range from complete support for Israel, to utter hatred of Israel and Jews (including people stating how glad they are at the death of Jews, including children), to the absurd (Israel to bomb Gaza in response to NY earthquake).  I have also heard many statements that Israel should intensify their attacks to wipe out the terrorists

added 8/29/11:
"Max Blumenthal, Hezbollah's Hanoi Jane"  http://bigjournalism.com/jpollak/2011/08/24/max-blumenthal-hezbollahs-hanoi-jane/

added 9/1/11:
Israel Matzav: The Uniter:
http://israelmatzav.blogspot.com/2011/09/uniter.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
I, support Israel and condemn the terrorists who attack her.

It is my hope that readers of this blog will post comments either here or on twitter http://twitter.com/#!/BBUMH so that I can add them to this blog.