Tit for Tat

At times we are forced to pay for our misdeeds; G-d takes account of our sins and, sometimes, treats us accordingly.

At first glance, it seems ironic that the author of the scathing report dealing with Israeli ‘war crimes’ during the Gaza war, is a Jew. And not just any Jew. According to Goldstone’s daughter, in an interview published by the Jerusalem Post, Richard Goldstone “is a Zionist and loves Israel.”
As the proverbial saying goes, ‘with friends like that, who needs enemies?!’
Goldstone reportedly slept during accounts of rocket attacks on Sderot, in south Israel. So related Sderot resident and media expert Noam Bedein on Israel radio this morning. However such accounts are totally irrelevant. When it comes to Jews, only one truth is viable. Jews may be attacked in any manner as the attacker deems fit; however, Jews may not dare to defend themselves, be it preemptive, during or post attack. Why? Because that’s why Jews exist; for the world to blame for all problems, and later to take their frustrations out on them.
This simple truth has existed for at least two thousand years, if we prefer to ignore Biblical accounts of the Egyptian slavery over 3,300 years ago. Certainly since the advent of Christianity Jews have been a worthy scapegoat and have paid a price continuing thru the present: expulsions, forced conversions, mass murder, and more. Who today remembers the slaughters perpetrated by the crusaders, or the inquisition, pogroms in Eastern Europe? Of course, today, talking about the holocaust is almost considered to be trite or redundant. After all, how much can you keep saying about it, bringing it up at every opportunity, enough!
The state of Israel serves as a wonderful target for continued Jew-bashing. Perhaps one of the best examples, today so relevant, was Israel’s attack against Saddam Hussein’s mass killing machine, destroying his nuclear missile facilities in June, 1981. The United States blasted Israel for this attack. The United Nations Security council unanimously passed UN Resolution 487 which “strongly condemns the military attack by Israel in clear violation of the Charter of the United Nations and the norms of international conduct.”
This rule is playing out in front of our eyes, as international policy concerning the Iranian nuclear threat demands ‘negotiations’ and ‘sanctions’ prior to any attempts to physically destroy Ahmadinejad’s weapons of mass destruction before they are activated and live. By that time, of course, it may be too late, but again, who cares? After all, it’s only Israel’s existence that seems to be at stake!
The Goldstone Report is only a continuation of an international principle which allows Israel to be attacked, and refuses to accept Israel’s right to self defense.
But….
And here is a BIG BUT.
I believe that the drama unfolding before our eyes, such as the Goldstone report, is not the fault of the international community. It is, quite clearly and simply, our fault, the direct responsibility of the state of Israel and a direct result of Israeli policies.
How so?
Exactly nine years ago, tomorrow night, what is known as the ‘2nd Intifada’ aka the Oslo War began, here in Hebron. Just after midnight Arab terrorists started shooting at the Jewish neighborhoods in the city. The source of the gunfire were the hills surrounding these neighborhoods, hills ‘transferred’/abandoned to the Palestinian authority in January, 1997 with implementation of the ‘Hebron Accords.’
The shooting also started in other areas of Judea and Samaria. Jerusalem’s southern neighborhood, Gilo, came under attack from Bethlehem and Beit Jala.
The shooting continued for over two years, with the Barak/Sharon administrations refusing to properly defend its citizens against sustained, incessant attacks. Had the government ordered the army back into the areas and cities handed over to the PA the attacks would have ended immediately. Instead, the state’s leaders watched as almost 1,500 Jews were murdered in cold blood by Arab terrorists. And the shooting continued.
But it should be remembered that, prior to this war, Gush Katif communities came under mortar fire day and night, for years. Thousands of mortars were shot at civilian and military populations. With virtually no effective answer from those who were elected to keep Israelis safe, wherever they were.
It also should not be forgotten the missile attacks against Kiryat Shmona and cities in the Israeli north, attacks which remained unanswered for years at a time.
And finally, how many rockets were shot into Sderot before the abandonment of Gush Katif, and how many following catastrophic expulsion and destruction of those communities. Thousands and thousands and thousands.
And let it not be said that the government didn’t know, that they weren’t warned. Only last week, at the lecture in Netanya: “A secret IDF Intelligence (AMAN) assessment warned as early as 1993 that the Oslo Accords would likely end with rocket attacks on Ashkelon, according to former AMAN Maj.-Gen. Yaakov Amidror. The politicians, however, were not interested.  According to Amidror, who headed the IDF’s Research and Assessment Division responsible for preparing the National Intelligence Assessment, the decision to go ahead with the Oslo agreements between Israel and the PLO terrorist organization was made without taking into account the military implications. The Rabin government “completely ignored” IDF assessments, Amidror claimed” .
Writers, myself included, warned, year after year, of the deadly implications of Oslo, Hebron, Wye, Gush Katif. To no avail. But they knew, and did nothing.
In other words, Israel allowed itself to be attacked, without offering any real defense, any true attempt to stop the terror. That being the case, when, at long last, much too late, Israel finally decided to take action, our enemies, enemies from without and enemies from within, raised a red flag imprinted with a huge question mark: What happened – why now? What happened to you Jews? You know you’re not allowed to defend yourselves. You know better. Don’t you dare start now!
The state of Israel had withheld for so long, had restrained itself, had decided strategically not to protect itself, its citizens, and its cities, that any such action was viewed as bizarre and uncharacteristic. And with this, a great international outcry, coming on the heels of thousands of years of defenselessness. How dare you!!!
Approaching the holy days of Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur we try to take stock of the events of the past year, to determine how to correct our errors in the future. At times we are forced to pay for our misdeeds; G-d takes account of our sins and, sometimes, treats us accordingly.
We are taught that one of the ways G-d deals with us human beings is, in Hebrew, ‘mida c’neged mida.’ Translated this means something like tit for tat. You get back the same as you gave. Ehud Barak, presently Defense Minister, nine years ago Prime Minister, fled from Lebanon and offered Arafat almost all of Judea and Samaria, including Jerusalem. He claims that the Goldstone report encourages terror. Tit for tat Mr. Barak. You did nothing to stop terror. To the contrary, you encouraged it by doing nothing about it, you let Jews die and tried to appease the terrorists by offering to abandon more of Eretz Yisrael.  Now you’re getting it back in the face in the form of another Jew, blaming you for trying (and, by the way, not succeeding) to stop the terror, much too little, much too late. Mida c’neged mida.