This should be sad, especially at the time of one of the most Holy Days of the Jewish calendar, Tisha B’Av, when Jews should be morning, lamenting the destruction of the Holy Temples in Jerusalem dating back 2,000 years and be reflective of so many other perils faced the Jewish people over the centuries.
Even some associate the start of WW1 with the celebration of Tisha B’Av, which occurred on Shabbat, August 1, and was observed on the 2nd, in 1914. Germany declared war on Russia on the 1st. France, allied with Russia as part of the Triple Entente, also began mobilization on that day.
But many, at least in Israel, they are more concerned over a strike on the country which is expected over the holiday, and how to get away with their crimes, by manipulating international public opinions and world leaders to continue to support and fund their bloody crusade.
On August 10th, the Israeli Defense Forces (a rather inappropriate name, given their recent history) struck the Tabeen School Complex in Gaza, where it is estimated around 4000 people, refugees from the fighting in other parts of Gaza, were sheltering.
Even how they justify their actions is sickening to those who know better:
The Israeli airstrike on a militant stronghold within a Gaza City school on Saturday killed far more militants than initially thought, citing Shin Bet—some 38 altogether.
This is higher than the IDF’s original assessment of 19 and far higher than Palestinian claims, which cite high civilian fatalities and low numbers of militants struck.
Based on the recent crimes against humanity and the targeting of a school, many thought Hezbollah would attack Israel before Iran, the expectation has currently flipped. Israel now fears an Iranian attack in the coming days, even before a Hezbollah strike—and for good reason.
Israel is making enemies on all sides
Needless to say, the Zionist forces claimed, without any evidence, that the strike against the school was directed at Hamas, but the results speak loudest. They also, as usual, try and downplay the casualties of their attack, and claim a so-called “moral superiority” over their victims. This is especially sad, as now Israelis have become what they most hate, and without remorse.
They only need to reflect on the teaching of their prophets, from the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings, where their God is claimed to have said, “this is your sanctuary, and you can remain in this land, however, you must amend your behavior and actions, you really must treat one another fairly, not shed innocent blood in this place.’
For Jews, those who are actual believers in the tenants of the faith, their G-d teaches that the only acceptable offering to him is justice like his justice: to treat others fairly and compassionately and never to stoop to the cruelty that these quid pro quo transactions can entail— such things as hideous as the sacrifice of children.
At least one hundred civilians, mostly women and children, were killed in the attack on the Tabeen school Complex, with body parts scattered through the rubble. Far more were injured.
A bloody sacrifice indeed.
White House Claims in an Election Year
The White House claims to be “deeply concerned” about the strike, supposedly worried that it would escalate the situation, and put at risk ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel, as well as any possibility of the release of hostages held by Hamas.
One would think that the recent Israeli assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas political leader, after his attendance of the swearing in of the new Iranian President, would be a greater reason for the failure of negotiations, as would the
It is interesting to note that the Israeli attack came hours after the Biden administration approved another 3.5 Billion US dollars in military aid to Israel, and was apparently carried out with weapons supplied by the US, with some reports claiming the bombs used were Mk.84 bombs supplied recently after a pause by the US.
What is even worse, is the current totals of dead in Gaza, nearly 40,000 people, the vast majority of civilians are most likely just the tip of the iceberg, with a Lancet study estimating that the real total is around 180,000 dead.
If correct, this would amount to 8% of Gaza’s prewar population, a horrific total.
It makes you wonder why Israel, a country that constantly reminds others of the holocaust, would be behaving in the same way.
I have my suspicions
Let us look at the Zionist state’s behavior in recent weeks. It is obvious that the campaign to eradicate Hamas as a military force has failed so far, despite the outrageous collective punishment meted out on the civilians of Gaza by the IDF. Many Israeli politicians go as far as to say “there are no civilians in Gaza” a take that is, quite frankly, outrageous.
Then there are the documented cases of rape and torture of detainees, both male and female, by Israeli troops, and this seems to have widespread support amongst the Israeli public, with riots and the storming of a police station where soldiers from Israel’s infamous “Unit 100” who had carried out the rapes, were being held for questioning. The four soldiers were released after the riots, with Israeli politicians defending their actions and claiming “everything is legitimate” in war.
It is plainly obvious that the Israeli government does not deem Palestinians to be human, which is ironic, given the purported reasons for the founding of the state of Israel.
The constant escalations and attacks in Lebanon seem designed to escalate the situation to a wider war in the region, by provoking Hamas, as does the assassination carried out in Tehran.
But to what end?
I believe the Israelis know that they are no longer capable of defeating their enemies alone, especially Iran, with its advanced drone warfare and missile capabilities. The objective seems to be to drag the US and its European minions into the conflict to try and have them destroy Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, to allow the Israelis to pursue their “greater Israel” project, while committing genocide not only on the Palestinians, but on the peoples of the lands surrounding Israel.
What is truly horrendous to any sane observer is the fact that Israel is getting away with blatant genocide. Watching western politicians bend over backwards and tie themselves in knots to justify so much wanton genocide (let us call it what it is) is sickening. Let us ask ourselves what would be the fate of any country doing even one tenth of what Israel has?
The sad fact is, that this behavior is nothing new, with the Israeli Defense Forces having been founded on the terrorist groups such as the Hagenah, Irgun, and Steyn Gang, that committed massacres of innocent civilians even before the Israeli declaration of independence in 1948, and the subsequent campaign of ethnic cleansing carried out ever since.
Israeli “modus operandi”
If looked at objectively, one can only say that the Israeli “modus operandi” bears a striking resemblance to that which the Nazis used to persecute the Jewish people so horrifically before and during World War Two.
I am reminded of the end of George Orwell’s book “Animal Farm”, where the pigs have turned into the farmer, e.g., many of the stakeholders of the collective farm and their leaders have become like humans, much to the dismay of the founding principles of Animal Farm, in this case the State of Israel.
The true irony is, that under Zionism, Israel has turned into what it was supposed to hate.
I am truly ashamed, a Jew myself, as Jews should know best the teachings of the Torah and the Talmud, and much more is wanted than sacrificial blood and smoke, buildings and citadels, Justice, mercy humility and what is invisible is what is needed—not the outside but what is within the heart—the inside.
“I shall give them a single heart and I shall put a spirit in them; I shall remove the heart of stone from their bodies and give them a heart of flesh.”
Could it be that this inside—where “the still, small voice” that spoke to Elijah resided—is the real Temple of G-D?
Seth Ferris, investigative journalist and political scientist, expert on Middle Eastern affairs, exclusively for the online magazine «New Eastern Outlook».
