Palestinian terrorists this week tried to smuggle two tons of rocket-making material into Gaza. Of course they were not exactly labelled honestly; they were labelled as building supplies. They were intercepted by Israeli security, something which due to international pressures Israel has not been able to prevent tons of concrete from entering Gaza. The Europeans guaranteed they would monitor all concrete usage in Gaza. Well, we have some unfortunate news, not so much for Europeans but for Israelis, most of their guaranteed indivertible concrete has somehow ended up lining the walls of the latest rebuilt tunnels. There is no need to take it from me, take the word from the Gaza branch of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade from their newly reconstructed three and a half kilometer, border crossing, infiltration tunnel in the video below. We do not blame the Europeans for not exactly following through on their promises to inspect the usage in Gaza of concrete, we blame the Israeli leadership for believing that when Europeans promise to inspect and assure things crossing into Gaza will meet the intended uses as they had a perfect example of European and world promises when Israeli leaders allowed their promises to monitor the Gaza crossings after Israel disengaged from Gaza. The Europeans promised to monitor the crossings between Gaza and Egypt and they almost lasted a week before permanently retreating to their hotels rooms in Tel Aviv and there were rumors they may have actually glanced in the general direction of the crossings during their afternoon drinks at the coffee and tea café across the street from their hotel. Soon they hatched a brilliant plan about the Gaza-Egypt border and put it in to effect the next day at Ben Gurion International Airport when they flew home and allowed open crossing of terrorists and terror supplies crossing freely. As strange as it might sound, the Gaza-Egypt border is better guarded by the Egyptians under President Sisi, even if it is to keep his own soldiers safe from Gaza terror strikes into the Sinai Peninsula. It is always better to trust things to those who have a reason to assist and not those who simply promise in order to end a temporary discomfort, especially if you are one of the parties to their discomfort.
The provisions in question were the same type of fiberglass as used by Hamas to make the long range rockets Hamas fired into Israel last year during Operation Protective Edge. These were the larger and heavier rockets with more destructive warheads many of which launched from deep within Gaza City and which landed between the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Ashdod. It was very likely that this exact variety of rocket which took the life of a four-year-old Israeli boy who did not have sufficient time from the Code Red alarm sounded to make it to a shelter. These rockets also caused damage, serious damage to some structures which were outside of Iron Dome coverage. Granted the coverage of Operation Protective Edge spent most of the time speaking of Gazan deaths and often asking why so few Israelis had died despite the seemingly ineffective rocket fire from Gaza. We will not bore you with the facts that Israel invested billions in research and with assistance from the United States were able to make nine such batteries, which were not as free as many believe as Raytheon was given schematics, software and all other necessities so the United States could incorporate such effective technologies into their systems, a small price. Instead we will simply repeat what Hamas has prided themselves in saying repeatedly and with great pride, and we are proud of their pronouncement about our beliefs as they portray them. Who would have ever thought that we Israelis would be proud of those things Hamas would accuse us. But their words have weight and explain much about the two societies and they have framed and explained the disparity in casualties succinctly. Hamas has often stated, “They worship life and we worship death.” We will not be so presumptuous to speak for Hamas, who may very well speak for the residents of Gaza, but we in Israel do love life, worship might be a bit strong as we worship Hashem and through Hashem we love and possibly worship life.
Where this shipment of rocket body material was intercepted, how many others were missed and will return raining onto Israel and if not intercepted possibly taking another young child’s life, the greatest loss possible. But we will do what is possible to make our children safe and if only our neighbors would learn the preciousness of a child’s life and spend their efforts on peaceably raising their precious children and allow us to raise ours and that would produce peace. The Europeans are always asking what it might take for Israel to make peace with the Arab Palestinians. Well, a good first step might be for those who worship and celebrate death to try life for them and allow us the same and that would produce a lasting peace and all sides would gain and be blessed with peace. Now if the rest of the world would also allow the Jews to live in peace it might be a better place for all.
In the Outremont area of Montreal a Hasidic man was severely beaten after leaving a bank around 7:15 Friday night. According to witnesses the attacker was a white male in his twenties. The witnesses told police that when they exited the bank the attacker was sitting on the bench outside the door holding a water bottle in his hands. They said there was something cold and sinister about the man who gave them an uneasy feeling. They had gotten to the corner when they heard a commotion and turned in time to chase the attacker off. The suspect pouring a liquid all over the victim and ran when the witnesses started towards him and the Hasidic man who was lying on the ground. One witness who preferred to remain anonymous, “It reeked of gasoline. I’m 100 percent sure, there was no car close by, it’s whatever he poured on him that smelled like gasoline.” The victim was bleeding heavily from the side of his head. Reports from the hospital said there were signs the man had been severely choked and had other abrasions. Initial reports said there were no signs that the Hasidic man had been robbed and police say they are waiting for the victim to recover consciousness in order to gather more information on his attacker. The police stated that they had insufficient information to determine if this was a hate crime and the man had been attacked because he was Jewish. We can answer that question for them and from what we read and a general agreement and collation of hunches says that it definitely was a hate crime and the Hasidic man was attacked for being Jewish. But just in case, we will wait for further reports though we doubt it will make the news here half way around the globe.
Then there is a report from London of anti-Semitic vandals desecrated the Jewish memorial in Whitechapel to the memory of Edward VII. The memorial has an inscription reading, “In grateful and loyal memory of Edward VII, Rex et Imperator, erected by subscriptions raised by Jewish inhabitants of East London, 1911.” King Edward VII ruled United Kingdom (UK) from 1901-1910. This was a horrific and startling act of hatred against King, Country and Jews whose dedication and loyalty to the Crown and Country were on display for all to see for time immemorial. The statue was desecrated with a pig and pig parts and blood as can be seen in the image below, a picture well documented on Twitter soon after the crime was reported. Local resident Lauren Justice discovered the defilement and immediately contacted the authorities and then posted images taken of the memorial’s statues, one holding a pig carcass and pig parts and blood strewn over the other statue, to her twitter account. She was quoted commenting on the atrocity, “I just think it is disgusting. It is a memorial. I do not know if they think it is funny or what, but it cannot be allowed to stay up like that. I find it offensive.” The Tower Hamlets Council stated that it was investigating the incident. Anti-Semitic acts have been steadily rising within the United Kingdom with them increasing with their numbers in the first six months rising from two-hundred-twenty-three acts in 2013 to three-hundred-nine in 2014 to four-hundred-seventy-three acts in 2015. The increase from 2013 to 2014 was 38.5% while the increase from 2014 to 2015 was 53.0% which is a definitive ramping with the increase rate of change of over 37.5%, a vigorous rate of climb which is just as frightening as it is sizeable. The rest of Europe has figures increasing in similar rates as in the United Kingdom and are beginning to show trending within the United States, Canada and other places around the world, even in places where the Jews are such a minor percentage of the populations that it makes one wonder where the people in such locations even come by their experiences with Jews that one would expect was necessary for anti-Semitism to even be perceptible, let alone grow. Such is most definitely troubling to say the least, very troubling.
Anti-Semitic Vandals Desecrated the Jewish Memorial in Whitechapel to the Memory of Edward VII, Rex et Imperator. This Memorial was Erected by Jewish Inhabitants of East London in 1911. This was a horrific and startling act of hatred against King, Country and Jews Whose Dedication, Respect and Loyalty to the Crown and Country were on Display for all to see for Time Immemorial. The Memorial Stands in Direct Contrast to the Craven Hatred Displayed with the Smearing of Pig Parts, Blood and a Carcass Strewn in Offense to All Britain and her Peoples.
Beyond the Cusp
Beyond the Cusp 