What are the Jews to Expect from the World?

 

We are told that we are not supposed to expect much from the world. We are further told that the world is not likely to understand or be particularly favorable towards us. We are not to expect the world to understand Jews or Judaism as they are unlikely to have read the Torah or the Bible, in this case the Old Testament. We are told that this does not matter as it is the Jews responsibility to learn Torah and practice all of its Laws and Commandments, all six-hundred-thirteen Commandments. We are to obey the Oral Law which will be our duty and through learning and practicing to live as Hashem desires of the Jews, we can affect the world. Through our actions we can affect the world both for goodness and for evil. The main expectation we have is that should we ever master living lives worthy of Hashem, then the world will take care of itself and peace will rule over the world. But then again, if all Jews were to meet this expectation for a decent length of time, such would usher in the Messiach which would perfect the world. We should not see our actions as repairing the world, we are to repair that in ourselves and should we actually perfect our own lives, then the world will take care of itself and the Messiach would arrive to set the world on its course of perfection. This is, of course, a near impossibility, for every Jew to obey the Laws and Commandments from Torah and as instructed by those knowledgeable of these laws and are charged with teaching us. We also are told to read the Torah and engross ourselves in its words and its ways such that we are to be holy before our Creator. The entire being a Jew sounds easy, except it is not nor is it intended to be easy. Following all that Hashem expects from us is supposed to be a struggle which only a few ever succeed in each generation. These select few may not be the Torah scholars but rather these righteous individuals can be anybody and it is their actions which save our world. The Jews can make the challenge put before these righteous individuals much easier simply by taking care of our own actions.

 

This brings us to what we are to expect of the world. Basically, not all that much is to be expected of the world until we have perfected ourselves. This is the actual instruction given for us to perform to perfect the world, to practice that which we call Tikkun Olam. Largely, Jews are expected to live a Torah observant life and to be holy before Hashem. Would the Jews master this calling and all stand before Hashem and be found worthy of the Messiach, then Hashem will allow for the Messiach to come and rule over the Jews and the rest of the world would see how wonderful our lives have become that they will, in turn, desire to become holy before Hashem, or at least do so as best as they are able. As Jews, we are not to attempt to take on the world and all its problems, threats and challenges as until we have perfected ourselves, who are we to perfect the world. Our example of living a holy life and reaping the rewards which come with such observance will take care of making the world become more perfect. When those who are not Jewish come and ask for guidance towards living a holy life, we are to instruct them on performing the Noahic Code (listed below). These are the seven Commandments provided Noah which were to lead to a perfected world, a perfected world simply by humankind following seven simple rules. These rules are listed in the Torah as a barometer on how the people of the world are behaving. Part of the reason for the Torah and its six-hundred-thirteen Laws was for setting one peoples before the world as an example for how to live a moral life. These laws, when followed, allow for the world to be perfected and thus all will see the Jews living as Hashem expects of them and the rewards they receive in the form of crops and other endeavors taken up by the Jews yielding great rewards, the example provided by the Jews will bring people who will ask, demand even, for the Jews to share with them the ways of Hashem so they too can have the goodness of the land.

 

This brings us to what the Jews are supposed to provide as answers to their questions of how they are to follow Hashem. The expectations the world is to follow has radically fewer Commandments as there exist in Judaism. This Divine Code of laws were initially provided before Noah which is why they are also known as the Noahic Code. This group of laws is significantly less in numbers from the six-hundred-thirteen Commandments expected of a Jew, the Divine Noahic Code consists of a mere seven laws (see graphic below). These, we are told, are the minimal number of laws required in order to have a functioning, good and civilized society. Through having humankind obey the Noahic Code will the world be set on the path towards redemption. This sounds easy, but remember that first the world will be required to meet expectations, something that the world finds difficult to do as they stray from the path which Hashem laid out before them. This was partly the cause of the Great Flood. Hashem promised Noah that never again would Hashem destroy the world in the same manner. We are to remember this promise as a challenge for us to all follow the Noahic Code. When non-Jews inquire of Jews to be instructed in the proper way to live, we are not supposed to inundate them with the Mitzvoth of Torah and all that is entailed in the Laws; instead we are to give them the Seven Noahic Code of Laws, the Divine Code. Should they respond with the query as to ask, is this all that we need, the Jew is supposed to tell then it will suffice and is not as easy as one may believe and they should first attempt to live by the Seven Laws and wish them well.

 

The Divine Code of Seven Universal Commandments

 

The Jews need follow the entirety of Torah and Oral Law which requires that we rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. Inside Judaism there is the controversy as to whether we mortals are to rebuild the Sanctuary and the Temple or should we wait for the Messiach before rebuilding. Then there are those who are of the belief that Hashem will provide the last Temple and it will either drop out of the sky or simply appear out of nothing, but we hold the belief that we are required to build the Temple, but not until we have gathered the ingathering and are following the laws of the Written and Oral Codes ourselves. There are those who claim that this is a task which we will never reach completion as it demands too much from us. Where six-hundred-thirteen Laws does initiate quite a challenge, we need remember that approximately one-third of the Laws deal with the daily services and rituals performed by the Cohanim and Levites and the correct distribution of the eaten parts of the sacrifice. These Laws are all concerning the rituals and instruct the order for the daily sacrifices. It was Maimonides wrote in, “The Guide for the Perplexed,” stating, “that God deliberately has moved Jews away from sacrifices towards prayer, as prayer is a higher form of worship,” and this has been taken as a sign that the sacrifices will instead be prayers with the expectations that all Jews will be expected to pray and assist in carrying out this burden. This is another of those items which time will tell and provide us with signs and answers if only we are sufficiently intelligent to interpret them.

 

Initially, we were taught back in the times of the two Temples, mankind was brutish and uncivilized with the majority not even aware of the Divine Code nor aware of Hashem as they worshiped idols and their idolatry included often human and child sacrifice. Judaism spends an inordinate amount of effort refuting any possible reason which might claim that idolatry was a good thing. Many of the idolaters also practiced human sacrifice even to include child sacrifice, something the Jews were forbidden from doing. In Judaism, all human life is precious. As to what the Jews were to expect from the world during the Biblical and Temple period was very little. The outside world was perceived more as a threat than an opportunity. We were warned that should we follow in the path of Hashem, then we would receive the necessary rain for our crops and would not be defeated by those others who basically surrounded us. Should we fail to follow the Commandments from Hashem, then initially the rain would stop and famine would come as a warning to repent. Should the Jews not repent, then they would be conquered which is exactly what occurred bringing the First and Second Temple Periods to an end. Jewish sages placed the main reason for the destruction of the First Temple to the people turning to idolatry and the Second Temple’s destruction was due to Jews disrespecting one another. These horrific disasters which struck the Jews could have been used as a moment of learning, but as is usual, no lessons were taken to heart by the world. One good sign that the Jews may have learned something from the destruction of the First Temple came from archaeological excavations of Jerusalem, Hevron and other ancient cities before the destruction of the First Temple, it was common to find what would have been household idols and personal idols and in excavations of post First Temple Period almost completely devoid of idols.

 

In current times and with the return of Israel, our ancient homelands, Jews will once again have their own nation. This will bring up the question as to what the Jews expect from the world. We need to be brutally honest with ourselves and with the peoples of the world. We do not expect that suddenly the Jews will have become the darlings of the world with everyone loving them. What we expect is rejection of our return by at the least half of the world if not more and indifference from the majority of the remainder. The United Nations has proven that even that might have been overly optimistic. We do not expect acceptance by many who practiced replacement theology as they took a path in which the Jews are the accursed. Jews have no chance for redemption unless they renounce Judaism and convert to whichever Christian or Islamic sect or denomination holding to this theory. Islam believes that they not only replaced the Jews but also the Christians and that they are the final reformation which was inspired by heaven. Any following of replacement theology views the Jews as accursed and having been cast away by Hashem never to be restored to their ancestral position or to their ancestral homelands. This is partly why the Catholic Church, almost all of Islam and numerous Christian sects which denounce the Jews returning to Israel and demanding that the Jews and Israel be destroyed. This comes down to a basic and central concept within replacement theology in that the Jews cannot return to their ancestral lands and rebuild the temple as such would be proof that Hashem never did condemn the Jews and forsake the Jews but rather still holds to the covenant between Hashem and the Jews. The Jews cannot expect anything other than continued rejection from these peoples.

 

From the world at large, the Jews pretty much expect little to nothing. The Jews require a more inward inspection where they need to reach some conclusions to some very deep questions. The biggest of these is whether or not to rebuild the Temple and, if so, where. Such an effort will have those holding to replacement theology doing everything in their power to prevent this from being completed. We hope that with time Israel will become more religious and we will live better lives following the Commandments. As we improve our totality and come closer to Torah, we will then expect that we can affect the world in a positive manner and expect the remainder of the world to at the very least attempt to follow the Noahic Code. We will, as the nation of the Jews, continue to provide disaster relief around the globe whenever disaster places people in need. We will continue to make advances in every field and share these with the world at large. We expect nothing more from the rest of the world beyond please just leave us alone within our tiny lands west of the Jordan and stop attempting to destroy what little we have remaining from the British Mandate, a whole twenty-two-percent with the Arab Palestinians already having been given the seventy-eight-percent of the region. We desire peace and an end to terrorism. Not just in Israel, but over the entirety of humankind wherever we reside and on whatever planet we may find on which to start a colony in the future. We would like to lay claim to Planet Israel pictured below should such ever be found. Otherwise, we simply desire to live amongst everyone in peace and mutual respect.

 

Planet Israel

 

In the end, the Jews merely desire to be considered as one of those civilized peoples and we simply hope that such a reference continues to apply to more peoples each year. We wish to grant respect to all and hope they will return the same. We hope to treat others with respect, caring, love and peace and hope to receive the same. As Jews we will try and set an example of living a good life where all are granted the respect due them as creatures beloved of Hashem. This, we hope, will spread to the entirety of the world and we can all work together for the mutual benefit in all things. We will respect life. We would like to be able to expect such in return. We wish to grant the world the Noahic Code and in time share the wisdom and ways of the Torah with those who feel the desire to become closer to the teachings in the Torah. We are not seeking to convert any unless they come and ask us. Our mainstay for attracting others is by living the life as defined in Torah. We will not proselytize and only answer those who inquire. Even those seeking to convert will find that it is not easy to do. This is intentional as we only wish those who will represent Judaism with the warmth, love and respect for human life and Hashem with all the Commandments held in their heart. We hope to be mindful of others and pray to receive the same. We do not desire more land or to rule over the world or even rule others, taking care of ourselves is sufficient challenge. We do not seek wealth but are not afraid of it either. We do seek acceptance and know to receive such one must first grant acceptance which we will to all with a special place for those following the Divine Code and an even closer place in our heart for those of the Covenant, keepers of the Commandments. It really is that simple.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

Terror Attack Grants Israel Prime Opportunity

 

The terror attack at the Lion’s Gate on the Temple Mount where three Arab Palestinians armed with two rifles and a pistol intentionally targeted three police officers killing two and leaving the third with severe to moderate wounds in the extremities, neck and torso according to one early report was simply a reinitiating of the terror paradigm resulting from Palestinian leadership’s payments to terrorists and terror families. Below we have included a brief interview with an MDA medic summarizing the attack. United States Ambassador to Israel David Friedman stated to media, “I am shocked and horrified by the despicable attack today in Jerusalem. Terrorism must be condemned by all and defeated. We pray for the victims.” This is the unfortunate response we get time after time, attack after attack, fatality after fatality and still the world demands that Israel cater to and bend before every demand made by the same institutions which condone and support the murderous terrorism. These are the same institutions which pay terrorists in Israeli prisons and the families of terrorists who were eliminated in their murderous acts thousands of dollars making murdering Israelis the highest paying profession for the Palestinian Arabs.

 

 

We did see a quote with which we could work with as apparently somebody else has reached well past the point of believing it is time for an alteration to be made. Israeli Culture and Sport Minister Miri Regev offered the following commentary and a good suggestion, “The murderous terror attack which occurred today immediately after the terrorists left the Temple Mount, forces us to examine thoroughly the Temple Mount’s status-quo. It’s time the Temple Mount was opened to everyone, without limiting the hours they can come or the areas which they can visit. The Temple Mount should be like any other site in Jerusalem. The Waqf should only run the mosque – not the entire Temple Mount, which is under Israeli sovereignty and is the responsibility of the Israeli government. This is the only way we will be able to restore quiet and security to the Temple Mount and the Old City. We will all pray for the welfare of the victims, and we wish them a speedy recovery.”

 

We discussed the so-called status-quo several times over the years here, here, here and here. Now is the time for a change whether the rest of the world approves or not, it is time to do just as Miri Regev stated and just open the Temple Mount to the world. I can almost hear the world’s reaction to Israel doing exactly the correct act in response to this murderous terrorist attack. There will be cries from Europe that punishing the Palestinian Arab Muslims by taking away their Holy Site because of a terror attack which they had no responsibility. That is the big lie that will be sold and Israel should simply not allow that to pass unopposed and without revealing the payouts from the Palestinian Authority (PA) to terrorists and their families, the incitement that permeates Palestinian Authority media, television, schools, children’s camps, naming of soccer tournaments, parks, roads, schools and the immortalizing of terrorists all to encourage their youth to want to be terrorists, some even to be martyrs. Don’t believe us, here it is in their own words and from the mouths of babes in the videos below, which is such a crime it actually makes us sad because these youths are not naturally evil but are corrupted by an evil regime which thinks nothing of the lives of their own children.

 

 
 

 
 

 

The Waqf will demand that the status-quo of no Jews permitted onto the Temple Mount except through the most stringent of circumstances and that only Muslims have the right to pray and all non-Muslims also have to use the Jewish entrance, as the main entrances must be reserved only for the holy people, the Muslims. The Israeli response should be to inquire, would you wish to be responsible for the Mosques on the Temple Mount or not. The Waqf will simply demand as their Allah given right to monitor and control the entire Temple Mount and will try and instruct Israel that they have no power against their rights which come from Allah. At this point, Israel should inform Jordan that their Waqf are no longer permitted in Israel and will be returning to Amman, Jordan immediately and escort the Waqf and the security personnel who are Jordanians to the Allenby Bridge and see that they cross and not permit their return. Then Israel should declare the Temple Mount open to all people using all entrances as an Israeli World Heritage Site. When UNESCO then informs Israel that their having decided that the Temple Mount belongs wholly to the Muslims and that there can be no Jewish claims or control allowed, Israel should simply challenge them to enforce their preposterous declaration. In the meantime, until they successfully enforce their declaration the Temple Mount will remain an Israeli site and open to the general public. Israel also will not permit UNESCO to influence their decision in any way, period. Israel should still enforce the sanctity of the Mosques and if the Muslims decide they do not allow non-Muslims to enter the Mosques, then so be it, that is not an Israeli concern, just the open areas where tourists can experience this holy ground. As for the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, its visitation rights will be left to the numerous religious priests who care for this Christian holy site as to whether they will permit tourists or just restricted supervised tours or closing it to the public, it will be their call. Then, once the noise and declarations of extreme aggravation and indignation finally calms, then Israel might desire to make plans for the construction of the Third Temple on some open area of the Temple Mount and until the Temple is built, there should be no further Mosque construction or extensions permitted and this should be strictly enforced otherwise there would be massive mosque construction simply to cover every piece of open ground just to deny it to the rest of the world. We provide a picture of how the Third Temple can be placed on the Temple Mount without any damage or impingement on the other holy sites already on the Temple Mount including the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock below.

 

Temple Mount with Proposed
Options to include Third Temple
Without Destroying or Interfering
Other Religious Structures

 

Then the United Nations will likely decide in the General Assembly with some fair and impartial decision where the vote runs somewhere around 138 in favor to 9 against which will likely be Canada, Czech Republic, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Panama, Palau and the United States, with 41 abstentions which will mostly be from European nations who are too frightened to stand with Israel but still are not quite ready to turn their backs completely on their Judeo-Christian roots and a few African nations mixed in. The Security Council will likely refuse to accept any motion for them to vote on such an issue simply because the United States would use their veto and not likely bother to beg the other nations to avoid their doing so. President Trump and United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nicky Haley are likely all but drooling for their first opportunity to veto an anti-Israel motion in the Security Council simply to make a statement that there is a new sheriff in the Security Council and the old management has left the building. After this has had absolutely no effect upon any actions by Israel and the Temple Mount has become one of the favorite sites that tourists make a must see location and has been secured such that it is also extremely safe, maybe the world will simply accept the new reality. Wait, whom are we kidding. The world will continue to carry on caterwauling and screaming making the most dire claims bordering on the edge of going over the edge, beyond the cusp, into the darkness and eventually leading them to sulking when it has absolutely no effect.

 

This terrorist attack upon police officers that took the life of two and wounded a third should not be allowed to pass without making a change to the situation would be criminal and this could be used as a statement that no longer will terrorism simply pass without any consequences. This should be taken as the start of the new era where the Palestinian Arabs and their terrorist laden leadership will pay a price for every terrorist attack and that no longer will these murderous assaults be permitted to pass without consequences. The era of Israel as the world’s patsy must end and this should be the turning point where Israel now stands up and faces the world as an equal if not as one of the elite and most advanced nations on the planet with few equals. It is time Israel stands up for its rights and impress upon the Palestinian Arabs that the war is over, they lost and if they do not settle soon for what Israel will permit they could very soon have nothing at all and all be somewhere in Syria dodging Bashir al-Assad fired artillery and other forms of murderous attacks. Should the PA decide that they still have the upper hand and can get away with murder and never have to pay a price, they must be disabused of such ideas and educated that things are going to be different and their time to settle for a settlement where they get anything has become limited. Perhaps this Victory Caucus can step up and make the bold statement needed and necessitated right now. They and Daniel Pipes said that they are calling for President Trump to simply tell Israel the war is over and Israel won, well, we could use the backing and we believe that Israel needs to stand up for herself and make the move and then President Trump will find backing Israel far easier and will very likely have the opportunity soon thereafter at the United Nations, of all places. Imagine this as the events over the next few weeks. Israel internationalizes the Temple Mount opening it up to all people with free access using all gates and entrances and prayer permitted for all peoples of all religions or no religion if the feeling strikes them. The United Nations getting all their panties in a bunch and bringing a motion to the Security Council brought by Egypt and backed by China, France and the Russian Federation and President Trump making the veto for the United States in person and announcing his full support for the new Israeli initiative whereby terrorism will no longer be tolerated and will cost the PA after every attack with no exceptions. Now is the opportunity to start a new era where terrorism ends or else, no exceptions.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

Syria Attempting to Broaden War Threatening Israel

 

Israel sent her warplanes into Syria this past weekend in order to intercept yet another attempted shipment of weapons potentially including advanced anti-aircraft missiles into Lebanon arming further the Hezballah terrorists who rule the Bekaa Valley and most of Lebanon south of the Litani River. Hezballah has already taken control of most of Lebanon and has indirect, more like reviewing rights of any actions or laws, of the Lebanese government, an improvement of sorts over the direct rule they held a few years back. Apparently trying to rule and fight wars with Israel was taking too great a threat of Israel holding Lebanon responsible. Now Lebanon has been afforded plausible deniable for Hezballah military actions which has not helped much with the events across the border and within their borders with Syria. The length of the reach by Hezballah included their required approval of choice for the new Prime Minister when the new government was formed. Full display of both Lebanon’s difficulty and the threat to Israel are obvious in the map below. Syria will try to drag Israel into the war once again so they can claim to be fighting a holy war against the Zionist entity and will use all of Hezballah’s abilities if need be to accomplish this. That makes the weapons Hezballah already possess and any they are able to smuggle all the more important and why Israel must prevent certain weapons systems of ever being smuggled into Lebanon and to Hezballah forces there. That was the reason for the raid and why there may be more in the future with each one presenting the same difficulties.

 

Map Depicting Hezballah Control in Lebanon
Thanks to Syrian and Iranian Assistance

 

Israeli sources including Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman reported the raid was a success and that all planes returned and were undamaged. The Syrians reported things differently claiming to have shot down one Israel aircraft and damaging another. No pictures of the destroyed Israeli plane were provided to back the Syrian claims and they have made similar claims on previous occasions including once against American aircraft under President Obama’s brief attempt at a Syrian campaign against Islamic State. The Syrians also fired four missiles into Israel with one being intercepted by the Arrow III system which was the first real world use of the system which operated well in all aspects. The remaining three landed in open areas, two in the Israel area of the Jordan Valley and the final one landed in Jordan reportedly causing no damage or loss of life. The attempt by Syria to provide their Hezballah ally with rockets is far from new and Israel has taken to only intercepting weapon systems which would provide Hezballah with additional capabilities with the most serious being anti-aircraft missiles and anti-ship missiles. The Iranians have been attempting to provide the Hezballah terrorists with the Chinese C803 anti-ship missiles as well as SAM missile batteries of a more advanced series than those in the Bekaa Valley already. This probably requires an update on the extent to which Hezballah has been rearmed since the United Nations, United States and European Union guaranteed after the Second Lebanon War as part of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 and the doubling the size of the UNIFIL forces who were assigned to prevent Hezballah from rebuilding their tunnel and bunker systems and rearming with rockets, let alone missiles.

 

The UNIFIL forces have been photographed allowing and even assisting in loading their trucks to move Hezballah munitions, armaments, rockets and personnel around in southern Lebanon south of the Litani River, the area where they are presumably tasked to prevent Hezballah from accomplishing such minor details. Hezballah had completely restructured their tunnel systems, underground bunkers, and massively extended these systems and improved their command and control as well as their communications systems and networks. This will have massive positive effect on their abilities and lethality should there ever be a need for Israel to attempt to blunt their threat to Israeli existence. Before the Second Lebanon War Hezballah was suspected of having stocks reaching as high as thirty-five-thousand rockets of which a very small percentage were of the larger varieties able of reaching beyond Haifa and even fewer which had any guidance whatsoever. This had vastly changed. Their current armaments include tens of thousands of missiles with ranges reaching the entire length of Israel carrying as high as five-hundred kilo warheads which also makes the nuclear arms capable. The various names are easy to remember and they are with their range, diameter and payloads as follows:

Katyusha approx. 132mm diameter range 10 kilometer with a 5 kg payloads
FAJR-3 approx. 240mm diameter range of 43 kilometer with a 45 kg payload
FAJR-5 approx. 233mm diameter range of 75 kilometer with a 175 kg payload
Fateh-110/M-600 approx. 0.61 m diameter range of 300 kilometer with a 500-650 kg payload
Zelzal-2 approx. 610 mm diameter range of 210 kilometer with a 600 kg payload
SKUD-D approx. 0.88 m diameter range of 700 kilometer with a 1000 kg payload

The map below indicates the ranges as they pertain to Israel and the danger becomes evident, very evident. This is one of many reasons that Israel has developed the world’s most advanced layered missile defense systems and is working on secondary and triple level means of intercepting all varieties of indirect weaponry including missiles, rockets, artillery and mortars. Israelis are thankful as many lives have been saved and apparently more will need these systems in the future, which is unfortunate.

 

Hezballah Rocket & Missile Threat

 

Hezballah has not just tens of thousands of rockets and missiles but somewhere approaching two-hundred-thousand of varying sizes and capabilities. Additionally, there have been reports that through captured weaponry from various Syrian rebel groups that Hezballah has come into possession of a limited number of American MANPAD anti-aircraft weapons as well as similar systems designed from Russian and Chinese types of anti-aircraft weapons of a similar nature. These anti-aircraft and any anti-ship missiles which the Iranians have managed to provide to Hezballah are amongst the most dangerous should another war break out. The last war already provided ample indications that Hezballah has received numerous effective anti-tank rockets and have developed very effective tactics for their deployment. This was one area which the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) needed to develop some form of countermeasures. The greatest threat is to the Israeli public as Hezballah’s numbers of missiles are sufficient to use for swarm attacks as they can lose large numbers to interception providing they are able to get some percentage through the Israeli defenses. The numbers of missiles makes air superiority a necessity which is why Israel cannot allow large numbers or advanced air defenses to be provided to Hezballah as only through air superiority can Israel successfully destroy the stores of missiles and their launchers before they are sent in numbers over Israeli cities such as Haifa, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Beersheba and numerous others.

 

The difference between Hezballah and Israel is a familiar one but still important to mention while we are on the subject. First, Hezballah uses identical tactics as does Hamas and will the PLO, which is to say the Palestinian Authority when they decide they have gained all they can through blackmail and using the world to demand Israel kowtow to demands for their surrender and return to their terrorist ways, which means firing from behind the people they claim to protect while Israel does everything possible to protect civilians, both Israeli and Palestinians. Hezballah has placed their rocket launchers inside civilian homes and place their command bunkers under hospitals, schools and even Mosques. They defend their positions using civilians and store their weapons and rockets in civilian’s homes, Mosques and schools. Hezballah builds tunnels and bunkers in which they secure their fighters and civilians are forced to remain on the surface usually near Hezballah fighter locations. Further, Hezballah uses villages and towns as their operations centers and builds fighting positions within these locations often people’s homes, schools and other public locations. The Hezballah tactic is to maximize civilian deaths, hardships and destruction of civilian structures all such that at the end of the conflict they can show this destruction to the media as proof of Israel offenses claiming the Israelis simply attacked civilian homes and structures out of spite and not because of their being used as military enforcements. Often the media can tell the claims are bogus as they can see the fortifications and still take their photographs using such angles so as to avoid displaying the fortifications while maximizing the obvious damage. Often the media has their photos and stories edited by Hezballah and in order to be permitted to return and cover future events each media outlet is required to follow the Hezballah story otherwise their entire news service will be barred from covering anything in Lebanon. Meanwhile, in Israel the media is permitted complete freedom and is free from any forms of censorship whatsoever which is why often the bad stories come out about Israel while Israeli enemies always get star treatment by the media. Israel suffers from the identical media difficulty that the United States also faces with total freedom of the media. When you have no operational control over the media and their stories and your enemy exercises total media control and is willing to lie and the media willingly follows along with their messages, it should be no surprise that Israel has the media difficulty.

 

The final warping of the media coverage is the often result in civilian casualties between Israel and her enemies. The extensive efforts that Israel goes to in order to keep its civilians protected, its enemies all spend seemingly an equal amount of effort to maximize the destruction of civilian structures and the numbers of dead and injured civilians they are able to produce. This leads to a high civilian casualty count while Israel often suffers minimal civilian deaths and casualties. Israelis are well trained and are conscious of the closest shelter when there is a war and are willing to drop anything including prayers to head to their closest shelter. Israel’s enemy governments and terror forces consider shelters as a waste of resources which could be better used to purchase weapons. This leads to a civilian casualty count in Israel often approaching zero while her enemies who place their fighting forces and weapons stores and rocket tubes within civilian homes and use civilians as human shields suffer civilian casualties in the tens, hundreds or unfortunately thousands. Still, it has been shown and witnessed that Israel does far more than any other military to protect and avoid civilian casualties on either side even to the point of calling off strikes to avoid civilian casualties even when the civilians have voluntarily gathered to protect terrorists. The IDF is amongst, if not the, most moral military in all history. Don’t take our word for it; listen to Colonel Richard Kemp in the video below giving evidence to the United Nations.

 

 

An example came when the IDF had three terrorist leaders holed up in a Mosque in Gaza. The IDF troops refused to enter the Mosque as this is something they avoid out of respect for a house of worship (you never want to see what Israel’s enemies do to captured Synagogues). Hamas radio called for women to rush to the Mosque with some extra burkas and within minute’s two dozen women in burkas and some carrying burkas entered the Mosque. Soon afterwards, the women left the Mosque as a mob hiding the three terrorists wearing burkas somewhere in the group. The IDF officer ordered his men to simply leave as the alternative would have been unthinkable for IDF soldiers to potentially appear to accost Muslim women.

 

In conclusion, the problem facing Israel also involves Russia as the ally and enforcement arm of Syria. Israel coordinates with the Russian commanders before sending any aircraft into Syrian airspace such that Russian and Israeli aircraft are not in conflict. Thus far, by all information, the Russians have not been sharing such information with the Syrians intentionally but there is obviously some leakage. When Bashir al-Assad’s military commanders receive hints or information of an imminent Israeli strike they inform their militias and other unattached forces who have been armed and often actually are Hezballah and receiving support directly from Iran. Syria would love to open a front against Israel in the hopes of internationalizing the war and bringing it before the United Nations General Assembly where Israel will be once again denounced. The end result will be a front opened across the Golan Heights with Hezballah attacking from the Israeli northern border backed by the Lebanese Army which is American armed including tanks and aircraft. As they have already been given these arms, the merging of the Lebanese Army with Hezballah being placed under their control, Israel may be facing the combined forces of Hezballah, Lebanon, Syrians and presumably independent militias all of which are backed by Russia. Russia is not in any means taking action against Israel and with Iran gathering forces and aligning forces under a unified command group independent of the Russians, is going to put Putin into a delicate position. When these forces finally open a full force assault upon Israel in an attempt to bring things before the United Nations where Israel will be blamed for initiating the violence and this will place Russia in the position of deciding whether to pull out of Syria demanding that their port facilities in Latakia as Russian protected territory and otherwise Russian forces will stand down and release Syria to its fate or Russia continuing to back Syria and very possibly be drawn into a war with Israel. Should Russia engage Israeli forces, be it on the Golan Heights or against aircraft in Syrian or Lebanese territories, then what does the United States do and NATO and the United Nations. There is a distinct possibility that the United States will use these events to press Israel into making a crippling series of concessions to Abbas giving him his state with the Green Line as a border as a prerequisite for continued aid while facing the war on the Israeli north against Syria, Lebanon, Hezballah, and full Russian assistance and Iran who will also add another front at some point using Hamas on the Israeli southern border along Gaza and with aid of militias along the Sinai-Negev front. This would soon include the Palestinian Authority as Abbas would be overthrown immediately after the forced peace and the withdrawal of the IDF either by ISIS or Hamas bringing this as well as the final front. This could lead to Israel fighting a war with fronts on all borders even to include the Mediterranean Sea leaving Israel in a desperate war for her existence and Israel would at best finally establish her borders as the Jordan River and hold the southern borders while establishing the Litani River and Golan Heights as their northern border and end these wars by establishing defendable borders with the downside of the entire nations requiring the rebuilding of her entire infrastructure. It would take Israel over a decade to rebuild but once the restructure has been completed, Israel would be the envy of the world when it comes to infrastructure and the Third Temple would be constructed and the Arabs who are unwilling to live supporting the Jewish State deported and finally a bright future before her.

 

Beyond the Cusp