What to Answer Israel’s Critics: A Useful Q&A

Q: Rabbi YY Jacobson, some of my friends protested this week, blaming Israel for the atrocities of Hamas. Can you answer some of the questions posed?

A: Absolutely. I wish every one of us would familiarize ourselves with the facts, not the myths, so we can each become ambassadors for truth and peace.

Q: Why can’t Israel show restraint, and not bomb Gaza?

Imagine you were sitting in your home with your children, and someone would begin shooting bullets into your home, killing one of your children, tying up another one and burning him alive, and then kidnapping and torturing another one. Do you think the correct thing is to show restraint and allow all your children to die? Or should you stop the killers?

Before last Saturday, Hamas sent more than 20,000 rockets raining down on Israeli cities, with the singular intention of murdering as many Jews as possible. Should Israel just say: Send some more; we are fine if Jews die; or should Israel try to crush the terrorists?

Even before last week, if not for the Iron Dome, Israel would have been reduced to rubble, and thousands would have been killed. Even with the Iron Dome, there are gruesome casualties and millions of Israelis are living in dread. When a siren goes off in the middle of the night, they have ten seconds to rush all the children into a shelter. Should Israel just accept this?

Then came the massacre of last Saturday morning. Hamas breached the fence between Gaza and Southern Israel, entered into dozens of Jewish towns, and tortured and murdered more than 1300 Jews, among them many babies and the elderly. They mowed down Jewish youths like they were blades of grass. More than 3000 were wounded, many of them critical. More than 100 Jews were kidnapped and taken as hostages to Gaza. Should Israel remain silent?

Q: Instead of firing back at Hamas, why does Israel not concede to Hamas’ demands so they would stop killing Jews and stop firing rockets?

A: Hamas openly calls and aims for the death of every Jew in Israel, as clearly stated in their charter, written in 1987 (which you can read online). Should Israel concede to this demand? Should we murder every Jew in Israel and then there will be no more terror and no more rockets?

Hamas is a genocidal terrorist organization that wants to wipe Israel, a country the size of New Jersey with 6.6 million Jewish residents, off the map. They would be happy to burn 6 million Jews alive, as they did to the children in Southern Israel, last Shabbos. Hamas would be more than happy to murder 10,000 Jews daily, or as many as they can. What they did last Shabbos, they would gleefully do every single day, if they had a chance. Should we allow them?

Q: Why do you say it is about genocide? Maybe it is just about occupation? Israel is occupying Gaza and has created a siege around it, so in desperation, the Gazans need to kill Jews and shoot rockets to fight the injustice.

A: I believe Hamas. They state clearly in their charter and all their messages that the goal here is the eradication of the Jewish people.

If someone just hates Jews and Israel with no rationale, there is little to be said in defense of truth. But if someone is looking for some truth, here it is:

In August of 2005, Israel expelled ten thousand Jews from their homes in Gaza, their communities demolished by the Israel Defense Forces. Not a single Jew or Israeli soldier was left in Gaza. Israel gave its Arab neighbors the opportunity to create an independent Palestinian State in Gaza with a flourishing society, the “Singapore of the Middle East.”

Alas, the day following the forced Jewish expulsion, rockets came pouring down on Israeli cities, targeting civilians in homes and in the streets. Instead of waking up to the deadly consequences of the Gaza withdrawal and re-entering Gaza, Israel showed restraint. The results? Hamas built a terror state. Since then, tens of thousands of rockets have been sent from Gaza to murder as many civilian Jews as possible. Thousands of Jews were murdered.

The siege Israel created was not to block any essentials, but only to stop (unsuccessfully) weaponry from being smuggled into Gaza to be used against Jews in Israel. Had Gaza been a neighbor to Israel like Canada is to the US, Israel would not even look at what goes into Gaza. But when you have a neighbor who wants all your children to die, should you not inspect what goes into his country? The siege is not the reason for the rockets; the rockets are the reason for the siege.

Q: Why not just withdraw to the pre-1967 lines, and create a Palestinian State, and all will be fine?

A: Israel did just that with Gaza! Gaza was the first Palestinian State, created back in 2005, and it became a center of terror. It became instantly clear that the demand for a Palestinian State was not to live side by side with Israel but to replace Israel. One can only shudder to think what would happen if a Palestinian State were created in the heart of Israeli society? Do you think Israel should commit national suicide? Would you give Hitler a Palestinian State?

Following the Oslo Accords, when Israel gave autonomy to Palestinians in the West Bank, Israel saw the worst terror attacks against its citizens. Conceding territory, sadly, is an invitation for war, not peace.

Q: How can Israel justify killing civilians if their intent is to destroy Hamas?

A: The death of every innocent human being is horrific. But what is the reason for all these tragic casualties? Because Hamas places its fighters among the civilian population, using them as human shields, and launches its rockets from schools, hospitals, and homes. The Palestinian people are being held hostage by Hamas. A civilian who is killed while being used by a terrorist as a human shield is a victim of the terrorist, not the Israeli army, who does not target innocent civilians.

Why does Hamas do this? Because it knows that the world will blame Israel instead of Hamas. Hamas knows that so many in the West will buy into their sadistic and cynical tactic of making sure that as many children as possible are killed in Gaza. Israel does everything to minimize casualties, not only of its own people but of Gazans. Hamas does everything to increase casualties, not only of Israelis but of its own children—and the world lets them get away with it.

If Hamas would not be sending murderers and shooting rockets into Israel would even one child in Gaza die? Never. So why are we blaming Israel for deaths caused by Hamas?

Many German civilians died during World War Two. Who do we blame for their deaths? Hitler or Churchill? What Nazi Germany was to England, Hamas is to Israel. Literally.

Q: But Israel is shooting rockets into Gaza and killing these innocent people?

A: If someone declared war on your country, and it is waging the war from amidst its civilian population, do you try to defeat your enemy or do you just allow your people to die?

Still, there has never been an army in the history of warfare that had tried so hard to minimize civilization casualties the way Israel does. Sadly, they are not always successful due to the deliberate and criminal aim of Hamas to ensure the greatest possible deaths of their own children for which they can blame Israel.

Consider the following facts. Before bombing a residential building filled with Hamas operators and used to launch rockets against Israel, the Israeli military sends letters warning them to leave, even though that gives ample time for the terrorists to flee as well. Does anyone even expect Hamas to phone Israeli residents before sending a rocket to their homes? What does this tell you about the difference between Hamas and Israel? One is trying to murder as many innocent people as possible; the other is trying to protect as many innocent people as possible.

If you really care about the safety and future of Palestinian children, you should embrace Israel and combat Hamas. If only Hamas would love their own children a little more than they hate Israeli children, there would be peace.

Q: Still, isn’t Israel’s response disproportionate? Can’t they show more restraint?

A: What would be your reaction if in 1945 politicians would urge the US and England to show restraint? Hitler began a war, and the Allies were trying to end it, by defeating the enemy. Hamas declared war against Israel, and Israel is trying to end it. When you are trying to end a war, you try to end it as swiftly as you can. Remember, if Hamas would not murder and kidnap Jews, this war would have never begun.

Israel’s moral duty today is to eliminate Hamas completely and take full control over Gaza, so that no more innocent people die. Israel’s great mistake is that they did not do this the moment Hamas fired the first rocket after Israel gave them their Palestinian State.

This is not about being proportionate. This is about ensuring that 6 million Jews in Israel are not slain. During the Second World War, there were millions of more civilian deaths in Germany than in Britain. Does this make England wrong, and Nazi Germany right?

Q: Israel has an army and the Iron Dome to protect it from Hamas soldiers and rockets, while the Gazans are left without protection from the Israeli rockets and army?

A: The people of Gaza have something far more effective than an Iron Dome: a neighbor who would never shoot even a single rocket at them and would not kill even one Gazan. If Hamas ceases to terrorize Israel, all of Gaza will be safe. Sadly, it is only Israel that needs an army and Iron Dome because Hamas seeks to destroy it.

If Hamas went on vacation for a month, no one person in Gaza would be hurt. If Israel’s Defense Forces went on vacation for a month, not one Jew would be left alive.

Q: Doesn’t Israel understand that they are creating more terrorists? The fury at Israel as a result of bombing Gaza will make more people want to join Hamas.

A: First of all, feelings of frustration and rage do not make you into a terrorist. A culture of death and education of hate does. Israel doesn’t need to do anything to create terrorists—Islamic extremism does that, but Israel must act to destroy those who threaten its people.

On the contrary, anyone who learns the facts understands that the fury ought to be directed toward Hamas, who does not care for its people and has subjected them to this suffering. Instead of blaming Israel, why don’t we blame the true perpetrators?

But regardless, Israel needs to eliminate the organization that keeps on murdering Jews. Do you think England and America should have not targeted Hitler and the Nazis so as not to infuriate the German people?

Q: Israel, because of its power, must be kept to a higher standard. Even if Hamas is using violence, Israel must not.

A: That is deeply misguided. If someone is coming to burn your children alive, do you stop them with all your might, or do you just welcome them?

If a woman is being attacked by a thug who wants to violate her, and she punches the attacker in the face, is she to be lauded or humiliated? If Israel would do nothing and allow its children to continue to die, would it be compassionate or cruel?

Q: Many people maintain that Israel has done many things over the years to undermine peace?

A: Israel is far from a perfect country and has made its share of mistakes. Yet, every single war in modern history has been between a Free State and a Police State, or between two Police States. Hamas is a police state—if you differ with them, they kill you. Israel, with all its flaws, is a free country. Where in the world, other than when it comes to Israel, does anyone argue that the Free State does not want peace and the Police State wants peace?

Of the 193 countries members of the UN, there is only one country targeted for extinction. Yet, this country is the one responsible for war?!

There is one great mistake Israel has made: It allowed the terror organizations and cells around it and inside of it to flourish. Israel showed weakness for years and the consequences we saw last Shabbos.

Q: If all the above is true, why is there such a double standard when it comes to Israel?

A: Somehow the Jewish people still trigger profound sentiments, in one direction or another. Since the day Abraham began his journey, the world has been anything but indifferent to the Jew. Some people love Jews, others don’t, but nobody can ignore them. Despite not numbering even one-quarter of one percent of humanity, the world is obsessed with Israel. Do you need better proof that our role in history is as vibrant as ever? That we are Divine ambassadors to fill the world with truth, justice, and love, and the world is longing to hear our voice.

We must not duck into fear and insecurity. We must speak the truth and fight every expression of evil and hatred. The world respects Jews who respect Judaism and respect their history, heritage, and faith. The world will respect Israel when Israel respects Israel and will stop appeasing terrorists and their supporters.

Israel must now do the most moral thing it can do: Retake Gaze so that Jews are safe. And by the way, this is good for the Arabs as well, who will not suffer under the tyranny of Hamas.

Q: What about the demographic problem of a minority of Jews in a sea of Arabs? How can Israel continue to “occupy” Palestinian territory?

The great mistake of Israel has been to ask—and answer—questions of peace in times of war. Israel, for more than 25 years now, has been in a state of war, though it never acknowledged it as such. For 25 years, there have been Arab attempts on almost a daily basis to murder Jewish men, women, and children throughout the country. Many have succeeded; most have failed, only because of the diligence of the IDF and the help of G-d. In a time of war, you talk not about demographics or occupation. You make sure that your citizens are not being murdered and kidnapped.

When Israel’s neighbors embrace the path of peace and are truly ready to denounce all terrorism and violence, then we all will have the luxury to confront the demographic problem, as well as any others. Peace will then come in a single week. In the meantime, Israel must eliminate the cancer of terror completely, so that the cancer does not eliminate it.

May G-d bless Israel. May G-d bless our soldiers. May G-d protect every Jew living in Israel, and may He protect all innocent people, the world over. May G-d give our leaders the wisdom and courage to do what they need to do to protect our people and our homeland. May they not surrender to fear and insecurity and root out completely every vestige of terror in their midst. May we all have the moral clarity and courage to be outraged by evil and intoxicated by good.