Ashamed To Be Israeli (At Least For Now)

With the Gazan terrorists howling victory against us and with a response by a tap on their knuckles by the weaklings who call themselves leaders of Israel, Avigdor Liberman was correct when he said that “it’s time to bury the arrangements process.”

He should have gone a brave step further and said “it’s time to bury our Likud weaklings… one by one…and the leader goes first”.

Is there any nation on the earth which tolerates the burning and the bombing of the homes, lives and properties of its unarmed citizens? Israel deserves to receive an “Ig-nobel” prize for cowardice. We need to hang our once-proud heads in shame.

We have been led for too long by a do-nothing government which, for unexplainable reasons cannot justify to us, the citizens of the Jewish and democratic (NOT theocratic) State of Israel, why bridges, roads, highways, tall buildings, schools, shopping malls in the territory of our Hamas deadly enemies are still standing, perhaps scratched but not demolished. Tell us why there has not been complete destruction of our enemy.

To strengthen himself in the wake of criminal procedures against him, Binyamin Netanyahu has run away from defending our country. He does not want an invasion of Gaza which would bring international cries against us (or him) that would only hasten the trial in a court of Israeli justice.

He tells us that he does not want to cause loss of Israeli soldiers’ lives in a full-scale invasion of Gaza.

Only fools would believe him. Hopefully, we are not a nation of too many fools. Most of them are enjoying the many benefits of a seat in the Knesset …. A seat which is not burning like the smoldering flames in Sderot which destroy homes and schools and land.

A strong leader would realize that unfortunately deaths occur in the battles of war. But it is better to die on a field of battle in the defense of home, family and country, than to die burying our young children.

Hamas has made fools of us. They take good notice of our weakness, of the verbal disputes in our Knesset and of our current inability to form a government of coalitions. They know too well that Israel is avoiding an invasion, something which would bury Netanyahu politically forever.

Ismail Haniya is laughing at us. “Those Jews think they can find me and assassinate me? They are mad dreamers. We will outlive them”.

And Yahya Sinwar, whose family name describes it best : “sin war.” War is indeed a sin unless it is waged to protect and defend rather than to grab territory.

King Saul had his crown removed from off his royal head when he disobeyed God’s command to go to war against the Amalekites, to kill them all, but to refrain from taking any of the spoils and riches of the war.

Negotiations with Hamas, led by the goodwill of Egypt, flounder and fail and fall to pieces. A full-scale war is the only real possibility. Gaza must be destroyed. Period. It must see its land burning, its structures demolished, its citizens lying in their own blood.

Avigdor Liberman knows it. Ariel Sharon knew it. And so did the many stalwart and brave leaders of the past.

The war with Gaza must succeed in eliminating two terrible things: the Hamas terrorism and the tragedy of a Netanyahu as our leader. Perhaps we should refer to him in the German term “unser Fuhrer”. We know that the war with Germany ended only when the lives of the leaders had ended.

We must have a completely new government. One which respects law and justice. One which repudiates bribery, fraud, deceit for personal gain.

I have never said it before, but today I am ashamed to call myself an Israeli citizen. At least for now.

My decision will have to be made following the ballots counted on 18 September.

The 18th is a very good date for Jews. The number 18 is equal to the Hebrew word “chai” which means life.

That is what we desperately need and want right now. Life. Life of peace. Life of tranquility. Life of security. Life of hope. And life free from the shackles of the medieval zealots who seek to take our freedom of choice away from us.

Life is precious to each one of us. Death is more precious to the Muslims of Gaza. Let us enable them to reach that which is precious and dear to them as quickly as we can.

Maybe if Avigdor Liberman can convince others to overthrow this shameless government on 17th September, we may see hope restored.

If not, we will continue to see hope buried with our soldiers. May God protect us.

And on September 17, when I go to cast my ballot, I am voting for God (but not the God of the haredim).