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David Mandel
Chief Executive Officer, OHEL Children's Home and Family Services

Good News for Hamas, Finally an Israeli Dies

There are immortal sayings in times of war:

“Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death.”
Patrick Henry 1775

“Today will be a Day that Lives in Infamy.”
President Franklin Roosevelt 1941

“The Object of War is not to Die for Your Country, but to make the other Bastard Die for His.” General George Patton 1944

Possibly the most important statement in all of Israel’s wars and conflicts is:

“We can forgive you for killing our sons.
But we will never forgive you for making us kill yours.” Prime Minister Golda Meir 1972

Prime Minister Meir’s words demonstrate the profound divide between Israel, and Hamas and their allies’, approach to war.
Israel “knocks on the roof” warning Gazans in advance to evacuate their homes and leave their neighborhoods prior to firing missiles, Hamas shoots their rockets indiscriminately throughout Israel, forcing millions of people into bomb shelters every day. While Israel expresses regret at the loss of every civilian life except for terrorists, Hamas celebrates the injuries and deaths of all Israelis.

Amongst reasons given for Hamas’ refusal to accept a truce put forward by Egypt last Monday morning, was that Israel had not yet suffered even a single fatality at their hands. How then could Hamas claim any moral victory if more than 1,000 rockets fired into Israel did not achieve their stated purpose, to kill Jews. Finally, on July 15th the eight day of the conflict came good news for Hamas, bad news for Israel, that one Israeli died from an Hamas rocket.

As hundreds of Israelis attended the funeral of Dror Chanin, Hamas joyfully celebrated his death. It’s all about the kill as if Israel is the jungle and its people are the game.

A New York Times website chronicles The Toll in Gaza and Israel, offering a day-by-day tally of missiles and deaths in Gaza and Israel. Beginning with the first day of the conflict, July 8, 2014, they report 24 deaths in Gaza, 0 deaths in Israel.

This daily tally lists the number of targets struck by Israel with pinpoint accuracy, the deaths in Gaza, the number of rockets launched from Gaza into Israel and the number of deaths in Israel.

Two points stand out; first, the difference in terminology between the Israeli and Hamas rockets. The Times describes the Israeli rockets in Gaza as ‘Targets Struck by Israel’, buildings that were specifically targeted and hit.

Conversely, The Times describes the Hamas rockets in Israel as rockets ‘Launched from Gaza,’ meaning, indiscriminate, with an intent to maim and kill men, women or children.

When the Prophet Joshua led the Jewish nation in battle to conquer the land of Israel, only men between the ages of 20-50 were conscripted to serve in the army.

Children, the elderly, and women were designated to remain away from the battlefield out of harm’s way.

Israel and Hamas are at war.
Israel mobilizes its soldiers into battle, both men and women, between the ages of 18-50.

Hamas goes into battle its women and children at the front its men at the rear or literally underground.

Why did Israel suffer a disproportionate high loss of its officers in the 1967 war known as The Six Day War?

Israel’s officers lead their soldiers into battle. Leaders lead they don’t follow.

They certainly don’t hide.

One Israeli was finally killed by an Hamas rocket. One too many. For that matter people killed in Gaza are also too many.

Golda Meir could’ve forgiven the Arabs for the killing of our nations son Dror Chanin but not for making us kill their sons.

The New York Times should add to its daily tally near the number of Gazans killed the number of Arabs killed by Arabs.

Tomorrow it could read 214 Gazans killed by Israelis.
175,000 Arabs killed by Arabs in Syria.

Arabs seem to enjoy killing Arabs even more so than killing Israeli’s They need a Golda Meir.

“If you are going through hell, keep going.” Winston Churchill.

 

About the Author
David Mandel is CEO of Ohel Children's Home and Family Services. For more than 50 years, Ohel has provided a safe haven for those suffering in the community. Ohel cares for more than 17,000 individuals in the New York metropolitan area and across all communities offering a broad range of mental health services including outpatient counseling, trauma, anxiety, eldercare, respite and housing.