Now go, walk out the door, just turn around now ‘Cause you’re not welcome anymore’

Why do politicians lie to us?

Mission Accomplished

On May 1, 2003, United States President George W. Bush gave a televised speech on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Bush, who had launched the US-led invasion of Iraq six weeks earlier, mounted a podium before a banner that said “Mission Accomplished“. Reading from a prepared text, he said, “Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed” because “the regime is no more”. Bush’s words implied that the Iraq War was over and America had won.

It is December 2023 and US troops are still in Iraq.

LIE

From Abduction to Murder

Thursday, June 12, 2014

9:40 pm – Eyal Yifrach from Elad called one of his friends and told him he was looking for a ride in the Gush Etzion area.

10 pm – Naftali Frenkel from Nof Ayalon and Gil-Ad Shaer from Talmon left the Makor Chaim yeshiva for the weekend.

10:15 pm – The three hitched a ride at the western exit of Alon Shvut.

10:25 pm – One of the abductees called the police and whispered “we’ve been kidnapped.” The police didn’t take the call seriously enough, even though it lasted over two minutes. Commissioner Yohanan Danino called this “a very grave failure.”

I attended a rally in Rabin Square 17 days later. For the past 17 days, the Shin Bet, the Mossad and the IDF under Chief of Staff Benny Gantz had committed major military activities against Hamas in order to find the boys. The next morning, on the eightenth day, it was announced that the boys’ bodies were found and they had been dead within hours of their abduction.

They lied to us for 18 days

Hamas has “lost control” in northern Gaza, Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant claims

On November 14, 2023, Defense Minister allowed us to believe that the IDF was in control of Northern Gaza. He also led us to believe that the hostages have been moved from the north to the south.

So why did we wake up on December 16, 2023 to discover that one hostage was found dead and the IDF Golani Brigade had mistakenly killed three hostages who were trying to escape.

They continue to lie

In November 1942, after three years of defeat at the hands of Germany, Britain finally won a battle. Instead of lying to the British people, Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave them just a hint of hope.

“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

Every evening the country sits glued to our TVs waiting to see and hear some positive news about our Hostages and progress about the War Against Hamas. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari provides a report. It seems to be positive, but is he lying to us?

Every few days, “the three stooges” come alive on TV and tell us that we are winning. They are all wearing black, having been dressed by an image consultant.  They can’t wear military green. Volodymyr Zelensky’s image consultant took that color eighteen months earlier. At this point in time, our Prime Minister will not even approach a live TV camera for fear of being caught in a lie. Yoav Gallant tells us every day that we are winning and Benny Gantz, who lied to us about the kidnapped boys, did not have the political strength to vote against a politically motivated budget that will take its toll on the war budget.

Why do you lie to us? Do you think we don’t see through you?

Why are we not hearing that the senior command of the tatzpitaniyot, the IDF’s female surveillance soldiers, have not been brought before a firing squad for NOT listening to the reports of the soldiers that were tasked to report strange activity on the border?

Why do you lie to us?

You keep on telling us that “now is not the time”. Now is not the time to discuss how much you guys messed up, but now is the time to strengthen the “coalition”?

Do you take us as fools?

Saying words of apology for this war (still waiting to hear from the PM) will not bring the dead hostages home.  It will not bring the dead soldiers home to their families.

Your apology is not enough.  You all have to go.

Why is it so important for all of you to cling to power?

Mr. Netanyahu, it was recently reported that the White House laundry has closed down to foreign visitors. But I am sure the country would be willing to pay for your dry cleaning forever, if you would just go.

We went into Shabbat  having heard of a hostage found by the IDF and being brought home. The son-in-law of a friend who I sit next to in shul, was tasked to bring the body home. We hear every day of all the successful raids and degradation of Hamas.  As we welcomed the Shabbat Bride from our synagogue in comfortable Modiin, four Iron Dome interceptors were released with a deafening noise to intercept rockets heading for Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh.

Is this even the end of the beginning?