Parsha Pekudei — Whats in a number?

This week’s Blog is the result of two things that I heard on Shabbat. I was struggling for content on what is a very technical reading. And one suggestion was I can write about numbers and accounting, and there’s no shortage of numbers. And I think the biggest number that one can consider that’s going on in the world today is the so-called civilian deaths being caused in Gaza. That is one area I’m going to elaborate on and compare to other times in history, and that’s numbers and accounting.

The second thing is we’re building, building a project. In a talk given last week. the Tabernacle project was compared to what we are building today in the State of Israel. The Tabernacle was a place to house God. So is the State of Israel.

It’s the Jewish homeland. This is a work in progress, and we need the strength to complete that project.

So, these are the two thoughts that are guiding me in this week’s portion, and here we go.

Numbers, counting. I started this blog a few days ago, writing about the number of civilians who died in this war and previous global wars. However, I want to start with other numbers.

Let’s start with 134.

Numbers are very not accurate and these are the number of hostages still remaining in captivity, in tunnels, dead or alive, we don’t know. And another worse thing is the conditions, the possible or daily rape of these young women, or just not knowing whether these people are alive or dead. And this hit home in this post by Rabbi Doron, and here it is. That is one number.

The next number is 15,000

15,000 rockets, shot at Israel since October 7th, between Hamas and Hezbollah, and Hezbollah rockets are more lethal because they are anti-tank missiles and you can’t intercept them, and there have been casualties. That’s the number, and the exact number, I don’t know, we don’t know.

The third number is 100,000.

But I don’t even know what the number is. This are the number of Israelis who have been displaced by this war. in the south, and the north is even more concerning because Hezbollah is on the border despite a UN Resolution in 2007. They are close to the border, and the world knows it.

What’s interesting about these three numbers is that the world doesn’t care about these numbers. They care about one number, and that is the number of civilians, of so-called civilians killed in Gaza, and then they did not make any attempt to say that half of these are militants, terrorists, combatants, whatever you call it.

It’s just for them it’s exaggerated. And there’s another thing that really is concerning, and we’ll continue, and that is all the actions against Israel are justified because of the word occupation. Israel is being accused and labeled as genocide Whereas it is the Palestinian Authority and Hamas who are trying to create a genocide from the river to the sea. And not only Israelis but Jews worldwide.

16,405 Aid Trucks

Another number I forgot to mention is the number of humanitarian aid that has been allotted to Gaza. And again, when you look at these numbers, it’s a travesty of justice and media governments and there’s hate for that. That is being exploited to bring more lives against the Jewish people.

Sharing From Hillel Fuld

“I have to say, by now, Jews are used to lies being told about us. We had generations to get used to it.

Ya know, we killed Jesus. We drink blood. All the fun lies…

But the quantity of lies I am seeing now about Israel is like nothing I’ve ever seen before.

Not only are the lies everywhere but they’re also really ridiculous lies that anyone can disprove with about 30 seconds of Googling.

Israel doesn’t let aid into Gaza? Lie. A blatant lie that is so easy to disprove if you just look at the many photos and videos of the hundreds of trucks Israel has sent in.

Israel is committing a genocide and killing Gazans indiscriminately? Lie. If Israel wanted to commit genocide, the war would have been over before it started and Gaza would be flattened. Israel would have lost zero soldiers. Use your brain.

Israel is ethically cleansing the Palestinians? This one is extra ridiculous. There were 156,000 Arabs in Israel in 1948. Wanna take a guess how many there are now? 2,100,00. Some cleansing. In Gaza, there were 80,000 and now? 2,000,000. Remember the brain we talked about? Remember what you should do with it? That’s right. Use it.

Israel made up October 7th so it could attack Gaza? Wow. Our haters are getting really creative. So Israel made up the GoPro footage? Israel convinced thousands of Palestinians actors to pretend they’re breaking into Israel, murdering, raping, and kidnapping over 1,200 Israelis? Got it. Dude. For real?

Israel has perpetrated sexual violence against Palestinian women? Well, that’s a deflection if I ever saw one. This one definitely makes the list of actual blood libels.

Israel has killed 30,000 women and children in Gaza. Really? And how many terrorists has Israel killed? Because according to the Hamas numbers, which you are quoting, everyone killed is either a woman, a child, or a journalist. According to them, zero terrorists have been killed. We’ve established that using your brain is difficult but this one even a 3rd grader can understand.

Israel is a apartheid state? Ok, now I’m starting to really worry about your cognitive abilities. Do you know how many Christians and Arabs live freely in Israel? Google is your friend.

Israel intentionally bombs hospitals or homes? Finally, the first true thing you’ve said. Israel does. Wanna know why? Because Hamas uses them as terror bases leaving Israel no choice. Despite that, Israel makes sure to evacuate the structure before attacking. No other country would do that!

Let’s make a deal. I’m not asking you to love Israel. Not asking you to become a Netanyahu fan. Not even asking you to give up on the notion that there should be a ceasefire. Just asking you one thing.

You were given a brain. Use it.

Here are some actual facts about how much aid Israel has, and continues to send into Gaza.

If you still feel that you must spread hateful lies about Israel, can you at least try a little harder to make up lies that can’t be debunked in 12 seconds on Google? K thanks.”

Accounting for Civilians killed in wars

I open my computer and hear is the headline

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/386491

It’s time to stand up to tell our American “friends” that we don’t agree with the approach. Look at what they did in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“More than 432,000 civilians have been killed in the fighting since 2001. Millions of people living in the war zones have also been displaced by war. The U.S. post-9/11 wars have forcibly displaced at least 38 million people in and from Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, the Philippines, Libya and Syria”

Now let’s a have look at UNSDG 16

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

In 25 May 2022 — UN Security Council announced

“Ninety Per Cent of War-Time Casualties Are Civilians, Speakers Stress, Pressing Security Council to Fulfil Responsibility, Protect Innocent People in Conflicts

With civilians accounting for nearly 90 per cent of war-time casualties and humanitarians threatened with arrest for providing aid to “the enemy”, the Security Council simply must do more to ensure the protection of innocent people caught amid the conflicts raging around the world, experts from the field told the 15-nation organ today, as over 70 delegates denounced its inaction and explored ways to stanch the suffering during the all-day debate.”

https://press.un.org/en/2022/sc14904.doc.htm

Wikipedia — In times of armed conflict, despite numerous advancements in technology, the European Union’s European Security Strategy, adopted by the European Council in Brussels in December 2003, stated that since 1990, almost 4 million people have died in wars, 90% of them civilians.[citation needed] However, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that civilian fatalities have climbed from 5 per cent at the turn of the century to more than 90 per cent in the wars of the 1990s

At least 940,000 people have been killed by direct war violence in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, and Pakistan. The number of people who have been wounded or have fallen ill as a result of the conflicts is far higher, as is the number of civilians who have died indirectly as a result of the destruction of hospitals and infrastructure and environmental contamination, among other war-related problems.

Millions of people living in the war zones have also been displaced by war. The U.S. post-9/11 wars have forcibly displaced at least 38 million people in and from Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, the Philippines, Libya and Syria. This number exceeds the total displaced by every war since 1900, except World War II.

The U.S. could have pursued several nonmilitary alternatives to holding accountable those responsible for perpetrating the 9/11 attacks. These alternatives would have been far less costly in human lives. For example, the U.S. invasion of Iraq turned the country into a laboratory in which militant groups such as Islamic State have been able to hone their techniques of recruitment and violence. The formation of Islamist militant groups spreading throughout the region counts among the many human costs of that war.

https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/costs/human

So let’s look at the blame for these civilian deaths.

The statistics or numbers quoted previously don’t look good and actually places America in a bad light, who are very quick to criticise Israel and blame them. And other countries are placing the blame on Israel as well.

You need to stand up and look at the blame. And the blame is clearly with Hamas. Hams started this war, and you can say, oh, there’s occupation. Really, there was no real occupation. There’s quite a high standard of living in Gaza, but there’s a culture of hate and evil and destruction, and the industry of destruction to undermine the Jewish rights to Israel

And I’m going to be writing about this in another blog, in a blog called The Al-Asqa Blood. Hamas stated that they will not stop this battle until they have full control of what’s called the Temple Mount.

Unfortunately, the narrative of blaming Israel for these civilian deaths is the wrong one. And I want to share some references to 1945 and what President Truman wrote.

See this Letter written in 1945 From the White House blaming the unwarranted attack!!

White House Letter 1945

There were 4 million Germans Killed compared to 400,000 British?.

Was that proportional?. Was that fair?

WORLDWIDE CASUALTIES = WW2*

Battle Deaths 15,000,000

Battle Wounded 25,000,000

Civilian Deaths 45,000,000

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/students-teachers/student-resources/research-starters/research-starters-worldwide-deaths-world-war

The blame for the war started with the decision of Hitler to launch the war. The same with the Japanese. The blame for the deaths of their people are with their leaders when they chose to attack Pearl Harbor and more. And chose not to surrender. So yes, you want to call the ceasefire. And blame Israel. But the blame for these civilian deaths is not on Israel’s doorstep. It is on the hands of Hamas. It is on the institutions that support Hamas. And it’s sickening how many are now saying, oh, Israel’s to blame. No. It’s Hamas to blame. You didn’t blame the Allies when they bombed Dresden, did you? There was no other option.

There’s no other option here. So, stop whining and start to blame in the right place. Blame Hamas. Call for an immediate ceasefire and for Hamas to surrender. Put up the white flags. White flags.

Surrender. Yes, there will be a ceasefire immediately. Want a ceasefire? Get Hamas to surrender. Return our brothers and sisters (Hostages) in good health.

Let my people Go.

All Images sourced from social media