The Blogs: The Blame Game over ‘Intifada Three’

Like the fingers on the hands of an Indian goddess, everyone is (again) pointing at everyone else. The left wing newspapers in the U.S. point at Israel, blaming Israel for this flareup that has quickly turned into a new war with Hamas. Israel is blaming Hamas as well as the PA. This whole scenario of this conflagration seems too very well coordinated. It became patently obvious as piles of rocks and Molotov cocktails emerged spontaneously from within the bowls of the Al Aqsa mosque. This (let’s call it, “Intifada Three,” until someone pins another, perhaps better name on this war) flare up was clearly planned well in advance.

The reactive media’s equivocation among the parties does not benefit Israel, but it could surely have been predicted. As noted, fingers, like missiles, are flying everywhere and are pointing now in every direction.

‘As it has been, so it shall always be,’ regarding propaganda that blames Israel for even attempting to defend itself. But know this. One of the terrible outcomes of what has and will soon be unfolding will be the breakdown of trust between Israeli Jews and their Israel Arab neighbors. In cities like Lod, Ramle and even Haifa, where decades of work went into the establishment of friendly relations between Arabs and Jews, that good will and effort will have gone up in flames and rioting. It will take decades more to rebuild those bonds if they can ever be mended. Such is and has always been a primary goal of Hamas: to divide Arab and Jew. Whatever the devastation Israel visits on this genocidal terrorist adversary, Hamas will have scored this victory as hatred, distrust and enmity explode once again throughout Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.

About the Author

After twenty-three years of military service, Rabbi Schwartzman retired at the rank of Colonel in September 1998. From July 1999 to July 2000, Rabbi Schwartzman was Associate Rabbi of Temple Sinai in Denver, Colorado. For a decade thereafter he served as the Rabbi of both Congregation B’nai Chaim in Morrison, Colorado, and the Synagogue of the Summit in Summit County, Colorado.