It would be a good thing to ask the analysts and critics et al, the know-it-all guys, to take a vacation-without-pay. These days they are looking for a punching bag, for someone on whom to lay blame for the hitches and glitches, and are themselves responsible no less. They demand from anything that moves to assume the culpability.
The first thing for them to do is to look straight in the mirror and examine where they fell short, and that applies to almost all of them, save some solitary souls. They were all partners to the "conception" that led the top echelons of state and army to believe that they [Hamas] were normal people, and that if we only improved their economic situation and provided them with lots of funds, we'd be able to view them as a partner and maintain domestic political quiet. They regarded the residents of the Gaza Strip and their conduct as 'normal' enemies with whom we could make deals and arrive at agreements.
This was how the winds blew in the Israeli media for the past many years. And whenever stormy weather brewed, they regarded it as part of the price we had to pay in order to eventually arrive at some sort of agreement and quiet.
Some extreme Rightists maintained that we had to level Gaza altogether, to destroy the terrorist government. But who listens to such people and their notions?
Remember to what degree it was necessary to mollify [the world] only a few months ago, when a government minister demanded that Hawara be wiped out after several Jews were murdered as they drove through? It's a hornet's nest from which emanate severe terrorist attacks against Jews. That extreme Rightist minister demanded that the place be wiped out in order to make everyone take note and put fear in their hearts.
The world was shocked, and he had to apologize a thousand times, claiming that his words were 'taken out of context.' What was the public reaction to all those who called for a total expurgation? That these were the ultra rabid Rightist fanatics.
Today, the extreme Leftist speaks in terms that even the far out Right would never have dared to use. And suddenly, everyone understands what should have been clear to all: that we are not dealing with civilized people or even with human beings at all! Those 'creatures' who left Gaza to murder innocent citizens — tender children, elderly people, handicapped ones — do not even belong to the species of homo sapiens and should be treated accordingly.
There are still remnants of that conception. People who still believe that the Palestinian people do not belong to that Nazi group, but this is a sad and sorry misconception. The Gazan terrorist organizations enjoy wide public backing. Witness the mass street celebrations after the deadly attacks.
No, this was not a small minority but a full show of public support thirsting to see Jewish blood being spilt. President Biden, enchained by this conception, upon his visit to Israel, spoke about the citizens of Gaza suffering from Hamas, and deserving consideration.
We have no choice but to knuckle under American humanistic dictates but not to change any delusions that the majority of Palestinians would be prepared to accept the sovereignty of Jewish presence in this area. But at least, those analysts who misled the public with the inanities they wrote should not repeat that error which let us all slumber until that dire and disastrous Shabbos morning.
