There can be no moral equivalency drawn between Israel and Hamas. People on both sides of the border are in danger. On both sides there is pain and suffering. But there are fundamental differences between the two.
Hamas and its subsidiary terrorist organizations have been deliberately targeting innocent civilians with more than 12,000 rockets in the past 12 years. That’s why more than a million Israelis have been ordered to stay within 15 seconds of a bomb shelter.
Israel, on the other hand, takes every possible step to prevent civilian causalities. Only in response to rocket bombardment from Gaza did Israel launch Operation Pillar of Defense.
The IDF exacts surgically targeted measures against proven terrorists with blood on their hands. This is what happened last week, when the IDF took out Ahmed Jaabari, the Osama bin Laden of Hamas. Jaabari was an evil mastermind who orchestrated the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit, among other terrorist plots.
Israel does not haphazardly drop bombs on Gaza. To the contrary, the practices of the Israeli Air Force are unequaled in their attempts to reduce civilian casualties. Israel has been warning Palestinians to steer clear of Hamas operatives (through Twitter and air-dropped pamphlets) lest they be caught in the crossfire. From the other side, Hamas has been launching hundreds of rockets over the last week into city centers like Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem and smaller cities scattered throughout the south. As of Monday night, there is no reliable ceasefire in sight.
In the words of Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Hamas is committing a “double war crime.” On one hand, Hamas is launching hundreds of rockets daily into southern Israel. On the other, Hamas is committing war crimes against its own constituents, the Palestinians of Gaza. Hamas operatives deliberately launch rockets from civilian areas, school and hospitals. This endangers powerless Palestinians who have only their own leadership to blame.
We can, and should, question Israeli policy with regards to the West Bank, treatment of Palestinians and a cornucopia of other complex issues. But would any other government wait this long to defend her people? To question Israel’s right to self-defense in this instance is truly absurd.
I have spent time in Sderot, in bomb shelters, synagogues and blown-apart homes. The city has been the target of relentless rocket fire from Gaza for more than a decade. Just think about that for a moment. That means that if you are a teenager in Sderot, you’ve known no life other than one of bomb shelters and red sirens.
When a red siren is sounded, you have 15 seconds to find a bomb shelter. That’s why it’s become second nature for Israeli children in Sderot to assess which elements of playgrounds and schools can be used as cover from rocket fire. That isn’t justifiable in any situation. If you heard a red siren when you started reading this paragraph, it may already be too late.
There is no independent media in Gaza. That is why we ought to be skeptical of the pictures and numbers that claim to represent Palestinian casualties. Just last night I saw a picture purportedly showing a Gazan man carrying his son, the victim of an Israeli airstrike. In fact, the photo was confirmed to be the evidence of Syrian intra-national violence from over three weeks ago.
Take a step back. How did we get into this situation? In 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew every citizen from Israeli-held Gush Katif, the area we refer to as Gaza. This was a painful sacrifice which meant that about 9,000 Jews left their homes and communities; it was a moment of extreme national solemnity and hope. The Palestinians living there finally had the chance to establish their own state, govern themselves and live peacefully alongside Israel.
Instead, Hamas, an internationally recognized terrorist organization, turned the entire region into one of despotic chaos. Homes and schools became rocket launching pads. After Israel withdrew from her own borders, the rocket bombardment only increased.
Hamas considers any Palestinian who negotiates with Israel a traitor. Hamas’ charter calls for the destruction of the Jewish State. Is this the way to end suffering? Are these partners for peace?
Israel wants peace. Israel has a proven track record of making costly sacrifices for peace. We’ll see peace when we can say the same for her neighbors.