# 424 – Our 9/11

I know. I have to be careful not to ‘over-write’. I must try to avoid your apathy; hold on to your sympathy.

But I have to do this. I cannot do nothing.

And again, this goes back to my reasons for writing this.

Reminder: I’ll try to make this very simple.

– The Jews have every right to a state of their own. The Holocaust only emphasised this.

– Of all places suggested for the Jews, this was the only logical location. Yes, there were Arabs here, but not many, and not a nation. As in most of the Middle East, there were villages, tribes.

– The UN not only gave each their state, Jerusalem was to be internationally-controlled. The Jews agreed. The Arabs didn’t.

– Today, those Arabs are divided into 2 basic groups:

1. Those who now accept the legality of the State of Israel, and are fighting over the ‘how’. They want us to forget all the wars and go back to a status (1967 borders) over which they instigated wars. Illogical.

2. Those who still do NOT accept our existence. These are primarily Iran (I know, they’re not Arabs) and their proxies.

It’s those from # 2 who are now attacking us.

But those from # 1 still don’t have the guts to take sides and solve this problem:

1. For me, right now, Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS, Saudi Arabia), has the opportunity to take a GIANT step on the side of decency. Hamas is trying to kill his plans for a strong and moderate Middle East alliance  (against Iran + proxies). This is his chance!

1. Practically ALL from category 1, those who recognise Israel, are still publically coming out on the side of Hamas, still criticising Israel for all the wrongs. They are again missing an opportunity to solve this problem. (Check out the ‘speech’ of Miss Barghouti – related? – head of student union in UK’s Brighton – she’s Palestinian, and now in trouble for praising Hamas).

1. I have a friend living in east London (UK – as opposed to East London, South Africa), who’s Muslim neighbours have been letting off fireworks and displaying Palestinian flags.

All these are supporting one of the worst human crimes in history. Our 9/11? Proportionally (and the World’s media LOVES to use that word against Israel), this is far more horrible than 9/11, both in numbers and morality. This was/is hand-to-hand stuff.

I am sorry, but I have to stress this. If you now have the feeling that ‘Oh Stephen’s off again – why can’t Israel stop taking over Arab lands and just learn to live with its neighbours’, then you know why I continue to write my Letters.

Despite 75 years of wars, apathy, antisemitism, UN pressure etc. etc., Israel has developed into a country that has almost everything you could want. It has achieved in all directions. Every visitor is positively surprised. (Let’s not start ‘no one’s perfect’ and all that. Right now, I’m in a very defensive mood).

With all this country has achieved, it also has 5-600 kids attending an all-night music festival ‘in the desert’. Like any decent reveller, they have rings in their ears and noses, tattoos everywhere and everything that goes with being today’s normal kid. They are then attacked from all sides, by killers in pick-ups and SUVs and on motorbikes. Guns blazing. Then knives/clubs whatever do the rest – +/-250 are slaughtered. Some are bundled into the vehicles and driven back to Gaza to join the list of hostages.

In the kibbutzim, the same story. A community of perhaps 400 – maybe 100 homes. Yes, it is true that these were established as part of the Nahal plan to place villages in strategic positions, so that any potential enemy advance would be ‘delayed’. (Remember the Alamo?). But today, their focus was on agriculture, small industry. Hamas invaded; broke down doors and killed.

Burnt down homes when the door did not open. Killed those who attempted to flee. Or captured some as hostages – in some cases, whole families: grandparents, parents and their 2 children, aged 3 and 9 months.

Hostages??

Of course, this is now the usual dilemma. Hostages.

Gaza should be bombed – but what about the innocent citizens? And what about the hostages?

Gaza should be overrun – reoccupied. But we have the same questions.

Hamas has threatened even worse. In addition to using them as shields, they will kill them; display them publicly. Far more horrible than ISIS executions.

I just heard this suggestion:

The Arab League, pushed by MBS, is persuaded to put forward a proposal: Evacuate Gaza and give it back to Israel. End of story.

How? Humanitarian evacuation.

The border to Egypt is opened, and internationally controlled – maybe with Israel’s involvement.

One by one, the 2 million who want to leave, will leave. Those who want to stay, will stay. That will be Hamas and their hardliner supporters.

Hostages? By then, they will likely be dead – but not from Israel’s bombs.

The military then takes over – in the style of any Middle East country – clears Gaza. The UN approves the official reclamation of that piece of land by Israel, and it is developed into the wonderful place that should have existed, had the Palestinians used their money differently.

The Gulf states are invited to invest in new hotels, medical centres and schools. (No casinos).

I wouldn’t even mind calling the place ‘New Gaza’.

Stephen