# 436 – Sorry Mr. Zelenskyy

Sorry, Mr. Zelenskyy, ​that Russia’s UN bid for a ceasefire referred to the conflict in the Middle East​, and not to their ugly war against Ukraine. My heart goes out to you, but your people will continue to suffer. 

I’m also sorry that the World headlines now focus on Israel and Gaza, while your struggle continues. 

When it was claimed that the Jews were the Chosen People, this was not supposed to be their destiny.

As Tevye, the milkman, in ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ begged of God: “Perhaps You could choose someone else for a change?”

Today’s Jerusalem Post will be my guide today. ​Many of you who read my Letter have not experienced your country at war​. Let me hope to convince you that this paper is not fanatic, nor extreme. And anyway, I’m just picking out subjects and, in most cases, ​only adding my own comments.

Main headline: IDF Chief declares: We are ready for ground incursion. 

Well, whatever they write, and despite some friends reminding me of the horrible facts of warfare, I remain adamant. ​I’m just a softy.

1. Continue to play Hamas’ humanitarian game​The humanitarian offices of ​Hamas ​are located next to the humanitarian luxury suites of the Hamas leaders​, located in Qatar)​.   Get as many hostages released as possible. I have a feeling that this will be limited by Hamas to those with foreign or dual nationality, and perhaps those who can be described as babies and the elderly. ​I don’t hold out much hope for the Israeli nationals.

1. Get the ‘non-Hamas’ citizens out of Gaza. Force the int’l community to temporarily look after those 2 million.

2. Annihilate Gaza, above and below ground – without, if possible, the loss of 1 more Israeli life.  ​The billions of humanitarian $ spent on the construction of the World’s largest maze of tunnels​ will be lost. ​We and the int’l community will then construct a land of milk and honey for the innocent Gazans, but its name will have changed, and the new dictator will force democracy and decency onto the people.

I know I will be accused of​ heavy hand etc. But I’ll take that. Hey, I’m 78 years old. 

Freed hostage Yocheved Lifshitz: ‘I have been through hell’. 

Her husband is still in Gaza. Summary: I do not want to hear 1 word resulting from this subject that implies 1 iota of Hamas decency. Period.

Ostracise Qatar. 

(They actually wrote ‘ostracize’, but they’re American-influenced). Money….It is unbelievable that Qatar ​has inherited the mantle of lead-negotiator, not only re this war, but other conflicts. That B​iden officially thanks them for their efforts, while 100% aware of Qatar’s financing of Hamas over the years, and its wonderful hospitality to the Hamas leaders, kills me.

700 Gazans killed in overnight strikes; more calls for aid. 

Just as I don’t want 1 more Israeli death, I also don’t want 1 more innocent Gaza’s death.

(And I really  should not try to qualify what is meant by ‘innocent’. They ​claim they had a democratic election, voting for Hamas. They waved and danced in the streets, not only on 10/7, but also on 9/11. They quietly watched as Hamas dug underground, as Hamas protected themselves, fed themselves, while the people​ above-ground starved and were killed.

I know…what about the silent majority? The real innocents? Well, I think I can say on behalf of this country, that this necessary ‘defensive action’, which is killing many Palestinians, is an unavoidable horror of this unwanted war).

Israel shows journalists raw footage of atrocities.

Oh, no comment… One thing that ‘got me’ was the text of the voice message sent by a killer to his family on the stolen cellphone of an Israeli. He must have been on drugs…And, à propos the last paragraph, any member of his family that still ‘defends’ him, is now on the terrorist list.

Hamas tunnels present unique challenge – experts.

Well, If I were an expert, I certainly would not be publicising my plans on their destruction. But, ​I’m not. So here goes….After the bombing, I would gas the​ tunnels. Then I would carefully enflame them, seal them, flood them – and say prayers for the innocent. Not one unprotected foot soldier​ to enter those tunnels. Someone suggested going down the tunnels using Gazan citizens as human shields. But that would be breaking international law, wouldn’t it?

‘No sign that Detroit Jewish leader’s murder was hate crime’. 

Whatever happened there, it is unsurprising that we, too, jump to conclusions. In today’s toxic atmosphere, I also presumed the worst.

Netanyahu should vow to retire. 

I think that this is a fair example of democracy. Were our crisis to occur in any other Middle Eastern state, Netanyahu would already be out (and not necessarily in a nice way). It is so painful to the majority here (he still has blind followers) that the man who was at the helm on October 7 must also be the man to get us through this war. He actually may be ‘the best man for the job’, but that’s not the point. And, by the way, knowing him as most of us do, he’ll use this ‘expected success’ as a ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ ticket.

The false and deceitful charges against Israel.

This is the one that gets me. This is where I bring up the word anti-Semitism and all that.     I have been assured by many that there IS a lot of support for Israel out there, and I thank them for that. But media, especially social media, dominates our World, and its rhetoric is so painful. (Oh, were I now a hunter-gatherer in the Amazon).

‘Disproportionate’. Pretty close to the top of the list of the dictionary’s most abused word.

‘Israel’s distinction between combatants and non-combatants’ – another losing battle.

‘The taking of Israeli hostages’ – Haven’t the Jews suffered enough? Did we need such a reminder of the still-smoking mound of the Holocaust?

‘Illegal blockade of Gaza’. Well, it isn’t! And please don’t waste people’s time arguing about that. Blockade? Yes. Shared by Egypt, by the way. Illegal? No.

‘Hamas-Palestinian’ identity’. I’ve already been through this. If you do not want to be identified with Hamas, then separate yourself from them, and work with Israel to expand the freedom and decent life that so many Palestinians already DO have. Join the millions who have been here and have seen what a crazy, wonderful, messy, exciting place Israel is, with its 2 million Arab citizens who, under these incredibly complicated conditions, are as happy as they dare to admit.

Stephen