# 456 – Critical Days

Critical Days

The next few days will be critical in this war. We constantly scream the word ‘hostages’, yet most of the media and critics have ignored them. The pro-Palestine or Pro-Hamas protesters almost refuse to admit they exist. (You will have noticed that I cannot stop thinking about them). There are 240 of them. Right now, we have NO idea how many are alive. We hope that the IDF knows something we don’t. Where they are etc.

Negotiations are going on, with absolutely despicable terms, such as

– We’ll release some hostages

– Israel must release Palestinians from Israeli prisons

– No mention of names hostages, no mention of alive or dead, just continued threats

– They want a ceasefire to release a few. How many are ‘a few’?

– Proving that not all of them are suicide-killers, praying for death and eternal joy, some of the Hamas leaders have demanded their freedom (to join their bosses in Qatar hotel suites).

– What is Israel supposed to do? I cannot ask what YOU would do, unless you are suffering like an Israeli, like a Jew, or worse, like the family of a hostage).

And all this time, the rumours and stories fly from here to there about the Al Shifa hospital. If the IDF doesn’t prove 110% that Hamas had their main HQ under the hospital. They’ve already found so much proof, but then a doctor (who is above politics of course) will say there never was a Hamas presence there, and he will be believed. He’s a doctor, for Heaven’s sake! Exactly like an academic, we presume them all to ultra-neutral.

I watched some of the speeches, stories, songs and prayers during the pro-Israel event yesterday in Washington DC. I was reminded that we do have friends, many of them. But I was also reminded that our task remains as difficult as before. When I compare many of those in the 2 ‘camps’, I realise that we stand no chance to win the support of the masses. Most of the popular propagandists, those with the millions of ‘followers’ (like Facebook ‘friends’) are violently anti-Israel. It’s as if we just don’t know how to play by ‘those’ rules.

Did you see anything from the Arab/Muslim Summit in Riyadh? Such a beautiful hall, unbelievably attentive audience (at least when Erdogan was speaking). Not a ruffle, not a cough. (Well, perhaps someone off-camera was about to cough, but he would have been dealt with. I didn’t see any female attendees, although many I saw were wearing long dresses and modest head cover. But surely I’m wrong.

And the BBC apologised for an anti-Israel reporting error. The surprise, of course, is not that they made another anti-Israel statement, but that they actually apologised. This one was too big to brush under the carpet. I have much in common with the editor of the UK’s Jewish Chronicle. I know they’re biased, but I have difficulty criticising them, ‘cos I grew up with them. I still go to them for news, sport, comments, knowing full well the real truth. So sad.

Stephen