Turkey's 9/11

Israeli Soldier's Mother is a blog written - as it title says - by an Israeli Soldier's Mother. She is on my sidebar and I have been a longtime reader of hers. I value her insights tremendously. Today I knew she would have something to say, and yes, she does:

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Turkey’s 9/11

I debated about putting this article that I have recently written here on this blog about my sons and my life as a soldier's mother. I hesitated for all of 10 minutes. I came here to the blog, thinking should I...shouldn't I...will I expand this blog to my thoughts of life in general and Israel in particular, or continue to try (and fail sometimes) to limit it to specifically this huge part of my life...the life of a soldier's mother? I don't have an answer for that whole question yet, but Anonymous came and visited me again, as he often does, with another nasty comment, another negative attack. He wrote, "And what's your thoughts on the latest israel's crime? It is murder conducted by a state. Are you proud of those sodliers for killing civilians?"

Aside from the fact that we are talking of soldiers and not sodliers, aside from the fact that the "civilians" were busy attacking our soldiers before they'd even landed on the ships, yes, I guess I do want to share my thoughts...so here they are:

Turkey’s 9/11

It is dangerous to be an Israeli in Turkey today. The families of Israeli diplomats have come back to Israel, as a cautionary move against possible violence. The diplomats, so far, have not been recalled. The flotilla fiasco is, according to some in Turkey, their 9/11. Of all the discussions I have heard, all the comments from all sides, this is perhaps the most telling.

September 11 was a day in which 50,000 people were attacked, more if you count the Pentagon and still more if you understand it was as much an attack on the United States itself, rather than “only” the World Trade Center. September 11 was a day in which innocence was attacked. Those who care more about making a point than reality, could argue that those in the Pentagon might not have been innocent, but no rational human being can say that those who perished, and those who survived, had done anything to justify what happened.

No, September 11 was about innocent victims and terrorism. How telling that the Turks use and abuse this event for their own political and cynical gains. The flotilla was not about humanitarian aid. No one can seriously believe that when Israel had constantly, even the day before, made public announcements that it was prepared to deliver the cargo to Gaza, once it was checked for security reasons and smuggling of contraband or weaponry.

Seriously, is there anyone in the world who doesn’t know about the hundreds of tunnels we have found and stopped, the endless smuggling of drugs, women, explosives, missiles and more that constantly flows into Gaza? It cannot be. I refuse to believe it.

It is possible people are unaware of the tens of thousands of missiles aimed at Israel – of the damage that has been caused here, the loss of life in Israel? I know the world has not forgotten the Gaza War – they are still looking for ways to condemn Israel. Even Richard Goldstone, the hanging judge of South Africa, admits to the rocket attacks and the damage we have sustained, even Richard Goldstone.

So clearly, Israel was justified in demanding our right to protect our citizens and verify that the cargo was innocent. Turkish citizens and others took to the waters. A naval blockade was legally declared. The flotilla refused to comply. From there, the situation is clear.

Israel attempted to board the ships. In all honesty, though I am not a military person, I can see that the soldiers believed they were dropping down into a ship of activists – the very humanitarian and peace-loving people they claimed they would be. It would be a matter of arrest, transfer, pack up the cargo, deliver it. End of story.

But the people on the ship were not the innocents of 9/11. I don’t remember seeing anyone beating, stabbing, and shoving others from heights. I remember people helping others, crying, hugging, and most of all, running in fear for their lives as the terrorist threat turned into reality....

She gave me permission to post all of her column here, but instead I am asking you to go over to her site, read the rest, and then leave her a comment of support. Go here.

Israel's mothers need to know that, despite what any of our governments may say, there ARE people out in the world who stand with Israel. PERIOD!

Israeli Soldier's Mother : another Army mum

You seeing a trend here today? You all must know what huge respect I have for military mums, and I make no apologies - EVER - for sharing their insights.

Israeli Soldier's Mother lives in Israel (there's a shocker..,) and always has a unique perspective, and she is ALWAYS so eloquent. Yes, her insights are unique in that she is not in America, but her perspective is also universal to all the military mums we know and love.

What is also universal, is the number of readers all of us who blog get, who really do not understand our positions. Not only do they not understand, they choose to stay firmly entrenched in their narrow-minded views where all things military are bad, and soldiers are....well, you know the drill. Comments from these people are always interesting - if not enlightening - and those of us who write, choose whether or not to share them with our general readership.

Israeli Soldier's Mother recently decided to answer one such reader on her site. She shows more patience than I would give. Read on:

Monday, August 17, 2009

Unconditional Beliefs and the Virtue of the IDF

Sometimes all it takes to make a post is a comment - so here's one. SK writes:

What I find so cringe-inducing in this blog is your unconditional belief in the virtue of your son serving in the IDF. There are things worth dying for, but I posit that maintaining the status quo in Israel is not one of them. I would take no pride in having a son of mine be a pawn in a political game.

Cringe-inducing? I have to remember that one, but let's move on to the main points:

1. I don't know that I like the phrase "unconditional belief in the virtue" of my son "serving in the IDF." To be honest, I'm not sure I even have unconditional belief in the virtue of my son, though I will deny I wrote that, suggest some horrible mother hijacked my blog and anyway, it was a mistake. I have unconditional belief in God and in the virtue of His actions, decrees, rules and promises. I believe, with complete faith, in the coming of the Messiah...hey, someone should make that into a song! I also believe, with complete faith, that God rules this planet, all who inhabit it, all that happens here, and all that will happen. I also believe that we are all God's children - Arab, Jew, and Christian...no matter what order Obama uses. And finally, I do believe, long ago, that God took a special liking to Abraham and to Isaac and to Jacob. And, for that matter, to Moses as well. I believe He promised to them and to their descendents, a beautiful, holy land and that our living here is the embodiment of that promise, the fulfillment not only of our dream, but of God's plan.

To live here, we must be honest with ourselves and with our neighbors. Honestly, they don't like us living here. They really want us to leave, preferably by way of the sea, and without boats or ships or submarines....

Israeli Soldier's Mother goes point by point, and you really should go read the rest here. Then, as usual, bookmark her site, and check back often. You will get the inside scoop from her that you will not get from the msm. Trust me!

For ALL the military Mothers out there

I just read a piece on Israeli Soldier's Mother site, that reminded me of something. It reminded me of the universality of motherhood. The part of motherhood that insists we let our children go, to the places we cannot go with them The following is taken from a book that I bought for the bratchild when she graduated high school. (And yes, I did cry on that day...):

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don' t
Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a sting of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't.
Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike
and I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3 / 4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!

---Dr. Seuss [here]

My heart is with ALL our precious military mothers. I stand with you.

*Be sure to go read Israeli Soldier's Mother piece here*

"What kind of man?"

From the BBC:

Israeli child killed in West Bank

A search by police and the army is now under way around Bat Ayin

A Palestinian attacker wielding an axe has killed an Israeli boy and wounded another in a Jewish settlement in the West Bank, police say.

The incident took place in the Bat Ayin settlement south of Bethlehem. The attacker is reported to have escaped.

Doctors said the fatality was a 13-year-old, while a seven-year-old boy was being treated for serious wounds.

The military wing of Islamic Jihad and Imad Mughniyeh Group said they carried out the attack, Israel Radio reports.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the attack as a "senseless act of brutality against innocents"...(more here)

Israeli Soldier's Mother asks the question that is the title of this piece. Here's a brief excerpt of her post, as she wonders what kind of person could kill a young Israeli boy:

...What kind of man sneaks into a village and attacks a child with an axe? What sickness is there in his mind and soul that allows him to think this is the right thing to do? And why kind of a sick nation would they build if they were ever given the chance to actually build a country...if murdering children is holy, if fighting a 13-year old is sacred, if it is honorable to leave a 7-year-old fighting for his life...(GO read the rest here.)

What kind of 'man' indeed. My heart goes out to all who love these precious Israeli treasures.

And Monkey in the Middle answers the question in the title here. Go and read what they have to say.

Puzzled in Gaza

I found the following on A Soldier's Mother.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Journalist goes into Gaza to investigate

and apparently comes out with much the same truth that Israel has been claiming all along. I can only wonder if the US is still determined to donate $900 million dollars...by and large what this shows is what we in Israel have known all along - our attacks were targeted and though there were casualties among the civilians, they have been grossly exaggerated by Hamas to manipulate world opinion....

This Israeli Soldier's mother always gives clarity and truth to the msm lies that we here in north American are so used to. As always, she has more to say, and then she links to a piece that should be required reading. Go read what she has to say, and be sure and read the whole piece by a British journalist who writes:

Puzzled in Gaza

Yvonne Green

February 5, 2009

Yvonne Green

I’m an English Jew and frequent visitor to Israel. I was deeply disturbed by the reports of Operation Cast Lead (OCL). So I spent Wednesday 28th January 2009 in Gaza taking a look for myself. I left Tel Aviv at 6.30 a.m. by taxi and arrived at the Erez checkpoint at 7.15 a.m. I cleared Israeli passport control using my press card, crossed the border alone, on foot and arrived in Gaza, where I was met by my guide a 27 year old Palestinian journalist, who wore western clothes and a close shaven beard. He asked me if I wanted to meet with Hamas officials. I explained, I’m a poet and freelance writer who’d come to see the damage and civilian suffering caused by OCL, not to talk politics and asked him to choose what to show me.

We drove away from Beit Hanoun to the ancient olive groves of Jebalia Reyes Hill which my guide said Israel had bulldozed because Hamas fired from them. Downhill I saw in the Abu Ayida family’s isolated compound the flattened remnants of several large houses and factories and a few small guard’s houses. A family member, Taisir Fouad told me the 3 cars in the rubble were a Mitsubishi and two Hyundais, that $5,000,000 of damage had been sustained by the Abu Ayidas (this was not a general residential area) and that he and his 10 children had previously lived in a 900 square metre house and were now living in one room in Jebalia....

You can read the rest of this here, after you have read Israeli Soldier's Mother commentary here.

Letter from a Reserve Soldier

I think my regular readers know that I have often posted pieces written by boots on the ground. It is my belief that we MUST listen when our troops speak; through their words, we learn simple, and yet, great truths.

Today, I find a letter written by a Reserve Soldier of the IDF. I found it on A Soldier's Mother's site.:

An Open Letter to A citizen Of Gaza:
I Am the Soldier Who Slept In Your Home
By: Yishai G (reserve soldier)

Hello,

While the world watches the ruins in Gaza, you return to your home which remains standing. However, I am sure that it is clear to you that someone was in your home while you were away.
I am that someone....

At a time when the Hamas media machine is trying to tell us that the army that distributed leaflets to warn Gaza citizens of upcoming IDF actions; telephoned citizens to give them prior warning, are murderers of innocents, (sounds familiar to most of us!) it is important for us all to hear the words from this soldier's heart.

At a time when some in the international community try and paint these young patriots as guilty of war crimes, it is vital that we get the truth out to the world.

If you read nothing else today, please go read what this soldier has to say. His words, from his heart, ring so clear and true to me, and you can find them here.