Pillar of Defense
One of my beloved campers, Dan Raps-Huffman, messaged me today and asked: “Can you offer any insight into what is ACTUALLY happening and not just what Wolf Blitzer reports on?!”
Yes I can.
Over 275 rockets have been fired at Israel since yesterday, Iron Dome intercepting over 130 over them. Three Israeli civilians have been killed and three Israeli soldiers have been seriously injured. 19 Palestinians, 6 of them children, have been killed with over 150 Palestinians wounded. Israel started Operation Pillar of Defense with the killing of Ahmed Jabari, Hamas’ military commander who oversaw the operation that kidnapped Gilad Shalit (among various other terrorist activities). (Video of the Israeli Air Forces’ successful attack) Today Israel dropped thousands of leaflets in Arabic to warn Gaza civilians and minimize casualties. Over the coming days, the Israeli Defense Forces will again attempt to cripple Hamas’ military wing that has sent over twelve thousand rockets into Israel in the past 12 years. Having many friends in the IDF and praying for their safety, I hope this does not escalate into a battle on the ground and remains an Air Force battle. However I unequivocally support Israel’s right to defend itself and its ‘Get Tough’ policy in Gaza, as Rabbi Eric Yoffie has called for in an op-ed in Haaretz.
Family and Friends: I am safe in Jerusalem along with my fellow HUC classmates.
To get a better idea geographically, the IDF released this graphic to show the range of missiles being fired from Gaza. (Note Jerusalem isn’t even on that map) However, over 1 million Israelis ARE within that zone and a rocket fell in a southern suburb of Tel Aviv today, so the range might be a little larger than the graphic shows. (I just saw a post from my friend Dan Reichenbach that there have been sirens sounded in Tel Aviv. He shared this article.)
My plee to everyone is to remain grounded & refrain from blanket statements during this time of tension (e.g. “Jews in Israel are racist” or “Muslims are crazy”). Many comments on Facebook & Twitter reflect extremists - not the majority.
To stay up to date, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE follow these sites in addition to whatever the American news stations are covering:
Some additional information on the current situation:
A little midrash for you on the IDF’s choosing of the name ‘Pillar of Defense’
Interview with a Jerusalem based analyst, who predicts a quick escalation
URJ President, Rabbi Rick Jacobs statement
Netanyahu hopes Hamas ‘Got the Message’
Video of Israelis running into a shelter and Iron Dome intercepting rockets
(Edited 7:40 PM)
*Update - 12:21 AM*
Reuters is reporting the Gaza death toll has risen to 19, 6 of them children.
Israel has called up 30,000 reserves, as a ground attack seems imminent (unfortunately).
From my colleague Chase Foster: The missiles reaching the Tel Aviv area are Iranian made, adding 1,000,000 Israelis to the range of Hamas’ rockets.
Some more thoughts: The value of life is high, regardless of ethnicity or nationality. The loss of life is always tragic and war should be avoided at all costs for this reason. However I fundamentally disagree to the recurring argument that Israel uses ‘disproportionate force’ or that there are ‘disproportionate casualties’. As Rabbi Yoffie writes in his article linked above: “I have read account after account, year after year, of the children of Sderot and surrounding communities who wake up crying, wet their beds, and cling to their parents and teachers in incomprehension and terror. There is not a school or a day-care center without a bomb shelter. Under what circumstances could that possibly be acceptable?” When Hamas continues to fire on Israeli civilians, Israel cannot just sit back and allow them to psychologically AND physically terrorize our citizens. Israel must respond swiftly and justly. In war, civilian casualties are truly terrible - something both sides endure. No country would allow a terrorist organization to consistently bomb its civilian population without retaliation. I feel equally for the civilians lives in Gaza & Israel - but we must remember, Israel did not instigate this war, Hamas did.
(Some numbers updated at 1:40 PM on Friday November 16th, 2012)