Israel: Israeli Bloggers React to Gaza

“Last night as I watched the various international news outlets, I was dismayed to see them relating to the rising death toll in Gaza as if Israel had indiscriminately mowed down a huge swath of unsuspecting innocents,” writes Treppenwitz in reaction to the Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. His reaction is a common one among Israeli bloggers, one where these actions are a justified reaction to a situation that has been unbearable for too long.

Jewlicious elaborates on this idea:

Aron Heller of Associated Press for Yahoo News (Dec. 25) writes this past week that the massive barrage of Palestinian rockets slamming into Israel during Hanukkah, “caused no injuries but generated widespread panic.” The headline for his article–”Israel warns Hamas will pay heavy price,” simply implies that Israel plans to act because of widespread panic.

Heller makes no mention of the Israeli homes destroyed by the Palestinian rockets, the 60 plus Israelis who were hospitalized for shock and trauma, including 12 Ashkelon children, or the thousands of dollars in damages that the Palestinian rockets caused to Israeli properties and businesses.

The international media ignores far too often another critical player in the Arab-Israeli conflict and its role in continuing the conflict. Hamas, the ruling party who took over Gaza in 2006, is a terrorist organization that was established in 1987, an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood.

Hamas has led a brilliant public relations campaign that has consistently de-legitimized the actions of Israel, as we find in the media coverage of the conflict, while simultaneously legitimizing its own regime in Gaza.

What the international media and world community often fail to see is that Hamas has its own interests in mind – whether it be the starvation of its people or the launching of rockets at Israeli civilians. In other words, the critical role that the ruling regime of Gaza, known as Hamas, has played in contributing to the continuation of the conflict, has been too often overlooked.

Chayyei Sarah has a similar opinion as most Israeli bloggers:

My feelings about what happened in Gaza yesterday: I feel very sad that it had to be that way. But it had to be that way. We can't let rockets rain down on our citizens and do nothing. I look forward to the day — may I live to see it — when the Palestinian leadership figures out what “compromise” and “good leadership” and “promises” and “tolerance” actually mean. I'd really like for our army to have nothing to do. That would be fantastic.

Here is another impression from blogger Tzipiyah:

Over the weekend, Israel has started an operation in the Gaza strip. However, even after those years of attacks which make this response more than justified, there is a sense of shock at the numbers coming out of Gaza. Over 280 dead. Wow! 280 human beings were killed. For people who hate death, this is, honestly, a horrible tragedy. So, how are we to react to that?

In today’s world, there is an underlying pressure for Jews, and Zionists, to put their heads down in shame after seeing these numbers. Yes, even the strong Zionists are afraid to switch their facebook status in support of the Gaza operation. Yes, even the strong Zionists are afraid to scream their support for the State of Israel in such a time of bloodshed and conflict.

The Torah does tell us that we cannot, we are forbidden, to rejoice in our enemies’ suffering. So, we should not rejoice in their death. However, let’s make no mistake: I am not, in the slightest way, ashamed of the State of Israel. I am proud of the State of Israel for finally standing up and defending it’s citizens.

Not all bloggers whole-heartedly support these actions, some have reservations, such as Yoni the Blogger:

I am against the up coming ground action in Gaza.

I am against this action for several reasons, first as late as the end of last week, Israel was feeding the terrorist of Gaza. Second the politicians have not stated what the goal of the operation is, so how will Israel know if the operation is a success or failure.

I would support a ground action in Gaza under the following conditions, first cut Gaza off 100% from the outside world for up to two months. This means no food, water, industrial supplies or even medicine into Gaza.

J Street condemned the actions, but was criticized by Meryl Yourish for closing their comments saying:

What are they afraid of?
Will they discover that the pro-Israel bloggers outnumber the anti-Israel bloggers, and that J Street speaks not for the “silent majority,” but for a tiny minority of Jews?
Probably.

More reactions from the Israeli blogosphere are still coming in as the conflict continues. Israellycool is liveblogging events as they happen, and of course check Global Voices’ own special coverage page for updates.

62 comments

  • kayode

    Let Palestine stop rocket attack on Israel too.Why is the World not talking about that, Israel has a right to defend herself in any way watsoever.

  • Amir Salam

    Israel has no business in the Gaza strip. It is worthless land, only meaningful for its symbolism.

    Get out of Palestine; do not forget Zionists that your land was stolen from others so that you could have good fortune, and that your army is paid for by foreigners.

    Zionists will rue the day when the West no longer foots the bill for your expensive and dangerous occupation of stolen land.

    I hope I see within my lifetime an Israel that lives up to the standards of a liberal democracy that respects the sovereign rights of other downtrodden peoples.

  • Awareness

    Samantha and Walt you should meet you would go well together, you seem to come from the same neighbourhood.
    But no matter.
    The Israëli’s and the MEN from Palistine should now fight full force.
    A life is a life, which is very precious, no difference.
    God has not ever been used(you wish), only people.
    God has the truth of course, and not anyone else
    Wrath only belongs to man, a quality only of man.
    It is real stupid to fight over your own words.
    Both are imaginary, the “Boss” and the 72.
    What in the world are you jabbering about Walt??!!
    Your last name might as well be Disney!!

  • Stu

    Genocide, is that what you call it when one defends oneself. Where is the critisism of the Palistinians who have broken every truce, every cease fire, continued terror attacks right through the last truce and then accelerated rocket attacks after the truce expired. This was a one sided truce all along, it was never a cease fire on the part of the Palistinians because they have always been firing rockets. I think the world are just cowards and won’t condemn the Palistinians because they are just so afraid of muslim terror. Israel has every right to respond to even one rocket being fired at it. And as for this proportional response crap, what rubbish. If you fire rockets at another country and they in return fire 10 times as much back with far better accuracy then that is your tough luck, nobody should feel sorry for them. If I had my finger on the button I would be wiping out the Palistinians completely and once and for all. I can’t believe the world even bothers listening to their crap after all this time. Israel should tell the world to go fuck itself, and turn Gaza into a wasteland that not even a bullant can survive in.

  • Gadi

    “Israel has no business in the Gaza strip. It is worthless land, only meaningful for its symbolism.”
    “…blockade of Gaza”.
    – We cleared the gaze strip 3 years ago. Still we provide water, gas, electricity, fuel, food, medicine to all the people of Gaza. Yet they call for blood and launch rockets against civilians.

    “Genocide”.
    – Is it? While Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, Lybia, call for “extermination of Jews”, Israel targets only uniform wearing Terrorists, while providing funds and care for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the west bank. Ask Mahmud-Abas.

    “a jewish life is not worth more than any other. too many jews either forget that fact or were taught otherwise”
    – In school I learned about the value of life, free will and the promise of peace. Not even once had one of my teachers or parents said the my life is worth more than anyone else’s. Children in the Gaza strip are being told that being a “Shaheed”, to sacrifice yourself while killing Israelis, is a noble goal in life.

    It’s so much easier to look at Israeli’s as the strong occupant that wishes to kill all the Palestinians.

    It takes a free mind, that fears not religion or prejudice, to look deeper and see that Hamas holds it’s people captives – with one clear goal.
    They thrive from the one-sided media that shows injured children being carried to hospitals, they draw their power from uncritical viewers.
    They launch rockets from masks, schools, hoping for the Israeli army to make a mistake and hurt the innocent.
    They keep their arsenal of war in basements of fearful people.

  • Awareness

    Is there a block on cell-phone connectivity between Palistinians and Israëli’s??
    How many Palistinians are there?
    How many Israëli’s are there?
    Where should the Israëli’s go?
    Are there peacefull minded Israëli’s or Palistinians?
    What are the leaders on both sides doing??
    What is the reason that you are fighting??

  • Awareness

    “They thrive from the one-sided media that shows injured children being carried to hospitals, they draw their power from uncritical viewers.”

    That is one thing i see, when children or elders are killed, and that is that both side are VERY WRONG,there is NOT ONE “INCH” OF Difference of BLAME between both sides.
    All you need to do is break the demon making scilence between each other.
    Talking does not hurt, does it?

  • Awareness: And Israel does have talks for a long time with the PA in the west bank. No siege, no attacks, no rockets. It’s the same Israel, mind you.

    Stu, your Genocide claims are completely absurd. Even by the UN (not an Israel friendly organization) big majority of the dead are Hamas people. 61 civilians was the last figure I’ve heard. In addition, I don’t see any attacks on the west bank or anywhere else. This is purely a fight against Hamas, not the Palestinians.

  • samantha

    israel’s actions sicken me. what sickens me more is that us tax payer money is used for this type of death and destruction. the us is once again destabilizing the fight. i wonder if the israel’s would learn to live in peace if they had to pay their own bills…. the us has financially supported that terrorist state for too long. perhaps regular americans will fight back now with the callapse of the us economy and the region will value peace with out the us finger on the scale….after all why should the israelis work towards peace when the us pays for the fight and protects them especially when they are wrong. why is it ok to kill 100 palestinians for every jewish life? its not ok it is just that the us is the gorilla in the closet. where my money goes my opinion should follow. i am more concerned with mortgages and jobs in the us than paying for the israelis economy. an allowance for 60 years should be enough to allow an economy to take hold. let us aid end.

  • Thankyou, I guess I’m now old enough for this. Surviving the Holocaust isn’t good enough. No one helped when Hitler began his Genocide, No one helped when Stalin tried. I lost 90% of my Mother’s family to Hitler in Vienna, Dad ‘s side came from Budapest and we lost 95% of his family, and the world said that We Jews attracted this. We Jews are historical misfits and we attracted all this violence. A Rabbi Jew hanging off the Cross, Jews have been thrown out of every European country several times, persecuted constantly, 5769 years of History where over 2000 years of slavery, torture, and death. Now 21st century, only 14 million Jews in the world, 8 million in Israel, and they still can’t leave us alone. Time for Israel to stand firm, and give the finger to the international community that gave the Jew the finger in their time of need. thankyou Peter Knopfler. Never again, what part don’t you understand.

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