Israel and Idiot's.

By TLS

Let’s imagine…

You live in a house, and all you want to do is live there and mind your own business. But, the occupants of every house around you hate you, and want your house. Those occupants want you to die, they want your spouse to die, they want your kids to die. No compromise. Also, some are allowed on your property. And, sometimes they break into your house, and try to kill you.

You do what you can to keep them out and you do what you can to keep an eye on the ones allowed on your property. But you are not omnipotent, also moving really isn’t an option, and the neighbors are determined. So, sometimes unfriendly things happen, to you and to your neighbors. On top of this, several neighbors a few blocks over think you’re the problem.

How friendly would you be, living like this?

Now, real life…

Israel sits on a postage stamp-sized piece of land, surrounded by mortal enemies. Some of these people, whether state sponsored or culturally supportive of those surrounding areas; currently live there, are allowed in for one reason or another, or sneak in and cause trouble, disruption, or merely harasment. This raises the tension and hostility of Israel and in turn starts to make the place look and feel like a police state. This is every day life, in Israel.

Then…

Every so often, one of those surrounding areas gets a little froggie (breaks in) and decides to start some real trouble.

Then…

Israel does what Israel always does. They lay waste to whoever decided to attack or invade. They keep going until they have decimated the attacker. Does Israel cause lots of death and destruction? Absolutely, every time, and for some reason the surrounding areas never seem to learn this. On top of this, some say Israel is the problem. Seriously?

Regardless, things do need to de-escalate eventually. So, after Israel counter invades and occupies, at some point the world (really the US) says ‘…ok, that’s sufficient, pull back now, you’ve done enough.’ Israel grumbles, redraws some lines on a map and institutes a few new policies to increase their security.

Here’s our first glimpse at the idiot’s. Through this, often, many start criticizing Israel for the damage they cause. For some reason this group never seems to criticize the initial attackers for attacking in the first place. The society the attackers came from also criticize Israel but also never seem to say ‘maybe attacking wasn’t such a good idea.’ It’s always Israels fault, for some reason, never the attackers. (Go ahead, start scratching your head here.)

Additionally the other surrounding areas don’t condemn those who attacked Israel either. Why would they? After all the Israelis are supposed to just lie down and die so they can be wiped off the map. Right? How dare Israel not cooperate with that plan!

Now, I have no great love or support or any particular interest in Israel. I also have no great love or support for those surrounding areas. But I can see the obvious.

So, again, let’s imagine…

We have someone out and about, maybe in a bar, but just minding his own business. Maybe just listening to the band.

But, there’s that ‘one guy’ in the bar who’s looking for trouble and won’t leave our first guy alone, and he keeps pushing. That ‘one guy’ keeps pushing until he finds out he’s messing with a world class MMA fighter and ends up getting a trip to the nearest ICU.

(Now, fully enter our idiot’s, stage left.)

Well near the end of this bar altercation, our idiot’s finally make their appearance just as the MMA fighter is finishing off our ‘one guy.’ They then say (because they are righteous and all-knowing) “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! What are you doing beating up this poor defenseless human being? What a monster you are!” Really? Talk about blind to the obvious!

Back to real life…

The current critics of Israel are our ‘righteous and all-knowing’ in this story, and are equally blind.

Is the death and destruction in Gaza deplorable? Absolutely. Should it stop? Absolutely. Could it have been avoided? Absolutely. How? Oh, that’s right, by not attacking Israel in the first place. But, maybe I’m not righteous and all-knowing enough, and I’m the one who’s blind.

If common sense feels out of style, maybe it’s time to bring it back.

If you see the double standards, say so. Share this piece, leave a comment, and help remind people that defending yourself doesn’t make you the villain.

Clip art.

<a href="https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/hand-drawn-cross-eyed-cartoon-illustration_93585188.htm#fromView=search&page=1&position=50&uuid=3199637d-884a-492e-b3fc-fcb9c04f3403">Image by freepik</a>