We have not seen such purposeful destruction of homes, schools, hospitals, and families, except through the lens of the past. The people sleep on the ground, out in the open. Small babies huddle against their emaciated mothers, who cling to them with barely the strength to give them the solace they need. Thousands fight over scraps of bread while hundreds of food-laden trucks are kept on the other side of the barriers, cruelly out of reach.
The world witnessing this Gazan Holocaust appears as indifferent to the suffering of these Palestinians as the people, 80 years ago, were indifferent to the plight of the Jews. This time, however, it is the Jews who are wreaking havoc.
The hatred permeating from Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing government - hatred toward the people of Gaza - is frightening. Such barbarism is not worthy of the Jewish people and their historic faith.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, speaking on Fareed Zakaria's GPS - The Global Public Square (Sunday, June 1), stated:
"The damage Israel is doing to itself is far worse than anything anyone else could have done to them."
Gaza's entire population is living a dystopian nightmare directly parallel to our American lives. There is no graininess here. We see it, but it doesn't seem to bother us much. Over 55,000 Gazans have been killed; 20,000 of those dead are children. And of the children left alive, many are so traumatized they have descended into a wraith-like silence. Heartbroken? We should be apologetic.
We are party to this massacre. We give Israel billions of dollars. We furnish the finest bombs to drop upon those scurrying unfortunates in the Gazan fishbowl. (Mr. Olmert must think: "A better friend of Israel would just say 'No' to Netanyahu.")
The American people say little, lest they incur the wrath of Jewish groups whose cries of "anti-semitism" drown out all calls for mercy. Meanwhile, the craven media - practiced in the art of self-preservation - bow down, and bang the drums of capitulation.
It is our student body that bears the brunt of the caring here in the States. They cry tears of anguish at the inhumanities inflicted upon the Palestinians - inhumanities Ehud Olmert calls "war crimes." And for their pains, our young people are castigated and called "supporters of terrorists," when they should be called "Children of God."
We worry and hope that our children will achieve money and mansions in their lives. We should be hoping that they care about other people and other things, as they care about themselves. That is our last, best hope.
I believe our children care. Thank God for that. The alternative is Holocaust: Trois
