It’s all a matter of perspective.

When I heard yesterday that 300 Israelis had been murdered in an attack by Hamas on the southern towns and kibbutzim, I was deeply saddened. But when I heard that 60 people had been ‘taken hostage’, I was near to tears. Just by the way, virtually all those murdered were ‘innocent civilians’. Which I only mention because such deaths are always used to portray horror of warfare or, as here, terrorist insurgence. As if, on the Putin model, soldiers don’t count. It’s the innocent civilians that pull our heartstrings. And seeing images of them being taken away; young women, children, old’uns, kidnapped by a bunch of savages, people obviously with no sense of morality, decency or the sanctity of life (its the murders and rape which gives it away), made me wonder whether they’d have been better off murdered. Of course, Hamas are ‘freedom fighters’, the euphemism always employed as a justification for atrocity. Whereas in fact they are just the lowest form of life. As are those around the world who chose to celebrate the murder of those 300 people on the streets of London and elsewhere.

So Binyamin Netenyahu declared Israel to be at war. Not with Palestine, nor Gaza, but with Hamas. And this is where the perspective comes in. Gaza is a state-within-a-state. Hamas are a terrorist organisation intent on the destruction of the state of Israel “from the river (Jordan) to the Sea (Med.)” Hamas are funded, armed and supported by Iran. Big surprise. And have ensured that their infrastructure is indistinguishable and entwined with that of ‘normal’ Palestinians who live there. Just to up the deaths of any ‘innocent civilians’ if the Israelis strike them.

This was an uncharacteristic lapse and disaster from Israel’s normally almost full proof intelligence and security services. And an incredibly well coordinated attack, on a Jewish holiday and massive political unrest around the Israeli government which has caused a ‘strike’ by army reservists.

But again, back to perspective. I’m sure many Palestinians support Hamas. But many don’t. Many just want peace which, with a terrorist organisation in control, will always be impossible to find.

And the general perspective, so widely assumed, that Israel is somehow a ‘temporary thing’, subject to future considerations. Something no-one claims about other young countries like Jordan, even Germany. Where, if they were attacked, there would be international outrage and repercussions. And nobody would try and ‘justify’ what would be just a terrorist attack on innocent people.

If there had not been decades of terrorist attacks on Israeli bus stations, schools, and bars, there would be no wall, nor the hard border between Gaza & Israel. If Wales was governed by a terrorist group intent on destroying England and initially by murdering as many ‘innocent civilians’ as it could, I think people would possibly understand the current status of Gaza under Hamas rule.

Nothing can justify such vast, pre-meditated murder.

I’m trying to enjoy being top of the league and the rugby, but this keeps interfering.

Happy Sunday

A xxxx