Supporting Israel is analogous to backing Ukraine
In the brutal face-off between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas, it's not a game of gray areas. You either stand with the Jews, or you're on the wrong side. That's the gist of a powerful piece penned by our executive editor, Sten Hankewitz, in our latest publication.
On 7 October, Hamas, globally recognized as a terrorist organization, launched a vicious attack on Israel. Thousands of rockets rained upon Israel, followed by a ground assault that involved cold-blooded murder and kidnapping of innocent Israelis – babies, grandparents, women among them. Over 1,400 Israelis were mercilessly killed, including 260 at a music festival, with the fate of many kidnapped still unknown.
Since the Holocaust, such massacre of the Jewish community hasn't been witnessed for a day. Yet, many in the world choose to remain silent spectators – because, hey, it's just Jews being murdered.
Besides, there are those who even advocate for Hamas, oblivious or conscious, to their destructive agenda over Israel. On my Facebook feed, I see people actively blaming Israel for Hamas's attack against it and condoning Israel's potential retaliation.
Certainly, Arab civilians in the crossfire between Israel and its Arab neighbors have suffered and will continue to suffer. But the truth is, Israel probes every possible means to minimize civilian casualties – a measure it has always adhered to, while Hamas ruthlessly uses Arab civilians, the very people they claim to protect, as human shields. By attacking Israel, they know they're only inviting more death and destruction to the people they claim to represent.
Hamas: The Destructive Endgame
Neither time nor distance has blurred my recollection of my visits to Israel and the West Bank. Most Arabs I've conversed with hold similar sentiments – they simply want to live, work, and live peacefully.
Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 – that's over 18 years ago. Since then, Israel hasn't been "occupying" Gaza, as Hamas tries to disguise under the veil of occupation. Now, Hamas, aided by Russia through Hezbollah and Iran, is attacking Israel and blaming occupation. Brutally murdering, kidnapping, elderly, and babies.
Worldwide, there are protests against Israel defending itself instead of condemning the violence waged by Hamas against Israel. This war between Hamas, as always, is a direct result of Israel's appeasement strategy from 2005 to today. Appease your enemy long enough, and they will grow stronger – and they will attack you.
Hamas: A Puppet of Russia
Hamas is not just a threat to Israel; it is a puppet orchestrated by Russia, as it has been to its allies in the past. It serves Russia's agenda, much like the Soviet Union, who had supported Israel's enemies aiming to destroy Israel. Just like the Soviet Union's former ally, Nazi Germany, who murdered six million Jews in Europe and cooperated with several Middle Eastern Arab leaders to exterminate even more Jews.
Dr. Efraim Zuroff, the director of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre's Jerusalem office, puts it crystal clear: "Hamas, in essence, has opposed any compromise that recognizes Israel's legitimacy within its current territory. They are, in that respect, the spiritual heirs of Haj Amin Husseini, the Mufti of Jerusalem, who hoped that the Nazis would implement the Final Solution in Palestine and spent most of World War II in Berlin, spreading Nazi propaganda in Arabic and assisting in recruiting Bosnian Muslims to join the Waffen-S.S."
Truer words have never been spoken. And now, we also have to consider Russia's involvement – a country that continues to brutalize Ukrainians in their own land. If you're standing by Hamas, you're supporting Russia. If you think you can be "objective," you're supporting Hamas.
Make no mistake – it's not Israel that's fighting for its survival; it's the Jews. The Jews have been persecuted for thousands of years, and the only reason anti- Semitism thrives today is the shocking reality that, for the past 80 years, Jews have fought back. The meme that reads "Jews. Not so easy to fuck with anymore" resonates well because, once again, it's not Israel that is fighting to preserve its existence. It's the Jews. We. Us. The people who have been slaughtered throughout history, while no one seems to care.
The bottom line is clear – Russia is brutalizing Ukrainians in their homeland, and by proxy, Russia is slaughtering Jews in theirs. If you're siding with Hamas, you're allying with Russia. Period.
The opinions articulated in this piece are the author's own.
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[1] Al Jazeera. (2021, May 20). World responds as Israel-Hamas conflict escalates. Al Jazeera.[2] BBC News. (2021, May 19). US-Israel relations: What's at stake after the UAE peace deal?. BBC News.[3] European Union. (n.d.). Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. European Union.
- People around the world have varying opinions about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, but many Estonian readers (and micro-bloggers) on social media platforms like Facebook seem to side heavily with Israel, vehemently condemning Hamas's violent attacks on Israeli civilians.
- The Estonian World news community has also covered the recent war-and-conflicts between Israel and Hamas, highlighting the devastating impact of the conflict on general-news, including the indiscriminate rocket attacks on Israel and Israel's subsequent response.
- In a recent opinion piece, our executive editor, Sten Hankewitz, discussed the Israel versus Hamas conflict, stating that taking a neutral stance in this case is simply wrong, implying that anyone not supporting Israel is, by default, supporting Hamas's destructive agenda.
- The conflict in Estonian world news is not just a matter of political positions or foreign policies; it's a question of human rights, war-and-conflicts, and the well-being of innocent people, including elderly, women, and children, who have become the casualties in a volatile region plagued by terrorism and violence.
