…lessons from the past as history repeats itself
If humans do not learn and apply the lessons of history, the tendency is to keep recycling the same actions with the same result. This captures the precise picture of the wars between the overwhelming Muslims, Arabs against Israel. The result will always remain the same.
For proponents of a lasting solution to the conflict in the middle East, particularly the ongoing war in Gaza, here is an important piece of history that may give clue to its solution.
Look up and read the Bible book o Genesis, chapter 14. When a combination of nations came together to fight against Sodom, they took Lot and other members of his household as captives. It wasn’t Lot’s household alone.
After murdering many, they also took women and children as hostages. They did not discriminate between married women, girls, the elderly and children. Does that resemble what Hamas did on Oct 7, 2023 when it invaded Israel? From records, it looks as if this is a culture.
Lot was Abraham’s brother (his brother’s son). Abraham’s reaction on hearing the news was swift. He got all necessary information about their route and direction of movement, mobilized about 318 of his servants trained to fight, and headed in hot pursuit.
This is how the Bible puts it:
AND WHEN ABRAM HEARD THAT HIS BROTHER WAS TAKEN CAPTIVE, HE ARMED HIS TRAINED SERVANTS , BORN IN HIS OWN HOUSE, THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN, AND PURSUED THEM UNTO DAN.
AND HE DIVIDED HIMSELF AGAINST THEM, HE AND HIS SERVANTS, BY NIGHT AND SMOTE THEM, AND PURSUED THEM UNTO HOBAH, WHICH IS ON THE LEFT HAND OF DAMASCUS.
AND HE BROUGHT BACK ALL THE GOODS, AND ALSO BROUGHT AGAIN HIS BROTHER LOT, AND HIS GOODS, AND THE WOMEN ALSO, AND THE PEOPLE
Note that the invaders headed north to the Syrian capital of Damascus. The western side of the ancient city. Does that bring to mind attempt by Iran to entrench itself and proxies in Syria and the reason Israel was against it?
Israel vowed not to allow it, and continuously bombed the Hell out of the Iranians, including the Embassy which took the lives of top IRGC Generals. Lebanon is also in the north of Israel.
The north has, through history, been the base for proxies and enemies against Israel. Hassan Nasralla and his officers, including his successor, and the successor of his successor met their death when Israel bursted their bunker in the Lebanese capital – Beruit, in the north.
A bigger war is in the horizon. It will come from the NORTH. This time Turkey, and/or extremists trained and armed by Turkey will be part of the Gog and Magog. Israel has vowed not to allow Erdoghan’s Turkey to replace Iran in Syria as Turkey is presently attempting to do.
The world better listen as Israel continues to rule the skies over Syria destroying Assad’s military capabilities. Even this will not stop what is coming.
The atrocities and vicious attacks against Jews did not start on October 7, 2023. They have always committed it. Combining mortal hatred with religious fanaticism crime such as looting has never been left out.
But here is another crucial aspect that is often ignored in modern times: There is no record anywhere that Israel has ever abandoned, as a nation and people, the sacred responsibility to fight and bring back its citizens abducted and held hostage(s), dead or alive, anywhere, as exemplified by Abraham’s reaction when Lot was abducted.
This is the same spirit of the famous 90 minutes at Entebe airport in far away Uganda after the hijack of a plane load of Israelis by radical islamists comfortably condoned by the late Dictator – Idi Amin. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lost his brother Yoni who led the operation which successfully rescued the hostages, just like our father Abraham did.
This consistency in going for the rescue of Israelis is replete in the nation’s history, and is not about to end, whatever the world says. Benjamin Netanyahu will not be the one to deviate from this consistent tradition.
Abraham showed the example, king David did it, Israeli leaders before Bibi did it. Forgotten the CPL Gilad Shalit abduction which led to the Lebanon war? The world seems to believe that this war in Gaza will end if more pressure, and maybe sanctions are imposed on Israel and Israeli leaders, as done in the ICC arrest warrant against Netanyahu and Gallant.
This idea and approach is completely erroneous, and bound to achieve the opposite result. Neighbors and the Arab world have continuously resisted parting ways with the idea that more Atrocities against Jews and the Jewish state will bring her to submission and destroy the people. Very wrong!
Jews are resilient, eternal and very strong people. Their unity is unbroken and the determination of the nation to bring its citizens back from Gaza unflinchingly solid.
This war might have ended before now, if Hamas had released all the hostages. Infact, the world would have turned against Israel and Israel would likely have been compelled to end it, had the terror organization done this. There wouldn’t exist any further reason to continue fighting.
With the continuous incarceration of 59 Israelis, the rules is about to irreversibly change for this tiny strip of land. As it stands, no one can expect Netanyahu and the nation to beat a retreat and abandon the hostages. The UN, EU, ICC, and others piling pressure on Israel might have ended the war if all the pressure was on Hamas from Oct 8, 2023, a day following the attack on Israel.
Now, Hamas must not only release the hostages, it must surrender, disarm, and forfeit any role in Gaza for ever, or continue and be totally destroyed. I know what I am talking about.
