It didn’t take long after Israel began bombing Hamas positions in Gaza for the international community to express righteous indignation and try to persuade the Israelis to negotiate a truce with Hamas.

Of course, explosive rockets were not exploding in France, Russia or the United States, as they have been, day and night, in Israel.

Apparently, as the old saying goes: It depends whose ox is being gored.

I think back to the 9/11 attacks on New York and the Pentagon – and how eager Americans were to both avenge the terrorist acts and destroy the subtle enemy on his home ground, to put an end to any plans for future terrorist attacks.

It seemed like no time at all until we sent not only bombs but ground troops as well into Afghanistan, and we are still there.

Can you imagine living every day in fear that an explosive rocket will snuff out your life or the lives of your spouse or children?

Can you imagine keeping your sanity while never knowing when death may drop out of the sky?

Can you think what it would be like to risk going to the market, or your job, or school, and never knowing when a fanatic suicide bomber may pick the spot where you are?

If you do not know these things, you are not an Israeli. If you would like a better understanding, go and live in that country for a few months. Then you will understand what constant terrorism feels like.

Hamas and its fanatical co-workers have rained literally thousands of explosive rockets on Israel. It is high time the Israelis have decided they are fed up and must do something to change the situation.

Bombing selected positions in Gaza was just a start, with ground forces moving in on Saturday. If nothing else works to establish a peaceful and safe solution, it may be necessary to push Palestinians out of Gaza and annex all or part of it to Israel for keeps, as should have been done when the Israelis wrested that land from the Arabs in an earlier war – one that Israel did not start.

There is talk, and international pressure, for a negotiated truce in that part of the troubled Middle East. At best, it is wishful thinking to believe any truce would last long enough for the ink to dry, or certainly to make it into new history books.

It must be understood that great and overpowering hatred is involved. Members of Hamas and other fanatical groups are convinced that there is no place for Israelis – Jews – to exist on God’s earth.

Add to that conviction that Israel exists on land stolen from Arabs.

Hamas believes it is fighting for its birthright, and it will continue to fight with religious zeal.

It isn’t only the president of Iran who believes and says Israel must be removed from the face of the earth. This is the conviction that will keep explosive rockets falling on Israel, unless that tiny country takes strong enough action to end that threat.

Who is right in this struggle? One can understand somewhat the feelings of Arabs, because they had occupied the land for centuries. On the other hand, if one goes back far enough in history you will find a time when the land belonged to distant ancestors of the Israelis.

What matters is that in the days following World War II, the nation of Israel – Zion – was formed and soon populated by Jews from all over the world. From the beginning, this small country fought heroically – and successfully – to keep apparently stronger Arab neighbors from pushing it into the sea.

The time has come again for Israelis to defend themselves by stomping hard upon their aggressors.

The United States and Europe should encourage and support them, not criticize their overdue action.



Bill Jones is a retired senior writer for The Tribune-Democrat.