A Ship of Fools

MK Amichai Eliyahu

Some people are just too stupid for words. And recently, there have been more than a few instances proving it.

For starters, there's this from VIN:

Israel’s Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu said that the government of Israel is “rushing towards Gaza being wiped out,” and that “we don’t have to be concerned about hunger in the Strip.”

Aside from the immorality of condoning the starvation of non-combatant human beings, this is no way to win friends and influence people. That a kippah-wearing Jew can make such an immoral comment - and not realize the repercussions it could have for Israel internationally - is not only stupid, but a massive Chilul HaShem by an Israeli government official who openly identifies as an observant Jew.

Thankfully, this was immediately contradicted by the Prime Minister, who emphasized that Israel has been trying to feed non-combatant Palestinians under the most dire of conditions. And I would add: without the cooperation of the so-called humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza. Organizations that seem to prefer making Israel look bad over actually feeding hungry children.

(One report I saw recently on PBS actually showed a massive food storage area in Gaza that had not been distributed. When asked why, the UN agency responsible explained that it was ‘just too difficult’ to distribute the food under current chaotic conditions.)

Then there's this little gem from JTA:

Hundreds of rabbis from across denominations have signed onto an open letter calling on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “to stop at once the use and threat of starvation as a weapon of war.”

First, this statement begins with a lie. The phrase ‘rabbis from across denominations’ implies Orthodox rabbis were among the signatories. That is verifiably untrue. What they should have said is: ‘Hundreds of rabbis from across progressive denominations.’ These are movements that represent inauthentic and rapidly declining versions of Judaism. Desperately trying to remain relevant.

They too have bought into the selective imagery broadcast nightly, accompanied by news reports based on the narratives of Hamas officials and anti-Israel NGOs. 

While it’s difficult to argue with what you see on the news, that doesn’t make it true. Nazi propaganda during the Holocaust also portrayed Jews in the camps as being well-treated. The International Red Cross was duped into reporting that Jews were living peacefully in Theresienstadt - a model camp the Nazis used to deceive the world. You’d think Jews were in a spa, not a concentration camp.

You can’t always believe what you see - even when it’s reported by the so-called ‘trusted’ mainstream media.

Then there's this - again from JTA:

President Emmanuel Macron says France plans to recognize a Palestinian state during his appearance at the United Nations General Assembly in September… The announcement was accompanied by a letter to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas outlining his reasoning.

Macron was among the earliest European leaders to condemn Israel and blame it exclusively for all the suffering in Gaza - as if Hamas had nothing to do with it.

Macron is either stupid or a closet antisemite. Probably both. First of all, how much intelligence does it take to realize the following would happen?

Hamas praised Macron’s move as “a positive step in the right direction.”

But more importantly, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio clearly spelled out the obvious stupidity of this:

“This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace,” Rubio wrote on X. “It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7^th.”

Macron doesn’t appear to care about the hostages, the reaction from Hamas, or the impact a Palestinian state along Israel’s long border might have on Israeli security.

Then there was the massive rally in Tel Aviv:

Standing inside a mass protest in Habima Square to demand an end to the war in Gaza, Roy Rieck said the atmosphere felt more charged than at previous demonstrations. The difference, he said, is that it’s not just the plight of the 50 remaining Israeli hostages weighing on those who turned out.

“There was more of a feeling that people want to stop the war not only to bring back the hostages, but also from the understanding that the war has gone too far — that the cost to soldiers is too high, and that the suffering in Gaza has become unbearable.”

The rally Thursday night came as images of starving children and reports of widespread hunger emerged from Gaza. Even among those who support the war, these images are starting to shift the discourse. But an even more urgent development took center stage.

This rally is more complicated to assess. On the one hand, I’ve had some of the very same questions myself. On the other hand, I’m suspicious of the motives behind those who blame their own government for the suffering in Gaza - without saying a single word about the real culprit: Hamas.

It makes me wonder if this rally wasn’t simply an extension of the anti-Netanyahu rallies held before October 7^th. 

So, I have mixed feelings.

What bothers me most is the virtually exclusive blame placed on Israel for the suffering. As if Israel just randomly decided to invade Gaza and bomb it into oblivion without provocation. As if October 7^th never happened.

You rarely - if ever - hear these critics talk about the fact that Hamas continues to hold innocent people hostage (and when they do, it's often just in passing). You never hear them place the blame for Palestinian suffering where it truly belongs: on Hamas. Hamas could end the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza today by releasing the hostages and laying down arms. Instead, they keep perpetuating the misery. Which the critics completely ignore in favor of bashing Israel

It’s not as if Netanyahu hasn’t tried to negotiate in earnest. More than once. The most recent of which was an agreement to the terms for a 60-day ceasefire and release of 10 hostages proposed by the U.S. But as CBS reported:

President Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said Thursday the U.S. was cutting short the latest round of Gaza ceasefire talks and bringing its negotiating team home from Qatar for consultations, after he said Hamas had issued a response that “shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire.”

Yeah... It’s all Israel's fault.

If only these critics could see what’s really going on and tell the truth instead of filtering everything through their personal politics and biases - maybe we could bring the hostages home and see an end to this war sooner rather than later. But as long as people like that idiot Israeli minster, Macron, and those progressive rabbis keep giving Hamas wins - bolstered by the nightly news, I doubt we will see anything like that any time soon.