The Real Cause of the War

When sufferings befall the Jewish Nation, there is a mitzvah to sound trumpets and cry out to G-d for salvation. Today, when missiles are falling in the north and the south, and when our soldiers are in moment to moment danger, we are beholden to cry out to Hashem in  repentance, as the Rambam writes:

“And this is one of the courses of repentance, that when tribulations befall the nation, and when the nation cries out and sound trumpets, everyone must know that the evil has come upon them because of their wicked deeds, as it is written, ‘Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withheld good things from you’ (Yirmeyahu, 5:25). And this (recognition of their evil ways) is what will cause the tribulations to depart from them. But if they will not cry out to G-d and not sound the trumpets, but say instead that this situation is just the normal ups and downs of life, nothing more than mere happenstance – behold this is the way of cruel arrogance that will bring them to cleave to their wicked behaviors. And it will bring further tribulation. This is what is written in the Torah: ‘And if you walk contrary with me, then I will walk contrary to you also in fury, and will chastise you seven times for your sins.’ That is to say, when I bring tribulation upon you in order that you shall return to Me  in repentance, if you say that what has befallen us is mere happenstance, then I will pour out my anger upon you in a happenstance manner as well” (Rambam, Laws of Fasts, Ch. 1:2-3).

Two types of repentance are involved in this mitzvah – national repentance, and the personal repentance of each individual Jew. As a nation, we have to repent for adopting the ways of the gentiles, for not conquering all of the Land of Israel, for surrender parts of our homeland to foreigners, for not expelling the enemy from our borders, and for lingering in the lands of the gentiles long after Hashem has allowed us to come home.

Personally, in order to avert further tribulation and appease Hashem’s anger, each and every Jew must repent for his individual wrongdoings, citing them one by one, in true remorse, with the commitment to turn from his, or her, evil ways and return to the paths of the Torah. Anyone who does not do this weakens the war effort and gives strength to Israel’s enemies.

For people who have trouble getting started, here’s an example:

"Thou shall not stray after your heart and your eyes"

“Please, G-d, from the bottom of my heart, I ask for Your forgiveness. Forgive me for all of my sins, those that I remember, and those that I don’t recall because they are so numerous, or because they happened long ago. Forgive me for eating non-kosher food. Forgive me for not keeping the Sabbath. Forgive me for not studying Torah when I had the free time. Forgive me for not honoring my parents. Forgive me for stealing. Forgive me for all of my sexual transgressions – for masturbating, for having pre-marital sex, for committing adultery, for having relations with a non-Jew, for not guarding the laws of family purity, for gazing lewdly at women and watching forbidden sites on the Internet and for violating the commandment ‘not to stray after your hearts and your eyes.’ Forgive me for speaking badly about other Jews. Forgive me for getting angry. Forgive me for being arrogant. Forgive me for not keeping Your commandments and for not serving You in joy….

If you haven’t done so already, why not do it now? Find a quiet corner and pour out your heart before G-d. Our soldiers are putting their life on the line in Gaza for us. This is the least we can do for them.         

Remember the Siege of Beirut

The War in Gaza started 28 years ago when Israel allowed Yassir Arafat and his band of PLO murderers to flee from Beirut, which the Israel Defense Forces held under siege during the first War in Lebanon.

PLO LEAVES BEIRUT

Arafat regrouped in Tunis and lied his way back to Israel, where he was rewarded with Yericho, Gaza, vast portions of Judea and Samaria, a stronghold in Ramallah, handshakes with Rabin and Peres on the White House Lawn, a Nobel peace prize, and enough arms and ammunition to subsequently slaughter and maim thousands of Jews.  Before dying of Aids, he enflamed the spirit of Arab nationalism into a terrorist cancer that brought forth the suicide bombers and rocket launchers of Hamas.

If we had killed him and his henchmen in Beirut, our soldiers wouldn’t have to be fighting in Gaza today.

The lesson is that victory will only be won in Gaza when we wipe out Hamas down to their very last sheik and soldier. But if we agree to a phony cease fire, and let them get away, you can be sure the rockets will return with even more fury and force.

Gaza War Inquiry

Getting rid of Hamas is only the first phase of the Gaza War. In order for the surgery to be complete, we have to get rid of the corrupt and incompetent politicians who brought this terrible situation about in the first place. To accomplish this, the people of Israel must demand a national public inquiry into the causes of the Gaza War. A public judiciary committee must be chosen that will have the power to convict and punish those responsible for the Hamas cancer in our midst, for the storm of Kassam rockets that has traumatized our nation, and for the cost of the war.

The investigation must begin with the arrogant political leaders, and their mafia of cronies, who orchestrated the Disengagement from Gaza and Gush Katif. Their egotistical cries of, "We will decide what will be!" motivated from their own personal or political gain, still ring out over the roar of fighter planes and tanks. Every Knesset member who voted for the Disengagement must be barred from holding public office. The heads of the Israeli Army who collaborated with the Disengagement, without warning the Israeli public of the dangers, must also be brought to trial. Next, the judges of the Supreme Court who turned a blind eye to the immorality of the expulsion must be stripped of all judicial authority. And the heads of the Israeli media, and the reporters who waged a campaign of libel against the settlers of Gush Katif, Judea, and Samaria, must be brought before the committee without recourse to journalistic immunity.

Getting rid of the Hamas is not enough. In order to insure a strong and safe Israel in the future, the Jews of Israel must rise up and demand that the people responsible for this tragic fiasco be barred from further public service.