Most historians disclaim the notion that Nero was busy fiddling away as Rome was in flames. Some claim that the fiddle type instrument didn’t even exist back in Roman times. Others claim that the fire was actually many miles from Rome. Nonetheless, this famous, or infamous image of Nero playing while his people were in desperate need, is part of our historical consciousness. He represents a failed leader who, rather than taking action, remains aloof, unmoved, and has given up.
No offense intended to Bibi and his cabinet who have their hands full trying to deal with a horrific situation. Israel is not only surrounded by enemies who wish to destroy her, but also making matters even trickier is that many of this hostile population lives right within Israel’s borders. Israel is threatened from within and without.
I mention Nero only in that the Prime Minister and his cabinet need to take immediate and serious actions to stem the current almost daily occurrences of terror and murder. The recent stabbings and subsequent murders of Israeli civilians at a synagogue in Tel Aviv, and the car attack that left two Israelis dead, demonstrates the absolute requirement that every Israeli citizen needs to be armed. The attacks will only cease when the terrorists are unable to accomplish their mission (murdering Israelis) and, in fact, meet with armed resistance that sends them on a one-way ticket to hell.
Have we learned nothing from the barbaric attack in the Jerusalem yeshiva, when Palestinian terrorists shot and butchered several rabbis and yeshiva students. A few, or even one, armed Jew in that synagogue may have saved many lives and killed the attackers. And just a year later, in the midst of this current Palestinian brainwashing intifada, a terrorist comes upon a shul in Tel Aviv without one-armed Jewish defender. How utterly sad that the weaponless Jews inside the synagogue had to barricade the door to protect themselves, leaving a maniac terrorist free outside to stab others.
It was back in my college days when I first heard the expression of “every Jew a 22.” This wasn’t just referring to Israel but to anywhere in the diaspora where Jewish lives were being threatened. If your life is on the line, and it’s legal to carry a firearm, then to ignore the situation, to wish and pray it was better, is like Nero with a burning city. Although Nero might have been better off - a fiddle in ones hand can at least be used as some sort of weapon in self-defense.
The enemies of the Jews need to know that we are not easy targets. That we will defend ourselves by any means necessary and when threatened, take care of business. With all due respect to the Jewish activists back in the early 70’s, a 22 may have been sufficient back then, but it’s not enough to stop terrorists with assault rifles. The government needs to supply every Jewish and law-abiding Israeli citizen with the adequate means to stop terrorists dead in their tracks. Not unlike the United States, we can’t expect an armed cop to be nearby in every public setting.
Imagine if several of the patrons of that Paris pizza shop or club or the stadium were legally armed. They may have prevented what ended up being the French equivalent of America’s 9/11. They may not have saved everyone but they probably would have saved many, in what was well over 100 killed and over 300 wounded, many seriously.
While Hamas and many Palestinians celebrate each Israeli murdered in cold blood, they have the audacity to call these terrorists “brave” and heroic. Someone shooting into a crowd of unarmed civilians, many of them women and children, is probably the best example of cowardice on the planet. It doesn’t take a hero to do such violent, despicable acts. It takes a brainwashed coward. Our true heroes in the US military protect civilians and put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms. The IDF is the same. Even in wartime, they bend over backwards to insure the least amount of enemy civilian casualties. Have the Palestinians ever sent leaflets to a kibbutz or Israeli community stating that they were coming in and all civilians should vacate the premise?
Arming your civilian population is not a comfortable position for many. After all, they argue, we truly want and desire peace. We yearn for dialogue, for mutual cooperation. We pray for peace several times a day in our prayer services. Aren’t we all created in God’s image?
It’s been shown over and over again that responsible and law-abiding armed civilians help deter crime, not encourage it. Criminals pick on soft targets. The mindset of a terrorist is very much like a criminal. They will do their best to avoid armed defenders.
In the midst of this resurgence of Palestinian murderers, Jews and Israelis must be armed and ready to turn the tide at any given moment, whether it’s in a pizza shop, at a ballgame, during a concert, and yes, even during prayers at a synagogue. The word will get out mighty quickly not to mess with the Jews.
Those who say that militant Islam cannot be defeated militarily probably would have said the same thing regarding Nazism not too many generations ago.
Besides this critical step, Israel can take several other aggressive steps to combat terrorism. I’m far from a military expert but those who say that militant Islam cannot be defeated militarily probably would have said the same thing regarding Nazism not too many generations ago. But that was, in fact, the only method that the Nazis understood and respected. And they were, of course, eventually defeated and disgraced.
ISIS and all the other sub-terrorist groups have a very similar philosophy to Nazism. They believe their path is the only valid one and they will force it upon others by any means they deem necessary, including violence, terror, and murder. But these groups can and should be defeated militarily. We shouldn’t feel bad that we have the means to do so, because it’s for sure that if they did, they sure as heck would use it against the entire civilized world.
So as an outsider looking in, I would at least encourage the Israeli government to do the following.
- Arm every law-abiding and responsible Israeli citizen. Background checks are essential to help eliminate potential problem individuals.
- Demolish the homes of terrorists and deport their families. If Israel is so bad for them, see how happy they are to live in Syria, or Lebanon, or almost any other Arab land. Terrorists may just think twice knowing that their murderous actions will have negative repercussions on their own families.
- With every terrorist neutralized, follow the USA’s example. We didn’t send Bin Laden’s body back to his family or home to be buried with honors. The US wasn’t so shortsighted. War is war and not the time for pleasantries and gentlemen behaviors. Not a chance. His body was unceremoniously dumped into the sea. Israel needs to follow suit. Returning terrorist bodies to Gaza or wherever has accomplished only one thing; fanning the flames of fanaticism. Here too, the potential terrorist knows that there will be no great procession, eulogy, and “holy” burial.
- Freedom of speech doesn’t allow for an individual to yell fire in a crowded theater. That’s abuse of freedom. Israel should arrest and deport any Imam who preaches racism and fosters violence. These so-called “religious leaders” are anything but. They should be held liable not just for encouraging stabbings and shootings, but also for brainwashing their people and destroying their own youth’s lives. These “leaders” have done far more damage to the Palestinians than any Israeli has ever done. A true leader seeks to build up a people or country in positive ways. New leadership within the Palestinians themselves should be encouraged; one that seeks to demilitarize and have healthy, normal relations with Israel and other neighbors.
- Cameras should be put up immediately on the Temple Mount. Why don’t the Palestinian Arabs want them? What are they hiding? I think the answer here is pretty simple. The mosque was a pretty convenient place to store rocks and weapons and harass Jews and other tourists who are simply coming to visit and maybe take a few pics for Instagram.
- Take over completely all of the Jewish holy sites. Protect them and beautify them. It’s time for some serious self-respect.
- With technology today, it shouldn’t be too hard to develop effective neck and head protectors against stabbing attacks. These should be issued to every soldier on active duty, particularly those near sensitive areas, such as checkpoints and gateways where these attacks are more likely to occur. They should be available for purchase.
It’s high time we all put down the fiddle and become proactive. For the sake of western society and democratic, freedom loving people everywhere, it’s time to stop terrorists dead in their tracks.