Tal Braun is an IDF (res.) colonel who has served in a variety of senior positions and units in the IDF and is a member of the Israel Defense and Security Forum (IDSF).
Let me tell you a short story, but first, for your own sake, try not to read it alone in your safe and cozy bedroom before falling asleep.
And this is how the story begins….
Your longtime neighbor, with whom you had disputes over an extended period, together with a bunch of the members of his gang, invaded your property on your holy day by crashing and smashing the high fence you had built into pieces. If you thought up to then that "good fences make good neighbors" and you can sleep well, you realized quickly and violently how wrong you were. If you thought that by providing him with electricity, water, food, supplies for his farm, donations, medical assistance, work for his family members and even treatments for his sick children, you would attain a peaceful relationship- you woke up to a nightmare.
After breaking through, he starts by shooting at your pets. Finding your teenager and his friend playing in the backyard, he shoots them too and makes sure they are dead with another bullet to their heads. Escaping wasn’t an option for them, not with the 30 full metal jacket rounds from his AK 47 that were found during the autopsy.
Near the swimming pool, they find your daughter having a nice party with some of her college friends. They decide to enjoy themselves as well, but according to their own style or godforsaken, sick ideology. So they torture and rape your princess because they know how much you love her and how important she is in your life. They slaughter and kidnap a few other girls in order to abuse them later on and make you surrender to your neighbor's demands. All part of a vicious plan to hurt, terrorize and destroy you, your family and all the other neighbors standing in their way. Those who will witness the horrific results and think a hundred times before arguing with them.
Then, they try to enter the house, where other family members and a few guests are hiding, trying to hold fast until the police answer the emergency call and special squads arrive for the rescue.
Your wife and two other children had locked themselves in the safe room, thinking that they would be safe there, but the neighbor burnt the whole house down upon them. Your wife was found hugging the kids so tight that their bodies, or what was left of them, became as one, inseparable in death.
Questioning yourself
You probably ask yourself, why? For heaven's sake, why should a human being commit such a horrible crime? What did you do that made him so murderous? Was he insane?
Well, the sane neighbor had demanded you leave, run away, abandon your property, because he wanted it for himself.
Not a single piece of evidence, agreement, well-founded claims or any excuses you brought up were acceptable to him. He didn’t recognize your legitimate right to live on th property that you inherited after your forefathers earned it generations upon generations ago. Actually, your patriarchs, Jack, Isaac and Abe, held the bill of rights on that particular property long before your savage neighbor or his forefathers, knew someone in this neighborhood, or even heard about its existence, not to mention your origins and rights carved on the ancient tombs and written in your family's book of legacy.
The municipality and all other authorities knew and respected your ownership of that piece of land, and even had it written in their books and other historic documents kept in public and national libraries, long before any other document was signed or any book was written in the entire place by any other resident.
But your neighbor was resolute, cruel and violent. He didn’t accept you or anyone else who thought differently than he, or opposed his will. He used to call you "the infidel who lives, for the moment, near me, on a property that will soon be mine."
After what he did to you during that terrible day, your neighbor was sure that you would break down and leave the place. bHe was sure you would be egging for mercy, willing to give him everything he wants for releasing your precious ones and leaving you alone to mourn and go away, to a place where no man has gone before. End of story for now.
What would you do with this “nice and humane” neighbor of yours? Abandon your property, give him a prize for his atrocities, and start all over again in a place that wasn’t yours in the first place and where nobody is waiting for you? Would you depend on your other neighbors to assist you, even though they are well-known as members of his gang? Would you rely on your uncle who lives across the ocean to do the job for you and free your family, gain back what is yours, pursue justice and yes- get your revenge, even for the purpose of future deterrence?
Or would you fight back, take the needed steps and do what you have to do? Fight your own battles, take your own revenge so that the entire hostile parts of the neighborhood, and even far away suburbs, would hear about it and stay silent for at least a generation or two?
Are you a fighter who has a legal right not only to his property, but the right to live honorably as a free man and defend his own family? Or- are you a quitter who will bring disgrace on his family and heritage by losing everything, including freedom and life?
Would you calm down while your red-headed, year-old baby is held hostage in a small cell in an underground dark tunnel, located somewhere close by on your neighbor's property? The same savage who is anxious to abuse your daughters and is not willing to return them, even though you offered to do almost everything?
If one of your friends or distant cousins would tell you to stop fighting your neighbor and put down your weapons, would you listen to them or ask them to first demand the neighbor stop his cruel and ferocious acts of terror immediately, with no pre-conditions?
Now, try to convince an Arab Muslim terrorist, who is actually the neighbor we spoke about, that he is doing wrong, and that as long as he keeps your family members under his custody you will do whatever is necessary to release them and destroy any future threat against your property and dearest ones.
It will take whatever is needed from all sides of the equation, but there is no other way, no turning back without your family, your property, your pride and your revenge, as long as you want to live as a free man and raise your family and offspring as promised to you, on the promised land of yours.
To make a long story short
Jews have the full right to live as free people in Israel, their promised land, mentioned in the Bible, the New Testament and even the Quran. If an Arab thinks differently – he can go to Arabia, where all the Arabs came from and check his origins. Jews did the same and after 2000 years of exile returned to Judea, their homeland, where our patriarchs, prophets and kings lived, ruled and prospered.
Israel should learn from those proud Americans, Brits and other nations that were not willing to sit back quietly after being attacked. The US crushed the Arabs who brought 9/11, the Brits did not give up after the Nazi blitz on London. They all fought and gave a hell of a payback to their enemies.
Israel has the right to do so as well, stronger and harder than ever, until the release of our kidnapped babies, women, elderly and young men who are suffering harsh conditions in captivity, including rape, hunger, prevention of medical treatment and not seeing daylight, meeting Red Cross officials or human rights activists, as they are kept as hostages in the Gaza tunnels by the Hamas terrorists.
Israel did not ask for this war, but since the war did start,- may the gates of hell open for all those enemies, their relatives and those surrounding them who slaughtered or condoned the murder, rape, torture, kidnapping and abuse of Israelis of all ages (from a half-year-old baby to an 85 year old grandmother) in such horrific ways, that even ISIS, S.S Nazis and the Spanish Inquisition pale in comparison.
As the Jewish people celebrate Passover, we remember the meaning of gaining freedom, the miracles of the Almighty and what happened to the king who refused Moses' demand: "Let my people go." We remember the absence of our brothers and sisters who are suffering only because they are Jews, because of antisemites and Arab terrorists. Those who cannot accept strong Jews living in the Holyland unconditionally as its owners.
For our fellow Americans and allies: The right to bear arms wasn’t meant to hunt a bear or bear injustice or cruelty. It was meant to make sure that nobody can mess with your right to live free on your own land, raise your family on safe ground and worship the Almighty like your forefathers did for hundreds of generations.
"Am Israel Chai"- The people of Israel are alive and fighting the good fight, whether backed by their friends or going it alone. You may lend a hand or get ready for the neighbor who crossed the ocean to live right next to you and who has already started to make his moves, but please do not interfere while justice is being served.