I am angry.
That’s not exactly “Stop the Presses”-level news. Hey, I root for the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Detroit Tigers. Anger is my default setting. Right after “disappointment.”
I also make the mistake of dabbling in the world of online political and social debates. That’s no way to keep the blood pressure down, for sure.
The Gaza-based terrorist group Hamas killed more than a thousand innocent Israelis on 10-7-23, parading many of their dead bodies through the streets of Gaza where their “civilians” cheered as if they had just won the World Cup.
If that were all they did it would still be MORE than enough to demand a deadly counterstrike and other bold measures to weed out this medieval death cult.
I will not go into details here but there are copious first-hand accounts you can read on what happened that fateful day, and what has happened in the subsequent 15 months to those unfortunate enough to be taken captive. Or “arrested,” according to the Filthy Hamas Book of Euphemistic Definitions.”
In addition to violating every possible war crime, it violates any sane human being’s sense of dignity. I’m not sure if our language has a word that goes beyond “barbarism,” but that is the only word that could suffice.
The recent hostage exchange/cease fire deal STILL gave Hamas a chance to disabuse us of the notion that they were just a gaggle of terrorists who also happened to be the duly-elected leaders of Gazans. But to the surprise of very few, they did nothing but re-enforce the view.
Last week Hamas put on a public spectacle while releasing Eli Sharabi. A gaunt-looking Sharabi was forced to stand in front of two masked Hamas terrorists who were holding automatic weapons and forced to read a statement about how excited he was to be able to go home and see his wife and daughters. Then the gunmen laughed. That’s because no one had told Sharabi during his 15 months in captivity that they had killed his family and he had no one waiting for him at home.
It is doubtless this hope of seeing his family again gave Sharabi fuel to survive his ordeal. To take that away from him just before releasing him is a level of cruelty that simply cannot co-exist with decent humanity.
Hamas upped the theatrics earlier this week when they released the remains of four hostages they claim died in captivity. (See photo below) Spectator Columnist Steven Miller wryly called it, “Jewapalooza.” It was a f*cking party with hundreds of Palestinian “civilians” dancing and singing as four coffins were brought forth of a stage that featured a large backdrop image depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a demonic figure. Also, the coffins listed the “arrest dates” of the deceased.
After the party was over the remains were eventually turned over to Israel. And a funny thing happened during the autopsies. Doctors determined that 4-year-old Ariel Bibas and 10-month-old Kfir Bibas were not killed by an Israeli airstrike as claimed by Hamas, but were instead brutally beaten to death by terrorists during their first days of captivity in the Gaza Strip. It also showed there were efforts made to conceal that damage and replace it with other evidence more consistent with a “rocket attack.”
But it gets worse. Not included in the coffins was the body of Kfir and Ariel’s mother, Shira. Her DNA did not match that of the remains that were placed in her coffin. The remains appear to be those of a Palestinian Jane Doe.
In addition to being a flagrant violation of the agreement that began this latest round of activity, it is also just more gratuitous cruelty from a reprehensible gaggle of maggots. Those who love her will now be tortured wondering if she is still alive and is still suffering. Was she sold into slavery? Was her cause of death the type which could not be concealed from professional forensic scientists?
It is highly unlikely we will ever know.
I’m a tough old bird with 35 years in the news business. To last that long, you have to learn to keep information at arm’s length. You cannot let it crack your professional “personal space” and begin impacting you emotionally. I am saddened to say that I have been unable to do that this week. I am as angry as I have been in years. I am angry as I can possibly be when the subject is something I don’t personally know and love.
I do not arrive at this conclusion easily because I know what it means. I am endorsing the absolute annihilation and eradication of Hamas from the face of the Earth. A group so thoroughly and grossly evil cannot exist next to polite people. Occasionally, you have to cull the herd. This is one of those times.
I don’t say this with any glee. A workable peace would be a FAR better solution. But Hamas has offered no evidence that they are interested in (nor capable of) peace. Quite the opposite. Their very foundational charter explicitly calls for the elimination of the state of Israel.
How do you negotiate with people who deny your right to exist? The answer is, you don’t.
Hamas has been given every opportunity to demonstrate that they are more than just bloodthirsty barbarians…that they can lead a group of people into a new future. But they have failed every opportunity.
And yes, I realize the irony of my calling for their destruction while attacking them for wanting to do the same with Israel. Well, I don’t care. I did once. Now I don’t.
We have allowed these cockroaches to dictate the rules of engagement for more than a generation and they have proven to be nothing more than mendacious murderers. Even with all of the evil Hamas has exhibited, the IDF STILL went through remarkable efforts to try and keep civilians alive...even those civilians who were holding hostages and actively supporting terroristic activity. They see mercy as weakness, so I do not believe we should offer them any.
Again, this is NOT the conclusion I wanted to arrive at. I fancy myself a Christian of some sort and I honestly try to emulate Jesus. Some days I am successful but many days I am not. And yes…when I ask that essential question, “What Would Jesus Do,” I am pretty sure he would not come to the same conclusion I have.
I have no idea what this means for my mortal soul. That is WAY beyond my paygrade.
We can talk about Israel later. And yes, I am going to grant them a certain amount of grace because of the circumstances. We must always conduct introspection, lest we become the same monsters we are fighting. But that process cannot begin so long as Hamas exists.
Even positing a two-state solution in light of recent events should be enough to get the person suggesting it ignored and ejected from any bargaining table.
Once Hamas ceases to exist, then and ONLY then can we begin a sober look at Israel. Hamas’ continued existence is an affront to humans across the planet. And yes, I am going to take it one step further.
If the past 15 months has shown nothing else, it has shown that the concept of a “Palestinian Civilian” is largely a myth. How many hostages were held by “civilians?” How many “civilians” made damned sure they got out and cheered when the bodies were paraded around slowly in the backs of Toyota pickups? How many “civilian journalists” turned out to be de facto Hamas PR hacks?
That is why when the hard work of ending Hamas is done, those doing it cannot be too terribly concerned about “civilians.” That’s because, with the exception of the young children, there are none. Or at least there are not enough to justify the half-measures the world insists Israel take.
Good people have some grim work to do. And no one looks forward to it.
Hamas must go. Palestine must go. Islam must go.