I debated about putting this article that I have recently written here on this blog about my sons and my life as a soldier’s mother. I hesitated for all of 10 minutes. I came here to the blog, thinking should I…shouldn’t I…will I expand this blog to my thoughts of life in general and Israel in particular, or continue to try (and fail sometimes) to limit it to specifically this huge part of my life…the life of a soldier’s mother? I don’t have an answer for that whole question yet, but Anonymous came and visited me again, as he often does, with another nasty comment, another negative attack. He wrote, “And what’s your thoughts on the latest israel’s crime? It is murder conducted by a state. Are you proud of those sodliers for killing civilians?”
Aside from the fact that we are talking of soldiers and not sodliers, aside from the fact that the “civilians” were busy attacking our soldiers before they’d even landed on the ships, yes, I guess I do want to share my thoughts…so here they are:
Turkey’s 9/11
It is dangerous to be an Israeli in Turkey today. The families of Israeli diplomats have come back to Israel, as a cautionary move against possible violence. The diplomats, so far, have not been recalled. The flotilla fiasco is, according to some in Turkey, their 9/11. Of all the discussions I have heard, all the comments from all sides, this is perhaps the most telling.
September 11 was a day in which 50,000 people were attacked, more if you count the Pentagon and still more if you understand it was as much an attack on the United States itself, rather than “only” the World Trade Center. September 11 was a day in which innocence was attacked. Those who care more about making a point than reality, could argue that those in the Pentagon might not have been innocent, but no rational human being can say that those who perished, and those who survived, had done anything to justify what happened.
No, September 11 was about innocent victims and terrorism. How telling that the Turks use and abuse this event for their own political and cynical gains. The flotilla was not about humanitarian aid. No one can seriously believe that when Israel had constantly, even the day before, made public announcements that it was prepared to deliver the cargo to Gaza, once it was checked for security reasons and smuggling of contraband or weaponry.
Seriously, is there anyone in the world who doesn’t know about the hundreds of tunnels we have found and stopped, the endless smuggling of drugs, women, explosives, missiles and more that constantly flows into Gaza? It cannot be. I refuse to believe it.
It is possible people are unaware of the tens of thousands of missiles aimed at Israel – of the damage that has been caused here, the loss of life in Israel? I know the world has not forgotten the Gaza War – they are still looking for ways to condemn Israel. Even Richard Goldstone, the hanging judge of South Africa, admits to the rocket attacks and the damage we have sustained, even Richard Goldstone.
So clearly, Israel was justified in demanding our right to protect our citizens and verify that the cargo was innocent. Turkish citizens and others took to the waters. A naval blockade was legally declared. The flotilla refused to comply. From there, the situation is clear.
Israel attempted to board the ships. In all honesty, though I am not a military person, I can see that the soldiers believed they were dropping down into a ship of activists – the very humanitarian and peace-loving people they claimed they would be. It would be a matter of arrest, transfer, pack up the cargo, deliver it. End of story.
But the people on the ship were not the innocents of 9/11. I don’t remember seeing anyone beating, stabbing, and shoving others from heights. I remember people helping others, crying, hugging, and most of all, running in fear for their lives as the terrorist threat turned into reality.
The flotilla “peace activists” had metal clubs with which they beat soldier after soldier. With the knives on board, vicious, long and sharp weapons of violence, they stabbed one courageously – in the back – and shoved him over the railing to drop 30 feet. Other brave protesters were busy cracking a soldier’s skull, grabbed weapons of others, and opened fire on our soldiers (and likely on their fellow passengers). These were not peace activists, but violent protesters with a cause…and the cause was not humanitarian aid to Gaza.
A full forty minutes passed before the soldiers were given permission to fight back for their lives, to open fire. The videos show this, taken from above and watched by thousands. News reporters heard the soldiers calling, one to the other, “don’t shoot, don’t shoot.” This is what they were trained to do and despite being beaten, they stuck to the training and did not meet deadly force with deadly force for a full 40 minutes.
For me, I am entranced with the concept that this violent act, this battle on the seas, could be compared to a massive terrorist attack against unsuspecting people on their way to work. The protesters were not unarmed as were the people of the World Trade Center; the protesters were not taken unaware. Knives were on board for this purpose (you don’t even cut a thick steak with the knives these protesters wielded).
Unsuspecting? This was at sea, out in the open – the flotilla was approached, warned repeatedly and loudly – yes, there are videos of these warnings (and again the offer to deliver the cargo to Gaza). A helicopter hovered over their heads as they planned their ambush and their victims – yes, their victims – were fed to them one by one as the soldiers dropped to the ships, each taken and viciously beaten. Each soldier was confronted by three or more armed men before he had even landed and the first blows often started while the soldier was still descending. Peace activists? No, not even close. Unsuspecting? Seriously not. Unarmed? Not even close.
I do not know if the American government of Barack Hussein Obama will take issue with what the Turks are now claiming, the message they are trying to float to the world. I do not know if the world is stupid enough to believe that those aboard were innocent.
Already yesterday and today, the contents of most of the ships has been transferred to Gaza – as promised before this whole fiasco, less the knives and other weapons found. A friend suggested that what Israel should have done was send their commandos under the waters to simply pull the “plugs” on the ships, open a hole in the bottoms – and just let them sink.
We would be there to rescue those who wished to be rescued, let others rescue them, or let them drown. Had we done that, ten of our soldiers would not have been wounded, two in critical condition from the brutal attacks. And, had we done that, perhaps so many protesters would not have died and been injured. Of course, Gaza would not have gotten the aid it now has, but then again, that was never the point anyway.
I have now become a proponent of the concept of “retro-active sinking.” Should more flotillas come, and they will – we should sink the ships, simple as that. Those on board can sink or swim, be rescued or drowned. They wanted pictures of violence – they got them. That was expected, acceptable and inevitable.
Calling it Turkey’s 9/11 was not expected, should not be acceptable and though it might have been inevitable, it must be condemned. More than 50,000 innocent, unsuspecting people were attacked in the most brutal terrorist attack this world has seen. To compare that to the pre-planned battle and its consequences on the flotilla is obscene and must not be tolerated. In the strongest terms, Obama and others must demand a full apology and retraction from the Turks. Sadly, the Turks are so busy protesting and attacking all things Israeli and Jewish they can find, they are likely not to hear.
you have a childs…how do you feel if your innocent kids died by PHOSPHORUS bomb while they are studying in school? how do you feel if your land being took away from the imigrant? how do you feel if you see your cute baby being shot at the head in front of you? i don;t understand..why your ISRAEL can act WORST than ANIMAL. as a mother..i’m so sad..because you dont have what we call LOVE. you let your kids being a kids killer…take innocent people life! property! happiness! all those thing doesn’t mean anything to you. Oneday GOD will punish your people with soemthing that you never see…heard..or felt before.
I am going to assume that you are a caring mother, and will answer honestly.
1. A huge part of me would die if, God forbid, any of my children died. But you ask about a “phosphorus bomb while they are studying in school”. You are trying to ask a question and imply that it happened. Israel didn’t use phosphorus bombs during the Gaza war and what kind of parents send kids to an unprotected school during a war? Our homes are built with sheltered rooms, our schools not allowed to open if there is not a shelter. What idiot parent sends a child in the middle of a war to school? Of course, we did our best to avoid schools…except those being used as launching grounds for rockets and, according to my personal Rules of War…if you use a mosque, a school, a hospital from which to launch rockets, don’t cry when the country against which you sent that rocket…shoots at the source!
2. You ask how I would feel if “your land being took away from the immigrant”? Who is the immigrant here? Certainly not the Jews – do you know history at all? Even a little? This has been our land for 2,000 years and always will be. We were prepared to share our land with “immigrants” in 1948 when we agreed to the UN plan to divide it. There have always been Jews in this land. Until the Arabs learn to deal with this fact…there will be war – usually wars the Arabs themselves start.
3. About seeing “your cute baby being shot at the head in front of you”? I’m really beginning to rethink my earlier comment about your being a mother who simply wants answers, but I’ll continue. This one I can answer easily – not, thankfully, because I have seen this, but because I know mothers who have – or at least I know of mothers. There was the mother of Shalhevet Pass – a beautiful 8 month old baby who was shot by an Arab sniper…and her mother watched her die; there was Yehuda, who was only 5 months old, who was hit in the head and died. Do you have a name for this imagined baby of yours or do you simply put more propaganda into this debate. Then there were the four Hatuel girls – not much more than babies when Arab gunmen shot them point-blank in the head and murdered them. Of course, they didn’t do it in front of their mother. The evidence suggests that first they murdered Tali Hatuel – who was 8 months pregnant, before they then murdered her daughters. Is it worse to kill a child in front of its mother…or a mother in front of her children. No Israeli has ever intentionally shot a baby in the head.
4. You write “why your ISRAEL can act worst than ANIMAL”? Funny, I was thinking that animal word described the action of those so-called peace activists on the ship perfectly – as they swarmed around the soldiers like animals swarm around food. As they beat them, stabbed them in the back, cracked their skulls and threw one over the railing to fall 30 feet below.
5. “You let your kids being a kids killer” – No, this too is the hysterical ranting of an ignorant person. My sons are soldiers in the army of Israel, the most moral army in the world. My sons – collectively the soldiers of Israel, risk their lives to avoid injury. For example…they waited FORTY minutes before they opened fire on the “peace activists” who were beating them, stabbing at them with knives, hitting them with metal clubs. Forty minutes because they wanted to avoid the very pictures and images and actions the protesters on the flotilla wanted so very much.
Finally, you write that God will punish my people. Do you now presume to know the will of God? Interesting that you believe you can speak in His name. That is the greatest danger of all facing Israel – the religious fanatics who believe they act in the name of God and in His name.
I am proud that I live in a country that delivers humanitarian aid to our enemies despite the pre-planned, violent animal-like behavior of those extremists on the flotilla, we stayed true to our ideals.
That Ms Anonymous, is Israel!
Soldier’s Mother – I support you. I saw that footage too. I saw young men the same age as my eldest son, young men who look very much like him, being lynched by a Muslim mob.
The moment this story broke, I sent an email to the Israeli embassy in my country, stating that I fully understood why Israel had had to act, that I recognised it was an impossible situation, and that I thought the young soldiers had acted with extraordinary restraint under the circumstances.
I am *happy* that none of the young soldiers were killed; and I am not particularly sorry for their attackers who got killed; if non-Muslim they had made themselves janissaries for merciless Jihad; and if they were Muslims they were surely hoping for lots of Jews to be killed, either then and there, or later, by Hamas.
God bless Israel. And may His angels protect your sons, and the sons of other mothers like you.
Love and prayers from an Australian Gentile who cares about Israel
Some people choose to stay totally IGNORANT of the facts, as always.
Keeping you all in my heart and prayers.
[And you get Chinese comments, too? DELETE is my friend….lol]
It’s truly fascinating that people cannot see that Israel did everthing right and still gets world condemnation
Dear Soldier’s Mother,
I just happened upon your blog today while looking for the truth of the flotilla. I am so glad I found it. I saw the footage, and am amazed that people STILL feel sorry for the “humanitarians.” Once again, they are turning Israel into the enemy. I have a facebook page, and I am posting articles that will reveal the truth of the situation, if people would like to learn the truth. Some cannot handle it, and I also get derogatory remarks. I posted the “we con the world” video yesterday, and lost many “friends” over it. I applaud your bravery for telling the truth, and I stand with you and Israel. You and your son will be be always in my thoughts and prayers, and I look forward to more of your blogs.
Marcy in America