In the name of allah, the most gracious, the most merciful, Palestinians stoned a bus filled with children yesterday.
In the name of allah, the most gracious, the most merciful, a Palestinian woman approached a young Israeli woman and stabbed her in the neck. (Full disclosure, the young woman, aged 25 was wearing a uniform showing that she was serving her nation by protecting a holy site that is often attacked by neighboring Arabs with rocks, firebombs, etc.)
In the name of allah, the most gracious, the most merciful, four Israeli young men on their way home from a soccer game in Jerusalem were attacked. One is fighting for his life, three others were also injured but expected to recover.
In the name of allah, the most gracious, the most merciful, dozens have been murdered in Tunis and Yemen.
In the name of allah, the most gracious, the most merciful, a man was beheaded in Paris, and the murdered took a selfie with the body to show his pride in his actions.
In the name of allah, the most gracious, the most merciful, an ambulance was attacked, the driver barely surviving at least 19 gunshots fired at, around, and into the vehicle which was thankfully not carrying a patient at the time.
In the name of allah, the most gracious, my son’s yeshiva in Ramle was attacked at least three times last week.
In the name of allah, the most gracious, firebombs were thrown this morning at a Jewish neighborhood in Jerusalem.
In the name of allah, the most gracious, the most merciful, Muslims around the world are showing neither graciousness nor mercy this holy month of Ramadan.
And what infuriates me most of all is two things.
The first is that no one is surprised. It’s this way every Ramadan, I am told. Every Ramadan, I tell new immigrants to Israel who are shocked by the sudden spike in attacks, this is Ramadan.
The second is the absolute irony that during this same month, the Pope rushes to recognize a Palestinian state, where none exists, where there are no borders, no responsibility, no elections, nothing.
The United Nations rushes to condemn Israel, ignoring life saving measures we took during last year’s Operation Protective Edge. Israel, who has never threatened to use nuclear weapons is betrayed by the Obama administration while the US negotiations with Iran and pushes for a deal that will almost secure their getting a bomb…which even without having, they have already threatened to use.
We saved lives by warning citizens in Gaza with leaflets, announcements, and text messages. All but ignoring these measures, the idiotic UN Human Rights report suggests that Hamas’ threats to wipe out Tel Aviv constitute “warnings” and thus credit THEM and not us.
A flotilla sails right past Egypt, holder of the keys to one side of Gaza, demanding that Israel stop the blockade. And on the ship – cameras and cellular phones…that constitutes humanitarian aid?
In a world that has turned upside down and almost insane, can it be any wonder that Muslims are rushing to murder and main to honor the name of allah, the most gracious, the most merciful?
This morning, still angry and agonizing over the attack last night, enlightenment dawned. It isn’t what I’ve been thinking – that the world simply hates us – as Israelis, as Jews. Clearly, the 27% hike in anti-Semitic attacks in New Jersey, 21% in the US in general, 23% in the Netherlands, with even worse numbers coming from several other European countries, has been misunderstood.
What changed it? I saw a Facebook post from my younger adopted son, who is vacationing in Italy. He wrote that he went to a concert in “a friggin ancient coliseum in Verona. Sickest two and a half hours of my life!!”