Ceasefire? A Slippery Thing when Dealing with Hamas

Browsing Twitter and Facebook shows that most of the world thought Israel was not playing fair during the most recent operation, named Guardian of the Walls, and they pressed for a ceasefire. We have the Iron Dome and bomb shelters and the Gazans only get a knock on the roof or a phone call telling them that their building is about to be levelled to the ground because Hamas houses terrorist infrastructure in it. So while their lives are saved because they have enough time to leave the building, their homes are destroyed. That is what happens when terrorists carry out military operations within civilian populations.

As Israelis began hearing whisperings about impending ceasefire, many responses in the social media supported continuing the fighting until a decisive victory would be achieved by Israel. For example:

נתניהו וגנץ,
אתם מסוגלים להסתכל לאמא הזו בעיניים ולומר לה – לא עוד!
אם לא,
אז זו לא הפסקת אש אלא כניעה מבישה לטרור. pic.twitter.com/56e0gzmabg

— יהודה ולד (@yehodavald) May 20, 2021

Which in English says:

Netanyahu and Gantz:
Can you look this mother in the eyes and tell her — No more!
If not, then this is not a ceasefire but a shameful surrender to terror.

In fact, a demonstration was planned for Sunday May 23 to impress upon the government that the people understand and support the need to keep going until the threat from Hamas will have been eliminated totally:

Oמ May 20 at about 9 pm, I wrote the following on my Facebook page:

I do not like what I am hearing about ceasefire. Don’t like it at all!!
We have to bring Hamas to its knees. They can have no demands on us whatsoever. If we allow them to dictate ANYTHING to us, we will have lost and all the magnificent damages to terrorist infrastructure and personnel will be for naught. Just a waste of time, money, and more.Let them raise the white flag.

I am not interested in what is said behind closed doors. It needs to be clear to all that they tried to kills us — AGAIN! — and they lost — AGAIN!

If our leaders lived in Otef Aza [the communities close to the Gaza border] they would not consider this ceasefire and they would not have considered ceasefire in 2014 and they would have taken care of the incendiary kites and balloons. This is scandelous.

And then, yesterday, May 21, at 2 am, the ceasefire most of the Israeli population opposes, went into effect. I posted my response at about 6:30 am, when I awoke to this sad news:

I am against this ceasefire. And I will be more against it if it turns out we gave in to Hamas demands. I have never been as angry as I am now at our government.

The bodies of our fallen soldiers are still being held by Hamas; the three mentally ill young Israeli men are still being held by Hamas and given no contact with their families and do not have their conditions verified by the International Red Cross. Hamas is still armed and will soon refurbish their armament supplies. They want young Arabs to be able to stockpile rocks and Molotov cocktails in the Temple Mount mosque without the Israeli army having the right to impose law and order. In other words, this is only a temporary lull in the hostilities during which Israel showed her might and her technological capabilities but for what purpose? Deterrence? Many here doubt that was achieved at all, especially with USA President Biden supporting Iran that is behind Hamas and Hizbullah.

Kay Wilson, Israeli tour guide, international speaker, author of “The Rage Less Travelled“, and jazz pianist, wrote a short post explaining what most Westerners, both those involved in negotiations for a ceasefire and those opining loudly on the social media, seem not to understand:

Every Westerner trying to intervene to reach a ceasefire, should know this:

There is no Arabic word for “ceasefire.”
There is only “hudna”

Jihadists agree to a “hudna” (ahem *ceasefire) in certain conditions to give them time to re-arm against the “Kufar” (the heretics, the enemy.)

A hudna is agreed to, so they can re-arm until they feel stronger, no matter how long it may take.

Hudnas in history have always been reached with no direct negotiations with the enemy – just like is happening now.

We have been subjected to constant attacks from Hamas for 20 years, even though there is not ONE Jew living in Gaza. When there has been a lull, its because it was a hudna,

A hudna is not, and never was, a stepping stone to peace.

Samer Berany, Council Member for the Druze city, Daliyat el-Carmel, wrote:

How disappointing! In the media, the enemy is glorifying [their victory] and are joyful, they are determined to fulfill their vision [getting rid of Israel] while we [Israelis] are addicted to quiet. We just achieved quiet and it will last until the next round [of hostilities]. A technologically superior army cannot be victorious over ideology. We must grow stronger regarding our own ideology as the task begun with the War of Independence is not finished – building the Land of Israel — all of it.

And giving more detail is Jerusalem-based author and news analyst, Zehava Englard Shapiro::

About that “ceasefire”…

We all know the reason behind Israel agreeing to the “ceasefire”.

Biden’s cabal would cut off Israel’s ability to continue using the Iron Dome, paralyzing Israel, preventing our military from protecting its citizens from thousands of enemy rockets and missiles, turning the population into sitting ducks under the whims of the terrorist armies on our borders.

The Democrats are in effect working in sync with Hamas against Israel. There is absolutely no other way to look at it. Whoever still entertains the thought that the US is a true ally of Israel is in a serious state of denial.

Those days are gone. Finished. It is almost laughable how die-hard American Jewish supporters of Biden (particularly those who claim to be supportive of Israel) hang on to his feeble announcement that “Israel has a right to defend itself” while at the same time threatening our Prime Minister by withholding the very means with which we defend ourselves.

Here’s a heads up, we dont need any country to tell us we have a right to defend ourselves. What a ridiculous statement. Is that ever a question for any other sovereign country when attacked? Enough of that nonsense. Israel doesn’t owe anyone “gratitude” for such an assertion.

In light of the actions of the US against Israel, unacceptable from a supposed ally, Israel must plan its future accordingly.

She must change the variables in the equation and free itself from being a victim to strong-arm tactics.

The next round coming from Hamas, and from Hezbollah as well, is a certainty. Iran has learned a valuable lesson from its proxies latest attack on Israel.

They have Biden’s support. They will get more US funds in a cushy nuclear deal that benefits only them.

They have the support of the many Israeli Arabs who outwardly supported Hamas in the streets of Israel in this latest war.

They are planning their next move against Israel, and Israel must be ready.

It is quite hard to find Israeli voices, whether on the left or right, in favour of the ceasefire, except among those within the country who want to see it cease to be a Jewish state.

Personally, while I like knowing I will be able to sleep through the night and can go out to shop for groceries without the threat of suddenly having to run for cover, my soul is not quiet. I do not trust this “quiet”. It is a pretend “quiet”. If it goes on long enough, I will get over the underlying stress and act as if everything is okay. Until the snake rattles at us again. It is not a matter of “if” but a matter of “when”. And therefore I wonder why my government does not take better care of us, nor has taken better care of us since we left Gaza and all hell broke loose.

Feature Image Credit: Screenshot from Facebook post used in this article.