Stand With Israel

Look at the map to the left and then look at how narrow this little country is between Caesarea and Tel Aviv. Then ask yourself what you would do if your neighbor began shooting rockets into your home where your children are? My hunch is that you would not wait for diplomacy. You probably wouldn't sit down for coffee with them and say, "I would really like it if you stopped firing rockets at my home and my family." No, instead you would probably taken much stronger action. Well, those who criticize Israel for their military operations in Gaza need to realize that Hamas has never stopped firing rockets into Israel. It happens nearly every day and Israeli citizens have been living in fear.

Take it one more step. What was your reaction after the September 11 attacks on the United States? You were furious. You were crying for something to be done. Very few of us said, "Gosh, let's sit down and talk to them and ask them politely not to do this again." Military enlistments spiked in the months following the terror attacks on the United States. And enlistments are still high. We wanted an "eye for an eye," didn't we? I am outraged at the liberal left! They have forgotten, I fear. They are the ones who are crying for Israel to stop the attacks on Gaza. I haven't heard many crying for Hamas to cease the bombing of Israel. The liberal press shows picture after picture of Israeli tanks, soldiers and jets attacking Gaza. They continually talk about the innocent persons in Gaza who have been killed or left homeless. It is true that in operations such as this, innocent people do get hurt. But is that Israels fault? Hardly! They can only blame the terrorist Hamas organization. That's what we faced in Vietnam. It is nearly impossible to tell the enemy from the rest of the population. Many do not wear a uniform plus Hamas uses women and children as shields just as they used a Mosque for a weapons warehouse.

Scripture tells us to "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem." Yet, how is peace achieved? How did we achieve peace following Pearl Harbor? We fought back and defeated the enemy. Were innocent civilians killed at Hiroshima or Nagasaki? Of course they were and that was and is a tragedy. That is always one of the great tragedies of war. But what about the Jewish child or pregnant mother who are killed by a Hamas rocket? It is no different and no, two wrongs do not make a right. Yet, peace is not equatable with passivity. As Americans we must stand with Israel. It doesn't make any difference where the bully is, we have to take a stand. Just because it is not on our soil doesn't mean we can sit back and do nothing!

We are called to love all God's children whether they are white or black or brown or yellow. We are called to love God's people whether they are Christian, Muslim, Jew or something else. Nobody every loved me more than my dad, but I can remember once or twice when he had to love me with a firm hand as he applied a bit of heat to the meat. Pray for an end to the violence. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray for peace in Iraq and Afghanistan. But also remember that peace is more than the cessation of violence.

God Bless You and God Bless America!

Let us never forget.........