THE NEED TO VENT

I was talking to a friend on FB recently and while there are many points on which we agree we came to a heated impasse on one. The friend suggested that instead of a ground incursion into Gaza to stop up all the tunnels that reach into Israel and from where Hamas perpetrates terror, we should buttress the 'peaceful majority' by offering them incentives for peace and help them to stand up and be counted. A fine sentiment indeed. But I find myself incensed. 

Not only do I, as a tax-paying Israeli, continue to provide water, food and electricity to that peaceful majority in the face of a radical charter that explicitly calls for my destruction; that we risk our own lives fixing electricity poles that the Hamas bombed themselves so that said peaceful majority can maintain its energy supply; that we warn the peaceful majority through millions of flyers and phone calls to evacuate their homes which are shielding Hamas weaponry and move to areas that we are not targeting; that we offer a ceasefire for purely humanitarian reasons so that the peaceful majority can find food and shelter - which is deliberately broken by Hamas for no other reason than to put this same peaceful majority in harm's way for a good photo opp; not only do I look out for the Palestinian peaceful majority in so many practical ways, but now I am also being made to feel responsible for the conscience of that peaceful majority! 

The problem is this: To paraphrase terrorism analyst Brigitte Gabriel, the peaceful majority are irrelevant when it comes to political change because they do not drive the agenda. Why? because they refuse to stand up and be counted. The argument that they are afraid to speak out does not hold water. There are several young Gazans who do so on FB to their great peril. Several brave Egyptian journalists have also been given broadcasting space. But there are millions of other Muslims living in the rest of the world where free speech is granted. Where are they? Where are they demonstrating? Why are they not looking out for the interests of their brethren - the peaceful majority?

For my part, I have enough responsibilities in my own backyard.