Well there’s a cease-fire in place and you know what that means, time to recycle an old joke!
An Israeli soldier calls up his girlfriend, “Hey Rachel, how about a date tonight?”
“Of course not! Don’t you know our country is at war?” she replied indignantly.
“OK then, how about tomorrow night?
So there’s a cease-fire and nobody knows how long it’s going to last, say the news media.
Which is silly, it’s going to last precisely as long as it takes Hamas and the Palestinian Authority to stockpile more munitions, gather support from what’s called the international community, and organize for another attack while supporters abroad look for Jews to beat up.
Why do they do this? Seriously, what’s in it for Hamas? What strategic goal is served by starting an apparently pointless war? A war they can’t possibly win. What do they hope to gain except more damage to their homes and more dead Palestinians?
If I had to guess, I’d say the question answers itself. What they want is more damage and more dead Palestinians.
They want that because they cannot stay in power without keeping the fires of hatred alive. They cannot rule over a people who want anything resembling a normal life. Because they know when that happens their power will evaporate.
But if you doubt me you don’t have to take my word for it. You can consult one Mosab Hassan Yousef (now Joseph), eldest son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef co-founder of Hamas and considered its spiritual leader.
Mosab grew up a Hamas fighter and was assumed to be his father’s heir apparent. Like a good little jihadi he was first arrested at age 10 for throwing rocks at Israeli soldiers, the first of many arrests.
You’d think under those circumstances he’d be shouting “Off da pigs!” however you say that in Arabic. But he couldn’t help but notice that Israeli interrogation methods were humane compared to the torture and murder of suspected collaborators by Hamas.
He became an asset for Israeli security Shin Bet and helped prevent a great deal of murder and mayhem. Eventually he converted to Christianity and requested asylum in the United States where he’s presumably living as close to a normal life as anyone whose immediate family has vowed to murder can.
(Also authored a book, “Son of Hamas” which I intend to read someday.)
Sheik Hassan Yousef’s youngest son Suhib Hassan Yousef has also defected from the cause, appearing on Israeli television denouncing Hamas as a corrupt terrorist organization. He’s been accused of working for Israeli intelligence Mossad, but denies it.
I will be watching with interest to see if Suhib follows in his brother Mosab’s footsteps and converts to Christianity.
And why would he? Instead of becoming a reformist Muslim as some have.
Well practically speaking, because there is no home for him in Muslim communities in the West. Betray the cause of destroying Israel and even in America there’s someone waiting to kill you. Not all Muslims for sure, not even most. But all it takes is one.
And spiritually because Christianity regards war as an aberration, not the norm. Christian pacifists are a minority, but a respected one. There are Christian warriors, and historically there have been orders of warrior monks. But for Christians the goal of war is to end the war, not prolong it into the indefinite future.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
– Matthew 5:9
Cease fire, well that was quick
Well there’s a cease-fire in place and you know what that means, time to recycle an old joke!
An Israeli soldier calls up his girlfriend, “Hey Rachel, how about a date tonight?”
“Of course not! Don’t you know our country is at war?” she replied indignantly.
“OK then, how about tomorrow night?
So there’s a cease-fire and nobody knows how long it’s going to last, say the news media.
Which is silly, it’s going to last precisely as long as it takes Hamas and the Palestinian Authority to stockpile more munitions, gather support from what’s called the international community, and organize for another attack while supporters abroad look for Jews to beat up.
Why do they do this? Seriously, what’s in it for Hamas? What strategic goal is served by starting an apparently pointless war? A war they can’t possibly win. What do they hope to gain except more damage to their homes and more dead Palestinians?
If I had to guess, I’d say the question answers itself. What they want is more damage and more dead Palestinians.
They want that because they cannot stay in power without keeping the fires of hatred alive. They cannot rule over a people who want anything resembling a normal life. Because they know when that happens their power will evaporate.
But if you doubt me you don’t have to take my word for it. You can consult one Mosab Hassan Yousef (now Joseph), eldest son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef co-founder of Hamas and considered its spiritual leader.
Mosab grew up a Hamas fighter and was assumed to be his father’s heir apparent. Like a good little jihadi he was first arrested at age 10 for throwing rocks at Israeli soldiers, the first of many arrests.
You’d think under those circumstances he’d be shouting “Off da pigs!” however you say that in Arabic. But he couldn’t help but notice that Israeli interrogation methods were humane compared to the torture and murder of suspected collaborators by Hamas.
He became an asset for Israeli security Shin Bet and helped prevent a great deal of murder and mayhem. Eventually he converted to Christianity and requested asylum in the United States where he’s presumably living as close to a normal life as anyone whose immediate family has vowed to murder can.
(Also authored a book, “Son of Hamas” which I intend to read someday.)
Sheik Hassan Yousef’s youngest son Suhib Hassan Yousef has also defected from the cause, appearing on Israeli television denouncing Hamas as a corrupt terrorist organization. He’s been accused of working for Israeli intelligence Mossad, but denies it.
I will be watching with interest to see if Suhib follows in his brother Mosab’s footsteps and converts to Christianity.
And why would he? Instead of becoming a reformist Muslim as some have.
Well practically speaking, because there is no home for him in Muslim communities in the West. Betray the cause of destroying Israel and even in America there’s someone waiting to kill you. Not all Muslims for sure, not even most. But all it takes is one.
And spiritually because Christianity regards war as an aberration, not the norm. Christian pacifists are a minority, but a respected one. There are Christian warriors, and historically there have been orders of warrior monks. But for Christians the goal of war is to end the war, not prolong it into the indefinite future.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
– Matthew 5:9