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Shalom.
10 Questions about Gaza
Following the October 7 memorial services, we have received many questions about the Gaza-Israel War. We realize not everyone has much time to look into it so here’s a five-minute Q&A. We’ve provided additional references in case something piques your interest.
1. Why did the Gazans attack?
Because at its root, they mistakenly believe that their land was stolen from them. They want to replace Israel with an Islamic theocracy. Pluralism is acceptable as long as other beliefs are under their “umbrella.”
They say they are occupied because they feel they don’t control Gaza. They base this on the blockade that Egypt and Israel placed over Gaza following the election of Hamas, a party that has the destruction of Israel. It has a strong record of using violence to achieve this goal.
2. Why did the Gazans attack now?
Because the Russo-Ukrainian War and the Abrahamic Accords showed that the world was moving on and not focusing on their cause.
The Abrahamic Accords showed Arab countries were tired of the Palestinian Arabs carrying on with their cause despite it going nowhere, consigning generations of youth to a life of deprivation and misery even after they had been offered statehood multiple times.
By attacking with sufficient scale, causing sufficient death and taking enough hostages, Hamas hoped to incite a war that would breathe oxygen back into their cause. To maximize its propaganda value, their operators were instructed to upload and broadcast their actions on social media.
3. Why does Israel’s response seem over the top?
Because Israel declared war to protect its vulnerable, punish wrongdoing and to deter further wrongdoing.
War is hell, and in urban warfare, deadly to civilians. But Israel has conducted its war in such a humanitarian way that other powers are worried that they will have to do the same otherwise they could be hauled in front of the ICJ or ICC or both.
In Gaza, which is the size of Ashburton, Hamas has built more tunnels than the NYC Subway. There are few residential blocks without tunnels. Under the laws of war, civilian structures lose their immunity if they are used for military purposes, even if it is used for cover.
See Israel Has Created a New Standard for Urban Warfare. Why Will No One Admit It? | Opinion – Newsweek
4. Why does Israel target Civilian homes, the UN, schools and hospitals?
In Gaza, which is the size of Ashburton, Hamas has built more tunnels than the NYC Subway. There are few residential blocks without tunnels. Under the laws of war, civilian structures lose their immunity if they are used for military purposes, including cover.
This principle also applies to the UN, schools and hospitals. Hamas and Hezbollah use these locations because they want to take advantage of their immunity.
It is standard procedure for such targets to be vetted by the IDF’s JAG before the attack can be ordered.
Only the commanding officer and the IDF’s JAG have full knowledge of the intelligence available that justified an attack. In time of war, such information is classified.
Consequently, without the full possession of such information it’s easy to wrongly conclude a war crime has been committed.
See Gaza hospital chief admits to being Hamas commander, using clinic as military base (msn.com)
5. Is Israel guilty of Genocide?
There is a flaw in the Genocide Convention definition of Genocide. It says:
In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
- Killing members of the group;
- Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
- Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical
- Destruction in whole or in part;
- Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
- Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
A literal interpretation could mean any homicide, whether it is an individual or multiple people are also Genocides.
Many people think of Genocide as any mass homicide.
Either interpretation is a misapplication of the definition and does not reflect the intent of the Convention.
Israel has no intent to destroy all Arabs. But Hamas wishes to destroy Israel by all means possible.
See Definitions of Genocide and Related Crimes | United Nations
See 1988 Hamas charter – Wikipedia
See 2017 Hamas charter – Wikipedia
6. How did Hezbollah get involved?
Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 to stop PLO (another Palestinian Arab group) attacks from Lebanon. Hezbollah was founded as a reaction against Israel’s invasion of Lebanon.
Over the years, Hezbollah has built up a militia that is stronger than the Lebanese Army. They have quite a few seats in the Lebanese parliament. But the Lebanese government has no control over them or their militia. For this reason, Hezbollah is called a “state within a state.”
Both Hamas and Hezbollah are funded by Iran and have become their proxies (puppets). Iran is using them to wage a proxy war against Israel.
A day after the October 7 attack, Israel declared war and Hezbollah started firing missiles into Israel to pressure Israel into a cease fire.
They did this without consulting the Lebanese government. In this way they have drawn the rest of Lebanon into a war they did not choose.
As the war in Gaza wound down after most of Hamas’ militia were destroyed, Israel turned to stop Hezbollah because over 60,000 people had been evacuated to escape their missiles.
Israel has decided the only way to stop Hezbollah is to destroy their ability to wage war.
7. Aren’t Israelis settler colonialists?
They aren’t settler colonialists because:
- Jews are an indigenous people. An indigenous people cannot colonize their own land.
- For the Jews, this region is their homeland. There is no metropole.
- Although many Jews have been historically exiled or voluntarily emigrated, there has always been a remnant of Jews living continuously in the territory for 4,000 years.
See Settler colonialism – Wikipedia
8. Is Israel oppressing the Arabs?
From its inception, Israel has been attacked by the Arab majority in the region seeking to extend Islamic dominion. Jews are trying to prevent being oppressed by Islamic expansionists.
Palestinian Arabs have created a grievance industry to hide the shame of the wrong decisions they have historically made, including rejecting statehood in 1948 and opting for a winner-take-all all, fight to the death war, and losing.
This grievance industry relies on denying this narrative and creating the Nakba myth.
Now there is an unhealthy dependence on foreign aid and a significant proportion of it is diverted to fund a terrorist war.
Terminology such as “resistance fighters” ennoble their cause but they are nothing like the French Resistance of WW2.
In fact, Hamas is tyrannical and oppresses its own citizens.
See Why Hamas still relies on violent repression to control Gaza (theconversation.com)
9. Why is Israel escalating the conflict?
Israel has decided that to ensure the safety of its citizens and to deter Hamas and its successors from repeating October 7, it has to destroy Hamas’ ability to wage war.
Equally, it has decided that the same applies to Hezbollah. In this way, it dismantles decades of Iranian investment and exposes how weak Iran really is.
Birds of a feather flock together. Iran is already aligning itself with Russia and China who are both tyrannies with imperial aspirations. Who knows: If Iran is stopped then WW3 may well have been prevented or at least delayed for another generation.
10. What is the US’s involvement?
The US has been a long-time ally. The two countries share many values:
- Democracy
- Freedom of association
- Freedom of religion
- Independent judiciary, army and police
- The rule of law
- Equality
Israel is at the forefront of many sciences and technologies. Consequently, the two countries vigorously trade.
Despite accusations of genocide, Israel has a far better DEI track record than its regional accusers. There are hardly any Jews living among the other countries in the Middle East: While over 20% of Israel’s population are non-Jewish.
The few discriminatory laws arise to mitigate security risks and promote public safety.
Google, Microsoft and Samsung all have research centres in Israel.
The US provides significant military aid to Israel.
Unfortunately the US has struggled with being resolute in its foreign policy principally because they have been influenced by the false ideologies of settler colonialism, critical race theory, and neo-Marxism.
These ideologies are threatening to undermine Western Civilization too.
Amb. Ran Yaakoby says farewell
In August, NZFOI held a farewell reception for Amb. Ran Yaakoby as he ends his extended tenure in New Zealand.
So much has happened on his watch. Here’s the recording of the reception.
How October 7 impacted the NZ Holocaust Centre
Last week, Kris Clancy joined our Christchurch meeting to discuss the work of the Holocaust Centre, how he came to work for them, and how October 7 has significantly impacted the Centre’s work.
The recording of our meeting can be viewed here
Our latest newsletter is out!
Our latest newsletter is out.
We’ve been having email deliverabilty issues to Gmail, Hotmail and Xtra accountholders.
If you are affected, or you’d just like to read our newsletter, then you can download the newsletter from here.
Shalom.
Beware False Moral Equivalence Between Israel and Hamas Militants
Most New Zealanders are unfamiliar with war and its realities. We are even more unfamiliar with the laws that deal with the conduct of war. This article is a good resource that explains in layperson’s terms a high level introduction to how the laws of war differ from those in times of peace.
Hamas’ murder of six Israeli hostages, including a U.S. citizen, is another reminder not only that Hamas remains a genuine danger to Israel, but that it is among the most immoral, illegal, and barbaric armed groups in the world.
War, by its very nature, is a brutal endeavor. The international law that regulates war justifies significant violence that would otherwise be unlawful in peacetime. It also acknowledges the legality of attacks that kill or injure civilians when it is “incidental” to an attack on a legitimate military target and not excessive in relation to the value of attacking that target—one of the most difficult assessments combat leaders must make when deciding whether to conduct an attack. This law, however, categorically prohibits deliberately attacking civilians to kill them, injure them, or terrorize them. Even launching such attacks, regardless of outcome, is absolutely prohibited.
There is, however, one rule of war that is arguably even more fundamental than protecting civilians from deliberate attack: the obligation to treat humanely any captive or detainee.
Our latest newsletter is out
The September issue of our newsletter is out.
We’re continuing to have problems emailing our newsletter to Gmail, Hotmail and Xtra account holders. If you are one of our members and you’re not receiving our newsletter, then you can download it from here.
Leighton Smith interview of Iran Expert Behnam Taleblu
In case you missed our briefing with Iran expert Behnam Ben Taleblu, here is an interview with Leighton Smith on NewsTalk ZB:
Behnam Ben Taleblu is a senior fellow at FDD where he focuses on Iranian security and political issues. Behnam previously served as a research fellow and senior Iran analyst at FDD. Prior to his time at FDD, Behnam worked on non-proliferation issues at an arms control think-tank in Washington. Leveraging his subject-matter expertise and native Farsi skills, Behnam has closely tracked a wide range of Iran-related topics including: nuclear non-proliferation, ballistic missiles, sanctions, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the foreign and security policy of the Islamic Republic, and internal Iranian politics. Frequently called upon to brief journalists, congressional staff, and other Washington-audiences, Behnam has also testified before the U.S. Congress and Canadian Parliament.
His analysis has been quoted in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Fox News, The Associated Press, and Agence France-Presse, among others. Additionally, he has contributed to or co-authored articles for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Fox News, The Hill, War on the Rocks, The National Interest, and U.S. News & World Report. Behnam has appeared on a variety of broadcast programs, including BBC News, Fox News, CBS Interactive, C-SPAN, and Defense News. Behnam earned his MA in International Relations from The University of Chicago, and his BA in International Affairs and Middle East Studies from The George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs.
NZFOI Address at Farewell Reception for the Ambassador of Israel
Folks, we held a farewell reception for HE Ambassador Ran Yaakoby last Tuesday evening.
Here is a transcript of our address to His Excellency and the rest of the audience:
Your Excellency Ran Yaakoby, the Ambassador of the State of Israel to New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Samoa, Niue and Tonga.
Father Barry Malone of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish of the Catholic Diocese of Christchurch
Members of the Committee of New Zealand Friends of Israel
Members of the New Zealand Friends of Israel
Before we get started, there are some housekeeping matters to deal with.
I was flying with a budget Airline in the US called Spirit.
As usual, there was a safety announcement made before the flight began.
They said if an oxygen mask falls down in front of you, please stop screaming, let go of your fellow passenger, if you are travelling with your children, decide which has the most earning potential after college and decide from there who to put the mask on first.
To activate the flow of oxygen, swipe your credit card for the first minute because you are flying Spirit Airlines, a budget airline.
They said: We won’t let you smoke onboard our aircraft during the flight, but if you can step out on the wing, you may, if you can light it, we will let you smoke it. We are very accommodating at Spirit.
To the rest of the passengers, you’re in for a treat. As soon as the smokers step out on the wing, the inflight movie will automatically change to “Gone with the Wind”.
At NZ Friends of Israel, we are much less dramatic.
In the unlikely event of an earthquake or fire, the exits are well signed, and the assembly point is the car park on Rutland St.
You will not need your credit card.
After the formalities are over, you are very welcome to join us for light refreshments.
The toilets are through that door to my right and right again…
So ends our inflight announcements.
Your excellency, I’m sure that when you were appointed to become the Ambassador for Israel to New Zealand, you wouldn’t have thought that it would be so eventful.
In 2020, COVID-19 swept through the world. We were horrified by what we saw in New York City and Italy, which dismayed the world and countries worldwide went into lockdown.
The world owes a debt to Israel who took actions that gave the world much more confidence to use the new vaccines.
Who knows how many millions of lives were saved by your country’s courage?
In a breakthrough step toward long-term peace, the Abrahamic Accords meant normalization of relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.
In the West, four horsemen have been unleashed into the world and are causing mayhem and confusion, dividing societies and weakening their ability to discern good from evil.
These four horsemen are Settler Colonialism, Critical Race Theory, Neo-Marxism and Linguistic Theft.
Together they have created a toxic mix that has allowed the false accusations of colonialism, apartheid, illegal occupiers, genocide, and baby killers against Israel to take hold.
Your excellency, we see these things and we know that:
1. Jews are indigenous to the region and to call Jews colonizers is a lie.
2. Jews come in all different races and colors and to call them white settler colonialists is a lie.
3. We see people of different races and religions given equal access to education, employment and so we see them in every walk of life, in government, in the judiciary, in academia, in commerce, in trades, delivery people, cleaners, and civil servants; at every level of society no matter how much prestige that level gets, and so we know the accusation of apartheid is another lie.
4. It’s been nearly fifty years since NZ has seen war. For most of us we’ve never seen it first hand. War is ugly. War is tragic. Civilians die in war; The UN studied modern urban warfare and said that the ratio of civilian deaths to combatant deaths is about 9 to 1.
Yet all military experts agree that Israel has taken steps to evacuate civilians from the battlefront, have brought this ratio down from 9 to 1 to 1.5 to 2.5 to 1. Unfortunately in saving lives, the element of surprise is lost and so the war is prolonged. Yet, there are no regrets, for we all agree life is precious.
We all want the killing to stop. But war is necessary, because every government has a duty to protect its vulnerable, punish wrongdoing and to deter further wrongdoing. Hamas has promised that given the oppportunity, it will repeat October 7 all over again. Only war can prevent Hamas from fulfilling their promise.
Hamas knew that Oct 7 would bring war. And it would put their people in harm’s way. Yet they pulled the trigger anyway and hid in their tunnels while their women and children paid the price.
Even the ICJ judge who presided over the question of genocide stated that her court’s decision was misreported by media. Thus the accusation of genocide is also a lie.
5. We see Israeli Arabs and other minorities saying they wouldn’t want to live under the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, or Hezbollah. We don’t see people lining up to emigrate to China, Russia, your neighbouring countries or Northern Africa.
They want to live in freedom, and thus there are people queuing to live in Israel, Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. There is a reason. They want to live in freedom. Thus the neo-Marxist accusation that Israel is an oppressor is also a lie. The wise and sensible know this and they are voting with their feet. Thus the accusation that Israel is the oppressor tyranny based on neo-Marxist ideas, is also a lie.
6. We see the linguist thieves who try to hijack words like resistance and occupation as if they can share in the honor and nobility of the French Resistance of WW2.
But did the French Resistance ever execute German civilians at gunpoint like in October 7?
Did they take German civilians hostage like in October 7? Did they roast German babies in ovens?
Did they rape German girls in front of their parents like in October 7?
In hijacking the idea of resistance they tarnish the good work of the French Resistance.
Through linguistic theft, they try to steal the word resistance and claim its nobility for themselves.
Churchill once said that the first casualty of war is the truth. And indeed, Israel is beset by a concerted campaign of mis- and disinformation that has gathered so much momentum that it has created a kind of anti-semitic hysteria.
The big lie can be beaten. We can beat it with the Truth. In truth, there is freedom. We certainly need to be more savvy and direct in our messaging.
And unfortunately, it may take more war to beat tyranny. Many NZers have a strong belief in pacificism. Unfortunately, the world in which swords will be beaten into plowshares is not yet.
While some people believe that the only way to accomplish their goals is through a winner-take-all, fight to the death, a strong robust defense is necessary.
The world is in a fight between freedom and tyranny. Israel is at the forefront of this battle.
Tyranny may try to hide behind religion, it may hide behind political philosophies such as Self-Determination, Marxism, Nationalism, and Communism. But in the end, tyranny is the true source of oppression.
October 7 was horrific and revealed the depth of evil that Tyranny can bring.
But adversity can also bring out the best in people.
In New Zealand, many New Zealanders have seen fit to organize marches and vigils to support Israel and the hostages.
I’d like to publicly thank Bobby and Judah Meyer, Ravit Abraham, and Orla for organizing the weekly Solidarity march and vigil at the Bridge of Remembrance. It has been held without a break, rain or shine since October. [clap]
I know there are many of you that have regularly attended the Solidarity march, risking abuse, hot sun, heavy rain and freezing wind. I would like us to show our appreciation to your commitment to righteousness too. [clap]
Other NZers have travelled to Israel and brought back stories that have greatly moved us.
We had Bryce Turner speak at one of our events and we were horrified by the story of a raped teenager who subsequently discovered she was pregnant.
As the adults in her family argued about the fate of the baby, the girl emerged from her room, to rightly declare that the baby had done nothing wrong, and the baby would live.
Tyranny and evil bring great tragedy. But it also brings out the best among the noble and true.
New Zealand and Israel share many values.
We both believe that all humans are created equal, we both believe in democracy, the freedom of speech, freedom of association, the freedom of religion, an independent news industry, a separation of government from police, the military and the judiciary; we both believe in the rule of law.
No matter what people may say, Israel today is a shining light of democracy, a source of economic growth and employment, and a great example of plurality and tolerance.
These values are antithetical to tyrants. As long as Israel exists, it might give ideas to the citizens of neighbouring countries, ideas that might make them want freedom too.
A significant number of NZers feel joined to all Jews in Israel and the diaspora because they worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Not all New Zealanders are taken in by the big lie.
NZ Friends of Israel and other supporters in our community can see through the big lie.
October 7 has shocked us too and reminded us of the grim reality that some are not just debating ideas, but are prepared to take away our freedom to impose their will on us through deadly force.
Since October 7, our community has been galvanized into action, in many towns and cities there are brave organizers who have led regular marches and vigils for the hostages.
There are those who are devoting themselves to be social media warriors, recognizing that, social media is a significant debating chamber of today’s modern society and that this is an important battlefront.
We NZers join all Jews in Israel and the Diaspora in working towards a lasting peace in the Middle East, a Middle East where all peoples may flourish, mutually contributing to the success and prosperity of each other. Where one day, swords may be turned into plowshares. But that time is not yet.
As you return to Israel, I hope that you will not feel that Jews in Israel or in the Diaspora stand alone against the dark forces of evil.
Instead, you will know that you have many friends in New Zealand, friends who are faithful and true, who will not give up on you, who will proudly stand with you, and speak up for you, until righteousness prevails.
Thank you.
Am Yisrael Chai.
Hostage Database: Updated weekly
Hi Folks
Here is a database of all the Israeli hostages known to us and their current status.
Sadly many have died. May their memory be a blessing to all.
Yet many still live.
We would like it to be a resource that can be referred back to and also for those who wish to pray, something to focus your prayers.
With a database like this, it could be easily a numbers or statistical thing but we have included postage stamp images of the hostages faces and included commentary about them so that we never forget that they are human beings.
What happened on October 7 was a crime against humanity and therefore a crime against us all.
We will keep updating it weekly until the crisis is over.
NZFOI
