Inform Yourself *UPDATED*

I don’t normally delve into political issues, but this blog is about “my world” – and as a Jew, I cannot ignore the current political situation in Gaza when I have an audience who actually pays attention to what I have to say.

If Israel had existed in the 1930s, my grandfather would not have been sent to Auschwitz. If there was a country that would have stood up to the nazis and provided my family with refuge when so many countries closed their doors, than I would have great grandparents and cousins, as opposed to a grandfather who mourns the anniversaries of the days each of his siblings and parents were sent to the gas chamber.

I will not try to convince any of you readers that supporting Israel’s right to defend itself  is the right thing to do – that is your decision to make – but I do ask that you inform yourself before taking sides.

Right now Israel appears to be on the losing end of the battle in the court of public opinion, despite the fact that the Canadian and American governments have publicly endorsed Israel’s efforts to defend itself after eight years of rocket attacks on its civilians.

I know it is almost impossible to be 100% objective when it comes to reporting, but I find it appalling how the media chooses to focus on images of wounded Palestinian children without mentioning that they are wounded because Hamas is using them as human shields.

War is never black or white, but I do ask that you use your brains, do your own research and verse yourself in the history of the region before being swayed by sensationalized images and biased reporting.

What I will leave you with is a hypothetical situation that forces you to put yourself in Israel’s shoes - something that the media has sorely neglected:

If Mexico continually launched rockets into California for 8 years – if life in LA meant living with constant sirens announcing you have 15 seconds to run to the nearest shelter – if everyday you watched your neighbour preach to the world about the USA having no right to exist, what would you do?

As a granddaughter of survivors, I ask that you do your research. Listen to first hand accounts from both sides and make sure you have all the information before siding with a terrorist organization.

**I had to update this post with a telling cartoon that was just sent to me:

It's horribly sad, but unfortunately one of Hamas' popular tactics. Read this editorial to learn more about how Hamas uses human shields in order to create mass carnage and how this leave's Israel with impossible choices**