Wednesday, January 14, 2009

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.

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

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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**

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree with your sentiments. Israel has the right to defend itself.

However, as a Canadian (I am otherwise, a mix bag of Irish, French and Welsh) I do not feel that the media is negatively portraying one side or the other. In fact, I have been impressed with the Canadian media coverage in that it has provided a "voice" for both sides. The media coverage I have seen (GTA news) will show an Israeli demonstration as well as a Palestinian one (for example).

Americans (and their media) are well known for their fervent support of Israel. I feel that the coverage has been fair despite this.

Ultimately, both sides have lost life. And regardless of who is right or wrong, life is being lost. That deserves to covered equally.

Anonymous said...

Jessica,
Your post comments are fair and insightful. Thank you for sharing. I also agree with the anonymous comment about your post. I would like to mention though, the double standard that the world of the media holds towards the humanitarian crisis (on both sides) in Israel & Gaza over the past several weeks.

In terms of imminent and destructive humanitarian crisis in the world today, the suffering of innocent populations is continually neglected and ignored, while attention for the plight of Palestinians is endorsed and exposed on a wide-scale basis when you compare the two.

If you look at the general facts of the most urgent humanitarian crisis in the world today - Palestianians in Gaza are ranked in the mid-30's, yet account for the majority of media coverage. That means there are 30+ cases of human suffering that deserve the attention and support of the free-world as much, if not more, than the plight of a people who support a terrorist organization (Hamas).

Is this fair?

The Jeanius said...

I am very impressed with your words Jessica. I think you are absolutely right, and I am saddened to hear about your grandparents' tragedy in the holocaust. I have been writing about the Israeli-Hamas situation, but could not have expressed myself in better words than you have. I referenced your comments in a post I made a few minutes ago.

http://theartofdenim.blogspot.com

I pray for the safety of the Israeli people.

Wandering Ju said...

Hi I recently began reading your blog and really enjoy the content. Thank you!

As a convert to Judaism and a resident of Israel, I find myself approached by my non-Jewish and non-Israeli friends family members to defend Israel on its "cruelty" towards Palestinians. I'm usually not one to discuss politics and hate to come off as a frenetic so I keep it a low-key.

I think your post reflects the current situation candidly and I would like to make a link to this post on my own blog. Would that be OK?

Anonymous said...

As an American, and as a Catholic, I FULLY support Israel and their defense tactics.

I have sent that cartoon on to many people to share.

Lauren said...

Jess I am very proud of you for this post.