January 30, 2009

Dear Friend of Israel,

Israel knows better than most countries the challenges of fighting terrorism. During its more than 60 years of existence, the Jewish state has faced foes that have shown their utter disregard for human life by targeting innocent civilians, rejecting every standard of decency and internationally recognized rule of warfare.

At no time was this more apparent than during Israel’s recent military action in Gaza, when it was reported that the terrorist group Hamas used its own people as human shields. Weapons and rocket launching sites were deliberately placed in and around mosques, schools, hospitals, and other civilian areas. Civilians were instructed to stand on the roofs of buildings to stop Israeli planes from bombing. Terrorists fought in civilian clothes to confuse Israeli ground troops.

Hamas’ rationale in adopting these illegal and immoral tactics is twofold. First, Hamas knows that Israel goes to great lengths to avoid Palestinian civilian casualties. By launching its attacks and storing its weapons among civilian populations, Hamas hopes to take advantage of Israel’s compassion and protect itself from attack.

The second reason is far more sinister. By forcing Israel to unintentionally inflict civilian casualties, Hamas is presented with a public relations opportunity. When an Israeli strike inadvertently kills Palestinian civilians, Hamas broadcasts and distributes images of bloodied Palestinian bodies to the world, and then waits for the inevitable public outcry against Israel’s alleged “cruelty”.

Now there is more evidence than ever of Hamas’ disregard for the lives of its fellow Palestinians. A new report from the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center uses maps of Hamas rocket launching sites, weapons storehouses, and training camps superimposed on aerial photographs of Gaza to show that during the Gaza war Hamas turned entire neighborhoods into military camps. Videos posted by the Israel Defense Forces on the Internet clearly show Hamas mortars being fired from schools and mosques, as well as secondary explosions indicating the presence of weapons caches following Israeli air strikes on buildings harboring terrorists. I encourage you to look at these resources, and help spread the word about the true nature of Hamas by forwarding this message to your friends. Now, more than ever, it is essential that Israel’s friends arm themselves with the facts and online resources like these to counter the anti-Israel bias that is, sadly, so prevalent in the media.

Recently Israeli historian Yaacov Lozowick commented on Israel’s behavior in the recent war. “From time to time I claim that the IDF is the most moral army in the world,” he said. “This drives some people bonkers, and they often go ballistic. Alas for them, and fortunately for many Palestinians, it happens to be the simple truth.”

Civilian deaths in wartime are tragic. But Lozowick is right. Few armies in the world would go to the lengths that Israel’s does in order to lessen the chance that civilians will die. And it’s equally true that few groups would go the lengths that Hamas does to make those deaths more likely. So the next time you hear someone accusing Israel of deliberately targeting civilians, show them the evidence to the contrary and remind them that the tactic they are describing is employed not by Israel, but by Israel’s enemies.

With prayers for shalom, peace,