Wars do not spill

CNN confuses war with milk

Are Americans bored with the hostage releases? Trump’s comments on Gaza seem to have overshadowed the actual life and death moments happening in Israel and Gaza right now. I have read every kind of interpretation and objection to or agreement with or something in between I can imagine about Trump’s every remark, but I have seen nothing about the most recent hostage release. Of course my sample is limited.

As soon as I woke up shortly before five am Eastern time on Saturday I checked the news to see what had happened. Three men were released. They were in bad condition, but I guess since they did not look as extremely close to death as the previous three, it was less noteworthy. What has become of us?

I noticed that in CNN’s coverage, they said (and I paraphrase but just barely - it was almost exactly this): “The war has spilled into neighboring countries, with Israel fighting Iranian proxies such as Hezbollah and the Houthis.”

There is now a long history in the Western press of events in this war being described as though they happened by accident. Israel did not find itself in conflict with Iranian proxies because said proxies were continually firing rockets at them. No, “the war spilled.” Such as you might spill milk, or Diet Coke, or heaven forbid red wine on a computer which I did approximate ten years ago.

At least they acknowledged these groups as Iranian proxies instead of calling them “freedom fighters” or whatever nonsense.

Can we recall a few facts?

1. Hamas started this war.

2. Hamas promised to continue to repeat October 7 again and again, and reiterated that promise on the background behind the stage on which the previous three hostages were forced to speak before being released. “We are the flood - the day after” it said in Hebrew. “The flood” is what they call October 7’s massacre. The day after means the day after the war. These are not people looking forward to a side by side peace with Israel.

3. There would be no hostages if Hamas had not dragged people into Gaza (and not just Jews, and not just Israelis).

4. Gazans had years since Israel pulled out and tons of aid to build a functional society, but they choose to elect the Hamas government that built tunnels and weapons instead of civilian infrastructure and now hides behind the people as human shields.

The American media also referred to the hundreds of Palestinian prisoners released in exchange for hostages as “detainees.” These were not people being held in a long line to board a plane. The list of terrorist acts, including bombings, stabbings, rapes, and murders committed by the Palestinians who are now free again is long. For everyone rejoicing that a hostage is home, somewhat alive, there are many who know that the person who killed their brother, father, mother, sister, or spouse is now free to repeat the terror, and determined to do it.

I was glad to see that the Israelis sent the criminals home in sweatshirts that said, “We will never forget, we will never forgive.” While this sort of theater no doubt offends some Westerners, I’ve come to see that these are the kinds of messages that get traded in the Middle East.

At the farmers’ market yesterday, a woman complimented me on my nails. I have two fingers on my right hand painted silver, while the rest are pink. It is a little gesture of solidarity with Emily Damari, whose two fingers were shot off by Hamas terrorists while she held her dying dog, whom they shot and killed right before dragging her into Gaza. It’s a small gesture, perhaps a silly one, but I love to hold that hand up in the “rock hand” like Emily. A symbol of victory, not defeat.

When I explained this to the woman at the farmers’ market in my super anti-Israel neighborhood, her face became confused then bewildered then somewhat angry. I wished her a good day and went on.

Americans can equivocate, deny, or ignore all they want from the safety of our far away land, or what seems safe now. I know where I stand.