Israel in Turmoil Ron Cantor
I landed in Israel two days ago. We took the whole family to the desert for a few days. At about 8 pm, we went on a little hike. Afterward, I dropped everyone back at our Airbnb and went to the grocery store. While there, a lady said, “They are bombing Tel Aviv.” I thought, one, maybe two rockets, as a sign of defiance.
When I got home, I found one daughter in tears and everyone upset. Only then did I realize that the Hamas terrorists had launched 130 terror rockets on Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv is my city. It is home. Just imagine your home being attacked like that. Now, you might hear that it was in response to Israel bombing an apartment building. Yes, that is true…but very different. When Israel responds to Hamas terror, our goal is to do whatever it takes to stop the violence. We go out of our way, maybe more than any other nation, to not harm civilians. We send warning shots, unarmed munitions, to tell people to clear out. We call cell phones of people in the vicinity and often drop leaflets. Hamas doesn’t understand restraint…they see that as weakness. Hamas often puts women and children near rocket launchers, hoping Israel’s retaliation will kill them. They rejoice when women and children are killed, so they can use them for propaganda. They tell the families that “Allah will reward them for being martyrs." Hamas seeks to reign down indiscriminate terror. One of their missiles hit a bus that, thank God, was empty. But others were not so lucky. In Ashkelon, an elderly woman and her caretaker were killed. In Lod, near the airport, a father and his child were murdered. They make no effort to warn civilians because civilians are their targets. In addition, Israeli Arab citizens of Lod (in central Israel) rioted, looting, and burning synagogues. The mayor compared it to Kristallnacht (the night of broken glass) in Germany at the beginning of the Holocaust. The Times of Israel writes, “A woman was killed and dozens were injured on Tuesday evening when Palestinian terror groups in the Gaza Strip pummeled central Israel with a major rocket fusillade, in what appeared to be the largest-ever barrage aimed at the broader Tel Aviv area.” What’s more is that Israel was hours away from announcing a new government with five Arab members—an unprecedented event. However, the Arabs pulled out of the deal because of the violence. They probably felt they had no choice politically and may come back to the negotiating table as things die down. This raw footage went viral of the unprecedented attack in Tel Aviv. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcYMT9zFWnU
As the sun is rising here in Israel, no one knows what this new day will bring. Peace or more bloodshed. Prayer is needed.
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