10/7: Sad anniversary
Looking back at 10/7, I recall that the news of just how bad it was came out slowly. First it was that maybe 20 Israelis had been killed. Then more, and then more and more and more, in a cascade of escalating horror.
The sadism on the part of the Gazans was perhaps the most shocking part of it, but it should not have been. We had had many indications of that before: the Ramallah lynching, for example. But the scale of that was small and this was huge.
And then there were the pro-Hamas demonstrations all around the Western world, particularly among students. But should that have been a surprise? After all, anyone who paid attention could see it had been building for decades. But still, the size of the group that had been won over by these sentiments, and the intensity and ferocity of the anti-Jew hatred they expressed, was stunning.
And the UN, and the anti-Israel press? Shouldn’t have been any sort of surprise either.
Well, as the poet Philip Larkin wrote of a different subject – pre-WWI Britain – “never such innocence again.” At least, not for those who’ve noticed; they won’t be shocked again by something of this nature. But the truth is that every generation must learn the same things over and over.
What are those things? That Jew-hatred is a poison that can take any number of forms, and does. That its psychological attractions are many, and that malign forces are dedicated to fostering it. That the internet, social media, the MSM, and academia are a big part of its ease of spread in the present day.
If you learn the history of the Nazis’ attempts to exterminate Jews – the Jews, as in the entire Jewish people – you’ll notice that the Nazis dedicated a great deal of time and effort towards that goal, and that they received a fair (although differing from country to country of Europe) amount of assistance from local Jew-haters in each country. And the Nazis were remarkably successful in their goal of making Europe Judenfrei; two-thirds of the Jews of Europe were murdered and many of the rest fled to other places.
One of those places was Israel, which did not yet exist as a country although Zionism did. But the goal of many Jews to make Israel a country predated WWII and the Holocaust by many many years. WWII underlined the need for a safe haven, because without a country the Jews were at the mercy of others. But of course, the existence of Israel has also given the Jew-haters of the world a convenient focus for their rage and target for their attacks, and they have taken full advantage of that.
That is one of the many reasons 10/7 was so shocking. It was a murderous pogrom within Israel itself, at the hands of its Arab neighbors some of whom had pretended to want peace (the Gazan workers Israel let in, for example) while preparing for a barbaric slaughter of Jews and anyone who happened to have the misfortune of being in Israel (Thai agricultural workers, for example). The IDF and Israeli leadership failed on 10/7 to live up to its end of the bargain, which was that no such things would be allowed to happen in Israel, except in small and sporadic ways. The enormity of the pogrom of 10/7 demonstrated, even to many peacenik leftists in Israel, that there was no partner for peace in those who have come to call themselves “Palestinians.”
I wish I had a solution but I don’t. I know that the election of the Harris/Walz ticket would make things worse, because beginning with Obama the Democrats have decided to cater more to Iran than ever before, and to try to block Israel from finishing the job. I know that the universities need reforming in this and so many other ways, but I also know that those who teach the attitudes that have led to Israel- and Jew-hatred being so widespread on campuses all over the Western world are deeply entrenched.
And then there are the hostages. How many are alive and how many dead? And for the living, how deep and horrific is their continuing suffering? It is almost unbearable to think of it. Should it be a surprise that the hostages are still being held? No, because their value to the Palestinians (and Iran) is huge.
The newer phase of the post-10/7 war, which features an increase in Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah (and even Iran at times), does’t bode well for the hostages’ release. But after the initial release of some of the women and children in the exchanges of last fall, I don’t think anything was good news for the hostages except the rescue of a fortunate few who’d been held in circumstances that made rescue possible although highly difficult. The more recent murder of the six hostages as Israeli forces were closing in is the sort of thing I expect for the future, unfortunately.
I see a long war ahead in the region. Next month’s election here will determine the role of the US in that war. But Israel will have to stand alone, if the US doesn’t stand with it. Most Israelis know they have no choice.
Thanks for the reminder—had been waiting for it to come around, but forgot about it today.
From what I have been reading – Hamas & Hezbollah were probably planning on doing this/that kind of attack together, but Hamas jump-the-gun. Hard to imagine something as bad as 10/7 happening, but apparently it could’ve been worse.
I blame the *THREE* past presidents (O-T-B) for leaving Israel in this position.
Still, Israel has the *STRONG* support of a clear majority of Americans—and it would be foolish for any American leader to abandon Israel.
Iran should’ve been brought to it knees—certainly long before now, but American voters have continually chosen weak leaders recently. However, it seems that Israel may have been planning for this moment in time…
NB, if the refugee situation in 1949 had been handled the way it was in Europe at the time, the population would have been resettled and the camps shut down by about 1963. Arab governments and UNRWA own this situation, though they’re assisted in this by the degenerate culture of much of the Arab population on the West Bank and Gaza, who have no constructive objects.
I blame the *THREE* past presidents (O-T-B) for leaving Israel in this position.
==
Kinda stupid. Israel has its own intelligence services and any failures in that regard are theirs. Unlike BO, Trump is not antagonistic to Israel and his diplomacy in the Near East bore fruit.
I have been modestly relieved so far today that there has not been violence in the US to mark this grim anniversary.
I really hope that Israel can teach its terrorist enemies a lesson they will feel in their bones for generations to come, that it is safer to eat white arsenic than to murder Jews.
When push comes to shove Israel can’t trust to anything but its own strength and I hope they don’t listen to the Biden administration. The Biden administration’s obvious lack of any competence, and obvious collusion with Iran, would I hope make that a non-starter.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/french-fm-defends-arms-embargo-call-argues-move-aimed-at-guaranteeing-israels-security/
Psychopath.
Those who condone jihadist terrorism make themselves complicit in it.
Lots of people hate lots of people. Why the Jews? Ask Prager and Telushkin.
The Germans used substantial resources to accomplish this, right up to the end of the war, which might have been used to hold off the Allied forces. But, first things first.
sdferr quotes French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot:
That diplomacy to end the 2006 conflict in Lebanon didn’t turn out very well. UN Resolution 1701 banned Hezbollah arms and personnel south of the Litani. From Day 1 or Day 2, Hezbollah violated 1701.
Nor did the diplomacy to broker the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas work out. From the beginning, Hamas violated it, throwing rockets galore at Israel. Then October 7…
Consistency? Will Iran cease sending armaments to Hezbollah? No way José. It is more of the unilateral nonsense, handcuffing Israel but not those who want to destroy it.
Psychopath? Or evil? Or just plain stupid?
So the French government is stupid. Either that or stupid and evil. Of course, they have admitted a large and growing militant Muslim minority, and they’re afraid of them.
Let us not forget the warm cooperation of the French Vichy government with the Nazis in the Final Solution. French antisemitism is not a controversial mystery.
As well as the French intelligentsia’s embrace of Soviet communism.
Now, almost thirty years late France is finally coming clean on its complicity in the Rwandan genocide, killing 800,000 people, in 1994 — including, as I recall, French shipments of machetes to the Hutus used to kill Tutsis and anyone else not with the program … or pogrom.
–“France was ‘blind’ to Rwanda genocide, French report says” (March 2021)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56536659
Then there was the 1961 French massacre of Algerians, which the French covered up for decades:
___________________________________________
The Paris massacre of 1961[a] (also called the 17 October 1961 massacre[b] in France) was the mass killing of Algerians who were living in Paris by the French National Police. It occurred on 17 October 1961, during the Algerian War (1954–62). Under orders from the head of the Parisian police, Maurice Papon, the National Police attacked a demonstration by 30,000 pro-National Liberation Front (FLN) Algerians. After 37 years of denial and censorship of the press, in 1998 the government finally acknowledged 40 deaths, while some historians estimate that between 200 and 300 Algerians died.[4][5] Death was due to heavy-handed beating by the police, as well as mass drownings, as police officers threw demonstrators into the river Seine.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_massacre_of_1961
___________________________________________
I admire the French for many things, but not Macron and they can spare me their moralizing.
Mr barrot is a supposed moderate well like the gaullists when the algerians were bombing the paris metro were they calling a ceasefire
Papon who had been the milice chief for paris, during the war
Not long after that there was the ben bella affair and how they handled him think jimmy hoffa in arabic
@huxley:I admire the French for many things
They seem to make up the butt end of more than their share of moral compasses.
This time around there is a substantial amount of Westerners who value ” Multiculturalism” over Western Civilization.
And self hating whites.
And remember the Nazis were not kind to the ” special needs” , even the non Jewish German ones.
Which side would now abort special needs children before they are born?
Israel won’t have peace, which it wants, unless they occupy and control Gaza, which they don’t want to have to do. And isn’t quite yet an option until Hamas is gone from Gaza.
I hope for a humane and successful Singapore-Swiss style 5 canton, secular Gaza Confederation, occupied by Israel, as the start of a 3 state solution.
huxley
Then there was the 1961 French massacre of Algerians, which the French covered up for decades (200-400 deaths in Paris..)
That was the least of it. Wiki: Algerian War (1954-62) (for independence)
(Alistair Horne’s book: A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962. Horne also wrote a book on Allende’s Chile: Small Earthquake in Chile.)
Regarding the French: all I will say is that my encounters with the French in the US and Latin America have not endeared them to me. A cousin of mine fell in love with a French woman when he was stationed with the Army in France. Although both at one time wanted marriage, it never happened, because of crossed wires- they didn’t both want marriage at the same time. Suffice it to say that 6 decades later, he visited her this year in France. My cousin obviously doesn’t have the same opinion of the French that I do, and he knows them — or at least one of them–much better than I do.
I have read that the French-American conflict is better termed the Parisian-American conflict. Apparently rural French get along much better with Americans.
Ta-Nehisi Coates should read Neo’s blog.
He might learn something.
To pay attention to anti-Semitic mobs is to dwell in a world of unreality and insanity.
The French were continuously at war from 1939 through 1962. WWII, Indochina, Algeria.
For a personal account of the Algerian war, see “My Battle of Algiers” (2006) by Ted Morgan (born Comte Sanche Charles Armand Gabriel de Gramont). Morgan, a graduate of Yale and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, was drafted into the French Army while working on the Worcester (MA) Telegram. He served in Algeria from 1955 to 1957, first in a combat unit, then with a propaganda outfit.
Huxley, you may enjoy the movie “Loin des hommes” (2014). It’s set in Algeria in 1954, at the beginning of the war:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2936180/
Beginning of the end or end of the beginning?
“Those who love death vs. those who don’t love life enough to fight;
“Do we love our Western way of life enough to defend it from those who love death?”—
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/397254
+ Bonus…on OPTIMISM:
“They’re Plum Out Of Tricks… And They Know It”—
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/theyre-plum-out-tricks-and-they-know-it
Well, one can certainly hope…
Compare and contrast:
“Iran Earthquake Sparks Speculation, Rumors Of Covert Nuclear Weapons Test“—
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/iran-earthquake-sparks-speculation-rumors-covert-nuclear-weapons-test
“Report in Iran: Explosions heard in Isfahan”….
From “Israel National News “
‘A reporter for Iran International , a news website which is affiliated with the Iranian opposition, reported overnight Monday that explosions were heard in Isfahan.
‘Official Iranian media denied the claims and said that “there was no violation of the airspace by enemy planes.”’
Q. When your country is invaded by terrorists, hundreds of your citizens murdered, tortured, taken hostage, and mutilated, what is the only proper response?
A. Total defeat of that enemy. No cease fire before an unconditional surrender. This is no time to show weakness in the name of compassion!
@ Barry > “Iran Earthquake Sparks Speculation, Rumors Of Covert Nuclear Weapons Test“
ZeroHedge copied this post from The Cradle, which I had never heard of.
https://thecradle.co/articles/iran-earthquake-sparks-speculation-of-covert-nuclear-weapons-test
There didn’t seem to be any particular slant to that article, but this one reveals the position of the outlet pretty clearly.
https://thecradle.co/articles/israeli-troops-bombard-besiege-northern-gaza-as-generals-plan-unfolds
“Israel issued evacuation orders for all of northern Gaza overnight in an effort to complete the ethnic cleansing of the remaining 300,000 civilians there”
Sometimes it’s a good idea to see where ZH is pulling their stories from.
OTOH, sometimes the opposition is a good source of news that the Regime Media is not going to tell you.
Remember how Biden Inc. dismissed critics of their release of big bucks to the mullahs because “it could only be used for humanitarian purposes” not for, oh, say, putting their nuclear bombs together.
https://thecradle.co/articles/tehran-doha-reach-good-understanding-on-release-of-6bn-in-iranian-assets
“Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian ended a two-day visit to Qatar by announcing that the two sides reached a “good understanding” on the disbursement of $6 billion in Iranian assets that were withheld by Doha after their release from South Korean banks last year.”
https://www.thefp.com/p/a-year-ago-today-terrorists-stole-my-son
It is heartbreaking over a hundred are still MIA and presumably still captured or dead.
And the Marxists don’t care.
It’s like the French learned literally nothing from the lead-up to WW2. Diplomacy was what gave them Munich. Feckless military leadership gave them the Maginot Line and squandered their advantage when Germany invaded Poland. Instead of crossing into Germany immediately, France hoped that active passive would convince Germany not to invade. No one ever became more safe by disarming.
“Apparently rural French get along much better with Americans.”
Gringo,
My one data point comes from spending 4 days in Paris, 3 days in Normandy, and 5 days in Lyon. Paris is beautiful and the Louvre amazing, the people not so much. Lyon is not so beautiful and the people much like Paris. Despite hositng the women’s World Cup semis and final with the games ending at 11pm, Lyon couldn’t be bothered to keep their transit system running past 1130 and stranding some 10k people miles from their hotels. Typical urban french attitude from my experience.
Now, Normandy is completely different. Maybe because it was the focus of D-Day, but the locals there love Americans and tourists in general.
“Feckless military leadership gave them the Maginot Line and squandered their advantage when Germany invaded Poland. Instead of crossing into Germany immediately,“
Actually, the much maligned Maginot line did its job. It forced the Germans to invade through Belgium. (the sacrificing Belgian lives to give more time for the British and French) but the British and French planners didn’t realize that there was a “unguarded thermal exhaust port “that allowed the Germans to penetrate into France north of the Maginot line.
Of course, had they invaded Germany during the battle of Poland, World War II might’ve ended early with fewer Polish deaths Fighting futilely, thinking that the British in French were gonna come to their aid.
It’s comforting to see (re)newed clarity about what the West is facing and what needs to be done.
Unfortunately here in Israel many in the military and political echelons are either fleeing more deeply into starry-eyed fantasy, or doubling down on pat conceptions even as they intellectually know better. They are dead weight on the system as younger officers implement the new Israeli initiaves.
As in other places, these paralysis reactions reflect personal identities formed around political narratives. Catastrophic failure of the narrative triggers deep anxiety and fury at those whose view of reality has been proven correct.
It’s no coincidence that those who called it right have personal identities based on a stable set of traditional values outside the orbit of politics. So the political fault line overlays the cultural divide.
This is obviously reflected in the composition of the current Israeli government – and the sidelining of Galant – but it is most dramatically shown by the massive embrace of traditional religious symbols and rituals by a wide swathe of the soldiers. The chaplains have difficulty keeping skullcaps, shawls (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tzitzit) and prayer books in supply, and morale-boosting singalongs feature modern settings of Bible verses and religious texts more than old rah-rah secular military chants.
Without the luxury of navel-gazing or soft focus, the fighters instinctively reject both the ultra-secular “imagine there’s no countries” identity narrative together with the failed security strategy of Oslo – which give neither the clarity nor the motivation to defend our country.
After the Yom Kippur War – another war sparked by the secular establishment’s myopia – there was a sustained wave of return to religious study and practice that shrank the Left’s power and changed the national character. You don’t need a crystal ball to see the same thing happening after (G-d willing) we claw our way back from defeat as we did back then.
This is why the Israeli Left has become strident and unhinged in its attacks on Bibi, its opposition to judicial reform, and its opposition to any public expression of traditional religious values.
People easily forget that evil still stalks the earth. Then, for some, evil is conditional. I just read the horrific numbers for death tolls in places like The Sudan and Myanmar. Those are largely ignored; while people obsess over the inflated numbers from Gaza and Lebanon.
The attitudes of people around the world who should be knowledgeable are simply unfathomable. None more so than those of our own government twits. Speaking of which, their logic is illogical. Harris brags that we are sending over $150m to ease suffering in Lebanon, while we have existing, and looming, disasters at home. But, that travesty aside, where are Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE when people in their neighborhood are in need?
@ Kate > “I have been modestly relieved so far today that there has not been violence in the US to mark this grim anniversary.”
I waited until this morning just to see if anything developed, but am relieved it did not.
At first I thought that the Regime had told its rent-a-thugs to stand down because they didn’t want to pile on with more bad optics and backlash while the FEMA fiasco was still in the news, then I read this:
https://redstate.com/jenvanlaar/2024/10/08/exclusive-40-us-soldiers-stuck-in-israel-on-october-7-n2180273
Read the entire post and most of the comments.
That the story has been under wraps for an entire year is mind-boggling.
Someone talked to Jen off the books, and the Regime had to know this was coming out today.
Of course, both reasons could play a part.
I think the anti-Israel demonstrations, at least those sponsored and funded by the Regime, may have run their course.
@ Oldflyer > “where are Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE when people in their neighborhood are in need?”
Causing some of the disasters.
Reports (leaked, of course) today have the Obama-Biden foreign policy shitshow in an uproar because Israeli national security people won’t disclose Israeli plans for retaliation against Iran.
Ha! Go figure!?
Bibi, meanwhile, just issued a public tv address to the Lebanese people who aren’t Hezbollah, urging them to take back their country from the Iranian loons, implying, I think, Israel is ready to lend them a hand where necessary. But offering peace on Hezb’s expulsion, in any case.
“I blame the three past Presidents”
Two of them have been desperately trying to negotiate with Iran to give them access to billions of dollars they will use to murder Jews all over the world.
The other one suspended those negotiations and snuffed Soleimani.
More dishonest trolling from the dishonest troll.
With all due respect, AF, I doubt if Coates will ever learn anything. Or ever has.
Gringo: “Psychopath? Or evil? Or just plain stupid?”
Embrace the power of “and”, G.
Ex-Israeli PM Bennett to Newsmax: Need World’s Help to Dismantle Iran’s Nuclear Program
Good luck with that, Mr. Bennett. Last Three Presidents have given nothing but lip-service, well O probably gave no help, T slapped Iran on wrist and killed an Iranian military officer, and Biden bounced back ‘n forth but did grudgingly give about $17-billion to Israel w/ one-hand whilst the other gave money to Iran.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/397305
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/reports-gallants-us-trip-has-been-postponed-due-to-netanyahus-last-minute-demands/
Connection (with the Woodward folderal)? Could be, but who knows? Bibi knows. But hey, what’s the hurry anyhow?
AF, yer right, the Cradle is totally unreliable. A real mess, in fact…
But I noticed the two articles, and thought, “Hmmm”….