Kiwis for Balanced Reporting on the Middle East
January 9, 2009
Second KBRM article appears in Northern Advocate, draws support
On January 23, the Northern Advocate published a second article by KBRM member Michael Kuttner (see also Jan. 9 post)
Israel has been misjudged by its critics
By Michael Kuttner
Israel has been suffering from the phenomenon of suicide terror tactics for many years. Men and latterly women and even children have been sent by terror leaders to cause maximum death and mayhem by blowing themselves up in the midst of shoppers, commuters & worshippers. This cult of death and human sacrificial ritual, guaranteeing eternal pleasures in paradise, has become popular amongst certain Islamic groups but it seems to have escaped the notice of all those demonstrators who today are convulsing themselves on the streets of many countries. The loss of life and injuries & damage caused to Israeli citizens, schools & old age homes (amongst others) over several years does not rate any consideration. It is only when Israel, after many warnings, takes steps to defend its citizens against these terror tactics that those who previously remained silent suddenly spring into life.
Maps discovered in Gaza by Israeli troops, clearly show the deliberate use by Hamas, of Mosques, hospitals, schools and homes for the storing of weapons and ammunition as well as the firing of rockets against Israeli civilians. The contrast between Israel and the terrorists could not be clearer. Israel makes sure that its civilians are as safe as possible by building shelters. The rulers of Gaza on the other hand make sure that their civilians, especially women and children, are placed in the midst of greatest danger. Israel issues warnings to evacuate buildings where Hamas leaders are hiding and from where snipers and rockets are operating. Instead of evacuating, the terrorists deliberately use their women & children as human shields, thereby guaranteeing their ‘martyrdom’ and ensuring the maximum number of civilian casualties. The fact that so many have been brainwashed into believing that they will enjoy paradise, is an indication of the sickness which now afflicts that society.
The fact is that, those in control in Gaza value death above all else — hence their conscious decision to sacrifice those most vulnerable by placing them in the very midst of their terror actions. The obvious aim of this tactic is to bring down on Israel the wrath of the Western world and in this they have succeeded.
Thanks to misinformation and disinformation and a reluctance by large numbers of people and Governments to face up to the real truth and acknowledge the ultimate aim of this terror campaign waged against civilized society, Israel stands accused of ‘over reaction’ in the face of years of terror. Those demonstrating now so violently against Israel's actions were conspicuously silent whilst Israeli civilians sheltered from daily rocket attacks. All innocent loss of life should be deplored but surely when one side deliberately puts its civilians in the firing line that also should be condemned.
Unfortunately double standards rule and the perpetrators of terror over many years become the heroic victims of today. Perhaps one day the lion will lie down with the lamb — but you can be sure it won't be as a result of appeasing evil.
Instead of a deluge of oppositional mail, the following ‘Guest Column’ appeared. One wonders if the NZ public (or at least the Northland public) is perhaps not buying the vilification of Israel that is so common in the press.
January 23, 2009
Israelis, they are soldiers of God
By former NA humour columnist stay
If, like me, you hear an anti-semitic joke you feel you have a duty not to laugh, read on, the rest of this piece will have meaning.
I am not a Jew, though I often wish I were, neither am I religious, though I read the Bible, mostly the Old Testament, for its drama, history, poetry and occasional humour every chance I get.
Did you read the guest column in last Friday's Northern Advocate? A totally truthful succinctly written explanation of why Israel is being misjudged about its response to Gaza terrorism, written by an ex-pat Kiwi from Northland [ed. note: Mr Kuttner is actually from Auckland] who currently lives in Israel. Michael Kuttner puts his finger with precision on the whole scene and it's all you need to know about it...
My only minor criticism is his mis-quotation from Isaiah, should be ‘The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb’ etc (nit-picking, showing off. I had to look that up to check it.)
You'll have gathered by now I am a totally committed Israel fan. They are soldiers of God, those people, when will Arabs everywhere, anywhere, learn to stop provoking them, completely predictable is the result of any armed conflict.
And the world will realise, albeit slowly, the truth of the matter.
I had an idea, doesn't merit being called a theory, which won't solve any problems but may help to explain them. In Genesis, her name was then Sarai, she advises Abram her husband to ‘go in unto her handmaid Hagar. And Hagar conceived and bare a son and called his name Ishmael. And Ishmael was a wild man.’
Later the Lord again visited them, changed his name to Abraham and hers to Sarah and told her she would conceive even though she was ninety-some, and bear a son, Isaac.
My point is that Ishmael became the patriarch of the Arab nations and Isaac the patriarch of the Jews. And Ishmael ‘was a wild man’.
How much of the human genome is left after so many generations?
Years ago I wrote a regular column for a newspaper which my then editor called the ‘humour column’, so I got paid for writing what he thought was funny; my wife called it ‘inconsequential rubbish’. Very occasionally I was allowed to write something serious with some guts to it. There had just been a desecration of a Jewish cemetery in Wellington, and every trying to be topical, I contributed a piece about it. I got a lot, a lot of fan--mail from that. All positive. Does that say something?