I just got off the phone with Oren Marmerstein of the
Israeli Embassy. It’s one thing to read headlines, to debate
politics. It’s another to speak to someone who is regularly contacting
his parents and family as the rockets are falling. Many of us in our
congregation have loved ones and dear friends in harm’s way during this
difficult time. This is a time for prayer and for doing what we can to
show support. Oren shared with me information that he can access at the
embassy. He watched a video from the cockpit of an Israeli fighter
jet. He could see how the Hamas target was situated right in the middle
of a civilian area, with innocent people acting as human shields. From
the cockpit, the pilot was ready to launch a missile at the target, but
suddenly he saw two civilians. Immediately, he asked permission to abort
so as not to harm innocent life, and his commander instantly ratified the
request. Oren told me how a standard policy of the IDF is to literally
call the Palestinians in the apartment buildings shielding Hamas outposts,
urging them to get away because the area is about to be attacked. The IDF
even sends text messages to warn the people of danger. The moral
strivings of the IDF compared to the cowardly tactics of Hamas are
astonishing. I’m certainly not one to white-wash the failings and
shortcomings of the Israeli government or the IDF. There are many.
But the moral strivings of our people in Israel are real and so little
understood by most of the world. One way we can support Israel is through
our sharing of what we know about Israel’s struggle to do what is right in the
midst of impossible circumstances. Another way is to lend financial
support to Israel. Click here for a list of organizations that you can
donate to in order to help.
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