The ceasefire has been extended by five days, and the terrorists are firing. Even if an agreement is signed in the future, the chances of reaching an understanding with Hamas are extremely low. A temporary lull can be achieved, but until the next round. Even when Hamas leaders talk about a ceasefire, only the circumstances have changed, not the feelings. The intentions of the terrorists who wear diplomatic garb have not changed, but in the circumstances that have arisen, they are only trying to recalculate their course in order to achieve their goal: to relieve themselves of the siege, to receive a seaport!
It is difficult to negotiate under the black umbrella of lack of trust. Both previous ceasefires were immediately violated, and the latest one was interrupted by threatening fire before 72 hours had passed.
Therefore, despite the necessity to try as much as possible to prevent risk to human life, a high degree of caution is required and this has certainly been taken into account. We must try everything, but with an understanding of reality. Strategists must know the methods of terrorism, in order to be careful of them, and to know the mentality of the terrorists, in order to know how to act.
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Hamas is a terrorist organization, and it has distinct methods of conduct. The terrorists have distinct patterns of action, and you don't have to be an Oriental to recognize their methods of action. They live by their sword, and don't really want peace. Even when they talk about a ceasefire, even when they demand that the world stop the wheels of war, at the same time they are firing long-range terrorist weapons. In the same breath that they talk about a truce, they are carrying out severe attacks. Throughout the entire period, they are trying to convey an image that is deceptive, in an attempt to gain sympathy.
Their psychological warfare machine is working overtime, using it to try to arouse world sympathy. The Gazan terrorists operate according to the rule "he who wants to lie should hide his testimony." They make sure that harsh images reach all over the world to distract the public from the fact that they are the ones who opened fire, who are shooting indiscriminately at innocent civilians, who are the ones who are harming in every possible way, and the other side, the Israelis, is simply forced to defend themselves.
They are taking advantage of the fact that the rest of the world is unaware of the reality in Israel. Those who are not familiar with the daily routine of terrorism, those who do not see the unbearable and unceasing terrorist abuse, are at risk of being misled by false propaganda and images.
The leaders of the terrorists use their own people as hostages, and are cruel to them. They use them even though they know they will be harmed, for their own benefit and to control their enemies. They shoot from hospitals and clinics, they launch from schools and use children as human shields, so that the army will return fire at the sources of the shooting and people will be harmed, and then they can cry out the cry of the attacked, the Cossack who was robbed. They do what Hamas does, and when they pay the price for their own aggression, they cry out Hamas! In this way, they want to stir up world public opinion against Israel, as if it were the aggressor, and not the murderous organization whose spirit is tainted with terrible cruelty and whose hands are stained with blood.
Even though Hamas is much weaker in terms of the balance of power, it must present an image of victory. The terrorists do not consider reality, the results of the campaign are not important to them, they always have to put up a showcase and show off an image of achievement.
That is why its leaders do not allow for calm and try to harm without ceasing. They have a terminology of jihad, with a double standard! They shout to the whole world: slaughter us, beat us, harm us, in order to inflame and stir up. They turn to everyone in their power: intervene and stop the attack on Gaza! But at the same moment they shout into the microphone in their other hand and turn to their people: We are winning, we have struck the enemy, everyone is with us. Their terminology constantly talks about victories, even after defeat.
Their spokesmen exploit every media platform, especially the domestic media outlet "Al-Jazeera," to incite and to explain to their people how victorious they are and how great their achievements are. In this way, they try to inflame public opinion, which is groaning under the disaster that its leaders have inflicted upon it, while many of the terrorists themselves are well-heeled and live lives of economic prosperity, but use their suffering people to achieve their terrorist goal.
They repeat the lie without ceasing and engage in false propaganda all the time. They deny Israel's right to exist and try to delegitimize those who lead it. They fabricate false plots as if Israel is the one stirring up war, in order to incite. They invent baseless accusations to inflame the Gazan masses who have paid the price for the injustices of their leaders. They are active all the time and do not know a single moment of rest.
The terminology of terrorism has created a political turmoil. Because of propaganda that never returns empty-handed, Israel's most eloquent and unreservedly identified friends, especially Americans like John Kerry, have become obsessed with peace, and even though Israel has not stopped being under fire, they have begun to whine about peace!
They do not have a single leadership. These are Islamic factions whose only thing unites them is their opposition to and hatred of Israel. The worst are the extremist factions, who are not committed to anyone or any political framework, have no responsibility or obligation on their shoulders, and even in the event of an agreement to a ceasefire, it is not clear how they will respond. Even a ceasefire and calm are powerful weapons of war for them. During periods of calm, they dug underground offensive tunnels with the aim of unleashing a terrible attack on a given day. They want peace as a weapon of war!
This fickleness, denial, deceit, were useful means in the struggle for the land, since the time of their father Ishmael. The Midrash Rabbah relates that when our forefather Isaac was born, there was great joy in Abraham's house: an heir had arisen for him, who would inherit the Promised Land. "Ishmael said to them: You are fools. I am the firstborn, and I will receive twice as much." Ishmael was anxious about the birth of Isaac. He knew that his desire to win the Land of Israel would fail as long as he was in his father's house, so he decided to move the arena to a place where he dictated the moves. In the field, he felt more comfortable. "Ishmael said to Isaac: "Let us go and see our lot in the field." And Ishmael took a bow and arrows and pointed them at Isaac"...
Then, in the field, came the declarations of war: "When Sarah saw Ishmael taking arrows and shooting, aiming to kill Isaac, as it is said, "A man who shoots arrows and death, and says, 'Am I not laughing?'" When Sarah our mother noticed what was happening, she was shocked. Our father Isaac was in danger of death, but in Ishmael's heap of excuses, the explanation was ready: "Am I not laughing." A jihad of peace!
This is the way of the terrorists. These tools of deceit are inherent in the character of Ishmael. This is the cunning of Hamas. Israel will not be saved by any negotiation, for they are not willing to make peace. And for this, our Torah, the Holy One, has already given the solution: "If you walk in my statutes, and I will give peace in the land," and God will bless His people with peace.
• The article was published this morning in Yated Ne'eman'
