Operation Protective Edge: Would that it was unnecessary

2,500 rockets. What more need be said? One more thing: 30 seconds.

That is the number of rockets that Hamas has launched into Israel in the last three weeks (14,000 since 2006) and the maximum amount of time from the launch to its arrival at its destination in Israel with no other intent other than to murder: Jew, Arab, civilian, military – it does not matter. Hamas, the Palestinian organization that rules Gaza, is after the death of Israel. Period. They have used child labor to build tunnels. They have placed civilians in harm’s way as shields. They have placed weapons depots in United Nations schools. Israel does not target civilians and further, views civilian deaths as an operational failure. Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has said, “We are using missile defense to protect our civilians, and they’re using their civilians to protect their missiles.”

Sadly, it is possible to review the news during the last three weeks and have little awareness that Hamas kidnapped and murdered three Israeli teens followed by the launch of the aforementioned missiles into Israel, which led to Israel beginning Operation Protective Edge, known as Mivtza Tzuk Eitan in Hebrew.

Israel peacefully withdrew its own citizens from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and in 2007 Hamas took control of its internal governance. While the international community has supplied building materials (i.e., hundreds of thousands of tons of concrete) and Israel has provided humanitarian assistance – let alone electricity, Hamas has used their time and efforts to construct a system of tunnels (thirty-two of which have been found during the current operation) into Israel to raid, terrorize, and murder Israelis. Multiple tunnels have been built into Egypt as well in order to transport drugs and weapons.

Israel wants peace as demonstrated by its repeated acceptance of and respect of ceasefires. Israel has wanted peace for 66 years. Israel has created peace with two of its neighbors (Jordan and Egypt). Israel has the only democracy in the Middle East and a democracy where Jews and Arabs share citizenship and serve together in a functioning government.

The Gaza Strip sits along a beautiful thirty-mile stretch of the Mediterranean. It has land ready for cultivation, cities, and coastline. It could be no different than Ashkelon, Tel Aviv, Beirut – full of cafes, schools, high-rises, culture, museums. But it is not. Hamas have focused their efforts and building prowess on the means to destroy and terrorize Israel.

Israel’s enemy is the very opposite of everything for which Israel stands and strives. To be clear: Hamas are terrorists and fascists. They openly violate human rights. They oppose peace. They oppress women and gays and teach their children to hate. Israel is not only fighting to protect her citizens, they are fighting against an enemy of the very democratic, pluralistic, justice-based values upon which Israel and countries like the United States, stand.

The Hebrew name for this operation is indicative of the reality forced on Israel these last few weeks – and quite frankly for the last sixty-six years. The operation (mivtza) is a mighty (eitan) cliff (tzuk). Cliffs are mighty, strong, steep, and at times scary. And once you go over a cliff, there is no going back.

There is a tremendous amount of hurt in this current operation. On both sides. Humanity is suffering, horribly. Lives are not only being disrupted, they are being forever changed and altered in potentially devastating ways that may only lead to future generations of war. But Israel’s national anthem is titled “The Hope” because we are eternally hopeful that we can all live in peace, safety, and security. There will be much to resolve and address when this current operation is over but for now, let us pray for peace, support those organizations providing humanitarian assistance to those who suffer, and work to hear the narratives of both sides, realizing that we may never agree on each other’s narratives but we can agree to build up just and prosperous societies and not tunnel down into terror and horror.