Front Page  »  

It is not genocide in Gaza, it is simply self defense

January 27, 2024

OPINION by PETE EVANS

Seventy-nine years ago today, Jan. 27, 1945, Russian troops liberated Auschwitz, perhaps the most infamous Nazi concentration camp. This camp and many others were part of the organized genocide perpetrated by the Nazis, mostly against Jews.

Did you get that? Organized governmental instigated murder of a known group of people for no other reason than to remove them from the planet.

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day, internationally established so we should never forget this ghastly crime against humanity.

For thousands of years, Jews around the world have been persecuted and denigrated. Though not Jewish myself, I have been outraged by this my whole life, just as I am greatly troubled by any human rights abuse anywhere by anyone.

The Middle East “problem” is complicated and has confounded all attempts to bring a lasting peace to the region. I write this note to address one aspect of the politics of the current situation.

Throughout the world many have demonstrated in support of the Palestinian civilians who have suffered greatly for many years, first under the harsh rule of the Hamas terrorist organization and now because of the hostilities brought about by the terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on Oct 7, 2023. Over 1,200 innocent civilians were slaughtered, many burned alive. Over 150 were kidnapped and hidden in the warrens of Gaza.

And of course, Israel retaliated after considering their options. And of course, the Hamas fighters hid behind civilians, in hospitals and schools. The Israelis announced their intention to wipe Hamas out and urged through phone calls, leafletting and other means for civilians to evacuate military targets.

They have made every effort, even at the risk to their own troops, to protect any innocents from the hostilities.

Of course, in any military action there is risk to civilians, and infrastructure. That is called collateral damage and is always highly regrettable.

Israel is simply defending itself, as it has had to do on numerous occasions over the last 77 years when threatened and attacked by overwhelming forces. It has always won, it had to since it’s hostile neighbors swore to drive the whole population into the sea. When it won, it did not wipe out any other country, they simply stopped fighting.

The ongoing war crime before us is the never ending hostility towards Israel and Jews everywhere. Israel is the only stable democracy in the region and our only real ally there.

Like most, I feel deeply for the plight of the Palestinians, they are caught up in a conflict many of them had nothing to do with. But remember, they ‘elected’ Hamas to run Gaza. In most conflicts it is the damn government, not the people, who raise such a ruckus.

We are extremely privileged here. We never have to fear rocket attacks, terrorists streaming over the border to kill and maim wherever they can. We do not have bombings on buses, at markets or elsewhere from foreign elements. We do not fear crazed religious fanatics who might stab us in the streets. Imagine living with that and knowing that for any conflict we cannot lose or we lose everything!

If you want to be real about carnage, look up Dresden and Tokyo, where we firebombed civilians to the tune of hundreds of thousands burned to death.

Those who claim the war in and around Gaza as genocide on the part of the Israelis are either ignorant or lying. It is simply self defense.

Hamas started this knowing there would be an overwhelming Israeli response and counted on a well intentioned but naive public outcry against Israel. Do not enable those terrorists! Support peace and security, support our ally Israel in its right to exist in peace.

Pete Evans is an activist, environmentalist, proud liberal and long-time San Luis Obispo resident.

Sign up for breaking news, alerts and updates with Cal Coast News Top Stories.

 


Loading...
Subjects:     
Related:


11 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

thanks for a great piece. keep writing and fighting back against ignorance, prejudice and just plain bigotry. This is like the Germans complaining that Americans bombed them. Blame the victim the game is being played here. Those mean Israelis, how dare they seek justice for the rape, sexual violence, slaughter of families, taking children hostage and responding to the worst slaughter of Jews since WW2. I mean there are Palestinians who know this, understand and accept this as what Israel had to do. Appreciate your input and don’t stop. These articles are important.


4

So much for an effective nuclear deterrent. I say let them show their true color and let them clean up the mess. War needs to know the FULL consequences. If you ever feel like sending money, pay your good neighbor’s legal bills. Ya, imagine that?


-3

A well rounded summery of Israels struggle to survive in a hostile region.

We must never support tyrannical terrorist governments.


42

I SUPPORT Mr. Pete Evans!


It is despicable to see some in our local leftist community support the radical Arab terrorists, it is naive of liberals to view these evil wrongdoers as deserving of support. Locally, Cal Poly students and professors have shown their rank antisemitism by protesting for a ‘ceasefire’, which would only allow the Arab radicals a free pass for their acts of raping women, killing children and even using their own people as missile shields.


What the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are doing in protecting their citizens against attack are exactly what they should be doing, and we all need to acknowledge that the so-called ‘two-state solution’ is dead. While the military operation in Gaza is underway and the civilian population has had to be removed, we ought to push for their permanent resettlement in the various other Arab/Muslim countries in the Middle East, they do not belong in Israel.


Israel is a democracy, honors civil liberties, and is a beacon of hope in a terrorist-infested region of the world, let’s not buy into the big lie that the Palestinians are some sort of innocent people, they have supported and encouraged their Hamas leaders to attack Israel, now they get what they deserve.


I stand with Israel, just like they stood with us after 9-11.


48

Innocent children, and others, who have done nothing wrong, do not “deserve“ to die violent, unnecessary deaths.


3

That is true on all sides…remember though that some use innocent children as shields. What then?


0

So far two commenters to my article have claimed Israel created and funds Hamas. Yeah, just like the NAACP created the Klan.

Are there any credible critiques out there? Do those people approve of the rampant anti semitism in the world as well?


35

Let me know when the Palestinians are all out of Gaza. I’d love to vacation at the beach when Isreal is done clearing it.


23

There’s more to it actually. Gaza and the Palestinians according to the UN have a right to any sort of attack as they are occupied. This is internationally recognized actually.


Hamas was created by Israel and funded via Qatar by Israel to the tune of Billions of dollars a year. Why? So the PLO wouldn’t have as much power and they had a group that could more easily be used as a controlled opposition pawn. Hamas is similar to “ISIS” and the “Free Syria Army” in that they are proxy groups funded by Israel and the west to create a pretext for further land grabs by Israel.


Saying it isn’t a genocide- well, apparently even the ICJ just said it’s “plausible” they committed genocide, after South Africa brought the case against them, so you’re wrong about that.


Israel needs to stop playing the holocaust victim card and start taking a serious look in the mirror. Also, Americans need to research what happened to the USS Liberty before we send any more money to Israel.


-68

There is so much that is not true with Andy’s claims. The United Nations endorses “any sort of attacks” by Hamas against its enemies because they are supposedly “occupied”? So, that means the U.N. agrees Palestinians “have a right to” rape, torture, immolate innocents, murder and kidnap? And, of course, targeting these heinous acts against women, infants & children, and elderly civilians meets with U.N. approval and is “internationally recognized actually”? How is it possible to achieve so much detachment from facts and reality? If the U.N. and international community condone the barbarity & savagery of Hamas and other extremist death cult militias, then it is high time to defund and withdraw from the U.N.


As far as the Gaza Palestinians being occupied by the Israelis – that’s another propaganda Pinocchio falsehood. There was no “occupation”. At least not until October 7, 2023 when Hamas and Palestinian civilians launched a cross-border invasion and engaged in a savage early morning raid on Kibbutzes, military outposts and Israeli civilian centers near Gaza. Now the Gaza Strip is occupied by IDF troops and needs to remain so until Gaza and the Palestinians are thoroughly de-militarized, pacified, de-radicalized, and reformed. Once the Palestinians achieve reform and reconstruction, then they can work towards re-integrating into 21st Century civilization and join the international community.


29

Not to mention Bibi Netanyahu propping up Hamas for years to thwart any chance of a Palestinian state.


Honestly, Mr. Evans’s entire “opinion” piece is misguided and demonstrates a shallow (at best) understanding of an extremely complex political situation. There’s very little in this statement worth engaging with, most of it is misguided and demonstrates a very shallow understanding of the situation which is not shocking for something published by CCN on a topic of international affairs. They should stick to covering more local politics and of course, dining deals.


-66