[PAA-Discuss] An opportunity ...

[Massoud]

Dear friend,

The article below was published in the today's Houston Chronicle (Nov., 20,
2012). Please write a short answer to this outrageous misinformation and
send it to Houston Chronicle. Bear in mind that Mr. Meir Shlomo is the
consul general of Israel who had his own PROPAGANDA show (with the help of
Ernesto Aguilar, PD) on KPFT radio in Houston. Consider this as the media
war in informing the Houstonians about the truth in Gaza.

* * *

 

Israel must defend its people

 

By Meir Shlomo | November 19, 2012 

 

Two weeks ago, a yellow school bus carrying 55 Israeli middle school
students entered an Israeli village. The kids got off the bus, and the bus
moved on. Two minutes later the empty bus was struck by a Cornett anti-tank
missile. This was no accident, but rather a typical vicious act perpetrated
by a terrorist group that aims at civilian populations.

 

Hamas has continuously committed crimes against humanity by targeting
Israeli children, women and men and has done so no less than 852 times this
year alone. Those who are trying to defend the Palestinians might do
themselves a favor and seek a safe distance from the vile and violent nature
of Hamas.

 

In the last five days, Hamas has launched an additional 900 missiles at
Israel, seeking to add to their "glorious kill-list." They believe the more
dead Israelis, the better.

 

So why aren't there scores of Israeli casualties of Hamas?

 

Israel has avoided a frightening number of casualties because in the last
three years it has managed to develop a unique system that no other country
has: the Iron Dome. This is the only system in the world that can shoot down
short-range missiles and has a success rate of almost 90 percent.

 

The American people have played a role in providing this system that has
saved hundreds of Israeli lives because the Iron Dome was funded, in part,
by the United States. The people of Israel are grateful to the people of the
United States - the members of the U.S. Congress and the president - for
helping to save lives and perhaps avoid further escalation of unrest in the
Middle East.

 

It is also important to remember how Gaza became a safe haven for terrorists
- particularly Hamas.

 

For years, we have been told that if we just left the Palestinians to
themselves - if we removed the Israeli presence in Gaza - that peace will
come to the land. After failing to achieve an agreement with the
Palestinians through the Oslo process, Israel decided in 2005 to do just
that - leave Gaza.

 

In 2005, Israel uprooted the lives of thousands of Israelis and dozens upon
dozens of thriving Jewish communities in the hope that Gaza would become the
"Singapore of the Middle East."

 

But instead, Hamas staged a bloody military coup and took over the Gaza
Strip. Hamas has used Gaza as a breeding ground for terrorist groups to
organize and operate. These groups include al-Qaida and Global Jihad.
Weapons have been smuggled into Gaza from Libya, Iran and Sudan and are
hidden in hospitals and schools.

 

Then the rockets began - little by little, drop by drop, until it was
raining rockets onto Israel.

 

Israel - like any other democracy - is not a trigger-happy nation. But
thousands of missiles later, we have been left with no option but to defend
the lives of Israeli citizens and fulfill our duty to protect them. There
were 852 missiles that hit the south of Israel before we decided to act -
how many missiles landing in Houston would it take for the United States to
act?

 

Shlomo is consul general of Israel to the southwest United States. His
office is based in Houston.





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