The New Definitions of Chutzpah

"Blame the Victims"

Classic Definition of Chutzpah

    ”Chutzpah is that quality enshrined in a man who, having killed his mother and father, throws himself on the mercy of the court because he is an orphan.
    “A chutzpanik may be defined as the man who shouts ‘Help! Help’ while beating you up.” (Ref. 1)

The New Definitions of Chutzpah

A New Definition of Chutzpah: While declaring their unity with the Arab population residing in the newly declared State of Israel, some 20 plus Arab countries, urge their brethren in Israel to fight the Jews when they declare the establishment of the State of Israel or to flee the new state until the Arabs drive the Jews into the sea and annihilate them. When the Jews defeat the massed Arab armies, these same Arab countries leave their so-called brethren in refugee camps for the next 60 years. The oil-rich Arab nations leave their brethren to live in the squalor of these refugee camps and refuse to provide funds for the refugees to escape their miserable existence. The Arab nations refuse to accept their Palestinian brothers into their countries and they also deny them citizenship, leaving the refugees homeless and destitute.

A New Definition of Chutzpah: Palestinian Terrorists launch rocket attacks from Gaza on Jewish civilians in Israel and then cry foul when Israel retaliates.

A New Definition of Chutzpah: The "unbiased and civilized" world is silent when Hamas and other Palestinian terrorists fire over 7,000 rockets and mortars indiscriminately into southern Israel, but then immediately condemn Israel for defending itself in retaliation. The world fails to acknowledge that the rocket attacks effectively cease after the Israel strikes back at the terrorists.

A New Definition of Chutzpah: Many nations and their leaders in the West declare that Israel has the right to defend itself, but they then turn around and criticize Israel when Israel does take actions to defend itself. Israel should not be held to a double standard.

A New Definition of Chutzpah: Hamas uses Palestinians as human shields while terrorists use schools, mosques and hospitals to launch rockets and mortars at the Jewish state. Hamas, Palestinians and their Arab brothers then complain when some of these sites are damaged as Israel counterattacks Hamas and the terrorists.

A New Definition of Chutzpah: Arab terrorists deliberately attack and murder innocent civilians and then complain when Palestinian civilians are killed or wounded in the resulting crossfire. In many cases it is unclear if the reported Palestinian deaths are real or faked, or, if real, are caused by Israeli return fire or directly by the Arab terrorists.

A New Definition of Chutzpah: There is a rush by the American news media to call the Israeli capture of the illegal ships attempting to ignore Israel's blockade of Gaza a "botched" effort. It seems to me that the Israeli operation was a success - the illegal ships were stopped and never reached their intended Gaza objective. The media does not refer to the failed attempt by the so called “peace activists” as “botched”

A New Definition of Chutzpah: World media and several foreign governments immediately denounce Israel when Israeli Naval forces respond to activist ships attempting to ignore the legally announced blockade of Gaza and are forced to fire and kill militants that attack them during the boarding process. Videos show the passengers and/or crews attacking the Israeli boarding party with sling shots, iron pipes, sticks and even throwing members of the party overboard or from upper to lower decks. The world media and these foreign governments never bother to condemn the “peace activists” for attempting to bring supplies to the terrorist group, Hamas, that controls Gaza and has the stated objective of destroying the State of Israel.

       “Those videos showed Israeli commandos rappelling onto the ship with both hands on the rope (making it hard to use a weapon), yet activists claimed the Israelis opened fire in the process.
       “Purely by coincidence, dozens of ‘peace activists’ waited with sharpened iron bars, clubs, slingshots – and rifles. Of course the nine dead in the melee were all Israel’s victims.” (Ref. 2)

A New Definition of Chutzpah: World media and foreign governments nearly completely ignored the facts that, (a) Israel's blockade of Gaza is legal under international law, (b) was clearly announced by Israel and (c) warnings were repeatedly sent by Israel to the activists that organized and operated the illegal ships not to attempt to deliver supplies to Gaza. The world media and foreign governments also nearly completely ignored the fact that Israel had offered to have the ships land at an Israeli port where their "humanitarian supplies" would be verified and, if indeed humanitarian, would be delivered overland to the people of Gaza.

     ”Israel had every right under international law to stop and board ships bound for the Gaza war zone late Sunday. Only knee-jerk left-wingers and the usual legion of poseurs around the world would dispute this. And it is pretty clear that this "humanitarian" flotilla headed for Gaza aimed to provoke a confrontation with Israel.”
     “As for calls for international investigations, they represent the usual hypocritical nonsense that will go nowhere. Except for those who routinely fool themselves about the judiciousness and effectiveness of action by the United Nations or the European Union, everyone understands their 'investigations' will amount to nothing.”
     “Regarding international law, blockades are quite legal.”
     “Those friendly to Gaza aboard the ship claim disproportionality, but this is not supported by the video available. Nonetheless, the overriding facts remain that Gazan leaders proclaim their goal is to destroy Israel, have tried for years to do so by missile attacks and terrorism, and that Israel has every right to protect itself under international law, including by blockades in international waters.”
     “Well, where was all that international outrage and demand for explanations and retribution when the North Koreans sank a South Korean ship? Where was it when the Gazans attacked Israel? Where, when Afghan men flogged their women for not wearing veils? Where, when Saudi Arabia funds terrorists around the world? This international outrage is highly selective, isn't it? The one consolation is that the international community, such as it has become, doesn't get anything of value done.” (Ref. 3)

A New Definition of Chutzpah: World media and many foreign governments have completely ignored the facts that the real objectives of the "humanitarian aid" to Gaza, (a) was not to provide aid to the residents of Gaza, but to attract worldwide media attention and sympathy, (b) to force Israel to use armed force, (c) to induce the Israeli military to use deadly force, (d) to create a situation in which "civilian" casualties were inevitable and (e) to then blame Israel for the entire affair.

For those with a legal bent, here is some legal background information on the actions surrounding the “Gaza Flotilla”: (Ref. 4)

1. A maritime blockade is in effect off the coast of Gaza. Such blockade has been imposed, as Israel is currently in a state of armed conflict with the Hamas regime that controls Gaza, which has repeatedly bombed civilian targets in Israel with weapons that have been smuggled into Gaza via the sea.
2. Maritime blockades are a legitimate and recognized measure under international law that may be implemented as part of an armed conflict at sea. (Examples: USA blockaded Cuba, UK blockaded The Falklands, the EU blockaded Yugoslavia)
3. A blockade may be imposed at sea, including in international waters, so long as it does not bar access to the ports and coasts of neutral States.
4. The naval manuals of several western countries, including the US and England recognize the maritime blockade as an effective naval measure and set forth the various criteria that make a blockade valid, including the requirement to give due notice of the existence of the blockade.
5. In this vein, it should be noted that Israel publicized the existence of the blockade and the precise coordinates of such by means of the accepted international professional maritime channels. Israel also provided appropriate notification to the affected governments and to the organizers of the Gaza protest flotilla. Moreover, in real time, the ships participating in the protest flotilla were warned repeatedly that a maritime blockade is in effect.
6. Here, it should be noted that under customary law, knowledge of the blockade may be presumed once a blockade has been declared and appropriate notification has been granted, as above.
7. Under international maritime law, when a maritime blockade is in effect, no boats can enter the blockaded area. That includes both civilian and enemy vessels.
8. A State may take action to enforce a blockade. Any vessel that violates or attempts to violate a maritime blockade may be captured or even attacked under international law. The US Commander's Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations sets forth that a vessel is considered to be attempting to breach a blockade from the time the vessel leaves its port with the intention of evading the blockade.
9. Here we should note that the protesters indicated their clear intention to violate the blockade by means of written and oral statements. Moreover, the route of these vessels indicated their clear intention to violate the blockade in violation of international law.
10. Given the protesters explicit intention to violate the naval blockade, Israel exercised its right under international law to enforce the blockade. It should be noted that prior to undertaking enforcement measures, explicit warnings were relayed directly to the captains of the vessels, expressing Israel's intent to exercise its right to enforce the blockade.
11. Israel had attempted to take control of the vessels participating in the flotilla by peaceful means and in an orderly fashion in order to enforce the blockade. Given the large number of vessels participating in the flotilla, an operational decision was made to undertake measures to enforce the blockade a certain distance from the area of the blockade.
12. Israeli personnel attempting to enforce the blockade were met with violence by the protesters and acted in self defense to fend off such attacks.