The New Definitions of Chutzpah - "Blame the Victims"

The New Definitions of Chutzpah

"Blame the Victims"

© David Burton 2010

Chutzpah
 


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.
Links to relevant Internet sites are as follows:

http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/05/3101.htm (Article with video footage of soldiers boarding the ship being attacked by the passengers, who were armed with stun grenades, knives, clubs, iron pipes, and guns and waiting for a fight)

http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/05/3105.htm (Article with video footage of eyewitness and soldier who was injured while on board the Mavi Marama ship)

http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/05/3103.htm (Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi explaining why there was use of weapons as a means of defense)

http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/05/2701.htm (Top level Hamas officials behind the flotilla's organizers, present at the ships' send off)

A New Definition of Chutzpah: In an unprovoked attack, North Korea, without warning, torpedoes and sinks a South Korean naval vessel with the loss of nearly 50 lives. For weeks and even months after the event, governments and the United Nations wag their heads, say tsk, tsk, and effectively take no action, in spite of incontrovertible evidence that the South Korean ship was torpedoed without warning by North Korea. In contrast, governments around the world and the United Nations, within 24 hours of the event, and without knowing the actual facts, chastise Israel, and call for an “unbiased” international investigation when Israel prevents ships from delivering “humanitarian” supplies to Gaza. Israel had previously announced a legal blockade of Gaza, repeatedly warned the ships not to land in Gaza and had attempted to halt the ships without resort to force. (Note: Casualties only occurred on one vessel when “peaceful activists” attacked Israeli sailors attempting to board the ship. On all the other vessels, there were no casualties – the Israeli sailors did not “attack” those on board these other ships and no armed force was used because the real peace activist dupes did not attack the boarding forces.).

     “At the United Nations, a lynch mob for Israel is always just a moment away. The Islamic countries are a reliable source of venom, led by the Arab bloc; what we used to call the “non-aligned” are all aligned against Israel and happy to join the fun; and the Europeans can be counted on for hand-wringing rather than staunch resistance. Only the United States, and a few brave allies like Canada and Australia, can be counted upon to oppose diplomatic lynchings year after year; and only the United States can stop them in the Security Council.”
     “This week the mob formed again, instantly, after the Gaza flotilla disaster, reinforced this time by the leadership of Turkey, whose language at the UN was more vicious than that used by the Arabs. As usual there was really only one question once the mob began to gather. It is the question that arose repeatedly in the Bush years—when the Hamas leaders Sheik Yassin and Abdel Aziz Rantisi were killed by Israel, when Israel acted in Gaza, when Israel put down the intifada in the West Bank, and during the 2006 war in Lebanon and the late 2008 fighting in Gaza: would Israel stand alone, or would the United States stand with her and prevent the lynching? Would the U.S., in Daniel Patrick Moynihan's memorable phrase, "join the jackals?"
(Ref. 5) Unfortunately, we (and Israel) got the answer. This time, the U.S. did not use its veto power in the Security Council.

     Let’s take a moment to consider some relevant facts concerning Gaza, the “peace flotilla”, and Israel’s actions over the years relative to Gaza.

     “The charter of Hamas, the U.S.-designated terrorist group that seized Gaza in an armed coup from the Palestinian Authority in 2007, calls for the destruction of Israel.
     “Israel’s actions are aimed at blocking arms and explosives shipments to Hamas, which is at war with the Jewish state. Hamas has fired more than 7,000 rockets and mortar shells into Israel since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005.
     “Hamas continues to operate a vast network of tunnels under Gaza, which it uses to smuggle in weapons from Iran and Syria for attacks against Israeli civilians. It also has repeatedly sought to smuggle weapons through the sea.
     “According to international legal experts, it is legitimate for a state to impose an embargo on international waters during wartime. Israel’s detention of the flotilla ships—and its use of force to defend its soldiers when attacked by some of the radicals—is acceptable under international law.
     “Egypt also has imposed a blockade on Gaza to protect its own internal security by constructing an underground steel wall along the Sinai-Gaza border to help stymie the flow of illicit goods.
     “Israel continues to facilitate a vast operation to provide humanitarian goods and medical services to the people of Gaza.
     “Since the end of the Gaza war in 2009, Israel has facilitated the transfer of more than a million tons of humanitarian supplies to Gaza and 133 million liters of fuel. Israel is now in the process of unloading the items from the flotilla and is transferring legitimate humanitarian items into Gaza via established mechanisms {as Israel had announced that it would}.
     “The primary aim of the Gaza flotilla was not to provide humanitarian relief; it was to cause a provocation with Israel. Its top organizers and some of its participants are radicals with ties to terrorist groups that sought a violent confrontation. In contrast, the Israeli navy had worked hard to plan a peaceful interception of the six ships and its personnel only used force when their lives were at risk. Israel has legitimate self-defense reasons to inspect the cargo going into the Hamas-controlled area, where the U.S.-designated terrorist group has smuggled in thousands of munitions and rockets for use in attacks against Israeli civilians.
     “The flotilla's organizers willfully ignored repeated warnings that they would be denied entry—including messages from the European Union—and rejected offers by Israel to transfer humanitarian goods through the Israeli port of Ashdod.
     “The main organizer of the flotilla—whose members led the assault on the IDF—was the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), which has publicly affirmed its links to Hamas {a U.S.-designated terrorist group}, maintains an office in Gaza and has ties to other terrorist organizations.
     “IHH has also been linked to al-Qaeda and played a role in al-Qaeda’s failed Millennium bombing of Los Angeles International Airport, according to French counter-terrorism magistrate Jean-Louis Bruguière, who testified during the trial of failed bomber Ahmed Ressam.
     “The Israeli navy planned a peaceful interception of the six ships and they only used force when their lives were at risk.
     “Individuals aboard the vessels had clearly prepared for violence, chanting an Islamic battle cry recalling the killing of Jews and calling for martyrdom, according to an Al-Jazeera report.
     “While intercepting six ships attempting to break the naval blockade of Gaza after frequent warnings not to proceed, Israeli soldiers were attacked immediately upon boarding one of them.
     “The outnumbered soldiers were attacked. . . with crowbars, clubs and knives and shot at with guns stolen from soldiers, seven of whom were injured. One soldier was thrown to a lower deck 30 feet below.
     “Israeli soldiers reacted with the utmost restraint. Only when their lives were in danger did they seek and receive permission to open fire. Nine flotilla participants were killed and others injured. Seven Israeli soldiers were injured.
     “Israel has a legitimate right to self-defense and reason to be concerned about cargo going unchecked into Hamas-controlled Gaza.”
(Ref. 6)

A New Definition of Chutzpah: Individuals and groups claim to be “peace activists” and “peaceful humanitarians”. They claim to seek a peaceful solution to the ongoing Mideast conflict and they also claim that they only want to aid the downtrodden and starving people of Gaza. At the same time, these “peace activists” are unwilling to allow their “humanitarian” supplies to be delivered to the people of Gaza by peaceful means, and are prepared to violently attack Israeli soldiers attempting to enforce a legal blockade.

      “Dan Carmon, deputy head of Israel's mission to the United Nations, stated to the UNSC "What kind of humanitarian activists demand to bypass the UN, the Red Cross, and other internationally recognized agencies? What kind of peace activists use knives, clubs and other weapons to attack soldiers who board a ship in accordance with international law? What kind of humanitarian activists, some with known terrorist history, embrace Hamas, a terrorist organization that openly shuns a two-state solution and calls for Israel's destruction, defying conditions set by the international community and the Quartet? The answer is clear: they are not peace activists; they are not messengers of good will. They cynically use a humanitarian platform to send a message of hate and to implement violence." (Ref. 7)

Worse than the terrorist chutzpah is the chutzpah and stupidity of those individuals, groups, governments and media that allowed themselves to be duped into participating in or supporting those responsible for the deaths and injuries that have resulted.

A New Definition of Chutzpah: The final document coming out of the United Nations Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty review conference singles out Israel but does not include any mention of Iranian or Syrian violations of their treaty obligations.

     “The faulty final document coming out of the United Nations' recently completed month-long Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty review conference failed to address the key nuclear proliferation threat facing the Middle East and the world: Iran. The document does not include any mention of Iranian or Syrian violations of their treaty obligations, but instead singles out Israel.” (Ref. 8)

A New Definition of Chutzpah: When Israel captured Jerusalem in the 1967 war, they turned over control of the Temple Mount, the Dome of the Rock and the el Aksa Mosque to Muslim authorities. Israel has not torn down Muslim mosques, Christian churches or any religious structure belonging to any religious denomination. But, when Israel rebuilt the Hurva Synagogue that was destroyed by Jordanian troops that occupied the Old City of Jerusalem after Israel’s war of independence in 1948, Palestinian Arabs complained. The Hurva synagogue was first built or partially built in 1694 in the Jewish Quarter of Old Jerusalem by Jews escaping Eastern Europe, on land purchased from the Ottoman rulers.

     “Hatem Abdel Qader, Jerusalem Affair`s Director for Fatah, the Palestinian group/faction ruling the West Bank, called it {the rebuilding of the Hurva Synagogue} ‘a prelude to violence and religious fanaticism and extremism’ and an unacceptable ‘provocation’.”
     “Khaled Meshal, the exiled leader of Hamas, the Palestinian faction in charge of the Gaza strip, from exile in Syria, called it a pretext for the ‘destruction of the Al Aska Mosque, and the building of the (Jewish) temple that could not be tolerated’."
     “The Organization of the Islamic Conference as quoted in a Dubai newspaper, went further, with spokesperson Ekmeleddin calling this a provocation that is ‘dragging the region into religious war’ by building on land that is a ‘waqf’ (an Islamic trust area).”
     “Ultimately, the Hurva is a place of worship, not a political statement. Jews should be allowed to worship in peace at the Hurva as surely as Muslims are allowed to do so at the Dome of the Rock.”
(Ref. 9)

A New Definition of Chutzpah: Israel unilaterally withdraws from Gaza, turns over control of Gaza to Arab inhabitants, and even gives the residents of Gaza modern greenhouses donated by Jewish philanthropists so they can have their own businesses and earn their own living. In return, grateful residents of Gaza destroy the greenhouses, turn over control to Hamas, a terrorist organization dedicated to the destruction of Israel, and cheer when Hamas and other home-grown terrorists launch thousands of rockets into Israel. In keeping with the classic definition of Chutzpah, the people of Gaza beg the world for aid because they now have no means of livelihood and also claim that they have no food or power in spite of the fact that Israel continues to supply Gaza with electrical power and with tons of supplies each week.

      “In 2005, Israel gave Gaza to the Palestinian Arabs, lock, stock and barrel. Israel also made arrangement for monitors from the European Union to oversee trade between Gaza and its neighbors, Egypt and Israel.”
      “With an ideal location on the Mediterranean Sea, the Palestinian Arabs, de facto, had a state of their own and a golden opportunity to turn it into a paradise.
      “Instead, the Arabs in Gaza destroyed that infrastructure, including modern greenhouses donated by Jewish philanthropists, and launched thousands of Kassam rockets at Sderot and other nearby Israeli cities and towns.”
(Ref. 10)

The New Definition of Chutzpah: A government that backtracks on its previous agreements with - and commitments to Israel, embarrasses Israel and says, “America maintains an unwavering friendship with Israel and an unshakable commitment to its security.” (Ref. 11)

------------------------------------------------------------------------
References:
  1. The new joys of yiddish, Leo Rosten, Page 81, Three Rivers Press, New York, 2001.
  2. A Turkish (blood) bath, Ralph Peters, Boston Herald, Page 19, 2 June 2010.
  3. Israel Was Right, Leslie H. Gelb, The Daily Beast; http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-05-31/israel-was-right-to-board-the-gaza-flotilla/p/, 31 May 2010.
  4. The Gaza Flotilla and the Maritime Blockade of Gaza, Stuart Palmer, RCBE / Reconstructionist Congregation Beth Emeth, 31 May 2010.
  5. Joining the Jackals - The Obama administration abandons Israel, Elliott Abrams, WeeklyStandard.com; http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/joining-jackals, 2 June 2010.
  6. AIPAC Memo, The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, 1 June 2010.
  7. Gaza: Extended Coverage, The David Project for Jewish Leadership, 1 June 2010.
  8. Flawed NPT Call Ignores Iranian Threat, Singles Out Israel, AIPAC Memo; membership@aipacmail.org, 2 June 2010.
  9. Controversial Synagogue Reopens in Jerusalem's Old City, Geoff Dean, The SOP; http://thesop.org/story/world/2010/03/17/controversial-synagogue-reopens-in-jerusalems-old-city.php, 17 March 2010.
  10. Free Gaza — from its Arab oppressors, Alan H. Stein, The Register Citizen, Serving Litchfield County, CT, 2 June 2010.
  11. Now Is the Time to Stand By Israel , Pierre Tristam, Barack Obama's AIPAC Speech, June 4, 2008: The Full Text, About.com, 4 June 2008.


 


  13 June 2010 {Article 80; Whatever_17}    
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