
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">There are a lot of statements made that we should disassociate the people of Palestine with the barbaric terrorist actions of Hamas – or any of the other Islamic terrorist organizations.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">We should all be able to agree that there are a lot of Palestinians – and other Arab ethnicities – who abhor the actions of the extremists. ; They hate that these terrorists operate in the name of their religion. ; They see the terrorists as apostates or infidels.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Undoubtedly, there are lot of people in Gaza who see Hamas as brutal overlords who care nothing about the Palestinians or Islam. ; But rather as a malignant force hellbent on bringing down Israel and exterminating Jews and others.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Many Gazans have seen how Hamas cowardly uses Palestinian men, women and children as shields. ; How Hamas has blocked their escape from the war zone. ; And how they kill Palestinians who protest.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But are the Palestinian people the innocent victims of Hamas’ occupation of Gaza – or are they in full support of Hamas’ objectives and brutal means? ; We should remember that not all Germans were in the Army. ; Hitler drew most of his power from the citizens who cheered and supported his policies. ; The people who attacked Jews on the streets, vandalized their businesses and were responsible for Kristallnacht – and who turned them in to the Gestapo to be sent to death camps.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">We have seen great numbers of the Palestinian population rise up – but not against Hamas as the evil oppressor, but against Israel and the Jewish people. ; The chant “death to Israel,” “death to Jews,” and even “death to America” are their mantras. ; ; ; They raise their fists in allegiance to Hamas. ; We saw how Palestinian people cursed the young hostage being paraded through the streets &#8212; and spit on her. ; We saw the jubilation of the crowds in Gaza over the slaughter of the Jews by Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. ;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">We have also seen how large numbers of “the people” have come to the streets to celebrate and support the actions of Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorist actions – even Muslims in America.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In World War II – as American soldiers entered one nation after another – the people lined the streets and cheered. ; We were seen as the liberators. ; This is not the situation in Gaza or the West Bank. ; There are no indications that the people of Gaza see Israel as liberating them from the evil occupation and oppression of Hamas. ; No matter how many times we make the blanket statement that the Palestinian people are also the victims of Hamas, we must understand that it is only true of some of the Palestinian people. ; The others are all-in with Hamas.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Couple this with the fact that situation in the Middle East is not a conflict between nations carried out by men and women in uniform. ; There is virtually no ability to know if that person on the street has the heart of a terrorist or an innocent citizen. ; Terrorist even train and use young children as combatants. ; Is that 10-year-old on the side of the road an innocent child or a killer – or even a suicide bomber.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">We can talk about the innocent people caught up in this conflict – and there are many. ; But we also need to understand that the distinction is literally impossible to make in the heat of battle. ; It is safe to say, however, that the evil of hate driven terrorism is in the hearts of a lot of those so-called civilians – and they too are often armed and act on their blind hatred of Jews.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">What we have to understand is that there is no moral equivalency between Hamas – and all the other terrorist groups – and Israel at this moment. ; Islamic terrorists are evil in their intent and unjustified in their actions. ; Not since World War II has the chasm between good and evil been so wide and so obvious.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">It will be a difficult war, and there will be a large number of casualties on all sides. ; It is, however, an existential war that may become a much broader engagement than it is at this time. ; A lot of so-called civilians will die – the innocent along with the guilty. ; It is an existential battle that must be taken to wherever it leads – and must be won by those on the side of good. ; Even with sincere concern and sympathy for those who will suffer and die as innocent victims.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">So, there ‘tis.</p>

The Palestinian people are not Hamas … or are they?
Iranians hold a banner with an anti-Israel message in the capital Tehran on May 18, 2018, as they take part in an anti-US and Israel demonstration after weekly Friday prayers to show their solidarity with Palestinians over recent violent events in Gaza. (Photo by STRINGER / AFP)