After a hiatus this week, taken for personal reasons, I want to return for a short posting before Shabbat, to be followed by much more next week.
My last posting dealt with the fact that it was very likely we had taken out Mohammed Deif, although it could not be confirmed, as Hamas was not acknowledging his death.
Here I offer a significant reason – not widely considered – as to why Hamas would seek to deny Deif’s death.
It is the norm for Hamas to respond with reprisal when a leader has been attacked, never mind killed. But Hamas has a problem: They are low on weapons and feeling weak.
To acknowledge Deif’s death would be to put themselves in a position of either responding when they prefer not to or admitting that they are in no position to do so.
Easier to say, “He’s fine.”
(Yes, I know: It was acknowledged that Rafa Salama’a was killed, but Deif was the big man, second only to Sinwar. He had been attacked by Israel seven times over the course of 20 years and escaped alive, if sometimes wounded, each time. To admit his demise now would be major.)
And yet another reason: admission that the man who could not be killed by the Israelis really had been taken out would be a big blow to the already demoralized Hamas fighters still standing.
A recent picture taken before the attack:
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The fact that Hamas is feeling weak is very big news and moving ahead I will have much more to say about it.
One of several relevant articles: “Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar is being pressed by the terror group’s military commanders to accept a ceasefire deal and end the war with Israel, according to U.S. intelligence…”
https://www.jns.org/cia-sinwar-under-increasing-internal-pressure-to-end-the-war/
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An article about Gad Saad, Jewish scholar, author, public speaker, appeared recently in JNS.
Saad was born in Lebanon and fled to Canada with his family when he was 11. He understands Arab mentality.
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Among the many things he spoke about in this article was what he refers to a “suicidal empathy.” He is working on a book that tentatively will have that title.
In the book he will argue that empathy must be regulated (emphasis added):
“Western leaders tend to ‘exhibit compassion in an orgiastic manner’ and expect other nations to reciprocate that empathy, he told JNS. But in the Middle East, ‘if they sniff empathy or compassion, it is seen as a vulnerability and you are weak.’
“Saad told JNS that Islamists use Western naiveté to their advantage…
“’I grew up in that world,’ he told JNS. ‘I understand that language.’
“’What shocks me to no end is when I see all these Western politicians exhibiting this cultural blindness,’ he said. ‘They project exactly the values that are important in their society, and presume that others will understand them and read them as the same.’
“When he discusses this detail of the Middle East with diplomats, they are ‘blown away,’ he told JNS.
“’It’s as if they’re running into a Martian, because literally, their brains can’t comprehend those realities,’ he said.”
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I welcome this commentary with great enthusiasm, as it is both wise and necessary. I have written about this time and again, focusing on the tendency here in Israel among leftists to make the very serious error of thinking that if they are “nice” to the Arabs, the Arabs will be “nice” to us.
Oi v’voy! A huge mistake. We can see how this has worked out.
The Arabs understand strength.
Amongst the authorities on this I have cited over the years are Prof. Moshe Sharon, who writes incisively about negotiating in the Arab bazaar, and Prof. Moti Kedar, an expert in Arab culture.
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Right now, this is exceedingly relevant, as negotiations are presumably going on for the release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has got it right: He is insisting on being tough and I celebrate this fact. I believe he has come into his own.
Head of the Mossad, David Barnea (pictured) concurs with his position. Others disagree: They are afraid that Netanyahu will be “too tough.”
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With this I leave you, my friends, with much to consider and discuss over Shabbat. Having set the tone, I will return next week to share a great deal more.
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Keep praying to Heaven for Israel. Pray that the tears might be lifted from our hearts.
Pray for the strength and wisdom of our leaders, for the safety of our soldiers, and for the rescue of our hostages.
Pray in a spirit of hope.
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©Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by independent journalist Arlene Kushner. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution.
