Don’t turn the other cheek

Steering clear of trouble or challenges is much easier than facing problems head on with the clear intention of finding a solution. As we approach Rosh Hashanah, and look back on our year, not having had any confrontation or harsh words with anyone else seems good, right?

It looks good because avoiding conflict and tough challenges means avoiding saying anything that people don’t want to hear. So you come across as Mr/Mrs/Ms Nice Guy and that feels good. Or does it?

I avoid conflict where possible, but it doesn’t serve me. I risk allowing something I know is intrinsically wrong to happen, or I don’t stand up for myself. These are not positive experiences. I hazard a guess they are not what we are put on this earth to do either.

We aren’t the ones who are meant to turn the other cheek. Sure, we are told not to seek revenge. However, when someone harms us or our loved ones, or does something that we know is wrong, we can’t ignore it.

Right now there are many in the world who condemn Israel for fighting to ensure that terrorist organisations, like Hamas and Hezbollah, are never again able to perpetrate the atrocities of 7 October. Exactly what did they expect Israel to do? Avoid confrontation and say, ‘Okay, you did this horrific thing to my people, but I forgive you and let’s chat about how we can take this forward’? Really?

Do you know anyone in their right mind who would do that? Not least of all because Hamas violently dragged 251 innocent men, women, and children to Gaza, where they held them in the most horrific conditions. And to date, almost one year later, it still has more than 100 of our people – and we do not know whether they are dead or alive. How can this be acceptable?

What is clear is that Israel is not out seeking revenge, but rather ensuring the terrorists do not have the capacity to do what they did again. Why? Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Islamic Republic of Iran have vowed to destroy Israel and its people. We believe them and there is no way Israel can allow it.

Israel did not start this war, nor did it want a war, as Israeli President Isaac Herzog keeps repeating. Israel does not want to fight; however, it does want to live in peace without the constant threat of another 7 October massacre. It also wants its population to go back to living safely in their homes in northern and southern Israel.

The general idea in the mainstream media is that Israel has now launched an attack in Lebanon on people who were innocently getting on with their lives. It was unprovoked, or so they want you to believe. In reality, since 7 October, Hezbollah has been firing missiles at Israel consistently, aiming directly at the Israeli populace. Not at strategic or military sites. No, directly at where ordinary Israelis live.

And just as the heat was on for Hezbollah to up its game, Israel struck with the pager offensive. Many would have you believe – and they do their best to believe it themselves because it suits them – that Israel attacked innocent people. However, that is the furthest thing from the truth. The attack was directed at active Hezbollah operatives. And since then, as Hezbollah fires more and more missiles towards Haifa and even Tel Aviv, Israel focuses its attack on Hezbollah leadership and strategic places to take out their ability to harm Israel. All this to safeguard its population and enable them to go back to their homes in the north of Israel to live in peace.

I do get that war begets war and battles beget more battles. And who knows when this will end. However, as much as I hate violence and war, I cannot see how Israel can do otherwise. Should it be gentler? To what end? Will that convince Hezbollah and Hamas to come to the table and genuinely look for a peaceful way forward? If that were possible, I would subscribe to that, but I don’t believe that Hezbollah and Hamas are looking for peace. And Israel is not going to allow them to walk all over it or destroy the country. So it’s in a catch-22. I certainly don’t have the answer, but it isn’t to turn the other cheek or avoid confrontation.

Last week, our columnist Howard Feldman, who has such a quirky turn of phrase, was “fired” from News24 because he had apparently “glorified violence” on his personal Twitter (now X) account. Feldman wasn’t employed by News24, nor paid for his column, but certainly is outspoken about Israel’s right to defend itself. (See story on page 3.) Feldman could have turned the other cheek and let it go because, well, we as Jews are getting used to people refusing to hear Israel’s and our side of things. But he didn’t. He released the letter from the editor to all who would read it and put forward his side of the story.

Feldman is a brave man. He pulls no punches. He says it like it is, and very often people find this offensive. Truth is, most of us don’t do what he does because we can’t take the backlash and ridicule that comes from taking an unpopular stand. It is much easier to go with the flow and not challenge where we see wrong being done.

Feldman can never be accused of that. He stands up and is counted, and I so admire and respect that.

Right now, once again, those who are anti-Israel and anti-United States are doing their best to rub our combined noses in their running of our authorities. They are trying to change the innocuous name of Sandton Drive to Leila Khaled Drive. Khaled is a terrorist with two failed hijacking attempts on her record. She is no friend of Israel, or the West. But those who hate Israel hold her in high esteem.

While the South African government has every right to want to change the names of streets named after apartheid leaders, Sandton Drive is not one of them. And the general idea is for streets to be renamed after South Africans who did something great for the country. Khaled isn’t South African, nor has she done anything for this country.

The crux is that we as citizens have an opportunity to voice our disapproval of the name change and prevent it happening. In our story on page 4, we explain exactly how.

Don’t turn the other cheek. Don’t ignore this wrong. Be active citizens and make sure it doesn’t happen.

As we wind down to Rosh Hashanah and the high holy days, don’t get depressed and downhearted because of what the world is saying and doing to us. Do something. Stand up and be counted. This is one way you can do that.

Shabbat Shalom and Chag sameach!

Peta Krost

Editor

We will not be publishing next week as it is Rosh Hashanah but will be back the following week on 10 October.