Grandma's army

  When asked what is the difference between the Israeli army and other armies, my grandson Ohad who serves in a special commando unit, answered that the IDF is primarily an army of the People. He added that  what makes it so unique is that humanitarian values are no less instilled in the army trainees than warfare strategies. What other army has given so much humanitarian aid to their enemies? The PA (Palestinian Authority) is a sworn enemy of Israel, although considered “mild” compared to Hamas, etc. The head of the PA, Mahmoud Abbas, not only offers terrorists who brutally attack Israeli citizens (including women and children), monetary awards, but they are crowned as heroes and martyrs. The Sheba Medical Centre, in Tel-Aviv, provides services to patients from across the Middle East, including many patients (especially children) from the Palestinian Authority. It   has treated tens of thousands of “Palestinians” from Gaza, Judea/Samaria. In at least 400 cases...

It is no secret that the Iranian regime is an authoritarian state that enforces religious conformity through violence and fear. The ordinary Iranian people   are risking, and losing, their lives   in an attempt to reclaim their country and their freedom   - from one of the most frightening theocracies on earth. The regime kills those who dare to protest, having oppressed its population since the Shah was driven out. It is also no secret that the death penalty is issued disproportionately among Iran’s persecuted minorities – including Christians, Baha’i and Kurds. Iranian women who refuse compulsory veiling, students who chant for freedom, artists who risk prison for a line of poetry, and civilians abducted from their homes all find themselves strangely sidelined. Their suffering is real, but it is not useful. Their humanity is undeniable, but it does not flatter the ideological needs of the moment. At the same time, Iran directs its fury outward, threatening Israe...