Knowledge is the building block of Judaism. Love of God is contingent on what one knows about Him.
ועל פי הדעה--על פי האהבה--אם מעט מעט, ואם הרבה הרבה
I am planning to post from time to time some of the ideas that I develop as I read and think about issues that catch my attention. Usually they relate to Machshava or Halacha especially how they affect our daily life. I am looking forward to learn from all commenters.
Monday, June 07, 2010
Humanitarian Crisis In Gaza - A Blockade Like Never Before
When was it ever in history that a country attacked for decades by its neighbor who openly wants it destroyed, imposed a blockade with these results.
"The average daily diet of 1,000 calories was insufficient even for small children. Disorders related to malnutrition - scurvy, tuberculosis and dysentery - were common by 1917.
"Official statistics attributed nearly 763,000 wartime deaths in Germany to starvation caused by the Allied blockade. This figure excluded the further 150,000 German victims of the 1918 influenza pandemic, which inevitably caused disproportionate suffering among those already weakened by malnutrition and related diseases."
Steve - Have you ever been to Sderot? And do you subscribe to the argument that because others don't want us to defend ourselves that means we shouldn't?
I was very impressed with those pictures - until I received this months Harper's magazine this shabbos which says that out of 4000 categories of items for sale in Gaza, only 73 are imported "legally" - thus the abundance displayed is in spite of Israel, not thanks to our humanitarianism
Are we in agreement that our primary responsibility, is to most effectively defend Jews right to freedom from unjust attack,rather than to minimize the pain of the unjust attackers and their families?
Thanks, David.
ReplyDeleteVery effective source. You'd think the world has never heard of Google.
Photo: Consequences of the Allied blockade of Germany during World War I
"The average daily diet of 1,000 calories was insufficient even for small children. Disorders related to malnutrition - scurvy, tuberculosis and dysentery - were common by 1917.
"Official statistics attributed nearly 763,000 wartime deaths in Germany to starvation caused by the Allied blockade. This figure excluded the further 150,000 German victims of the 1918 influenza pandemic, which inevitably caused disproportionate suffering among those already weakened by malnutrition and related diseases."
Source: National Archives (UK): The Blockade on Germany
Or ... the 'Burma Road' that was necessary to ameliorate starvation during the Arab siege of Jerusalem.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. Finding proof is like shooting fish in a barrel.
David - have you ever been to Gaza? And do you subscribe to the argument that because others are hypocrites it allows us to be?
ReplyDeleteSteve - Have you ever been to Sderot? And do you subscribe to the argument that because others don't want us to defend ourselves that means we shouldn't?
ReplyDeleteI was very impressed with those pictures - until I received this months Harper's magazine this shabbos which says that out of 4000 categories of items for sale in Gaza, only 73 are imported "legally" - thus the abundance displayed is in spite of Israel, not thanks to our humanitarianism
ReplyDeleteAre we in agreement that our primary responsibility, is to most effectively defend Jews right to freedom from unjust attack,rather than to minimize the pain of the unjust attackers and their families?
ReplyDelete