Every now and then I write something amusing for this page that I’m eager to share with all of you. And then something happens that makes sharing amusing stories seem pointless and petty. This morning, right before I hit “post” on the way to the airport, I realized that my driver – a man who has been taking me to the airport at least three times a month for the last 20 years and become a friend – has family in Gaza.
“Are they okay?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” he said. “All lines of communication are down. There is no electricity. Everything is closed. There have been many, many explosions…”
He didn’t say more, and I didn’t ask more. Because what is there to say at a moment like this? The man’s family does not support Hamas, or Hezbollah, or their puppet masters in Iran. And yet, they live in a place from which the devils operate. I wanted to ask, “Why? Why haven’t they left like you did, so many years ago?”
But I couldn’t. Because he knows that the response to what just happened is going to be both righteous and terrible, and a lot of innocent people are going to die. Hard to know what to say to man who is scared for his family, and praying that Israel will show restraint, when you’re quietly hoping that Israel will act decisively to eradicate Hamas and Hezbollah from the face of the earth, once and for all.
Obviously, I don’t know any more than anyone else who’s trying to keep up with the latest events, and those events are unfolding very, very quickly. Personally, I’m appalled this morning by the sheer savagery of what happened, and by the hesitation of our news networks to show America the videos I’ve seen on various social media sites – videos that leave no doubt that the “rocket attack” was also a distraction. A distraction that allowed terrorists to cross the border and butcher hundreds of women and children – including it seems, a number of Americans. And yes, I’m also angered by the administration’s position that giving $6 billion to Iran “didn’t make it easier” for them to orchestrate this entire event, or for that matter, their reluctance to admit what the Wall Street Journal has already confirmed – that Iran funded and helped organize these attacks. It’s just…stunning.
Sorry to wander outside my lane on a Monday morning, but there’s nothing else to discuss at the moment, and nothing amusing to share. The stakes seem frighteningly high, both for my friend’s family, and for the world at large. A prayer for the innocents, if you’re the praying type, and for the hostages, who are now in the company of devils.