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Editorial

•

,

I

below-grade to restore a maze of tunnels to
smuggle weapons and move terrorists.

he ceremonial brick laid to mark

the so-called start of Gaza

mer's

Hamas remains

recon­

driven to eradicate

more

struction in the wake of last

sum­

It's

between Hamas and Israel

signi­

Strip is

war

improve the lot of its citizens,

Israel than

fies

deception at its finest, not a commit­
ment by leaders of the coastal strip's ruling
terrorist organization to the families whose
homes were destroyed or damaged.

Palestinians.

many

distraught

over

the

effects of

destroyed in the war, which
provoked by Hamas' pummeling of

site of a home

By all accounts, Hamas remains more
driven to eradicate Israel than improve the

war's

lot of its citizens, many distraught over the
effects of war. Ordinary Gazans have been

plight,

responsible

Hamas' devious elected

charter to

Despite
being
by
wipe out the Jewish state, Israel, because of

sworn

somewhat eased border restrictions, con­
tinues to be a source of food, fuel, building

materials, energy and medicine and

medical

care

for 1.8 million

even

people under

Hamas' dictatorial rule.

The

southern Israel with rocket fire. The home

was

in

Shejaiya, near Gaza City,

major

one

of the

battlefronts.

"The march toward real reconstruction

of the Gaza

Strip has begun, and nothing

Backdrop

July 22, the Palestinian housing minis­
ter, Mufid al- Hasayneh, laid a brick at the

On

itself with

short-range rockets capable of
eluding Israel's Iron Dome missile defense
system as well as striving to upgrade its
fighting forces rather than earmark the

billions of dollars it draws from the U.S.,
the European Union and the Arab League

to

rebuild homes, schools,

hospitals

and

infrastructure.

front in the

of 2,200 Palestinians and 73 Israelis. It

We will rebuild

coming days.
destroyed by Israel:'
The bricklaying was intended to kick off

official government reconstruction efforts.
What an affront to reality!

Reconstruction

only

now

is

of Hamas

ons

diverting cement and other provided con­
struction materials to tunnel development
to reassert its ability to secretly enter Israel
to kidnap, maim, pillage and destroy.

striving to

re-arm

war

claimed the lives

A Sunni Muslim

more

stave

faction,

off political

extreme

Hamas is

try­

challenges from

Palestinian sects thanks

itself isolated

by neighboring
finding
anti-Islamist
Egypt's
government;
Sympathizers of Islamic State (aka

to

•

securing Gaza (and its 33-mile-long border
Israel) via an expanding web of Sharia

18,000 homes, many a byproduct
using them as shields for weap­

law-incited takeover incursions.

Israel, meanwhile, has felt compelled to

limit

access

fear

some

to Gaza for Israeli

Although no Gaza homes have been rebuilt,
Hamas has sought headlines to announce it
is repairing war-zone homes that were only
partially damaged. The tactic has enabled
Hamas to create the illusion it's working
up to the next phase of reconstruction:
rebuilt homes. Instead, Hamas is working

Arabs out of

could be

swayed against their
by
loyalists.
Bricks are meant to help build community
in a positive way. The bricklaying ceremo­

home state

Rel9nS

it

•

ing to

with

stashes and hideouts for terrorists.

isa

bubbling

up because Hamas is facing international
pressure. Hamas presumably has been

Hamas also has been

Last summer's

destroyed

Bank;

ISIS); a Sunni Muslim terrorist group, eye

will stop it:' Hasayneh said. "We will see
a lot of movement on the reconstruction

all homes

City.

Hamas

Hamas is at

supposed peace partner governing
Palestinian-controlled sectors of the West

was

leaders in Gaza

fighting IsraeL Consider:
political war with Fatah,

Hamas isn't just

war._

•

2007, thousands of Gazans are
still homeless, living in tents, schools and
other types of makeshift housing.

not

understatement to say the Gaza
chaotic enclave jeopardizing

its

to power in

for their

a

potential peace between Israel and the

Eleven months after last summer's

50-day war, Israel's third and fiercest with
Hamas since the organization's violent rise

brainwashed to believe Israel is

an

Hamas

ny last week points up the extent to which
Hamas, a sometimes-proxy of Shiite Iran,

will go to use a brick to mask its delusion
of being a caring and strong, but embattled

ambassador for

ordinary Gazans. D

Analysis

•

Sho Id Rabbi

I

I

"North American rabbis have to

I

Sean

between

Savage
JNS.org

navigate carefully
Israel and their positions

the U.S.

[in order to] take a stand
cal issues," Rabbi Joshua

Congress debates
whether or not to support the

s

defending

as

Americans

politi-
Weinberg,

on

at?

n

his views about

political questions

Rabbi Barry Gelman, the leader
of United Orthodox Synagogues of

president of the Association of Reform

Houston (UOS), said it is

Zionists of America (ARZA), an organi­
zation that works to enhance Reform

that rabbis comment

on

"in terms of

as

Judaism's connection to Israel, told

ers." But he said rabbis should be

try, where

many Jews will inevitably
look to their congregational rabbis for

JNS.org.

careful when

guidance on how they should view an
agreement that many are criticizing
for endangering the security of their

rabbi at

topics like the

brethren in Israel.

factors such

Iran nuclear deal, the

discussion is

taking place

same

in local

Jewish communities around the

But

coun­

pulpit rabbis are not members
of Congress, and synagogues are not
political advocacy organizations. So
how and when is it appropriate for
them to comment publicly on the Iran

issue?

40 July

Rabbi Daniel Berman, a Conservative
Temple Reyim in Newton,

Mass., believes that addressing difficult

Iran deal

as

the

depends on
"particular com­

munity's interests and level of engage­
ment with political or policy questions,
and the comfort level and strength
of the rabbi in offering sermons that

touch these issues."

While Berman is open to

30

•

2015

expressing

in

certain situations, he said he prefers
fostering communal conversation.

our

role

important

the Iran deal

spiritual lead­

considering wading into
sensitive political debates such as this

one.

At the

time, the Iran deal

during the past decade.

As such, many
use the $150

Israelis fear that Iran will

billion of sanctions relief it secured in

the deal to

provide financial and mili­
tary support to those terror groups.
"Rabbis should use the pulpit to
sensitize their congregants to these
realities, affirm our support for the

State of Israel and urge our govern­
ment to be diligent in thwarting terror­

ists' threats," Gelman said.
ARZA's Weinberg also feels rabbis

have

a

significant ramifications for
Israelis and Jews beyond the politi­

tions

on

cal fallout in America. Iran is

state who should be "well-read

same

has

the

one

of

role in

guiding their congrega­
topic of Israel. He called
rabbis "go-to" sources on the Jewish

the

on

the

state sponsors of terror­
ism in the Middle East, supporting

issues"

groups such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad
and Hezbollah, together which have

not nuclear scientists and have noth­

engaged in several

rabbis. D

largest

wars

with Israel

"I

ing

affecting it.
don't buy the excuse

to say,"

that

they're

Weinberg said of pulpit