Opinion
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Media Bias: The Media has shifted from initial outrage over the horrific invasion to emphasizing Palestinian “oppression” & calling for a peaceful Israeli response.
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Soft Racism: The “left” holds Palestinians to lower standards due to perceived oppression while expecting Israel to be more conciliatory.
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Gun Ownership Advocacy: The need for an armed citizenry is real. Israel’s complacency in security was an error. Jews, more than anyone else, should never forget the RKBA.
The violent invasion of Israel by their extermination-minded neighbors to the South should serve as a wake-up call to the world.
For almost 80 years, the hatred of Jews, and the disputes over territory in a tiny corner of the Middle-East has been allowed to simmer and occasionally boil over into insane violence. Citizens of Israel have endured decades of threats, insults, and attacks, while many of their “allies” have blindly poured money into the coffers of Israel’s enemies, calling it “humanitarian aide.” That “aide” has routinely been diverted into weapons and infrastructure for additional attacks on Israel, culminating in the horror we witnessed on October 7. Many observant Jews were not even aware of the attack, coming as it began during the Jewish Sabbath.
The brutal terrorist invasion, resulting in the slaughter of some 1,500 (and counting) innocent, unarmed civilians, including hundreds of women and children, and the taking of some 200 (and counting) hostages, was initially met with righteous anger and outrage around the world. Political leaders and media pundits, expressed horror at the brutal, unprovoked attacks, staged in the middle of a Jewish holiday weekend.
Nonetheless, it didn’t take long for the narrative to shift. Starting within hours, media coverage was first peppered, and then flooded with apologists talking about the “oppressed” Palestinians, the Israeli “occupation,” and the “apartheid state” of Israel. This was quickly followed by growing calls for Israel to moderate their response, hold back their wrath, and engage their attackers in peaceful negotiations, rather than seeking swift and decisive retribution.
In the firearm rights community, we again pointed to the stark reminder of the importance of an armed populace prepared to defend family, community, and country. Just as we saw in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the government of the victim nation suddenly jumped over to our side of the argument on civilian armament, rolling back gun control laws, easing restrictions, and even handing out “military grade” weapons to the citizens they had previously disarmed. Gun rights activists in the United States engaged in a loud chorus of “We told you so!” while figuratively holding our rifles over our heads and shouting “Wolverines!”
Media pundits and academics have been quick to point out that the situation in Israel is “complex,” with a long history of disputes over land, resources, and religious freedom. They talk of the “cycle of violence” perpetuated by “both sides,” and the need for negotiation and peaceful resolution of the two sides’ differences. These discussions always boil down to demands that Israel show restraint. That Israel makes concessions. That because Israel is stronger, more economically successful, and more liberal in its religious and political philosophy – more enlightened in “Western values” – Israel is expected to set the example by being more conciliatory and less reactionary.
Soft Racism Of Low Expectations
This is a great example of the “soft racism of low expectations” so often exhibited by the “left” and their elitist leaders. The bigotry that segregates people groups by race, ethnicity, sexual preference, and, in some cases, religion, then treats the members of these groups like children in need of a mother to take care of them. The racism of low expectations is also the racism of special allowances. And the racism of requiring those who are “more fortunate” to bow down and excuse the bad behavior of the “oppressed” in our midst because “it’s not their fault” since “they don’t know any better” and “you, the enlightened, successful, privileged peoples” must bear the burden of these “oppressed” peoples. Since they are “oppressed,” there must be an “oppressor,” and that title must fall on those who achieve and succeed.
That’s the gist of the message from these elitists, but the reality of the situation in Israel and the Middle-East is not really complicated at all.
Yes, there has been a lot of complicated history in the region, but it all boils down to a few very straightforward facts:
- There are two groups that lay claim to these lands: Jews and Muslim Arabs.
- The Jews have consistently negotiated in good faith and demonstrated a willingness to work toward peace and mutual prosperity.
- The Muslim Arabs openly call for the total eradication of the Jews and have repeatedly made it clear that they are willing to say and do virtually anything to make that eradication a reality.
In short, the Jews want to be left alone to live in peace, while the Muslim Arabs continue to kill the Jews, even at the cost of the lives of their own people.
All the rest of it is just bluster and distraction.
The Arabs of Palestine are not hostages of Israel.
They don’t live in an apartheid state, nor are their enclaves of Gaza and the West Bank de facto prison camps, as they and their supporters claim. They are autonomous territories governed by elected bodies and supported primarily by Arab nations and Western governments. They receive hundreds of millions of dollars in “humanitarian aid” each year, and almost all of that is immediately diverted into weapons and infrastructure intended to be used to eradicate Israel and kill Jews.
Hatred for Jews runs long and deep in the history of the world, including here in the US, and sadly, even within the gun rights community. Jewish business leaders and politicians have prospered in the US and around the world, thanks largely to their cultural commitment to education and a strong work ethic. Unfortunately, many of these same Jewish leaders have used their money and influence to advance illiberal causes like gun control. That’s not a “Jewish problem”. It’s a “stupid rich guy problem.”
We’ve all heard the saying, “Hard times make strong men. Strong men make good times. Good times make weak men. Weak men make hard times.”
This saying was brought into horrific relief with the massacre that occurred on October 7th. Israelis had fallen into normalcy bias – the assumption that the normal is normal. They had grown complacent in their security. They had built walls and fences and even an “Iron Dome” of security over their heads to shield them from the frequent rocket barrages that are launched from hospitals, playgrounds, and schools in their “peaceful” neighbors’ backyards. They put their personal security in the hands of the government, going along with the popular “liberal” fallacy that calls for the disarmament of civilians. Unfortunately, the same complacency had set in within the government and those tasked with providing that security. They, too, put their trust in walls, fences, and technology. The result was that the barbarians at the gate were allowed to swarm through breaches in the walls and glide over fences, killing, raping, looting, and capturing the unarmed, unprepared, unwary people.
One would hope that the events of 10/7 would steel the resolve of Americans and Israelis alike never to make such a mistake again. Still, sadly, history suggests that both will soon revert to the same foolish patterns of the past and once again climb on the gun ban bandwagon. How many times must the world relearn this lesson? Arming citizens after the massacre is not a sound strategy. Blindly going along with emotional pleas to disarm “for the children” is self-destructive and simply foolish. When will Jewish leaders, and all Jews, realize that the cry “Never Again” is nothing but a meaningless slogan unless there is a credible mechanism for backing it up and that the mechanism must be in the hands of every citizen?
Folks like me, White, Christian, heterosexual males (he/him), have been marginalized and limited in our ability even to voice an opinion on anything that crosses into the protected, “safe spaces” of the various “Intersectional” groups. If we do, we’re called racist, sexist, homophobic, anti-Semitic, etc. That means we need representatives from these groups to deliver the message of liberty and personal responsibility. Thankfully, we have allies of our own in organizations like the National African American Gun Association, the Pink Pistols, a variety of women’s groups, and Jew for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership (JPFO). We need to do everything we can to support these groups and help them get their message out to their “identity groups.”
The focus right now has to be on reaching Jews and making sure they understand that gun ownership – in the US, Israel, and around the world – is the only way to make “Never Again!” more than just a slogan.
Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership
JPFO has been preaching this message for almost 35 years. Here’s their Mission Statement:
“Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership is America’s most aggressive civil-rights organization, dedicated to destroying the notion of ‘gun control’ as any kind of credible public-policy position. So-called ‘gun control’ does not control guns and doesn’t control criminal behavior. What it does is disarm the innocent, leaving them helpless in the face of criminals, tyrannical governments and genocide. History repeatedly proves this fact. Founded in 1989 by Aaron Zelman as a response to the Holocaust, JPFO speaks with the moral authority and tenacious commitment of survivors of persecution, and knows that surrendering your personal and family safety to government protection courts disaster. You don’t have to be Jewish to fight by our side, you just have to love liberty.”
That statement was written long before the terror attacks of 10/7, but it sure hits the nail on the head. We at The Firearms Coalition depend on your support to keep us active in the fight for rights, and many groups like ours avoid ever talking about, much less promoting, other rights organizations. Still, we don’t see other groups as competition. We see them as comrades in the fight, and we strongly encourage you to join them, support them, and help them spread their message.
You can find more information about JPFO at www.JPFO.org. An annual membership is only $25, and a Life membership is only $500. Stand up against terrorism and tyranny. Stand with JPFO as they stand with you and your rights.
Read Related: Jews, More So Than Palestinians, Are ‘Indigenous’ to the Middle East
About Jeff Knox:
Jeff Knox is a second-generation political activist and director of The Firearms Coalition. His father Neal Knox led many of the early gun rights battles for your right to keep and bear arms. Read Neal Knox – The Gun Rights War.
The Firearms Coalition is a loose-knit coalition of individual Second Amendment activists, clubs and civil rights organizations. Founded by Neal Knox in 1984, the organization provides support to grassroots activists in the form of education, analysis of current issues, and with a historical perspective of the gun rights movement. The Firearms Coalition has offices in Buckeye, Arizona, and Manassas, VA. Visit: www.FirearmsCoalition.org.
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