Rudyard Kipling"
āWhen you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldierā
General Douglas MacArthur"
āWe are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.ā
āIt is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.ā āOld soldiers never die; they just fade away.
āThe soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.ā
āMay God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .ā āThe object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
āNobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
āIt is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
When I was speaking with Israeli insiders in Jerusalem a few
weeks ago, it was suggested to me that five entire divisions may be
deployed. A deployment of this scale would likely mean the seizure of
all of Gaza by the IDF.
The breakdown of the ceasefire in Gaza was predictable, inevitable
and solely the responsibility of Hamas. Rather than acting as a genuine
partner in peace, it has become evident that Hamas used the ceasefire as
a tactical pause to regroup, rearm and prepare for the next wave of
violence. Israel ā confronted with Hamasās failure to negotiate in good faith
for the release of hostages and phase two of the ceasefire ā is
entirely justified in resuming efforts to dismantle Hamas as a military
threat once and for all.
US president Donald Trumpās insistence on a ceasefire in Gaza posed
significant challenges for Israel. When it was agreed in January, the
job was only half complete. Hamas continued to hold power and hostages
remained trapped in Gaza. However, after weeks of negotiations, one
positive outcome of this enforced pause has been the reuniting of many hostages with their families.
The ceasefire has also exposed the truly monstrous nature of Hamas.
The dire condition of the returned hostages ā as well as the grotesque spectacle of hostage releases,
in which the coffins of innocents were paraded before crowds and
cameras ā served as a stark reminder of Hamasās barbarism. Meanwhile,
seeing Israel return well-fed Gazans has dispelled notions of genocide or deliberate starvation for any sane observer.
Since then, phase two of the ceasefire talks has failed (despite the White House negotiating directly with Hamas,
over Israelās head). Hamas cocked a snook at both the Israelis and the
White House, having been warned by Trump what would happen if it
continued to stall on releasing the remaining hostages. Now, Trump has
given the Israelis the green light to resume targeting senior Hamas
members.
