By Tom Brennan
The synagogue attack and the death of four rabbis. Where does this stop and why this cannot be tolerated.
The pictures were too much to bear. I work on farms and ranches and have done enough emergency vet and bandage work to not get queasy over blood and dead animals. I was shocked and saddened by the photos of the murder scene at the synagogue where four righteous, scholarly rabbis were slaughtered by two murderers. The pictures were on Israeli news sites and spared no details. These were no sensationalist conspiracy frauds, no photo-shopped fakes, just a scene of horror and disbelief that even the most hard of heart was destined to see as brutal. Morning prayer is how fully dedicated followers of Torah begin their public day From Shema Yisrael at waking, then gathering at synagogue to read the prayer service, their full mind and spirit was focused on The Almighty Who had granted them another day. The attack was planned and the killers had a full slate of cruel weapons knives, hatchets and pistols. The rabbis were brutally and mercilessly slain, killed by fanatics who expected to be called heroes or martyrs. Cowards is the only term that is appropriate.
Even the hardest heart was shocked by the sacrilegious nature of the attack. Although the Caliphate’s jihadists have attacked and destroyed churches, synagogues and mosques, to have this happen in Israel was a shock. The assailants were local to the area, lived side by side somewhat with their victims. The terrorist recruiters convinced the two killers of the importance of their deed and they planned for the best day and time. Despite the usual boasting of success and calling for more attacks, the murders seem to have shocked even the celebrants in the street mobs. The war of words and images continues. There are cartoons about running over Jews, a video of two Palestinian vocalists singing about “running over the baby”, calls for more attacks and martyrs for the pantheon of blood,all of these are affronts to any civilized behavior.
CNN, a fading news network even committed an unpardonable error of saying a mosque had been attacked, not a synagogue. Whether CNN was letting slip its anti-Israel agenda or merely showing its ever increasing incompetence, the world generally demonstrated some shock in some way. As the video media has generally conceded entertainment value to gore and sensationalism to keep the minds of its addicts entertained and numbed, perhaps the sad and frightening images of blood stained prayer books were too subtle and too effective to match.
How can such a horror be prevented. Obviously the terrorists and their handlers no longer recognize any limits. They consider babies, brides to be, rabbis and commuters as targets for their religious war. There is a saying that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance, Israel is on watch and on guard against another such brutal act such as the synagogue attack. Christians must stand with Israel. Any group that will not respect rabbis at prayer in a synagogue cannot be expected to respect anyone or any place. The world needs to hold up to shame the people and the cause that encourage such brutal actions. Have courage and speak out, and support our brothers and sisters in Israel against such outrages.
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