Why we do what we do
By Rolene Marks
In July 2017, Israel buried three members of the Saloman family, brutally slaughtered on Friday night as they welcomed in the Sabbath. Responding to a knock on the door, the unsuspecting family let in 19 year old Omar al-Abed from the nearby village of Kobar. To say that our collective hearts are broken is an understatement.
Fueled on a steady diet of incitement and hatred, al-Abed entered the house and butchered the family, leaving a bloodbath in his wake.
One would think that news like this would grab international headlines but sadly not a peep, or a bleep. The few news channels that did cover the attacked neglected to mention that it was motivated by terror, rather using descriptions like “home invasion”.
Major Hayil Satawi and Command Sergeant Major Kamil Shanaan murdered on July 14, 2017 in Jerusalem
A week before, two of Israel’s finest, Command Sergeant Major Hayil Satawi and Command Sergeant Major Kamil Shanaan were killed by terrorists while on duty on the Temple Mount. They were not Jewish, but Druze, sharing an ancient covenant with their Jewish brethren in the land of Israel.
The terrorist who targeted them did not care whether they were Jewish or not just that they wore the noble uniform of our security forces.
Terror does not discriminate. It simply kills.
A losing battle?
More often than not I am asked whether or not we are fighting a losing battle, after all we are competing with major budgets and sheer numbers from the other side who seem to be more able to create a narrative for a gullible public than we are. In the court of public opinion, Israel is seen as the Goliath to the Palestinian David and there are no prizes for guessing who gets the sympathy vote.
The mainstream news media seem to ignore the Israeli narrative or pander to major advertisers.
I can understand their frustration – one only has to open a newspaper or surf social media to see the type of comments or sheer volume but we have the same weapons that they do and my answer to anyone who feels overwhelmed is simple. Just show up.
We all have the power to do it. We are all equipped with the same “weapons of mass education”. So let us use them effectively.
Show up on social media to share articles, memes, YouTube clips and the like. Share articles and emails. Most important learn the facts and make sure that you are armed with the truth to disarm the haters. It is important to know that every time you show up and speak the truth, you give a voice to the millions upon whose shoulders we stand. You give a voice to those throughout our history who were silenced. You give a voice to those in communities around the world who are frightened. You give a voice to those of us who refuse to be silent. And you give a voice to those murdered because others choose to use theirs to incite with hatred.
Speak for Chaya, Elad and Yosef. Speak for Gilad, Eyal and Naphtali, Speak for Hadas and Hadar. Speak for all of them. Speak for all of us. This is why we do what we do.
Rolene Marks is a passionate advocate for Israel and appears on radio, television and has been published in numerous global publications. Rolene is a member of the Media Team Israel, an advocacy body that fights media bias as well as Truth be Told. For more info, click HERE.
Read More by Rolene:
SHOW YOUR SOLIDARITY
Let us all RAISE OUR FLAGS in every window, on every car, in every school, synagogue, home, office, in private or in public and let the world know we are ONE and we will respond and act as ONE today!
About the Author
