Yesterday, I attended a funeral in Jerusalem. It was conducted in an atmosphere of tension, due to the terror attacks in the south of the capital. And at the same time, on the other side of the road from the burial, hundreds of tourists were visiting holy Christian sites, seemingly without a care in the world.

And the previous day, NASA Administrator, Charles Boden, had signed a major cooperation agreement with Israel in Jerusalem at conference on space. Buzz Aldrin had been the key speaker for thousands of overseas delegates.

So amongst all the horror of the past few days – stabbings, shootings, attempted bus hijacking, 13 year olds carrying out attacks and more – I began to realise just how the press was missing out on the irony of what was happening. Call it satire if you want. For example: –

1. Did you know that a UN official, Mounir Kleibo, was one of those who has been stoned and physically injured? Fortunately he is now recovering. Yet, one has to smile considering that this gentleman has never hidden his sympathies for the Palestinian cause. In fact, the UN never issued a complaint about the attack. As one Israeli quipped, maybe the UN is now asking their officials to serve as target practice for the perpetrators of violence?
2. The incitement on Palestinian social media forums has reached new peaks (or troughs). Nabil Abu Ruedeineh, a spokesperson for President Abbas, claimed that Israel had “executed” a teenager. The gentleman ‘omitted’ to mention that the lad had been killed, only after he had stabbed others and was an uncontrollable violent threat to those nearby. In this case, somebody pondered that if Ruedeineh did not know the difference between “killed and executed”, many Israelis would (assumedly) gladly assist in a demonstration.
3. When it comes to human rights, dozens of NGOs have been established in the past two decades. Their raison d’etre is to publicise – should I say denigrate – Israel and her faults at every opportunity. So how have they responded to this wave of senseless violence against innocent civilians? Most have been silent. A few have tried to place the actions in context of the Israeli army. You have to wonder why these people are so afraid to condone an atrocity in arguably the world’s holy city, when it comes to Jews suffering?
4. And finally, amongst the hate and bitterness, and while supporters of BDS still demand that the world boycott Israel products, SKY News released an amazing report. Gulf states, such as Bahrain, are considering buying Israel’s Iron Dome defence system against missiles. This is the very system that thwarted Hamas in Gaza last year and was thus condemned as an unfair military advantage. And why do the oil rich folks need to buy the system? Because they are afraid of Iran and (thus, by definition) America’s inability to defend them. Oops!

You may call this blog satire. You may say that it is inappropriate in such sad times. Yet these points highlight what the much of the media is not reporting and / or does not wish to recognize.

The violence of the past month against Israel cannot be justified. Its purpose is to hurt and maim Jews. They are acts of anti-Semitism, planned and executed by those who have no interest in peace.