Close your eyes for a moment.  Now envision yourself as the parent of an 18-year-old Israeli.  Your son or daughter has reached the age of mandatory military service and you are sending your young person off to military training and service.  You are filled with pride, as your son or daughter will now boldly serve their beloved nation, as every young Israeli does.

However, listen to what key Hamas leaders are saying:

“We tell the Zionist enemy: you are all a target for us and the resistance, we will fight you until we finally get rid of you and take as many captives as possible to free our heroes. Our men, our women, our children all envision kidnapping your soldiers and settlers, wherever they are. And it is our right because we have no other way to free our heroes, and it is the Zionist enemy responsible for this state of affairs.” (Hamas leader Khalil al-Haya)  Ynet News, April 16, 2015

You see, Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip “celebrate” Prisoners Day every April 17 in a show of solidarity with the 6,000 or so Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.  Despite the fact that most are there due to their involvement in terrorism, they are told to rest assured that al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas’s military wing) “will release you as they did your brothers” and “the resistance will not falter until Israeli prisons are emptied of their Palestinian prisoners.”  They are speaking in reference to the prisoner swap in 2011 when Israel gave up over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for the return of a single IDF soldier, Gilad Shalit, who had been captured.  (What a contrast in value of life!)

Now, imagine….you are sending your 18-year-old son or daughter out to defend your beloved land, where they are instantly targets of abduction for militants such as Hamas.  Can you imagine facing that dilemma as a parent?  Can you imagine bravely serving as an 18-year-old, knowing the dangers you face?  I suspect our western minds have a difficult time truly grasping the gravity of it all.

Reality check:

• Hamas rules the Palestinian territories, and is a declared terror group.
• The Palestinians have chosen to partner with Hamas.
• Yet, it is the Palestinians who are trumping up charges of war crimes to bring against Israel in the International Criminal Court.

Since when is it okay to build your goals around abducting as many innocent people as you can (especially those in the IDF) in order to free imprisoned terrorists?  And why does the world turn a blind eye to all this?

Something to ponder:

• What would you do if you were that Israeli parent?
•  What would you do if your were that Israeli teenager?
• What would you do if you are sitting at home right now with little or no care in the world?

Why not pray protection over Israeli soldiers?  Why not pray for the thousands of parents who send their teenagers off to military service?  Why not pray for the peace of Jerusalem?

Shabbat shalom…and God bless the soldiers in the IDF.