By Stan Goodenough
Apr 24, 2006
As they do every year, the people of Israel and many of their Christian friends prepared Monday to commemorate Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Day.
For a 24-hour period beginning at sundown, the nation will immerse itself in memories from a little more than 60 years ago; that darkest of the myriad dark nights endured by the Jews.
Air raid sirens will sound through the land Tuesday morning, bringing the entire Jewish population to a standstill for two minutes in memory of the millions murdered in the last mass effort to wipe out the nation of Israel.
Most Israeli Arabs ignore the event.
Even as Israelis braced for this difficult day, they got news Monday that the IDF has elevated the level of its missile watch, ordering personnel at Arrow anti-missile batteries to a heightened state of vigilance in response to the escalating threat from the Iranian regime of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
A top report carried on The Jerusalem Post?s website stated that Israel was now beginning to fear, and prepare for, missile strikes from Iran.
Analysts believe that, in the event of an Israeli or US attack on Iran?s nuclear facilities, Tehran will respond by firing long-range ballistic missiles at Israel.
While Iran apparently has yet to acquire a nuclear military capability, the Islamic Republic has other weapons of mass destruction, including chemical and biological agents.
Iran?s surface-to-surface missiles are more advanced and accurate than the antiquated SCUDs fired at Israel by Iraq?s Saddam Hussein in 1991.
Cruise missiles acquired from the Ukraine by Iran in 2002 can carry a nuclear payload 3000 miles, according to military officials.
They would put all of Israel within Ahmadinejad?s range.
The Iranians also recently announced the successful test firing of multiple warhead long-range missiles.
Joyfully anticipating what they believe lies ahead, a gathering of Muslims in the United States chanted as they demonstrated outside the Israeli consulate in New York City last Thursday:
"Israeli Zionists You shall pay! The Wrath of Allah is on its way!
The mushroom cloud is on its way! The real Holocaust is on its way!
Israel won't last long ...Indeed, Allah will repeat the Holocaust right on the soil of Israel"
As we go to press, Jerusalem has gone on a state of high alert amid reports that a ?suicide? bomber may have infiltrated the capital. Exactly one week ago an Arab strapped with explosives blew himself up in Tel Aviv, killing nine people and wounding more than 60.
The Hamas-led Palestinian Authority ? an entity created by Israel and the United States ? called last Monday?s attack ?justifiable self defense.? The new general direct of its Interior Ministry, Jamal Abu Samhadana, told London?s The Sunday Telegraph at the weekend that the Arabs have ?only one enemy, the Jews.?
?I will pull the trigger at any time I have to to defend my nation [sic],? he added.
On Sunday, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz told the Israeli Cabinet the country is in the midst of a ?growing terror wave.?
Meanwhile, Jewish communities in the United States have been placed on alert following threats by Palestinian Arabs to target ?Zionists outside Palestine.?
The questions beg answering:
Could it be that the sirens that will wail Tuesday in memory of the Six Million slain in Hitler?s Holocaust will soon wail in warning of an Iranian attempt to continue what the Nazis began?
And will there ever be an end to efforts to kill Jews and wipe this nation from the face of the earth?