As I have stated previously in other posts, Israel is a land made up of many diverse peoples. We have Bedouin Arabs living in their camps near Jewish cities. There are Druze, a different indigenous group that are neither Jewish nor Muslim. The Arameans are the descendants of ancient Christians. We have the most orthodox of Orthodox Jews, the Haredim (think Shtissel), who live alongside Progressive Jews. Then there are the tough, self-determined secular, humanistic Israelis. There are also the peaceniks, crunchy vegan live-off-Mother-Earth yoga and incense Jews. Don’t mess with any of these groups. Sometimes we rub shoulders. Sometimes animosity builds up. Sometimes we are divided politically, religiously and culturally. But now we are united. We are locking arms to defeat an evil foe. We do not seek vengeance. Please understand this. We seek to defeat evil so we can live peaceably again.

The timing of this whole Palestinian attack, with backing and blessing by Iran, was because this country seemed so divided politically. There were strikes and demonstrations across Israel for months. We had had 4 elections in 5 years. There was tension and polarization. And a great miscalculation by our enemies on our resolve and determination to defend ourselves. Within 24 hours, the entire nation was unified. And our strength in unity has only grown.

The Hamas assaults were scattershot through our country. They showed no respect for Jew, Druze, Christian or secular. Israeli, American, European or Asian. At least 22 members of the Bedouin community were massacred beside Jews on 7 October. 9 Bedouin Israeli citizens from the area around Beersheva are still counted among the missing. The Bedouins are Muslims. Great stories of heroism have come forth from that fateful day. Mohammad S., an infantry fighter in the IDF, was on furlough for the weekend. As soon as he heard the missile barrage overhead, he grabbed his gun and drove to his base on the Gaza border. He was seriously wounded in the firefight that ensued between the terrorists who had infiltrated from Gaza and the residents of Sderot. But not before he organized a small militia of police and reservists and killed many of the terrorists. Because of Mohammad, scores of people were led to safety that day. For his safety, I cannot post his photo or his last name. Mohammad returned for active duty later that evening.

Another Bedouin from the city of Rafat, Youssef Ziadna, saved 30 escapees – all Israeli Jews – from the Hamas assassins. They were all young people who had attended the Nova Festival of Peace and Love. He heard their desperate pleas for help over WhatsApp and raced with his minivan headlong into an ambush set up by Hamas. The terrorists, dressed as police and traffic control, directed all the cars to a side, dirt road and then blocked their passage, pulling people out of their cars and murdering them point blank. “I would never wish anyone to see what I saw. This is trauma for my whole life. When I sit alone and remember, I cannot stop the tears,” he recounts.

He had been driving young people from nearby towns the night before to the concert. Early the next morning he answered a desperate call from Hadar. Ziadna had dropped him and his girlfriend off just a few hours prior. As he raced back to rescue Hadar, Youseff Ziadna began to see firsthand the carnage. Another man who had escaped the party flagged him down. Could he make a U-turn and pick up 6 people who were hiding in the bushes? Moments later, that man and Youseff were caught in a spray of bullets. “Bullets were flying everywhere. I stared death in the face. I knew I couldn’t give up on my mission: to go and rescue them.” He navigated his way to Kibbutz Re’im where there was nothing but gunfire and blood. Dead kids lying everywhere. Brave Youseff Ziadna managed to stuff 24 additional people into his 14 seat service van, many bleeding from bullet wounds. On the way back from Re’im, he took in another stranded couple who had been seriously injured. The paragliding Hamas terrorists were flying above shooting anything that moved with their machine guns.

It was only because of Youseff’s determination and knowledge of all the back roads that he was able to drive 30 people to safety. Other cars filled with fleeing people- kibbutz inhabitants, concert-goers and field hands, followed Youseff. The van he was driving was filled with the sounds of people trying to contact loved lines, people in pain from their wounds. It was only because one of his passengers posted of his heroic feat on social media, that this simple Bedouin cab driver has become a national hero.

Sami Alkarnawi, is another Bedouin hero. He owns several hotels and guest houses in the desert. He has hotels in Tel Arad and in Mitzpe Ramon on the magnificent Ramon Crater. There are no more tourists, so Sami has given over all his hotel rooms to people escaping the constant rocket barrages from Gaza. He is assisting the people of Israel at his own expense without any expectation of recompense.

“About 2 hours after I started hearing the missile fire and the Iron Dome, I knew something very bad was happening. On a scale we never saw before. So I opened up my Facebook page and offered hotel accommodation to people in the south.

Tel Aviv restaurants are some of the best in the world. Not by my standards, but by Zagat and Top Chef rating. Many of these first class, award winning chefs have crossed the globe seeking new recipes and new ways to combine Mediterranean cuisine into a global fusion of deliciousness. Now, over 100 restaurant owners in the Tel Aviv area have come together to provide nourishing and tasty meals to soldiers, hospital patients and others in need.

Many of these chefs do not offer meals according to the strict dietary standards of the Kosher label (no mixing of dairy and meat for one), yet are doing the hard work to receive temporary rabbinical Kosher standing. There are chefs preparing specialty diets for vegans or gluten-free people. With over 300 volunteers, upscale meat restaurant, Haakim has become ground zero for teams of organizers, chefs, packers and drivers. Together, they are putting together over 20,000 multi-course meals/day!!!!

And that is only part of it. A call went out today from the North for sides, soups, sandwiches (veggies and cheeses only). One friend made chopped Israeli salads, packed to be delivered to squads of 8-10 people. In disposable, leakproof containers. Well labeled. She also made hard boiled eggs by the dozen. One friend made protein biscuits and mini quiches. I sent John to the store with a long list. Channeling up our “ inner SPINELLI” we made 20 quarts of fruit salad and 24 quarts of Italian pasta vegetable salad with beans. John will take them to the depot in the morning.

That’s a wrap from the home front, literally. I’m wiped out. Tomorrow I’ll give the news from a military standpoint and will respond to some of the many questions I’ve been getting. Praying for protection for our troops and a very quiet night in the North.