Since the last time I posted, just five days ago, five drones were launched into our area by Hizbulla. We were driving over the crest of the hill to get to our house when I saw a bright flash and a cloud in the sky. Because John was driving, the radio on and a loud conversation with a friend in the backseat, we heard nothing. But I said, “Hey, look! It’s Iron Dome. It just popped two missiles.” Our friend, Tomer said it was only clouds. He was a reservist so he should know. And we hadn’t heard any sirens. Turns out Hizbulla was firing on a top defense site two hills over from where we live. They were trying to hit a strategic target. The drones were sent to a military base nearby, a division headquarters, but they, too, were taken out. Thankfully. That was Sunday morning-

We are all trying to live life as normally as possible here, despite all the bad news. My next door neighbor is pregnant with number two. Every morning she takes her son to kindergarten and then heads off to work. Her husband is an independent contractor and is waiting to be called back to his unit at any time. Our other next door neighbor has just put up an above ground pool so their children can beat the heat. We hear them splashing around and laughing all day, which is a beautiful sign of life. Our neighbor across the street has a pet African Gray Parrot who just loves to squawk “Tsevah adom.Tsevah adom. Tsevah adom.” Red alert. Red alert. Red alert. It drives me nuts.

On Monday we all woke up to the news that President Biden is, in fact, holding up arms and ammunitions shipments to Israel. These are orders than have been paid for 4-6 years ago. It was reported that the USS Teddy Roosevelt would be coming to help out. Sounds good? Like the US is adding layers of protection, right? What wasn’t said was that the Roosevelt is doing its usual six month rotation with the USS Eisenhower, which will be leaving the Mediterranean this week.

Our Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, is in the States currently speaking with the Pentagon and State Department officials. He will be giving an update on the threats Hamas, Hizbulla, and the other arms of the Iranian octopus that are facing us. He should be warmly received by Blinken. President Biden remains sequestered at Camp David preparing for his upcoming debate. Still, there have been conflicting leaks coming from the U.S. Supposedly US officials assured the Israeli delegated that they would have Israel’s back should Hizbulla attacked or tried to invade. Tuesday morning we awoke to the news that US Military Chief, Gen. Charles Q. brown, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was warning that the U.S. mighty not be able to assist Israel in a war with Hizbulla as it did when Iran sent over 300 missiles and drones last April. He urged the Israeli delegation not to escalate, as it could lead to a broader international conflict that is unwanted….like, who WANTS a war??? And many of us in Israel are asking why we need to give the US all of our military strategies and plans? Why do we listen to these people who will just sell us out? Are we crazy for trusting them?

Hizbulla has fired over 6000 missiles at Northern Israel since 7 October. Towns, villages and kibbutzim have been destroyed. Fires have blazed over our forests and grasslands. There are verifiable reports that Iran is flooding Lebanon with foreign mercenary soldiers. Thousands of fighters dressed as civilians are coming from Pakistan, Afghanistan Iraq and Dagestan (formerly Chechnya). The general Israeli population knows that we are once again facing a war for our existence. It has the potential to include neighboring Syria, the Iraqi Shiite militias and Turkey. Nazralla, head of Hizbulla, has already declared that if Cypress helps Israel, it, too will become a target. Cypress is part of the EU, so that could bring in Europe in a larger scale conflict.

Hoards of American-made weapons, smuggled in from Afghanistan via underground tunnels linking to Egypt, have been found throughout Gaza. Caches found in Rafah and Khan Younis, as well as recovered from surrendering terrorists are no longer ordinary Soviet Kallachnikovs, but US Armed Services guns, bazookas and other weaponry. Reports of weapons being brought into the Rafik Hariri International Airport in south Beirut are no longer secret. Lebanese airport workers anonymously speak of customs being controlled by Hizbulla officials and large rectangular containers of guns, missiles, rocket launchers, etc. which have been arriving to baggage claim for the past two weeks.

This past weekend over 100,000 Lebanese citizens, mostly Christians, flooded the airport, to leave the country. They were bound for Canada, the States and Europe. Have you heard ANYTHING about this???? That’s a little scary.

It’s as if someone has thrown a pall over the country the past few weeks. Everyone here knows war plans have been drawn up and approved for the IDF to go into Lebanon very soon. Tanks and heavy armored equipment are making the move South to North. We passed several on our way to and from Tel Aviv yesterday. Our usually upbeat doctors are sullen and serious. We tried to stay upbeat and happy during our respective appointments, but everyone knows someone who has fallen or has a loved one in the military. My doctor told John, “I’m not in a good mood anymore. The world is being run by crazy people and we are all caught in the middle.”

Businesses that have tried to stay open are now shuttered due to lack of customers and due to the fact the owners/workers are engaged in military service. The antiques shop I tried to visit on the way back from Tel Aviv was closed. Our favorite restaurant in Zikron Yaakov was temporarily closed. The air conditioning guy was supposed to come to our house last week. His two sons are in reserves, so he is working alone. We hope he will show up next week.

And we wait. I’ve been working on the garden, putting up summer vegetables (canning) and enjoying the summer’s bounty. I refinished a beautiful plant stand we found in the neighbor’s trash – and filled it with lovely flower pots. John and I were going to pick nectarines and peaches with a group of volunteers in the Hula Valley orchards next week, but it has become too dangerous even for them, native Israelis. I check our safe room and add more batteries and bottles of water. Last night Pikud haOreff, the Home Front Command and ZAKA search and rescue said for those who live in the North to be prepared to endure two weeks of power outages and downed communication. We know if they say two weeks, it means a lot more.

Max is having a friend from the Netherlands visit over the weekend. Brave soul. I’m getting ready for that, and we hope to be able to tour Akko on Friday and then the Sea of Galilee villages on Sunday. After that, Max goes to summer camp in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania as a counselor for a month. Then it’s off for a year or two in the UK for him. Several friends of ours are all planning summer vacations…. A Greek Island cruise, Barcelona, Croatia, and Viet Nam are all some of the exotic locations they will be traveling. John and I are hoping to have a two week vacay in August. We shall see if we get that far. Fingers and toes crossed. Questions: what happens to dogs in the kennel if there is a full on war? Will we be able to leave or return? Should we have our construction/home repair done now or wait until all of this is over? Why did I give away our two portable generators in California and why didn’t we order another one when we came? Do we need gas masks?

So to keep the mind occupied, I make lists. Lists of items to send the grandkids. Lists of items to get at the store. Recipes. Menus. Things we need to get done. Places I want to visit…. And we pray a lot. Always a muttered prayer under every breath. I try to be brave. I am not afraid, just anxious because I can’t predict the future and exactly how and when things will play out and with what intensity. Everyone is that way these days. The hospitals up here have moved their operations (literally) underground just to be safe. Underground parking has been sterilized and turned into useable medical space and hospital rooms.

Back to Gaza updates: the Givati and Golani Brigades have destroyed terrorist training outposts in Rafah; investigated and destroyed miles of underground tunnels; found weapons, cash and intelligence documents; and neutralized or arrested hundreds of terrorists. The Hamas soldiers have been badly routed and have now gone underground as civilians. They are resorting to urban guerilla warfare and are blending in with the citizenry. Film has been leaked out of “civilians” firing rockets from makeshift rocket launchers inside tents in the middle of a humanitarian protected area.

The baby, Kfar Bibas, who was taken captive along with his parents and four year old brother has now spent 264 days in captivity. He was 262 days old when he was taken. So over half of his life is as a hostage. Every time I see a red headed child, I think of those two Bibas kids. Is the world even aware? Footage was released yesterday of Hirsh Pollan-Goldberg, the 23 year old American, being forced into the back of a pickup truck, hand blown completely off. He and three others were taken from the Nova Music Festival. Are they still alive? We still have 120 people still being held captive. Does the world know or care?

We look forward to company. We look onward to visits with friends. Good health results from tests. Captives being found. Summer weddings. And hopefully, an end-of-summer vacation. Praying for peace….