John and I came back from cool British weather, true sweater weather with leaves turning yellow and crimson and bright orange… to the unabated desert heat. We are having a drought here in Israel and the temperatures are still up. There are no autumnal colors, just the Southern California brown and black of heat scorched fields. Hopefully, there is an end in sight and we will have a change in weather by next week.

On the other hand, things are heating up rather rapidly. A different kind of heat. Who ever said “Peace has come to the Middle East” is full of hot air. Up to our north, in Lebanon, Hizbulla has been building up their military apparatus. Despite what President Aoun says, they have been getting new IRGC recruits from Iran and Syria.

UNIFIL observation forces in Southern Lebanon were supposed to ensure that the Trump-brokered ceasefire was standing. So far all they have one is to have shot down an Israeli surveillance drone. UNIFIL have allowed Hizbulla forces to reenter Southern Lebanon, and have overseen their fortifications.

The Israeli Air Force has been selectively striking at Hizbulla’s current leadership. Last week the municipal buildings in Taybeh and Taur Daaba were taken out after intelligence revealed they were

being used as military infrastructure. The people of the towns were given 18 minutes warning to evacuate before the strikes occurred. The IAF is currently carrying out large scale attacks on supply chains and munitions factories and storage facilities there. It is estimated that over 1500 long range missiles and parts have been snuck into Southern Lebanon through Syria in the past couple months alone.

In the meantime, Syrian President Sharaa, former alQaeda terrorist on the ten most wanted list, is in the United States. He no longer wears his turban and camouflage suit, but has trimmed his beard and wears a suit. Besides meeting with Trump and White House Cabinet members, he’s been filmed enjoying a game of pick-up basketball with Centcom members. I guess this leopard has succeeded in hiding his spots. He has sworn to the U.S. officials that the new, reformed Syria is carrying out operations against the ISIS militants who have been ethnically cleansing Southern Syria of Druze and Christians.

https://youtube.com/shorts/OO3jK_6MvZ8?si=SYKMEbroHhLBS_W_

Down Gaza way, Hamas is still playing games. Weapons have been found to be smuggled intro the Rafah area on the Egyptian border via drone. So the IDF sealed off the area and declared it an active military zone. Any drones coming in from Egypt will now be shot down. We are hearing from the released hostages that Hamas is using every available young person to go underground and manually dig out the tunnels that have been stopped up. 24 hours a day, these kids (most are boys ages 8-13) are being used as slave labor 24 hours a day.

Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad forces (PIJ) are playing games as always. They say they are having problems locating the remains of the six bodies that they have been holding. This past week, several more were returned including two Americans, Omer Neutra and Itay Chen and a Tasmanian Agricultural student who was kidnapped into Gaza and murdered by the civilians there on 7 October.

Last night the body of Captain Hadar Goldin was to be returned. The Red Crescent came to pick up the coffin and return it to the waiting Israeli forces. But let’s backtrack… Hadar Goldin was one of the first soldiers killed (during a ceasefire) in Gaza in 2014. We were still in California and the news came about Hadar and then Max Steinberg, a Lone Soldier from the San Fernando Valley, CA (I knew his parents). Max’s body was retrieved. Hadar’s taken into captivity to be used as leverage against Israel.

Hadar was engaged to be married to a lovely young girl. When he was abducted, his photo was the first to hang on my fridge. His body has been held hostage for almost 13 years now. The Goldin family have traveled the world over to try to put pressure on the international governments and to raise awareness about the plight of their son. And the remains in the coffin yesterday were supposed to be him. But they were not. More games. Now Hamas says it will hand over his body this afternoon. Another card thrown into the pile- the stakes remain the same.

On the brighter side, and speaking of games, last week the Marine Corps Marathon was held in Washington, D.C. (my brother-in-law competes). Let me share with you this story of a young American Israeli hero you might have never heard of.

Mendel Vile’s family left Chicago when he was 7 to move to Israel. They were committed Zionists, believing in the land of Israel rightfully belonging to the indigenous peoples, the Jews. Mendel grew up and became a combat engineer for the IDF. In December, 2023, deep into the Gaza Strip, a Hamas anti-tank missile struck the vehicle he was in. He was only 19 at the time. Several soldiers were killed in the attack. Mendel’s broken, burned body was pulled from the wreckage, shrapnel embedded throughout his body. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition, where he spent 3 months of seemingly endless pain.

“This is it. Is my time over?” he thought in those early days. The medical staff told him to focus on his survival. Friends and family visited him to lift his spirits in a never-ending parade. Daily the nurses told him to be patient, take things slowly. He endured 7 surgeries. Mendel kept repeating one mantra, “One day I will run a marathon.” Of course, in his condition, no one believed him. But he knew HaShem would give him the strength and healing to push forward with his rehabilitation.

Mendel believed beyond all hope. The surgeries were followed by months of grueling physical therapy and rehabilitation just for him to be able to stand on his own. But he was a true warrior. With faith in G-d and his own ability to recover. This week, he finished his race – the Marine Corps Marathon. It was the second he’s run in the past three months. Wrapped in the blue and white of the Israeli flag, he crossed over to personal victory,

Mendel Vile did not run alone. He carried with him on the back of his Jersey, his best friend, Oriya Yaakov, a photo of the buddy that was killed alongside him on that day. As he was running, a young man (wearing a kipa/yarmulka) also trying to finish the race, spotted Mendel. He joined the IDF soldier, who gave him strength to continue. Vile said,”We tried to push each other along. Come on, man, you’re my brother. You’re part of the tribe. Together we are strong. Together we can win. I’ve never been prouder to be an American. An Israeli. a Jew.”

But that’s not the only story. Oh no! Barack Elizor was also a critically wounded IDF soldier back in January,2024. Multiple surgeries and almost two years of intense rehabilitation and physical therapy, Barack just completed the New York Marathon, helping to raise funds for Shalva, an organization for children with special needs.

Not all stories are pleasant. I just finished reading the book Hostage, by Eli Sharabi. A riveting and highly recommended true account of what it was like in the tunnels of Gaza being held a prisoner. Some of the released captives are finding a difficult transition to freedom. Where some have vowed to move on with their lives, stronger in faith and spirit and resolve, others are irreparably (almost) scarred.

This past Thursday night an interview with hostage Ron Braslavski was aired on the Israeli news. It was more than difficult to watch as Ron shared his nightmare. He was held in solitary confinement for two years, starved, whipped, burned and brutally beaten on a daily basis. Through tears and shaking, we heard how PIJ differed from Hamas. More brutal. More degrading. Ron was sexually abused in order to debase him and wipe out his humanity. He was shackled not only hand and foot but tied, naked, by his penis, to the bars of his cage. It was the video of Ron, released in July, that changed the course of the war. For then the world saw the brutality that was taking place inside Gaza.

https://youtube.com/shorts/HArYcaS2S50?si=USdgyRgyarB01vqA

We pray for him and for all the hostages, their loved ones, and the country to be miraculously healed spirit, soul, emotions, mind and body. May they know only love and support. May they find purpose, focus and happier days ahead.