"When G-d will return the captivity of Zion, we will be like dreamers. Then our mouths will be filled with laughter and our tongues with glad song." Psalm 126
Israel has always stood at the forefront of environmentalism and sustainability. Upon visiting Park Ariel Sharon, it’s hard to believe that this, the largest park in the Middle East (larger in acreage than New York City’s Central Park), was once a trash dump and environmental disaster. Today it stands as the largest eco-rehabilitation and success story the world has ever seen. Situated just to the east of Tel Aviv, since 1952, Hirya was the trash dump for the city and the whole of the Gush Dan region. As the population grew, so did the refuse until it became a towering mountain of garbage. In the heat of summer, the smell wafting into Tel Aviv and surrounding cities was almost unbearable. In 1998, the site was shut down due to toxic waste and environmental concerns. What to do??? A meeting was called with urban planners, scientists, landscape architects, environmental researchers, mayors, artists, social welfare experts, philanthropists and others to brainstorm. Out of these conferences, Park Ariel Sharon was born.
It’s hard to imagine that exactly a week ago, people here were running to bomb shelters as the Palestinian Islamic Jihad lobbed over 1250 missiles into Israel. When we visited yesterday, it was completely serene. John and I got there very early afternoon and had the place almost to ourselves. At the foot of the ‘mountain range’ standing over 200 feet tall, are various buildings:a recycling center is at one end; museums and classrooms where groups can come and learn about recycling and the environment at the other. The drive up the mountain is beautifully lined with Eucalyptus trees. What was once dubbed ‘Trash Mountain’ is now an absolutely gorgeous multipurpose park. Expansive swaths of green fields, hiking and biking trails lead to a large green picnic area shaded by trees. The grass is watered using desalinated and gray water, all recycled. A visitor center, natural food cafe and large terrace with ample seating area invites one to sit and relax. The terraces have been landscaped into islands connected by pathways surrounded by natural ponds and watercourses filled with fish. Papyrus, lilies, lotus, and water lettuces float gently. Each pond is bordered by repurposed concrete salvaged from the old dump. These newly formed blocks act as barrier reefs for the fish to take shade and to spawn.
The control tower of Ben Gurion airport in the distanceRepurposed concrete block barrier reefs for fishThe cafe terraceBeautiful walking paths that are handicapped accessibleRecycled, desalinated lawn watering
Rubbers tires were repurposed as mulch. Concrete construction barriers were sorted out to create retaining walls lining pathways and actually forming the mountain. It is actually quite beautiful. All the materials here were pulled from the dump and transformed to new purposes. Native trees- carob, olive, date palm, eucalyptus, cedar- have been planted. Metal was sorted out, recycled, reused and some turned into lamp posts, benches, and sculpture. The entire park has a been built over the old dumping grounds. Dangerous biogases are one of the main products that develop within landfills (mostly organic household waste). Their decomposition create polluting greenhouse gases and methane. To combat this, dozens of wells were drilled inside the mountain. The gas is collected and pumped into pipes which flows to nearby industry in the form of steam energy. The gases are constantly monitored to ensure that none escapes into the atmosphere. The amount will decrease over the years, but as more additions are made to the area of landfill surrounding, safe, cheap and efficient energy will be piped to companies into the next several decades.
Native trees have been plantedOld concrete construction material now lines the pathways and serves as retaining walls.At the top of one mountain, you can see the biogas being pumped and monitored
Everything has been so carefully thought out to the very last detail. Grassy small ‘amphitheaters’ have been placed in strategic areas for school groups, tour groups, outdoor meeting areas and Shakespeare in the Park in the summer months. At the far end of one ridge is a 50,000 seat concert venue. Spectacular covered terraces and outlooks offer sweeping panoramas of Tel Aviv, the Mediterranean, the Shefela Valley below and the Judaean hills in the distance. The trash heaps have been covered with volcanic gravel and concrete, layers of thick clay, straw, more clay and garden soil. Flowering vines clamber over wooden trellises and gardens from around the world are featured in each area. There are natural playgrounds for children with rope courses; things to climb over and on; musical instrument sculptures from recycled materials; brain games and interactive play areas. Disability compliant and equipped with many bathrooms and mothering stations, nothing has been left to chance.
Smaller terraced amphitheaterRecycled wooden beams from construction projects form a huge umbrella overlookThe concert venue on an adjacent ridgeEntrance to the concert areaSpectacular view of Tel Aviv
There is a native herb garden with sages and lavenders and scented geraniums where the air is perfumed and heady. We strolled through desert gardens of sand, succulents and cacti. In each section are benches, pathways, and picnic areas. Park Ariel Sharon is definitely now a green lung in the country’s most densely populated urban area. It is a place that is open to all, free of charge (except for concerts and special events). It is a great place for wedding photography – we saw two wedding parties there. This once polluted, neglected dump is now a flourishing metropolitan park. Guided tours can be arranged in advance. At the bottom is the Mikva Yisrael agricultural school where classes are held on sustainability and organic farming. Israel is an amazing country in its innovation and is a leader in environmental issues.
Desert garden with lakes and cafe terrace belowThe recycling center for glass, plastics, metalAgricultural school and center at foot of the mountainRepurpose, Reuse, Recycle
For one week only, the ANU Museum in Tel Aviv is displaying living history. A book, written over 1,100 years ago; passed on for generations; lost and now resurfaced. A mystery as to its exact author. No one knows exactly where it was written. This codex (a codex is handwritten on parchment, before the advent of printing on paper or vellum) is one of the world’s great historical treasures. It is the oldest, most complete Hebrew Bible to date, a bridge between the fragments of the Dead Sea scrolls dating from the First Century BC and other Hebrew writings dating to the Middle Ages. This Bible, known as Sassoon Codex 1053 predates the handwritten Medieval illuminated manuscripts by over a century. And it is coming up for auction at Sotheby’s in May. The codex is expected to break all records and sell for upwards of $50 million. The history behind this magnificent book is a story in itself.
Some time in the late 9th century, probably in Tiberias, a small city on the Western shore of the Galilee, an unknown sofer (scribe) copied the entire Jewish Bible over a period of years by hand on sheepskin parchment. It was most likely transcribed at the time of the great rabbis who wrote the Biblical commentaries of the Talmud. Much of the oral tradition was beginning to be codified in writing during this period. The Sassoon Codex Tanach contains all 24 books of the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings. Christians uphold these books as the Old Testament. Muslims believe the Torah and Psalms were divinely inspired. So this manuscript marks a foundation to Western civilization. The writing is a little bit messy in places in some of the vowels and spelling. But the writing style of the Hebrew only adds to the mystique of this 792 page manuscript.
Historically, Torah and Haftarah scrolls were written completely without vowels or punctuation: all of the pronunciations and chants were passed on exclusively through oral tradition. The Codex Sassoon was written in the Masoretic text. In the early Middle Ages, mostly in Tiberias, the great sages of old, rabbis and scribes known as Masoretes created a body of notes that standardized the Hebrew text of the Scriptures. Vowels were added along with punctuation marks and trope or chant marks, called nickadot (jots and tiddles). The root of the Hebrew word ‘masor’ means to transmit. These notes were added to ensure correct transmission of the traditional oral text and to eliminate any possible human error in copying the Scriptures. The Masora, all the nickadot, are of utmost importance as they instruct the reader exactly how a word is pronounced, thus ensuring the correct meaning. The punctuation ensures the correct grammar, and cantillation marks indicate how the text is chanted, also ensuring correct punctuation (when to pause at the end of a phrase; specific words requiring emphasis; where to stop at the end of a sentence or paragraph).
The earliest Hebrew manuscripts found are the Dead Sea Scrolls dating to the First Century BC. They are very incomplete, missing entire books of Scripture. Most of the scrolls are fragments that needed to be pieced together. After a silence of almost 900 years, the Sassoon Codex is a bridge to the ‘modern’ era. It has been carbon dated to the late 800s AD. There are notes of ownership written at the back of the text and a deed of sale written in Aramaic Hebrew was discovered in the middle of the Bible. From this, as well as carbon dating, historians can site its provenance. What is known is that the manuscript traveled throughout the Middle East. Most likely written in the Galilee, Israel, only the wealthiest could have afforded its commission. Eventually it made its way to Damascus, Syria, where the codex was owned by a Khalef ben Avraham. It was sold to Yitzhak ben Yehezki’el Al Attar who, in turn, bequeathed it to his sons, Yezki’el and Maimon ben Attar. Along the way, a leather cover was added and the manuscript was bound in a book. In the 13th century the manuscript found its place in the great synagogue in Makisin (present-day Markada),Syria. Before the synagogue was destroyed by Mongol hordes in the 14th century, the codex was given to a Muslim man named Salama ibn Abi al-Fahkr, for safekeeping, with the promise to return it after the house of worship was rebuilt.The synagogue was never rebuilt. History of the book remained silent for the next several centuries. It was as if the book had completely vanished!
600 years later the leather-bound book resurfaced in Iraq. In 1929, the manuscript was sold to David Suleiman Sassoon (1880-1942), son of a wealthy Iraqi international merchant. Sassoon was born in Bombay, but moved with his mother to London after his father died. Educated in London, and inheriting his father’s business and wealth, his greatest mission in life was to find and collect Judaica and historical Hebrew texts, much of which he bought in Baghdad, Israel, and Persia. Eventually, he would hold the world’s most impressive private collection. Each item received a number, catalogued in the order in which they were added to the collection. One of these included Sassoon Codex 1053, named for its sequential number. It was bought for £350 in 1929 in Baghdad. This copy of the Old Testament is older than the earliest Hebrew Bible now come to light, the Leningrad Codex, written in the 10th century. Sassoon 1053 was possibly written at the same time as the famous Aleppo Codex, but the latter is very incomplete, missing almost 200 pages. Scholars have been aware of the existence of Sassoon’s holding and importance since the 1960s.
David Sassoon passed his extensive collection on to his children. In order to pay his estate’s British tax obligations, many of the tomes were sent to auction or were sold privately between the 1970s and the 1990s. Today most remain in private collections, universities and libraries. His son, Rabbi Solomon David Sassoon, sold Codex 1053 to the British Rail Pension Fund, who, in turn, put it up for auction at Sotheby’s in 1989. The precious manuscript was bought by a dealer for £2,035,000, who turned around and sold it to a Swiss investor, Jacob (Jacqui) Eli Safra, heir to the Lebanese-Swiss Safra banking family. Codex Sassoon 1053 then became known as Safra JUD002. Safra had the original leather cover completely rebound to keep the integrity of the parchment pages intact.
Mr. Safra allowed Biblical scholar, Prof. Yosef Ofer of Bar Ilan University to study the codex at his home in Geneva as guards stood outside the room. The leather-bound manuscript measures 12” X 14” and is 6” thick, weighing 25.5 pounds. The script on each page is divided into three columns. The Scriptures start with Genesis 9:26, as the first few pages of the folio are missing. To decipher the Masora requires a considerable amount of knowledge for full understanding of all the notes, which Professor Dr.Ofer has. Only a select few people have been able to study the notes found in the margins of texts from the Medieval period. This particular manuscript is incredible! The Hebrew writing is clear and dark, although a bit sloppy in places, without vowels or trope marks. The latter, the nickadot, have been added in a lighter pen at the bottom and top of the Hebrew letters. Notes on grammar, punctuation and inflection are written between the margins and at the top and bottom of the pages are more extensive handwritten notations.
Tickets were free, so the minute I heard about this, I made my reservation. The museum is dedicated to telling the story of Jewish history through archaeological findings, art, writings, artifacts and oral tradition. The Bible on display is encased in a large glass vitrine, and spotlighted so the writing is crisp and clear. Much larger than I originally expected, it is truly amazing that I was able to read these pages. The letters are crisp and clear, but lacking the beautiful ornamentation or ‘crowns’ found at the top of certain letters. The text is quite plain, different from a Torah scroll. Although the edges of the parchment seemed worn and discolored, it was as if this was written recently. Absolutely incredible that something this old could be so well preserved! The margin notes were indecipherable to me, and the notes penned at the top and bottom of each page were tiny and without vowels..
Sharon Mintz, Senior Judaica Specialist at Sotheby’s states that this evolutionary history of the written Tanach “radiates power.” It is one of the most significant books as it documents the foundations of Western society and history. Before Codex Sassoon 1053 is auctioned in New York on 16 May, 2023, it will be on display for one week only in March and April in London, Tel Aviv, Dallas and Los Angeles.
The past three weeks have marked a period of collective fasting, prayer, charity or alms-giving and mitzvot, or doing good deeds for the Jewish people of Israel. It comes at the hottest, driest time of year when all a person wants to do is sit in front of a fan and eat ice cold watermelon. The period starts on the 17th of Tammuz, the Hebrew month. On this day, thousands of years ago Moses came down from Mt Sinai to see drunken orgies and the people worshipping an idol, the golden calf, so in anger, he smashed the tablets with the Ten Commandments. A year later (1313 BCE) 12 spies were sent out into the Promised Land to scout out the lay of the land. On the 9th of Av, 10 spies came back with a bad report. Instead of proclaiming a land filled with natural goodness – super huge fruits, date honey, goats, cows, milk, rich soil, a land with which they were bequeathed, they spoke of walled cities. They spoke of appearing to be like tiny grasshoppers in the eyes of giants. They said it was untamable. Wild. Dangerous. Instead of relying on the L-rd, they fell into despair. And they took an entire nation into absolute hopelessness and despair with them. Instead of being filled with gratitude and strength and optimism, they were defeatist. So the entirety of the Children of Israel were made to wander in the desert for forty years.
From that time on, it seem those three weeks would be an infamous swamp of bad karma for the Jewish people. Biblically, the 10 Northern tribes were taken by the Assyrians during this time. Then the Babylonians swept in, breaching the walls of Jerusalem on the 17th Tammuz and taking the city. On the 9th of Av, Solomon’s Temple, the First Temple, was razed and the tribes of Judah and Benjamin were led into captivity for 70 years. The Temple was rebuilt under Cyrus and lasted until 70AD, when it was leveled by the Romans. Most of the Jews were scattered throughout the world in the Great Diaspora. Fifty two years later, the walled fortress of Beitar, held down by the last Zealots against the Roman regime was breached on 17 Tammuz. Again, after a three week siege, the Romans killed the thousands of remaining Jews and destroyed the city (just outside Jerusalem near Bethlehem) on 9 Av. It marked the end of a Jewish homeland for almost 2000 years.
The tragedies of Tisha b’Av ( Hebrew for 9 Av) and the three weeks continued throughout history. European Jews were burned alive in synagogues in Italy, Germany & France in the 1100s-1200s; the Jews of England were expelled by King Edward “Longshanks” in 1290; King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella expelled the Jews of Spain in 1492; on Tisha b’Av in 1914, Germany declared war on Russia thus beginning World War l; in 1942 Hitler’s Final Solution was announced; on that same day, the deportations of the Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto to the death camps commenced. In more “modern times,” the deadly bombing of the Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires by Iranian-backed terrorists killed 86, seriously wounding over 300. And in 2005, on Tisha B’Av, in the name of “land for peace” Israel forcibly and permanently removed the remaining Jewish residents of Gaza (they had until then been living relatively peaceable lives with their Arab neighbors), in essence handing the territory over to Islamic militants like Hamas (the word actually means VIOLENCE!!!) and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. There has been no peace ever since.
With that brief history, we’ve been watching events unfold over the past few weeks. Israel had been seeing a sharp uptick in Palestinian violence recently. There were car-rammings, stabbing, shootings, the throwing of projectiles onto the windshields of cars, and other incidents of violence. Hotbeds of illegal weapons, cash and drug smuggling were uncovered in the cities of Nablus, Um-Al-Fahmm and Jenin. In an IDF raid, on which I reported several weeks ago, the journalist Abu Ahkleh was shot. Despite video that showed evidence to the contrary, TikTok clips released by the Islamists in real time, her death was blamed on Israel’s attempt to assassinate an Arab reporter. Things were heating up again as the summer sun blazed on.
During this years’ Three Weeks period, several more surprise raids were made by the IDF to try to curb the violence. Entire terror cells were taken into custody. We were closely following the news, as friends of mine in Tekoa and Gush Etzion in Judaea (West Bank near Jerusalem) had their gate guarded communities breached by men wielding guns. Last Tuesday, 2 August, in Jenin ( the West Bank) the IDF arrested Bassam al-Shaadi, the head of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Founded in 1982, the PIJ is an internationally recognized terrorist organization which has direct backing by the Iranian and Syrian regimes. After Hamas, it is the second largest terror group in the region, ruling over much of Gaza. Its sole purpose of existence is to destroy Israel and make it free of Jews. Al-Shaadi had been directly involved in planning and executing several deadly attacks against Israeli civilians. Bags of cash and illegal weapons were found upon his arrest and the arrest of two other wanted terrorists.
Marches of protest and cries of revenge sprang up immediately in the Arab towns and cities. The PIJ, in return, threatened to commence the bombing of Southern and Central Israel where 70% of the Israeli population lives. As a precaution, all the roads leading up to and within the Gaza envelope were closed off to any traffic. Roadblocks were set up. The citizens living within the area were all told to remain inside and lock down, staying close to the nearest bomb shelters. The following day, a senior PIJ military leader announced, “We have every right to bomb Israel with our most advanced weapons.” They threatened to attack the most populous areas including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, 80 km or 50 miles away. The rhetoric intensified on Thursday, as many residents remained hunkered down, not going to work, not going to the market, not sending their children to summer activities.
Special cabinet meetings were held. Israel was attempting to appease the PIJ, to stop their threats to now carry out attacks across the country. Later it was reported that there was actionable intelligence of an imminent attack by the PIJ using an anti-tank missile to blow up a bus. The chatter was recorded. The launcher was found along with the ten terrorists headed to the border to instigate the attack. In a well-coordinated, heavily-planned preemptive strike, Israel entered into its latest conflict, Operation Breaking Dawn, on Friday afternoon just before the Sabbath. Also struck with absolute surgical precision, was the apartment of PIJ senior commander in Gaza, Taysir al-Jabari. Al-Jabari was killed and in return, the PIJ immediately started their missile barrage against the citizens of Israel. The missiles rained down on Central Israel continuously for over 50 hours. In all, over 1,100 were fired. Just stop for a second or two and think of that. Over 1100 missiles in just over 2 days!!
Although heavily inconvenienced, many in shock from the trauma as the bombs whistled overhead and shook the ground upon impact, the Israelis stayed resolute. All were united behind the IDF efforts to take down this most recent threat. In an almost supernatural answer to the prayers and fasting of the people, and much thanks to Iron Dome, there was not one Israeli casualty. Several cars and a couple buildings were hit and a few people were treated for falling while on the way to shelters and for shock. But there were no major injuries. This was a Tisha B’Av miracle. Still, sirens wailed throughout the center of Israel nonstop. Another huge miracle, not to be underestimated, is that Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, decided to sit this one out. Perhaps it was because the knew that the IDF was only targeting PIJ. Maybe it was because they were pummeled last conflict and did not want a repeat performance. A miracle, nonetheless.
We were completely unaffected by this in the North, but still, the people were all on edge. Last year, many of the surrounding Arab villages and mixed cities experienced uprisings and violent riots which saw the destruction of Jewish property and resulted in several deaths. The government had well-prepared for this scenario, and this year made sure the police were out in advance to quell any disturbances before they could take hold. Simultaneously, the IDF was making military incursions into places like Nablus and Jenin arresting terror cells and confiscating stolen and homemade illegal weapons. It was a well-coordinated effort.
The Israeli army has a policy to go out of their way to avoid incurring civilian damages. Both PIJ and Hamas go out of their way to hide their bomb and rocket launchers behind their own people: in schools, hospitals, mosques and inside high-density housing units. Israel has every right to defend its people. What would you do if a neighboring state started attacking your city? There is a popular narrative that is being spread by many mainstream news outlets and by members of the US government: that there is an imbalance of power. That the Iron Dome affords Israel a unique advantage. This narrative is both misleading and dangerous. Iron Dome definitely saves countless lives and property. It is because of the strength and accuracy of Israel’s army that Hamas, Hezbollah, PIJ and other terror organizations that have genocidal racism as their epithet have not proliferated and taken over in the region. Their goal is not to “resist the occupation.” Their goal is to make the entire MidEast, especially Israel free of Jews, free or Christians, free of homosexuals and free of any other group they do not approve of. Their goal is to make the entire Mideast a vast wasteland of their religious intolerance and supremacy as can be seen in countries like Iran, Afghanistan and Yemen. They have no desire in making life better for their own people, who live in abhorrent conditions under a militaristic religious dictatorship.
All the violence could be stopped in a single instant if the Islamist terrorists would just put down their weapons to live in peace. We all want peace here. We do not seek conflict. We just want to live normal lives. All they have to do is accept our existence, something they all have been given the opportunity to recognize officially on many occasions, but refuse. There is no easy answer. Usually the blame falls on Israel. For example,, early on in the conflict, Gaza reported that 7 civilians including 5 children were killed in the Jabalia refugee complex when an Israeli bomb struck the tenement housing. They even released footage of the strike. Upon inspection, it can be seen that their own missile completely backfired, making a slowly arching u-turn before crashing down and hitting the Jabalia site. The news, first broadcast by AlJezeera then picked up by international mainstream media was debunked as fake news within the hour. More footage released shows that not only did this bomb fail to reach its target, but that over 20% of the launches misfired, falling back into Gaza.
Late Sunday evening, a ceasefire, brokered by Egypt, was announced. So far, it has held, but things are tenuous at best. The PIJ has called for the release of al-Saadi and other “political hostages.” As of this morning, Tuesday, 9 August, Israel special ops were in Nablus encountering extreme and wild fire power. So far 11 terrorists including the head of the AlAqsa Martyrs’ Brigade have been killed with zero IDF casualties with the exception of a counterterrorism dog. A large number of explosives and additional weapons have been located at the site. Hopefully this will deter the terrorists and help break the wave of recent violence. We pray for peace and security and for the wisdom of our government. We pray for truthful reporting. And we thank G-d that this Ninth of Av we were spared.
Usually my blogposts are about culture, archaeological finds, interesting places to visit, and entertaining feature articles. I purposely avoid anything political or potentially inflammatory. In the past month there has been much misinformation and information that has been conveniently hidden or deleted about the events surrounding the death of Palestinian-American journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh. As of this morning there are reports out by CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera and other mainstream news outlets – all completely defamatory to Israel. I have followed this story carefully from the beginning, detail by detail. I can no longer be silent about the tragic (and it was utterly tragic) death and funeral of the reporter Shireen Abu-Akleh. I will start at the beginning to set the stage.
The Lead-Up:
Jenin, population 41,000 is the northernmost city in the West Bank and has become a symbol of Palestinian resistance. It has been in existence since the late 1800s when its recorded population was below 1,000, all Muslim. Because of its location at the southern end of the fertile Jezreel Valley, it became an outpost of the Turkish & German forces united against the Allied powers in WWI for their forays into northern Israel. Jenin was captured by the British in 1918 and came under the the rule of British Mandated Palestine. By the 1930s, the town was the northern spearhead for raids and ambushes of the Jewish villages in the Jezreel Valley. After the British left, and during the newly-formed State of Israel’s 1948 War of Independence (in which the nascent country was attacked from all sides by the neighboring Arab countries), the town was reinforced by Iraqi forces entering through Jordan. The strategic town fell into Israeli hands in 1967 during the Six Day War, but was then promptly transferred by Israel to the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority according to the Tabah Agreement.
Since coming under the full control of the PA in 1996, Jenin has become a hotbed of terror-organizing, smuggling, and illegal activity. The surrounding area is very agricultural and the surrounding small villages have about 256,000 population, all but 3% Muslim in this area. It is the regional center of government for the PA. It is also known as a militant stronghold exporting terror. Jenin is a heavily armed city. At least 23 of the suicide bombers during the 2002-2005 Second Intifada were from Jenin. Over 1,000 people in Israel, both citizens and international tourists, were murdered in these bombings, shootings and stabbings.
This year, from March 21 – May 5, during Ramadan, a new wave of terror broke out in Israel. In seven separate terror attacks on citizens, 19 people were murdered, 36 injured. Three of these attackers were from Jenin and two were from a town 7.2 miles to the east. Following the attacks, the Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Forces conducted counterterrorism operations in Jenin and the immediate vicinity with the clear objective ”to uncover and prevent any future terrorist attacks based on reliable and actionable intelligence. We have already thwarted dozens of pre-planned attacks, thereby saving the lives of civilians. The IDF in no way targets non-militants in any of its activities.”
The IDF had entered the refugee camp on the outskirts of the city in prior days to raid a cache of illegal weapons. Most were home manufactured or smuggled in through Jordan. They arrested several known terrorists and suspected accomplices.
The Fateful Day: A Tale of Two Narratives
On the morning of May 11, IDF soldiers entered Jenin Camp on the outskirts of the city and apprehended eight suspected terrorists. During this planned counterterrorism operation, dozens of Palestinian gunmen ambushed the soldiers from the buildings and alleyways above, from all directions. Very shortly afterwards, videos of the ambush were posted to Facebook, Tiktok and Instagram by the Palestinians. The gunmen were recklessly firing pot-shots around corners and hurling improvised explosives at the troops. The Israeli soldiers responded with gunfire. At the time of the activity, hundreds of bullets were volleyed and the AlJazeera journalist, Shireen Abu-Akleh, was caught in the middle and killed. In the uploaded video, you can hear the Palestinian gunmen yelling in Arabic, ”We got one. We killed a soldier. An IDF soldier is down.” However, no Israeli soldier was reported killed or injured.
This is where the two different narratives begin. It is essential we get to the truth, because the truth matters and facts matter. And now 57 U.S. legislators have called on the United States FBI and the U.S. State Department to investigate the journalist’s death, to sanction Israel and to condemn Israel for acts of aggression and humanitarian violence because the reporter was a dual Palestinian and American citizen.
The IDF Chief General of Staff Aviv Kochavi stated, ”During the operation in Jenin, suspects indiscriminately fired an enormous amount of gunfire at IDF soldiers and hurled improvised explosive devices. Forces fired back with live fire. Our soldiers in Jenin acted under fire, as in many cases, demonstrating courage and determination to protect the citizens of our State. As in many other events, the Palestinians launched extensive fire at our forces and indiscriminately wild fire in every direction. Unlike the Palestinians, IDF soldiers carry out trained and selective shooting. At this point it is not possible to determine what shooting the reporter who was killed [sic] and we are very sorry for her death. In order to reach the investigation of the truth, we have set up a special team that will find out the facts and present them as fully and as soon as possible.” Initially Israeli officials stated that Abu-Akleh was likely killed by an errant Palestinian bullet. Later that evening, Defense Minister Benny Gantz said, ”It could have been Palestinians who shot her – or erratic fire from our side.” This opened up an entirely new narrative.
Shireen’s lifeless body was immediately taken to a Palestinian coroner who removed and kept the bullet. The officials conducting the autopsy said they were unable to determine the bullet’s origin. The Palestinians have refused Israeli requests for a joint investigation into her unfortunate and untimely death. Without the bullet, the Israeli government cannot accurately determine what happened. The Israeli government wants a full investigation to happen in order to find out as much information as possible.
The Palestinian narrative has been spread throughout the mainstream media and has gained considerable traction. “Not only was Abu-Akleh shot by Israeli troops, rather than hit by indiscriminate Palestinian gunfire, but she was deliberately targeted by Israel in order to silence the voice of Palestine (David Horovitz, left of center, Times of Israel).” Al Jazeera comments on that day: ”We condemn this heinous crime, intended to prevent the media from carrying out its message, and we hold the Israeli government and the occupational forces responsible for her death. We hereby call on the international community to condemn and hold Israel occupational forces accountable for the deliberate killing of our colleague Shireen Abu-Akleh.”
The head of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of “execution” and said, “We vow to bring the matter before the Hague to the International Criminal Court to punish the criminals. We have rejected a joint investigation with the Israeli authorities because they are the ones who committed the crime.” This was said without full evidence. Senior PA official Jibril Rajoub, called Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett a Nazi, accusing him of giving the direct orders to hunt down and assassinate the journalist. This was a spurious comment and outright lie that has been disseminated throughout the world by the mainstream media.
The Funeral of Shireen Abu-Akleh
By now, many of you have seen the (heavily edited) video clip of the funeral procession of Abu-Akleh. It was floated first on social media then picked up by legacy news outlets. It is very misleading. The images of Israeli police shoving, pushing and hitting away the pall-bearers burns an indelible image into one’s psyche. It is a very tiny portion of a much larger story. The clipped video was disseminated throughout the world to make it seem as if the Israeli Police interfered with the procession, when in fact, it was the exact opposite. The various videos are shown and explained below:
Jerusalem is a political and religious hotbed waiting to boil over. In the days leading up to the death of Ms. Abu-Akleh, throughout the Ramadan period, gangs of roving youth from East Jerusalem were going into (the main city of) Jerusalem tearing down Israeli flags that lined the streets for Memorial Day, Independence Day and Jerusalem Day. For many Israeli Arabs, the formation of Israel as the Jewish State, their ancient and ancestral homeland, marks ”The Nakba” or The Great Catastrophe. There were riots on the Temple Mount with young men barricading themselves into the iconic gold-domed Al Aqsa Mosque, using it as a fortress from which to throw rocks and explosives.
Shireen Abu-Akleh was a Melkite Christian born in Jerusalem in 1971. Her immediate family was originally from Bethlehem. Orphaned at an early age, she went to live with her mother’s family in New Jersey receiving a Catholic education both there and on her return to Israel for high school. She graduated from Yarmouk University in Jordan with a degree in journalism. Fluent in Hebrew, Arabic, English, and Greek, she was hired by Al Jazeera in 1997. Her career, reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, women’s issues, and global dialogue made her a leading journalist and an inspiration to many young Palestinian girls. She resided in East Jerusalem at the time of her death.
After her death, Abu-Akleh’s shrouded body was carried on a stretcher draped with a Palestinian flag from Jenin through Nablus, then Ramallah for the residents of the West Bank to pay their respects before it reached Jerusalem, where the Christian funeral was scheduled to take place. Her family made arrangements for her coffin to be taken by hearse from the hospital to the church, not paraded through the streets of East Jerusalem. The following is the direct account of the notes written by the Israeli Police Force on the events of May 13:
– Plans for the funeral procession of Shireen Abu-Akleh were coordinated in advance by the Israel Police together with the family. – On Friday, about 300 rioters arrived at St. Joseph Hospital in Jerusalem and prevented the family members from loading the coffin onto the hearse to travel to the cemetery as had been planned and coordinated with the family in advance. – Instead the mob threatened the driver of the hearse and then proceeded to carry the coffin in an unplanned processional route to the cemetery by foot. – This went against the wishes of the Abu-Aklah family and the security coordinations that had been planned to safeguard the large number of mourners. – Israel Police instructed that the coffin be returned to the hearse, as did the EU ambassador, and Abu-Akleh’s own family, but the mob refused. – Molotov cocktails and fireworks were thrown by the mob at the police. Israel Police intervened to disperse the mob and prevent them from taking the coffin, so that the funeral could proceed as planned in accordance with the wishes of the family. – During the riot that was instituted by the mob, glass bottles, Molotov cocktails, fireworks, rocks and other objects were thrown, resulting in the injury of both mourners and police officers.
Incidentally, the Israel Police is made up of a vey diverse force of Arab Christians, Muslims and Druze as well as Jews, both secular and religious. Full, uncut footage of the procession shows the throwing of rocks by the mob on the sidelines. After an explosive device is hurled towards the pallbearers and rolls under the coffin, an Israel Police officer shoves the pallbearer and kicks the explosive, causing a melee to ensue and the coffin to almost be dropped. This was what was only partially shown in the edited video above.
The mob that gathered in front of the hospital tried to prevent the coffin from ever getting to the hearse. They were chanting anti-Israeli slogans, waving Palestinian flags, blocked the hearse and snatched the coffin. A Palestinian flag was attempted to be laid over the coffin in order to cover up the crucifix. When the police stepped in to try to disperse the rioters, flash bangs were hurled from the roof by the mob and objects hurled at the police. Amjad Abu Asbeh of the PA explained that the Palestinians wanted to carry the coffin on their shoulders through East Jerusalem ”so that it would not seem like a Christian funeral with a church car.” The men of the mob wrestled the coffin away so they could carry it as the tradition is for shahids, Islamic martyrs killed in battle.
Shireen’s brother told the BBC, ”We were leaving the hospital towards Church and Israel Police came and bombarded us without the family knowing why.” It must be understood that the family is in an extremely difficult position. As Christians, who have been heavily persecuted by the Muslim contingent, telling the fullness of what actually happened, they will surely face persecution, including real death threats from the PA and Hamas. A question that begs answering is who has more interest in the funeral processing peaceably as planned, the Israeli authorities and the family of Abu-Akkeh or the mob, the PA and Hamas?
In the United States, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stated, ”You know…Shireen Abu-Akleh. We need to have eyes on what happened. She was killed by Israeli forces in Palestine. Hmmmm… and you know, aahh…we can’t allow this. A lot of people will say you’re treating this differently and ….. mmmm… you’re, you’re, you’re picking them out and you’re treating them differently. Our, our, our tax dollars are a part of this. Our resources are a part of this. We can’t even get healthcare in the U.S. and like our taxes are funding thiiiiiiiissss (throws hands up). Shireen Abu-Akleh was murdered by a government that receives unconditional funding by our country with zero accountability.” AOC has over 8 million Twitter followers, over 8.5 million Instagram followers as well as a commanding Youtube presence.
U.S. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib attended Nakba Day rallies in Dearborn, Michigan May 15. Accusing Israel of her deliberate and targeted murder, Tlaib also called for a moment of silence on the House floor in honor of Ms. Abu-Akleh, later tweeting, ” When will the world and those who stand by Apartheid Israel that continues to murder, torture and commit war crimes finally say ’Enough’? Shireen Abu Akleh was murdered by a government that receives unconditional funding by our country with zero accountability.” She called for immediate boycott, sanctioning and divestment from all Israeli products as well as co-introducing legislation to have Nakba Day declared an official American holiday.
These false narratives, the misrepresenting of the truth, the failure to cooperate in an unbiased full investigation all help to destabilize the already fragile Middle East. Just last year, Israel was normalizing relations with several of its Arab neighbors as part of the historic Abraham Accords. Last week Israeli delegates from the high-tech sector and cultural entrepreneurs flew to Morocco to visit the Parliament and participate in several pre-arranged meetings throughout the country. Many of the talks and scheduled events were canceled as the rumor spread that Israel had assassinated the journalist to ”hide the truth about her reporting on Apartheid atrocities.” In those meetings that did take place, extra security was required for the protection of the attendees.
Using this latest twisting of truth to their advantage, Palestinian youth throughout the Western world organized protests, marches and parades. In particular, American youth, recruited mostly on campuses, took to the city streets, flags in hand. Their chants include ”From the River to the Sea, Palestine must be free!” Do they understand that they are saying from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea (the entirety of Israel, not just a small part), the Land must be completely free of Jews? What happened to peace, love and tolerance. Also chanted was the Arabic ”Khybar, Khybar yo Yahud…” I’m pretty sure they do not know their chant is a reference to the complete massacre of the entire Jewish town of Khayybar and the expulsion of all the Jews of Saudi Arabia by Mohammad in 628 CE. The disseminated false narratives have ripple effects throughout the world and are not just isolated within Israel. It has the potential to lead to anti-Semitic violence and to the destabilization of power in the Middle East.
In this week’s post, I’m sharing an article I recently had published in the Jewish Journal –
The most recent conflict revealed the mettle and elasticity of Israelis and brought some of the country’s funniest citizens to the forefront. By Tamar Dunbar
Uri Cohen (left) and Benji Lovitt
Being able to find humor in the worst of situations has been key to Jewish survival. No matter where we settled, the Jewish people have been persecuted. Now we have our homeland back, but it’s in a pretty bad neighborhood. When you’re used to a life of terror, you can either become hardened and cynical or you can find comedy in everything.
The latest conflict with Hamas was the first war in Israel since I made aliyah from Los Angeles six years ago. I’ve found that the Israeli persona is truthful, forthright, and direct. Nothing is sacred. There is no running away from political incorrectness. What you see is what you get. While sometimes brutal, it’s also refreshing. This most recent conflict in particular revealed the mettle and elasticity of Israelis and brought some of the country’s funniest citizens to the forefront.
I first ran across Uri Cohen on Instagram as I scrolled through my feed. I saw an Israeli guy in an IDF uniform ranting about being called up for reserve duty for the fourth time this year, and I thought it was hilarious. We were leaving behind our pandemic lockdowns and facing yet another political election, but his posts about his life in Israel were uproarious. I had to get to know Uri.
Uri is a rising comedian and online social influencer. This 28-year old gever is sometimes brash, totally authentic, and has a huge heart. When not working as a security guard for Birthright visitors, tour groups and school groups, or doing reserve duty, Uri is posting on Instagram and TikTok and increasing his fan base with his unique style of comedy.
Who would have thought a young guy could also become a shadchen, or matchmaker? In response to the meetup, dating and hookup app, Tinder, Uri created his own dating site on Instagram: Jewuri (aka Tinduri), where young Jewish singles from all over the world can post photos and brief descriptions of themselves in hopes of finding a match. What started as a joke soon became a way of meeting one’s soulmate. Uri sees this as a way of perpetuating the Jewish people. Nothing pleases him more than “getting people together: sometimes they get married and that leads to making more and more Jewish babies. That’s just wonderful!” He hosts social events once a month in locations throughout Israel—and, yes, it’s all legal and done in a spirit of fun.
This past May, things got real as Hamas started their massive rocket barrage into the heart of Israel. It’s said that there are no atheists in foxholes, but what about comedians in bomb shelters?
IT’S SAID THAT THERE ARE NO ATHEISTS IN FOXHOLES, BUT WHAT ABOUT COMEDIANS IN BOMB SHELTERS?
Uri was called up yet again for reserve duty as a medic. But he also became a kind of lead sapper for the IDF. A real sapper goes to the site of an unexploded bomb, something that has incredibly lethal potential, and bravely diffuses it. But instead of taking apart physical bombs in the field, Uri worked from stairwells and bomb shelters, bravely fighting antisemites and anti-Zionists who call for the destruction of Israel with his unique brand of online humor.
He responded nightly to Hamas’s threats of incessant bombs with his signature swagger: “Yo! Jihadists! You know you promised to send rockets tonight at 9 pm. But listen. I have a date with hot IDF girl. Believe me. She is bigger bomb than all the rockets you send. So please. Make it 12 tonight.”
“YO! JIHADISTS! YOU KNOW YOU PROMISED TO SEND ROCKETS TONIGHT AT 9 PM. BUT LISTEN. I HAVE DATE WITH A HOT IDF GIRL. BELIEVE ME. SHE IS BIGGER BOMB THAN ALL THE ROCKETS YOU SEND. SO PLEASE. MAKE IT 12 TONIGHT.”
When the missiles did not let up for days and it was Uri’s birthday, he created a post thanking Hamas for sending up fireworks in his honor. “Hey. It’s a celebration! They are celebrating me! Gee thanks for the fireworks, guys!!” He took the footage of bombs exploding over the Tel Aviv skyline and choreographed it to the “Star Wars” theme.
His fan base began to grow exponentially, along with his haters. Humor turned into hasbara, diffusing hate bombs with education, explanation, and reproachment, Uri Cohen-style.
Underneath one of his video clips, we see an Instagram comment calling Uri a colonizer and a baby-killer, telling him to get the f–k out of Palestine. In the video, there are tears streaming down Uri’s face. “Wow,” he says. “That hit me so hard.” He continues, as he wipes the tears from his cheeks, “I don’t think I can take it.” Then the camera pans down to the knife in his hand, cutting an onion. “That’s a huge piece of onion. Wow.”
Uri knows that he has haters, but he never shows anger. “That’s what they want. They want to expand the fight. And most of the times these people are not even from Gaza or Palestinian, and they don’t know the facts. So you have to find a way to turn it around. I make them laugh. I make the best of a difficult situation.”
One commenter wrote, “Go back to your countries and leave the rest of Palestine immediately, you thieves. We will liberate Palestine soon,” to which Uri posted a video response. “Yo, bro. I’m truly sorry,” he says in the video. “It was misunderstanding.” He throws up his hands. “I’m immediately leaving. Just please. I only need 5 minutes. To pack a suitcase—and have sex with my girlfriend. And I’m leaving.” He walks out the door, muttering, “And they say Israelis have no patience.”
The bomb is once again diffused, with even the original commenter admitting that Uri is actually funny and suggesting that perhaps Israelis are cool after all. So Uri invited him to his next social event.
Of course, Uri couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make fun of the army rations he was served for Shabbat dinner. Cold schnitzel, limp chips, and a dollop of hummus. He invented the saying that went viral: “More Hummus. Less Hamas.” Within a week, the words could be seen on posters as far away as Paris, New York and Los Angeles.
Uri’s humor is a mixture of seriousness and sarcasm. He became outspoken about the anti-Israel posts by his former fantasy girls, pop icons Bella and Gigi Hadid, Dua Lipa and Mia Khalifa. It was truly a sad day for Uri when he deleted Dua Lipa from his playlist.
What makes his videos and posts so much fun is that they are interactive. Offering quizzes, ways to respond to his posts, and opportunities to ask him questions makes his site personal—and he responds to all of his messages. He pokes fun at himself: “My IDF service is 1% protecting the country; 99% Instagram pictures.”
Uri was not the only one diffusing bombs with humor during the most recent conflict. Countless memes, all darkly humorous, were posted on social media platforms. There were charts on what to do when you hear the Red Alert siren going off, signifying an incoming volley. The conflict also saw the emergence of drinking games for every time you hear a rocket or every time you have to unfollow a former friend for posting an antisemitic comment.
After a year in isolation, meet-ups with strangers in the bomb shelters were a good reason to laugh. Some played games in which each person had to guess what others had been doing prior to arriving at the shelter by noting their attire. Others created online gambling pools to speculate on how long the conflict would last and what the terms of ceasefire would be. Being able to laugh in the heat of an intense conflict was helpful. We laughed at ourselves, our situation, and our enemies. And as a result, we came out of it stronger and more resilient.
Liel Eli, another Instagram and TikTok influencer, made a humorous video of young California socialites trying to be trendy. It was filmed poolside against the backdrop of a Beverly Hills villa, where Liel played the roles of multiple silly, American Israel-haters who had absolutely no idea about any of the facts behind the propaganda. It was so funny that it landed her spots on the local news stations.
“The Daily Freier” is an online Tel Aviv publication that showcases biting satire. There is absolutely nothing off limits to these Anglo-Israeli jokesters. In Hebrew, a frier is a naïve shlemiel who constantly gets taken advantage of. Sample headlines include: “Three of Ilhan Omar’s Ex-Husbands/Brothers Feared Missing in Gaza Tunnel Collapse,” “Victory: IDF Weaponizes its Inability to Write a Proper English Sentence,” and “Anything Happen in Israel This Week? by Chuck Schumer” All of these headlines suggest that there is no political correctness in Israel, and that’s part of what makes it so funny.
Benji Lovitt is an American-Israeli author, comedian and hasbara expert who tours the U.S. regularly to educate groups with his unique blend of humor and encourage aliyah. In 2006, Benji made aliyah from Dallas, Texas during the Second War with Lebanon, so he has racked up points as a conflict survivor. He’s written for Times of Israel and The Jerusalem Post among others. Reading his annual “Things I Love About Israel” column helped us make the decision to move to Israel, so when we heard he’d be performing in Tel Aviv recently, we just had to go.I was able to speak to Benji after the show.
“There’s so much happening all the time here,” he said, “that there’s never a shortage of material. And the great thing about this country is that there are no taboos. And during wartime, that’s when the country is most in need of laughter. It dispels the stress everyone is under.” As a result, he created a chart on what to do when the emergency siren sounds—poking fun at Israelis who put their cars in cruise control and start filming the sky on Facebook Live.
Benji kept us in stitches with his latest news updates on the conflict. “A rocket just fell next to the IKEA in Rishon L’Tzion. At least the furniture is already in parts – KÄSSÁM Kitchen Storage Unit….hmmm I wonder if Sweden will retaliate?” And a day later: “Rockets and Iron Dome shrapnel are said to strike several Israeli cities. Just what the economy needs, another strike!” And toward the end of the conflict: “85 year-old Mahmoud Abbas and 78-year-old Joe Biden spoke on the phone this weekend for the first time since Biden took office. Topics discussed include a ceasefire, diplomacy and prune juice.”
One of the greatest experiences we’ve had during our time in Israel has been witnessing the strength and determination of the Jewish people. We have fallen even more deeply in love with this country. Still, I’ve asked everyone—do we get a special pin or at least a certificate to say we’ve survived our first official conflict? And the answer I’ve gotten from everyone: No. Not this time. But the third time: ice cream!
Tamar Dunbar made aliyah from Los Angeles to northern Israel six years ago where she works as a freelance journalist and blogger at israeldreams.com.
I really wanted to write the post I’ve had in reserve for over two weeks now. It’s on the dairies of Northern Israel, with lots of delicious recipes I’ve developed. It’s definitely more fun than writing about the current state of affairs here. But I feel compelled to get the news out: the facts which I am sure you don’t hear outside this country. For some reason they are just not being reported correctly. Or at all, for that matter. And there’s way too much misinformation which is leading to acts of violence against Jewish people. It’s happening at an alarming rate worldwide.
Ten days before Hamas’ opening of the latest war by firing a barrage of rockets at Israel, Yaya Sinwar, the head of the terror organization contacted the Biden Administration with a list of demands to pass on to Netanyahu. They demanded that Israel remove all Jews and security forces from the Temple Mount Complex in Jerusalem. As tensions were heating up during Ramadan, Sinwar demanded that evictions of Arabs from the four homes in question in the Sheikh Jarrah/Shimon haTzaddik neighborhood be cancelled. Also that the annual celebratory flag parade on Jerusalem Day be cancelled as it would be inciting violence. A spokesperson for Hamas stated in Newsweek Magazine that their goal was “to have the Israeli occupation authorities accept our demands or they would face the bombing of Jerusalem.”
To quote the Axios News Agency: “With tensions escalating fast, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan had called his Israeli counterpart, Meir Ben-Shabbat, while Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman spoke to the director general of the Israeli foreign ministry, Alan Ushpiz. The Biden administration had three immediate demands of Israel: stop the evictions in Sheikh Jarrah, lower tensions on the Temple Mount and cancel the Flag Day parade.
To appease all sides and deescalate, Netanyahu asked Israel’s Supreme Court to postpone its verdict on the evictions. Jews had already been barred from going on the Temple Mount during the month of Ramadan, but even the Jewish security forces were replaced by Arab Christian, Bedouin, and Druze members. And the parade was re-routed so that it would not pass through the Old City or any part of East Jerusalem.
Did any of this matter one bit? Which side kept up their side of the bargain? And I must say I, as an American Israeli, am so so disappointed in both of the current administrations for bowing to the demands of terrorists.
There have been several falsehoods promulgated by Hamas that have since circulated in the global media. They served their purpose to capture the hearts and emotions of the viewer. We all know pictures speak volumes. It’s just that these were completely false. For the first one: a photo taken in 2013 of Palestinian children staging a funeral was repurposed to seem as if the small child they carried was a casualty of the IDF bombing.
The next photo of a gorgeous young child purportedly killed by the IDF was actually the picture of a 4-year old Russian girl, Sophia. When her mother saw her daughter’s picture splashed across the news, she came forward to say that her daughter was alive and well and living in Moscow. She even submitted a recent picture of Sophia, but most news outlets failed to make the correction. Even the Ayatollah in Iran posted the lie on his official webpage. And outrage was spewed forth against Israel for killing innocent children. Geraldo Rivera???? These libels were another factor fanning the flames of today’s anti-Semitism.
Once again, to debunk the myth of the Israelis launching a genocide of the Palestinian peoples. The Jewish population in majority Arab countries has steadily declined to almost zero since the 1940s. In the past decade, the Arab population in Israel has more than tripled… also in Gaza. Just by looking at official census bureau statistics, you can see there is no genocide of Muslims taking place.
So, where do we stand as of today? Anthony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, is here in Israel currently on behalf of the Biden-Harris administration. He is holding talks with the leaders of Israel and with Mahmoud Abbas, head of the PA/Fatah. He will again proposed a (failed) two-state solution, which comes during a surge in Hamas’ popularity in the West Bank and an extreme decrease in support of the PA. However, Abbas has told Blinken that if he thinks that they would accept any “so-called peaceful solution or renounce any part of Palestine or recognize the Yahoods” then he is sorely mistaken. A recent poll showed 57% of Palestinians are opposed to a two-state solution, and that they would rather support an armed struggle against Israel.
Blinken today pledged to “rally international support to aid Gaza while keeping assistance out of the hands of its militant Hamas rulers. That begins with tackling the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza and starting to rebuild…We’re going to be working in partnership with the United Nations and the Palestinian Authority to channel aid there in a manner that does its best to go to the people of Gaza. As we all know in life, there are no guarantees, but we’re going to do everything we can to ensure that this assistance reaches the people who need it most.”
Since 2007, the PA has subsidized terrorism with their “Pay for Slay Program.” From a report released in 2019, when the PA publicized its monthly financial expenditures for the first 5 months of that year: the PA paid out an average of over $65million USD per MONTH despite its self-imposed financial crisis .This amounts to an average income for a person convicted of man act of terrorism in prison in Israel of $580/month if he has a 3-5 year sentence. If that person is serving a sentence of over 20 years for killing an Israeli, he receives $3200/month for life. If the terrorist is an Israeli citizen, he gets a $145 bonus (the average Israeli citizen makes an average of $2700/month). I am not making this up…
During the Trump Administration, the US Taylor Force Act was signed in honor of the slain American victim of that name. It halted all aid to the PA if they continued with their Pay For Slay initiative, so they stopped the heinous program. Unfortunately, this policy was reversed in the first hundred days of the Biden-Harris Admin, and has since been reinstitute. As of today, there has been an uptick in Islamic terrorist activity: car ramming, drive-by shootings of 3 Israeli boys at a bus stop; attempted stabbings and just yesterday, a 17 year old Muslim boy from East Jerusalem armed with a knife stabbed two 20 year old soldiers before he was eliminated. This was yesterday’s headline. Welcome to an Israel that your admin has helped promulgate, Mr. Blinken-
In addition, Islamic Jihad and Hamas have vowed not to help its civilian population or rebuild apartments and infrastructure, but to carry on the fight and build up its military capabilities. The photo of the day was that of Yaya Sinwar (great name, I must say) holding up a small child with a rocket launcher. These are the people calling for genocide and much of the world seems to be caught up in following them.
Now is the time to speak up. If you’ve ever said “I’m an honorary Jew” or “I’m with the Jewish people,” now is the time to speak up for Jewish people across the world. If you are Christian, walk with your Jewish friends to synagogue on Friday evening or Saturday morning for protection. If you hear an antiSemitic remark, debunk it. Fight fables with facts. If you are Jewish, attend rallies, politely educate others, join groups supporting Jews and Israel, make Aliyah. If we don’t stand together now, it will soon be too late.
Hopefully, next time, I can go back to writing about happier things-
Two days ago, when I last wrote, we were at war. So much has happened and there are endless café-side opinions and posturing today. For the last two nights – all night long- and into today, late Friday afternoon, IDF jets have been strafing the sky. We’ve had at least 4 info-getting drones up over just our immediate area. And for the person that asked on Wednesday if I was worried or afraid – I had my two big meltdowns since this started. After I realized we had 4 rockets launched over our heads (in my last post, I was able to video one being intercepted about 9 miles from our upstairs balcony), I got a little nervous. It’s late at night, lying in bed, unable to sleep as the red alert app is going off signaling rocket barrages down South, jets racing through the sky to let our neighbors know we are alert and ready for anything, and the flashing white light of a buzzing drone shining through my window that I lost it. For about 20 minutes. I was really apprehensive. OK. I admit. I was scared. And tearful.
This morning we awoke to the news that a ceasefire had been called. A unilateral ceasefire. And Joe Biden was taking the credit. Promising unlimited aid to the Palestinians to rebuild and to help them in any way possible. That the US had denied an arms package to Israel in Congress. And Hamas was celebrating. And the Palestinians were calling it their victory. Candy was being handed out in the Palestinian towns in celebration of their victory. Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said that he had received guarantees from the US mediators that, “the occupation will remove its hand from al Aqsa and Sheik Jarrah.” We still have not gotten back the bodies of Lt. Hadar Goldin and Sgt. Oren Shaul or captive, Avera Mengistu, who have been held in Gaza since 2014.
At the announcement of the truce, there were immediate clashes – in the middle of the night, mind you – at the Damascus Gate outside the holy Old City of Jerusalem. Video was circulated by Palestinian media this morning showing the Islamic militant mobs armed with fireworks, rocks, wood, and sound grenades. The police responded with tear gas. “We have prepared a serious missile attack that will hit Israel from Haifa in North to Ramon Airport in South, ” Khalil al-Hayya, a Hamas senior operative threatened. For some reason thousands of Arab men were already assembled last night at the Al Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. They were waving flags and chanting “Death to all Jews. The soldiers of Allah are victorious. Praise to Allah.” Video showed them throwing bottles at Israeli police who seemed to be standing aside.
All Israel remains on high alert. The reservists are still called up. The Jerusalem District Police have increased their forces and patrol of all neighborhoods. A number of police vehicles have been damaged. There have been reports of unrest in several towns and cities in the West Bank including Nablus, Tayibe, and Jenin. Hizbullah sent their congratulations to Hamas today for what it called a “heroic round, establishing a new set of rules that will pave the way for the next and greatest victory” and for their “heroic and sacrificial effort to restore life to the holy cause of total Jihad.” They are gloating that now “we have showed Israel is as weak as a spider’s web.” Today there was widespread rioting on the Temple Mount again today after Friday prayers, although nothing was done to stop the perpetrators.
As of this morning, another large caravan of trucks with aid from both Israel and Jordan was headed into Gaza. Two days ago, the aid had to be halted because of rocket fire. Yesterday two Jordanian aid workers trying to bring relief were killed by Hamas rocket fire at the checkpoint. Things are relatively quiet, but very shaky. There’s a lot of rebuilding to be done both in Gaza and here in Israel. Buildings destroyed. Roads and field that have incurred direct hits. Lots of injured. And of course, the psychological trauma. Bur these Israelis are a determined and tough lot.
So what is new? This was the first time over 4500 rockets have been fired into Israel. We’ve seen the accuracy and effectiveness of the Iron Dome and the resilience of the Israeli people. For the first time, Israel has had to deal with insurgents within our own cities, waging a progrom against the Jewish people of Israel, burning synagogues and houses, lynching civilians, torching cars. We’ve seen over 1000 Palestinian sympathizers at the Jordanian and the Syrian borders trying to gain entrance into Israel… and not with good intentions, I’m afraid. We’ve had Iranian drones filled with explosives launched into Israel from Syria and Iraq. We’ve had roque Palestinian missile barrages into the North of Israel from Lebanon. We’ve had Islamic attacks on Christians in towns in the North.
But the most upsetting and egregious war, I believe, is the one being fought on social media. From the celebs and super-models to sports figures, talk-show hosts and even politicians, we’ve heard the call for the destruction of Israel and the Jewish people. We’ve heard that the fight was disproportional. We’ve heard that Israel was, is, and remains the aggressor. That Israel is a White Supremist, Colonial, Apartheid State. even though the majority of the Israelis are brown people – Sephardic and Mizrachi Jewish refugees, Arabs and Druze, Ethiopian and Ugandan. The most distressing take-away is the complicity of the media to uphold and disseminate such hatred against Jewish people. We’ve been incredulous at the feeds coming in from CNN, NPR, Sky News, and various newspapers. In London, Spain, Paris, Los Angeles and New York City there have been attacks upon Jewish people; parades of Muslim Brotherhood, Black Lives Matter and Palestinian sympathizers marching in the streets and driving in caravans throwing rocks and firecrackers and chanting “Death to Israel. Death to the Jews.” I’ve never seen anything like this uptick in anti-Semitism. It’s terrifying.
For the most part, it seems to be advancing unchecked and without too much opposition. When will it all end? I pray the people of Gaza can somehow get free of the yoke of their Hamas/Islamic Jihad oppressors. I pray that citizens of the world will wake up to the rise in anti-Semitism; that people will stop this inflammatory rhetoric of hatred, especially when they are lacking in facts; that there will be some sort of dialogue leading to a better understanding of each side; and that we will all be able to pick up our lives and start the long, hard process of healing.
I hope we all can enjoy a peaceful Shabbat and quiet weekend…
We are fine. We are safe. No worries. Really. But things just got a little more real up here in Northern Israel a couple hours ago. Hundreds of rockets continue to rain down on central Israel every day. We’re now close to 4000 total rockets sent across from Gaza. And there have been “ticklers” elsewhere. What is a “tickler?” It’s when another country or group decides to test the area to see if the targeted country is watching and will engage. In the past 5 days, we’ve had 4 instances of lone rockets (or small clusters) and a drone fired into Northern Israel from Lebanon; 1 incursion from Syria into the Golan Heights and a drone and lone wolf Palestinian from Jordan armed with knives try to cross the border. It was determined that these were rogue Palestinian operatives based in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. It was determined that the drones were of Iranian origin. Both Hizbullah and the Lebanese army were quick to state that it didn’t come from them. The question remains are they trying to escalate the conflict and bring it to other fronts? One Israeli/American news outlet that is infamous for pumping out fake news came out with this headline two days ago:
So, once again, you cannot believe everything you read. For now, it appears that Lebanon/Hizbullah is turning a willful, blind eye. They are supporting Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and their backers Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood without getting directly involved. It seems to be their way of sympathizing – or so we hope. After tracking, the IDF has shot down the drones once they crossed into Israeli territory. They have responded with their own warning shots, sending volleys across to Lebanon and Syria. Supposedly, the Lebanese army arrested the perpetrators on their side. They know that tensions are running high. The other neighboring countries have a clear understanding of who Hamas is, what is at stake, and the risk of destabilizing the entire region. Noone, thankfully, wants that. At least not yet. But they are carefully watching us. Our response to Hamas. Our response time with the Iron Dome Defensive Shield. Whether we can be overwhelmed with rocket barrages. What Israel will do.
So, just this afternoon, I was up on our rooftop terrace watering my garden when the red alert siren went off again – as it does every few minutes round the clock. No Exaggertion. Read my other blogposts. I’ve learned to ignore every single buzz, but this time I felt the need to see where the rockets were headed. Shefaram and Ibillin, two Arab villages, which I can see off in the horizon to my left. I know them well. They are only about 7 miles as the crow flies. We buy our gas in Ibillin because it’s a few shekel cheaper per liter. Yikes! Then the next buzz goes off. Kiryat Bialik/Kiryat Motzkin/Haifa/Acco just about 7-18 miles to my right on the Mediterranean coast. I hear no warning siren in our immediate area. So I decided to try to film it. I thought they were strays from Gaza. It happens occasionally. The video of the actual moment of impact was obscured in the first video by the palm tree on the right, so it’s quite difficult to see unless you do a freeze frame. But here’s the second video clip I took where you can see the puff of cloud from where Iron Dome intercepted the rocket.
We quickly learned that at 4:13 pm, 4 rockets were fired at Israel from Lebanon. One landed back in Lebanon. Two fell into the Mediterranean. One was intercepted over Kiryat Bialik by the Iron Dome. And one landed in a field just outside Shefaram. The IDF fired back, and that was that. For now there is no escalation or involvement of another front.
As a side-note, I’m getting quite the education. My Hebrew vocabulary expanded quite a bit during the COVID lockdowns. Now I’m learning the words for ‘missile’ and ‘rocket’ and ‘barrage’ and ‘cease-fire’ and ‘siren’ and the like. Not only that, I’m learning the difference between rockets, which are just pipe-type bombs with exploding tips and shrapnel fill. Once they are launched, there is no control over where they go. A missile can be guided and is much more precise in its trajectory and focused target. Last weekend we were guests at the home of a native Israeli who had much knowledge militarily and in history. Sunday, we were guests at another home of native Israelis, and a couple of the men there not only had military experience, but were retired officers or reserve officers. It’s been fascinating.
I will now try to answer some of the questions I’ve received: just last night I was speaking on the phone with a close friend in the States. No. We are not afraid. Really and truly. I tried to explain that, as of now, we are far from the “action.” I’ve taken the pictures off the walls and the breakables off the shelves as a (now regular) precaution. Our underground shelter is fully stocked for us to last a good two weeks. I pray we never have to use it, but we are not afraid. We just watch the latest developments as they come in and pray a lot.
As I wrote in my last blogpost – No. Israel does NOT control Gaza. It was a lush and fertile farmland with some of the most beautiful beaches in the country and inhabited by both Israelis and Arabs. In 2005, the land was given to the Palestinian Authority in return for peace. The Israelis were forced out of their towns and homes by the IDF. In 2006, Hamas won legislative elections and took over rule in 2007 by defeating the PA in a violent coup. They now rule the strip with a violent fist. The PA and later, Hamas, have been receiving humanitarian aid since 1948. According to the World Bank data, between 1993 and 2013, they have received $27.1 billion worth of aid. They are also funded by Iran. Hamas has chosen to use much of this money to fund their terror campaign rather than on their own infrastructure. It’s more than tragic. (read that past blogpost)
Still, just yesterday, Israel packed up 38 large flat-bed semis with relief food, water, diapers and medical supplies bound for Gaza. They were met with rocket fire at the Keren Shalom crossing – Hamas obviously does not care about its own civilian population. Only three trucks made it in. 21 trucks were met with the same type of fire at the Erez checkpoint. Again, it’s heartbreaking.
To note, the Gaza Strip also shares a border with Egypt. This border is also closed with a large wall, electric fencing and razor wire. It is needed for the defense of Egypt. They do not want terror exported into their country. Still weapons are smuggled by underground tunnels from Egypt into Gaza, which the Egyptians repeatedly find and collapse. It is unfortunately necessary for both Israel and Egypt to maintain tightly secured borders. And to answer your question, Andrea, the people from Gaza are not “trapped” inside their small compound. They can and do make request for visas into Israel. The Gaza’s are regularly allowed in and out for jobs and medical care in Israel. If they are not deemed to be a terrorist, they can travel out of the country through Ben Gurion Airport. They can go to other neighboring Arab countries with their permission. However, due to Gaza’s tendency to import weapons parts, which are in turn used on Israel’s citizens, Israel carefully inspects all imports at the border. Hanan was telling us Sunday of the time remote control devices were attempted to be smuggled by way of a truckload of watermelons. He was inspecting the truck when he and another border patrol soldier noticed a few of the melons leaking. Holes had been bored into the melons which were filled with contraband and then shoddily plugged back up. Now, as Israeli citizens, John and I are absolutely not allowed into Gaza or much of the West Bank territories. When we have visitors from abroad, they are allowed to go into Bethlehem or Nablus. They can travel to other Muslim countries that we cannot. We stay behind. If I were to try to walk into Gaza, I wouldn’t come back out alive.
In response to Julie’s statement that the war is unfair and lopsided against the Gazans – I’d like to quote IDF Major in the the Reserves unit, Dan Pfefferman. “There are many armchair commentators outside of Israel right now. they speak with an ignorance about how militaries work and how wars are waged. Many people are protesting what they perceive to be disproportionate levels of force and unfair advantages and disadvantages. This is not some sort of football match where the score stays fairly even until the end. We need to be talking about disproportionality of intentions, not capabilities. Then it should become very clear who is the oppressor and who is the defender in this case. We need to ask, “O.K. So what would YOU do differently? What would you do if another country was bombarding your civilian population centers?” You can’t talk disproportionality in war. You can’t tell one side to ‘use no more force than you need to achieve your goals.’ It’s completely unrealistic. It’s a complete disconnect and a misunderstanding of how militaries operate.”
Retired Tel Nof Air Force Base commander, Brigadier General (Ret.) Israel “Relik” Shafir states, ” Most people are completely unaware of how the IDF operates. It’s a whole complex process before we make a strike. First we need to see clear, hard intelligence to be assured of the exact terror target to strike. It’s definitely not indiscriminate. We have a group of military commanders, strategists, international law experts and our intel meeting together to discuss the operational worth of a strike. There are legal and moral aspects to consider as well as ‘strike windows’ of when we can and cannot strike. Everything is discussed, vetted and validated before a decision is made. We must consider the efficacy of the strike versus the risk before proceeding. We do not want to hit civilian or non-terror related targets. I know of no other army that goes through such a process. And you have seen film of where at the last second, a strike has been called off because we see children or innocents in the area. “
I’m constantly listening to the news for further updates. As I was writing this post, a senior United Arab Emirates official said, “If Hamas does not commit to complete calm, it is dooming the residents of the Strip to a life of suffering. Its leaders must understand that their policies are first and foremost hurting the people of Gaza.” Powerful words from someone how truly understands. Just a short while ago US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and President Joe Biden called Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu to order a “significant deescalation today on the path of ceasefire.” I do not believe any Hamas operatives were also called. It seems one sided to me. Bibi Netanyahu just released his response. ( I will translate from the Hebrew) “…I greatly appreciate the support of these governments and I especially appreciate the support of the President of the United States our friend Joe Biden for the Israel state self-defense. I am determined to continue this operation until its goal is achieved – to bring complete peace and security back to the citizens of Israel.”
In the meantime, what are some things you can do to help? Thank all of you who offered to send us care packages. Firstly, we have everything we need at present. Also, shipping from the States or Europe is prohibitively expensive. Lastly, our airport is still closed, so shipments will probably be held up until who knows when. Still, many many thanks!!!! I can’t tell you how much your support is appreciated. So what can you do?
Do your own research. Ask questions. If something seems exaggerated, exclamatory, propagandized, or fake, it probably is. Do not take the word of celebrities, sports figures, supermodels, late night talk show hosts, musicians or other self-defined experts.
If you wish to make a donation, but don’t know who to support, there are a few non-profit organizations that we, ourselves, donate too. They are reputable and have offices both in Israel and in the US. The first is United Hatzalah. These are paramedics on motorbikes, volunteer medics from both Jewish, Christian and Muslim sectors. They are risking their lives to help provide first-responder care to those who have been injured. They are often the first to arrive on the scene, but with the conditions today, they are desperately in need of bulletproof/shrapnelproof vests and kevlar helmets. I can’t speak of these fine men and women highly enough. Go to @israelrescue.org
The next organization was a tremendous blessing helping out those affected by the COVID lockdowns. They provide groceries and boxed, Kosher meal to anyone in need no questions asked. They have been taxed to the limit the past week, delivering food boxes to the fallout shelters. They deliver children’s care packages, staff counseling centers to help with the PTSD that everyone down South seem to be experiencing. The good folks, all volunteers, at Meir Panim are true heroes. They can be reached @give.meirpanim.org
Israel is the only standing army I know that has volunteer soldiers join from foreign countries. Fine young men and women from 81 different countries are currently serving in the IDF – and no. Not all of them are Jewish either. Most come in from the US, but we have soldiers from the UK, Switzerland, South Africa, India, the Philippines, Mexico, Brazil … from all over the world. It’s pretty amazing. They must learn the Hebrew language, then go through boot camp and advanced training. We’ve been privileged to meet many of them. Some of them have to find their own apartments for the times they are off duty. Many later go on to become full citizens. And “TheBase: The Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin” is right there to help. They offer housing to the soldiers; provide meals; counseling; social activities; support in everything from finding the right medical care to helping read bills, fill ourt paperwork and understand important mail. They are the lone soldiers’ life line and are truly a home away from home. You can contact them at lonesoldiercenter.com
Again, we know that we live in a lovely country filled with beautiful, caring people. It’s just that the real estate is in a really crappy neighborhood for the most part. So again, it’s wonderful hearing from all of you! Please keep the questions coming. I’ll do maybes to find out the answers. Thank you for all your outpourings of support. Keep the prayers rising up. If you like what you read and find it helpful/informative/entertaining, then please hit the subscribe button and also SHARE THESE ARTICLES with as many other as might be interested. You can follow my Instagram feed @eemahleh. I will try to do another update in a couple days. Hopefully there will be good news to report.
In the meantime, here’s a map for you of response times. It’s the time we have to run to a shelter from anywhere in the country when we hear a siren go off. It’s kind of interesting. If a missile were to be fired towards our home and a siren were to sound, we would have between 45 seconds and one minute to stop what we’re doing and take cover. Wow-
It’s been a most difficult week both for my Israeli brothers and sisters and also for the innocent civilians in Gaza. And it’s been an overwhelming week for anyone who has been bombarded with insane disinformation by the mainstream media, social media, and well-intentioned but misinformed celebrities who are not living this nightmare. First of all, I want to thank all those who have written, called, and reached out to check on us, find out our situation and express concern about our well-being and the well-being of those around us. For all those who are praying for an end to the violence. For all those who have requested information. For those who have asked questions (based on what they have been hearing) and for those who have sent us articles and videos. I can’t begin to tell you how much it means to John, Max and me.
I will try to answer as many of the questions as I can with history and facts so you will have a better understanding of what is going on here. First of all – it’s more than extremely complicated. Secondly – I posted an article on Monday, 10 May, when this whole mess exploded (literally). In it, I gave a timeline of events leading up to this “Perfect Storm,” which was the title of my article. Please read that first, if you haven’t already.
So, what’s going on with the Gaza Strip? It’s one of the most frequently asked questions I’ve gotten. Let’s go back to 1993, the time of the Oslow Accords. In a nutshell, after years of violence and territorial disputes between Israel’s Jewish and Arab population, talks were held between Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, US President Bill Clinton and Yassar Arafat, head of the Palestinian Authority. In 1994, a document was signed to create “a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.” The Palestinian Authority was officially recognized as the leading political party of Judea and Samaria, a huge swath of Israel better known as the West Bank (it actually is a third the size of Israel – please look at a map). The PA was given “wide legislative, executive and judicial powers and responsibility over their own internal security, health, education and social welfare.” Free elections were to be held and a Parliament established.
On 13 May, 1994, Israel formally pulled out of much of the area, ceding Jericho to the PA. By the end of the summer, the cities of Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nablus, and Jenin were completely under the PA control. It also marked the establishment of the terror organization, Hamas, and the beginning of the First Intifada against the Jewish citizens of Israel. It was a bloody summer, and by the end of 1994, 120 Israeli citizens had been murdered by suicide bombers and random attacks at cafes in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem bus stations, on city buses and in malls and grocery stores. Prime Minister Rabin continually called for calm and peace. Israel was completely divided as to whether to continue negotiations, peace talks and withdrawal from its own territory. Each time there was a greater escalation of terror, but negotiations continued.
4 November, 1995 Rabin was assassinated by an angry Israeli man, Yigal Amir, plunging the nation into even greater despair and division. Shimon Peres of the Labor Party stepped in as the next Prime Minister and the peace talks continued with Arafat. Each time, the Palestinian suicide bombers continued to try to derail the peace process. Arafat refused to control the terrorists. So Peres stopped the negotiations.
Benjamin Netanyahu, head of the Likud Party, was elected by a very narrow margin as the next PM in 1996. Like Peres, he pressed Arafat to act against the suicide bombers, but still Arafat did not do so. Despite all this, Netanyahu continued with the peace process, transferring 80% of the city of Hebron to the PA. The Jews retained control of the small neighborhood surrounding the Cave of the Patriarchs, the burial place of Abraham, Sara, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob and Leah. Jewish settlements were established in the West Bank, leading to further conflict.
Skipping ahead to 1999, Ehud Barak succeeds Netanyahu as the next leader of Israel. His first act as Prime minister was to withdraw IDF forces from a small 2-mile-wide strip along Northern Israel that formed a safety barrier against Lebanon. More acts of terror, this time from the North. Then, in 2000, Barak and Arafat met at Camp David with President Clinton. Prime Minister Barak was ready to give up 90% of the West Bank to Palestinian control. Arafat had to agree to recognize Israel as a sovereign Jewish state, but he refused and the Second Intifada began. Over 1000 Israelis were killed in acts of terrorism within four years.
In 2001, Ariel Sharon was elected Prime Minister of Israel. By now, Arafat had become old and infirm. He was powerless to stop the Islamic terror. In 2004, Sharon ordered construction on a high wall to be built on much of the border between the West Bank and Israel to try to hedge in the terrorists. Checkpoints and IDF guard stations were installed as a deterrent to constant threat of attack. Arafat dies, and Abu Mazen, better known as Mahmoud Abbas, is elected to a four year term as Prime Minister of the PA. He is currently in year 16 of this “four-year term.”
In August of 2005, there is a unilateral evacuation of all Jews living in the Gaza Strip, a 141 square mile strip of land that is bordered by Egypt to the South, the Mediterranean to the West, and Israel to the East and North. 10,000 Jewish residents left, many forcibly evicted from their homes by the Israeli Defense Forces. They left behind their beautiful homes, schools, synagogues, hospitals, parks and irrigated agricultural lands. Newly formed Islamic terrorist group, Hamas, quickly stepped in to vie for control with the PA. Israel gave this land up voluntarily because they thought it would finally bring about peace. The Palestinians immediately set to work destroying all the existing infrastructure. They razed the synagogues, schools and hospitals.
This area, the Gaza Strip, could have been a living paradise with its beautiful beaches, arable lands and existing infrastructure. Instead, it’s been turned into a nightmare of Jihadi terrorism. Hamas, and now the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a militant arm of Iran, hold the innocent civilians of Gaza hostage to their dictatorial regime. They feed the people a diet of fear of the Jews. It’s so sad, that they have educated their young children to hate and to become soldiers of the Jihad. 63% of their population live in abject poverty. The terrorist organizations have siphoned off the billions of dollars in humanitarian aid to fund building of terror tunnels, procuring of weapons, and lining their own pockets. It is truly tragic. Abbas and the PA, who had official control of the Strip until recently, instituted a program called ‘Pay to Slay’ where families of their ‘martyrs’ (those that have been killed while trying to commit acts of violence against Jews) are given a lifelong pension. Trump cut off funding. Biden re-instituted it. What can I say???? It gave them the green light to continue the terrorism, which picked up in March of this year with car ramming and stabbings.
So, to the woman in CA who expressed concern for the suffering Gazans: YES!!! The poor Gazans ARE suffering. But it is not because of Israel. As I write this now, I’m listening to the morning report online from NPR. I know you mentioned that’s where you get much of your information. Their narrative is very interesting, but not necessarily complete. I’ve been taking notes from their broadcast- and this is a direct quote:
“Israeli attacks on Gaza are become more intense every night, greater than the night before. These strikes are keeping Palestinians up all night terrified. They are not getting any sleep at all. Their water supply is short and they only have about five hours of electricity per day. There is no place for them to go. They have no escape.”
There was absolutely no mention of what is happening here in Israel. Since exactly this time last week, with a joint effort between Hamas and PIJ, over 3,150 rockets/missiles have been fired at Israel. The barrages have been incessant, 24 hours a day for seven days now. Over 2 million people have been forced into bomb shelters. In those sorties, 463 Hamas rockets have misfired, falling back into Gaza. 21 of these have taken down electrical power lines in the Strip, causing widespread outages to their already limited power. Hamas is so unfortunately creating its own humanitarian disaster. As of Saturday, they shut down the water purification plant in order to siphon off power to their command centers. Densely packed Gazan residential areas are being used as military strongholds, sites for mobile rocket launches (see my Instagram video post @eemahleh), weapons storage facilities and entrance into their underground tunnel network. In the meantime, Israeli civilians have been forced into their bomb shelters. all hours of the day and night.
Why are there more casualties in Gaza than in Israel? There are several reasons. Israel is committed to the protection of its citizens. We have the Iron Dome System, which sends guided missiles up to intercept the Hamas rockets before they reach Israel’s population centers. We have sirens everywhere, blaring as soon as a rocket’s trajectory is known. This warning system alerts Israelis so they have time (sometimes as little as 15-18 seconds) to get into a bomb shelter before impact. Most individual homes and newer apartments have a safe room, with 10-inch thick rebar enforced concrete walls and metal door. All apartments and public buildings are equipped with underground bomb shelters, however, sometimes there’s only enough time to crowd into an internal stairwell. There are public concrete bunkers on many blocks and in parks. In edition, each person with a smart phone has the Red Alert App. Every time a rocket is launched into Israel, an alarm goes off with a buzz, a vibration, and an expected impact range. My phone has been buzzing incessantly 24/7 for the past week. All day. All night. There is not more than a half hour when a new barrage is announced. It’s a hell of a way to live, but thank goodness we have it. It saves lives.
Tragically, as stated previously, Hamas and PIJ are using their civilian population as human shields. Since last Monday, the IDF has struck over 820 terror targets. As of today, there are an unknown number of Palestinian civilian casualties among the estimated 140 deaths. Before the IDF strikes a target, they follow a set protocol: first leaflets are dropped and SMS messages are sent to residents of a building 40 minutes before the strike. It warns people to evacuate the premises due to an imminent attack. Phone calls are made to those inside. See the video where the security guard is called by the IDF 10 minutes before the AP/Al Jazeera building was taken down. There were no casualties. 5 minutes before an IDF bombing of a building, a “knock bomb” is dropped. This blunt metal pipe knocks on the roof to let those inside the attack is forthcoming. Evacuate now.
In the meantime, both countries have been extremely hard hit. This past weekend, despite a 90% success rate, there have been many direct hits on apartments, homes, synagogues and cars. Thankfully, this war has claimed only 11 Israeli lives. I leave you with a post from Israeli soldier:
IDF Cpl. Zoharya, Liaison to Platoon Commander in the Search and Rescue Brigade shares:
“Last night there were sirens and rockets falling everywhere. We were told to put on our gear and be ready in five minutes. We left our bomb shelters and went as fast as we could to a building that was hit in Petach Tikvah.
The cars were exploded and melting. we entered a half-collapsed building and saw tons of broken and shattered glass. Our mission on the ground is to help as many civilians as possible. We went to every single door, to see that everyone managed to get out, and that if they needed help or medical assistance they got it.
I drafted five months ago. I’m 19 years old; I’m actually still training. These past few days we’ve been on call 24/7. You go to eat, and you eat in 10 minutes because you have no idea what’s going to happen.
I think people just don’t understand the situation we’re living in here. However, we are helping people and giving them a sense of safety, and that makes everything worth it. In three hours on the ground we helped them so much.”
One last thing: in answer to the three people who have sent video clips from their pastors and rabbis in America:
No. This is not G-d’s judgement on Israel because Bibi Netanyahu entreated into a contract with Pfizer to have the population vaccinated. No. I do no believe G-d is judging Israel for baseless hatred. You are not living here. Israel now is more unified than ever. Everyone is helping everyone else out. We will hopefully be hosting two families that are caught in the bombings of Ashdod for as long as they need it (where we are, it is quiet). Everyone is praying for everyone else. Parents are making relief boxes and treat packs for the soldiers. Restaurant owners are sending boxes of pizza and sodas to the front. It doesn’t matter whether a person is secular are religious – or what religion, for that matter. The mixed community of Abu Ghosh in the Jerusalem suburbs has been having a Jewish-Arab solidarity and friendship rally. Up here, groups of grandmas are making hand-made dolls to give the children of the south. There is no baseless hatred. No. Netanyahu did not fabricate this mess to hold onto power. That is absolutely ridiculous.
Again, thank you for your readership, support and prayer. In my next post, I will outline ways to help. In the meantime, you have my permission to share this post.
Israel Dreams 