"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
Last night I checked my email, my social media and my messages. Something I do right after Shabbat ends. And I had no less than seven people ask me “What the F*@% is going on with Israel?” And “Can you explain what is happening???” And “I used to think Israel was the good guys. I’ve now changed my opinion.” That last comment was from an old friend who was totally understanding and supportive. Now, not so sure. And six people sent me this one video (out of four video clips and several articles, I still haven’t opened some of the posts):
Pretty damning, no? Especially if you don’t know any of the background. (We subscribe to The Daily Wire among many other media outlets, just to let you know). When I listened to this the first time I was very shocked – and upset. My husband, John, who if you know him, is never wrankled, easy going, always joking, was hopping mad. HIS comments:
“ They never ever tell you what leads up to these stories.
There is never ever any reporting about the other side.
The stories are always piecemeal, ugly sound bytes without any context.
These so-called journalists and podcasters never seem to take extra time to research a story – they just parrot anti-Israel propaganda.
And some of Israel’s biggest supporters are Americans and the Christian community. If they can cast doubt with these people by throwing shade on Israel or the IDF, they can split and weaken the community and thereby win.”
First, let me start by saying I spent last week and this morning calling and talking to people who I know have expertise. Several don’t have a stake in the game, so to speak. They are foreigners who live and work here as observers, as aides, as clergy, as humanitarian aid workers. I also know soldiers serving in Gaza, in Judaea and Samaria and in the Golan. They have first hand information. And I speak with people living in Judaea and Samaria (West Bank) who see and guard and know about the area and what is happening. Some I can mention by name, others like specific soldiers, I cannot.
Let us start with what is happening in Syria. As you heard from Mr. Knowles, Israel is now “occupying Southern Syria.” No context. No backstory…please see my last post for the Syria story!! The IDF is in no way occupying Syria. The backstory:
Last Sunday, a Christian jeweler and successful businessman from Hasakah, Syria, George Ishoh, was shot in the back of the head outside his home as he was leaving for Church. Masked men came to his house to shoot him in front of family and neighbors as a warning sign. He had refused to pay the Jizya, a tax imposed upon ‘Infidels’ aka non-Muslims. He had been given the choice to convert to the Muslim religion or pay over $300,000 US dollars; he did neither. So he was assassinated. Mr. Ishoh died shortly after neighbors rushed him to the hospital.
Syrian Christian martyr, George Ishoh
His murder highlights the ongoing lawlessness, religious persecution and security collapse in Syria, especially in Christian and Druze areas. There is a dramatic escalation in violence since alJawlani/alSharaa came to power. Just the week previous, 27 young people were killed in the firebombing of the Mar Elias Church in Damascus. Last week the Mar Michael and Mar Charbel churches were looted and burned in southern Syria. The government is much to blame as it is the new army that is now leading attacks.
Last week a Druze elder was given the option to convert or die. A Syrian rebel in the armed forces posted a video in which he states:: “A message to the Druze pigs. Get out of Jeramana. Take your children out of the universities. Get out from among the Sunni Muslims. We are warning you for the second and third time. Leave from any place where there are Sunnis. Your problem is not only with the Syrian people. You have made two, three billion Muslims your enemies (The Druze support Israel, my clarification). You are outcasts. You are hated wherever you go. You will be trampled on. Let Israel save you, you thugs, inshallah. He who warns is excused. So you don’t say the Sunnis betrayed us. You are warned. Because we will not have mercy on you. You know what will happen when we catch a Druze in our hands. Your problem is huge with the Muslims. Let Israel save you. You pigs. We swear by Allah, the lord of all creation. Wherever we will see a Druze,we will chop his head off. A child will be burned like a Jew. You are no different from the Israeli dogs. All of your heads are wanted. Allahu ahkbar.” (This was interpreted for me and sent to me by a retired Arab Christian colonel in the IDF who could translate the Arabic.)
Last week, the Syrian forces with tanks, RPGs, guns and machetes raided Suweida province, made up mostly of minority Druze, Greek Orthodox, Latin Rite and Maronite Christians who have tried to live there peacefully for centuries. I have never shown any graphic footage on this blog, because I know some of my readers are easily offended. But last week over 130 Christians and over 350 Druze were massacred. Warning: SENSITIVE CONTENT!! I hope it was not already taken down.
The global media refused to cover this. This is the face of genocide. This is TARGETED killing. No one came to their help, but Israel. The IDF went in, boots on the ground after targeted warning airstrikes on the gates of the Defense Department building in Damascus. Also, the grounds of the royal palace was hit, causing alJawlani/alSharaa to run to Turkey. He then left his younger brother-in-law, an ‘ex’ ISIS (Daesh) commando. Supposedly a ceasefire was agreed upon, but the Muslims started attacking again with even more force. IDF airstrikes directly hit convoys of tanks and pickup trucks carrying RPGs, militants and weapons.
The Syrian forces under the new command were told to spare no one. The Bedouins and other Islamic splinter groups capitalized on this and started kidnapping young Druze and Christian children to sell as slaves on the black market. Women were beheaded. Christian men were ordered to jump from a building at gunpoint.
A hospital in Suweida was attacked. It was run by and serviced mostly Christians and Druze. Last Thursday, the ISIS come Syrian army invaded the grounds and shot everyone. Every patient in their bed. Every doctor, nurse and orderly. This from the Voice of Israeli Christian Eagles:
The U.S. got involved as intermediary, telling the Israelis to hold off, that there will be a ceasefire mediated in Turkey. Israel said in essence, “but they’re killing our Druze and Christian brothers in Syria. It’s a total bloodbath.” And Israel did not listen to US advice to stay apart and not get involved. The IDF and many Israeli Druze entered Suweida on Thursday evening to encircle it and cut off the Syrian army which still controls about 30% of the northern region. Supposedly a ceasefire has been reached. In the meantime, gross looting of the Christian and Druze property is occurring.
Israel is neither colonizing nor occupying territory. The IDF went in to stop the massacre. No other country would come to their aid. Israel does not want another 7 October with innocents to the East being mercilessly slaughtered by Islamic extremists, whether they be ISIS or Hamas. There is now talk of bringing these Druze and Christians into the north of Israel as refugees. It remains an ongoing story, but now you know the context.
Now for the “West Bank” balagan, also called by mainstream media and global politicians “settler violence.” I will try not to continually make excuses for Israel. We have good people who do good things, and thugs who are rabble-rousers, just like in any other country. This country is no different. There are myriad problems governmentally, religiously, societally, legally and militarily. First, the label settler. When you think of settler- primitive squatter and rustic pioneer comes to mind. Not permanence. Not modernity. Not civilized. Much of the ‘settlements are entire cities with full services, shopping malls, theatres and schools, sports facilities and synagogues.
Without going into too much detail of 100+ years of history, the West Bank occupies about 1/3 of the land mass inside Israel. It has been broken up into Areas A, B, and C. Area C is controlled by Israel and under IDF protection. Area B is mixed, Jewish and Palestinian (both Christian and Muslim) and area A is off limits to Jews under threat of death. It is completely governed by the Palestinian Authority. I cannot enter.
Much of Area C is made up of large thriving Jewish communities like Efrat, Maale Adumim and Tekoa. These areas make up the ancient Biblical area of Judaea (hence the word Jew…someone originally from Judaea and the tribe of Judah) and Samaria. The ‘settlements’ are scattered between Arab territory…Bedouin, Palestinian Muslims and Christian. Please watch this thorough explanatory video – it’s current and the best I’ve seen because it covers all sides. It’s 22 minutes, so….
About two and a half weeks ago there was an incident which involved Christians and the Jewish settlers in the area, a predominantly Christian city. I was sent the following article and asked for comments.
Priests of West Bank’s only remaining all-Christian town issue urgent appeal against Israeli settler violence
The three priests of Taybeh in the West Bank issued an urgent appeal for justice this week after Israeli settlers reportedly escalated their acts of violence and intimidation against Christians in the region’s only remaining all-Christian town.
“We, the priests of the three churches of Taybeh — the Greek Orthodox Church, the Latin Church, and the Melkite Greek Catholic Church — raise our voices on behalf of the people of our town and our parishioners to strongly condemn the ongoing and grave series of attacks targeting Taybeh,” the three pastors wrote in a letter.
Fathers Daoud Khoury (Orthodox), Jack-Nobel Abed (Melkite Catholic), and Bashar Fawadleh (Latin Rite Catholic) published the powerful letter just after alarming reports of a July 7 arson attack on the town’s most sacred holy site. The settlers “deliberately set fire near the town’s cemetery and the historic Church of Saint George (Al-Khadr), dating back to the 5th century — one of the oldest religious landmarks in Palestine,” the priests wrote.
“As priests, we bear a pastoral and moral responsibility toward our community,” the letter stated. “We cannot remain silent in the face of these relentless attacks that threaten our very existence on this land.”
The letter went on to call on “local and international actors — especially consuls, ambassadors, and church representatives around the world,” to support Taybeh in four ways:
1. Launch an immediate and transparent investigation into the incidents of arson and the ongoing assaults on property, agricultural land, and holy sites.
2. Apply diplomatic pressure on the occupying authorities to halt settler actions and prevent them from entering or grazing in Taybeh’s lands.
3. Dispatch international and church delegations to conduct field visits, document the damages, and bear witness to the deteriorating reality on the ground.
4. Support the people of Taybeh through economic and agricultural initiatives, and strengthen their resilience with effective legal accompaniment.
The priests also explained the great cultural significance the town ought to hold for Christians everywhere. Taybeh is not only the Holy Land’s “last remaining entirely Christian town” but is even mentioned in Scripture, the pastors pointed out. Taybeh is “known in the Gospel as ‘Ephraim,’ the place to which Jesus withdrew before His Passion (John 11:54).”
One resident told CatholicVote last month that his family’s roots in Taybeh go back at least five centuries. Others can trace their lineage much further back.
The town’s “wholly Christian population represents a unique presence in the region,” the priests’ letter asserted, “a living testimony that dates back to the time of Christ” and has been “preserved faithfully by the people of Taybeh across generations….”
That legacy “is now at serious risk of erosion and displacement due to the systematic targeting of land, sacred places, and the local community,” they warned.
Monday’s arson attacks were only the latest dramatic escalation in a series of aggressive actions on the part of Jewish settlers. As CatholicVote reported June 30, locals told CatholicVote that settler attacks have been occurring with increasing regularity, including physical violence against Christian residents and their homes. They also complained that Israeli soldiers often stand by passively, allegedly facilitating settler violence rather than policing it.
“These assaults threaten the security and stability of our town and aim at undermining the dignity of [Taybeh’s] residents and the sanctity of its sacred land,” the three priests stated.
The priests also confirmed what other locals have reported to CatholicVote: that Jewish settlements have encroached further and further into the Christian town, serving as bases from which settlers have worked to damage farmlands and destroy businesses vital to the local economy.
“In a scene that has become provocatively routine, settlers continue to graze their cattle in Taybeh’s agricultural lands, including family-owned fields and areas near residential homes, without deterrence or intervention from the authorities,” the priests pointed out. “These violations go beyond provocation; they cause direct harm to olive trees — a vital source of livelihood for the people of Taybeh — and prevent farmers from accessing and cultivating their land.”
The “illegal settlement outposts” in the eastern part of the town operate “under military protection,” the priests stated. “These outposts serve as a base for further assaults on the land and its people.”
“We believe that the Holy Land cannot remain alive without its indigenous people,” they concluded. “Forcibly removing farmers from their land, threatening their churches, and encircling their towns is a wound to the living heart of this nation. Yet we remain steadfast in our shared faith and hope that truth and justice will ultimately prevail.”
Fr. Fawadleh told CatholicVote over the phone in late June that “more than 140 families” have recently fled the West Bank in the midst of pressure from settler groups and local officials.
“In Taybeh we are also bleeding from emigration,” he said, noting that 10 families have left the town in the last two years.
“We have to stop this bleeding,” he said
I know there is settler violence, which I can in no way condone. I know there is a group of young, ultra religious and ultra nationalistic men called ‘The Hilltop Gang” whose acts I do not support at all. But I also know of first hand accounts from both Jewish people and Christians living in the area. Two things seem to be repeated in the stories. First, the instigators tend to be Bedouins and militant Islamists, Palestinians who wish to have the entire area free from Infidels, both Jews and Christians. They are usually funded and egged on by progressive leftists and communists (the free Palestine/From the River to the Sea folk) from the United States. Both Jewish leftist organizations and woke academia.
Second, there is no love lost between the Jewish population and the Christian population in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Neither group for the most part likes or supports the other. Many Jews lump all Arabs together as terrorists, which is not true. It is a stereotype and ignorance of ethnicities. On the other hand, many Christians (my husband and I have had long conversations with more than a few) believe the old libel that the Jews killed their Messiah. They have lived among the Muslims long enough to absorb their stories (one being ‘The Protocols of the Elders of Zion’) and believe all Jews are occupying their ancestral land. It is a real poverty.
In addition, the Christians who live among the Muslims are being persecuted, having to pay protection money on threat of death, the jizya tax as we saw above. THAT is the real reason why so many Christians flee to other lands which they feel are safer. Away from Israel. Apart from Islamic terror. The IDF won’t get involved because they cannot legally do so when the area is under control of the Palestinian Authority. It is easier for the Christians to blame “Israel” than to tell the truth. If they spoke out against the Islamists (not all Muslims are radicalized), they would be flying from a rooftop somewhere.
(This is footage from Syria. The Christian’s are being forced off rooftops at gunpoint. This is true ethnic cleansing. This is the face of true evil. Sent from the Israeli Christians)
On Thursday, I called Luke Hilton of The Israel Guys. The Waller and Hilton families are American Christians who have set up residence in Samaria (West Bank) to help the settlers living there agriculturally; to promote Israeli products; to bring volunteers from abroad to help with planting and harvest, especially now when many reservists have been called up; and to broadcast the news of what really happens.
Luke wrote in response to my email to him:
Hi Tamar,
Thanks for reaching out to me again. We would be happy to help you with any information that we can.
I think you are mixing two stories from this week – the Taybe story is that Jewish settlers set fire to a Christian cemetery – the real story is that an Arab Bedouin set fire to a Jewish farm near Taybe. The Jewish farmer and others came to put out the blaze, and called the police. Unfortunately, the fire spread to a nearby Christian cemetery near Taybe. There was recorded collateral damage. The international press picked up the story and again labeled it settler violence.
The other incident happened near Ma’ale Levona – I still don’t have a lot of information, but yes, it appears that the American who was killed was a card-carrying Hamas member. Your information was correct. I’ll get back to you when I know more.
Let me know what other information you’re looking for. Hope to see you again soon.
Luke
According to both police reports from the Binyamina area as well as an eyewitness account, a spokesperson from the Binyamina Regional Council, there were three organized groups of Arabs (Bedouin and Palestinian Muslims) were heckling a group of Jewish shepherds. Video evidence shows this to be true. A fire was set deliberately to farmland and grazing pastures owned by Jews. The farm owner and the young shepherds called for help while trying to extinguish the blaze. Unfortunately, high winds picked up and the fire spread until it reached a Christian cemetery at Taybe. This news story was exploited by the activists who were among the rabble rousers and by the various Christian clerics who were all too quick to blame the settlers. Police reports show the farm owner had filed three previous complaints regarding arson attacks on his fields.
The story from mainstream outlets and the Catholic media was grossly misrepresented, but it does not stand alone. Just a few days prior, Israeli sources uncovered what was reported as a violent clash between the settlers and the Palestinians in Sinjil an Arab village near Ma’ale Levona. In what was later confirmed as a carefully orchestrated ambush, Palestinian terrorists armed with large rocks and concrete cinderblocks, slingshots and Molotov cocktails staged a roadblock intended to the Jewish settlers to defend themselves. Of course, this did happen: Jewish settlers came out to defend the road and their properties. Calls for help were made, leading to the IDF stepping in (it took place in area B, a mixed area where the Israeli army is allowed to operate in cases of violence or acts of terror are reported). Unfortunately shots were fired. A Jewish teen was severely injured. In addition two Arab youth were later found dead. One was a young Florida man. His death resulted from a sharp blow to the head.
According to his mother living in Tampa, her son, a young man from the States was visiting his Palestinian relatives “to experience their culture and to learn what the Palestinians are going through.” His father recounted their last phone conversation when his son said he wanted to take over the family ice cream shop when he returned, and that he had plans to marry and start a family. 20 year old, Sayfollah Musallet, was “beaten to death by the Jews. Those settlers. He was killed in cold blood. He was just gagging because of the pain from the beating,” his uncle Hesam Musallet recalled. Hiba Rahum, the deputy executive director of CAIR (Council of American Islamic Relations) in Florida called on Gov. Desantis to “remove the curtain of deception from its (the government’s) eyes and demand a stance. A full investigation of the heinous murder needs to take place. Justice needs to be served.” So both Desantis and President Trump along with Secretary of State Rubio and US Ambassador to Israel became involved.
Here is the rest of the story from Luke Hilton’s Younger brother, now a reporter on “The Israel Guys.”
Musallet was a card carrying member of Hamas. I have verified this from four separate sources. He is now being hailed as a victim and a martyr killed by settler violence, when in fact, we don’t know the story in full.
This is just part of the story. It’s taken me over 6 hours to research and put together this blogpost. The rest of the story – what has happened in Gaza with the Holy Family Church incident and other news I shall cover in tomorrow’s post. I hope this answers some of your questions. Just remember, it is always reported that Israel is evil. Israel controls the world. Israel is the perpetrator of all the world’s problems.
Please don’t believe everything you read or hear. There’s a lot of fake news and you must really dig to uncover the truth. It gets hidden a lot. Please don’t fall for conspiracy theories. World War III was not started when Israel bombed Iraq. The States are not being dragged into endless wars where Israel is concerned. The IDF are not hell-bent genocidal monsters. Conspiracy theories are not always true. If Israel really did rule the world there would not be pumpkin spice hummus or blueberry bagels.
Can the leopardchange its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil. – Jeremiah 13:23
Several months ago Syrian President Bashar alAssad was deposed by Ahmad alSharaa. The new president has been seen in the most prestigious of political circles and recently met with President Trump in Saudi Arabia. President al Sharaa wants to normalize relations with Israel and enter into the Abraham Accords. He seeks full recognition of the new, more peaceful, reformed Syrian government….or so he says.
But who is alSharaa anyway? And why is any of this important? Going back to his youth, alSharaa was born in Syria on the East side of the Golan Heights mountain range, the border of Israel. It is inhabited mostly by Druze, Christians and Bedouins. In 2003, during the war in Iraq, he joined the rebel forces fighting US troops. He successfully implemented and took part in attacks on US military bases. Captured by the Americans as a terrorist, he spent time in the notorious Abu Ghraib Prison where he became even more radicalized upon meeting the notorious alBagdadi.
In the early 2000s, the radical Islamic extremists of the Islamic State of Iraq (ISIS or Daesh)under al Bagdadi (remember these names? they come back to haunt it seems) grew out an alQaeda splinter group (splitters!) In 2011, the popular peoples’ front uprising (this just sounds more and more like Monty Python, but it’s true) against the Alawhite Regime (Assad) deteriorated into Syria’s long civil war.
al Sharaa, who changed his name to Muhammad alJawlani, was chosen by alBagdadi to lead the Nusra Front, a break off of alQaeda. Splitting off from that, he formed an ISIS faction (remember them? The Jayvee Team?). During a BBC interview in 2014, with face completely covered by his kheffiyeh, his stated goals were “to completely cleanse the country (Syria) of all Alawhite, Shiite, Druze and Christian minorities.”
His rebel group split off again (do you see a pattern of tribal infighting, confusion, intolerance and disagreement here?) now calling themselves Jabhat Fateh alSham (the Syrian Conquest Front). al Sharaa tried to consolidate all the splintered- fighting groups into one larger force. One that would be more effective in vanquishing the Alawhite Assad government in Damascus. By this time he was on one of the most wanted terrorist hit lists in the United States.
Fast forward to 2025 because this just gets so confusing. The jihadist forces finally organized and armed to the hilt with Taliban procured American weapons, took Syria city by city until they reached and surrounded the Presidential Palace in Damascus. Bashar Assad and his family fled to Russia. The government was toppled. The rebels were now in charge. But this would not do on the global scene. What to do?
AlJawlani decided to shed the jihadist look and trade out his warlord persona for a more refined, more Westernized version of himself. He underwent a “radical makeover” cutting his hair and donning a suit and tie. Of course, this plus another name change back to alSharaa made him a completely new person. Not only did he change his clothes and his name, but his whole outlook on governance shifted radically. Gone was the terrorist. Gone was the warlord. Gone was the radical jihadist hell bent on massacring infidels.
In recent interviews, he actually renounced some of the more strict Muslim law,s calling for tolerance and peace. He was standing for the people of Syria and for pluralism. He completely disavowed his involvement with any former terror groups and announced a new springtime for his homeland. “Sectarian extremism must be eliminated. No group can cancel another,” alSharaa stated in a May, 2025 interview with Newsweek. “Everyone must have rights protected by law.”
Thank goodness Israel had the foresight to make precision strikes by air on the many weapons storage warehouses and facilities outside Damascus and throughout Syria. The weapons from the fallen Assad regime (rockets, missiles, RPGs along with guns and ammo) were supplied by Iran and Russia. Also, remember all the American weapons left behind in Afghanistan? Much of the equipment and arms were sold to highest bidders after they were confiscated by the Taliban. A lot of those American made weapons went to Syria. Israel could not let all of this fall into the hands of evil terrorists, so they have been taking out the supply hit by hit all through this year. The IDF also blew up all their planes (Syrian Air Force) and their bases and runways along with the air defense/radar systems.
Just one month ago, President alSharaa met with President Trump in an effort to legitimize himself and his new administration. The U.S. removed the bounty on his head and reported that all talks have been productive. All sanctions against Syria were lifted.
But can a leopard change its spots? Does a rose by any other name smell as sweet? Can a radicalized jihadist change into a suit and transform into a justice loving protector of minorities over night? Will the Western world buy off on this charade? What is really going on in Syria this week?
Reports of how it started are conflicting. Three days ago U.S. Ambassador to Syria and Turkey, Thomas Barrack, stated that there should be no separate Kurdish, Druze, Alawhite or Christian entities in the region. In other words, minorities should submit to alJawlani and his forces, in lieu of autonomy. It could be that shortly after that alJawlani/alSharaa’s army took advantage of Barrack’s words. Some say the Bedouins began to cause riots in the al Sueida province of Syria. Others say it was the new Syrian government forces that invaded. Either way the two groups came together to commit ethnic cleansing and genocide in alSueida.
This remote area about 40 miles east of the Israeli border is home to a Druze and Christian minority. They have lived there for hundreds of years. They have lived quietly and peaceably, avoiding conflict during the Syrian Civil Wars.
Yesterday, I began to receive the most severe and barbarous footage since 7 October. The Syrian now called “pro al-jawlani” fighters looted and burned the Greek Orthodox Church of San Michel in alSurah alKabira, in Sueida. Numerous Christians, men, women and children have been slaughtered. So far the count is at least 30 dead and 54 injured. Another Greek Orthodox Church was also looted and burned.
Syrian jihadist forces massacred an estimated 350 Druze in Syria in the past few days. Using the most brutal tactics of tying up the elders and shaving off their mount aches as a degradation; forcing them to crawl like animals and bark like dogs; beating and kicking them; cutting them with shattered glass bottles and other acts of violence. Women have been taken and gang raped. Young girls are being raped in front of their mothers and then killed. They are then shot or stabbed to death.
The main city is alSweida, which is one of the only two places in Syria where Christians and Druze can live free of Sharia law. The other one is smaller, on the eastern slope of Mt. Hermon on the Golan. Daesh or ISIS tactics are being used in Sueida. It is absolute barbarity.
Israel Defense Minister, Yisrael Katz, stated: “ The time for warnings is over. Damascus will now feel the consequences.” Israel immediately responded. Netanyahu and Katz both publicly committed to defending Syria’s Druze. Since yesterday afternoon, the IDF has been relentlessly striking the Syrian army armored vehicles and trucks carrying RPGs, pushing the,pm back, but many jihadists got through. Supposedly the Syrian government called for a ceasefire, but that is yet to be seen. It seems the opposite, that things are rapidly escalating.
On the Israel side, hundreds of Israeli Druze yesterday broke the border fence, rushing it en masse, pouring into Syria to help their brothers and sisters. Israel is home to over 150,000 Druze who feel deep solidarity with their families across the border. Israel’s Druze have called upon the IDF and the Israeli government to intervene. All Israeli Druze men proudly serve in our armed forces. Jews and Druze have an unshakable bond. “They are doing to us what they did to you on October 7,” cried an Israeli Druze elder in Rameh. “A five year old girl was raped and slaughtered. They are burning young children in front of their parents. There is no mercy.” Another Druze preparing to storm the border said to reporters, “Our people are being slaughtered, Israel must help us! I’m going back to fight myself.”
This was the “mildest “ picture I could post without the threat of being removed.
Syria strongly condemned Israeli airstrikes on its territory, calling the attacks “treacherous aggression” and a violation of its sovereignty. A U.S. Syria envoy says active talks with Druze, Bedouin and Syrian government along with Israel are currently taking place. They. Hope to ease tensions and restore peace. Netanyahu has called for all Israeli Druze to return home and stay out of the conflict.
Here in the North of Israel, the Druze are striking (as in work forces) and protesting along all the major highways. Roadblocks have been set up along all intersections and traffic is at a standstill throughout the Galilee.
Also this afternoon, the IDF confirms targeting the gates of the Syrian regime’s chief of staff headquarters in Damascus. This is a warning to stop the killing of the minorities of Sueida. In the meantime, now thousands of Druze have broken through IDF barriers at the border (the IDF soldiers are really doing nothing to stop them by way of force) in order to fight the jihadists.
AlJazeera (what do we expect), France and other countries are now condemning Israeli aggression and Israel starting yet another conflagration in the. Idle East. France and the UK have called for an immediate end to the clashes in Suweida.
Always twisted so Israel is the villain
Just a half an hour ago as I write this (the news is coming in so fast from so many direct sources, it’s hard to keep up), the Israeli Defense Minister told the Syrian regime “ gestures are over, now expect painful blows. Druze can count on the IDF. To protect your brothers in Syria.”
U.S. envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack has condemned “violence against innocent civilians in Suweida” and calls for “dialogue to achieve a lasting ceasefire.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio says “ the U.S. is very concerned about IDF strikes in Syria.” He has called for an immediate ceasefire from all
Tensions are boiling over on the border. The IDF just reported that dozens of suspects from Syria tried to infiltrate Israeli territory near the town of Hader. Troops and Border Police were quickly deployed to stop the attempted breach and disperse those involved. At the same time, chaos erupted on the Israeli side as more Druze civilians breached the border fence at Majdal Shams, crossing into Syria. The IDF is currently working to bring them back. “This is a serious incident that constitutes a criminal act and endangers both civilians and IDF forces,” the military warned.
The 98th division of the IDF (paratrooper brigade) has just been issued notice ahead of an operation in Syria and to expect several days of fighting against regime forces in order to protect the Druze. Just now, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a national address. “The situation in southwestern Syria is very dangerous. The DF is operating. The Air Force is operating. We are operating to save our Druze brothers and to eliminate the regime’s forces. And now I have a request for you. You are citizens of Israel. Do not cross the border. You are endangering your lives; you can be murdered, you can be kidnapped, and you are harming the efforts of the IDF. Therefore, I ask you to return to your homes and let the IDF operate.”
Why does this matter? Two reasons: Druze are a strategic buffer zone between Israel and deeper parts of Syria. If Sueida falls, Jihadi forces could advance towards the Golan Heights, which would pose a direct threat to Israel. This could potentially destabilize the entire region. It is also about protecting the minority groups and standing up for those who stand for us.
BREAKING 🚨: Syrian media says that a ceasefire has been reached in Sueida, with the government promising to stop their ISIS fighters from slaughtering Christians and Druze. It is reported that Syria plans to annex and incorporate the whole territory under their governmental control and that they now occupy 25% of the Northern and Central parts of the city.
My husband was scouting out many different news outlets for news of the events as they unfolded in Syria. Very few of the articles even mentioned the assaults on the Christian minority. Others had Israel as the aggressor. Several Christian (non-denominational and Catholic) reports of the situation did speak about Christian persecution and murders, but never once mentioned that it was being perpetrated at the hands of Muslims, radical Islamic jihadists whose goal is to ethnically cleanse as in WIPE OUT/ELIMINATE anyone who is not Muslim. The truth needs to get out. The world needs to see, to wake up, to take a stand.
There was a direct hit just off the runway of JFK International Airport earlier this morning. The Iran-backed ICBM from Yemen caused major panic throughout the Central New Jersey/New York area, but caused little damage. Eight people were treated for light injuries and several for shock. All air traffic was temporarily grounded. Several major airlines have announced they will stop air traffic to the United States completely due to the high risk.
NOT! But it got your attention. Nu? So if this DID happen, what do you think the American response would be or SHOULD be?
For the past four days, Israel has been rocked by Red Alerts. A couple days ago we were awakened just after sunrise by the loud crash of an interception near Haifa. There was another interception at 5:30 am on Friday over Afula/Megiddo, which is just 16 miles south of us as the crow flies. Shrapnel hit a kindergarten, but because of the early hour, there was no one present, thank G-d. Another missile launched yesterday from Yemen was targeted for the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv center of Israel. And at 9:24 this morning, my alert went off again. This time, the missile slipped through without being intercepted.
A Houthi ICBM hit adjacent to a service road just off a runway at Ben Gurion International Airport. This happened just before the Knesset and Security Cabinet were set to meet to vote on an escalation by the IDF in Gaza. All flights were delayed – following the normal procedure when a missile is detected. Several planes that were about to land were diverted from their routes, taking almost an hour for the landings to be re-routed and re-approved. Air India turned their plane around completely and landed in Dubai. Air Europa in Madrid was about to take off, but had their passengers disembark just prior to leaving the gate. At this point, many foreign airlines are conducting situation assessments or are completely canceling all flights to Israel. Austrian Airlines and Swiss Air have canceled flights until further notice.
It has been reported that so far, eight people were slightly to moderately injured. Several are being treated for shock. There was widespread panic at and around the airport, understandably. This has caused an escalation in events. Defense Minister Yisrael Katz stated, “Anyone who targets us will face a response seven times as strong.” We wait to see the response. The reason there was a failure to intercept the missile is under investigation.
In other news, Friday night were listened to the IDF jets take off and head towards Syria, where they bombed several Iranian supplied weapons depots and rocket launching sites. After the Assad regime was toppled just a few weeks ago, the rebels, who claimed to be moderate and peace loving, Hayat Tahrir-Al Sham (HTS) and ISIS, are ruling Syria as a transitional government. They have begun an ethnic cleansing of the Christian and Druze populations.
Several Christian cities have been invaded by the Islamic radicals, targeting homes and killing people, raping the women and burning homes and churches. Captured men are being forced to crawl on their bellies and behave as animals before they are executed. The men are forcibly shaved of their beards and mustaches, a symbolic attack on their religious identity. Last week a fake audio recording was played of a Druze man supposedly cursing Mohammed and the rebel faction. It was a complete setup that caused the jihadists to storm Druze towns bent on revenge. The mainstream media has labeled them “clashes,” but the Druze of Syria were under attack as of last week. Over 100 people have been killed including a Druze mayor.
The Druze are an ethnic religious minority that live mostly in Northern Israel, Lebanon and in Syria. They are NOT Muslim. For centuries, they have been persecuted for refusing to convert, which have made them insular and strong warriors. In Israel, the Druzim (over 150,000) are fully integrated into our society, and are deeply integrated into our military. They serve as security agents and personal bodyguards. The Israeli Druze have multiplied and prospered, enjoying freedom as full citizens. In Syria, they are greatly outnumbered and have asked for Israeli protection.
In an extraordinary act of unity, the Druze men of Israel stormed the border fence in the Golan Heights (the same one Max used to patrol) and crossed over into Syria to rescue their separated relatives. On Friday night, the IDF finally stepped in launching massive airstrikes against the extremist militias, Tons of humanitarian aid was delivered and again, a triage unit set up in the space between Israeli and Syrian territory. Several of the wounded Syrian Druze were transported to Israeli hospitals. Israel has sent a message. They will defend the Druze. The IDF will not allow any more hostile forces near our borders.
In the meantime, the media, when you can find coverage, downplays this. The world is mostly silent. If you are more afraid of being labeled ‘Islamophobic’ than you are of standing up for the targeted cleansing worldwide of ethnic minorities….true definition of genocide… then you should reconsider your worldview. We must speak up for the Druze. We must speak up for the Christians whether in Syria, in Nigeria, in Sudan, in India, in China or elsewhere.
Remember the fires raging throughout the center of Israel just this past Wednesday and Thursday? 18 suspects were arrested for arson, all Palestinian. Wednesday night a miracle occurred. The rainy season in Israel is long over. It has been a super dry winter for us. But in the middle of the night, thunderstorms moved in. Completely unexpected. Not forecast at all. The rains were just enough to help the fires come under control. Planes from Cypress and Croatia came to help. All of the wildfires were extinguished in full by Friday morning.
We have just received news that for the first time in six decades, Israel will reinstitute the death penalty. The interrogated, confessed, tried and sentenced Hamas terrorists who murdered, raped, and kidnapped innocent Israelis and burned their homes, cars and land, will be hung. Capital punishment has only been used twice in 1962. The bill was passed by the Ministerial Committee on Legislation and remains to be voted on by the Knesset on Wednesday. It is expected to pass.
Amnesty International has already condemned the bill arguing that the death penalty is “cruel, inhumane and humiliating.” Hostage families have raised their voices in concern that passing the bill would endanger the lives of the remaining captives in Gaza who are still alive.
Last week the government called up tens of thousands of reservists in anticipation of a large scale intensification of the war with Hamas. Several scenarios for a hostage release have been proposed by Israel, the US delegation and several the mediating countries. All have been flatly rejected by Hamas. It has just been released for clearance, that two more IDF soldiers have fallen in Gaza.
I really want to end this on a positive note. The weather is variable, but turning warmer and I have been working to fully plant my garden. The carrots, yellow beets and radishes are coming in. I’ve planted six varieties of heirloom tomatoes as well as bell peppers, eggplant, yellow squash and green beans. The herbs are all thriving. If all goes well, I shall have the tomatillo seeds sown in a couple days. I’m looking forward to a fruitful (vegetable-full) summer. Hopefully, I will be able to include a few interesting spotlight interviews in the coming weeks. And hoping everything calms down militarily.
There was a direct hit just off the runway of JFK International Airport earlier this morning. The Iran-backed ICBM from Yemen caused major panic throughout the Central New Jersey/New York area, but caused little damage. Eight people were treated for light injuries and several for shock. All air traffic was temporarily grounded. Several major airlines have announced they will stop air traffic to the United States completely due to the high risk.
NOT! But it got your attention. Nu? So if this DID happen, what do you think the American response would be or SHOULD be?
For the past four days, Israel has been rocked by Red Alerts. A couple days ago we were awakened just after sunrise by the loud crash of an interception near Haifa. There was another interception at 5:30 am on Friday over Afula/Megiddo, which is just 16 miles south of us as the crow flies. Shrapnel hit a kindergarten, but because of the early hour, there was no one present, thank G-d. Another missile launched yesterday from Yemen was targeted for the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv center of Israel. And at 9:24 this morning, my alert went off again. This time, the missile slipped through without being intercepted.
A Houthi ICBM hit adjacent to a service road just off a runway at Ben Gurion International Airport. This happened just before the Knesset and Security Cabinet were set to meet to vote on an escalation by the IDF in Gaza. All flights were delayed – following the normal procedure when a missile is detected. Several planes that were about to land were diverted from their routes, taking almost an hour for the landings to be re-routed and re-approved. Air India turned their plane around completely and landed in Dubai. Air Europa in Madrid was about to take off, but had their passengers disembark just prior to leaving the gate. At this point, many foreign airlines are conducting situation assessments or are completely canceling all flights to Israel. Austrian Airlines and Swiss Air have canceled flights until further notice.
It has been reported that so far, eight people were slightly to moderately injured. Several are being treated for shock. There was widespread panic at and around the airport, understandably. This has caused an escalation in events. Defense Minister Yisrael Katz stated, “Anyone who targets us will face a response seven times as strong.” We wait to see the response. The reason there was a failure to intercept the missile is under investigation.
In other news, Friday night were listened to the IDF jets take off and head towards Syria, where they bombed several Iranian supplied weapons depots and rocket launching sites. After the Assad regime was toppled just a few weeks ago, the rebels, who claimed to be moderate and peace loving, Hayat Tahrir-Al Sham (HTS) and ISIS, are ruling Syria as a transitional government. They have begun an ethnic cleansing of the Christian and Druze populations.
Several Christian cities have been invaded by the Islamic radicals, targeting homes and killing people, raping the women and burning homes and churches. Captured men are being forced to crawl on their bellies and behave as animals before they are executed. The men are forcibly shaved of their beards and mustaches, a symbolic attack on their religious identity. Last week a fake audio recording was played of a Druze man supposedly cursing Mohammed and the rebel faction. It was a complete setup that caused the jihadists to storm Druze towns bent on revenge. The mainstream media has labeled them “clashes,” but the Druze of Syria were under attack as of last week. Over 100 people have been killed including a Druze mayor.
The Druze are an ethnic religious minority that live mostly in Northern Israel, Lebanon and in Syria. They are NOT Muslim. For centuries, they have been persecuted for refusing to convert, which have made them insular and strong warriors. In Israel, the Druzim (over 150,000) are fully integrated into our society, and are deeply integrated into our military. They serve as security agents and personal bodyguards. The Israeli Druze have multiplied and prospered, enjoying freedom as full citizens. In Syria, they are greatly outnumbered and have asked for Israeli protection.
In an extraordinary act of unity, the Druze men of Israel stormed the border fence in the Golan Heights (the same one Max used to patrol) and crossed over into Syria to rescue their separated relatives. On Friday night, the IDF finally stepped in launching massive airstrikes against the extremist militias, Tons of humanitarian aid was delivered and again, a triage unit set up in the space between Israeli and Syrian territory. Several of the wounded Syrian Druze were transported to Israeli hospitals. Israel has sent a message. They will defend the Druze. The IDF will not allow any more hostile forces near our borders.
In the meantime, the media, when you can find coverage, downplays this. The world is mostly silent. If you are more afraid of being labeled ‘Islamophobic’ than you are of standing up for the targeted cleansing worldwide of ethnic minorities….true definition of genocide… then you should reconsider your worldview. We must speak up for the Druze. We must speak up for the Christians whether in Syria, in Nigeria, in Sudan, in India, in China or elsewhere.
Remember the fires raging throughout the center of Israel just this past Wednesday and Thursday? 18 suspects were arrested for arson, all Palestinian. Wednesday night a miracle occurred. The rainy season in Israel is long over. It has been a super dry winter for us. But in the middle of the night, thunderstorms moved in. Completely unexpected. Not forecast at all. The rains were just enough to help the fires come under control. Planes from Cypress and Croatia came to help. All of the wildfires were extinguished in full by Friday morning.
We have just received news that for the first time in six decades, Israel will reinstitute the death penalty. The interrogated, confessed, tried and sentenced Hamas terrorists who murdered, raped, and kidnapped innocent Israelis and burned their homes, cars and land, will be hung. Capital punishment has only been used twice in 1962. The bill was passed by the Ministerial Committee on Legislation and remains to be voted on by the Knesset on Wednesday. It is expected to pass.
Amnesty International has already condemned the bill arguing that the death penalty is “cruel, inhumane and humiliating.” Hostage families have raised their voices in concern that passing the bill would endanger the lives of the remaining captives in Gaza who are still alive.
Last week the government called up tens of thousands of reservists in anticipation of a large scale intensification of the war with Hamas. Several scenarios for a hostage release have been proposed by Israel, the US delegation and several the mediating countries. All have been flatly rejected by Hamas. It has just been released for clearance, that two more IDF soldiers have fallen in Gaza.
I really want to end this on a positive note. The weather is variable, but turning warmer and I have been working to fully plant my garden. The carrots, yellow beets and radishes are coming in. I’ve planted six varieties of heirloom tomatoes as well as bell peppers, eggplant, yellow squash and green beans. The herbs are all thriving. If all goes well, I shall have the tomatillo seeds sown in a couple days. I’m looking forward to a fruitful (vegetable-full) summer. Hopefully, I will be able to include a few interesting spotlight interviews in the coming weeks. And hoping everything calms down militarily.
There was a direct hit just off the runway of JFK International Airport earlier this morning. The Iran-backed ICBM from Yemen caused major panic throughout the Central New Jersey/New York area, but caused little damage. Eight people were treated for light injuries and several for shock. All air traffic was temporarily grounded. Several major airlines have announced they will stop air traffic to the United States completely due to the high risk.
NOT! But it got your attention. Nu? So if this DID happen, what do you think the American response would be or SHOULD be?
For the past four days, Israel has been rocked by Red Alerts. A couple days ago we were awakened just after sunrise by the loud crash of an interception near Haifa. There was another interception at 5:30 am on Friday over Afula/Megiddo, which is just 16 miles south of us as the crow flies. Shrapnel hit a kindergarten, but because of the early hour, there was no one present, thank G-d. Another missile launched yesterday from Yemen was targeted for the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv center of Israel. And at 9:24 this morning, my alert went off again. This time, the missile slipped through without being intercepted.
A Houthi ICBM hit adjacent to a service road just off a runway at Ben Gurion International Airport. This happened just before the Knesset and Security Cabinet were set to meet to vote on an escalation by the IDF in Gaza. All flights were delayed – following the normal procedure when a missile is detected. Several planes that were about to land were diverted from their routes, taking almost an hour for the landings to be re-routed and re-approved. Air India turned their plane around completely and landed in Dubai. Air Europa in Madrid was about to take off, but had their passengers disembark just prior to leaving the gate. At this point, many foreign airlines are conducting situation assessments or are completely canceling all flights to Israel. Austrian Airlines and Swiss Air have canceled flights until further notice.
It has been reported that so far, eight people were slightly to moderately injured. Several are being treated for shock. There was widespread panic at and around the airport, understandably. This has caused an escalation in events. Defense Minister Yisrael Katz stated, “Anyone who targets us will face a response seven times as strong.” We wait to see the response. The reason there was a failure to intercept the missile is under investigation.
In other news, Friday night were listened to the IDF jets take off and head towards Syria, where they bombed several Iranian supplied weapons depots and rocket launching sites. After the Assad regime was toppled just a few weeks ago, the rebels, who claimed to be moderate and peace loving, Hayat Tahrir-Al Sham (HTS) and ISIS, are ruling Syria as a transitional government. They have begun an ethnic cleansing of the Christian and Druze populations.
Several Christian cities have been invaded by the Islamic radicals, targeting homes and killing people, raping the women and burning homes and churches. Captured men are being forced to crawl on their bellies and behave as animals before they are executed. The men are forcibly shaved of their beards and mustaches, a symbolic attack on their religious identity. Last week a fake audio recording was played of a Druze man supposedly cursing Mohammed and the rebel faction. It was a complete setup that caused the jihadists to storm Druze towns bent on revenge. The mainstream media has labeled them “clashes,” but the Druze of Syria were under attack as of last week. Over 100 people have been killed including a Druze mayor.
The Druze are an ethnic religious minority that live mostly in Northern Israel, Lebanon and in Syria. They are NOT Muslim. For centuries, they have been persecuted for refusing to convert, which have made them insular and strong warriors. In Israel, the Druzim (over 150,000) are fully integrated into our society, and are deeply integrated into our military. They serve as security agents and personal bodyguards. The Israeli Druze have multiplied and prospered, enjoying freedom as full citizens. In Syria, they are greatly outnumbered and have asked for Israeli protection.
In an extraordinary act of unity, the Druze men of Israel stormed the border fence in the Golan Heights (the same one Max used to patrol) and crossed over into Syria to rescue their separated relatives. On Friday night, the IDF finally stepped in launching massive airstrikes against the extremist militias, Tons of humanitarian aid was delivered and again, a triage unit set up in the space between Israeli and Syrian territory. Several of the wounded Syrian Druze were transported to Israeli hospitals. Israel has sent a message. They will defend the Druze. The IDF will not allow any more hostile forces near our borders.
In the meantime, the media, when you can find coverage, downplays this. The world is mostly silent. If you are more afraid of being labeled ‘Islamophobic’ than you are of standing up for the targeted cleansing worldwide of ethnic minorities….true definition of genocide… then you should reconsider your worldview. We must speak up for the Druze. We must speak up for the Christians whether in Syria, in Nigeria, in Sudan, in India, in China or elsewhere.
Remember the fires raging throughout the center of Israel just this past Wednesday and Thursday? 18 suspects were arrested for arson, all Palestinian. Wednesday night a miracle occurred. The rainy season in Israel is long over. It has been a super dry winter for us. But in the middle of the night, thunderstorms moved in. Completely unexpected. Not forecast at all. The rains were just enough to help the fires come under control. Planes from Cypress and Croatia came to help. All of the wildfires were extinguished in full by Friday morning.
We have just received news that for the first time in six decades, Israel will reinstitute the death penalty. The interrogated, confessed, tried and sentenced Hamas terrorists who murdered, raped, and kidnapped innocent Israelis and burned their homes, cars and land, will be hung. Capital punishment has only been used twice in 1962. The bill was passed by the Ministerial Committee on Legislation and remains to be voted on by the Knesset on Wednesday. It is expected to pass.
Amnesty International has already condemned the bill arguing that the death penalty is “cruel, inhumane and humiliating.” Hostage families have raised their voices in concern that passing the bill would endanger the lives of the remaining captives in Gaza who are still alive.
Last week the government called up tens of thousands of reservists in anticipation of a large scale intensification of the war with Hamas. Several scenarios for a hostage release have been proposed by Israel, the US delegation and several the mediating countries. All have been flatly rejected by Hamas. It has just been released for clearance, that two more IDF soldiers have fallen in Gaza.
I really want to end this on a positive note. The weather is variable, but turning warmer and I have been working to fully plant my garden. The carrots, yellow beets and radishes are coming in. I’ve planted six varieties of heirloom tomatoes as well as bell peppers, eggplant, yellow squash and green beans. The herbs are all thriving. If all goes well, I shall have the tomatillo seeds sown in a couple days. I’m looking forward to a fruitful (vegetable-full) summer. Hopefully, I will be able to include a few interesting spotlight interviews in the coming weeks. And hoping everything calms down militarily.
There was a direct hit just off the runway of JFK International Airport earlier this morning. The Iran-backed ICBM from Yemen caused major panic throughout the Central New Jersey/New York area, but caused little damage. Eight people were treated for light injuries and several for shock. All air traffic was temporarily grounded. Several major airlines have announced they will stop air traffic to the United States completely due to the high risk.
NOT! But it got your attention. Nu? So if this DID happen, what do you think the American response would be or SHOULD be?
For the past four days, Israel has been rocked by Red Alerts. A couple days ago we were awakened just after sunrise by the loud crash of an interception near Haifa. There was another interception at 5:30 am on Friday over Afula/Megiddo, which is just 16 miles south of us as the crow flies. Shrapnel hit a kindergarten, but because of the early hour, there was no one present, thank G-d. Another missile launched yesterday from Yemen was targeted for the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv center of Israel. And at 9:24 this morning, my alert went off again. This time, the missile slipped through without being intercepted.
A Houthi ICBM hit adjacent to a service road just off a runway at Ben Gurion International Airport. This happened just before the Knesset and Security Cabinet were set to meet to vote on an escalation by the IDF in Gaza. All flights were delayed – following the normal procedure when a missile is detected. Several planes that were about to land were diverted from their routes, taking almost an hour for the landings to be re-routed and re-approved. Air India turned their plane around completely and landed in Dubai. Air Europa in Madrid was about to take off, but had their passengers disembark just prior to leaving the gate. At this point, many foreign airlines are conducting situation assessments or are completely canceling all flights to Israel. Austrian Airlines and Swiss Air have canceled flights until further notice.
It has been reported that so far, eight people were slightly to moderately injured. Several are being treated for shock. There was widespread panic at and around the airport, understandably. This has caused an escalation in events. Defense Minister Yisrael Katz stated, “Anyone who targets us will face a response seven times as strong.” We wait to see the response. The reason there was a failure to intercept the missile is under investigation.
In other news, Friday night were listened to the IDF jets take off and head towards Syria, where they bombed several Iranian supplied weapons depots and rocket launching sites. After the Assad regime was toppled just a few weeks ago, the rebels, who claimed to be moderate and peace loving, Hayat Tahrir-Al Sham (HTS) and ISIS, are ruling Syria as a transitional government. They have begun an ethnic cleansing of the Christian and Druze populations.
Several Christian cities have been invaded by the Islamic radicals, targeting homes and killing people, raping the women and burning homes and churches. Captured men are being forced to crawl on their bellies and behave as animals before they are executed. The men are forcibly shaved of their beards and mustaches, a symbolic attack on their religious identity. Last week a fake audio recording was played of a Druze man supposedly cursing Mohammed and the rebel faction. It was a complete setup that caused the jihadists to storm Druze towns bent on revenge. The mainstream media has labeled them “clashes,” but the Druze of Syria were under attack as of last week. Over 100 people have been killed including a Druze mayor.
The Druze are an ethnic religious minority that live mostly in Northern Israel, Lebanon and in Syria. They are NOT Muslim. For centuries, they have been persecuted for refusing to convert, which have made them insular and strong warriors. In Israel, the Druzim (over 150,000) are fully integrated into our society, and are deeply integrated into our military. They serve as security agents and personal bodyguards. The Israeli Druze have multiplied and prospered, enjoying freedom as full citizens. In Syria, they are greatly outnumbered and have asked for Israeli protection.
In an extraordinary act of unity, the Druze men of Israel stormed the border fence in the Golan Heights (the same one Max used to patrol) and crossed over into Syria to rescue their separated relatives. On Friday night, the IDF finally stepped in launching massive airstrikes against the extremist militias, Tons of humanitarian aid was delivered and again, a triage unit set up in the space between Israeli and Syrian territory. Several of the wounded Syrian Druze were transported to Israeli hospitals. Israel has sent a message. They will defend the Druze. The IDF will not allow any more hostile forces near our borders.
In the meantime, the media, when you can find coverage, downplays this. The world is mostly silent. If you are more afraid of being labeled ‘Islamophobic’ than you are of standing up for the targeted cleansing worldwide of ethnic minorities….true definition of genocide… then you should reconsider your worldview. We must speak up for the Druze. We must speak up for the Christians whether in Syria, in Nigeria, in Sudan, in India, in China or elsewhere.
Remember the fires raging throughout the center of Israel just this past Wednesday and Thursday? 18 suspects were arrested for arson, all Palestinian. Wednesday night a miracle occurred. The rainy season in Israel is long over. It has been a super dry winter for us. But in the middle of the night, thunderstorms moved in. Completely unexpected. Not forecast at all. The rains were just enough to help the fires come under control. Planes from Cypress and Croatia came to help. All of the wildfires were extinguished in full by Friday morning.
We have just received news that for the first time in six decades, Israel will reinstitute the death penalty. The interrogated, confessed, tried and sentenced Hamas terrorists who murdered, raped, and kidnapped innocent Israelis and burned their homes, cars and land, will be hung. Capital punishment has only been used twice in 1962. The bill was passed by the Ministerial Committee on Legislation and remains to be voted on by the Knesset on Wednesday. It is expected to pass.
Amnesty International has already condemned the bill arguing that the death penalty is “cruel, inhumane and humiliating.” Hostage families have raised their voices in concern that passing the bill would endanger the lives of the remaining captives in Gaza who are still alive.
Last week the government called up tens of thousands of reservists in anticipation of a large scale intensification of the war with Hamas. Several scenarios for a hostage release have been proposed by Israel, the US delegation and several the mediating countries. All have been flatly rejected by Hamas. It has just been released for clearance, that two more IDF soldiers have fallen in Gaza.
I really want to end this on a positive note. The weather is variable, but turning warmer and I have been working to fully plant my garden. The carrots, yellow beets and radishes are coming in. I’ve planted six varieties of heirloom tomatoes as well as bell peppers, eggplant, yellow squash and green beans. The herbs are all thriving. If all goes well, I shall have the tomatillo seeds sown in a couple days. I’m looking forward to a fruitful (vegetable-full) summer. Hopefully, I will be able to include a few interesting spotlight interviews in the coming weeks. And hoping everything calms down militarily.
We’re now in the US for a month as my daughter was due with her second baby almost two weeks ago. Great news, finally late last night she had a peaceful, joyful home birth with a midwife. There were no complications. She had a baby girl, 6 pounds 12 ounces (3.07 kg) and the happy family are resting comfortably. John and I are in a hotel taking care of her 3 year old big brother. Later, a zoo trip is in order.
But first, I’ve been carefully watching all the news from the Israeli side – absolutely none of which has been reported on any news stations or paper here. So last night’s declaration of war on Gaza came as a surprise to many. Over the three weeks, the US has been involved (with Israel, Egypt, Qatar and Hamas) in intense hostage negotiation and continuation of the cease-fire talks.
Hamas refused every single offer put on the table. Israel, in good faith, continued offering an emptying of prisons of many remaining convicted terrorists including all who have been captured during the war over the past 17 months. They tried to negotiate a ceasefire through the end of April. And a rebuilding of Gaza. The US envoy with Steve Witcoff attempted to secure the release of eleven hostages: one American who is still alive; three that were known to need intensive hospitalization and eight bodies including those of 4 Americans. Then they asked for the return of 5 – one alive, 4 dead. All requests were denied. 59 hostages are still in captivity. Those alive are suffering greatly as per the reports from the recently released hostages.
Hamas has violated every single ceasefire from October, 2023 onward. They have launched missiles during a pause of fighting. They have delayed in releasing names of hostages to be set free. Hamas returned the body of an unknown woman in the coffin which was supposed to hold Shari Bibas (it was soon rectified). They delayed the release of hostages in order to stage elaborate propaganda sets. They have sent little children as young as 4 years old, to the border and to IDF outposts to ‘spy out’ the troops and territory (just last week). They have continued to dig tunnels and pour cement to reinforce the tunnels even as there was a pause in fighting. And weapons caches have been found smuggled in through both Egypt and through humanitarian aid shipments.
On the 20th February, Hamas-associated operatives operating from Judaea/Samaria (West Bank) infiltrated into Israel planting bomb on busses in 5 Israeli cities. There have been dozens of stabbing and shooting attacks throughout Israel during the ceasefire. The White House reports that Hamas leaders will not agree to any reasonable offer to end the war.
Last night Israel proceeded with “Operation Strength and Sword,” a preemptive campaign designed to prevent another surprise incursion by Hamas operatives into Israeli territory. Troop movements were detected and intelligence picked up as to their intent to execute another 7 October attack. The military operation, a return to war, was designedto force Hamas back to the negotiating table. It is a limited measure.
The decision to resume airstrikes on Gaza was approved unanimously by all the ministers of Israel’s security agencies as well as both present IDF Chief of Staff and past head, Former Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant. Israel began targeted strikes (NOT indiscriminate bombing) last night from the sea and air. The IDF identified over 100 terror targets aimed at many top and mid-level commanders. At least 12 senior officials have been eliminated including:
Major General Mahmoud Abu Wafta, Undersecretary of Gaza’s Interior Ministry. He was responsible for the rebuilding of destroyed Hamas infrastructure.
Brigadier general Bahjat Abu Sultan, head of central operations
Abu Obeida Al-Jamasi, senior member of Hamas political and propaganda/journalism bureau
Abu Omar Al-khatta, Secretary General of Gaza’s Ministry of Justice
Abu Hamza, Spokesman for Islamic Jihad
Hassan Al-Naam Abu Ali, Senior member of PIJ
Some of their homes that were bombed in the surprise attack also housed their wives and children, who were also killed.
A statement from the Hostage Families Forum was just released:
The greatest fear of the families, the hostages and the citizens of Israel [not all by any means, my addition] has come true. The Israeli government has chosen to abandon the hostages. We are shocked, outraged and terrified at the deliberate collapse of the process to return our loved ones from Hamas captivity. Resuming the war will put the remaining 59 [ many are corpses being held] at greater risk.
In other news, in Syria, the Al-Julani regime now in power have killed over 8,000 Christians, Alawites and Kurds in systematic emptying of villages and executions. This has happened in Latakia, Hamas, Homs, Jablah and outlying towns. Over 150 Druze elders from the mountain villages bordering Israel on the slope of Mt. Hermon, were allowed entry into Israel to visit the holy shrines of their saints. These included the tombs of Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law; the prophet Sabalan/Zebulon, and 2 others. It was the first time the Druze communities have been reunited since 1948. They were hosted for an overnight stay and meeting with the heads of the Israeli Druze communities.
Druze sheiks from Syria visit Israel
IDF air strikes targeting remaining chemical weapons storage facilities near Damascus and other weapons depots resumed in Syria over the past two days. Israel does not want these to fall into the hands of terrorist insurgents. Also, several targeted strikes by the IAF were made on Hizbulla tunnels and strongholds in Lebanon. Hizbulla, also, has been continually violating the terms of their ceasefire. Israel is now on the offensive in preventing further attacks on the citizens of Israel, hoping that all those displaced from the northern border towns and villages will soon be able to return.
The Trump administration has been bombing key missile sites and ports in Yemen to put down the Houthi regime. They have been putting a stranglehold on shipping in the Red Sea/Gulf of Adan/Arabian Sea. As I was writing this article, at exactly 10am California time/ 7pm Israel time, the Houthis launched missiles from Yemen headed towards both Dimona, the nuclear reactor site, and Ben Gurion airport. The airport closed all operations temporarily. Iron Dome was able to intercept both warheads.
In the meantime, we have begun to get news from the MidEast on television here. The Gaza Red Cresent (health ministry) is reporting over 1700 children have been killed in Israeli airstrikes. It is interesting to note, that the people who cannot keep count and location of 59 remaining hostages are able to give a death toll in less than 12 hours. Israel has estimated that just over 300 people total have been killed, but this is just a proximate count. As far as I know, there has not been any report of troop movement into Gaza.
As for us, John has been a crack trooper in fending off concerted attacks on the cookies and mini fridge. He’s changed 2 diapers, and wrestled the pjs off a wiggling toddler to put on his outfit of the day. Toddler wrangling while I write this post has him in awe of how I managed 4 little ones under the age of 7. The toy cars have been lined up and are ready to roll across the floor. And if I can get myself in gear, we will go to the zoo soon. I’ll try to send a photo of the baby soon…. And if any other news develops, I shall try to report.
Things are changing quickly on the world stage these weeks, the Middle East being no exception. We had heard that “the rebels” had taken over parts of Syria last week. Who were these rebels? How the heck did they pass undetected by Israeli or US intelligence? If they were numerous enough, armed enough, and organized enough to stage a complete overthrow of a government, why did noone suspect or seem to know anything? How were they funded or sponsored? Were they good guys or bad guys? There were so many unanswered questions. And still no one seems to be reporting on any of this.
Sunday morning started off with a surprise for us. President Bashar Assad of Syria and his whole regime had been toppled. The rebels were taking over Damascus. Then we got the news that Assad had left on a plane for parts unknown. That his family had gone ahead of him. That his aircraft had made an abrupt u-turn and disappeared off the radar. His plane was missing. His plane had crashed. He was missing, possibly dead.
By Monday, it was reported that Assad and his family had taken refuge in Russia. The Presidential palace was overrun with people taking dishes!!! Pillows and linens??? Patio furniture??? Statues of Assad were being toppled marking an end to his 24 year rule. Prisoners (many women and little children) were being released from prisons. So are these rebels who liberate captives good? Who are they? And how does it affect Israel? All valid questions.
First, a bit of history: Bashar Assad took over rule of Syria in 2000 from his father, Hafez Al Assad (1971), under the Ba’ath Party. Altogether they held power with an iron fist for 54 years. Part of the Alawite kingdom, a once-persecuted minority splinter group of the Shi’ite branch of Islam, the Assads were responsible for the largest refugee crisis in history. 5.3 million Syrians fled during the recent civil war and 6.8 were internally displaced. They led a full scale genocide (that no one seems to talk about. Hello ICC, UN and the Vatican) in which over 600,000 Syrians and Palestinian refugees in Syria were massacred. Bashar Assad used chemical weapons against his own people in 2015. Thousands were imprisoned and tortured under his rule.
Assad allied himself with both Russia and Iran. He allowed the Russians to set up military bases on the coast and throughout Syria. The Iranian regime for years has been using Syria as a direct route to feed weapons and troops to Hizbulla in Lebanon. As a result, Israel has been doing targeted air strikes against the weapons exchanges, depots, ammunitions shipments, airstrips, and railroads for the past three years in attempts to limit Hizbulla’s threat. Syria also developed weapons for Iran and Hizbulla within its own territory. Among these were chemical weapons. This morning, the Israeli Air Force destroyed all their known chemical weapons development and storage facilities.
Last week, the rebels began their push to overthrow Syria. Funded and backed by Turkey, using weapons partially purchased from the Taliban in Afghanistan, they are Sunni Muslims – actually several different factions. And none of them are ‘good guys.’ They are made up of what is left of a regrouped ISIS; a ‘new’ group, Hayat Tahrir aSham (basically a re-branded Al-Qaeda; and several other jihadi subgroups. Taking over the major cities, they also attacked United Nations Disengagement Observation Forces (UNDOF) in the buffer zone of the Golan Heights (Syria/Israel border). The IDF had to aid the UN forces near Quneitra repel the attack, extracting the UN as the rebels seized control of both Quneitra and Daraa provinces to the north. This is the same UN that demanded that Israel should give up the Golan last week. The ceasefire treaty from 1974 and buffer zones are now no longer valid as the Syrian government no longer exists.
Photo courtesy of IDF
Israel has increased its forces in the Golan Heights as a precautionary effort against the chaos at the northeastern border. Elite paratrooper (Shaldag) and Commando units are now protecting key areas in the Golan. This protects the Israeli citizens there as well as preventing bad actors from Syria from crossing into Israel. As of this morning, the IDF made over 300 air strikes against the Syrian Air Force, targeting their hangars, runways and aircraft on the ground. This was done to insure that the aircraft would not fall into enemy hands or be used against Israel.
Yesterday Prime Minister Netanyahu, IDF Chief of Command Herzi Halevi, and other dignitaries made a trip to the Syrian border. In a speech he said, “This is a historic day in the history of the Middle East. The Assad regime is a central link in Iran’s axis of evil…and this regime has fallen. This is a direct result of the blows we have inflicted on Iran and Hizbulla, the primary supporters of the Assad regime. This has triggered a chain reaction throughout the Middle East among those who seek to break free from this oppressive and tyrannical regime. This, of course creates new and very important opportunities for the State of Israel. But it is not also without risks. Our first priority is to protect our border. For nearly 50 years this area was governed by a buffer zone established under the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement. That agreement has collapsed, and Syrian soldiers have abandoned their positions.
‘Yesterday, together with the insistence of Defense and with the full backing of the Cabinet, I instructed the IDF to seize the buffer zone and the strategic positions near it. We will not allow any hostile forces to establish a foothold on our border. At the same time, we are pursuing a policy of good neighborliness- the same policy we upheld when we set up a field hospital that treated thousands of Syrians who were injured and harmed during the civil war. Hundreds of Syrian children were born here in Israel.
‘We are therefore extending the same hand of peace to ours Druze neighbors, First and foremost to them, they are the brothers of our Druze brothers in the State of Israel. We also extend a hand of peace to the Kurds, Christians, and Muslims who seek to live in peace with Israel.” (As an aside, Netanyahu is defending himself in court today against allegations of accepting bribes)
IDF special forces very early yesterday morning quietly moved into and secured the summit of Mt. Hermon in the extreme north as the Syrian soldiers abandoned the high ground. It is one of, if not THE, most important strategic asset that Israel could possibly have. Part is in Israel, but the northern high point lies in what was Syrian territory. It has a peak of 2815 meters, Syria’s highest peak. I now quote Naftali Hazony, IDF fighter pilot, turned combat special forces:
“For decades Israel’s northern defenses were overshadowed by Syria’s Mt, Hermon. No longer. The most important natural fortress in the region is now in the hands of Israel. Israel did it quietly, driving into Syria’s abandoned positions and taking them without a fight.
‘In the past, Israel’s radars suffered from a significant blind spot, unable to see beyond Mt. Hermon and parts of Lebanon from their position on Mt. Meron. Iran’s low-flying drones exploited this weakness, infiltrating Israel tome and time again.
‘Once placed on Mt. Hermon, Israel’s radars will see far into both Lebanon and Syria, providing early warning of low-flying jets and drones. Israel’s intelligence can also leverage the peak, placing sensors to conduct surveillance and intercept enemy communications. The mountains also provide the perfect cover for Israel’s special forces and spies, who can now enter Syria more freely, conducting missions under the cover of darkness.
‘As the sun rises, Mt. Hermon casts a shadow over Hizbulla’s stronghold in Southern Lebanon, dominating the main road to their northern stronghold in the Beqaa Valley. Several of Hizbulla’s smuggling routes north of the Hermon have been cut off.
‘Be it ISIS, HTS, Iran or Hizbulla, a hostile force advancing toward Israel will now be exposed- at the mercy of Israel’s drones, surface-to-surface missiles, and laser guided bombs. residents of north Israel will now be able to sleep more soundly knowing that Israel controls this peak.”
At this point, Hamas is all but disempowered in Gaza. Rumors were floated yesterday of an imminent hostage release. This is unequivocally and sadly misinformation. Hizbulla has been cut back, and now Syria as we knew it has fallen. Iranians have been watching all this. Now is a time when they might be able to wrest control from the ayatollah.
Unfortunately, with these rebels being Sunni jihadists, the Christian population which has been indigenous to the Syrian region for two thousand years, is in extreme danger. So are the Kurds and the Druze. The Druze hold their own and will probably be absorbed into Israel as their communities are on the Syrian side of the Hermon. Yesterday, the rebels declared form Damascus,”We are coming for Jerusalem. Patience, people of Gaza. You will be avenged. This is the land of Islam. This is Damascus, the Muslim stronghold. From here to Jerusalem. All Allahu akbar!” This statement alone sums up the intentions of these groups. They are definitely NOT the good guys. We shall have to wait and see how this develops further.
I wrote this feature seven years ago, before Hizbulla was truly a threat, in the days when one could actually reach the border fence. Today it is a huge wall of block, metal and razor wire. Because it is right up against Lebanon, most of Hurfeish has been evacuated except for a few Druze men who guard the homes against enemy invasion. Unfortunately, over the years we have lost contact with our friends, Rami and Dalia. I hope they are well….
When I made my pilot trip to Israel three years ago, I first encountered differently dressed people shopping in the Karmiel mall. I had no idea who they were, but I was quite intrigued by them. The women were all dressed in black with perfectly pressed, white headscarves trimmed in lace. The mustachioed men (think Sam Elliott, actor) also were dressed in black with wide-crotched pantaloons and white knit beanies (Amame) on their heads.
After moving to the North of Israel, I’ve begun to learn more about the Druze. The women set up long tables at the local malls on Thursday and Friday mornings selling food. I have never bought any, but it looks and smells delicious! And I’ve asked these women about their cooking –
A few weeks ago John and I had the unexpected opportunity to meet a Druze man. John and another friend stepped in to intercede in a small, but decidedly racist altercation between a Druze and another man. After the situation was diffused, Rami thanked us heartily for clarifying what had been misconstrued, and invited us to his town, Hurfeish on the Northern border with Lebanon. What a great opportunity! So, to prepare myself, I started studying up on these people and their culture.
The Druze are a people, a culture, and a monotheistic religion. Around 1000 AD, in Egypt, two men, Hamza and Darzi, felt that the Muslim religion had strayed too far from its basic tenets and its emphasis on violence and inequality and needed major reform. They formed their faith upon Abraham, Jethro (father-in-law of Moses and their great patriarch), and the Prophets of the Old Testament as well as Jesus, El Hakim, the Greek philosophers, and various teachings of Hinduism. The religion was called Al Tawheed. It was a Gnostic religion, with only a few having access to the complete knowledge of the writings. Open to adherents for only fifty years, the religion became closed. There are no converts. One has to be born into the Druze faith. They believe in theophany, or the transmigration of souls – not reincarnation. When a Druze person dies, they believe after a very short period, the soul of the deceased enters into the body of a newborn baby Druze. They have no set houses of worship, but rather, holy sites on mountaintops, usually at the tombs of their prophets. After a period of intense persecution by the Muslims in Egypt at the beginning of their formation, they fled to the mountains of the Galilee in Israel, on Mount Carmel near Haifa, and to the mountains of Lebanon and Syria.
The Darzi, or Druze, are centralized and organized into large family units. They are monogamous, with the women held in high esteem in their society. Very seldom is there divorce, and in the event of a couple who feel they are unable to live together, the husband and wife appear before a panel of elders who try to settle and make amends in the family. In the rare circumstance of infidelity or completely irreconcilable differences, the marriage is annulled – the man must move to another community, the women always maintains custody of the home and children and receives support from the husband. Neither are allowed to remarry. All of the Druze follow a strict moral and ethical code. They do not drink alcohol and follow the Scriptural Levitical food laws forbidding the consumption of unclean animals (pork, shellfish…). They are people of their word. They do not gossip and strive to tell the truth at all times. Their word is their bond.
Having faced tremendous persecution in Syria and Lebanon in recent years, many have escaped to refuge in Israel. The Druze are a noble warrior culture in the absolute sense. They only fight in defense of their country. There are many communities of Druzim scattered across Northern Israel. They are absolutely Zionistic, believing that G-d has given this land to the Jewish people, and that they have the right to return to their homeland. They enjoy full rights of citizenship here in Israel. Many Druze communities are right upon the borders of Lebanon and Syria forming a first line of defense for us. They have sworn an allegiance to defend the land of Israel, and most Druze men serve in the Israeli Defense Forces. They have risen to the highest ranks of command, and after their service, many Druze work as guards in our schools, banks, public institutions, synagogues, and even as guards for members of Knesset.
Despite their strong agrarian ties to the land, many are highly educated, and are doctors, pharmacists, judges, members of parliament, and other professionals. So it was with a great sense of honor and pleasure that we joined Rami one afternoon for a tour of his town. Druze take pride of ownership. Their villages are well kept and very clean, with lots of greenery and flowers everywhere. They are proud to hang their multi-colored flag along side the Israeli blue and white.
We met Rami at one of their holy sites, the mountaintop grave of Nebbe Sabalon (their prophet, Zebulon, founder of one of the tribes of Israel). From the top of the mountain, we could see all the North from the Mediterranean to the mountains of the Golan, and into Lebanon to the North. It was breathtakingly gorgeous, but for me, quite sad, as just a few miles to the North between two mountain peaks, I could see Ayta alShab, the Lebanese town where Michael Levin, a Lone Soldier for the IDF from Philadelphia, was killed by Hizbollah forces in the Second Lebanese War (2006).
After taking in the view, Rami drove us through his town of Hurfeish, pointing out the home where his grandparents and parents were born, and showing us other various landmarks. We then made our way up the hill and onto a dirt road where we saw his brother’s chicken farm, and family fields of olives, pomegranates, goats and cows. The spring day was beautiful and the trees were abloom with pink, white and yellow. Fields full of flowers with the fragrance of Spanish broom and sages hung heavy in the air. We had made it to a military service road on the border. “Do you see the fence? That’s the border of Israel. See the outposts? And the military bases? And that fence over there? Right past that fence is Lebanon. The dirt was piled up to keep stray bullets from hitting us on the road here…” Never did I dream that he would nonchalantly take us right up to the border. The place where Hizbollah has its arms build up. Yet the day was so peaceful – the only sounds were the breeze and the twittering of songbirds. When we turned around, Rami pointed out the tracks of tank treads in the dirt. Haunting.
A friendly welcomeTank treadsEnd of the roadLooking out to LebanonBorder fenceBorder gate
We were then privileged enough to merit a visit to Rami’s family museum in Hurfeish. A war memorial to his cousin, Nabi Meri. In 1972, Meri joined the IDF with hopes of becoming one of the elite paratroopers. At that time, the Druze were put into a special minorities brigade, but with the help of Moshe Dayan, Defense Minister, and David Elazar, Commander of Forces, he was able to realize his dream. After fighting in the Sinai during the Yom Kippur War, Nabi Meri became commander of Herev, the minorities units, lobbying to change the name to generate more pride. By 1978, he had become Deputy Commander of the elite Givati Fighting Brigade; then as full colonel, headed up the Arava Battalion – all while getting married, having a family, and receiving bachelors and masters degrees in Political Science and National Security. After serving as Commander of the Northern Gaza Brigade, he was promoted to Brigadier General Commander of the Gaza Division. I 1996, Nabi Meri, age 42, was killed in action by a Hamas sniper while trying to give support to his soldiers during a Palestinian attack. His younger brother showed us the museum in the first floor of his home. It was filled with memorabilia, including pictures of Meri with many Israeli and foreign officials – prime ministers, diplomats, generals – as well as his weapons, flags and uniforms from his various posts, and the bulletproof vest he was wearing when he was killed. The bullet hole was a mere 2mm from the ceramic deflectors on his breast.
It was late in the afternoon, and Rami drove us up to his home to meet his wife and family. Such a gracious, kindhearted gentleman. When we arrived, his lovely wife, Dahlia, had fixed us a Druze platter – all homegrown and homemade. Olives, humus, vegetables, goat cheese, pickles, tabbouleh, labane cheese with olive oil and the herb blend, zata’ar (she gave me her recipe and a huge jar full of this AMAZING blend of hyssop, roasted sesame seeds, lemon salt, and sumac. It would have been an insult to their hospitality to say no, so we sampled a bit of each of the delicious and healthy goodies. Dahlia made sure to tell me she had honored all the Kosher laws and there was no meat or anything that was unclean. It was so nice of her to think of honoring us in this way. She had made wonderful cookies filled with cinnamon and dates, and the signature Druze soft flatbread. Their specialty is coffee – home roasted over an open fire. Strong, but very delicious.
We ate on the patio in front of their house under the shade of a tree that held a “shrine” – a remnant of a Lebanese-fired Katusha rocket that had come down next to their home and split the branch of a tree in 2006. Afterwards, the couple warmly invited us into their home. It was lovely. Dahlia had her own very feminine parlor, with the first wall-to-wall carpeting I’ve seen in Israel. Their main living area had intricately carved wooden beams across the ceiling, and low sofas lined with pillows against the walls. We sat and talked for quite a while, listening to their history and promising to get together soon. We have since hosted them in our home, and have formed what I hope will be a strong and lasting friendship. They are lovely and gracious people – we have been invited to their extremely handsome son’s wedding when he finishes his IDF service next fall. His fiancee is equally gorgeous and is in university studying urban planning and architecture. We are so blessed to have been given the opportunity to experience a new culture first hand and to have been given this gift of friendship.
Israel Dreams 