70 days, Shabbat Shalom
15th December, 2023
Shabbat Shalom dear friends
70 days and we are still fighting, still praying for the hostages and they still launch missiles.
When Churchill was asked why he bombed Dresden he answered with one word “Coventry”
When Truman was asked why he bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki he said one thing Pearl Harbour”
When we are asked why are you bombing Gaza, we say “October 7th”
Isaiah the Biblical proponent of peace, spoke of swords and ploughshares, and so much more. He wrote
“Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Almighty; and I will heal him. But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.”
For some reason the world was distressed that the Hamas operative (terrorists) who gave themselves up, were stripped to their underpants. Are you serious? When there is a possibility, even probability, that they may carry explosive belts, of course they were stripped to their underpants! The most recent group to surrender their arms did so by the hundreds and were stripped only of their tops, wearing their smart jeans and shoes. The long line of men, two and three abreast, hundreds of them, who understood that they could not win this war, surprised even the most seasoned soldiers. Understand, Gaza above ground is tiny, the few towns are overcrowded, not as they would have us believe the most overcrowded in the world, because they have never been to Mexico City, Mumbai, Kolkata or even Manhattan! However the underground tunnels are vast, some say between 300 to 500 kilometres of fully equipped tunnels. Fully equipped? Built by engineers, fitted with furniture, offices, internet, everything they could possibly need – boundless, limitless facilities for terror. The darker corners of these tunnels are equipped to hold the hostages for whom the nightmare must seem endless. I just pray they have survived to be set free as soon as possible. I wonder what the price is? Since there are no less than 70 Billionaires in Gaza I think I know the answer.
Talking of money, many families of Palestinians depend upon working in Israel to sustain a normal way of life. Most Israeli companies that employ Palestinians, for example in the Barkan Industrial area of Ariel (considered a settlement by international consensus although a large town with a university) Palestinian workers get Israeli salaries, work conditions and medical insurance, none of which is available in the PA, a brilliant initiative led by Israel Twitto. For many of them, due to the attack by Hamas, they now have no entry into Israel, or very limited entry during the war. Hamas used the house by house intelligence gathered by Gazans who worked in Israel for the attack on October 7th.
The Golani Brigade is famous for its fearless fighters. We have lost so many in this war that it has shocked all of us to the very core. The number of Golani regular soldiers lost is 88 and the number of officers lost is 103. As I have told you many times, in the IDF the officers lead the men and women into battle, they do not direct from behind. The number of soldiers we have lost including 7 October is a terrifying 444 including the tatspataniot the young women lookouts of October 7th. Indeed in this war more women soldiers have died than any other.
Every minute of every day our hearts are with the families of the hostages, both those who returned and those who are still in unknown and terrifying conditions. Those who returned are beginning to tell the stories of constant fear, suffering, starvation, rape and so much more. The children were told that nobody cared and no-one would come to save them, surely a scar on their lives forever, much more than the beatings and hunger. I cannot imagine hearing of the terror stories and the sadness of the families. Sadly, more and more bodies of hostages and soldiers are found as the IDF goes further into Gaza. Just this morning it was announced that 3 more bodies were found. I don’t know how to translate the Hebrew word “Achzariut”. The direct translation is cruelty, but it is so much more. Hamas not only took live hostages they are also body snatchers, caring only to terrify Israelis, the purpose of terrorists. It is important to understand that they don’t care if they kill, capture, afflict, torment, persecute only Jews. They care not if their victims are Jew, Moslem, Christian, Hindu, it is enough that they are Israeli.
Israeli top brass, political and military, met with Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric in the IDF HQ this week. She was given essential medications for the hostages with a demand that the Red Cross perform the duty for which it was formed. Of course her response was that she would try!!!
I am lost for words at the unbearable wokeness of the Universities in the USA but Eden Alterman sums it up perfectly. He does it beautifully, showing the stupidity of ignorance though music. Definitely one to click on!! https://youtu.be/3AgOmk7ue04?si=zHc3m4KwRH8OvtFq
As Christmas approaches a little Israeli girl writes a letter to Santa, begging him to bring her Daddy home. https://media.bringthemhomenow.net/media/Israeli+children+Christmas+letter+to+Santa/1_q7rq8dhj/320287072
In my last missive I spoke of the success of Impact-se’s CEO Marcus Sheff in convincing the Swiss Government to defund UNWRA. Sadly, the vote, which passed the lower house, was defeated by the upper house by just 2 votes. We don’t give up however, if the clear evidence in our reports of UNWRA’s incitement through the PA and Gazan schoolbooks was not enough, then we will get further proof. Actually, I am not sure that any proof with convince the Swiss well known for their false claims of neutrality! If clear evidence that 85% of terrorists are taught in UNWRA schools using their hate filled teachings is not convincing enough, then shame on them. Finland understood the need for change, Impact-se reports are taken very seriously by the EU, UK, USA, Norway, Finland, Germany indeed almost every other country and the Swiss. Why do I think about World War 2 and their proclaimed neutrality?
I have enormous respect for Noa Tishbi. So much more than her beautiful actress persona, this Israel is a brilliant proponent for Israel. I still don’t understand why Netanyahu fired her but ….. just listen to her with Piers Morgan. She is eloquent, straightforward and responds beautifully. Just listen to the end, to her closing statement https://youtu.be/qFkKw93jqAA?si=_hlErkjDY5mpnmnl
Until very recently none of us, or few of us had ever heard of the Houthis in Yemen, although they have wreaked internal havoc in that country. The Houthis are a Shia Islamic terror group and they have joined Hamas/ISIS in their efforts to wipe us off the map. Their latest acts are basically acts of piracy on any ship bound for Israel. The latest was a Norwegian cargo ship which they boarded and prevented from delivering their cargo of goods. It should be said that, like the vast majority of Gazans, they have never met a Jew, let alone an Israeli because any Jews in Yemen and Aden were thrown out in 1949/50 and 50,000 were brought to Israel in a complex operation by the Israeli government called “On The Wings of Eagles” Indeed, the Jews of almost all Moslem, Arab countries fled and were brought to Israel which means that this generation of hatred has never actually met a Jew! I come back to Impact-se and our work to change the perception of Jews and Christians and Hindus, indeed the “other” in the schoolbooks of the Arab world, indeed the Moslem world. Again, I give you our website because it makes fascinating reading https://www.impact-se.org/
This week, as so many weeks before it, we were with friends almost every night. Lighting the Hannukah candles became am excuse to be together. Thursday, if you remember Zvi led the candle lighting and singing at the Khan Theatre before his concert; Friday night with Leor and family, also celebrating Amit’s 17th birthday; Shabbat lighting with Ira, Valeri and Tomer; Sunday with the choir; Monday just Zvi and I; Tuesday at my Mind and Movement class, each of us expressing a blessing and prayer as we lit our candle; Wednesday with our lovely friends Yossi and Ronit; last night, the 8th day we lit alone, the candlelight joining that in every window in our estate each and every one praying that their light emanating from the eight candles will bring light to our world of darkness.
Even in these dark times we find time to smile. This week the Israeli satirical TV show (sometimes cruelly so) was joined by American actor Michael Rapaport, who stands firmly with Israel. A very clever skit of “Hogwarts” with Michael Rapaport as Dumbledore “We are here today to discuss the question of anti-Mudbloodism in Hogwarts” for the uninitiated Mudbloods are non-wizards. https://youtu.be/jW_k-mUfzhE?si=FMvVKopGo9EGHBWD JK Rowling understood exactly what was happening in our world when she wrote her Harry Potter series. It doesn’t take a genius to know who the Dementors are, those who suck out the joy and souls of all they meet.
I am thrilled to say that many friends understand that, despite it all Israel, is still a wonderful place to visit, to take part, to learn, to be here with us. The Bloomfields are here now and the Fingers and Roths are about to arrive. It is truly heartwarming. It is exactly what we need. Yes, of course the diplomats are important and their support essential but it’s you, our friends that we need to see. The strange aspect is that I feel infinitely safer here than anywhere else and so do many other friends. As an instance, Rachel and the girls, Talia and Ayala, felt like a night out and headed off to the Shouk, Mahane Yehuda. Evenings transform the shouk from alleyways of fruit, vegetable, fish, ready food and bakery stands to one huge night club/bar, full of young people from all over Israel, having fun, drinking, dancing and having fun. We are not a people that hides away in our safe rooms, we are not afraid to wear our Judaism openly and we will not be put down no matter what. Even at funerals, among the tears stars of the stage and music volunteer themselves to sing the favourite songs of those killed while defending us. Israel is different from almost anywhere else. Obviously, the funerals of the Bedouin soldiers or the Druze soldiers are different, but we refuse to sink into a communal depression, we have to fight on.
I’m sure that you are as much in need of good news as I am and this week we received some excellent news. Our dear friend Prof. Judit Bokser Liwerant became an emeritus Professor of Political Science at the National University of Mexico in Mexico City and received a great honour for her Excellent in Research. Judit is an expert in the history of the Jewish Community of Latin America and also lectures at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She is a member of the National Commission Against Discrimination, where she collaborated in the enactment of the Federal Law against Discrimination, condemning antisemitism. In 2002 she was appointed a member of the Human Rights Council. Judit is an exceptional person, a wonderful friend and a great example to us all. Her husband Daniel is a life-long friend of Zvi’s and I am proud to have been adopted by them as an equal friend.
Zvi sings with the Jerusalem Symphony Choir which joined the A Capella Ensemble to form a forge to be reckoned with! They recorded this amazing rendition of Bring Them Home. It is truly magnificent, recorded in Christ Church, Jerusalem, which has amazing acoustics. You will note that the photographs of those still in captivity are on each seat of the pews. If you watch as well as listen you will see Zvi. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O1Xx8WNgxXBLJnbIwgLsIMeB1d16-zp3/view
35 musicians, 35 strings from all over the world play Jerusalem of Gold in support of “Bring Them Home” https://youtu.be/GoEl6R5RXF0?si=yhQwuVcniXyX1mor
Cantor Yitzchak Meir Helfgot has the voice of an angel. Zvi and I had the honour of meeting him, albeit fleetingly, in the garden of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, where he was attending a conference. We were struck by his humility and by his love of Israel. Here he sings the Prayer for the safety of the soldiers of the IDF. “May HE bless the soldiers of the Israel Defence Force” https://youtu.be/M354UmD1ujU?si=xdHt7l2hqzQ7xpZk
So we must hold our heads high, understand our similarities not emphasise our differences. Those of us who honour the Almighty, know that He wants us to stand together against evil must never give up hope or forget to stand tall against a common enemy. That enemy is not Islam it is the diabolical misinterpretation of Islam. As we near the Christmas season, the season of good will to all men and hope for our future, let’s do everything in our power to spread love, understanding, tolerance and acceptance, all of which light the world overpowering the darkness that seeks to enslave us.
I wish you a Shabbat Shalom, a weekend of inner peace and joy.
With love from Jerusalem
Sheila