Aliyah to Har Habayit-- Temple Mount Today

Yes, today was a big celebration for me... I ascended Har Habayit-- Temple Mount today for the third time. As with the first time, I joined my neighbor Rachel Sela and a variety of women from Shiloh and further afield. It has been a few years since

Actually I was involved in an attempt to ascend Har Habayit which failed due to anti-Jewish government orders. I had forgotten about it completely until searching my blog for the links of my successful aliyot.

My second aliyah to Har Habayit was with my husband, one of our sons and his son, yes, three generations. It was very thrilling.

This week, the beginning of the Jewish Month of Elul, is a double anniversary for us, aliyah to Israel, 56 years, and aliyah to Shiloh, 45 years. So when I saw that Rachel was saying that she's going up today, I decided that I'd join.

Rachel ascends Har Habayit relatively frequently and invites women to join her. This time there were a few young ones who brought their children, even nursing babies. This was amazing to me, who took decades to make my way there, because it wasn't all that suitable aka safe at first for a young mother. Also, conditions for Jews were awful and dangerous. And then... it took me a long time.

Regulations have changed, even over the few years since my first visit.

Even though siddurim (prayer books) and Tehilim (Psalm) books are still officially forbidden, they offered us printed papers with prayers. And nobody stops anyone from praying from their phone.

We sang and danced to religious texts we knew by heart. We also got down on the holy ground facing the holiest spot praying our own private prayers silently.

There were also men in the group "supervised" by the same police officers. Yes, that's Yehuda Glick, well-known for his ascents to the Temple Mount and his miraculous recovery from an assassination attempt a number of years ago. 

This visit was more relaxed than my previous ones. At one point, the men who were assigned to our group had had enough, but we hadn't. We were allowed to stay with a newer one. The police were very accommodating. That began only in recent years, since Itamar Ben-Gvir became Minister of National Security, which includes the police on Har Habayit.  

Just to make things very clear. All of the Land of Israel, including Jerusalem and the Temple Mount have a long documented history as Jewish. Islam was invented thousands of years after Judaism, and Jerusalem isn't even in its early narrative and books. But on Har Habayit-- Temple Mount all the signs are in Arabic. Israel has failed to protect its most precious place, where both the Jewish Holy Temples were located. Thank Gd there is a bit of improvement, though we have a long, long, very long way to go.

Our group today on Har Habayit (with permission from Rachel Sela)

Israeli Elections Musings #5, The Undecideds Talk Again-- I'm More Undecided

 

Last night we Undecideds had another, our third, discussion. Most of us are still undecided, some more and some less. I'm probably the most undecided and depressed about the choices before us. Also, compared to the rest of the panel, I think I'm the most disappointed in my voting options.

No political party is offering, publicizing a platform that I'd consider the minimum of what I think is necessary for the long-term survival of the State of Israel. To make matters worse, the options in the Likud Primaries are even worse.

 

You're probably wondering what I'm looking for. Simply put:

VICTORY, TOTAL ABSOLUTE VICTORY  

Victory requires that the enemy surrenders, and the victorious country takes over and makes changes. Victory isn't just a battle and enemy withdrawal. Fighting for Victory requires "boots on the ground," which disqualifies Trump's American assistance. I'm thankful for what he has done, but it doesn't qualify the USA to take credit and make policy decisions.

War is hard, dirty, painful if you want to win, or you've been attacked. There's no clean way about it. It's not a game that can be won by high-tech remote control. And even more important to remember, deals don't bring peace. If you don't fight to win, you'll suffer even worse in defeat.

We've been suffering form what can either be called  serial wars or a never-ending war that takes breaks. But whatever you want to call it, the State of Israel is in serious danger. Soldiers and civilians are getting killed. As I've said for decades, I'm a CPA's daughter and care about the bottom line and not interested in pretty words, promises or clever "tricks."

One thing that disturbed me in our discussion is that nobody else said anything to show that they also considered Victory a priority. I'm still having trouble wrapping my mind around that. Is it age or ideology? Or were they being cautious about identifying with my overall "extremism?"

Gd willing, despite my fears, we'll have new strong, brave leadership, which will help achieve a true victory... I'm praying. Elections in Israel are very complicated because of the need for a coalition. 

Please listen to our discussion, and tell me in the comments what you think and why. And of course, share this around. 

The Jewish People Have a Documented Right to Rule Israel Unlike Others...

The Jewish People Have a Documented Right to Be in Israel Unlike Europeans, Asians, Africans etc. in the Americas, Australia, New Zealand etc...

The only people/nation to have lived as a true nation, governing body in the Land of Israel aka Judea, later renamed by Hadrian to mask its Jewish identity. 

We've been living in Shiloh since 1981, forty-five 45 years. 

Biblical archeological experts agree and confirm that Shiloh, where I live, is the authentic Biblical Shiloh. There are no disagreements, which is pretty rare. Not all Biblical locations can confirm their identity/location. For example, experts disagree about Kever Rachel, the Tomb, burial of place of Rachel. Some think it's north of Jerusalem, not south in the spot that people visit.

Archeologists from all over the world, ever since the science began, have come here to dig and try to match what they found to the Biblical narrative. Also tourists, like Mark Twain, came to Shiloh and documented their visits. Twain found it deserted, which was how my neighbors who were the first Jewish families to return to live here in early 1978 discovered it. 

In recent decades more and more archeologists, Jewish and Christian have been devoting their time, energy and expertise discovering connections and proof to what's written in the Bible. 

Dr. Scott Stripling has been heading an annual month long dig in Tel Shiloh for years. His archeologists come from all over the world.

I heard the well-known Tanach scholar Rabbi Yoel Bin-Nun tell of his first visit to Shiloh, in between the 1967 Six Days War and the 1978 Jewish return. He hiked around trying to identify specific locations from the Biblical text. When he walked from south to north, at the furthest northern end, he saw wit was flat and a size that matched the area of the Mishkan Tabernacle. He was the first to recognize it.

Historically, the Jewish People ruled for over a thousand years, Judges, Priests, Kings, including a short exile between kingdoms. The Land was conquered by invaders, but no other native people ruled. Cities lost population and farms dried up, until early Jewish Zionists arrived to rebuild the Land and establish a Jewish State.

Much newer religions adopted parts of Jewish narrative forefathers and even claimed ownership of our Land as their own to try to delegitimize us to keep the Jewish People away. But archeologists have discovered synagogues under churches and mosques. Christianity and Islam are thousands of years newer than Judaism

Think about it, and share further.

All photos were photographed by me here in Tel Shiloh.

Israeli Elections Musings #4, Preparing for Third Undecided Panel Discussion-Decisions Still Unknown

Israeli Elections are getting closer, but my decision about which political party to vote for seems further away than ever. Many friends feel the same way. 

I don't want anyone involved in the October 7, 2023 fiasco in power any more, and that's not only Binyamin Netanyahu and his loyal poodles. That includes all the powerful generals who've been leading the IDF, Military Intelligence and other national security honchos for the past decade or more. They're heavily involved in the failures. I'm also suspicious of those who had gone to the USA for "training," better described as brainwashing. They drank the Koolaid claiming that tiny Israel, surrounded by real enemies, only needs a "small, smart army." I guess that's why civilians got to the Nova site and the attacked southern communities faster that the IDF.

In addition, it won't help much to fill the Knesset with people who don't know the system... grrr, yup. That's part of why I'm so UNDECIDED. No party or MK at this point has my full trust aka vote. In Israel we vote for political parties, not for individuals. And no political party ends up with a majority of the one hundred and twenty 120 Knesset seats. Various parties must form coalitions to rule in theory, but Binyamin Netanyahu discovered a way out of that, and he did it a number of times in recent decades. We went through a series of elections that didn't result in a coalition, so Bibi Netanyahu was able to continue to rule as Prime Minister with a select minority of Knesset Members. 

It only ended when Naftali Bennett made history crafting a coalition, while leading a small party of only seven members. Bennett's coalition fell after Bibi "bribed" a couple of MKs with promises of safe places in the Likud list and undeserved cabinet positions in his next government. That's why he had the Likud bylaws amended to give him a large amount of "safe seats" to choose according to his will, rather than the Likud primaries. 

The Undecided Panel will be meeting soon. You can hear our last discussion here.

Gaza War Musings #79 STRANGE Timing-- Very Suspicious-- Follow The Money

 

Am I the only one getting more and more curious and suspicious about how rapidly the anti-Israel pro-Intifada, "Death to the IDF" demonstrations took over the world after Israel was brutally and perversely attacked on October 7, 2023?

Who was behind it?

Follow the Money...

There wasn't a "simple" military attack on Israel. Well prepared and armed Gazan terrorists attacked innocent Israeli civilians and visitors. It was obvious that the Israeli victims were taken by surprise. They suffered murder, rape and even desecration of bodies, and the Arab terrorists, young and old, publicly bragged on social media of their perverse cruelty and enthusiastic killing. In some cases, they even took the cellphones of their victims to proudly publicize their crimes. 

More than 1,400 Israelis, including Arabs, visitors and foreign workers were murdered in the most barbaric ways. 

More than 5,500 people were wounded. 

251 hostages were taken to Gaza strip. Govt info

How would you expect the world to react to such crimes?

How did the world react? Israel was condemned for existing. The posters and T-shirts seem to have already been printed for the demonstrators. There was nothing spontaneous in the condemnation of Israel. 

Please think about it... As time goes on, I'm getting more and more suspicious. Foreign governments and NGOs had to have known in advance. Something stinks...

I'd like your opinion. Share to others, please. 

Gaza War Musings #78 Deals Don't Bring Peace!! Israel Must Act as an Independent Sovereign Country!!

 

Unfortunately, our weak, woke hapless Prime Minister Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu has relinquished our sovereignty to American President Donald Trump. We never hear Bibi forcibly and confidently objecting to Trump's plans, deals and demands reminding him that he is President of the USA, and he has no authority over Israel. Actually, I don't think we hear anyone in the Israeli Government say that we're not property of the United States. 

Israelis, whether politicians, officeholders, journalists or just plain citizens should be protesting in every way possible about American interference in our security. The USA is not a loyal ally. Its government and policies change with the wind, depending on the moods and priorities of its politicians, military and bureaucrats. 

Please remember well that when former US President Harry Truman ordered the American UN Ambassador to vote in favor of Partition for a Jewish State and a few months later officially recognized the State of Israel, he was forcibly defying the State Department's directives. 

American Government bureaucracy, like the Israeli, considers itself superior to the elected executive and legislature. That is actually what the attempt for Judicial Reform was about. Bibi didn't fight for it, nor taking down the Defense Department's glass ceiling, because he needs the support of the bureaucrats to stay in office. He's not a fighter. He loves the limelight, but his true power is much smaller than people think.

Back to Trump and his deals...

Donald Trump is a business man, a real estate mogul. He's neither a military man, a theologian nor a historian. Bringing true peace to "the Middle East" is 10,000% different from developing Manhattan's West Side and turning a dangerous deteriorating slum area into a beautiful, popular upper-middleclass neighborhood. Turning a muddy Manhattan shoreline into an attractive park walking distance from new lovely, attractive apartment houses takes totally different skills and mindset compared to turning terrorist Gaza into a peaceful society. 

Poverty isn't the reason for the popularity and dominance of terrorism in Gaza. Gazans could grow their own food, plus for export if they wanted to. But they don't want to and they don't need to. Most of the outside world wants to see them as "starving," so instead of using their energies and manpower for farming and industry, as the Jewish residents of the very successful Gush Katif did, they prefer "charity" so they can use their energy and money to attack Israel in the cruelest of ways.

Think about it.

And back to the fiction that a deal can end a war... 

Would a "deal" have stopped Nazi Germany or Japan?

Nope!

Gaza War Musings #77: Victory From Bibi's Likud? Reminds Me of an Old Joke

Bibi has been Prime Minister for most of the past twenty years. We've had constant wars/battles/attacks. Victory isn't on the menu with him in charge. He's not going to change. Same bombastic speeches, but he doesn't fight to win the war.

Since Bibi has been Prime Minister, possibly even before, we've been fighting the same long, very endless war. Every year or two our Arab terrorist "neighbors" have started missile attacks. Sometimes the targets are mostly southern Israel, sometimes northern, sometimes close to our main International Ben-Gurion Airport and sometimes a combination of the above. After we "hit back a bit," Bibi state some version of:

"Now we showed them. Now we'll have quiet." 

We never hear a word of surrender from our enemies, not even a whisper of it. Things just quiet down... until the next time and the time after. It happened so many times that I'm not the only one who lost count years ago. Then on October 7, 2023, Shabbat Simchat Torah-- a Jewish Holiday, almost three years ago, our terrorist, enemy neighbors raised the level of attack tremendously murdering over a thousand innocent unsuspecting Israelis, and the IDF was caught not just flatfooted but with its pants down. Reservists and brave volunteers arrived at the attack sites more quickly than army units. 

And now, according to Israeli Law, we're supposed to have new elections. Bibi and the Likud, the coalition members and defense establishment have never taken responsibility for their massive mistakes. The Likud, still led by Netanyahu is in campaign mode, and IDF leaders of the past decade are also running for office, totally ignoring their responsibilities for our military and security disaster. Likud MKs are now traveling around the country billing themselves as LIKUD VICTORY FORUM trying to convince the Likud faithful that they'll bring "victory." 

There's an old "saying," which is has a lot of truth in it.

"What's the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."

If Bibi had been capable of winning, true absolute victory, he would have defeated all of our enemies early in his time as Prime Minister, and we wouldn't have been attacked on Oct 7, 2023. Voting for Likud and his "poodles" will just bring us more war. 

The Likud is going to suffer in the ballot box because of the continued war and its sell-out to the chareidim who mostly refuse to serve in the army. The two "national religious" parties, not to be confused with the National Religious Party NRP which no longer exists, have to decide between loyalty to the coalition and trying to attract those who are disgusted with Bibi's inability to fight to victory and his embarrassing Trump-worshipping. 

And if you're wondering whom I'm supporting... I'm still undecided.

By the way, the opposition doesn't even talk victory... What do you think?

Israeli Elections Musings #3 These Are The Choices & We're Still Undecided

 

For this discussion, Jonathan Feldstein asked each of us to give the ideology* of the various political parties in Israel of those which are mostly in the Knesset at present, plus a couple of realistic hopefuls. A reason for this is that many listeners to our panel don't live in Israel and have minimal knowledge, at best, about the multitude of political parties here. To be honest, many Israelis are only familiar with their favorites and at best their most hated. 

In Israel one can't be 100% sure of which parties will be competing until close to the deadline for applying. 

Here's our discussion, and yes, I call it a discussion, not a debate.  

As in the first of our discussion (here's the link,) lots of interesting points are brought up. We aren't a "bunch of friends." I doubt that one person in the group actually knows everyone else personally, and that includes Jonathan Feldstein. That makes our conversations even more interesting.

There's a transcription on the screen, so you can follow by reading, not just listening.

I'd love to hear your opinion and feelings and questions about our discussion. Thanks for taking the time.

*I must admit that I didn't quite follow his instructions, because I see the political parties as products of their leaders and history. In addition many do not have actual policies that match their names and/or stated political ideologies. I've been following Israeli politics since making aliyah in 1970. For instance despite the fact that the Likud markets themselves as Israeli Right, their actual policies aren't, and I'll never forget Bibi Netanyahu's speech at the 2008 International Jewish Blogger's Convention. I blogged about it calling the post "Impressive." He pledged to rule as a Centrist, and that's a good description of what he has been doing since returning to office of Prime Minister. For me facts on the ground, the bottom line are more important than how one markets oneself.   

Israeli Elections Musings #2 The Undecideds Will be Meeting Again to Mull Over Our Choices

Whom to vote for?
That is the question

Many of you from all over the world may have listened to our first discussion, organized by Jonathan Feldstein, live or the recording. There were some very good reactions. The Israeli Electoral system is rather different from most. Ours is a much more representational type of government. There are many classic Jewish jokes like:

Two Jews having three opinions

In addition Israel is a very small country, barely the size of New Jersey. Electoral districts wouldn't work here, unless you want to see the most extreme and unfair example of gerrymandering... 

Until a couple of decades ago, if that long, the votes per 120 seat Knesset was simple math, meaning that you could have one person parties, since one needed less than one percent 1% of the votes to get into Knesset. The minimum has been changed, so that the smallest political party must get enough votes for three seats. Prime ministers aren't directly elected. He or she who heads the party that can negotiate a coalition of at least sixty-one 61 MKs Members of Knesset becomes Prime Minister. 

By the time we vote in the next elections, there will probably be about a dozen political parties or more. You'd think that we'd all have an easy time choosing with such a big choice... but many of my friends fellow Israelis of all political persuasions are in panic mode. We don't want to waste our votes. We can give you a long list of parties WE DON'T WANT TO VOTE FOR, but we don't even have a shortlist of those we're considering. I've labeled us "political orphans."

Our second discussion will be Wednesday June 17 at 8:00pm Israel time, 1:00pm Eastern (US) during which we will touch on how some of the recent current events may impact our vote, the polls, and more. If the first conversation is any indication, this week's conversation will be lively and important too. Please feel free to register to listen in live at:  https://us02web.zoom.us/.../reg.../WN_77hPoiyFRgWBbH3ozixC-w

Afterwards, I'd love to hear what you think, thanks.

Gaza War Musings #76 Finally The Truth About the Perverse Cruelty of Gazan Terrorists Back in The News

 For the past couple of  

International media, celebrities, diplomats, academics, governments and more have willingly, intentionally blinded themselves to the truth about Israel, the Arab terrorists who attack us and history. They've perverted the truth so totally that it could almost be funny if their aim hadn't been to destroy the Jewish People, History and State. 

Immediately after the violent, perverse, cruel attack, which made the Nazis look kind, on innocent unsuspecting Israelis and visitors there were lots of shockingly accurate reports in the media. One of the most unforgettable firsthand stories was from survivors of the southern Israeli communities about how, davka, Gazan of all ages whom they had helped and defended were among the attackers and guides. These Gazans knew where everyone lived, who had weapons and where they were stored. This information was enthusiastically shared with the terrorists. 

The terrorist attackers proudly reported their murders and rapes on social media, sometimes taking the victims' phones to emotionally terrify their families and friends. One of the most unforgettable stories was about a young Gazan terrorist who proudly called his parents to brag about how many Israelis he had murdered. His parents replied saying how proud they were of him.

After a few months, for some inexplicable reason, most of these reports were hard to find on the internet. 

Here are some reports. Please share so the truth is out. 

SILENCED NO MORE Sexual Terror Unveiled: The Untold Atrocities of October 7 and Against Hostages in Captivity

English_Swords_of_Iron_DOCUMENTS_Sexual violence

It's important for the world to know the truth. Israel is the innocent victim, not Gaza.  

Book Review: Making It Relevant, Very True

 

Making It Relevant by Katia Bolotin is a very readable Parshat Shavua, Torah Portion of the Week, book. A few meaningful concepts and commentaries per Torah Portion are included, and each chapter ends with a few additional points for Making It Relevant plus some guiding words. 

The words of wisdom can been just for one's own knowledge and pleasure or to read at the Shabbat table or for teaching one's children. 

Katia Bolotin is multi-talented for sure. Besides writing this wonderful Torah book, she's a pianist and song-writer. 

Something that really impressed me is, davka, her chapter on Shlach, the  parsha being read this coming Shabbat in Israel and the following week in Chutz La'Aretz. Unlike the vast majority of commentators she correctly refers to the twelve man delegation to scout out the Land as "leaders" of the twelve tribes. That was their position; there's no indication in the Torah that they were to be "spies." The incorrect reference to them as "spies" is one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to Biblical commentary. I'm really glad that Bolotin follows the text carefully and accurately. 

Bolotin gives us some very interesting approaches to the various Torah Portions. This isn't your ordinary Parsha book. In Parshat Pinchas she relates to Tzlofchad's daughters to modern women's rights reminding us that not all that long ago women couldn't own property. Tzlofchad had died without having any sons, and his daughters wanted to inherit what would have been their father's land. Moshe was in a quandary and didn't know what to say, so he consulted with Gd who agreed with Tzlofchad's daughters. Yes, Judaism, even in most ancient times, gave women more rights than many countries even just over a century ago.

As you can see I find Making It Relevant very inspiring. I highly recommend it for yourself and as gifts. You can order it from Mosaica Press or Amazon.