A "Lifetime"

Yesterday my neighbors and I met at the cemetery.

"How many years already? 15? 17? 16?"

We looked at the children, mostly married, and grandchildren playing and toddling among the stones and steps, running from the arms of their parents, aunts, uncles and grandfather. Their great-grandparents were focused on the grave, the first in our cemetery, which overlooks the setting sun.

Just before I went to the Azkara, Memorial Ceremony, I had entertained a small AFSI delegation. They seemed so disappointed that Shiloh and other Jewish communities threatened by Olmert's destruction plans weren't out demonstrating, screaming shouting to the world about the dangers.

I tried to explain how useless people feel the demonstrations are. Decisions of fate aren't made "in this world." During pre-Oslo times, the Rabin Government pooh poohed everything we did, insisting that we weren't the "real Israel." We all know how demonstrations were ignored pre-Disengagement. Over a half a million Jews, 10% of the Jewish population converged on the Kotel, and it was ignored by the politicians and international media. Even when Yitzchak Shamir was Prime Minister, during the time of the Madrid Conference, he ignored what was happening in Israel. An enormous demonstration took place in Tel Aviv to encourage him to be strong, but he was weak, very weak. He didn't even react, walk out when Rachella Druk, our neighbor, the one whose grave I was about to visit yesterday, was murdered.

One of the three buses from Shiloh was shot at by Arab terrorists that evening. We were all on our way to Tel Aviv to the demonstration. The driver, Yitzchak Rofeh and Rachella, mother of seven, were murdered. A number of children were wounded, two with life-threatening injuries. B"H, they survived, but one, Harel Bin Nun was later murdered while doing guard duty in Yitzhar, where he had made his home.

Shamir was supposed to have announced to the world that:

"The Arabs here are terrorists, murderers. We can't make
peace with unrepentant murderers."

Shamir failed. He followed America instead of following G-d.

In Shiloh, the first Jewish grave in modern times was dug to bury Rachella. Since then, the cemetery has filled. Sadly, tragically, she's not the only victim of Arab terrorism buried here.

It seems like a lifetime has passed since that horrific day. But nothing is really new, just the children born.

Our people, again, are under pressure to given in to Arabs, encouraged by the US and UN, demands.

We just have to say no!
That "no" is a "yes" to survival!