We Should All Be Ripping Our Clothes in Mourning

When Gilad Schalit had been held captive by Arab terrorists, his father's campaign theme was that Gilad was "everybody's son" and we should do everything possible to free him, even release all those convicted terrorists.

I think that for many Israelis and Jews all over the world, the three Jewish teens who had been kidnapped by Arab terrorists two and a half weeks ago were also "our sons," and when a close family dies, the custom is to do kri'ah, rip part of the outer clothes. The mourner doesn't change to clean clothes daily, nor bathe except in honor of Shabbat. The three kidnapped teens, Eyal, Gil-Ad and Naftali became our sons, our responsibilities. Hearing that they had been murdered pretty much immediately after the kidnapping makes it very clear that this Arab terrorist act was for the violence and not for any political or diplomatic end.

The murderous kidnapping wasn't for negotiations, nor to show that they want a state. That is the message we must take from it. We are not dealing with rationale peace-loving people. We are not dealing with sophisticated lovers of arts and opera who just hate Jews and want to annihilate us. These Arab terrorists aren't like the German Nazis; they are worse.

There is nothing more I can say now. I'm sick to my stomach from the terrible news. I had been suspecting that we would find the dead bodies of the boys. I am not personally acquainted with the families. I hope they feel my hugs along with the support of so many others.

ברוך דיין האמת

Baruch Dayan Ha'Emet

Blessed is The True Judge

G-d Willing, We Will Soon Hear... בע"ה נשמע...

Nobody has to complete the sentence...

G-d Willing, We Will Soon Hear...

בע"ה נשמע....

Bi'ezrat Hashem nishma...

It seems like every meeting, greeting, parting includes these words, this mantra of sorts. Whether between friends, family members or total strangers. It doesn't matter where I am, what I'm doing, this is what we're all thinking about, the three kidnapped boys and their families. 

May G-d give them strength and health...

We all know who the "them/they" are. They are the people who were close to Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Shaar, and Naftali Frenkel before the terrible Arab terror attack, the kidnappings almost three weeks ago. Today, we all feel like we're part of the family. The campaign to wage an international public opinion campaign to force is encouraging people all over the world, in all sorts of occupations to post photographs holding signs demanding the boys' release.

Gush Shiloh Women, Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh:
#BringBackOurBoys!

So, of course the women from Shiloh and Eli who showed up yesterday to doven, pray at the site of the Ancient Biblical Tabernacle  in Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh, came prepared..We certainly would have preferred to have been celebrating the boys' return, but they are still imprisoned by Arab terrorists.

I couldn't be at the massive rally last night in Tel Aviv. I had to be at work.

Arutz 7

“The rally expresses concretely what everyone here in Israel feels,” Avi Fraenkel, father of Naftali, told Ynet.  Fraenkel remarked on the national “unity of fate and a very basic feeling of mutuality. Many people wanted to come here and we barely have time to see them, we barely have time for ourselves, and it’s an opportunity for us to do something with everybody. (Jewish Press)

In Yafiz, Sha'ar Binyamin, it was almost "business as usual," working with and selling to Arabs. However many of us did notice that the percentage of Arab customers has dropped ever since the kidnapping, even though Ramadan, which started yesterday is usually a time when they buy lots of new clothes.

The IDF is working hard searching Arab cities and towns for the boys. People are praying, specially learning, saying T'hillim (Psalms,) giving charity and more. And there are rallies of all sizes in all sorts of locations. All of this is to find the three young teenagers and G-d willing bring them safely home.

I wouldn't dare presume which of these methods will make the difference and end the personal and national nightmare G-d willing. I wouldn't dare tell someone that his or her idea is wrong. We must all do something, even more than one "something." For those who mock any of these methods, I counter by referring to how our Forefather Jacob prepared for his potentially dangerous meeting with his brother Esau who had pledged/threatened to kill him when they had last met. Bereishit, Genesis chapter 32 tells of how Jacob:

• sent Esau messengers
• sent Esau gifts
• prepared for battle
• divided his family, so there would be survivors if attacked
• prayed to G-d

The one thing he didn't do was to trust that others would save him. 

Dry Bones: Europe and anti-Jewish Terrorism

Our history is full of antisemitic attacks and wars, and in no case did any foreign power rescue us. We have only One G-d, and He must be the focus of our prayers. 

G-d Willing, We Will Soon Hear...

בע"ה נשמע....

Bi'ezrat Hashem nishma...

 Eyal Yifrach, Gil-ad Shaar, and Naftali Frenkel 

Real Life in Israel's Southern Front by Netivotgirl

Some of you may remember the wonderful posts my dear friend aka "Netivotgirl" had posted in the past about living in Netivot. Here's something she posted on her facebook page and requested that I post it here on Shiloh Musings.

What a royal pain in the bu*t! Those horrible folks in Gaza just threw another rocket into my town, Netivot, Israeli territory since 1948. I was in our storage room under our apt. building where I store the items for my 'poor brides fund.' Suddenly we heard the sound of the shriek. This was the sound of the iron dome which successfully shot down 1 or 2 rockets right above the synagogue across the street from my home.
The siren went off AFTER the iron dome went into action. I am NOT scared- I had to calm down everyone around me; remember to lock my storage room and run up the stairway to relative safety when we heard the BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMS of the rockets being shot down by.
You folks abroad shouldn't know from this crap. This "present" from Gaza is because 15,000 of our soldiers are going from door to door (in over 100 degree heat)in Judea and Samaria looking for 3 kidnapped teenagers who were picked up as hitchikers on their way home from school 16 days ago. Apparently the Chamas and other terrorist groups are unhappy that we are doing this.
Oh, btw, the folks who did this were terrorists released in previous releases that Israel was forced to make as "gestures of peace." What peace? With who? People who target civilians and do so from within their own heavily populated areas to try to avoid retaliation? It takes two to tango. Thank you Mr. Obama and Mr. Kerry for our present untenable situation.
Friends, please share this on your timelines!!.

According to the Jerusalem Post:

The Iron Dome anti-rocket defense system successfully intercepted two rockets fired from Gaza over the southern city of Netivot on Sunday evening, the IDF confirmed.

Damage in Netivot from previous rocket attack from Gaza, Algemeiner

Disappointed and Sad that We Didn't Celebrate the Kidnapped Boys' Return

I was really hoping that by now, over two weeks since the three teenage boys had been kidnapped by today, Rosh Chodesh Tammuz we'd be able to celebrate their return home safe and sound.  Instead we prayed for them at Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh.

There is no better place to pray for children than Ancient Shiloh, where Chana prayed for a son to lead the Jewish People out of the anarchy the Time of the Judges, when there was no king and everyone did what they felt like doing...

We sincerely hope that before next Rosh Chodesh, Rosh Chodesh Av we will celebrate and thank G-d for the safe and healthy and speedy return of Gil-Ad, Naftali and Eyal.

Next month's Rosh Chodesh, Av, will be Monnday July 28, 2014. Please save the date.

Women's Prayers at Tel Shiloh Rosh Chodesh Av
Monday, July, 28, 2014
1st of Av 5774, 8:30am

We start dovening together with Hallel. Pray Shacharit at home or come early if possible, please.
Tour of Tel Shiloh & Dvar Torah, Short Torah Lesson
Please come and invite family, friends and neighbors

תפילת נשים ראש חודש תמוז בתל שילה
יום ב' 28-7 ב' אב תשע"ד 8:30
מתחילים את התפילה ביחד עם הלל. נא להתפלל שחרית בבית או לבוא מוקדם אם אפשר, תודה

יהיה דבר תורה קצר וסיור בתל
 כדאי לבוא ולהזמין חברות, משפחה ושכנות

The Arab Terrorism Epidemic

Arab terrorism isn't isolated here in Israel. And it's not only in the so-called "west bank" or Syria, Lebanon etc where Arab terrorists are raised. There are more and more coming from London, other European cities and even the United States.

Read Sarah Honig's reminder here:

Britain is gobsmacked. Its TV screens feature seemingly stricken Muslim parents, from urban hubs like Cardiff, denying any responsibility for or knowledge of their sons’ escapades in bleeding Syria.
Their moaning is indispensable to a novel storyline that’s fast gaining resonance in Europe’s insincere political-correctness and Orwellian Newspeak. It’s subtle but nevertheless significant. It’s about “Europeans who have been to Syria,” have emerged therefrom somehow tainted with extremism and might thereby become, a tad unexpectedly, dangerous.
Yes, a newfangled brand of terrorist seems to have suddenly surfaced in Europe’s pleasant lands but polished European manners prohibit us from characterizing him as Arab or Muslim.

The United States made a great mistake after 9-11 by not seeing the connection between Taliban and Hamas. The world would be a lot safer if all the so-called peaceful, peace-loving countries would treat the Arab terrorists Hamas who terrorize Israel the way they treat Taliban.

Many Muslims live in Europe and the Americas. Some may actually be there to escape the culture of terror and violence in the Middle-East, while others are more like "sleepers." But none, even the most peace-loving have the power to control their children. And those children who hold American and European passports are targeted by terrorist organizations to become terrorists. They can travel freely throughout the world.

A Nixon Center study of 373 mujahideen in western Europe and North America between 1993 and 2004 found more than twice as many Frenchmen as Saudis and more Britons than Sudanese, Yemenites, Emiratis, Lebanese, or Libyans. Fully a quarter of the jihadists it listed were western European nationals -- eligible to travel visa-free to the United States.
The emergence of homegrown mujahideen in Europe threatens the United States as well as Europe. 

This is a big danger for world peace, a real danger!!

AFP Photo / Getty Images

Mike Huckabee: Respect and Suspect

posted by JewishIsrael.com

For those Israeli activists, politicians and rabbis who were busy cozying up to Mike Huckabee in a no holds barred embrace, respect yet beware of friendly pastors and presidential hopefuls who may love Israel to death.

While JewishIsrael welcomes the friendship, warmth, and moral and political support from Mr. Huckabee, this report documents some good reasons why the order of the day should remain "respect and suspect"…more

see related video

Praying for The Safe Return of Eyal, Naftali and Gil-Ad, Chodesh Tammuz Tov Havel Havelim

Unfortunately, we're now in week #3 praying for the safe return of the three teenagers kidnapped by Arab terrorists.

Jewish Press

Many of the posts in this week's Havel Havelim will be on this topic and the terrorism and violence by the Arabs.

Havel Havelim is the weekly blog carnival by Jewish bloggers from all over the world. It has been going on for more than a dozen years. First started and coordinated by Soccer Dad, who no longer blogs, we now use facebook to keep in touch and organize. If you'd like to participate as blogger, host or just reader of HH, then click and join.

As is my norm, I'm just listing the titles of the posts, not the authors or blogs. Click to read, comment and share, thanks.

A Mitzvah Not to Ignore–Health Wrap Up
She Spent Her Wedding Night With Two Hundred and Twenty One Men: A True Love Story

Did The Arab Terrorists Expect the Kidnapping to Escalate to War?
What does Quneitra have in common with UNRWA camps?
Gentle Strength
The two saddest things and why
4th of July, A Bit Early
Yes, I am Still Tremping, aka Hitchhiking!
The Innocence that Is Still Theirs
Three Yellow Ribbons Round Tree Illustration
28-Jun-14: Escalating terrorist rocket attacks on southern Israel over the Sabbath
Gafni request Knesset Beit Knesset to be expanded
IslamoNazi Child Abuse
Beyond Putting Out Fires
Life Out Loud
But The Status Quo Is Being Altered
Lessons From the Titanic
Redeem Rivky Weiss! (née Stein)

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Technorati tags: jewish-israel blog carnival aka havel ha, blog carnival. 

Just a reminder to share this edition and the various posts. Thanks and G-d willing, we will hear good news very soon.

Did The Arab Terrorists Expect the Kidnapping to Escalate to War?

Gazan attack on Sderot Jerusalem Post Itsik Lev

A rocket launched from the Gaza Strip struck a factory in the industrial district of Israel's southern city of Sderot on Saturday evening. The structure broke into flames following the strike.
A group of employees manged to escape the blaze and no injuries were reported in the attack.

IMHO we're getting into war mode. We're not there yet, but it's getting closer.

I'm glad that Israel is doing everything to try to find the three kidnapped boys.

• I just hope we continue. 
• I also hope that the State of Israel will institute the death penalty for all convicted Arab terrorists. 
• I would have let the hunger-striking Arab terrorist convicts kill themselves.

I'm very concerned about the pro-Arab terrorist , pro-Palestine and anti-IDF demonstrations among Arab Israelis. 

A demonstration by Israeli Arabs against the IDF operation to locate three kidnapped Israeli teenagers turned violent on Friday afternoon, as five people were injured.
The protesters, who gathered in the Wadi Ara region in north-central Israel, waved Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) flags and blocked roads, while calling for the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers and for the release of all terrorists who are serving time in Israeli prisons.
Police officers who tried to disperse the demonstrators used tear gas, and the protesters responded by throwing rocks at the officers.
Two officers were among the five people who were injured in the demonstration, reported Channel 2 News. At least one protester was arrested.
Among those participating in the protest was MK Mohammed Barakeh of the far left Communist Hadash party.
"This demonstration is against the violence of the IDF and against the illegal arrests and illegal activities of the IDF in the territories," he declared. Arutz 7

It may be that it had to take such a serious act as the kidnapping of three teenage boys for the State of Israel to get out of the delusion that we can negotiate peace by being "nice." Many of us knew it a long time ago, but unfortunately the Israeli Government in trying to be Center is really far Left. This has pushed them further Right. I just hope that afterwards, when G-d wiling Eyal, Gil-Ad and Naftali will be safely home, the government won't forget the lesson.

Most important:

I hope and pray that the three teenagers, Eyal, Gil-Ad and Naftali will be found safe and sound and returned to the families and ordinary lives.

Israeli Media, Again, Humanizes Arab Terrorists!

G-d willing on Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, this coming Sunday we'll be celebrating the release of Naftali, Eyal and Gilad, if not then we will pray for them. Reminder that Rosh Chodesh Tammuz will be this Shabbat and Sunday.

Our Women's Prayers at Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh will be on Sunday.
Next month's Rosh Chodesh, Tammuz, will be Sunday June 29, 2014. Please save the date.
Women's Prayers at Tel Shiloh Rosh Chodesh TamuzSunday, June, 29, 2014
1st of Tamuz 5774, 8:30am
Tour of Tel Shiloh & Dvar Torah, Short Torah Lesson
Please come and invite family, friends and neighbors
תפילת נשיםראש חודש תמוז בתל שילהיום א' 29-6 א' תמוז תשע"ד 8:30
יהיה דבר תורה קצר וסיור בתל
 כדאי לבוא ולהזמין חברות, משפחה ושכנות
Mark your calendar, and join us. For more information, please contact me, thanks.

Last night I watched the Israeli Channel Two News. The good news was that they announced that the IDF has had a major lead in tracking down and G-d willing releasing the three kidnapped teenagers, Gil-Ad Shaer, Eyal Yifrah and Naftali Fraenkel, from the Arab terrorists, because they know who are the terrorist masterminds of the crime.

Marwan Kawasmeh (L), Amar Abu-Eisha

Israel Security Agency

my tv screen, father of Arab terrorist
being interviewed by Israel's Channel 2

The bad news is that since the media had this information for days, they had prepared a terribly sympathetic, humanizing piece about them featuring one of the wives, who looked young, beautiful and innocent crying that she didn't believe her husband was guilty. I wasn't quick enough to get my camera out to shoot her, but I did catch the interview with the father, who, no surprise, firmly denied that his darling son could be involved. Apparently, according to what was said, the news media has known this for days and cooperated with military censorship. They didn't publicize the news, but they did prepare the clip to be ready the moment the IDF let the information out.

There was very little about the kidnapped boys and their families, since no doubt after almost two weeks, there isn't much new to add. They did show the seventeen year old brother of Eyal Yifrach in London. He is there to speak about his kidnapped brother.

Asaf Yifrach at the London
solidarity event
pic by Steve Winston

Asaf Yifrach was in London yesterday to raise awareness of the plight of his brother  and fellow teenagers Naftali Fraenkel and Gilad Shaar and to urge the community to pray for the trio who disappeared in the West Bank two weeks ago.Speaking to the Jewish News ahead of a Zionist Federation-organised solidarity event in north London and as Israeli forces widen their search for the youngsters, the 17-year-old said: “At first I didn’t believe what had happened. Eyal said he would be coming home late that day and never returned. This is now our reality. I haven’t even been able to eat. My brother and I are best friends. Every time he came into the house I was so happy, but I would never tell him. Now I regret not saying how much he means to me.”Asaf said he has gained “huge strength” from the outpouring of support that has seen vigils held and also moved celebrities, politicians and supporters from all walks of life to back the ‘Bring Back our Boys’ campaign.

Yes, the families' campaign has gone abroad, not only to the United Nations.

#BRING BACK OUR BOYS!!

Yes, I am Still Tremping, aka Hitchhiking!

Too many people bother me with the foolish question asking if I still tremp since the three teenage boys, Eyal Yirfah, Gilad Shaar and Naftali Frenkel, were kidnapped.

The terrible, cruel kidnapping of children by Arab terrorists won't stop me from tremping, just like the Arab terrorist bus bombs didn't make me stop riding buses. And the rocks and stones which used to be thrown by Arab terrorists at Jewish buses and cars didn't keep me off the roads or make me hightail it back to Bayit Vegan, Jerusalem. And the bus bomb by Arab terrorists which blew up a bus right in the middle of Bayit Vegan murdering six Jews, June 1978, didn't make me leave Jerusalem, either!

Tremping and giving rides is a way of life for many of us. I don't have time to wait for buses all the time.  I frequently save time by tremping, and there are many times when there aren't buses. I can't restrict my life to the bus schedule.

REMEMBER THAT TREMPING ISN'T THE DANGER; THE ARAB TERRORISTS ARE THE DANGER!!

Too many people forget that simple fact.

And I'm not being very original by reminding everyone that if we let the terrorists chase us away from the Land of Israel via terrorism. If we end up in a crowded ghetto by Tel Aviv, the Arab terrorists will just keep pushing. So if we go back to Europe and America and North Africa, Asia etc where many of us or our ancestors had lived, then antisemitism and terrorism will just follow us, and people who hate us will just say:

"Go Back!!"

They'll mean the Land of the Bible, and that's where I am right now.

Arab terrorism isn't about tremping, and it isn't about Shiloh. The Arab terrorists don't want us any place. So, I believe that we have to take the initiative and make their lives more difficult. One thing for sure that must be done is to make it law that:

All convicted Arab terrorists must be executed!

Make sure that terrorism doesn't pay!

Deja Vu, I'll Never Forget My Panic When My Kids Didn't Come Home on Time

There's no laxative that activates the kishkes like the panic I'd go through when waiting past the "should be home by now" time in the days my kids commuted to school and even work, while living at home here in Shiloh.

So I would just hate to be in the shoes of those three lovely families who are waiting almost two weeks already for their sons, brothers, nephews, grandson's etc. to be released by terrorists and allowed home to continue their ordinary lives. Watch and listen to Naftali Frankel's mother Racheli speak to the United Nations Human Rights Council, UNHRC.:


We've been living in Shiloh for almost thirty-three years, and from that first year until my fourth child finished junior high school over fourteen years later, there was usually at least one who was commuting daily. Not only was this before the days of cellphones, but for the first year we lived in Shiloh, we didn't have a phone in the house and for the first few months there wasn't even one in the neighborhood.  Talk about isolation....

As busy as I was as a mother of young children and working at various outside jobs I'd be counting the minutes, then the seconds until their expected returns home. If the expected time had passed, I'd begin to panic. I certainly never would have needed colonic irrigation during those years.

Times Square

My joy and relief at children's safe return was like the daily dropping of the "New Year's Ball" at Times Square. A safe uneventful trip was not something I or my children could take for granted. My kids experienced traffic accidents and terror attacks. Sometimes the stories were even humorous, but most of the delays had more unpleasant reasons.

More than once I'd find myself contacting security to ascertain if it was known where the vehicle transporting them could be. Just before cellphones became the norm, there was a communications service, Kesher Binyamin, in which members had an open speaker from which they heard announcements and could verbally answer. One evening a couple of hours after I had expected my daughter's return, I called her employer who confirmed that she had left on time, so I contacted security.  They sent out an alert asking if anyone had seen her. That's how we tracked her down. The car's driver had done a couple of mitzvot and errands on the way home which was the reason for the delay. Once I knew she was safe, I, and my kishkes, could calm down.

Another time, my son wasn't home long after he should have been from junior high school in Beit El. I saw the neighbor's son home. He didn't remember if mine was on the school bus, so I ran over to other neighbors to ask what to do and see if their son had seen him.  That's where I found my son; he was watching tv with his friend. After getting off the bus, he went there to bring the homework assignment to his friend who hadn't been in school that day. My neighbors apologized profusely for not realizing that he hadn't been home yet.

Baruch Hashem, thank G-d, my stories all end happily. Let's all pray that there will be safe and happy returns home for Gilad Michael Ben Bat Galim, Yaccov Naftali Ben Rachel Devora and Eyal ben Iris Teshura.

Make The World Listen! Bring Back Our Boys!!!

Here in Israel, Racheli Fraenkel is speaking to the converted, as the saying goes. That doesn't really help. It's the pressure of the rest of the world on the international media darlings, those Arab terrorists that may G-d willing convince them to free the boys. And G-d willing they are still alive and well. Fraenkel may not want her mind to go to more frightening places, and the Israeli Government is fighting, searching to find them under the premise that the three kidnapped boys are still alive, but until the Arab terrorists show otherwise I'm getting more pessimistic with each day.

Photo: AVSHALOM SASSONI

The door of all sorts of international human rights bodies, the United Nations etc. are always open to the Arabs to complain about alleged Israeli "violations" so I'm glad that Naftali's, may he live and be well, mother will be speaking to the UN Human Rights Council .

There have been rallies all over the world to implore the Arab terrorists and to pray to G-d to free the three kidnapped boys, but they are basically Jewish rallies and sometimes the demonstrators have even been attacked by antisemites, those who support Arab terrorism.

First, on Thursday, June 19, exactly one week after the three boys were kidnapped, a march and rally entitled “Bring Back Our Boys,” was held in Paris.
As supporters were marching, some anti-Israel haters attacked them, throwing burning flares directly at the marchers. Startled, people began running away, but many soon turned around and ran after the perpetrators. Watch the video:

It's critically important for this campaign to bring this campaign out of the "Jewish sector" and make it a human rights issue. It must be recognized that Arab terrorists are in international danger and oppose, contradict humane actions. Let's rip off the teflon that has coated the so-called Palestinians! We must show the world what they really are, cruel, monstrous terrorists!

This is what they teach their children, Palestinian Media Watch.

In its latest episode, Hamas TV's children's program Tomorrow's Pioneers chose to teach young viewers what a rocket sounds like "when it is launched from us" and "when it reaches them [the Israelis]." [Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas), June 20, 2014] As the child host on the program encouraged the program's guest, an adult mimic, to do "a last imitation of the sound of our rockets," the man-sized bee puppet Nahul requested he make "the sound of the explosion." These sounds were "to encourage and excite our audience, our children friends," the child host explained. Upon hearing the mimic make a rocket sound, a child in the studio identified it as "the M-75" rocket. After the mimic explained that this was the sound of a rocket being launched, the child host requested he imitate the sound a rocket makes "when it reaches them [the Israelis]." Nahul the bee then eagerly made the sound of an exploding rocket.

This coming Shabbat and Sunday are Rosh Chodesh Tammuz. I invite women to join me at Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh and celebrate the kidnapped boys' return home, but if G-d forbid they are still held captive by the Arab terrorists, we will pray for their speedy release.

Worst Nightmares

Racheli Frankel, mother of the kidnapped Naftali, seems to have become the spokesperson for the parents of the three boys. She's bilingual and a teacher, used to explaining things. And now she is in the nightmarish position of putting a human confident face on the pain and uncertainty the parents, family and friends of the three kidnapped boys.

Here's one of her more recent statements.


Did you catch that line about places she doesn't want her mind to go?

Anxiety must be following them twenty-four hours of the day, whether awake or asleep. I can't let my mind go there.

How much longer until the boys are returned, G-d willing safe and sound?

Gilad Michael Ben Bat Galim, Yaccov Naftali Ben Rachel Devora and Eyal ben Iris Teshura

Beyond Putting Out Fires

I just read Yitz's post and wanted to comment. Then I realized that it deserved a post in its own right.

The problem is that we (who dare to think of such things!) are looking at cutting off the free electricity and all sorts of other things as temporary sanctions to be ended when they give us back our boys. This is wrong. They deserve NOTHING from us. Either we annex ALL of Judea, Samaria and Gaza and there is no more foreign governmental entity in our midst or we do not. Hevron = Gaza, riddled with nightmare tunnels that we formerly knew nothing about. If they want electricity, water, other services, they have to PAY for them just as we Israeli citizens do. If they can't, their problem. We owe them NOTHING. If I want to give charity, I give it to people who are deserving, and in ways which will help them and be good for the general social outcome. This is neither. Nor does anyone ask me when the government does it.

We can't go on letting the "Palestinians" keep up the terror infrastructure, with the support of US, EU, UN, various NGOs. This emphatically includes the schools which teach its ideology. Israeli schools, for Jews and non-Jews, should be the only ones in Eretz Yisrael. Either they teach the Torah to Jews or they teach the Seven Noahide Laws to non-Jews. Teaching murder and lawlessness is a capital offense according to the Torah. Even for a secular Jew, what about that don't they get? It is a sick ostrich-type, head in the sand, mentality to think otherwise. We take back all of the land, we go from reluctant conquerors to proud liberators. We liberate not just the land, not just our people. We liberate the mixed Arab-Jewish multitude who call themselves Palestinians from the brutality from which they suffer much more than we do. All of the intifadas claimed many more Arab victims than Jewish.

We must teach Arabic in our schools. We must train Israeli teachers to teach a civics course, if necessary with a tank parked outside the school, or perhaps under dormitory conditions like those for children of abusive families. No more kids with extracurricular activities of stoning or making molotov cocktails. We cannot both take responsibility and not take responsibility for the people called "Palestinians". Either they are us or they are just another Arab country.

The truth is that they are both in our midst, economically part of us and also closely related to us. According to the research of Tsvi Misinai, over 80% of "Palestinians" have Jewish ancestry, proven by historical research or DNA. A not inconsiderable group are actually halachically Jewish. With proper education they can be brought back. You don't want them? Too bad. There are rabbis who want to convert all sorts of totally non-Jewish Russians just because they live here after getting here by fraudulent means in order to counterbalance the "dangerous" religious birthrate. What about those Jews who are anusim among the Arabs, whose mothers or grandmothers were taken or lured into Arab villages and bore children who are considered Muslims by the Arabs? Are they chopped liver? Why must they be swallowed up into the bowels of terror schools? An Arab gets sick or wounded and we have so much mercy on him? What about these women and kids, prisoners in an abusive society? Clean out the rat's nest once and for all, for us and for them. Liberate the land, liberate the people.

Arab Israeli Teenager Killed by Syrians, and Who Cares?

Thirteen (or 15) year old Mohammed Karake was killed by Syrians trying to kill Jewish Israelis, and nobody seems to care.

It has been nearly eight hours since the shooting death of Mohammed Karake, a 13-year-old Israeli citizen of “Palestinian” descent, but as of this writing no prominent Palestinian “support” organization has condemned the murder. The Jewish Press

The Israeli media didn't play up the fact that Karake was an Arab. They kept stressing, only mentioned, his age, (which is different in each news site) called him a teenager.

A 14-year-old boy was killed and two other people were wounded when an anti-tank missile, fired from inside Syria, hit a civilian vehicle belonging to a contractor carrying out routine maintenance work for the Defense Ministry. Jerusalem Post

Also the IDF blog took the same angle stressing the death of a civilian Jewish teen.

An explosion targeted an Israeli civilian vehicle Sunday morning, killing a 15-year-old civilian and wounding two others on the Syria border. In response to the attack, IDF forces fired at military positions in Syria.
“This is not a case of errant fire, but of an intentional attack,” said IDF Spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner. “The IDF will continue to watch the northern border and react to developments in the field accordingly.”

It's only when his name was publicized that it became clear that his wasn't Jewish. Considering that his death took place while most Israelis are concerned, worried, terrified about the fates of the three boys who were kidnapped from a Gush Etzion bus stop, the mention of his age, only, was clearly to get general public sympathy for the family. Jewish Israelis are a lot less prejudiced and a lot more sympathetic to the Arab Israeli population and Arab children in general than Arabs are to Jews. That's why injured and sick Arabs, no matter which side of the political and border fence, are welcomed into Jewish hospitals for medial care.

Actually, it was the death of Karake and injury to his father and the driver that got the publicity, not that Syria attacked Israel. There's something very dangerously fokokt in that. It's another case of not seeing the forest for the trees.

Now that Israel is battling on the northern front, there is news about Syria.

Unfortunately, there is no real update, change in status re: the search for the three kidnapped Jewish teenagers.

Gilad Michael Ben Bat Galim, Yaccov Naftali Ben Rachel Devora and Eyal ben Iris Teshura

We must continue to pray for them, the health of their families and the safety of our IDF soldiers.

The Nation Expects a Disproportionate Response

Rav Menachem Brod, editor of Sichat HaShauva

Once again, the following is my translation of the lead article in this past week’s “Sichat HaShavua (#1433),” a weekly Chabad newsletter that is distributed throughout Israel. Its message is simple and quite well-known, but we often forget some of the most basic things, and need to hear them over again…from Yitz of Jerusalem, via Shiloh Musings, to you:

The Nation Expects a Disproportionate Response

Weekly Op-Ed, by Rabbi Menachem Brod

The abduction of three young men, with all its pain, simultaneously revealed the wondrous beauty of Am Yisrael. Concern for the captives pulsed in every Jewish heart. Multitudes from all walks of life left everything, and gathered in a prayer. Stormy debates were set aside. For one awesome moment we returned to what we are - one Nation, with one heart beating inside us.

There is a lot of talk about the yetzer (evil inclination) towards controversy which consumes us, and Parshat Korach deals with this as well. But it turns out that the natural state of Am Yisrael is one of unity. Sometimes the yetzer succeeds in opening a crack, but one jolt us immediately returns us to the original state of unity and mutual responsibility.

How exciting it was to hear the words of the families of the captives. These are people from various locales and diverse backgrounds, but they all express themselves in one style: "Thanks to the People of Israel, continue to pray, we feel your embrace." The nobility of soul of these families, whose mouths voice neither complaints nor criticism, but rather infinite love - melts everyone's heart.

Deterrence and defense
Unfortunately, there are those that precisely at this difficult time are looking for blame, but instead of looking for the coin where it was lost, they are looking for it under the flashlight. We found the guilty party: Hitchhiking. If they fire on a vehicle, immediately there’s what to blame: the fact that the vehicle was not armored. If terrorists infiltrate a settlement, the fault lies on not constructing a wall around it.

This, in their view, is the meaning of being 'free with our country' – [free] to withdraw, defend, fortify and [live in] fear. Our enemies can walk freely everywhere, while we surround ourselves with barbed wire, watchtowers and guards, and are afraid to walk about in our Homeland or ask for a ride.

Certainly it [the situation] requires caution and we should also have defensive systems, but the mode of thought that is always looking for the answer in the defense arena, rather than in that of deterrence and offense, is the source of the problem. In last week's Parsha [Shlach] we learned that if the inhabitants live in fortified edifices, this is a sign that they are weak; while if they are in open cities (without walls), it's proof that they are strong and can rely on their strength.

Those with the same concept also claim that we cannot defeat terrorism. We remember this chorus during the bloody days of Oslo, how they scoffed at the demand to "let the IDF win." And behold, once we allowed the Security Forces to do the job, and they entered the cities of Judea and Samaria in Operation Defensive Shield - terrorism was almost completely eradicated. And if now it has begun to raise its head, it is only because we are again repeating the same mistake of  'a political opportunity on the horizon,' and other nonsense.

The abduction was predictable
When we succumbed to the Shalit deal, it was clear that the next kidnapping would only be a matter of time. Every poultry farmer knows that if the fox succeeds in infiltrating the coop and attacking the hens, he will try to do it again. Success is the most powerful incentive, and unfortunately the terrorists succeeded.

The only way to prevent kidnappings is by proving that it cannot succeed, and on the contrary, it will be hell for the terrorists and their dispatchers. Israel must respond with great power - just the opposite from the preaching of our friends around the world, who call upon us to respond proportionately. What is needed here is a response of full force, to leave the terrorists dazed in shock, beaten and crushed. And if the kidnapping was intended to release terrorists, the saga must be completed with more terrorist prisoners behind bars.

*****
PS from Yitz: Not that our government is listening, but I'm sure if we REALLY wanted to, we could have our boys back already. The following must be considered:

* Why are we still supplying the Gaza Strip with electricity? They should be living in utter darkness! Perhaps the Arabs of Yehuda and Shomron as well - one city by one - first Shechem, then Jenin, then Ramallah, etc.

UPDATE: At least ONE MK agrees with me: the Deputy Defense Minister!
* Why are we still forwarding monies to them? Collecting their taxes? Crazy!

* If they were able to extricate approximately 1,000 prisoners for one kidnapped soldier, we should already put 3,000 [not just 350!] terrorists behind bars. If they touch ONE of our boys, 1,000 of them get the same treatment!

I can't imagine this situation would last too much longer if we were to do this!!!

Two-Pronged War, Israel versus The Arab Terrorists

There are basically two battles going on between Israel and the Arab terrorists. And I intentionally haven't written Hamas, because I have no doubt that there is no real difference between Hamas and Fatah.

While the IDF is doing everything in its power to search every nook and cranny for the three kidnapped teenagers, Eyal Yifrah, Gilad Sha'ar, Naftali Frenkel, the Arab terrorists in Gaza are attacking Israel's south with potentially lethal rockets. So the IDF is also attacking them.

Reuters

According to an IDF statement, the airstrikes targeted three centers of terrorist activity in southern Gaza, and another terrorist center in central Gaza.

It's now over a week since the boys were lured into an Arab car while waiting at a bus stop which also serves as a place to hitch rides.

Regardless of Mahmoud Abbas's condemnation of the kidnappings last week, the talk from Ramalla is of its support.

Amin Maqboul, member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council, said that the overwhelming majority of Palestinians support the abductions, if the goal is to exchange them for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
Defending Abbas’s stance regarding the kidnapping, however, Maqboul said that the PA president’s recent remarks were intended to “spare Palestinians the dangers of Israeli aggression and avoid international pressure.”
Maqboul explained that this was the policy of Abbas, “who sometimes makes statements that are unacceptable to our people. But the purpose [of these statements] is to spare the Palestinian people the dangers of Israeli aggression and reactions of the international community.”

And top units in the IDF are still searching the Hebron area for the boys.


May they be speedily and safely returned home to their families and friends.

Spotlight on the Mothers of the Three Kidnapped Boys

According to Jewish custom, when something is needed for someone, good health, rescue, a "match" to marry etc., the person is identified as son or daughter of the mother. For other types of identification, a person is called as son or daughter of the father's name. Chazal, our sages say that nobody prays harder than a mother.

I'm finding it very interesting that the main spokespeople representing the families of the three teenagers who were kidnapped over a week ago by Arab terrorists have been the mothers. I don't know exactly how this decision was made, but I consider it a good one. Listen to Racheli Frankel, mother of Naftali being interviewed by CNN.

The mother of one of three kidnapped Israeli teenagers granted a television interview to CNN over the weekend to drum up international attention for her plight in hopes that it would expedite the return of her son.“Everybody's working under the assumption that they are alive,” Rachel Frankel, the mother of Naftali Frankel, told Ben Wedeman of CNN. “Beyond that we don't know much.”
The kidnappings of Fraenkel, Eyal Yifrach, 19, and Gil-Ad Sha’er, 16, took place while they were hitchhiking in Area C of the West Bank, which is under exclusive Israeli control. (Jerusalem Post)

I honestly don't know where she gets her strength from. May her son be returned safe and sound along with the two other boys.

Over ten years ago, I wrote about my feelings "A Club I Don’t Want to Join" concerning my too many friends who are bereaved parents.  I used to send out letters, which I called "musings" to friends and those who requested to be added to the list. That was before I began to blog. It was the popularity of those "musings" that got me to blog. And yes, that's why this blog is called "Shiloh Musings."

Musings #13May 22, 2003
A Club I Don’t Want to Join
The other night I was at a beautiful, joyous wedding. The bride was one of the younger daughters of people I have known since my teens. When she smiled I went back almost forty years, when I first knew her mother.
I knew quite a few people there, but not from our mutual past. These friends have something in common with the parents of the bride. They are all bereaved parents; one of their children was killed by Arab terrorists.
They are all members of a club I don’t want to join. The parents of the bride are veteran members. She befriends other parents whose children are killed to help them rejoin and regain “normal life.” Everyone could see the joy she, her husband and parents get from her surviving children and grandchildren.
The Arab terrorists murder and maim Jews. They cause great pain to the surviving family and friends, BUT THEY CANNOT DESTROY US. We are surviving, and we will always survive! We survived slavery in Egypt. We survived Haman in Persia. We survived the Greeks. We survived the Crusaders. We survived the Inquisition. We survived the Nazi Holocaust, and we will survived these murderers and all of their supporters.
I have no doubts.
Every generation has its challenges and its heroes.

May Naftali Fraenkel, Eyal Yifrach, 19, and Gil-Ad Sha’er, 16  all speedily and safely return home and resume their normal lives.

When I Hear of Givat Harel and Shvut Rachel, I Think of The Murdered Victims of Terror

The other day, just as I got off the bus at the "city line" between Jerusalem and Benjamin Regional Council, a car stopped and the driver said:

"Givat Harel." 

My mind immediately pictured Harel Bin-Nun, HaYa"D, as a young boy. He wasn't all that much older than the youngster in my head when for the second and last time he was a victim of Arab terrorism. That's when he and his friend were brutally murdered while doing guard duty in Yitzhar, north of Shiloh.  A few years before that he was very seriously injured when Arab terrorists shot up a bus full of women and children on their way to a demonstration to request to then Prime Minister Yitzchak Shamir to be strong during the Madrid Conference and not to let any country browbeat him into dangerous concessions. After his murder, his older brothers established the community of Givat Harel just northwest of Shiloh in his memory.

The driver let me off at the Shiloh Junction and immediately there was another car that stopped for me.

"Shvut Rachel" said the driver. 

And then my mind went into overdrive as images and memories of my friend Rachella Druk,  HaYa"D,  flooded to my brain. We were neighbors; our children friends. I taught most of her daughters, and she took care of one of my sons and later taught one of my daughters. We cared about many of the same things. Rachella was murdered in the terror attack in which Harel had been shot.

Arab terrorists didn't want our message to get out to Shamir. Yitzchak Shamir should have understood that Rachella's death was proof that we had no "partner" to negotiate with. And here we are over twenty years later and many Arab terror attacks and Jewish victims later, and successive Israeli Governments refuse to accept the hard fact that try as they may there is no way to negotiate peace with Arab terrorists.

Now, over a week since the three teenage boys were kidnapped by Arab terrorists, nothing has changed.

Please pray for their safe and speedy immediate return!

My prayers are with the boys and their families and friends. It could happen to anybody...

Gilad Michael Ben Bat Galim, Yaccov Naftali Ben Rachel Devora and Eyal ben Iris Teshura