Israel Attacked by Hamas 2023/5784, War Musings #13 We're All Hostages of Hamas, Dangerous Faux Morality & Pressures

 

Some of you may not like this, but as I read the newspapers over Shabbat and thought about all the ridiculous things I keep hearing on the news and various talk shows, it all became clear. 

The Israeli Government, which is probably to be called the Third Bibi Netanyahu Coalition, isn't conducting itself as a strong, proud independent government. Actually, it never truly has. I'll never forget hearing him at the International Bloggers' Conference in 2008 saying that when he'll return to the position as Prime Minister, he'll do it as a centrist. I've written and spoken about it many times. That honest statement of his has made all of his failed policies clear to me, and I can't understand why other people don't get it. 

A Centrist isn't a leader, and we can't afford more mistakes.

But back to the theme of this War Musing...

The Israeli Government and public are being bombarded with orders, warnings, slogans that "our priority must be returning the hostages." I certainly have nothing against any of the hostages, nor their families, Right, Left and Center, but the entire State of Israel is in danger. This isn't just another hijacked airplane story. 

Honestly what's the point of destroying the momentum of our soldiers, yet again, needed to totally defeat Hamas, or endanger our soldiers in rescue attempts when it could, Gd forbid, cause us to lose the war. So then the few survivors (we're not even sure how many of the remaining hostages are even alive) end up being killed here in Israel as the country is Gd forbid invaded by more Hamas terrorists and their supporters?

There's an even bigger problem, which has nothing to do with the hostages that Hamas has taken to Gaza. It's the fact that Netanyahu's government and the Leftist War Cabinet are forcing our soldiers to endanger themselves to protect the so-called "innocent Gazan civilians." Please read War Musings #7 *Volunteers Needed to Sort Innocents from Terrorists.

All the warnings and inspections before we bomb a building turn our soldiers into hostages of the "loony left" who are ruling the State of Israel. This policy is unprecedented and perverse. Israel has been guilty of it for decades. We endanger our soldiers, our children, grandchildren, family, neighbors to protect those who are terrorists or protect terrorists. Our soldiers protect us, and we must protect them! 

The people funding the Return the hostages NOW at all cost are the same antigovernmental anti-Likud, anti-Judicial Reform international Leftists who've been working with Ehud Barak and other Israelis for years to endanger the State of Israel. 

We must totally defeat and destroy the enemy. No mercy. It's that simple, a strange adjective for a dangerous and difficult war. We must change leadership to those who understand this.

Gd willing בע"ה

Israel Attacked by Hamas 2023/5784, War Musings #12 Heads Should Roll, Major Security Snafu

The latest sad war news is the misidentification of Israeli hostages for terrorists and their subsequent deaths. Unfortunately, "friendly fire" deaths are common in all wars. It's definitely heartbreaking, but the soldiers have barely seconds to react, and the Hamas Gazan terrorists love playing these mind games and tricks. 

I started working on this post a couple of weeks ago, and now I know why it has taken me so long. Siyata d'Shmaya, the hand of Gd played a role for sure. Those young, tired soldiers had seen their friends and officers die and had certainly been warned not to take chances. Their lives are precious, and they're trying to save the entire State of Israel. These young soldiers are the ones facing the enemy, not those who ensconced in their cushy offices who misread the signs. Read Yaakov Katz's article.

There's no polite way of saying this, but Israel's security experts goofed בגדול bagadole; that means BIG TIME, and I'm not exaggerating at all. It wasn't a simple "maybe." We had real details and films of the Hamas Gazan terrorists training. But for some fatal reason, the higher up "experts" didn't take it seriously. Check out the links below, and let me know what you think.

Kan News

How Hamas built a force to attack Israel on 7 October

IDF elite intel officer warned about Hamas attacks, ignored - report

Unfortunately, as someone who made aliyah even before the 1973 Yom Kippur War, I'm not surprised to hear that lookouts had noticed suspicious movements on our southern border in the months before the "surprise" attack on Simchat Torah. And even more worrying and familiar, deja vu, is the fact that these reports were pooh poohed. Making it even worse was that these alert lookouts were threatened with court martial. 

I hope the lookouts are promoted and all those "superior officers" who threatened them be court marshalled, convicted and deprived of their cushy pensions. 

Unfortunately, half a century after the Yom Kippur War, the "conceptzia" still reigns in the IDF and Defense Ministry. Our totally miraculous victory in the 1967 Six Days War was misconstrued as proof that the IDF Israel Defense Forces is the great victor, rather than crediting Gd Almighty for making all the difference and giving us a quick victory. Entering the Sinai, Judea/Samaria/Jordan Valley and Syria for the Golan Heights weren't even Israeli military plans. Think about it.

In 1967 no foreign country "helped" us at all, so we were on a fast track to Gd's miracles. There's no other explanation. Military experts have no other explanation.

Unfortunately, the Israeli military establishment keeps insisting that our victory was due to their military superiority, brains and skills. That's the misconception aka "conceptzia."

We're paying a very heavy price for keeping the same mindset. Our IDF and military upper echelons need a serious overhaul. Knock down that glass ceiling. 

In recent years Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has kept us from destroying Hamas when we have had chances. For the past decade plus we've been plagued with a series of mini-wars aka "operations" which end in what could be described as military impotence. 

Bibi must be replaced from within the coalition. There's lots of talent in Likud. It's time to bring in strong leadership, no more tired old failed policies. It's time for strong leaders to prove their stuff and save the country. 

We need to win this war!!

Ladies, Let's Pray Together on Rosh Chodesh Tevet נשים, נתפלל ביחד

Gd needs to hear our prayers, and we need to pray together in holiest spot in the world for women's prayers. Yes, Ancient Shiloh, where the Biblical Chana prayed for a son. Her son Shmuel Led the Jewish People for many years and then anointed our first two kings, Shaul and David.

Rosh Chodesh Tevet, Wednesday 13-12-2023, 8:30am

תפילת נשים בשילה הקדומה

ראש חודש טבת יום ד' 13\12\2013 ב8:30

Israel Attacked by Hamas 2023/5784, War Musings #11 Bibi Blinked!

Bibi Blinked and Then Stuffed His Ears...

Many years ago, a fellow blogger (who's no longer on the blogging scene) photoshopped Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu's face in the center of a bagel for me. 

More about the image of Bibi in the center of the bagel... This is what I had envisioned over fifteen years ago after hearing Bibi state that when he returns the position of Prime Minister of Israel, he'd promote centrist policies, since he considered it the proper way to be a national leader. This image of a directionless Netanyahu popped into my head. A true leader must have a clear vision חזון. A centrist stands still, or goes in useless circles. When a country stands still it dies. 

In the Center one circles endlessly repeating mistakes, which is exactly what Bibi and his loyal voters have been doing. Why are people surprised? I've been expecting such a war ever since he began his "Hamas has leaned its lesson" and then he'd agree to a ceasefire, until the next round. Making such a mistake once may be understandable, but to endlessly repeat is is beyond stupid. 

To me it was perfectly clear that the "lesson" Hamas was learning was not that Israel's tougher, but it was how to aim their rockets better. And the icing on the cake for them was how quickly Israel would lie to itself and agree to a ceasefire. 

Now we're paying the price. And considering the perverse sadistic cruelty Hamas has unabashedly been showing to the world, I must admit that not even I ever envisioned something so insanely psychopathic. Having grown up post-World War Two and always hearing that there was nothing worse than the Nazis and the Holocaust, I now have no doubt that Hamas is much worse than the Nazis. 

Netanyahu is my age and was raised by a famous academic historian, so how is it that he doesn't see what I see? How can he trust Hamas? Hamas is proud of the carnage, the rape, decapitation, burning of people. They filmed it and broadcast it unabashedly. How can Binyamin Netanyahu trust them enough to negotiate with them? 

If you say "the Americans forced us," then why should we ever listen to such faux deceitful allies? As we used to hear in old cowboy and indian movies, "they speak with forked tongues." Besides that, as an independent country, Israel must do what's best for Israel and not allow other countries to boss us around. We owe nothing to America!!! 

Check your history, and you'll only find tricks. That includes the so call "aid," which is no more than "shopping coupons" to be used in American "stores" to shore up the American military industries and cripple the Israeli economy. 

Shabbat's approaching, and I must return to my chores and get these awful thoughts out of my head...

Israel Attacked by Hamas 2023/5784, War Musings #10, Paraphrasing Truman: The Buck Stops... Where?

I've been relatively polite about Bibi. 

Remember what Harry Truman said: 

"The buck stops here." 

It's clear that Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu, the man who broke all records as longest serving Israeli Prime Minister is very responsible for every failure. And he brought into his war cabinet others responsible, who made the decisions, policies the State of Israel is suffering from. 

Naïve people voted for him, Likud, thinking Bibi's on the patriotic Right, but he's not.

Photo of Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu I took many years ago at the 1st International Bloggers Conference

I'll say one more thing. Even though I don't vote Likud, for reasons I won't get into now though you can search my blog if you're curious, I'm a member of the party and vote in its primaries. Gd willing there will be elections for a new #1, replacement for Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu after we win this war. There are quite a number a talented potential Prime Ministers waiting in the wings. I hope that only one runs against Netanyahu, or even better that he officially retire.

In the meantime I pray that Gd will give our prime minister the wisdom and moral strength to lead us to victory. That is the most important thing right now!

Israel Attacked by Hamas 2023/5784, War Musings #9 Iron Dome Misused, Misconceptions Abound

Here's the text of a Letter to the Editor I wrote to the Jerusalem Post. It's not in today's paper, and I have no idea if they'll publish it later in the week, and if so how much they'll edit out.

Sky Guardians: The Iron Dome's month of miracle defenses - opinion

I was horrified to see Tiran Goldstein-Tweg's featured opinion piece promoting the Iron Dome for the Nobel Peace Prize. Only our enemies could support such an absurdity. 

We're now into month two of the most difficult and dangerous war in Israel's history because of a "conceptzia" meaning misconception due to the misuse of the Iron Dome. 

The Iron Dome should have been used as a first line of defense to protect Israeli citizens while our military fights to destroy our enemies and their military/rocket infrastructure. Instead, the IDF got very lazy and overconfident, yes-- deja vu post 1967 Six Days War. Our military "experts" sic somehow got into the mindset that they could count on the enemy, Hamas plus, to use up their allegedly limited sic rocket supplies while the Iron Dome caught and destroyed the rockets aimed at Israel. 

Even if the Iron Dome was a lot more effective than it has been these past painful weeks, there's another problem, a fatal flaw. For some inexplicable reason the Israeli Government made a foolish agreement with the Americans. Crucial parts of the Iron Dome are produced in the United States. This has two extremely dangerous faults. 

One is that we have to beg the Americans to permit us to resupply, since they have veto power over selling us necessary parts. And we also had to give them our technology. 

Secondly, but more problematic is the fact that by "sharing production" with the Americans, we strengthen their economy while weakening ours, especially the military industry. We can't even sell our own inventions, if they have even the smallest part from the USA, without American permission. 

It's time Israel becomes a truly independent country. Our great victory in 1967 was because we had no human allies, only the Jewish People and Gd Almighty. I remember that war very well. Gd willing our governmental leaders will realize their misconceptions and fight to win and not listen to foreigners who don't care what happens to us. 

Batya Medad, Shiloh

Parshat Shavua Chayei Sara

Israel Attacked by Hamas 2023/5784, War Musings #8 ISRAEL Must Be The One Country Between The River and The Sea!

How did the "Two State Solution" morph into a a policy that demands only one, Gd forbid, the terror state of Palestine sic?

The catchy rhyming slogan "From the River to the Sea Palestine Will be Free" is an innocent sounding euphemism for the destruction, Gd forbid, of the State of Israel

It's time for all those who have been promoting a Palestinian sic state to exist peacefully next to the State of Israel to finally admit to themselves that such a situation is a total impossibility. They've been lying to themselves, Israelis and foreigners alike.

How did the State of Israel get into such a mess? Even our faux Right wing prime minister, Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu publicly drank the Kool-Aid, as the saying goes. I'm impatiently waiting to hear admissions by our politicians, leaders, foreigners, too, that they made a BIG MISTAKE. Unfortunately, naiveté and stupidity are very closely connected. 

About the United States, historically, if you follow policy, not speeches, you'd find that the State Department, which is eternal, though presidents come and go, has always been anti-Israel. Truman vetoed, overrode its instructions when he insisted that the USA vote "yes" for a State of Israel in the United Nations and then quickly recognized it. The Nixon-Kissinger scheming during/before the Yom Kippur War is explained very clearly in Bruce Brill's Deceit of an Ally. 

Biden speaks with "forked tongue," as hypocrites and liars were called in old cowboy and indian movies. He's making suicidal demands on Israel, and I hope Bibi uses his IQ to realize that he's being conned. In the meantime, as long as Israel listens to the USA, we're in increasing danger.

I suggest you do some research and try to find Arab leaders who have officially promoted the "Two State Solution" in Arabic. Have any tried to promote this to other Arabs? Have any accepted the various Two State Peace sic proposals offered?

***

Yesterday the Jerusalem Post published a letter I wrote to them which, davka, gives the key to how that nice mushy liberal-sounding policy evolved into an innocently sounding rhyme which actually demands the destruction, Gd for bid, of the State of Israel. 

Over Shabbat, I read a week of The Jerusalem Post, something I find myself doing most weeks lately. Pretty much every day, there’s an article about what’s happening in American universities. One article mentions an Arab student who says that she wears earrings in the shape of a “map of ancient Palestine,” and she was almost brought to tears because of the negative reactions of Jewish students.

Too bad we couldn’t see the earrings, since there was never an ancient Palestine as a country with its own leadership and government.

I hope that you, Jerusalem Post writers and editors, have been paying attention to the fact that the Arabs aren’t asking for a “two-state solution.” They want “from the river to the sea,” in other words that Israel will cease to be.

Following the Six Day War in 1967, Israel did not use Jewish biblical names for any of the land liberated in the war. It was clear that – hoping for peace in exchange for land – Golda Meir, who served as prime minister from 1969 to 1974, along with her cabinet didn’t want ownership/sovereignty. Instead they referred to “the West Bank,” “shtachim” (“territories”), and “east Jerusalem,” similar to East and West Berlin.

The fact is that to this day, despite the light rail which travels through all sorts of Jerusalem neighborhoods, the unification of Jerusalem is one-sided. Arabs can freely enter, work, shop, even live in Jewish neighborhoods, while Jews are kept out of Arab neighborhoods.

Now, Diaspora Jews and Israelis seem caught by surprise by the massive pro-Hamas “from the river to the sea” demonstrations all over the world.

Since 1967, our leaders have been playing by the wrong rules. By not using our traditional names for the land liberated in 1967 and deciding not to keep God’s gift for us, they’ve told the world that the land isn’t ours. It’s all in the name. Fixing this mistake won’t be easy, but it must be done.

BATYA MEDAD

Shiloh

I must admit that the letters editor did edit my letter quite a bit, which hadn't been written as tightly as it should have been.

Please think about the points I've made. 

It's important to make it clear that being in favor of a Palestinian state is the same as being in favor of the destruction of the State of Israel, Gd forbid. The evil genie is out of the bottle... The Hamas Arabs are unabashedly showing their true stripes. 

I'm interested in your opinions, and please share this post, thanks.

Israel Attacked by Hamas 2023/5784, War Musings #7 *Volunteers Needed to Sort Innocents from Terrorists

 

It may be a "sticky" job...

Israel is under a lot of pressure not to harm "innocent civilians" sic in Gaza, so our government has been sending warnings before bombing. Personally, I think it's a dumb and wasteful way to run a war. Can we really trust the Gazans to sort themselves out accurately? 

The Gazan terrorists may be immoral, perverse and cruel, but it doesn't look like they're stupid. Some terrorists may not want to die, and then they may escape with the innocent civilians leaving empty buildings and then wasting our precious bombs.

Another problem, which some news/Arab experts have alluded to is that the terrorists are abandoning the innocent or non-terrorists in the buildings while they leave and enjoy all the "treats" the world has been sending them.

Because of all the above, I hope that those who really care about making sure that innocent sic Gazans are saved and the terrorists are targeted will be responsible for sorting them out. If not, they only have themselves to blame.

*satire, though I wish that those who worry so much about the possible "innocent civilians" in Gaza would go there and sort everything out.

Israel Attacked by Hamas 2023/5784, War Musings #6 - CONCEPTZIOT Misconceptions Ad Nauseum, Recipe for Disaster

In 1967, Israel's totally miraculous Six Days War victory "rounded out our borders" to sensible and defensible lines. We were finally surrounded by water and mountains, instead of drunken nonsensical indefensible scribbles on a map. But somehow Israel's Leftist rulers turned that victory into defeat, as they made it clear that most of the land liberated, in a totally defensive war, was being offered to the Arabs in exchange for "peace." 

So Sorry We Won, by E. Kishon, Dosh 

Call that "conceptzia" misconception #1. The ridiculous idea that the Arabs could be peace partners, coupled with the dangerous idea that we could defend easily defend another zigzag border was based on the double fantasy that Arabs wanted peace and Jordan wanted them back. The label "Palestinian" for the local Arabs was still pretty new; their identities were more connected to the local city. The local Arabs had never thought themselves a single people. The United Nations and an alphabet soup of NGO's have been working hard over the decades to brainwash them to accept their new identity.

"Conceptzia" misconception #2 was that mighty Israel had done such a great job defeating three Arab armies in 1967 that they'd never want to mess with us ever again. 

Maybe as the dust settled and the fighting ended, the Arabs feared Israel, but as soon as they realized that Israel wasn't interested in playing strong victor, they lost all respect for us.

Due to some perverse Leftist ideology that we could win over our enemies with kindness, security has gone down and Arab terrorism has been rising. Add to that, for some totally fokokt nonsensical reason, Israel's defense policies have been based on some Christian notion, which isn't obeyed by any Christian country, to "turn the other cheek," to passively absorb aggressive blows. And then there's what you can call "Conceptzia" misconception #3, that if an Arab isn't shooting, stabbing he/she must be an innocent sic civilian. 

Instead of being pragmatic and careful the Leftists who still control the IDF, Ministry of Defense, Foreign Ministry, Judicial ad nauseum have been overruling the wishes of the public who vote for parties and politicians who are more REALISTIC aka Right. That's what Judicial Reform is about. Since the Left can't win an election, the justices have decided that they have the right to override/veto laws and decisions voted by Knesset Members who had been elected by Israeli citizens.

That's how Israel has gotten into this war for its very survival. 

WE MUST FIGHT TO WIN! 

Israel Attacked by Hamas 2023/5784, War Musings #5 Hamas is Worse Than The Nazis

 

 Click to watch <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FhUWJrj1Wvk?si=Z8yAhBTzXRnXO5YP" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

As many now say, Hamas is worse than the Nazis were, because the Nazis tried to hide what they did, but but Hamas brags about it. The State of Israel is trying very hard to show the world the truth, but an incomprehensible amount of people, including academics and media, have completely closed their minds to the truth. Also, Dennis Prager and his guest, Dinesh D’Souza,  discuss and prove it. 

The terrorists of Hamas don't pretend to be civilized and cultured. In many cases, they took their victims' and hostages' cellphones to photograph their cruelty and then sent the pictures and movies out on the social media, on the victims' very own personal accounts.

Hamas terrorists aren't freedom fighters! They're out to murder all Israelis, destroy the country and they don't give a hoot how many of their own family die as collateral damage. 

It's worse than shocking how much support Hamas has in the western world, the world that claims to be civilized, freedom-loving and tolerant. OK, I guess they are tolerant when it comes to Arab terrorism against innocent Israelis and Jews.

The pet projects of the Left are somehow heavily coated with "Teflon" and simple facts can't penetrate.  Shockingly there are even Jews who consider Israel guilty. Last week's Jerusalem Post had a daily "life on the campus" op-ed by Jewish students abroad who while describing the heavily anti-Israel atmosphere always inserted a statement "admitting" that Israel was also guilty of crimes/discrimination against its Arabs sic.

Post World War Two for a few decades, there was a feeling that many Germans and their allies were embarrassed by the Nazi atrocities against Jews, and those who weren't tried to stay quiet. Considering the enormous pro-Hamas demonstrations around the world, we're facing very serious danger. You didn't see pro-Nazi demonstrations in the western world during WW2.

I'm interested in your comments, so don't be shy. Also, please share this and the other blog posts in the series, thanks.

Israel Attacked by Hamas 2023/5784, War Musings #4 Pulse of Israel Reports on Hamas Barbarism

I don't know if you've been following the war news on Israeli and unofficial Israeli news and commentary sites.  For sure, you'll find reports that won't be on CNN, BBC, NBC etcetera ad nauseum. 

One of those I recommend is Avi Abelow's PULSE OF ISRAEL. 

Last night I heard what was titled The Hardest Interview I Have Ever Done..., and as difficult as it is to listen to it, it's not something you can turn off. And you shouldn't turn it off. In his words:

In between shifts, I just conducted one of the hardest Pulse of Israel interviews in my life.

Meet Avigail Gimpel who volunteers for the Gush Etzion chevra kadisha. THe chevra kadisha was tasked with preparing the massacred and mutilated bodies, from down South, for a proper Jewish burial.

Her testimony is super critical, as too many media outlets, journalists, online influencers and politicians deny that any massacre took place, while simultaneously believing the blood libel that Israel shot a Gaza hospital which was proven to be a story of lies.

May nobody ever witness what Avigail had to see.

Looking at the photo of them, you'd never guess Avigail Gimpel's volunteer activity, nor the horrendous scenes and tasks she has been doing. Listen, and let her tell you.

You can also listen on Spotify, even the free version. I highly suggest signing up to Pulse of Israel to get all of their news/interviews.

Israel Attacked by Hamas 2023/5784, War Musings #3 With Friends Like These...

 

Report: Biden pressured Israel not to launch attack on Hezbollah

WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE, WHO NEEDS ENEMIES....

I'm not surprised at all. Sometimes I don't like being right, totally on target. I haven't trusted the United States for half a century already...

Biden's no friend of Israel He doesn't want Israel to really win. 

He wants to come in and "rescue" a desperate Israel making it a weak protectorate. 

I've always suspected that it had been Kissinger's dream in 1973. That's the only thing that makes sense. Way back when, in 1973, during the Yom Kippur War, I began being very suspicious of the USA and Kissinger. Later on, from two totally unrelated friends, meaning people who never knew each other, I discovered how the USA  had deceived Israel. Read Bruce Brill's Deceit of an Ally. Kissinger's guilt is my theory.

There are too many strings, conditions and demands to the American "aid." Read the fine print.

We have to fight to win, to destroy Hamas and demand unconditional defeat of the Gazan Hamas terrorists. Nothing else will end this hell/war. Bibi's previous attempts to "quiet things" in recent years were disasters. It was so obvious this sort of thing would happen, though even I never expected such depravity and cruelty.

Israel Attacked by Hamas 2023/5784, War Musings #2 Off With the News

 

For a news junky like myself, such a decision can be called sacrilegious for sure. To be honest, I do check in periodically to get an idea of what's actually happening, but I don't think watching/listening to the "news" is a good idea. 

For one... I find myself yelling:

STUPID! 

THAT'S IDIOTIC

YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS

WHY SHOULD YOU BELIVE THAT CLOWN etc.

Another thing is that I miss the more innocent time pre-cellphone and social media. During the rather devastating 1973 Yom Kippur War, Israeli television was in its infancy and we didn't have one. Many Israelis didn't even have telephones. Computers, tablets and cellphones were from the world of science fiction, definitely make-believe. That innocence kept us saner than today. 

We barely heard accurate news of casualties. There were quick burials and then after the war was over the dead soldiers were reinterred. Only during that difficult postwar time did we discover what really happened. The disadvantage was that instead of celebrating our victory, people mourned. 

Now we're burying, mourning and fighting all at once. In addition there are the stories of soldiers taken from the front to attend their own weddings. It's all rather insane and schizophrenic. I guess it suits the mentality and culture of the day, but it's hard for me.

I think that there's too much said in public, on the news and in private conversations. 

Lastly, too many tv and radio shows are like "backseat drivers." Everyone's so smart, smarter than the government and generals. I also am, but I don't think all this talk should be in the media. You know what they say about loose tongues.

May we listen to Gd and not the Americans! The last time they won a real war was seventy 70 years ago, and they've never even fought a war for their survival. We're the experts and Gd Almighty.

We need Gd's help for sure, and we must work hard to deserve it.

Shabbat Shalom U'Mevorach

Israel Attacked by Hamas 2023/5784, War Musings #1

 

Hamas attacked the innocent civilians in the south of Israel, murdering, mutilating, raping, burning, kidnapping and more just under two weeks ago. 

Israel was taken totally by surprise. The military experts had trusted the fences and technology. And many of the residents, yes, some of those murdered/tortured and more, considered themselves good friends of the Arabs on the other side of the fence. Yes, many of the communities and families hired those very same "friendly Arabs" for industry, housework and all things in between. Survivors recognized their "friends" rampaging in the security camera footage.

I've been writing a lot on facebook, and I've decided that I must blog it, too. 

On Facebook, I've touched on quite a few issues. I'll probably take some of those thoughts and elaborate more on them here.

I presume you're curious about me and what's happening in Shiloh. First of all I must say that Shiloh, bli eyin haraa, hasn't had even one siren. as long as local Arabs stay quiet, we're OK. Most of my kids are in the Jerusalem area, which hasn't been as peaceful.

The first week, many people panic-shopped, and stores were pretty empty. Also, stores which employ Arabs found themselves short-handed. Our two local supermarkets are all local Jewish labor, so they found themselves emptying the storerooms. For me and my husband, who don't need much-- besides the fact that I always have "extra"-- we had all we needed. Then by this week, the store seemed to be fully stocked, business as usual.

I'm very involved with the "senior crowd" here for social and cultural activities. My Tanach/Bible group has been meeting as usual on Google Meet almost daily. I just haven't left Shiloh. There's no need, though maybe next week. Matan began this week on zoom. I'm enjoying the treat of first two weeks for free. I listened to lots of classes. 

After a few days of war, I almost totally stopped listening to the news. Maybe I'll elaborate on that in my next update.

Please ask your questions in the comments.

Unpublished Letters to The Jerusalem Post Re: David Bar-Illan Z"L, Yaakov Katz and David Hazony

Sometimes it seems that everything I write gets into the paper, and then... there are times like this. Last week I wrote two letters to the editor, and neither got published. If you're wondering why I don't try for op-eds, the answer is simple. Way back when, I did try, but I was told that I wouldn't get paid, and I couldn't use the articles in any other format, like my blog. Also, it could take a couple of weeks until they'd decide. Once years before that it took them a couple of months until I discovered my op-ed published. Of course, by the time I'd realize that it was buried, it would be irrelevant, out-of-date. That's when I decided that I'm better of just blogging my thoughts and opinions.

I don't think these two are "irrelevant, out-of-date," so here goes...  What do you think? Please say in the comments and share if you like them, thanks.

https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-759989

What a thrill it was for me to open up the Jerusalem Post Magazine and be greeted by the legendary David Bar-Illan and the familiar and long lamented EYE ON THE MEDIA, although by Gil Hoffman.

I'll never forget hysterically barging into David Bar-Illan's office in the week before Purim, 1996, a time when horrific Arab terror attacks -mostly suicidal bus explosions- were frequently daily, shouting:

"The police are lying!! It wasn't an accident! It was a terror attack!! Either send a reporter to interview me, or give me a computer, and I'll write it up myself."

David quickly ended his phone call, led me to the couch in his office and asked for the story. 

I had been waiting at the bus stop across from Givat Hamivtar, which is now under the lightrail train tracks, to get home to Shiloh, when an Arab terrorist made a sharp right onto the sidewalk, turning left on my foot knocking me down and then mowed down a number of other innocent civilians, murdering one and seriously injuring others. Soldiers suddenly appeared and ordered all who could to run far away, since they suspected that the terrorist's car would be exploding any second.

My foot wasn't yet seriously swollen, so I ran with a neighbor across the street and around the corner to Eshkol Blvd, where I caught a bus towards the Central Bus Station and Terem First Aid. On the bus I heard the radio report in which the police claimed that there had been an "accident" at our bus stop. After being x-rayed at Terem and told that nothing was broken, a friend picked me up and took me to the Jerusalem Post building, where I noticed that David Bar-Illan's office was right by the entrance.

Bar-Illan first made sure I was comfortable with my injured foot properly propped up and then sent a reporter to get my story, which appeared on the next day's front page. Within the next couple of days, I was asked to write it up myself as an op-ed, and he (according to the information Gil Hoffman gives in his article) wrote a full length editorial using the information I had given.

Before ending this reminiscence of David Bar-Illan, I must add that he had another profession and didn't need the stress and aggravation of top Israeli journalism. He was an accomplished concert pianist. That's how I had originally met him, at a salon performance in London.

Batya Medad, Shiloh

https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-760063

Yaakov Katz

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-760000

David Hazony

I hope my mixing of two articles from different parts of the Friday newspaper isn't like mixing meat and milk in a kosher kitchen, but there are similarities in both Yaakov Katz's and David Hazony's articles. They both start out very well, bringing up good points, but then unfortunately both come to the wrong conclusions. 

I'll start with Katz who reminds or informs those who may be ignorant of the fact that even Menachem Begin during his three decades as head of the opposition never lambasted the Government of Israel when abroad, no matter how much he protested their policies while in Israel and no matter how badly he was treated, including during the pre-state period. Begin was well-known for his dignified and patriotic behavior. This was even after Begin's supporters had been attacked by the Palmach when the Altalena was approaching port with arms to be used for the defense of the nascent State of Israel. Begin reacted in tears; he didn't call for a reprisal attack. Such a total difference between Menachem Begin and Israel's opposition, which is calling for rebellion, for blood --I trust you've heard what Ehud Barak and others have been saying. There is no excuse for the outrageous anti-Israel/Netanyahu protests and media campaign even abroad. They are playing into the hands of our most dangerous enemies. I don't understand how Katz doesn't totally condemn them.

Now for David Hazony... He really starts off well, very well in describing his participation in anti-Oslo protests. Hazony mentions something which really caught my attention. 

I was active in opposing Oslo. I attended the infamous Zion Square rally in 1995 in which posters I never saw apparently depicted Rabin in an SS uniform. This became a big scandal after the fact, one that didn’t diminish when the posters were retroactively downgraded to leaflets. Nor was the rally a platform of incitement, the way it has been depicted in the official history. Did anyone call Rabin a “traitor”? Yes; a small group of hyperventilating youths shouted it out – and were then immediately told off by the speakers on the balcony, including Netanyahu. But if one should judge a protest by the stupidest words of its fringe, today’s movement is no better.

The notorious "Rabin poster" was neither central to the demonstrations nor noticeable. Just to remind people that Avishai Raviv, the Shabak agent who had been involved with Right wing youth during that time, may very well had been involved.

I relate to and agree with Hazony's article until he starts "If today’s protest movement turns tragic –"

For some inexplicable reason, he coats today's  anti-government protests with Teflon when they have crossed every single red line in a true democracy. The anti-government protests aren't simply anti-Judicial Reform. Don't be naive. Read the slogans. Listen to their leaders. It's not the young powerless "fringe"  calling for blood. It's the adult leaders, those you'd expect to be responsible for reigning in the extremists.

They want to undo/override the legal elections and veto democracy. Democracy is about numbers. If you can't pull together a coalition of more than half, minimally 61 Knesset Members, then you've lost the election. 

The leaders of this protest movement have lots of money to fund their protests, but they don't have the votes. Democracy is about votes. So the truth is that they are anti-democracy, contrary to their slogans. They've attempted to redefine democracy to make it a synonym of "progressive" political ideology.

Yaakov, David, you both disappoint me. Spit out the Kool Aid and look at the facts.

Batya Medad, Shiloh בתי'ה

Israeli Democracy? Justice? Are You Confused?

Let's start with the easy stuff.

What's Democracy?

I decided to "printscreen" what professor google says about democracy,
so you can trust that I didn't edit/distort the meaning

There's nothing about Right/Left or Conservative/Liberal. It's in the numbers.

Democracy is broadly understood to mean ‘rule by the people’. In practice, it is often defined as people choosing their leaders in free and fair elections. 

Our World in Data

Democracy means that the country's leadership isn't decided in the street.

There are elections.

A democratic government is not chosen by who makes the loudest, most annoying and dangerous demonstrations. Nor does it give priority to people shouting in the street over legal elections.

Now, back to what has been going on in Israel. In the past half a decade plus, we've had multiple elections that ended without a new ruling coalition, and we haven't had a coalition/government that lasted its full term. 

Political parties which had dominated and ruled during the first few decades of the country no longer receive enough votes to be in the Knesset or if they are in, they are anorexic shadows of what they once were. This has been difficult for their supporters to accept. They and their parents, and in some cases grandparents, never liked the Netanyahu family, and they like the Revisionist founders of Herut/Likud even less. This is what is behind the irrational hatred of Binyamin Netanyahu. Remember that the demonstrations had actually begun during Netanyahu's previous terms as Prime Minister. 

We can't ignore the trials against Netanyahu. Even though years and much too much money have been invested in trying to convict him, the chances are nil. That's because they're trumped up charges, to put it mildly. Please ignore the unintended pun. If Bibi was really guilty of corruption, then it wouldn't have been hard to convict him, since the judges don't like him. 

To sum it up, the "anyone but Bibi" movement, along with the anti-Judicial Reform has nothing to do with his competence or honesty. It's the fading Left's attempt to override democratic elections and rule by street mobs with the help of the Leftist Supreme Court Judges.

Yes, the truth is that the opposition are those who are antidemocracy!

About That Golda Movie and American Friendship sic

 

photo taken in Yad Veshem
בכל דור ודור
In every generation

I understand that many viewers think it's like a documentary. 

We had made aliyah three years before the war and were living in Bayit Vegan at the time. 

It didn't take me long to be very suspicious of the Americans, especially Kissinger. Time has only strengthened these feelings. 

Does the movie show Golda asking Kissinger why the Americans told Israel that there was nothing to worry about, when there had been unusual activity on the Egyptian front? She should have asked Kissinger, and she shouldn't have been so naïve as to trust him. 

Nixon sent him, knowing that Kissinger could easily con the Israelis. This is what I've suspected ever since the war was going on. 

Around thirty years ago, an old friend called from the states and told me that a friend of hers had been in the American Army in 1973. That August he was stationed in Germany and they were suddenly confined to base. Later on they were given desert equipment, still confined to base. Only after Israel miraculously and unexpectedly defeated the Arabs, their status changed. That really made me think that something stank.

Bruce Brill's book, Deceit of an Ally, only confirmed my suspicions. I highly recommend that you read Brill's book, his memoirs of the the Yom Kippur War while working for American National Security Agency (NSA.) 

Every time I hear an Israeli Government official or some commentator blithely state that America is Israel's closest ally, friend, etcetera, all I can think is with friends like that we don't need enemies.

I remember the 1967 Six Days War well and have studied Israel's earlier history. It's very clear that our greatest victories were without any human or diplomatic help. It was very obvious and clear to me in 1967 that The USA was happy to stay on the sidelines, dumb--meaning mute--not saying a word against the countries trying to destroy Israel. And in 1973 during the Yom Kippur War, the USA was trying to create a military stalemate and get Israel to beg to become a protectorate. Kissinger was then slated to be the first "caretaker," military governor or whatever they or he had been planning to call the position. 

And about recent decades, please don't tell me that America gives Israel "aid." It gives Israel BUY IN AMERICA shopping coupons. which strengthen (subsidizes) American military industries and cripples/restricts Israel's. There are all sorts of "strings" connected to these gifts. The IDF Israel Defense Forces has become a sort of drug addict, addicted and dependent on these American products instead of producing and marketing our own. Even worse, our brilliant technology is used by the Americans which they use to control us.

Please think about it. Maybe I sound crazy, but as it's said:

Even paranoids can have enemies!

Rosh Chodesh Elul Soon... ראש חודש אלול מתקרב...

Women's Rosh Chodesh Prayers at Tel Shiloh, the genuine location of Ancient Shiloh, where the Tabernacle stood for 369 years and Chana prayed for a child. The Jewish Laws for prayer are based on how Chana prayed. 

 

In addition to the prayers, visit Shiloh Hakeduma, which is a lovely archeological site. Contact information: 02-5789111 visit@telshilo.org.il.

There are lots of activities for visitors of all ages. It's also possible to travel by public transportation, as it's a five minute walk from Shiloh Junction 461, 462, 464, 466 and 467.

The Street vs Democracy-- FOLLOW THE MONEY

 

screenshot from Channel 14 News
Last night's antigovernment demonstration

It seems like the whole world has heard that the legally, democratically elected Israeli Government has passed a very necessary law to reform the judiciary, which has set itself up as the alternative government vetoing laws. The judiciary is very political. One law for the Left and another for the Right.

To be perfectly honest and accurate the demonstrations predate the present government's bill for judicial reform. 

For those trying to understand the basic issue here in Israel. Very simple. Judges have put themselves above the parliament and rule according to their opinions and ideologies, rather than laws. They have declared themselves above the law with rights to veto according to their personal feelings aka reasonableness. They can perpetuate their politics by choosing their successors. Basically this has disenfranchised the voters and made a farce out of elections. Yes, the judges and their supporters are the antidemocracy group.

Israel is a parliamentary democracy. We vote for political parties. After most elections, the leader of the party that has received the most votes manages to negotiate a coalition with other parties which has more than half of the 120 Members of Knesset. The Likud has gotten the most votes/seats in most recent elections including the November, 2022 elections, in which he and a few other political parties campaigned as a block promising to form a stable coalition. That's what happened, so therefore according to Israeli law and democracy Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu is the legal Prime Minister of the State of Israel. 

For the past few years, definitely predating those recent elections, there has been a well-funded movement to push Bibi out of his number one position in Likud and out the office of Prime Minister. It's called "ANYONE BUT BIBI." For years when he had previously been PM, including the COVID lockdown, there had been weekly demonstrations near the official prime minister's residence calling for Bibi's ouster. This was hell for the neighbors, since the courts/judges insisted that in their superior wisdom, the demonstrators' rights trumped theirs. And when during the COVID lockdown schools, synagogues and many places of work had been forced to be closed, the judges decided that demonstrations must continue...

There was quiet during the year that Naftali Bennett's government stood, which continued when it fell and Yair Lapid was interim Prime Minister. Since Netanyahu returned to office not only have the demonstrations returned bigger and better equipped than before, but their spokespeople/leaders have become louder and more outrageous. Led by two former disgraced Prime Ministers, Ehud Olmert* and Ehud Barak** we now hear unabashed calls for rebellion and refusal to serve in the IDF. This is treason, no less. They are basically calling on the Israeli public to destroy the country. But the courts are in their favor and find nothing wrong.

These antigovernment demonstrations are very expensive to run. Who's funding them? It's no secret that money is coming from abroad, and some of that money has been traced to the American Government. Administrations led by Democrat Party Presidents do not like working with Netanyahu. Obama couldn't find his famous smile when posing with Bibi.

It's clear that there's something very dirty going on. These demonstrations, riots etc. have nothing to do with wanting democracy for the State of Israel. The leaders are bamboozling their followers with slogans. The street isn't democracy. Let's find out who's really behind this.

FOLLOW THE MONEY

*Olmert had spent time in jail convicted on corruption charges. 

**Barak is known to have been a good friend of disgraced Jeffrey Epstein, besides other problematic relationships

History of Jordan and Palestine in a Nutshell

 

A little history...

East of these mountains I can see from my house is Jordan...

Here's the very short history of Jordan. It was invented by Britain when they were looking for someone to hold onto the eastern part of the Mandate. The entire Mandate was supposed to become a Jewish State. So the Brits imported a foreign sheik, Abdulla and made up the "Kingdom of Jordan."

Then they and their buddies in the newly formed UN decided that the Jews should share what was left with another Arab "nation", as if Abdulla wasn't Arab. They drew a map, which resembled blood splatter, and told the Jews, grandparents and parent of those rioting against Bibi, that they could have the splotches while the rest would go to the "palestinians." And that's how that "nation" was born.

Rosh Chodesh Av Women's Prayers Tel Shiloh

Ladies, join us for Rosh Chodesh Prayers at Holy Shiloh. Yes, the same Shiloh as mentioned in the Bible where Chana prayed for a son, where the Mishkan, Tabernacle stood for 369 years. Yes, it predated the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

Ancient Shiloh is the archeological site at the Tel. There are lots of things to see and do for all ages, a movie, museum, hologram and lots more. For more information 02-578-9111 or visit@telshilo.org.il.

Listening to the Heart of Genesis: A Contemplative Path, A Book Review

As many of you may know, I've been studying Tanach/Bible for many years here in Shiloh, also Matan and more recently classes on the internet on Torah in Motion among other places. When an old friend, with whom I've recently reestablished contact decided I must read Listening to the Heart of Genesis: A Contemplative Path, by Leila Gal Berner, I agreed. Soon after the book arrived in our local postal box.

Honestly, I had no idea what to expect, since she's a Reconstructionist rabbi, and that's not my Judaism.  But I didn't let that stop me from reading the book. Tanach study, theology and Torah observance aren't of the same Jewish genres. I figured that worse comes to worse I can always say that I disagree with her approach. And to be perfectly honest, if I couldn't say anything nice, I wouldn't say anything in public.

The truth is that I enjoyed Listening to the Heart of Genesis: A Contemplative Path very much. Reading it was like studying with a friend, sharing words of Chazal, the Sages and personal opinions about the text with friends. I participate in learning groups, and some of the classes I attend are very participatory, so I felt very comfortable listening/reading Leila Gal Berner's interpretations and quotations from the sages. 

I think that Listening to the Heart of Genesis: A Contemplative Path is a wonderful way to get to know Bereishit, Genesis, the first book of the Bible. I certainly learned a lot. I don't consider myself a Bible scholar even though I've been learning Bible for many years; it's an enormous collection of books of various genres. It's clear that Leila Gal Berner is very knowledgeable about the Bible including classical commentaries. 

One of the reasons I can recommend Leila Gal Berner's Listening to the Heart of Genesis: A Contemplative Path is that in the early days of the Shiloh Elementary School children were taught the Bible according to a rarely used method. They were told to read the straight text and discuss it to understand it. They weren't taught any of the classical, standard commentaries. Too often people, even adults mistakenly quote midrash/commentary thinking that it's written in the Bible. This almost never happens with those who were first taught pshat, the straight text, and encouraged to find ways to make it comprehensible themselves, or in discussion with others. I must admit that people sometimes roll their eyes at my interpretations, which I'm never shy about voicing, but then again I'm not shy at telling people that the Biblical example they're voicing is just a midrash and not written in the Bible.

Genesis is just the first book of the Bible; there's so much for all of us to learn. If you're learning in a language other than Hebrew, try to get the most accurate Jewish translation, not anything modern or politically edited.

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cascade Books (February 4, 2021)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 278 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1498205925
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1498205924