War Musings #72: Was Mao Right About the USA Being A "Paper Tiger?"

Honestly, I'm not surprised and definitely not happy. News is that Trump is trying to "negotiate a deal." I was planning on blogging about US President Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Bibi as too weak to win, especially because they think it's enough to bomb Iran. Also, or especially since Trump keeps promising the Americans "no boots on the ground." I really wonder why the American have and train and invest in "ground forces" when the only ground they cover is when on parade.

It reminds me of Communist China's Mao Tse-Tung saying that the United States is a "paper tiger." I was a young girl in elementary school when I first heard it, and barely a decade after World War Two it seemed so bombastic and false. But now close to seventy years later, when 1960 hippies and the even worse younger generations are running the USA, it's definitely on target. Think about it. If the American Army doesn't fight, they're no better than toy soldiers. It's a game, a sham.

I've been in Israel since 1970; it was my choice, my ideology. Our army the IDF is no game. Our soldiers, mostly reservists, students, teachers, businessmen, craftsmen, taxi drivers, shop owners, salesmen, repairmen, writers, singers, actors, doctors, nurses, therapists... fathers, sons, grandparents, neighbors and don't forget all the women... Israeli soldiers aren't just Jewish; there are even Arabs, Bedouin, yes, a totally representative group of Israelis and even others. We're a small country, and we need help from all to defend it. We also need victory, a true, total absolute victory... not some sort of deal negotiated by some foreigners who won't pay for their failure.

I've been studying Tanach, the Bible for quite a few years already, though I'm far from being an expert. One message that repeats in Navi Prophets, Isaiah Chapter 31 יְשַׁעְיָהוּ:

"1 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many, and in horsemen, because they are exceeding mighty; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!"

That should be remembered and followed. If Binyamin Netanyahu doesn't have the emotional and spiritual strength to lead us to lead us to victory, then he should resign. US President Donald Trump is not our savior; he's more the "paper tiger" Mao belittled seventy years ago. The American military is not the same as those who fought in World War Two, and remember that even then America didn't "enter the war" until attacked. They didn't fight for justice; they fought to save their honor. And they didn't blow up the rail lines that took European Jewry to the Death Camps. That wasn't a priority for them. Only after Nazi Germany surrendered did they show any interest... 

Gd is waiting for us, and in the meantime, He has saved so many, by controlling most of the missiles to miss civilians, not all, but most. Thank Gd. It's time we fight as strong Jews sovereign in our own Holy Land.

War Musings #71 Real Life Under Attack

 

My simple battery alarm clock

I first posted this as a "rant" on my Facebook page and then realized that it needs wider exposure. I know that some people won't agree with me. I want to make it clear that we don't have a "safe room" certified shelter in our house, but our house was built relatively well, double outer walls and a ceiling prepared for a second floor. My husband and I are both "elderly" and don't run out of the house when there's a siren. We go to inner walls away from windows, but when sleeping in bed... we rarely do more than cover ourselves. Sorry that's the truth and the situation with many people I know, even if their homes are more fragile than ours.

Another important point is that the alerts, which come by cellphone, are 5-10 minutes before a missile may reach our area. Most of the time, even when followed by a siren 5-10 minutes later, the missile was destroyed by the Iron Dome. And many of the missiles would have landed miles and miles away. 

"Last night's "alerts" were the last straw for me. I had gone to sleep early because of total physical and emotional exhaustion, but a couple of hours later I was awaken by a serial of alerts via my cellphone. Except for Shabbat and Jewish holidays, it's kept on -not just during the war- and within grabbing distance of my bed. It's also set with an alarm for those super rare nights I sleep late.

The alerts we get are supposed to give us time to get to a "safe" location, just in case the "sighted" missile may land nearby; if there actually is a missile close by the siren will shrill. A very high percentage of the warnings are NEVER followed by a siren. So last night I was woken for no reason at all. None of the sensed missiles ended up near Shiloh. We weren't actually in danger.

That's it for me. I plan on turning off my phone at night and turning on my simple battery alarm clock. When I wake in the morning, I'll turn on my phone."

War Musings #70 When Will Israel Wake Up?

 

Honestly, I'm just so terribly tired of these endless wars, ending in various versions of "ceasefires," far removed from victories. We beg for a ceasefire, and then Prime Minister Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu makes a bombastic speech about having mowed them down so they won't attack again. But SURPRISE SURPRISE SURPRISE!  They do attack again, from the north, from the south, from Iran.... You know I'm right. I've totally lost track of the amount of wars/attacks on us in the almost twenty years of Bibi's rule. 

Don't you remember that less than a year ago we had a "thing" with Iran to rid them of their nuclear capabilities, and then suddenly it was over, and we heard Bibi's usual proud bragging promises... and now?  Come on... they've never surrendered. They were just planning the next one, and that's what we're suffering from right now. For the past two plus weeks, day and night, we have no idea when we have to make a run for it, whether down stairs, a few blocks away or in a "safe corner" in our home. Innocent Israelis, young and old, have been murdered, injured, orphaned by the country that we had been told by our Prime Minister was no longer a danger to us. In addition Hizbolla is now attacking Israel from the north... 

Do you think that our neighbors fear us, even while the USA has joined in, especially when U.S. President Trump and Bibi have said over and over and over that they won't take over Iran. 

"No boots on the ground..."

So our enemies are biding their time and planning their next moves... meaning aggressions, even if they take a break aka ceasefire. Do you know what the Arabs call a "ceasefire?" Rearming, yup, we've known that for a long time.

Yup, I'm finding this very upsetting, very frustrating. I'm disgusted with the government, and the opposition is even worse. Sorry, but I can't think of one politician, in or out of the coalition, who seems capable of winning a war. The good or better ones in the coalition are terrified to say anything that would anger Netanyahu who can't abide any criticism.

Gd willing a miracle will happen, and there will be someone with the guts of Arik Sharon in 1973. He won the Yom Kippur War by refusing to obey government orders. The Americans were very angry... 

Rosh Chodesh Nissan-- Pesach Can't Be Avoided

This year, even before the first Iranian missile was launched at Israel, I kept thinking that "a month after Purim will be Pesach, and I had better start preparing." 

Purim and Pesach are a month apart... On Rosh Chodesh Adar we had a nice group of women praying together on  Ancient Tel Shiloh, and obviously we hadn't a clue what would noisily herald the joyous holiday... missiles from Modern Persia aka Iran.

None of us can accurately predict the future, even less than a month from now. Nor can we predict what will be on Rosh Chodesh Nissan in less than two weeks. We've prayed together during other wars and COVID restrictions, so we're planning on our usual prayers on Rosh Chodesh Nissan. Any "adjustments" will be announced immediately before, so please plan on joining us for Women's Rosh Chodesh Prayers in Ancient Shiloh. If you have any questions, email shilohmuse@gmail.com 

Tel Shiloh is an amazing archeological site with activities for all. For more information 02-578-9111 or  visit@telshilo.org.il.

Please pray for a total, indisputable VICTORY