Israeli Elections Musings #8 The Undecideds' 4th Discussion, Listen

Last night we, the Undecideds, had our fourth discussion weighing the options of which party to vote for as elections get sooner. Pre 2026 Israeli Elections, the important legal steps have been done. Each party has entered its list of candidates, and pairs of parties that have made their surplus votes agreements. 

Actually in our pretalk discussions, I had mentioned that I'd like to discuss these partnership choices, and the organizer, Jonathan Feldstein of the Genesis 123 Foundation, included the issue in the topics discussed. Considering that Israeli governments are coalitions, I feel that the surplus votes agreement may be a hint as to possible a coalition agreement. Davka I wonder if there's such a clue in the agreement made between Avigdor Lieberman and Naftali Bennett. Lieberman is a very veteran experienced MK plus government minister, though in recent years he as been in the opposition. Naftali Bennett is the one who broke Netanyahu's run as repeat caretaker/interim Prime Minister, a role given to the most recent Prime Minister when a coalition seems impossible to negotiate after elections. Bennett shocked all by negotiating a coalition making him Prime Minister, even though his party only had seven 7 out of a hundred and twenty 120 seats in the Knesset. 

We still have over a month to go before that fateful day when we must vote/decide. Gd willing we'll be meeting again on zoom. I enjoy the discussions, as we don't agree on general policies and party choice. I hope you listen to our discussion on the youtube and let me know what you think. I'd really like to know your opinions. 

 If you want to listen to our earlier discussions, here they are 1, 2 and 3. Just click the number.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Hamas/Gaza War Musings #68: Trump's Deals, Deja Vu 1960s "Give Peace a Chance"

 

I'm going to be very blunt. US President Donald Trump's "deals" with perverse, vicious, violent countries and especially terrorists remind me of the totally unrealistic, wacky 1960's slogan and Lennon-Ono song/philosophy Give Peace A Chance. 

I thought it was stupid when all the rage in the time of the "hippies," and life in the past close to six decades has only reinforced my doubts. 

Trump, Bibi Netanyahu and I are all about the same age. We came to age in the 1960s. I rejected the philosophic fads of the time adopting a Torah Observant life and Zionism. None of the popular philosophies attracted me. It didn't bother me that my fellow students in Great Neck North thought I was really strange. I thought they were. I'm not a follower, but most people are-- including the popular ones like Trump and Bibi... obviously. That's how it seems to me.

This post is short. I'm not wasting words. Vicious terrorist enemies must be defeated, destroyed. They won't change if you're nice to them; they'll just think you're a sucker.

What do you think, really think? Do you think that Trump's deals can bring peace?

Hamas/Gaza War Musings #64: Nu? Where's The Victory? Has It Flown Away?

 

I had used this photo for the 52frames Fluid album. 

At the time of the terrible surprise attack on October 7, 2023, all the murders, perversions, kidnappings done to innocent Israelis, visitors and foreign workers, Israel was totally unprepared, militarily and emotionally. That must be especially said of many of the victims and southern communities, who had been proudly in the "peace camp," believing that their kindness and generosity to local Arabs, especially including Gazans, trying to prove that we had nothing to fear from those Arabs. What a shock to them when many of those very Arabs came proudly as Hamas terrorists, joining enthusiastically in the murderous terror. Some of the attacked communities didn't even have weapons for self-defense. They didn't think such a thing necessary.

To make matters worse, it took much longer than it should have for the IDF to get its act together and begin the difficult defensive war for Israel's very survival. Israel's leaders, too, have been hypnotized/brainwashed by the misconception that we weren't in danger from the south, from Gaza. I have my theories on why that happened, but it's not for now.

Since Hamas began the war against Israel on October 7, 2023, over a thousand IDF soldiers and police have been killed, besides the approximately 1,200 murdered by Hamas Gazans in the various attacks/pogroms/massacres on that first black day. 

Within a few months, miraculously for sure, it looked like we were on the way to an amazing victory, but then... things changed, and instead of being strong confident victors Prime Minister Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu began looking rather pathetic trying to get approval and praise from foreign leaders who had been growing more critical and demanding with every concession he made. 

While groups of Israelis organized returns to their former homes in Gaza, Bibi pledged in the United Nations and the United States Congress that we had no plans of settling in Gaza. To show his seriousness, every few months he'd destroy Jewish communities in Judea/Samaria. If someone counted all the Jewish homes he has destroyed in his close to twenty years as Prime Minister, it probably rivals those Menachem Begin and Arik Sharon destroyed. Yes, in case you're wondering, all were elected on the Likud slate as Prime Minister. It makes you wonder; doesn't it?

And how has been going for Israel militarily? At one point it was looking good, but instead of fighting to victory, Bibi did his usual... nothing. Simply put, negotiation isn't his strong point. Bibi specializes in hypnotizing oratory. 

After almost twenty years as Prime Minister, too many Israelis can't imagine anyone else in the role. Yes, even those who agree that the situation is terrible, and that Israel has made many mistakes are terrified of losing Netanyahu. I just don't understand them. We've all heard:

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.

Do they really think that continuing with the same leader will improve things? I also like to remind people of what US President Harry Truman liked to say:

The Buck Stops Here!

Bibi can only blame himself, and we Israelis -Right, Left and Center- must admit that for us to see a true, total VICTORY, which we need for our very survival, we need new leadership, from top to bottom, from Right to Left and Left to Right. The Opposition is no more competent than the Government. They haven't proposed anything that will help. They just want to destroy Netanyahu. I wish they'd use their power and enthusiasm against Hamas, against our enemies. They are worse than the Likud. They haven't proposed VICTORY any more frequently than Bibi.

You're probably asking whom do I propose can take over... for that please wait, though you're welcome to propose people in the comments.

Hamas/Gaza War Musings #60: "Peace Plan"? You Must Be Joking!

 

Simply put: Prepare more cemeteries. Yes, I see things, political and security decisions in black and white. And I look at the big picture, too. 

Does this "deal" promote long term Israeli security? NO!

There's lots of wishful thinking, with a big popular distraction. I'm sure you can guess what the distraction is, sort of like coating poison with your favorite ice cream... That's the return of all the hostages live and dead. 

Of course the chances are that the dead ones won't be well-preserved bodies. There will be bones, body-parts of humans -hostages and Gazans- mixed with animals. It will take months at best to identify them. I'm not kidding. The scientific experts who had worked so hard on identifying those murdered on Simchat Torah, aka October 7th, two years ago, whose body parts were left in situ, are probably gathering their white coats and equipment to start all over again. I wouldn't be surprised if they find some "parts" of the victims they identified previously mixed in with the holy mess Hamas is preparing for us.

I hate to be a killjoy, but I'm a realist, a pragmatist. As much as I wish I could be hypnotized to discover what my maternal grandfather spoke to me about when I was a three year old, before he passed away, I doubt that hypnosis would work on me.

I see so many holes in this deal/plan that it's more like a window with a thin modernistic frame.

Israel/Bibi shouldn't have accepted it before Hamas, the Gazan terrorists had agreed to give up their arms. Bibi doesn't know how to negotiate; he's too concerned about being liked. And he doesn't understand that the smiles he's getting are mocking not admiring. Trump played him...

Gd willing the hostages will really be released and not held while the terrorists demand more Israeli concessions. 

I pray that somehow Bibi Netanyahu will be out of politics in all ways, along with his devoted followers. We need true, brave, sovereign Israeli leadership, a government that takes Israel's needs first as a country. Gd willing....

Honestly, until I see all of our hostages home, I can't be joyful, I can't believe it possible/probable.

But one thing for sure, this isn't the end of the war... Of course, you can and should pray that I'm mistaken...

Hamas/Gaza War Musings #58: A "Deal" Won't Bring Peace-- Just More War

 

This plan/deal Bibi and Trump are cooking up won't bring Israel peace. It's a Trojan horse. It will only leave Israel more vulnerable than before. It doesn't take care of the real problem and leaves us even more dependent on the United States. I'm a realist, a pragmatist.

The key to peace is settling the Land, not policing it with new businesses. Donald Trump isn't in the real world of war and Bibi, our failed Prime Minister has never had the guts to really lead. He's just a master of oratory.

At first I was going to simply say that Bibi should have stayed in America and not returned. For those who either don't remember or are too young to know, Bibi had started a very successful career in the USA where he had gone to high school and university. He even changed his name to Ben Nitay.

A few years after his brother Yoni was killed in the legendary Entebbe rescue, he returned to Israel and his name. Then the more I thought about it, I realized that staying in the USA wouldn't have been a good idea. He'd be worse to Israel than Kissinger was. Henry Kissinger had tried to get Golda Meir to follow American "advice" during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, which would have left us in a dangerous position. The Americans had been hiding their involvement with the "surprise*" attack on Israel. Even then, during that war I had suspected that Nixon and Kissinger had planned for Israel to reach a stalemate, not a victory. Then they'd come in and take over. They were sure that Kissinger could control Golda and the rest of the government. He was "one of us;" wasn't he? Couldn't a Jew convince them?

We must stop consulting with foreign rulers. They won't give us peace!

*Bruce Brill's memoir of the Yom Kippur War when he was with the NSA spills the beans about American involvement and passed censorship.

Hamas/Gaza War Musings #54: VICTORY NOW! Bibi, Stop Your Games!

 

This is what I wrote last night. Maybe it's not polished enough, but it's the truth. 

Gnite

Sometimes being too smart isn't smart at all. No doubt Bibi Netanyahu can memorize things better than me. He's a great orator with an impressive voice and can charm people. No doubt that his IQ is phenomenal. I'm not any of that, but I see the bottom line and the big picture.

It's clear that as Prime Minister Bibi hasn't a clue as to what it means to win this war for our very survival. Clever daring things like the beeper attack or assassinations of terror leaders don't make for a victory. It's like putting a few chocolate chips on a cake and calling it icing.

The fokokt woke warnings before bombing, feeding the enemy and other ridiculous "humanitarian" #$%#$ just make us look guiltier and utterly idiotic. That's besides wasting our weapons on empty buildings and making us into laughing stocks. Gaza Arab terrorists have started about a dozen wars since Bibi became PM. Just because he refuses to call them wars, doesn't mean they aren't. Or simply say that this one has been going on since Disengagement and has only gotten worse since Bibi took over. Not only haven't we destroyed the enemy, gotten them to surrender, but they've gotten progressively stronger and more confident. Our idiotic generals, who've been sent to "war college" in the USA failed in real life. They totally misread the signs before October 7, 2023 and chastised the young female observers who insisted that the Arabs were planning an attack. Bibi's responsible as Prime Minister along with all the IDF's upper echelons. I'm a pragmatist. Look at the facts, not theories nor dreams.

Gd willing a better tomorrow.

Twenty Years Since Disengagement- Deja Vu- The Elephant in The Room

From my blog post Opening Old Wounds, Disengagement, Part 1

There have been so many articles and youtube videos about Disengagement in the media. They mention all aspects of it, and I didn't notice any claiming that it had been a good policy decision. Thank Gd for that. 

I wrote a "letter to the editor" to the Jerusalem Post concerning the articles I had read in the paper and the magazine. This post is based on that letter which, as of today, hadn't been published. 

I was very pleased/impressed by the great variety and quantity of articles in last Friday's paper about twenty years since Disengagement, but maybe I missed something. It's a very big elephant in the room, especially for someone who has lived in Israel since 1970. I'm referring to Menachem Begin's "Camp David Accords," which is to blame for Israel's withdrawal from the Sinai and the total destruction of all Israeli communities, Yamit and others there. Disengagement was clearly modeled on it, and both Begin and Arik Sharon were Prime Ministers from the Likud. Yes, just like the Likud elections slogan: "Only the Likud Can Do It." Voluntarily destroying Jewish communities, especially agricultural ones, had been a "red line" for the Labor Party. 

Close to a half century after Menachem Begin proudly announced his "achievement," I still consider it the most insanely dangerous decision in Israeli history. As we've seen since then, Israel doesn't know how to negotiate wisely. Why didn't he insist on keeping all of the moshavim and towns in Sinai as proof of peace?

Menachem Begin, Ariel Sharon and Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu were/are plagued/cursed with a desire to show the world that they're reasonable moderates and as a result they do what they consider "diplomatic," generous endangering the security and existence of the State of Israel. 

I'll never forget Begin's speech afterward the withdrawal/destruction of Jewish communities in which he claimed that the remaining and new Israeli communities in Gaza and nearby would be forever, fully recognized forever by the world as part of Israel. 

Gush Katif was to be the replacement of the Sinai for Jewish settlement. For example, Neve Dekalim was named for the destroyed Moshav Dikla. 

Twenty plus years ago, I was incredulous that the anti-Disengagement organizers didn't use Begin's speech in the campaign. I tried to contact them about it but failed.

Tzachi Hanegbi, whose mother Geula Cohen left the Likud over the withdrawal, described the agreement as the precedent for legitimizing Disengagement.

For many of us, the scars of Begin's Sinai withdrawal have only gotten more prominent with Disengagement and Bibi's unending destruction of Jewish communities throughout Judea and Samaria.

Hamas/Gaza War Musings #50: Deja Vu, Yet Again-- Will Israel Ever Learn?

This post is based on my last night's "Gnite" on Facebook. That's a message I write most nights before going to sleep. Sometimes I haven't a clue what my fingers are going to type out, and sometimes I find myself elaborating on what has been filling my head, generally something to do with the WAR.

I think it's extremely important to remember that Israel's WAR FOR SURVIVAL has a number of fronts. From what I understand, the northern front is now quiet. But what does that mean? Did our enemies surrender?

Just a few weeks ago Israel decided that the time had come to try to destroy Iran's nuclear development, which seemed impossible, since we don't have strong enough bombs to go deeply enough. Also Iran immediately began bombing Israeli cities, and our Iron Dome and other defensive "machinery" only partially prevented destruction and death in Israeli cities. After the USA completed the bombing of Iran's nuclear development center, utilizing the damage that Israel had accomplished. This front also quieted down without anything that could be called a surrender by Iran.

Now Israel has returned to fighting in Gaza, Deja Vu.

Early in the war, I'd read in the newspapers and internet interviews with IDF reservists on the southern front who'd say it's the second, third or fourth time ... or more, they've battled and taken over the same sections of Gaza. After each of the previous wars, Bibi who was usually (or always) Prime Minister at the time, would declare that we "won," and the Gazans/Hamas/or whatever you want to call them had been stopped and "know that we're stronger." Then we'd leave, the terrorists would return and within a year or two or three, they'd attack us yet again.

Of course 20 years ago, when Arik Sharon ordered Disengagement, we were told that if the Arabs dared to attack us ... we'd be back. Obviously that was a very empty threat.

In the past twenty years, since the Israeli Government destroyed Gush Katif and turned thousands of hardworking Israelis into refugees, destroyed homes and successful businesses, we've been attacked, bombed, suffered rocket attacks and then the perverse, violent, murderous massacre and kidnapping on October 7, 2023. Arik's Disengagement failed completely.

How many wars and how many dead Israelis will it take for Bibi to get/comprehend the message? We need a TOTAL VICTORY. The enemy must surrender. It's suicidal to make a "deal" with those terrorists. And he's not even demanding that every single solitary hostage alive and dead be returned before he'd even "talk." Bibi Netanyahu doesn't know how to negotiate. He just surrenders.

I know that this may sound "cruel," but someone ought to tell the yellow "bring them out at any cost" crowd two simple things:

    1- their campaign is showing the terrorists how to break us. Just kidnap Israelis and Israel will fold.

    2- Bibi and the IDF aren't holding the hostages. They should have focused their demonstrations on the Red Cross, who've never even visited the hostages.

There won't be peace until we fight to win, to destroy the enemy and to do this we must stop the woke "humanitarian aid" and the ridiculous counterproductive "warnings" which undermine the effectiveness of our fighting and endangers our precious soldiers.

OK, I said it. I could say more... maybe next week. Gd willing...

Hamas/Gaza War Musings #48: Deja Vu: Amalek = Hamas

Our sages all say that Amalek began attacking when it perceived weakness in the People of Israel and its leadership.... 

Every generation has its Amalek, but it's quiet because it's afraid of us. It attacks when we fight amongst each other or go around begging foreigners for help. Yup. That's the truth.

That's why in 1967, Egypt, Syria and Jordan conspired to attack on three fronts and destroy the State of Israel. It "checked the water" with threats and demands on us, our supposed allies and the United Nations which had "peacekeeping forces" which were supposed to protect us. The UN quickly removed its forces to facilitate easy attack, our supposed allies waited in safety and our Israeli government ordered the digging of graves. The State of Israel was all alone, but Jews in Israel and all over the world prayed to Gd. Simply put, that's how we won so decisively.

When instead of declaring all of the Land we liberated sovereign Israel, the government refused to settle all but the most agriculturally promising areas, our enemies attacked again six years later. Yes, the Yom Kippur War. This time they didn't threaten, they just attacked with the hidden support of the United States, while Israel was kept in the dark. As the war went on, the USA tried to keep Israel from  having a decisive win, yup-- nothing's new. Thank Gd Arik Sharon refused to follow orders and crossed the Suez Canal with his forces, and Egypt surrendered.

Unfortunately, that was the last show of true strength anyone saw from Israel. In the past decade plus, every couple of years, we're attacked, Bibi refuses to call it a war, refuses to defeat the enemy, just offers a ceasefire, claiming that "now we've shown who's stronger," and most of the country falls for it. I haven't.

Israel tries to compromise, act "gracious," do clever high-tech "tricks," make deals, ceasefires etc. And again the internal fighting definitely encourages our enemies.

For me it's so clear, so obvious. That's why with every "deal" offer, comprise, fokokt "moral fighting," "compassionate" "humanitarian" food to the Gazans, the demands of the terrorists get larger and more dangerous for us.

If you study the Tanach/Bible, you should see that it's classic Amalek... Remember what important instructions Gd told the Prophet Samuel to say to King Saul in 1 Samuel Chapter 15:

Now go, attack Amalek, and proscribe all that belongs to him. Spare no one, but kill alike men and women, infants and sucklings, oxen and sheep, camels and asses!”

Did King Saul obey? No! He kept the Amalek king alive, plus some of the animals. which he used for sacrifices contradicting Jewish Law. Yes, just like Bibi has been doing with his "moral fighting" and "humanitarian aid." How was King Saul punished? He and his sons were killed in battle. That was the end of his rule, no dynasty.

Today there are two very strong parallels with the Biblical Amalek.

• Amalek fights us when we appear weak.
• The only way to have a true lasting victory is to destroy our enemy without mercy.

Need I say more?

Hamas/Gaza War Musings #47: Bibi, The Worst of Menachem Begin

This is related to War Musings #46, so if you haven't read it, I recommend that you do so. Both of these posts show how we're suffering from the mistakes made and never corrected decades ago. Here I concentrate more on one of the late Prime Minister Menachem Begin made. No, I don't get into Begin's Sinai withdrawal and destruction of numerous Israeli communities in the Sinai, aka the Camp David Accords.

What concerns me the most is how Begin's, and more recently, Bibi's avoiding cleaning the bureaucracy of those who obviously want to sabotage their government policies. In Begin's time, the Foreign Ministry, stocked with Leftist Labor supporters, didn't advise him according to his supporters' and voters' policies. People didn't vote him in to withdraw from the Sinai and destroy Jewish communities. It's very probable that Begin's depression towards the end of his rule, wasn't just because of the death of his beloved wife, but because his policies had alienated his closest friends and supporters.

When Begin's party got the most seats in the 1977 elections, it was a surprise for all. As I remember, none of the polls predicted such a political upheaval. Begin didn't have an "army" of followers to take over the bureaucracy. I don't think he had a real plan for an eventual win. For nineteen years, Herut and Liberals felt that they'd be permanent Opposition.

Upon establishing his government, instead of doing what was technically legal, replace government workers involved with policy. Instead he tried to make "friends" with them, called it being "noble," by not firing the Labor followers and Histadrut members. So political appointees became permanent policy makers, and they made sure the "right" people succeeded them, "a friend brings a friend." That's how the Judicial, the IDF, Foreign Ministry and the Shabak etc still follow Leftist Labor policies, even though the Labor party hasn't had a Prime Minister for decades. The only real ideological success/change was that Begin's Liberal-- meaning non-socialist--political partners did what they were elected to do by breaking the power and monopoly of the Histadrut in economics.

Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu continued the path Menachem Begin. That's why Judicial Reform never got done, nor did he put his own people in important security positions, so on October 7, 2023, he wasn't informed about the signs of Hamas Gazan preparation for war against us. Shabak head Ronen Bar has made it clear that he considers himself over the government and refused to recognize that he had been fired. My big question is why did it take so long for Bibi to even try to fire him...

Here we are a year and a half after that murderous invasion, no closer to #TotalVictory #ניצחוןמוחלט than we were on October 8th. Despite Bibi's brave bombastic speeches, his policies are weak and failing. Our soldiers are being killed, maimed, wounded and are exhausted. We don't act like victors. We haven't returned to Gush Katif. Bibi thinks we can just be policemen aka targets. Bibi doesn't have a vision for a greater future. I predicted this when I heard him speak in 2008.

Israel is at war for its very survival. We must achieve victory. Victory must be combined with Israeli SOVEREIGNTY over all the land we administer, otherwise we'll be at war again and again until we collapse, Gd forbid. Along with sovereignty, we must allow settlement all over. Illegal Arab building must be destroyed. Minimally, don't allow Arabs to build where the Oslo Accords forbade them. More about the Oslo Accords... another time. That's another story.

Pray for strong leadership which is needed for VICTORY, the only way we'll ever see peace and the return of the remaining hostages.

Hamas/Gaza War Musings #44: Nothing's New, All in The Bible

Biblical Shiloh

This starts with one of my "Gnites" on facebook, but then I continue with more details and history.

As happy as I am that Donald Trump won the election and is now POTUS again, Israel must not depend on him. We are supposed to be an independent sovereign country.

Trump's policies vis-à-vis Israel are better than any of his predecessors, but he's not our ruler, and one can't count on all of his policies and ideas to be good for us.

The Israeli Prime Minister must act as a strong leader and not a weak follower. Unfortunately, Bibi is a very weak PM who tries to be "moderate" aka "centrist," which is what he said he would be when I heard him in 2008, "Shiloh Musings Impressive."

After hearing that speech I pictured Bibi as being held immobile by a bagel. Unfortunately, he has proven me correct.

Prime Minister Netanyahu is a talented orator and actor, but he doesn't have the guts to lead us into victory. He's too busy trying to ingratiate himself with those who really don't care about Israel's survival. That's why he brags about his dangerous "morality," warning the enemy, so no alleged innocent civilians would be killed.

The attack on October 7, 2023 proved that there aren't innocent Gazans. The Gazans that many Israelis in the south had considered as friends were those who enthusiastically showed their true colors as Hamas terrorists, murdering, raping, mutilated, incineration truly innocent, and in many cases, naïve Israelis.

There's only one way that the State of Israel can survive and thrive would be to act as a truly proud sovereign nation and recognize that we have only one reliable ally, Gd Almighty. With that, we must fight to win, resettle Gaza and expand Israeli sovereignty in Judea, Samaria, the Jordan Valley and the rest of the State of Israel.

Remember that Zionism means the return to our well documented native Homeland. We've liberated it. It was conquered by Biblical heroes like Joshua. Please be careful of your vocabulary. Words have power.

Hamas/Gaza War Musings #43: VICTORY Not Oratory

 

Day after day, lives lost to terror-- this war doesn't seem even close to the end. For me the end of the war must be our victory. If Bibi serves us another one of his ceasefires, I truly dread the next war. I also dread the increased Arab terrorism from the released convicted Arab terrorists and their increased confidence.

I can't lie. With Netanyahu in the drivers seat, I'm not optimistic. Please prove me wrong.

Here's last night's "Gnite:" 

The war is dragging on...

Poor leadership...

Bibi's a brilliant orator, but...

... being a Prime Minister demands other talents. If he had the other talents his orating skills would be the "cream on the cake," but without them, it's like getting sick because you just ate a bowl of sweet fatty cream...

Our country is sick now, and some people are yearning for a leader with the confidence and bargaining talents of a Donald Trump. They see that Bibi is weak in those categories, but Trump is American, not Israeli. His job isn't to save us. We Israelis must save ourselves. He won't stop and threaten us like Biden managed to do.

How is it that Biden, in his weakened state, still succeeded in terrifying and controlling Bibi Netanyahu? It doesn't say much for Bibi.

Hamas acts victorious, proud of its accomplishments, in control of the situation. They tested us by sending the body of a Gazan rather than Shiri Bibas. It's obvious that it was a test, because the minute Israel made a forceful complaint about it, the correct body was sent.

They're calling the shots...

I'm praying for a miracle. Either Bibi has a sudden personality change and becomes a brave, strong, confident leader taking us to #TotalVictory, or he resigns and someone else becomes Prime Minister, someone capable of leading us to VICTORY.

We're a small country and can't go on like this forever...

Gd willing, tomorrow...

What do you think? Don't be shy. Please comment and share, thanks.

Hamas/Gaza War Musings #42: FIGHT TO WIN! Only VICTORY!

This is the message I wrote last night on Facebook. Israelis are now starting to face the fact that there are very few living hostages. Most have been murdered by the Hamas terrorists, and that includes the young Bibas family. 

We're paying for the few survivors plus bodies and difficult to identify remains with live healthy convicted Arab terrorists. We're emptying the jails and filling the hospitals and cemeteries, including future Arab terror victims. This is insane, and the people responsible for our lack of immediate military response, government, security and IDF haven't been fired, charged etc. Almost none have even admitted mistakes to the citizens of Israel. 

Think about it...

PS because of changes in blogger, I can't use any of my newer photos, just those that I've already posted.

Gnite

Most Israelis are trying to wrap their heads around the news that the two cute Bibas kids, their mother and probably most of the remaining hostages, really are dead, murdered by the Hamas terrorists adored by our enemies who claim to be our friends.

In exchange the terrorists get more terrorists for their vicious perverse cruel "army" to murder more Jews.

Yes, as far as I'm concerned, all those who support Hamas and/or chant "From the River to the Sea" etc are our enemies. They support the destruction of the State of Israel. Even if they're so stupid they've never seen a map of Israel, that's no excuse. It just means that they are dangerously useful idiots.

Ditto to all of those who support a "two state solution," which would be the "final solution" for the Gd forbid destruction of the State of Israel.

Yes, I'm blunt. I look at the facts.

Bibi is a record-breaking Prime Minister. There have been more wars under his rule than an other Israeli leader. Actually I don't know if any other country has had as many wars as we've had since Bibi became PM. Of course, he doesn't call them wars, even when our enemies attack us, and we never have a real victory. When they finish their target practice, he proudly declares it's over "and they won't try anything again," but the ceasefire only lasts until the next time...

Somehow Bibi has mesmerized the Likud and its loyal voters... he should have been fired years ago... He's a failure. Hamas is calling the shots and even decides where the released terrorists go.

Under Bibi's rule Israel has surrendered.

When is he going to be sent packing?

AND PLEASE DON'T SAY THAT NOBODY COULD REPLACE HIM!

We won't need elections if the replacement is from the Likud. It just must be someone not afraid to do the right thing. FIGHT TO WIN. None of that "moral" army garbage. No other country has done it, because it's the road to disaster, to losing a war.

I hope I can fall asleep, but at least I wrote what I needed to say.

Gd willing we'll meet again in the morning.