Israeli Elections Musings #10 & War Musings #82: Crucial Questions About Bibi's Government's Responsibility for October 7th Disaster

 

I hope that you've been listening to the discussions of the UNDECIDEDS, which I both blog and participate in. We've had five discussions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 organized by Jonathan Feldstein of Genesis 123 Foundation.  Participating has been a very special experience for me. As different as we're considered politically, it's amazing and encouraging how much we all have in common politically when it comes to the upcoming Israeli Elections. If I'm not mistaken, there's something we all agree on, whether Right, Left, Center. We really don't want to see the same people who've been running the Israeli Government and IDF continue. We want Binyamin Netanyahu and his coalition to take responsibility. There must be an investigation. Arnie Draiman, one of the panelists put it very well. He shared with us these questions which he had sent to a friend going to a Likud meeting. I have his permission to share them with you.

* Why has Likud actively blocked an independent State Commission of Inquiry into October 7, and why did the government attempt to remove the requirement for a "full, thorough, and independent investigation" from its proposed alternative panel?

* How do you respond to the specific allegations made by Prime Minister Netanyahu's former military secretary regarding the falsification of October 7 transcripts to shield political leaders from blame?

* Why has Benjamin Netanyahu still refused to publicly accept personal responsibility for the intelligence and operational failures of October 7, while nearly every top military and security chief resigned on his watch?

* Why didn't a single cabinet minister or Likud lawmaker resign or force a leadership change inside the party immediately following the worst tragedy in Israel's modern history?

* Why is Likud actively attacking democratic "gatekeepers" and challenging the neutrality of the Central Elections Committee ahead of the vote?

* How can you claim to champion democratic choices when Netanyahu changed the party rules to bypass internal primaries and give himself direct control over reserved list spots?

* Given that the "conceptzia" (the strategic concept of containing Hamas through economic incentives) completely collapsed on October 7 under your 15-year watch, why should voters trust your long-term security vision?

* With Israel currently locked in multi-front conflicts, zero long-term diplomatic strategy for the day after in Gaza, and growing diplomatic friction, why do you characterize the opposition's call for reconstruction and regional alliances as an absolute "free fall"?

* How can Likud justify continuing to pass coalition funding and political exemptions for Haredi draft-dodgers while the regular IDF and reservists face unprecedented, exhausting deployment burdens across multiple fronts?

Personally, I consider the top echelons of the IDF and Defense Ministry the decade before and including 2023 as responsible as the government coalition. Arnie's excellent questions are to the Likud, because that was the event they had been written for. I also consider it necessary to investigate how Israel's trust and dependence on the the United States weakens us and requires trusting them, rather than trusting our soldiers and citizens on the ground who had observed and reported suspicious, dangerous actions by the enemy... deja vu 1973 when our security observers suspected pre war/attack actions by Egypt and Syria, but they were overrode by American assurances. The USA admitted that they had lied to Israel when Bruce Brill's memoir, Deceit of An Ally passed American censorship.

Food for thought... What do you think?

Gaza War Musings #81 Worried, Is Israel Ready For The Next Attack?

IMHO Israel's in more danger than ever. I've been living in Israel since 1970, and I remember much too well the two wars which caught us worse than flatfooted. It's best to describe the Israeli government and military's mindset as buried in dry concrete. Yom Kippur, Saturday, October 6, 1973, Israel was attacked on three fronts after trusting the United States' assurances that the Arab military moves Israeli security had been noticing were totally innocent. Later on, decades later, the Americans admitted that they knew very well that Israel was going to be attacked on Yom Kippur, when approving, after passing required censorship, Bruce Brill's memoir of his time in NSA,  Deceit of an Ally.

To be honest, I had suspected something like that during that war, but I didn't hear or read anyone else voice something similar. Henry Kissinger's constant "advice" to then Prime Minister Golda Meir made me think that the Americans wanted the war to end in a "draw," not an Israeli victory, so Israel could lose its independence and become an American protectorate. Around the same time that Brill began revealing his personal story, a friend called from the states, who had heard from someone who had been in the American Army in Germany during the summer of 1973. They were put in lockdown in Germany, then in September given desert gear. They were only released after the ceasefire. 

These two things confirmed to me that the United States is NOT an ally of Israel and shouldn't be trusted.

It's all much too deja vu... 

Fifty years later, almost to the day, after years, decades, of sending Israeli IDF officers to the USA for training, or more accurately brainwashing, Israel was even less prepared for October 7, 2023's surprise attack. And just think about the targets... mostly Leftist ones populated by those who believed that the Gazans were peaceful. Some didn't even have armed self-defense groups, because the generous NGOs funded by... had convinced them that they weren't moral/necessary. 

And talking about what's "moral..." Israel's longtime Prime Minister, Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu brags, vows at every possible occasion that we will continue to fight morally sic by warning the Gazans before bombing their homes. That makes no practical sense at all. First the simple reason that we're wasting our weapons on empty buildings. Secondly, even more important, terrorists are civilians. The terrorists who murdered, raped, kidnapped, incinerated, mutilated etc were Gazan civilians. That was clear in the photos publicized soon after the attacks and in the testimonies of the surviving victims. Many of these terrorist civilians were the same people who had been helped and employed by the Israeli victims. They knew them well and knew who had weapons and where they were kept. They had built and cleaned the homes. Is it moral to protect such people?

For some more important facts for you to ponder, all through the almost two decades of Netanyahu's reign, Israel has been suffering war and attacks. They usually last a few weeks, and after Israel responds things quiet down. Bibi then announces proudly that the war is over, and the country resumes regular life. This isn't peace and certainly not security. 

A year ago all living and dead hostages were returned to Israel, which the government claimed was a "victory." That's not a victory, not at all. We're still in danger. Our soldiers and civilians are still be attacked, wounded and murdered. 

Our military/terrorist enemies are from the north, east and south, while from the west and all over come support for our enemies and condemnation of our very existence. I don't see the Likud/Netanyahu government as winning the war, preventing future attacks or successfully bringing us to a true victory. I don't trust them at all. They have been failing completely. Elections are in a few days, and I'm still UNDECIDED about which political party is best to vote for.

Gaza War Musings #80 Bibi's UN Speech 2026, Listen Carefully

 

A version of this was first posted on my Facebook page immediately after listening to Prime Minister Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu's 2026 United Nations General Assembly speech. As you may know, I'm not a fan of his and don't want him to continue as Prime Minister or in any position in Israel. You can read my earlier posts, especially those of the War Musings series. And, in case you're curious, I'm an UNDECIDED. I still don't know which party to vote for in the upcoming Israeli Elections. 

I'm curious about what you think of my post and Bibi's speech. One of my complaints has been mentioned numerous times, since Bibi brags about what I consider one of his worst policies. Please think about it and let me know what you think of the issues I've brought up. And, yes, please feel invited to share this and other posts. And if you notice any typos that I missed, don't be shy, let me know, thanks.

I just listened to Bibi's UN speech...eh...

As usual he bragged about that dangerous weak woke policy of protecting what he calls innocent Gazan civilians. Terrorists are civilians. Barely 24 hours before his speech, I heard Avinatan Or speak about his capture three years ago on October 7th 2023 by GAZAN CIVILIANS. Yes, the same people Bibi proudly protects. Think about it.

Also Bibi incorrectly stated that Arab terrorists only attack "settlers." That's a lie. Arab terrorism is all over the country. And I don't trust that Bibi is capable of victory. He had been prime minister for a decade plus before October 7th 2023 and throughout the war. If his policy was really VICTORY, we'd have seen it by November 1, 2023. Actually, he would have defeated the terrorists years before. The October 7th attack wasn't a new war; it was another -much bigger more violent- attack in a long, long war. This war has been going on all through Bibi's rule. Each time there's a ceasefire, or just "quiet," he claims that "we won and it's over." Obviously, it's not. I don't trust his fancy words; I look at the facts, the bottom line.

Gaza War Musings #78 Deals Don't Bring Peace!! Israel Must Act as an Independent Sovereign Country!!

 

Unfortunately, our weak, woke hapless Prime Minister Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu has relinquished our sovereignty to American President Donald Trump. We never hear Bibi forcibly and confidently objecting to Trump's plans, deals and demands reminding him that he is President of the USA, and he has no authority over Israel. Actually, I don't think we hear anyone in the Israeli Government say that we're not property of the United States. 

Israelis, whether politicians, officeholders, journalists or just plain citizens should be protesting in every way possible about American interference in our security. The USA is not a loyal ally. Its government and policies change with the wind, depending on the moods and priorities of its politicians, military and bureaucrats. 

Please remember well that when former US President Harry Truman ordered the American UN Ambassador to vote in favor of Partition for a Jewish State and a few months later officially recognized the State of Israel, he was forcibly defying the State Department's directives. 

American Government bureaucracy, like the Israeli, considers itself superior to the elected executive and legislature. That is actually what the attempt for Judicial Reform was about. Bibi didn't fight for it, nor taking down the Defense Department's glass ceiling, because he needs the support of the bureaucrats to stay in office. He's not a fighter. He loves the limelight, but his true power is much smaller than people think.

Back to Trump and his deals...

Donald Trump is a business man, a real estate mogul. He's neither a military man, a theologian nor a historian. Bringing true peace to "the Middle East" is 10,000% different from developing Manhattan's West Side and turning a dangerous deteriorating slum area into a beautiful, popular upper-middleclass neighborhood. Turning a muddy Manhattan shoreline into an attractive park walking distance from new lovely, attractive apartment houses takes totally different skills and mindset compared to turning terrorist Gaza into a peaceful society. 

Poverty isn't the reason for the popularity and dominance of terrorism in Gaza. Gazans could grow their own food, plus for export if they wanted to. But they don't want to and they don't need to. Most of the outside world wants to see them as "starving," so instead of using their energies and manpower for farming and industry, as the Jewish residents of the very successful Gush Katif did, they prefer "charity" so they can use their energy and money to attack Israel in the cruelest of ways.

Think about it.

And back to the fiction that a deal can end a war... 

Would a "deal" have stopped Nazi Germany or Japan?

Nope!

Gaza War Musings #76 Finally The Truth About the Perverse Cruelty of Gazan Terrorists Back in The News

 For the past couple of  

International media, celebrities, diplomats, academics, governments and more have willingly, intentionally blinded themselves to the truth about Israel, the Arab terrorists who attack us and history. They've perverted the truth so totally that it could almost be funny if their aim hadn't been to destroy the Jewish People, History and State. 

Immediately after the violent, perverse, cruel attack, which made the Nazis look kind, on innocent unsuspecting Israelis and visitors there were lots of shockingly accurate reports in the media. One of the most unforgettable firsthand stories was from survivors of the southern Israeli communities about how, davka, Gazan of all ages whom they had helped and defended were among the attackers and guides. These Gazans knew where everyone lived, who had weapons and where they were stored. This information was enthusiastically shared with the terrorists. 

The terrorist attackers proudly reported their murders and rapes on social media, sometimes taking the victims' phones to emotionally terrify their families and friends. One of the most unforgettable stories was about a young Gazan terrorist who proudly called his parents to brag about how many Israelis he had murdered. His parents replied saying how proud they were of him.

After a few months, for some inexplicable reason, most of these reports were hard to find on the internet. 

Here are some reports. Please share so the truth is out. 

SILENCED NO MORE Sexual Terror Unveiled: The Untold Atrocities of October 7 and Against Hostages in Captivity

English_Swords_of_Iron_DOCUMENTS_Sexual violence

It's important for the world to know the truth. Israel is the innocent victim, not Gaza.  

War Musings #75: The War is The Result of Dangerously Incorrect Israeli Policies Since Our 1967 Victory

The Land is all ours in terms of History and 1967 Victory, but successive governments have failed to declare Israeli Sovereignty which has caused our enemies to get stronger and more confident. That's why we are forced to fight successive wars for our very survival.

The Land is all ours in terms of History and 1967 Victory...

Europe's and many other countries' policy as reported here, EU moving toward implementing sanctions on Israeli West Bank settlements, ambassador confirms, is the price of Israel's waffling on our rights to all the Land, Judea, Samaria, Jordan Valley and Sinai which were liberated 59 years ago this week in the Six Days 1967 War. If the government of the time had proudly and confidently declared full Israeli Sovereignty ריבונות over every inch/centimeter of it, the world would have understood it and accepted it. But The State of Israel responded with shocked embarrassment and even "disgust." With few exceptions, making a better straighter road between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and expanding the Jerusalem borders to include the Old City, Mount Scopus and Neve Yaakov, which had a lot of Jewish owned land, nothing else was made officially Israel.

Farms, agricultural communities mostly for export were begun in the Golan, Jordan Valley and northern Sinai, but Israel didn't declare sovereignty there. Our misguided successive governments just kept offering to return the land in exchange for peace. Menachem Begin foolishly followed Labor policy and gave away the Sinai, Israel's perfect buffer zone, to Egypt. Arik Sharon and his followers used that precedent to justify his Disengagement, destruction of Gush Katif. And all it did was to increase the attacks on Israel. Yes, that was after no more Israelis were in Gaza. Their hatred and aggression, as you must know, only got worse after Israel's withdrawal, because they saw Israel's weakness and lack of self loyalty.

I was 18 on the outbreak of the Six Days War, and I remember how awed the world was at our miraculous victory. It was squandered by successive Israeli governments. When will we ever learn....?

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 #62: Israel Still in Danger; IDF Soldiers Still Need Tzitzit

Last night my friends and I had another Tzitzit Tying session. This was the third time in Shiloh, though just the second time for me. Special army-safe tzitzit are being tied all over Israel. 

Civilians, of all ages, men and women are finding ways to volunteer in the war effort. Israelis are amazing. Some people help families of the reservists, the wounded and the dead. They do everything from babysitting to bringing food and more. Others have "adopted" bereaved families and those of the wounded.

Trump may claim that he brokered a "peace deal," but the war hasn't ended. Hamas is still attacking Israel, and our precious IDF soldiers are still being killed.

Of course we're grateful and overjoyed that the living hostages have been released by Gazan Hamas terrorists. No doubt they had ulterior, though not humanitarian, reasons for that. Here in Shiloh we're awaiting the return home of Avinatan Or. Big celebrations are planned, Gd willing.

Gazans are killing each other, not that the international anti-Israel Left seems to care. If they can't blame Israel, it doesn't make their news.

No doubt my series Hamas/Gaza War Musings is not yet over. Stay tuned.

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 #56: VICTORY Prayer Haiku #3

Here in Israel we're just a few short weeks from two years since the heinous Gazan terror attack on thousands of innocent Israelis, men, women, children, infants and the elderly. The victims were tortured, murdered and kidnapped. They were raped, decapitated, incinerated and in many cases forced to watch their loved one suffer before they all died. The survivors and those who survived trying to rescue them are so emotionally scarred, their lives will never be the same.

This was a cruel immoral pogrom. In many cases the victims were the same people who had aided those very Gazans who attacked and guided terrorists to unarmed, undefended peace-beliving civilian homes. 

So many words are being written about it, some based on truth and mercy and others on hatred and lies. I don't have the strength for long wordy arguments, explanations and personal prayers. That's why I like the simple haiku, just seventeen 17 syllables in three lines, 5, 7, 5. Here are a few more of my Morning Coffee Haikus. I hope they speak to you. They're posted most mornings on my Facebook page. I've posted two other haiku posts, 1 and 2; please click and enjoy.

sound of the shofar

fills the air to remind us

DAY OF JUDGEMENT soon....

many sorts stormy skies

no VICTORY soon forecast

but Gd willing rain

Learning Tanach* helps

understand what should be done

yes, even today

--*Bible

grateful for blessings

even when mourning and war

survival demands...

evil dominates

media, schools, Hollywood

must be defeated

normal life's struggle

surviving when danger's near

unpredictable

for better future

we need more than prayers to Gd

our actions crucial

we need VICTORY

our enemy's SURRENDER

no deal will do it

good news: we're alive

bad news: VICTORY not close

we need brave leaders

clouds hide rising sun

life's not always so easy

pray for strength to cope

Chodesh Elul Tov

Gd willing VICTORY soon

only Gd will help

Shabbat's survival

for my mind, soul and body

Jewish medicine

SOVEREIGNTY's key

plus strong Jewish SETTLEMENT,

VICTORY make PEACE

Hamas/Gaza War Musings #45: Bottom Line-- Bibi has FAILED

Simply put: If Bibi was a good leader, a good competent Prime Minister, then Hamas wouldn't have attacked Israel October 7, 2023... and if you insist that they still would have attacked... then we should have won within a few weeks. Really. 

I'm a pragmatist, a CPA's daughter. I look at the bottom line. We may win some battles, but we're not winning the war. True Total Victory seems further away now than a year ago. Sorry to sound so depressing, but I'm a realist.

Here's another of my "Gnite" posts:

I feel like a broken record in responding to Bibi's statements, since he hasn't really said anything new...

Promises, platitudes and threats... depending on who's the audience. We never win, just take breaks... duh! No war was ever won like that.

The IDF which was once one of the best armies in the world...

Israel which is such a tiny country...

Civilians and reservists who heard about Hamas's attack on Israel's south made it to defend the country before the army. We've always bragged that we're a civilian army, but that's not quite what was meant.

The slogan אחרי Acharei--AFTER ME traditionally meant that the generals led from heading into battle, not civilians first and generals in the safety of their homes and offices.

Early in the war, the older reservists, sometimes serving along with their sons, reported that it was the third or fourth time fighting for the same land in Gaza. Each time they won, but then were told by the government to give it back to the terrorists.

Something stinks, and it's coming from the our so-called leaders, Bibi and mafia. They show up for photo-ops and then return to safety.

The State of Israel is in serious danger.

Our soldiers are the best, but they can't make policy. The policymakers are from "lala" land. Bibi's policy is destroying the morale of the soldiers, who aren't stupid. They realize that they're being used and lives wasted. Don't Likud voters realize what they've voted for?

Trump's not going to save us. We must save ourselves. As a student of the Bible, especially Navi-Prophets, it's clear deja vu אין חדש ain chadash nothing's new. When we fight without asking for foreign help, then Gd will pitch in with miracles. And we must resettle Gaza. It's ours. We must act as a sovereign nation. That's the only way for #TotalVictory. #ניצחוןמוחלט

Gd willing, tomorrow will be a better day.

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 #33- אחרי החגים After the Tishrei Holidays 5785

 

This War Musing is adapted from last night's "gnite" on Facebook. As some of you know, I write a message, rather unplanned every night before I go to bed. The words just come out, and it's as if my tapping fingers have minds of their own. Even when I sit down with a plan... I discover a very different message appearing on the screen. Please feel free to comment and share. 

Gnite

It's now אחרי החגים after the Tishrei Holidays. Most of the Jewish month of Tishrei is full of Jewish Holidays, Rosh Hashannah, Yom Kippur, Succot and Simchat Torah. Outside of Israel there's an extra day of Simchat Torah which is followed immediately by Shabbat, so those who observe Torah won't reach this milestone until three stars show Saturday night.

Last year's Simchat Torah was a nightmare. A Nazi like pogrom took place in Southern Israel. Reservists were called up on the holiday all over the country. Others just rushed out to help even though they hadn't been called.

Terrible tragedies and cruelty along with legendary heroism simultaneously.

Israeli military failed horrendously in every way. But the Israeli and Jewish People have been totally amazing.

During the previous year, there began attempts to reform our Judicial system, and our Defense Ministry needs reform, too, from the top.

We're still at war. More of our brave wonderful soldiers are dead and wounded. We must defeat the enemy. They must surrender, and we must resettle Gaza. Gd willing...

Please

During Succot there was an important event promoting return to Jewish life in Gaza. Disengagement was a terrible mistake, as were the Oslo Accords. If you've been reading this blog and my statements/comments on Facebook, you know that I'm totally disgusted with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu's pledges, in Congress, the UN General Assembly ad nauseum that we're not returning to live there.

Bibi is the Centrist/Leftist that he unabashedly pledged to be when I heard him speak at the International Jewish Bloggers Conference in 2008. This is ignored and denied even by those who were there with me. I know he said it; his policies prove it. That's why I don't vote for the Likud. I choose my party, election by election according to policies. 

I'm not married to a political party. Too many people vote for a specific party religiously. I don't. I follow my principles, not sentiment. Menachem Begin lost me when he gave all of the Sinai, the best buffer zone imaginable, to Egypt, including destroying all Jewish communities there, in exchange for promises of peace. How could it be peace if Jews are forbidden to live there? Another thing for you to think about... Saadat didn't want Gaza. 

Netanyahu wasn't part of the anti-Disengagement movement, which makes it no real surprise that he keeps saying that Israel isn't returning to live in Gaza, Gush Katif. He hasn't changed. Bibi's a Leftist who recites Right wing slogans. Even during this war, his government has destroyed Jewish homes instead of expanding Jewish communities. As Prime Minister he has destroyed many Jewish communities and neighborhoods. I look at policy, not slogans.

Policing a territory or country doesn't work, if you're not living there. The USA fled Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan... when their policing didn't work. The same happened to Israel in Lebanon, and now Biden has made it clear that he has a policy plan for "after the war." The USA will establish a Palestinian State and police it. By what right? 

I'm an old lady. I've been in Israel since 1970. During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, I was a young mother of two in Jerusalem and felt that there was something very suspicious in the actions of the United States. I envisioned them as planning for a draw, victory for neither Israel or Egypt allowing the Americans to enter and rule. It took a few years until the truth came out. The USA was involved in the war before the first bullet was fired, hiding it all from Israel. They have admitted it. Bruce Brill's book Deceit of an Ally was approved by American censors. Brill's memoir proves that my suspicions were on the right track. Yes, I've written about this before.

Shabbat's soon, and I must finish this, even if there's more to say. I'm looking forward to reading your reactions...

Hamas/Gaza War Musings #30, Post Rosh Hashanah, Disturbing...

Here is another of Facebook my pre bedtime musings...

Before I sat down to write this one, I had totally different thoughts concerning what I'd write. But surprisingly different words began to appear on my screen. 

Please read it, and tell me what you think, thanks.

Gnite

Three days offline, no news, no travel, too much food...

Two days of Rosh Hashannah, shofar blasts, prayers...

Then a day of Shabbat...

Time and meals with friends, learning...

Almost half a week, we could almost pretend it was a regular year...

But we were on alert... could there be another massive attack?

What's going on in the rest of the country?

How are our children? Soldiers?

Will we be inundated with bad, tragic news once Shabbat ends?

When will we win this war? Destroy the enemies? See them surrender?

I feel more worried by the minute...

It's preposterous and dangerous to negotiate with someone who wants to destroy you

Get real!

On the Jewish calendar it's a new year. 5785 תשפ"ה

We must pray and fight and work hard to change things for the better. The world wants us destroyed. They are only concerned about the safety and health of Hamas, Hizbolla, Gaza and Lebanon. Do you hear condemnations of those who murdered, raped, captured innocent Israelis? We have no reliable allies. We must stop asking the USA, UN and others for help.

It's time to unify, pray to Gd and fight to win.

Shavua Tov

Gmar Chatimah Tovah

Elul and the Truth About this War, Guest Post by Netivot Girl

It is Elul. For religious Jews this is a time for contemplation and trying to better ourselves. I made Aliya in 1977 and have never regretted that decision. Friends from abroad ask me if I feel safe. Well, given the rampant anti-Semitism against Jews the world over, I can honestly say yes. However, there are so many things that trouble me. I am incredibly disappointed that many of our politicians and IDF heads have refused to take upon themselves responsibility for the massacre of October 7th. It galls me that our Chief of Staff Herzl Ha'Levi not only has refused to do so; he is continuing to promote his buddies to important IDF posts.

It is unforgivable that the UN and many nations have labeled us with words that FB won't allow me to post!! Where were their voices when many hundreds of our women were gang-raped? The 'Me Too Movement' is for every woman who is not Israeli or Jewish? The barbarians who raped our women had their friends photograph them on their phones. The same with the burning of babies in their cribs; where was the outcry? The perpetrators of these barbaric actions used their phones to document their actions. Yes, the war goes on. But it could have ended months ago had Hamas fighters laid down their arms and returned our hostages. I believe that the hypocrisy of the world is sickening. The UN has yet to denounce Hamas' horrific behavior. The Red Cross never went to investigate the conditions of our hostages, very few of whom are still alive IMHO. Has the world lost its moral compass? I believe it has indeed. Colonel Richard Kemp was a commander of British troops in Afghanistan; he has repeatedly commented that our IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is the most moral army in the world. Sadly, we have lost far too many of our IDF personnel because of that. Our troops have dropped leaflets and even phoned Gazans recommending that they leave any area that will be bombed in the near future. Unlike the USA, we do NOT carpet bomb. If Israel is conducting genocide, then how is it that the number of Gazans has greatly risen during the past few years????

Many thousands of my fellow Israelis have been living in hotels for many months as Hezbollah continues to destroy homes, farmland and other buildings up north. Where is the outcry? We are America's most important ally in the Middle East. Many Muslim Arabs are policemen and even sit in our Knesset. We are NOT an apartheid state; you can see women wearing veils in nearby Beer Sheva; I see them all the time. Moreover many Arabs sit as judges in our courts. Samer Haj Yehia was named the chairman of the board of directors of Bank Leumi, one of Israel's largest banks in 2019. Unlike every single Arab country in our area, gays are allowed to be open about their sexual orientation. In fact, the Speaker of our Knesset is gay; married and has a few children. (He is among the very few Likud politicians for whom I still hold respect.) Douglas Murray is an author of many bestselling books. HE has been in Gaza numerous times during the years. A British gay non-Jew, he remains one of Israel's staunchest defenders. He 'gets it;' he knows what's going on. He visited the site where volunteers spent MONTHS using DNA and other information to discover the identity of the thousands of bodies that were left to rot.

So, if you are Jewish, please be a proud Jew. Stand up against the numerous anti-Israel protests. And most importantly, check the facts before you attack us verbally or otherwise. May He above have mercy on us in our tiny country. I write this as a resident of Netivot which has been rocketed by Hamas since Israel pulled out all of its citizens from Gaza in 2005. We left millions of dollars worth of agricultural equipment which could have aided Gaza's Muslim population turn that strip of land into a modern-day Singapore. Instead, those idiots burned all of that equipment down! Gaza WAS a free entity from 2005 until the October 7th massacre of 2023. Do I expect anyone to change their opinions because of this post? No I do not; anti-Zionism is the newest nomenclature for anti-Semitism. You are either with us or against us. To my fellow Israelis I say, "Stand tough and be unified." To other people I say, when we said the words, "Never Again" we sure as he*l meant them!! Stay safe and please feel free to share this post.