No Words... אין מילים

Many people here in Israel and the Jewish World know exactly what I mean.

A tiny baby died today.

The tiny baby was one of the youngest victims of Arab terrorism.

The tiny baby was even younger than Yehuda Shoham, HaY"aD, a neighbor of mine, who at the age of five months died as the result of a terror attack less than twenty years ago.

There have been so many Arab terror attacks against innocent Jews that it's hard to remember them all, and it's hard to remember all of the victims.

But for the past few days many of us have been praying for this tiny baby, whether we know the family or not. Actually, many of us have discovered that we do know the family. And even if we don't have a personal connection, how could anyone remain disengaged from the story of a young beautiful couple who had been among a handful of people trying to get a ride outside of Ofra and were shot and injured by Arab terrorists?

The most seriously injured was a young woman,  married barely a year ago. She was pregnant with their first child. And now the baby is dead, and the young mother has to recover from life-threatening injuries.

Our thoughts, love and sympathy are with Amichai and Shira Ish-Ran, their family and close friends.

Baruch Dayan Ha'emett
ברוך דיין האמת
Blessed is The True Judge

Section of Shiloh Cemetery
The cemetery was started when Rachella Druk, HaYa"D, was murdered by Arab terrorists over twenty five years ago.

Israeli Soldiers and Terror Victims Memorial Day- People Not Places

In Israel many towns, villages, cities, kibbutzim and moshavim are named after people. That includes quite a number of yishuvim in Judea and Samaria, such as Givat Assaf, established in memory of Assaf Hershkowitz of Ofra murdered as he passed there, the junction to Beit El where school girls stood yesterday waving Israeli flags to the passing cars, Jewish, Arab and all those "diplomatic plates" on their way.

Yesterday I caught a tremp (hitchhiked) from the Sha'ar Binyamin to Ofra with a young woman. We began to talk, and she told me that she lives in Givat Harel. I asked her how many families now live there; sixty 60 was her reply. I was obviously impressed at its growth.

"You probably remember when there were only ten families" she said.
"I remember Harel" I replied.

Yes, for me they are people, these communities and towns. I taught Assaf's brother, know Harel's family well, and Rachalla Druk, for which Shvut Rachel and Rechallim were named, was a very good friend.

When I look at these places, the homes, gardens, children and public institutions I feel a sadness and also a wonder. I wonder if the precious people whom they are named for are observing and guarding them from their status in Olam Haba, the Next World.

And for many years I've felt that if only we had established these communities sooner, then the victims would not have been killed. This is because the communities in the locations where they now are would never have had been established there if we hadn't been looking for a way to memorialize their lives and values.

Last night as I walked around our traditional display of victims of Arab terror connected to Shiloh, whether residents or family members of those who live here, again, like every year I felt that it had become harder for me than the year before. It just hurts more. I look at the pictures of those I knew and whose families I know and the pain is endless, reverberating as I see those optimistic faces. I see their siblings, parents and grandparents. I see the grandchildren, nieces and nephews they never knew. I see those named after them who will G-d willing be granted long, healthy and successful lives. Recently friends wrote a moving letter that they took their grandson, the first-born grandson of an IDF solder, a friend of ours, who had been killed in action, to enter the IDF. I tried to find the right response as I fought back tears.

"May he merit to bring his grandchildren to join the army, just like you are doing."

We in Israel know very well that our independence did not come easily nor cheaply, and the struggle hasn't ended. I fully approve and agree with the custom of having Israeli Independence Day follow immediately after Memorial Day.

יהי זכרם ברוך

Yihi Zichrom Baruch

May Their Memories be Blessed

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

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

"Givat Harel." 

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

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

"Shvut Rachel" said the driver. 

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

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

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

Please pray for their safe and speedy immediate return!

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

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

As Promised!

I promised that I'd post some of the pictures I took when touring the Shomron, north of Shiloh, with Helen Freedman of AFSI. Finally, I got them on a CD to post.

It was a real privilege to have been able to accompany Helen. Even though I live in the same general area, I don't get to nearby Jewish villages. It may sound peculiar to some of you, but I had a real reason for calling my Arutz 7 blog, The Eye of The Storm. In some ways, living here is just living. We're busy with ordinary things. There's a calm, like the eye of the storm, while all sorts of dangerous things are swirling around us. I'm not oblivious to the dangers, but regardless of Olmert's threats, we go on with our lives in defiance and with confidence that we will survive. Olmert will just be one of the sorrier figures in Jewish History, while our contributions will be admired.

The tour was led by David Haivri of Tapuach. Our first stop was Rechallim. That's the location of the Arab terror attack when terrorists shot up a bus from Shiloh going to the Tel Aviv demonstration on the eve of the Madrid Conference. Two people were murdered, the driver, Yitzchak Harofeh and my neighbor and close frriend, Rachella Druk. In response to her murder, she was buried in Shiloh, which inaugurated our cemetery, and two communities were established. Shvut Rachel, just to the east of my home was given approval almost immediately, but Rechallim, where her murder actually took place is still struggling for official recognition.










Yitzchak Shamir's government fought all of the groups which tried to live there. It took a long time for any buildings to be built. As of today, almost twenty years later, conditions are horrendous, but young families still want to live there. For me it was very emotional seeing all of the young children. Rachella loved children and had seven at the time of her murder.






Then we went to an outpost where all of Shechem lay before us. The view was totally breathtaking. We could see every building including Kever Yosef, abandoned by Ehud Barak's reign of terror government. His short lived regime was the worst time in Israeli history. How can he dare to consider himself a candidate for Prime Minister after what he did? And how is it that the Israeli public has forgotten the rampant terrorism under his rule?











From there we went to Barkan, to the office of the Governor of the Shomron Regional Council. We had to wait a few minutes until he was available, since it was mincha (the afternoon) prayer time. The synagogue was overflowing.




Gershon Masika, gave us more details about the difficulties he faces finding ways to support the small unrecognized communities. He began his talk by showing us a map which makes the dangers of a terror state in the heart of Eretz Yisrael so obvious. The breadth of land Olmert is offering the Arabs is much larger than what he proposes remain in Israel's hands.






Afterwards we drove further into the heartland of our Biblical History, to Itamar and further, to Avri Ran's farm. We were invited to lunch and feasted on the goat yogurt and cheese they produce there. His very talented son-in-law told us the history of the farm and showed us his very impressive art, including the synagogue, like none I've ever seen before.












It was definitely a beautiful and inspiring day.