Just Over a Week Before 5779, 2019 Knesset Elections, and We're on Verge of War

Life here is Israel is rather surreal. From what I've heard and know of history, Israeli culture and living here for almost half a century, that's "normal." There's just over a week before the 5779, 2019 Knesset Elections, and I notice less election hysteria than in the past. Maybe it's because the Israeli news has been so anti-Bibi that I feel that nothing has changed, or is it because of the EU backed Arab terror, riots, incendiary devices and rockets fired from Gaza for the past year, which has the country on the verge of war.

As tiny as the State of Israel is, and by American standards, it's about the size of New Jersey, we don't see and feel the terror/violence in most of the country. A few decades ago, Israelis in the north complained that most of the State of Israel was oblivious to the rockets, terror/violence they suffered. So, it's very deja vu for me. Israelis who had been alive during the War of Independence would tell similar stories, how despite the war all around, the cafés, coffee shops in Tel Aviv were always full of revelers.

Here in Shiloh, we haven't been directly affected by the Gazan attacks/terror, but other waves of terror, the intifadas were nearby, and then it was quiet in both the north and south.

Life on the border with Gaza - things people may not know (but should) Facebook group

Shiloh is northeast of Ramalla, which isn't in the "red zone."

As for the 5779, 2019 Knesset Elections, when I speak to neighbors and friends, we all seem to want the same thing from our MKs, but we differ on which political party will be the best choice.

Last night I even posted on facebook :

This may shock some people, but I don't mind if Likud is in the opposition for a bit. It'll go more Right.

Most responders/comments didn't agree with me. They just don't get it. Being in the opposition would be a good shock/cleanser for the Likud. It would remind them that the Israeli voter wants a real Right party in power, not a bunch of Centrist wimps. This scenario would happen if their prospective truly Right political parties, like the Shaked-Bennett New Right lose votes to the fake Right, like Feiglin and Kahalon.

And concerning the terror from Gaza, the IDF has called up a lot of reservists who are waiting for a decision. IMHO, we should have bombed them to bits last year when it started. Any terrorist or agent provocateur, regardless of age should have been eliminated. We're being attacked. That's war, and there's no need to act like these are toddlers having a bissell tantrum.

In less than two weeks, maybe there will be some election results. Or will the 5779, 2019 Knesset Elections be suddenly postponed because of war? Tune in ...

Shabbat Zachor, Remembering 23 Years Since "My" Terror Attack

Davka Shabbat Zachor...

• It's a full year-- innocent Jews in Southern Israel have been suffering from riots and attacks and fires from Gaza...
• Twenty-three 23 years since I was injured in a terror attack.

This Shabbat as I sat in shul reading the special Maftir (Torah portion) and Haftara, ISamuel 15:1-34 (click and read the entire chapter;) the words were so clear and simple.

זָכ֕וֹר אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֥ה לְךָ֖ עֲמָלֵ֑ק בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ בְּצֵאתְכֶ֥ם מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃
Remember what Amalek did to you on your journey, after you left Egypt—
אֲשֶׁ֨ר קָֽרְךָ֜ בַּדֶּ֗רֶךְ וַיְזַנֵּ֤ב בְּךָ֙ כָּל־הַנֶּחֱשָׁלִ֣ים אַֽחַרֶ֔יךָ וְאַתָּ֖ה עָיֵ֣ף וְיָגֵ֑עַ וְלֹ֥א יָרֵ֖א אֱלֹהִֽים׃
how, undeterred by fear of God, he surprised you on the march, when you were famished and weary, and cut down all the stragglers in your rear.
וְהָיָ֡ה בְּהָנִ֣יחַ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֣יךָ ׀ לְ֠ךָ מִכָּל־אֹ֨יְבֶ֜יךָ מִסָּבִ֗יב בָּאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְהוָֽה־אֱ֠לֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵ֨ן לְךָ֤ נַחֲלָה֙ לְרִשְׁתָּ֔הּ תִּמְחֶה֙ אֶת־זֵ֣כֶר עֲמָלֵ֔ק מִתַּ֖חַת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם לֹ֖א תִּשְׁכָּֽח׃ (פ)
Therefore, when the LORD your God grants you safety from all your enemies around you, in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as a hereditary portion, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!

2 So said the Lord of Hosts, 'I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid (wait) for him on the way, when he came up out of Egypt.
בכֹּ֚ה אָמַר֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת פָּקַ֕דְתִּי אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָֹ֥ה עֲמָלֵ֖ק לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֲשֶׁר־שָֹ֥ם לוֹ֙ בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ בַּעֲלֹת֖וֹ מִמִּצְרָֽיִם:
3 Now, go, and you shall smite Amalek, and you shall utterly destroy all that is his, and you shall not have pity on him: and you shall slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.' "
געַתָּה֩ לֵ֨ךְ וְהִכִּֽיתָ֜ה אֶת־עֲמָלֵ֗ק וְהַֽחֲרַמְתֶּם֙ אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א תַחְמֹ֖ל עָלָ֑יו וְהֵמַתָּ֞ה מֵאִ֣ישׁ עַד־אִשָּׁ֗ה מֵֽעֹלֵל֙ וְעַד־יוֹנֵ֔ק מִשּׁ֣וֹר וְעַד־שֶֹ֔ה מִגָּמָ֖ל וְעַד־חֲמֽוֹר:

Unfortunately, the message, the mitzvah, is still very relevant. That's because King Saul did not obey Gd's orders, that important mitzvah. Saul didn't immediately execute all of Amalek. Yes, it's a mitzvah to execute/kill Amalek and his descendants, those enemies who aim to destroy us. It isn't cruel to kill them, even the women and the children. We won't have true peace until our enemies are dead and gone.

That's the message or Zachor,Remember. That's the message of Purim. We dress up in costumes to disguise ourselves, and lehavdil, to differentiate, our enemies of today dress in proper suits and come armed with NGOs, diplomats, academics, journalists and smiling surgically enhanced celebrities using doublespeak to demand our destruction in pretty euphemisms.

Today, thousands of years after King Saul failed in his Gd given mission, more innocent Jewish families are in mourning, because more Israelis are being murdered by Arab terrorists. And successive Israeli Governments continue the ways of Saul by warning our enemies, rather than executing them.

• Wasting expensive ammunition on empty buildings will not bring us peace.
• Apologizing for killing or injuring rioters, regardless of their age/sex, will not bring us peace.
• Giving diplomatic immunity to terrorists and their supporters will not bring us peace.
• Negotiating and compromising will not give us peace.

May this year be the year we totally destroy Amalek, Gd willing!

Chag Purim Sameach