Major David Shapiro

I received this from a colleague of mine. I am copying/ pasting this for all to see. In order to view the clip, copy and paste the link.

Please watch this short video clip about the hero who saved many lives at Yeshivat Mercaz Harav. Watch and listen to this excerpt from Ilana Dayan's interview with David Shapiro and please pass on to others!
The note below is what I received. Too bad we don't have people of his calibre in the present government! Netivotgirl

"Shalom! It took a few weeks to get the permission needed from a bunch of different Israeli army officials to make this video, but, thank G-d, it finally exists. It's about Major David Shapiro, the hero of the Merkaz Harav
massacre, and today a hero leading troops in Gaza.

I want to get it's inspirational message about Israel's soldiers out to the
world. If you do as well, please send it on to your lists!"

http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=UkFKUvNFkg4

or, to bypass You Tube
http://www.yideoz. com/view_ video.php? viewkey=5b4477f7 60ca0e7449d7

Update: Nitzan caravilla bomb shelters

Update: Nitzan caravilla bomb shelters

by Sara Layah Shomron

Last week the government brought in more make shift sewer pipe bomb shelters. They're smaller and placed in the middle of each cul-de-sac. This makes it much easier for the neighbors to make the 30 second dash – especially if one is toting young children, pregnant, old…



Painted by neighborhood youth
The message translates: secure for Mahadarin (strictest kosher supervision) under Army homefront supervision



benches

They also installed benches. It sure beats sitting on the cold cement. Hmmm, I wonder which creature comfort the government will think of installing next.

Dear World... An Open Letter

As a postscript to my earlier blog posting, I recommend everyone view the link to an extremely well made video clip. I wasn't surprised at the end of it to see who penned this "Open Letter to the World."

If it doesn't open, do "copy" and "paste" the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQSfeNkJgBI

For This We Went to War??

As much as I and all residents in the South crave the normalcy of returning to work and school without fear of rocketing, I cannot but feel deeply disappointed. I agree wholeheartedly with Batya's last postings. Why stop the campaign now? Why care that the world is upset with us? Whatever is new with that? When have they ever approved of our actions and why should we care about them? Did they not all stand idly by as we were slaughtered throughout the Holocaust?

What have we gained? "Kosher Har'ta'ah" is a phrase I am unable to aptly translate. "The ability to put fear of reprisal into someone?" Whatever-- this was NOT the aim of the war. Putting a total halt to rocketing WAS! And, I don't see that happening any time soon. And, what about Gilad Shalit? I don't believe Ohlmert nor Barak when they claim that his well-being is a priority of this government. If so, why not refuse further humanitarian aid unless he is freed, or the very least, that the Red Cross be allowed to visit him??

How in heaven's name can a total halt to rocketing have been achieved when Egypt refuses to allow any foreign troops (our troops of course!) man the Philadelphia corridor through which explosives and ammunition are smuggled? And, even should they agree to the posting of international forces along that area, since when have we EVER been able to rely on any but our own personnel to get the job done?! We will have a return to the same untenable situation as before (intermittent rocketing) with only a humongous national overdraft to show for this war!!!

Last night my husband and I returned home from Shabbat spent with relatives. (My married children refuse to spend Shabbat here not for fear, as much as the wish to spare their very young children the trauma of sirens and the sounds of war so Savta and Saba come to them!) Before the entrance to Sederot the bus driver of the 353 line put on the lights and announced, "We are entering Sederot. Should there be a color red alert, both the back and front doors will be open and you must leave the bus immediately and seek shelter. Sederot residents, please descend from the bus with all possible speed so we need not tarry."

Those were the first words heard from the driver, but not the last. As the 9:00 o'clock news came on, he hit the steering wheel and cursed! "Idiots," he added, "How can we withdraw now? Why isn't Lieberman in the cabinet, or anyone else with any guts?" That unknown driver is probably a resident of the south and crudely expressed our shared frustration: to have come THIS far, and to have spent so much money and lives, soldiers and civilians alike, to reach this point... and then simply stop!?

I have used Batya's comparison to the halt of antibiotics many times in the past weeks in my correspondence abroad, doing my best at public relations. We can only guess at the mutation expected in the life-threatening bacteria over the border in Gaza, should, as I fear our use of "antibiotics" be ceased! And, who will pay for this folly? You and I, of course! The innocent citizens of our nation who haven't bunkers like those in the Kirya into which our brave leaders descend in times of war!

As I got off the bus, I told the driver, "It's a shame we don't have you sitting in the government!" That would be a blessed addition to the spineless folks sitting there now, with their political agendas instead of the good of the country foremost in their sight.

The Government's Statement re: Unilateral Cease Fire

I posted the entire statement on Blog Free, my otherwise inactive political blog. I had the displeasure of hearing Olmert live on TV.

It doesn't matter who was lying or exagerating in the Condi-Ollie argument about the UN Resolution, because Condaleezza Rice won this round for sure.

Absolutely nothing, less than nothing is to Israel's benefit! We didn't finish the job.

• It's like a cancer surgeon only taking out part of the tumor and not giving any chemo or radiation.
• It's like stopping the antibiotics halfway, before the illness is gone. The bacteria develops a stronger strain resistent to the same onece effective antibiotics.

That's Olmert, the same Olmert who sent soldiers, underprepared and under equipped to Lebanon, and that's the same Ehud Barak who fled Lebanon when becoming Prime Minister. And that's the same Tsippi Livni who was Olmert's #1 partner in the disasterous Lebanese war.

Here are a few quotations from Olmert's statement, emphasis mine:

...our targets, as defined when we launched the operation, have been fully achieved, and more so:

· Hamas was badly stricken, both in terms of its military capabilities and in the infrastructure of its regime. Its leaders are in hiding. Many of its members have been killed. The factories in which its missiles were manufactured have been destroyed. The smuggling routes, through dozens of tunnels, have been bombed. The Hamas’s capabilities for conveying weapons within the Gaza Strip have been damaged. The scope of missile fire directed at the State of Israel has been reduced. The areas from which most of the missiles were launched are under the control of IDF forces. The estimate of all the security services is that the Hamas’s capabilities have been struck a heavy blow which will harm its ability to rule and its military capabilities for some time...

During the operation, the State of Israel demonstrated great sensitivity in exercising its force in order to avoid, as much as possible, harming the civilian population not involved in terror. In cases where there was any doubt that striking at terrorists would lead to harming an innocent civilian population – we abstained from acting. There are not many countries which would act thusly.We have no disagreement with the residents of Gaza. We consider the Gaza Strip a part of the future Palestinian state with which we hope to live a life of good neighborliness, and we wish for the day when the vision of two states is realized.

All I can say is pray and repent!

"Unilateral" is A Curse Word

"Unilateral" is A Curse Word, because every unilateral=one-sided agreement brings a curse on us. The world has been waiting, snickering for Israel to give up fighting a war we should have won.

I just heard Olmert's bombastic statement on TV, claiming that we had achieved all of our goals. Maybe he did. Kadima is doing better at the polls, but when the guys come home from the army, they'll tell the truth. Their hands were tied. They had to take "breaks" to feed the terrorists. They weren't allowed to finish the war.

Another Olmert faux war. Just posturing and getting our soldiers killed and injured. He knows that neither Egypt nor any UN, US or any other force will protect us, will block further missile development in Gaza.

And that, "Just let them try to attack us, and we'll respond..." Sure he'll respond with hot air, words, just words! We've heard the threats and promises so many times, and so have the Arabs.

Olmert's just hoping to keep things quiet until after the elections. And Barak, gevalt. No guts to finish the job.

Check the Tsippi-Condi Deal

Here's excerpts the transcript of the announcement of Tsippi's deal with Condi to stop the fighting, before we've finished the job of defeating the terrorists and destroying their weapons:

Rice:
We’ve said repeatedly that the continued supply of armaments to Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza, including by some in the region, is a direct cause of the current hostilities. It is, therefore, incumbent upon on us in the international community to prevent the rearmament of Hamas so that a ceasefire will be durable and fully respected. There must be an international consensus that Gaza can never again be used as a launching pad against Israeli cities.
This Memorandum of Understanding that we will sign today responds to that need. It provides a series of steps that the United States and Israel will take to stem the flow of weapons and explosives into Gaza. The United States is reaching out to its partners, as well. And together, the steps that we and other members of the international community can take will contribute to a durable ceasefire.
The United States remains deeply concerned, too, about the innocent Palestinians who are suffering in Gaza. A sustainable end to hostilities, rather than one that collapses in a few days or weeks, is crucial to ending the suffering. In the meantime, we are doing all that we can to respond to the humanitarian needs of the population of Gaza.
And Foreign Minister Livni and I have talked about the need to be responsive to the humanitarian organizations that are working there, including the United Nations and the International Committee for the Red Cross, as well as nongovernmental organizations with which we are working through USAID to relieve the suffering of innocent people there.
When this is done, we must all turn again back to the goals of UN Security Council Resolution 1850. That resolution noted that lasting peace can only be based on an enduring commitment to mutual recognition, freedom from violence, incitement, and terror, and the two-state solution, building upon previous agreements and obligations. The United States remains firmly committed to Israel’s security, to continued bilateral negotiations through the Annapolis process, toward a two-state solution, which is the only way, ultimately, to secure a future for Israelis and Palestinians alike over the last term -- long term. The sooner that these hostilities can be brought to an end, the sooner the real work of forging a permanent peace can resume.
President Bush and I have very much enjoyed and valued our work with you, Tzipi, and with the people of Israel, with Prime Minister Olmert, with Defense Minister Barak, and with others. Israel and the United States will and always will – are and always will remain friends. We share values and we share a common desire to see a Middle East that lives in peace and in freedom.

Now, think about these questions and add your own:

• What concrete steps does it promise us?
• Are there any guarantees that Israel will be secure?
• What will happen to the Arabs if they gather more weapons and continue launching missiles at Israel?

Damned If He Does, Damned If He Doesn't -- Bibi's Snared

You'd never know there was an election coming up, since we haven't heard from the main opposition leader, Bibi Netanyahu, except when he's supporting the government.

Bibi is cooperating to support the war and the government, which has totally muzzled the Likud's election campaign. He's between a rock and a hard place. If he doesn't support he government's war efforts, he's disloyal to the country and the IDF, and if he does support it, he's undermining his election campaign.

JPOST.COM VIDEO
'We must have a decisive victory'
Netanyahu: "I warned that unilateral Gaza pullout would create 'Hamastan.'"

I don't know what will happen if the government really stops the war, giving in to international pressure and declaring a ceasefire. Will Bibi finally break with the government and campaign? The Likud's showing in the polls is pretty consistent, but Bibi's not winning any fans.

Three Polls:
Likud 28-29, Kadima 21-2,
Israel not using excessive military force 82%:13%
Satisfied with the performance of:
PM Olmert: Yes 46% No 39%
DM Barak: Yes 70% No 20%
FM Livni Yes 51% No 34%
Opposition head Netanyahu: Yes 48% No 34%
(entire article from IMRA)

Bibi must break away from the government line if he's going to win. And he must remind the public of the rampant terrorism which began during Barak's rule as Prime Minister. The Likud must also remind the country of how Livni supported Disengagement, which has brought terrorist missiles even closer to Israel.

Bibi must act like a leader. He has to attract voters from Kadima and Labor. Isn't that why he is promoting the Likud as a centrist party? He shouldn't ignore the fact that the timing of this war, which should have been years ago, is only an election campaign ploy by Kadima and Labor.

Those of us who don't trust the center must vote for the National Union, the Ichud Le'umi.

The word "unilateral," one-sided should be considered obscene. Gov't Discussing Unilateral Truce as Hamas Threatens Attacks. Hasn't the government learned its lesson?

Update: Pray For War Wounded

Refuah Shleimah

MITZVAH: Updated Wounded Soldiers, Jan. 16 AM


Compiled list: information as of morning Jan. 16, 2009.

Please keep the following wounded soldiers in your prayers:

Aharon Yehoshua ben Chaya Shoshana

Avi ben Shoshana

Ben ben Batya

Binyamin Ben Ben Netiva

Chaim Moshe Naftali ben Ruth Reizel

Daniel ben "Sara"

Dov Baer ben Devorah Blumah

Dvir Ben Laya Â

Eitan ben Sarah Â

Elishama Shalom ben Rivka Leah;

Eran ben Batsheva

Gal ben Hedva

Gal Or ben Aliza

Geva ben Avital

Hoshea ben Miriam

Idan ben Liora

Idan ben Nadi

Itai ben Rinat

Liel Hoshea ben Miriam

Lior ben Mazal

Maxim ben Olga

Mor Mordechai ben Orna

Moshe ben Chana Malka

Moshe ben Dina

Moshe ben Eidi

Moshe ben Pnina Rose

Nadav ben Miriam

Nechemia Dov Ber ben Arilin (Orly? Arlene?)

Neriya ben Rivka

Netanel ben Mazal Tov

Netanel ben Nava

Noam ben Aliza

Ohad ben Bracha

Omar ben Dorit

Or ben Elana

Or ben Rachel

Oren ben Chaya

Refael ben Dina

Ran ben Mirel

Ron ben Bilha

Ron ben Havatselet

Ronen Chai ben Leah

Rotem ben Lea

Sagi ben Osnat

Shachaf ben Dalia

Tal ben Anat

Tom ben Chana

Tzviki bar Chai

Wahal Mijan

Yaakov ben Orli

Yaakov Yisrael ben Yardena

Yevgeny Ben Elizbeta

Yisrael ben Ilana Â

Yitzchak ben Bia

Yitzhak ben Nava

Yo'ad Ido ben Frieda Elka

Yosef Chaim ben Ziva

Here are the names of more soldiers in Hadassah Hospital.

Avi Cohen

Ben ben Batya

Daniel Tamarov

Dov Baer ben Devorah Blumah

Gal Or ben Aliza

Natanel ben Mazel Tov

Oleg Dizengoff

Omer ben Dorit

Ori Noga

Rafi ben Dina

Raphael ben Nina

Roni Rapaport

Yaakov ben Orly

Yaakov Yisrael ben Yardena

Yedidya Schlesinger

Also, please pray for the civilians who were wounded by Kassam missiles

Avi ben Chamo

Bat El Hila bat Phoebe
Gavriel ben Sarah
Gila bat Odelia
Michael ben Anna

Orel ben Angela
Oren ben Avraham
Raphael ben Nina

Gila bat Chana

Roni Rapaport

Yaakov ben Miriam
Yaakov ben Rivka
Yedidya ben Shira

Kidnapped & Missing Soldiers:

Yehonatan ben Malkah. (Pollard)

Ron ben Batya (Arad)

Guy ben Rina (Hever)

Tzvi ben Pninah (Feldman),

Yekutiel Yehuda Nachman ben Sarah (Katz),

Zecharia Shlomo ben Miriam (Baumel)

Majdi Halabi

Gilad ben Aviva (Shalit) - kidnapped Israeli soldier that Hamas claims was
injured in air raids on Gaza;

Jewish War Stories--Shabbat Shalom

I received these in the mail:

A soldier, whose unit was taken out of Gaza after a 48 hour operation in order to regroup and go back in, called his Rabbi in Tzfat. He said, "I have so many things I could tell you about, but there is one thing I must tell you. Last Shabbat, when we were about to go in, and everyone was finished painting his face and loading up his gear (40 kilos a person), the commander who is religous, called everyone into a Chet formation (big semi circle). He offered them words of encouragement before the big mission. Then, he closed his eyes, and began to recite in a load voice the Shema Yisrael, which the soldiers repeated after him in loud voices that must have pierced the heavens. The commander then opened up the Chumash, and began to recite the versus from Dvarim:
"1) When thou goest forth to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, thou shalt not be afraid of them; for the LORD thy God is with thee, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
2) And it shall be, when ye draw nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,
3) and shall say unto them: 'Hear, O Israel, ye draw nigh this day unto battle against your enemies; let not your heart faint; fear not, nor be alarmed, neither be ye affrighted at them;
4) for the LORD your God is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you ......... ........"
Hundreds of soldiers responded 'Amen'. The officer then announced that for whoever wants some extra protection, they have boxes with hundreds of donated pairs of tzizit. Of course the religious soldiers were already wearing tzizit, but there were plenty of soldiers who were not. A few minutes later, every last pair of tzizit had been given out.
After the long 48 hour battle, when the soldiers were leaving Gaza in order to regroup, their clothing was no longer in neat order. Rather, with shirts untucked, the soldiers had tzizit strings flapping around their knees. When this one soldier (a student of the Rav) looked around, he recalled that he wasn't sure if he was out at war or back in Yeshiva!
----------------
Another story ....
The military Rabbis brought several Torah Scrolls with them on the busses to Gaza with the troops. When the soldiers entered into Gaza, they entered in two rows. The three Rabbis stood in the middle. As each soldier passed, a hand went out to kiss the Torah. This is how our soldiers entered Gaza.
Mi Keamcha Yisrael ..... . who Hashem is like your nation Israel?

Why Won't Israel Fight To The Finish?

Regular readers know that I'm very troubled by the fact that the State of Israel refuses to totally destroy the terrorists, our mortal enemies. Our soldiers are ready, but the government is negotiating a ceasefire, which only emboldens the terrorists.

Does the Jewish People, as a People, suffer some sort of psychological defect?

There are some very interesting points in this Pirkei Avot, Ethics of the Fathers, article. Does it answer questions or bring up new ones?

I remember during the Six Days War, Eshkol's government did not plan on liberating an Land at all. All it wanted was to defend Israel as it stood in the 1949 ceasefire lines, the "green line."

G-d had other plans, and less than a week after the first shot was fired, Israel found itself at the Jordan River, the Golan Heights and the Suez Canal. Those were the borders to the Mediterranean Sea on the west. I have no doubt that the Moshiach, Messiah, was here and ready. But the Israeli Government gave the key to Har HaBayit, The Temple Mount, to the Moslems, and he left.

Shabbat Shalom u'Mevorach
May You Have A Peaceful and Blessed Sabbath