180511
11th
May 2018
Shabbat
Shalom! Hope you are well and happy.
The
flags are up all over Jerusalem, the Stars and Stripes shine on us and in
the Jerusalem neighborhood of Arnona, on the border of Talpiot Mizrach, the
road signs are alreay in place pointing their way to the American Embassy! It
is very exciting and Israelis love nothing better than a reason to celebrate,
and we are already in celebratory mood! It is finally going to happen, starting
with the American Embassy, then Guatamala, then………… who knows. I will always
remember the words of former British Ambassador Sherrard Cowper-Coles
"Every time I come to Jerusalem I go to the site of our Embassy, it's
still just a piece of land, and stand and pray for the United States to move
its Embassy to Jerusalem so we can follow suit" OK So now you can!!!!
I
can hear you saying "Why is she so happy? Israel is at war with Iran!"
Well I have news for you, no we aren't. We are not happy that they sent
missiles and rockets (16 didn't even reach Israeli land, they flopped, and the
others were shot down before reaching Israel) but then we responded and wiped
out some 50 Iranian bases and arsenals in Syria! The "peaceful"
demonstration in the South, on the Gaza border, isn't peaceful and it isn't a
free expression of the downtrodden Gazans for the "siege". Israel is
the only country of the area that isn't denying Gazans their basic needs, in
fact providing them, but they are scared to demonstrate on the Egyptian border
and anyway they can't get near the Egyptian border because the Egyptian troops
came in, cleared a swathe of land next to the border and put up a wall! This
"peaceful demonstration is sending kites, ordinary paper kites, with
inflammable material to add to the effect, and they are burning down whole fields
of carefully tended crops before the Kibbutz farmers have time to harvest.
Quite apart from the evil ingenuity of their actions, the fear is that a farmer
on his tractor could be trapped in a burning field, but then that is the aim!
In the
meantime, Israelis are carrying on with life, obviously preparing for the worst
but we don't scare that easily. We are never complacent and the IDF is on alert,
in this neighborhood one cannot be sure of anything. This isn't a new situation,
but the paradigm has changed. We managed very well on our own against all
enemies, but now we know that the USA is behind us with all its weight with a
leader that doesn't fear rejection.
Let
me explain.
Iran has proxies who do not have to heed consequences for their violent actions
against Israel (or Saudi, Kuwait etc), like Hamas, Hezb-Allah, even Al Qaeeda
and ISIS, however, Iran is a country, a state, and if they wreak havoc they
will pay with embargos from the world community, even if their aggression is
against Israel!!! For most countries it was a convenient excuse to come out
against their actions this week, countries that is, not of course the NYT.
Nobody will take action, yet, and the United Nations will find a way to blame
Israel but the Iranians know they walk a fine line.
David
Horovitz, Editor of the Times of Israel, gives a concise and clear explanation
of the Iran deal's history https://www.timesofisrael.com/trumps-iran-deal-withdrawal-it-should-never-have-come-to-this/
Now,
love him or loathe him, President Trump is fulfilling his promises. He has gone
quiet on the immigrant situation, but since most of the wall with Mexico was
already built by President Obama he didn't need to continue – now I admit that
was rhetoric. However, he is standing fast on the Iran deal, which is dangerous
in its inadequacies. The Iran deal was based on the Clinton North Korean deal
and we know where that led!!! His public shaming of President Kim of North
Korea horrified those who do not understand the region, but look where it led -
a meeting between the two Koreas and with the American President. Finally, he decided
to honour the vote in Congress to move the United States Embassy to Jerusalem,
the Capital of Israel. Newt Gingrich and Daniel Moynihan went against President
Clintons warnings of conflagration in the area if they went ahead with the
statement "We have diplomatic relations with 184 countries and Israel is
the only one where the Embassy is not in the functioning capital". The
vote was in 1995, the intended move in 1999 and all it took from any sitting
President was to say nothing, simply not to defer the move. This fascinating
reading https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Perhaps
the strangest outcome of recent events is that Prime Minister Netanyahu is the
go-between for any negotiations or talks between Putin and Trump. Both talk to
him but not to each other. It is surely a machisto situation between the eagle
and the bear but incredibly Israel is acceptable to both. I said that whether
one loves or loathes Trump one must accept his successes and so it is with Mr
Netanyahu. I didn't vote for him or his party but he has done everything right
over the last two weeks.
Perhaps
now is the time for us to hear the song We Are a Miracle by Yaakov Shwekey –
more from him later https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmyKFLQDHns
The
International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem was established in 1980 by three dear
friends, Tim King, Jay Rawlings and Malcolm Hedding, among others, when most
countries chose to have their Embassies to Tel Aviv. The Embassy was founded in
recognition of Jerusalem as the Capital city of the Jewish people. Quite apart
from their incredible work in support of Israel in general and Jerusalem in
particular, they throw a wonderful party twice a year, Chanuka/Christmas and
Jerusalem Day. Last Monday was the Jerusalem Day party, on a day which produced
rain, high winds and almost every conceivable weather threat! As Beverly Dwyer
said "We prayed and prayed that the rain would hold off" and it did!!
The exquisite building once housed the Czechoslovakian and Ivory Coast
Embassies and the incredible work of the ICEJ in ensuring the return of the
Embassies to Jerusalem may just backfire since the building belongs to the
Ivory Coast!! Zvi and I went with "my friend Sheila" the wonderful
broadcaster Sheila Zucker and we were again in awe of the beauty of the
building, the grounds and the support of people like Juergen Buhler. The
Embassy does not proselytise as has been suggested, they give enormous
political support worldwide.
Israel
is through to the finals of the Eurovision Song Contest with Netta Barzilai
singing I'm not your doll. Of course the BBC complained that she uses swear
words in the song…….. quite incredible when one considers the fact that the
first time **** was heard on the air was Kenneth Tynan on the David Frost Show
oh and all the British late night show presenters in the USA use the word
non-stop to say nothing of rappers!! We are vaunted to be the winners but only
if politics stays out of the competition.
Last
night we went to Tel Aviv for two reasons, one was to meet Perla and Carlos
Jinich two lovely Mexican friends of Zvi's from his high school days in
Mexico City. My complaint? I only just met them when they have been coming to
Israel for many years!! What a delight! Perla mad coffee and I brought an
Orange Cake (Rachel's famous recipe) and suddenly we realised that time has
flown and we needed to leave for our next appointment!!
One
day, Zvi was at a Maccabi World Union event and met a new friend called Ron
Carner of the USA. Ron introduced his wife, Talia, and to his
amazement she and Zvi hugged each other as old friends……….. because they were
and are! Talia and Zvi went to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem together when
Zvi was a student leader! Of course once I came on the scene we because friends
too. In the meantime Talia has become a famous author of 4 books and last night
Talia and Ron threw a big birthday bash for Talia's 70th and we had
fun! I had the huge fortune of sitting next to Ilan Horowitz (he told me
to say that) and Zvi sat with Cilla Horowitz, and the men regaled stories of
their past and sang together in Russian. To our amazement, a crowd gathered
around us and sang the Russian songs with them!! It has never happened before!
I knew that Ilan is a great storyteller of the stand-up mode, but for anyone to
have the courage to sing with Zvi's booming bass-baritone is rare. The only one
in our life who willingly does so is Martin Lindenfeld but he a too far
away in Florida!!!
We have
some wonderful occasions coming up, tomorrow Yonatan ha Katan will be 4, a
beautiful boy and Zvi's only grandson – not that we are complaining about the
grand-daughters!!! Rachel has made him a fabulous piñata, a yellow duckling
with big blue eyes and I
will take the far less interesting "memula'im" stuffed vegetables and
my new favourite salad – roasted aubergine and labaneh whizzed with a stick
blender. Try it! It is easy and delicious!!!
Rachel is already creating incredible things for her Talia's
Batmitzva in a few weeks. Fabulous flowers atop pens and pencils for the girls,
unbelievably beautiful invitation reminders – cards and invites printed on
clear plastic with flowers attached and with magnets for the fridge…. And little
favours that she makes from scratch. I love it!!
On
Monday we have the honour of watching Zvi's close friend, Professor Gabby
Barkay, receive the Yakir Yerushalayim Award for his amazing work on sifting
the earth removed from underneath the Temple Mount by Sheikh Raeed Salah. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Barkay
For me,
of equal if not even greater importance (sorry Gabby) is the fact that my
middle son, Gideon, is in Israel for a flying visit from London and I will get
to hug him and he will get to hug Rachel and family. I am madly thinking of
what food to make for him that he loves, he has gone healthy on me so not sure!
And so
to music. Perhaps something about the Golan Heights? About Jerusalem, although
the choice is daunting; no, I think I have the perfect song for this week – Ani
Ma'amin
We are
so grateful to our incredible IDF for protecting us and for all they do to help
our supposed enemies. Yaakov Shwekey sings the blessing for the soldiers
of Israel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suKZK8O_x2s
The blessing
He Who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, may He
bless the fighters of the Israel Defense Forces, who stand guard over our land
and the cities of our God, from the border of the Lebanon to the desert of
Egypt, and from the Great Sea unto the approach of the Aravah, on the land, in
the air, and on the sea.
May the Almighty cause the
enemies who rise up against us to be struck down before them. May the Holy One,
Blessed is He, preserve and rescue our fighters from every trouble and distress
and from every plague and illness, and may He send blessing and success in
their every endeavor.
May He lead our enemies under
our soldiers’ sway and may He grant them salvation and crown them with victory.
And may there be fulfilled for them the verse: For it is the Lord your God, Who
goes with you to battle your enemies for you to save you.
Now let us respond: Amen.
With love from Jerusalem, our veranda and the view all the way to
the newly established American Embassy in Jerusalem.
Shabbat Shalom dear friends, Shabbat Shalom
Sheila
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