The Golldener Medinah?

 

26^th July, 2024

 

Shabbat Shalom to one and all. May you have a peaceful weekend

 

 

This week was a confused and difficult one for the United States of America. I am not talking about the leadership, not about who will be chosen as President, I am starting this missive with a series of video clips, put together by journalist Tom Gross. I was horrified, terrified, and disgusted by the anti-American, pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Please, please, look at what is happening in the American Capital City.  https://youtu.be/pA9W6FPJujw?si=Gj5d09M3b6iY3c9R  We can then talk about who should be the leader of the Western World.

 

The Iranian influence, the head of the snake, has gone well beyond party politics, has been brewing for many years, not just during President Biden’s term, and the ideal of “free speech” has been taken to extremes we never thought we could see in a free society. The apparent reason behind the unseen violence? A visit of the Israel Prime Minister, or is it just an opportunity for the instigators (Iran and her proxies) to draw unwanted attention to the “plight” of the Palestinians. Forgive me for saying but what you, the great democracy of the United States, need is a candidate who will stand up and speak out about Americas issues, not demand democracy in a rogue state. The old style candidates spoke about morality and American values………

 

Talking about moral values, the incredibly costly visit of Prime Minister Netanyahu, Sara Netanyahu and his entire retinue, culminated in a speech before a packed Congress. His eloquence is unquestionable, his ability to make one think that he really cares, is apparent, but perhaps we should be looking for content not standing ovations. By the way, what does it mean when members of Congress jump up and down like Jack-in-the-Boxes? I have never doubted Bibi’s ability to orate……. Perhaps I turn yet again to my friend Paul Mirbach whose words rang true for me. “While he says, "Give us the tools faster, and we will finish the job faster", I am more reminded of "the hostages are suffering, but not dying", as we are witness to how he seems to be "finishing the job". Joe Biden in his speech on the same night promised to work tirelessly to bring all the ISRAELI hostages home, Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, failed to mention them.

Empty words to applause in Congress is reality TV. The corpses of hostages recovered from Khan Younis, as the number of hostages who remain alive dwindles, while he travels to America to address Americans at the same time that he is afraid to face his own people, is our Reality.”

 

The only truly important art of his speech was when he introduced the soldiers, our wonderful, brave, outstanding soldiers.

 

Sadly, Kamala Harris, potential Democratic Candidate for the Presidency, almost immediately after the Israeli Prime Minister’s speech, spoke, almost exclusively about Palestinians right to self-rule. I assume it is because she is ill informed but the Palestinians have a President, a Prime Minister and a government and since 2005 Gaza has been self-ruled. We saw the outcome on October 7^th. When oh when will they understand that elections do not bring democracy?

 

Rashida Tlaib, she who claimed Palestinian heritage and poverty not proudly American, sat near the incredibly brave former hostage Noa Argamani. She was wearing a Kaffiyeh and held a sign “War Criminal” and “Guilty of genocide”.  She clearly has never read the Oxford Dictionary. “the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group.”

 

Here in Israel, we are in a state of despondency brought about by so many factors. Another 5 bodies were found in a tunnel in Khan Younis in Gaza. Stuffed into black plastic bags they were brought home for burial. Simultaneously, while the Prime Minister chose to go to Washington, flying in a horrendously expensive white elephant aeroplane called Wing of Zion, to orate before Congress at a time when the Presidency is in tatters and then celebrate his son’s 30^th birthday. His dystopic government has taken the opportunity, during his absence, to attempt to pass some highly questionable laws. While his speech was impressive, he is needed here, soldiers and hostages are dying!

 

The lofty title “The International Court of Justice” has no bearing on Justice. In this report by Hillel Neuer you will see why.  The president of the International Court of Justice, Judge Salam, who on Friday read out an advisory opinion targeting Israel, voted 210 times to condemn the Jewish state when he served as Lebanon’s UN ambassador, and he delivered inflammatory speeches accusing “terrorist Jewish organizations” of committing “organized massacres,” according to a new report by UN Watch. Click for Video On Friday, the ICJ delivered a non-binding opinion that Israel must exit from the Judea and Samaria, or the West Bank, which included the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem, the Western Wall and the Temple Mount. The opinion was requested by a PLO-sponsored resolution of the UN General Assembly.

 

However, Judge Julia Sebutinde, the Ugandan Vice President of the ICJ has declared the ICJ biased and unprofessional in its judgements of Israel. Her reasoning is wise and rather lengthy, but if you wish to read it https://www.icj-cij.org/node/204092  

 

Everything that touches the United Nations is rotten. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “is deeply concerned about the reports of airstrikes earlier today in and around the port of Hodeida in Yemen, “Israel has claimed responsibility for the strikes, noting that this is in response to previous Houthi attacks on Israel,” Not a word from this excuse for a leader when the UK, USA and Saudi Arabia bombed both this port and another. Not a word about the constant terror attacks on naval and commercial shipping which originated from this port. Bravo again Gutteres.

 

 

As yet I haven’t written about the hostages, the ever dwindling number of hostages that can still be saved; their horrific conditions, their fears that they have been forgotten. We know from those who have been released that they are abused physically and psychologically, told constantly that nobody cares about them, not seeing the light of day for over nine months – 293 days. 293 days in which their families have been fighting with every ounce of their energy, 293 days that have brought all people of conscience  together to fight for them.

 

Not everything is bad news though, honestly. You already know how proud I am of Impact-se and our CEO Marcus Sheff. Marcus and his COO Arik Agassi have been back and fore to Europe many times this month, ensuring that our reports on UNWRA and PA education are brought to the right bodies. This week we were rewarded with an exceptional result.  The European Union has decided to withhold funding of Palestinian education until they change their schoolbooks, taking the incitement to hatred out and putting our new curriculum in. https://mailchi.mp/impact-se.org/eu-funding-to-pa-conditioned-for-first-time-on-textbook-reform?e=a928e53ca6

 

The 2024 Olympic Games are about to begin officially! This tiny country sent no less than 92 athletes all of whom have trained despite the war, despite many doing Miluim, despite the horrible antisemitism that is Paris 2024. In the back of our minds we cannot forget the Munich Olympics, the hatred that killed 11 Israeli athletes will never be forgotten. Then it was the PLO, now it is Iranian proxies. For us,  revenge is sweet when it means winning, coming home triumphant with medals gold medals, Gold Medals where Hatikva is played at the ceremony and we can all weep with pride. Good luck to the teams, the coaches, trainers, and most of all the participants.

 

This has been a week of meeting friends. We have been back and forth on Highway number one and toll road number six, going in various directions, no matter what time we leave we get stuck in traffic jams!! We have eaten at wonderful restaurants, mostly breakfasts because Israeli breakfasts are famous! Why famous? The traditional Israeli breakfast is eggs of any type, multiple dips and spreads, a fresh from the field salad and wonderful farmhouse bread, often made on the spot. It usually comes with a coffee and a fresh juice, squeezed or blended on the spot. It is healthy, delightful and often shared because a portion is just too generous for one person! Tonight Nattie and Yolli Zonszein are coming for Shabbat Dinner, always a treat.

 

I have been busy with my various courses, from water aerobics to craft, from stories in the library to mind and movement. Of course, Zvi has been going from meetings to rehearsals, in fact we are busy, very busy, which is how we keep our sanity in this surreal situation.

 

I am thrilled that one of Zvi’s childhood friends came to visit this week, Elisha Koenig. Toward the end of a delightful visit Zvi mentioned that Elisha is an expert on many aspects of agriculture but especially on irrigation, especially on drip irrigation. I was so delighted because no matter how hard I work on organizing and reorganizing the pipes I always wind up with either a burst or a dry plant which needs a top up! Elisha immediately volunteered his services, asked for various dimensions and I can’t stop smiling. Now, as I sit and eat my breakfast on the veranda, I can not only enjoy my favourite little visitors, the sunbirds, but also the knowledge that my plants are safe from the searing summer sun.

 

Yesterday Zvi went to Tel Aviv to take Ella and Yonatan to buy all their needs for the forthcoming new school year, something he did earlier in the week with Gili, Ori and Yuval. It is traditional that grandparents buy the new books etc, and a few treats. My grandchildren are too old now but I am going to visit Rachel soon, to have my egg salad on her incredible challah hug the children and come back to prepare Shabbat.

 

So what music do you want this week? Last week was sentimental memories so this week I need anew theme.

 

This great social protest song is now 120 years old! Written by the poet Shaul Tchernichovsky in Odessa at the age of 19. I still believe in the good of man.  https://youtu.be/DtbxBdgsuEw?si=jegAIdWeuybW15lL

 

Harel Skaat is a young, new talent on the Israeli scene. His song Hineini Kan, I am Here, could be a love song, but for me it is a love song to Israel, to us as a people. https://youtu.be/RtisIZhaiag?si=vR9xBZucM8r60SCj

 

Together! Yachad! Together we can do everything!!!  I love the theme of this song and the wonderful voices of togetherness. I also love that everyone uses sign language to the music and words.  https://youtu.be/JIdADujEf2g?si=_R8QhVVsJZFaBtfg

 

So that’s it. I know I have left out many aspects but I don’t want to bore you. Please as you light your candles tonight, be they for Shabbat or romance, light one for those hostages that stand a chance of living through their nightmare, say a prayer for them, for the soldiers who are fighting for our freedom and for our Olympic Team that they all come home safely, preferably with accolades!

 

I pray for your country, that the insanity of today will become the sanity of tomorrow and mezuzas will return to doorposts, kippot to head and Magen Davids to their proud place on necklaces.

 

Shabbat Shalom dear wonderful people. Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem

Sheila

 

 

 

Drones, Houthis and Deif

 

19th July 2024

286 days of captivity in Gaza for 120 Israelis

 

Shabbat Shalom! I hope you are well.

 

In the early hours of this morning there was a drone attack on Tel Aviv by Houthis from Yemen some 2,303 kms away. One man died and there were several injuries. The Houthis may be known for their piracy and savage attacks on ships in their vicinity but the fact is that with Iranian backing they are acquiring sophisticated weaponry. Note that Israel has never threatened the Houthis in any way shape or form, apparently one doesn’t need a reason to kill Israelis.

 

Incredibly, it is 286 days since the 7th of October. 9 months since the savage attack on young people enjoying a music festival and the gentle folk of the Southern kibbutzim. 9 months of fighting a guerilla war in underground tunnels which were paid for by aid money and built to a very high standard with the cement that governments far away insisted that the Gazans needed to rebuild. 9 months in which the United Nations lied through their teeth, failed to do their job, promoted hatred through their teaching and ignored the fact that their employees were signed up members of the very terror organisation they were sent to deter. 9 months since the world ignored the rape of so many, 9 months is a very disturbing length of time.

 

In the meantime our kakistocracy continues to demoralise Israelis of all creeds.

 

The incredible bravery of the young women of the Nahal Oz surveillance base is known, many died and others were taken hostage, are still, after 286 days prisoners in their underground tunnels, without seeing the light of day for 9 months, undergoing unknown horrors. All this is known to each and every one of us yet Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that he didn’t know that these amazing young women, in a base on the Gaza border, were completely unarmed, at the mercy of the drugged perpetrators of unbearable atrocities. During a meeting with the bereaved families of the surveillance team, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed he did not know that the observers had expressed concerns of an impending attack from Hamas. He also claimed that he didn’t know that the surveillance soldiers at the base on the Gaza border, all women, were unarmed. And he said he had no idea that many bereaved families had not been paid condolence visits by government ministers or Knesset members. How could he face the parents of those young women and lie? If he really didn’t know, why?

 

 

This Sunday the conscription of Haredi young men should begins. It is hardly the necessary numbers, just 1,000 on the first enlistment, many conditions have been introduced (no women on the base, free to pray whenever necessary etc) conditions that the rest of the IDF don’t need but there are many conditions that the regular soldier can only dream of!

 

It is 30 years since the AMIA bombing of the Buenos Aires Jewish Centre killing dozens of people in the Centre. Hezb-Allah/Iran claimed responsibility. Again and again, Hezb-Allah, with Iranian backing wreaks havoc, kills with no better reason than hatred of Jews.

 

Mohammed Deif, the evil mind behind all the activities of Hamas, including the savagery of the 7th of October, should be dead. We are really good at pinpoint killing of terrorists, it has worked for us time and again. Deif is like the proverbial cat with 9 lives and this is not the first attempt, but the question is, did this one work? Hamas claims that he is still alive but when you see the footage it seems highly unlikely that anything came out of the wreckage. However, I will never forget the story told to us by Canon Andrew White, who, perhaps 20 years ago while there was still a Christian presence in Gaza. Canon White was “invited” to the home of Mohammed Deif. As Andrew said then “When Deif invites you home it isn’t a choice, you go”. As it happens his welcome was warm but when they took Andrew’s blindfold off, he found himself in a beautiful room with a large armoured vehicle in the middle and the entrance to escape tunnels for a quick exit! Basically, this evil man had thought of everything. Which brings us back to the question, is he alive or dead?   

 

From the 26th of July we will see the most racist Olympics since those of 1936. The Paris Olympics threatens like a dark cloud over the Jewish participants, especially the Israeli participants in both the regular Olympics and the Paralympics. Large areas of Paris will be closed off in a desperate hope to control any proposed terrorism. The Olympic motto is “Citius Altius Fortius”. These words mean Faster, Higher, Stronger and this year the word Community has been added in a weak attempt to hold back racism. Just as Jesse Owens ran in 1936 so our Olympians will be there. This El Al advertisement expresses all of the above, https://youtu.be/xiBEsQ5leEE?si=aXiFfXzGE70Nbqj9   

 

The generosity of most European countries has led to what should have been wonderful multicultural societies. Britain accepted and embraced many cultures and waves of immigration, many from the former Empire, but not only. The Jews, Indians, West Indians, indeed all of the above, wanted to be part of their adopted country, were very proud Brits while retaining their cultural identity. That was also true of the Pakistani immigrants who wanted to ensure a good education and standard of living for their children, but something happened in that second generation and some of those young people became radicalised, not by their parents but by other newcomers. As a Brits of my first 44 years (perhaps for ever) I waited for the rebound, for the understanding that there is a change in the proud, accepting British society, but it didn’t happen….. or did it? This week the law decreed that one TikTok terrorist, with extreme anti-Semitic, anti-Israel posts, be sentenced to a jail term for incitement to hatred.

 

Before we go to the good news, this discussion between Ben Shapiro and Douglas Murray may lift your spirits. https://youtu.be/iA9m3etVQLs?si=3C_craHsFm7w0omQ

 

Professor Gabriel Barkay was born in the Budapest Ghetto 80 years ago and his family emigrated from Hungary, after the war, in 1950. As with all immigrants his family had a tough beginning, but that did not stop Gabby going on the be an archaeologist of renown, the best in his field, the most important expert in Biblical archeology in the world. This week his peers chose to honour him in a beautiful ceremony in the Begin Centre in Jerusalem. The Begin Centre was the most appropriate site for the celebration since it was during the digging of the site, underneath the Scottish Church, that the famous Priestly Blessing was found, two small silver scroll amulets containing the priestly benediction from the Book of Numbers, discovered in 1979 in a First Temple Period tomb. These amulets contain the oldest surviving biblically related inscription discovered to date, dating back to the seventh century BCE and are to-date the only archaeological proof that passages from the Hebrew Bible as we know them were in circulation in the First Temple Period. As if that is not enough, Gabby is known as a brave seeker of the truth and when Raeed Salah dug out and threw away hundreds of tons of rubble containing archaeological treasures from under the Temple Mount, Gabby initiated the return of the rubble and then the sifting project began  https://tmsifting.org/en/  Proud to call him friend, a true friend to Zvi for the last 60 years

 

The Khan Theatre is housed in a Khan, a caravanserai, from the Ottoman period. I love going there because the main theatre is intimate and the small theatre even more so. The building is beautiful and the actors in the Khan troupe are all exceptional. We went to very different show this week, called The View of the Sea, Nof HaYam, and the entire performance was without words, not quite mime because there were “noises” but it was simply brilliant. The troupe often begin their performance at the Khan then take it all over Israel. We both highly recommend this one!!

 

We are off to have a weekend in Tel Aviv, after Zvi’s parliament and my visit to Rachel and family. We will spend Shabbat evening with Irit and Yitzik Lev and Shmulik and Eilata Ziskind  then stay over at Amiad’s home because they are conveniently on vacation in Crete!!

 

My choices of music this week are somewhat sentimental but sadly reflect our situation. Firs tis Turn Turn Turn by the Byrds https://youtu.be/W4ga_M5Zdn4?si=9Ub41SLadEfA1BXz

 

The second choice is Peter Paul and Mary and Blowin’ in the Wind, Perer Yarrow is a great proponent for Israel to this day https://youtu.be/Ld6fAO4idaI?si=02j_z1QHoNic31kO

 

The last one is a purely selfish choice because I love it!! John Denver and Placido Domingo with Perhaps Love https://youtu.be/toYfeN0ACDw?si=hdZ938f-slorjT5A

May your week be filled with sweet music, kind thoughts, pride in who you are and of course, gentleness. Shabbat Shalom from beautiful Jerusalem.

Sheila

 

 

 

  

 

 

Lies, Damned Lies and -

 

Lies, Damned Lies and Qataris?

 

12^th July, 2024

279^th of October

6^th day of the month of Tammuz

 

 

Shabbat Shalom!

 

Did you know that Joseph, son of Jacob, he of the multi-coloured dreamcoat, was both born and died on this day? The 6^th day of Tammuz nearly 2,000 years BCE? It is also the anniversary of the slaughter of the Jews of Seville, Spain in 1391, when the Jewish Quarter was burned after lies whipped up hatred by a Catholic cleric. The vast majority endured forced conversion to Christianity (Conversos) in order to survive. This has nothing to do with my opening paragraph today but worth mentioning to put everything into chronological perspective and to understand that nothing is new under the sun.

 

Another reminder, 2,000 years ago, Rome wasn't built in a day but it was built on the remains of the vanquished Jerusalem. It was the Romans who changed the name of this blessed land from Judea and Samaria to Palaestina; they had less success in changing the name of Jerusalem to Aelia Capitolina.

 

We have talked in the past about our collective trauma following the 7^th of October, the sheer violent savagery of that day, and our dismay at the inaction of this government, but when all else failed we felt utter confidence in our army, in the IDF. That confidence in the soldiers, in the subsequent 300% volunteer response that saved us, in a report given yesterday, not only the administration but also the military leadership failed us miserably by not reading the warning signs and not reacting to the invasion. So far, the reported internal inquiry into those failures revealed that the response to the massacre and the invasion of Kibbutz Be’eri took 6 hours. 6 long hours of rape, slaughter, untold cruelty, torture defended by a small group of kibbutz members who fought loke tigers and many gave their lives while the IDF was delayed by confusion among the leadership.   https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-809981

 

Please understand, the IDF, whether intelligence, ground troops, artillery, tanks, police, each and every one of them is everybody’s son. They are our pearls, our children and we promised to keep them safe and bring them all home after victorious battle; they don’t have to be there, yet even after dreadful injuries all they want is to return to the battlefield to defend this beloved country. The IDF is our reputation for fair warfare and precision battle, how on earth could this have happened? Perhaps complacency? Perhaps this unfamiliar unpreparedness filtered down from the top? If we look back into the formation of Hamas we can find some of the answers.

 

For years, Netanyahu governments (plural) divided power between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank bringing Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to his knees while propping up Hamas. The idea was to prevent Abbas — or anyone else in the Palestinian Authority’s West Bank government from achieving a Palestinian state. Indeed, once given this acceptability Hamas slaughtered any Fatah representative they could find in Gaza. Misguided is the understatement of the year and basically led us to the fiasco of October 7^th.

 

I’m not letting other governments off the hook, nor am I excusing the complacency of the military leaders, but one must find the source, the root cause in order to repair the hearts and minds of the people and the soldiers.

 

The irony of the situation, of the abject poverty that is the symbol of Gaza, is that under the watchful eye of the world, Ismael Haniya and Khaled Maashal, the two leaders of Hamas, are each worth over $4 BILLION! They sit in ultimate luxury in Qatar, a safe distance from the action. Incidentally, remember that the latest report by Impact-se on the Qatari schoolbooks shows an increase in anti-West, anti-Semitic content that has prompted the State Department to issue a statement condemning the incitement to hatred therein. The Qatari’s, and to some extent the Egyptians, are not allies of the West, they speak with forked tongue.

 

The other issue which is deeply disturbing to most Israelis, is the question of Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) conscription. The Supreme Court passed a law whereby 18 year old Haredi males, like all other Jewish 18 year olds, are subject to national conscription to the IDF. It has become a question of whether or not they recognise the State of Israel. I refuse to generalise, there has been a great understanding of the need among the young, including a slow but clear increase in recruitment, and some Rabbis have agreed that only the most brilliant of Torah, Bible, students should be relieved of conscription and some have taken to the streets in violent confrontation with the police.  I believe that when one lives in a country, any country, one should show loyalty and they must accept the establishment of the State of Israel, the need to defend the State that cares for their needs, even if they believe that Israel should not exist until the coming (whether first or second time) of the Messiah.

 

As I told you last week, Hezb-Allah has been bombarding the rural beauty of Northern Israel with hundreds, upon hundreds of missiles destroying small towns and kibbutzim. This week a young couple, parents of three small children, were driving along a quiet country road when a missile landed on their car. A single car on a quiet country road, fate put them in the wrong place at the wrong time and they were killed.

 

Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided that he will go to Washington to speak before Congress despite the current uncertainties surrounding the elections for President of the United States. I’m not sure this is the right time to go amid turmoil at home, a Court case hanging over his head and without an invitation from President Biden. His arrival is a clear statement for Trump and it is not our place to be involved. His visit was carefully timed to coincide with his son Yair’s birthday. Yair was virtually exiled to Florida after several unsavoury interviews and incidents. If you want to know more about that, write to me personally and I’ll try to answer.

 

I bet you have never heard about Captain Ella! Captain Ella is a Moslem, from the predominantly Moslem Israeli town of Calansua, a decorated army officer who received the President’s Award of Excellence in 2015 and the Outstanding Award from the Head of Operations Division in 2018. Ella is the voice of the IDF to Israel’s Moslem and Arab community. She made the decision to enlist in the IDF after watching Al Jazeera as a child. She wanted to report the truth in Arabic and in addition to being a decorated soldier, she is quite a star of social media

https://allisrael.com/captain-ella-the-first-arab-woman-promoted-to-idf-major-is-outspoken-supporter-of-israel

 

Good things still happen to good people and this week Yair Green was the good man whose contribution to society was celebrated in a spectacular manner. The award ceremony and spectacular took place in the recently built cultural centre of Jerusalem, the dream come true for Ehud Olmert who drew up the plans way back in the 90’s during his tenure as Mayor of this City. His dream of revitalising the centre of Jerusalem was ignored by two subsequent Mayors, Lupuliansky and Barkat, but brought to fruition by Mayor Moshe Lion, who was praised on every level by Ehud Olmert. Anyway, back to the man of the moment. Yair Green is a successful lawyer, sits on the Boards of virtually every imaginable cultural and educational organisation, predominantly in Jerusalem, but all over Israel, supported by his wife Gabby and children and grandchildren, all of whom sat proudly in the hand-picked audience. Above all other titles and roles, Yair loves Hora Yerushalyim Dance Troupe. He danced with Hora from the age of 8, and determined that Israeli Folk Dancing was an essential expression of Israeli culture and his enthusiasm hasn’t waned over the years. His decision to retire from almost all of his multitude of positions at the age of 80 does not prevent him from being involved! His award was an exquisite 3D interpretation of all of the performing arts created by our friend Eli Matityahu.

 

This has been an interesting week. Zvi had rehearsals most evenings and two performances, both folk singing with Hakol Yachassi and his Classical Choir. I have been busy with many activities here in the village, miracle of miracles I am enjoying water aerobics, not only because we are a great group of women with an excellent teacher, but because although limited, I am able to do things I never even dreamed of with the encouragement of friends and wonderful doctors. Perhaps it began with the Mind and Movement Class, where I began to move around to music, at my own pace, immediately after my most recent surgery. I suppose the moral of that story is, never give up, never too late!! Once friends left to go back to their various countries, I had time to spend with Rachel and the children and today we will be with Leor, Amiad and their families. Despite the ghastly heat of the current Hamsin, today will be at least 37 degrees C, we manage to get out and see friends, especially those with Air Conditioning.

 

Idan Amedi is a hero. A highly popular Israeli singer, he put on his uniform, got in his car, almost as the announcement of the Hamas invasion came on the radio, and drove South to volunteer for active duty in his front line unit. He was very seriously injured when the building they were destroying caused a secondary explosion and, as he said himself when he was ultimately discharged from hospital, he looked like a piece of burned coal. Yes, indeed, Idan Amedi is a hero, along with all the other 30,000 injured. Here he sings his story, A Soldiers Song. https://youtu.be/DNEhUrnUo94?si=38NAlnJH0O6LctJt

 

I always say that for us, each soldier is a child of all of us  https://www.gov.il/en/pages/swords-of-iron-idf-casualties

 

For many, a belief in the Almighty has helped them get through the last nine months. This is a sad, hopeful song by Israeli stars Omer Adam and Ishay Ribo. Perhaps Omer Adam’s casual dress expresses our pragmatism most clearly. I love this song. https://youtu.be/PcJ_cXib_TU?si=AkeSp6NlOkrlDXOl

 

“Stand By Me” together we can do anything, beat any hatred, fight evil and support good. We really can but only if we unite to spread kindness. I love this song! https://youtu.be/4ONfrkskNp4?si=yMCz91-ZiXPpDijF

 

Shabbat Shalom dear friends. Be well, be kind, be brave, remember to tell your loved ones that they are just that – loved. Remember that one kind word can build a child, and an adult.

 

With much love from our home to yours

 

Sheila

  

 

 

 

 

  

 

   

That Was The Week That Was without David Frost

 

5^th of July, 2024

 

Shabbat Shalom, Rosh Hodesh Tammuz Tov (Rosh Hodesh means a new month, as we go into the month of Tammuz) and of course, have a good weekend.

 

Where to start?

Elections all over the place, some good results, some worrying and an awful lot of mud slinging. In the UK the Tories lost out, not really, or not only because of the current Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, but rather because of the very poor recent record of the Tory Party in keeping a leader. Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss preceded Rishi Sunak in a very short period of time. Labour won, which is not as bad as first appears. While it is true that both Corben and Galloway won their seats, Kier Starmer the party leader thus the automatic Prime Minister, is a good guy who did his best to clean up the party. The greatest criticism of Starmer is that he leaves work at 18:00 on a Friday, come what may Why? Because he promised his Jewish wife that he would always be home for Shabbat Dinner. France on the other hand has gone right – far right – in its voting. A reaction to what is happening there, including the beating up of an 88 year old Jewish woman and the rape of a 12 Jewish girl. In the EU the dreadful Josep Borell is out as head of foreign policy and Estonian PM Kaja Kallas is the most likely to take the position. Kallas has been very supportive of Israel and the only obstacle to her approval is that she has taken an anti-Russian stance. Then there is the USA. The dreadful slurs have been bandied back and fore, many of the accusations are accurate but it does not make the electorate feel that their beloved country is in good hands, and worse still it weakens the world leader at a time when insanity reigns.  I received private letters from those who have served under both Biden and Trump, and all tell of men entirely different from those described in the media. I only pray for a leader who will end the divisions in society and heal the wounds of those divisions. Now is a time when we must stand together or democracy as we know it will fall.

 

So that’s the rest of the world, and you wanted to know what is happening here. My problem is that I don’t know how to describe the sentiment of Israelis, but I can tell you that Israeli Arabs, or more precisely Israeli Moslems, have been very quiet, virtually no incidents within Israel, predominantly because they have come to understand that as far as Iran is concerned, Iran and her proxies really couldn’t care a jot about them, the missiles and explosive drones don’t differentiate between creeds. Yesterday Hezb-Allah launched over 200 missiles at the north of Israel and I am certain that not even one was reported by CNN or BBC or any other initials you may choose.

 

Antony Blinken expressed his deep concern that Israel has lost the North. By removing everyone from the line of fire, which may sound the most humane approach, this government has lost the entire tract of land above Haifa…..  This approach meant that the constant bombardment from Lebanon killed but a few but destroyed beautiful towns, killed animals (two pedigree horses were blown to pieces) and prevented farmers from reaching their crops or gathering eggs from the chicken farms – if they managed to risk their lives to feed the chickens. Again, the international media is still showing Gaza, disinterested in the destruction of Israeli land.

 

An El Al passenger fell seriously ill and the plane had to make an emergency landing in Antalya, Turkey. The patient and family were taken off the plane, and according to international agreement, the pilot's request for refuelling, sufficient to fly home, was denied. Without sufficient fuel to fly home to Israel, the pilot was forced to divert to the island of Rhodes in order to refuel and then to Ben Gurion Airport. Still waiting for the Turkish ground staff to be castigated by IATA

 

Noa Argamani was released from captivity in Gaza and immediately went to tend to her mother who was at the last stages of terminal cancer. Her beautiful mother waited for her daughter’s release and this week was in turn released from her pain in the knowledge that her baby was home and safe. May her soul rest in peace.

 

Impact-se CEO  Marcus Sheff just came back from a very important briefing of the US State Department on the situation of education in the MENA region. It makes fascinating reading. Predominantly positive with honesty on incitement to hatred which is prominent some schoolbooks. For the explanation please read https://mailchi.mp/impact-se.org/us-state-department-cites-multiple-impact-se-reports-in-key-annual-survey?e=a928e53ca6

 

Incredibly the head representative of the Norwegian government, Edmund Okrost, recommended UNWRA for the Nobel Peace Prize despite inarguable proof that UNWRA supported and encouraged Hamas in is murderous path.

 

Yesterday Zvi took us, us being David Efron and Kathy who are visiting from Miami, and myself, to Mount Herzl and to the incredible Memorial to Israel’s fallen since the 1870’s. It is a very special place, its exquisite simplicity telling the story of our never ending battle for existence. IDF, Mossad, Shabak, Police, all are represented. It is important to note that the names of the fallen on the myriad of tiny bricks are Jewish, Moslem, Christian, no differentiation, all heroes.  https://youtu.be/7AT3wsyngbQ?si=K_rzocPbfhkyBAHr  After visiting the Memorial we walked through the military cemetery, utterly different to Arlington, it is a place of peace, each soldier has a grave with his name, the names of his parents and a space between each one for those who visit. Tall trees shade those who come to mourn, Generals beside privates, sergeants beside captains, there is no differentiation, all are missed, all were loved. https://youtu.be/A5DpOS74k2c?si=n-IatcPKwOlD-9el

 

This week we have lived the story of Israel. Actually, it begins with the end of last week and travelling north with Martin to visit a dear friend, Israeli General Consul Ishmael Khaldi in his family’s village in the North, in the Bedouin village of Khawaled. I love the fact that Ish told us to arrive after 12:30 because before that he was out goatherding. Ishmael (aka Ish) the diplomat is not satisfied in an easy life in New York, Melbourne, Washington, London or Paris he specifically asks for a challenge, he was in Eritrea and is now serving in Turkmenistan, but this week he came home and invited us to visit. We met with Natttie and Yolli Zonszein who came too. His family home is absolutely beautiful and the welcome was as if we were long lost family. We sat outside on the huge patio, the table heavy with treats brought out by Ish’s sisters. His Mother is so proud of her son and we hugged as old friends, indeed the whole family greeted us with deep warmth. It was a joy, a rare joy. Ish wrote a book about his exceptional life https://www.amazon.com/Shepherds-Journey-Israels-bedouin-diplomat/dp/9655554732

 

Before heading off to the airport Zvi and Martin went to the Kotel, the Western Wall. For 19 years we could not reach our beloved site, the 19 years of Jordanian rule over the Old City. I don’t know if you understood the meaning of what I just said. The Old City and all of supposed East Jerusalem, the West bank were Jordanian for 19 years and before that they were an unnamed wilderness known Biblically as Judea and Samaria, 19 years the Jordanians, ruled over by a Saudi family (the Hashemites), and no Palestinian State!!! Anyway, that was an essential digression by one who really wants to encourage a 2-state solution.

 

Yesterday, as I said, Zvi took us to Mount Herzl and then dropped David, Kathy and I at the National Library, yet another magnificent piece of architecture. Unfortunately, there was a mix up over the tour but we got to see some fantastic books and documents, just a very few of the over 8 million that are housed in the Library. Can you just imagine the work of moving everything from the former site in the University to the current ultra-modern site? I am always amazed by the architecture in Israel, in Jerusalem specifically, from the Supreme Court, the Museum of Tolerance, the Library and of course the IDF Memorial to name but a few. So proud.

 

Between the cemetery and the library, we went to Shalva. We had a delicious lunch with Kalman Samuels who told David and Kathy the story behind the formation of the Shalva dream, and then he and David talked about basketball, David’s over 60 team is world champion! The tour of Shalva left them both breathless in admiration for what the Samuels Family has achieved. Shalva is a place of joy, of respite for families of children with special needs, a place of inclusion and protection, a place to bring out the butterfly in each child. The tour, with both Yuval and Sarah, culminated in a visit to Dr. Dan’s Room, created out of tragedy when my incredible eldest son was killed in a tragic accident, and today brings huge joy to all the children who enjoy the studio for the performing arts. As we sat for lunch I suddenly saw a familiar face in the lobby, actually not only an exceptionally handsome face but one that I love, my grandson Yosef. Yosef is a volunteer in Shalva, teaching the young people to swim and feel comfortable in the water of one of the pools. He came to sit with us and we learned from Kalman that he is so much more than a regular volunteer, he comes most days to help others and I loved by all. Of course I am not surprised – I know his Mother! He is doing such a spectacular job that they want to keep him on as a regular employee. I’m am so proud of him. I just wonder what he and Zvi spoke about as they hugged.

 

Each day brings new sadness, just this week we lost 13 soldiers. It is undoubtedly true that we are tired, as a nation, as Israelis. Tired of our tragedies as each day young lives are taken in a war that we didn’t want; tired of the reactions of a cruel world in which the perpetrators of diabolical acts became the heroes; tired of being accused of crimes we don’t commit and tired of fighting just to prove we exist and possibly above all, tired of the stalemate and inaction of our government toward bringing the hostages home (alive or dead) and bringing an end to this ghastly war.

 

In my women’s group, here in the village, we didn’t do much creative craft work, we talked about our feelings, our fears and our hopes. Such groups have saved our national sanity.

 

And so to song, to lift our spirits.

 

Yachad! Together we can walk toward the light. A beautiful song with sign language, expressing the prayer of all good people . https://youtu.be/JIdADujEf2g?si=2I-6OKuO7SLtCAhh

 

7 years ago a group of women went into the desert and sang. They sang in Arabic and Hebrew, they came from just about every piece that makes up the Israeli mosaic, they sang of peace, of living together in harmony, of teaching our children to love one another. Today we understand that it is a dream but as the Women’s March this week proved, we still want to fulfill that dream. Truly beautiful https://youtu.be/YyFM-pWdqrY?si=AmCg7KEYgfQ8M7-a

 

Shulem Lemmer is Haredi, a proud American and a proud Jew. In honour of July 4^th, Independence Day in America I chose to give you his rendition of God Bless America in English and Yiddish for Senator Corey Booker.  This song, this anthem was written by a Jew, by Irving Berlin, who was so proud to have found a home, a haven in his beloved adopted land. Perhaps this is the time to express our gratitude, Israel’s gratitude to the United States for her unwavering support through thick and thin. A true and vital ally.   https://youtu.be/4vEZkNsVhDo?si=HXop71BiCbqhI_eU

 

 

That’s it! I am about to get myself ready to go and visit Rachel, Zvi will go to his parliament and then we will welcome another Shabbat bride. Tomorrow Leor and his girls will come to visit and hopefully we will go for a walk and enjoy a slightly cooler day. Cool? Did I say cool? Apparently tomorrow the temperature will go below 90 degrees Fahrenheit!!

 

I wish you a Shabbat Shalom, one day without worry and regrets. These days we tend to ask for “B’sorot Tovot” for good news, so I will wish you all what I wish all my friends on their birthdays “A year of good friends, good health and good news” A special mention to Jennifer and Brian Bell, Jennifer has been my close friend since we were 7 years old in Cardiff! Today is their 59^th wedding anniversary and I am proud to say that they met at my 17^th birthday party!

 

Shabbat Shalom and much love from Jerusalem, the city that we have prayed to for thousands of years. The wonderful City of Gold

 

Sheila