121122
22nd November 2012
There is a quote from Russian direct Vachtangov, which loosely translated means “If there is a gun in the first act there will be a death before the last” Israel is currently agreeing to an intermission, not a cessation, nor a cease-fire, rather an intermission to leave the tension behind, have a strong drink and get ready to ensure we are not at the business end of that smoking gun.
As to the cease-fire, there were many clauses added to the document, which incidentally was not signed, all of which protected Hamas and none of which protected Israel! This was a diplomatic exercise to ensure that the USA goes into deeper debt to pay off the Egyptians simultaneously giving President Morsi international recognition and Hillary Clinton a swan song!
Then comes the disinformation. Anderson Cooper and his ilk who should simply admit they couldn't give a proverbial about Israel only about Gaza should maybe look into some other statistics and report them “proportionately”
- Syria – the regime has now killed, nay slaughtered, nigh on 40,000 civilians!
- In Baghdad as Anderson Cooper was ducking dramatically from the nearby blast 116 people died in a bombing in Baghdad
- As Anderson Cooper was doing his theatricals the bodies of thousands upon thousands of Christians, slaughtered by N. Sudanese Moslems were discovered.
- Some of the casualties apparently died in Syria and rose from the dead to die again in Gaza for the Moslem cause. Really – no kidding! They used the same pictures twice! By the way the baby who died tragically and whose body handed to the Egyptian Foreign Minister was actually killed by shrapnel from a Hamas rocket.
The incredible situation has arrived whereby Al Jazeera is infinitely more rational than CNN; to say nothing of the discredited BBC! Uri Resnick says it far better than I in his op-ed in the LA Times
These supposed reporters do not spend time in Sderot or Ashdod, Ashkelon or Beersheba, they often sleep on the Israeli side because here we have safe houses, shelters, safe rooms and special “hoods” to hide in when the missiles come over – you see we spend money on protection not on aggression. They barely reported the foul and disgusting sight of 6 men publicly executed for being “spies” for Israel, in Gaza, then the bodies kicked and worse one of the dead being dragged around Gaza behind a posse of motor cycles.
My favourite story of this operation came from the “Settlement” of Tekoa on the West Bank (Gush Etzion). Eli Birnbaum was on his way home for Shabbat and was staggered to hear the Tseva Adom siren. Sure enough a missile landed not far from his home. Eli's son Pinny received a phone call from a neighbour – an Arab friend in the next village – a familiar voice with a very distinct accent. “ Pinny, its Muhammad, what do I do? What’s happening? I heard your sirens”. There is real panic in his voice . No-one taught them how to act or what to do to save their families, no-one cared enough in the PA. Pinny explained what to do. Muhammed apologised for calling on Shabbat and thanked Pinny. Now this is the truth, the way it really is. A Moslem from a village that has a reputation that even Israeli police are scared to go in, calls a Jewish “settler” to help protect his family from Gazan missiles. Surreal but then.......... this is the Middle East!! Most probably it is the youngsters of that same village that are rioting today!
Canada and the Canadian leadership has proven time and again, of late, to be a true friend of Israel. Perhaps the most moving tribute came from Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird. http://fullcomment.
I am glad that President Obama was not here because his being there would have given this worthless document too much credibility. His visit to Myanmar pleased me, it is time to recognise the face that they released the imprisoned human rights heroine Aung San Suu Kyi, now the leader of the opposition party in that country. Burma/Myanmar was isolated for its human rights record which were far superior to anything in the Arab world or, indeed in many other countries. Good the President went and visited Eastern countries that no President had visited before because we need new friends..
Yesterday a cowardly terrorist left an explosive device under a seat in a bus on King Saul Street in Tel Aviv. The device exploded injuring 25 people and causing havoc it is by the grace of G-d that no-one died. I immediately had the feeling that he was an Israeli Arab because he didn't want to die in the act – no Jihad for him.
I was in Modi'in with my wonderful childhood friends, enjoying a quiet brunch, when my daughter Rachel called me to tell me there was a “pigu'a” in Tel Aviv, a bus bomb. “Pigu'a” the dreaded terrorists attack. iphones emerged to check the news. It was true, a bus bomb in Tel Aviv but the bomber had left the bomb and run away. The police had an eyewitness report of his appearance. We all decided to go home, our mood changed, and Sue and I headed off to Jerusalem. Just after Modiin we sat, not moving, just watching the speeding police cars racing up the empty opposing lanes. 2 hours went by and in the meantime the men had gathered a “minyan” (quorum) for prayer at the side of the road, a group of drivers were exchanging phone numbers on the central reservation (had to say that for Arlene) and Arab workers got out of their buses and walked home alongside their ultra-orthodox fellow travellers. When I got home Zvi told me why; the police had caught the mechabel – the terrorist who put the bomb on the bus, at a check point just in front of us so they had to stop all traffic.
The just announced in the news that the Mechabel was indeed an Israeli Arab – but not quite. His family lives in Taibeh (which is doing very well in the Israeli Soccer League). He came to Israel in the “Ichud Mishpachot”. In other words his family was in Israel, he lived in the West Bank and they asked for him to join them to give him a chance at a better life. He got it but it was too late. The education they get in the PA is so hate-filled that there is no chance ot overcome its rabid effects. The only organisation which tries to change this ghastly situation is IMPACT-SE, whose Board I proudly sit on. Introducing tolerance into curricula around the world.http://www.impact-se.org/
So we went head to head with Iran – in the guise of Hamas – and came to an unsatisfactory cease fire and life goes on! Really life goes on, great restaurants, visiting friends, theatre, museums, coffee shops – and of course meeting wonderful friends from abroad! I am sure that Israelis go out far more than any other people – even when it is tough! Indeed today we met our lovely friends Harry, Nancy and Evie – the Bloomfields. Harry and Nancy were in India when the news broke about operation Pillar of Cloud. Without a second thought they shortened their vacation, diverted their return journey and came to Israel. “I can't stand it when everyone asks for money to support Israel” announced Nancy “If they want to support Israel they should come here in droves and spend every penny of that money here”. I must admit I wanted to hug her, aw I always want to hug her!!!!
We went to a concert at the Jerusalem Theatre, last night, with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra nd it was phenomenal; tomorrow morning a double celebration for the birth of twins – barely leaving me time to prepare the Cholent/Hamin and schnitzels before saying Shabbat Shalom to my grandchildren in Jerusalem! The children are all coming for Shabbat!!! This week I decided to be very kind to Zvi and put kishkeh (YUK) in the Cholent as a true expression of my love!
Please G-d tomorrow the children of Sderot, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Beersheba, Rishon le Zion and so many other small towns and kibbutim will have a real Shabbat, a real rest, to be able to sit at a Shabbat meal around a white table cloth, the candles on the sideboard and the Challah and wine on the table. They can sing the Kiddush loud and clear, not fearful of missing the siren which saved so many lives. These children lost their childhood over the last 12 years, yes 12 years of not knowing if they will see tomorrow. This video, although in Hebrew, will tell you more about our reasons for choosing to assassinate the man who help Gilad Schalit and those who send the rockets. The masterminds of evil http://www.youtube.com/watch?
We wish the people of the South, who endured the unendurable, peace, calm and joy.
I leave you with Hatikva as you never heard it before – sing along! Hatikva – the Hope, the element of Jewish life which has kept us alive, is why we thrive and makes us different to all others.
http://www.livehatikva.org/? page_id=58
With all my love from Jerusalem, beautiful, spiritual, ancient, modern, fun and OURS
Sheila
PS Was meant to be on BBC Wales radio this morning, talking about Jerusalem under fire and sirens etc, but Britain flooded and a new bill was passed so they didn't call!!! At least I managed to get loads of things done because I was up at the crack of dawn!!! Many Thanks to Guto (pronounced Gito) Bebb, Welsh Member of Parliament for introducing my name and for fighting so solidly for Israel. Thanks Guto.
So informative, so uplifting.love from here to there.
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