Three weeks and three days

31st October 2023 Yes, I know that tonight is All Hallows Eve, aka Halloween, but to be quite honest I’m very grateful that when my children were small “Trick or Treat” was a strange custom in a far off country, as Brits say “Across the Pond”. Since what we have known over the last 3 weeks and 3 days can beat any ghoulish story, I really can’t get myself into the mood. Sorry. I started the day with the news, spent an hour or so doing research then headed off to meet Rachel, Talia and Ayala to do our grocery shopping together. Somehow, we all need to be together. I came home, made a huge pot of soup then went to my movement class where all 7 of us managed somehow, to loosen up, partly through talking and partly through movement. I then walked home with the other participants who live on our estate, all of us back to talking about the situation. Two of the women are going south tomorrow to gather the harvest before it rots on the vines and on the trees, and then walking in the door, I switched on the news to find out that two beautiful boys, both in the Givati fighting unit, had died in Gaza. Bang I was back, my shoulders tense, my heart breaking anew. I know there will be more grieving parents, but every single one hurts. Obviously, there is strict censorship on any details of where the IDF is or the tactics but this article explains what can be told. https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-771063 I have been thinking about why Hamas/ISIS choose to kill almost everything that moved but chose to keep some alive, to take hostages, not just to take hostages but to desecrate the bodies of some, barely alive, to show their power. At first it seemed obvious, they wanted bargaining chips to exchange terrorist prisoners for the hostages, but then my brain kicked in and I realised that while that is part of their thinking, they clearly want to keep the hostages in an unknown place, underground as protection. They know that Israel cherishes life, will never do anything to endanger the hostages. There is a new enemy in the game, Yemen. Yes missiles, very sophisticated, long range missiles have been launched from Yemen, yes Yemen 2,211 kilometres and the missiles have reached us, launched by the Iranian backed Houthis; drones, ballistic and cruise missiles “for religious, moral, humanitarian and national responsibility for what Israel is doing in Gaza!” The missiles fell near Eilat because they obviously felt that those who had suffered the horrors of October 7th and moved to Eilat had not suffered enough. I want to change the way we talk about those who were moved out of their homes, those that still have homes, or simply taken out of the remains of their destroyed homes and are staying in hotels. They are not “mefunim” which is the Hebrew word for the above description, the are refugees in their own country. Do you understand what that means? I have tried to spare you some of the worst horrors, tried not to show you pictures, and then I heard Eli Beer, President of United Hazolah Israel, speaking. His descriptions are vivid and horrifying, but, having warned you, in order to understand, in order to explain to anyone who still thinks it was “just another attack” you should hear his words. https://youtu.be/Drr9zTvK4Os?si=iNmdrBWX_oAZ16df It isn’t only Hatzolah, it is Magen David Adom, Zaka, the untiring efforts of the IDF all of whom are broken by what they saw. Take a deep breath. I do not believe that one should compare October the 7th to the Holocaust, There was only one Holocaust, this was not the organised, cold killing of millions, this was a wild and barbaric rampage. This was pure hated and we should not compare. On which subject I utterly disapprove of Israeli Ambassador to the UN Erdan, who together with his team, wore a Yellow Star to the UN. He should have worn a blue star, a Magen David because this is not going to be a Holocaust because Israel is strong, nothing can break our promise to those who died in that frenzy of bloodthirsty killing. Not everything is sad, I love Yosef Haddad, and here he teaches the world how to boycott Israel it’s brilliant https://youtu.be/eDqHWktku9Y?si=WsqAkzNSp1hogzC_ As I said yesterday, I have no intention of writing for the sake of filling a page, so I am almost done. I just want to explain to you what has happened to virtually all Israelis, we are overcome with a deep emotional exhaustion. We are in this together, from the Bedouin in the South whose villages are threatened and family compounds are targets, to the Druze villages in the north; from Tel Aviv to Dimona and from Nazareth to Ashkelon; we are tired of being told that we don’t exist, we are exhausted by grief and yet, and the is a huge yet, we get up and dust ourselves off because there is work to be done. It may be driving south. To the Gaza border, yes to the Gaza border, and picking the fruit and veg that I spoke about at the beginning. Then there are those who get up in the middle of the night to man the surveillance screens while others patrol the area. We all have to get up and do something even if it is babysitting for someone so that they can go to work or caring for the infirm to allow their family some respite. We are a united country, a big family, we came together to fight one of the most dangerous enemies the world has seen for 80 years. This enemy is familiar to those who fought in Afghanistan; this enemy is on your doorstep. I always said “Israel is the hors d’oeuvres but you are the entrée” and I want you to get together I want you to pull together before The Squad and their ilk win through. For Jews, get over who is the most or least pious, it is irrelevant which denomination you belong to; Christians ditto, a united front is essential. Today I had a conversation with a very special man. Ishmael Khaldi has been Israeli consul in two American cities, served in London and in Eritrea yet he feels that as a Bedouin Moslem who served in the IDF he is considered a threat by those who do not know his history. Just because someone is a Moslem doesn’t not mean that they are part of Hamas/ISIS, be careful before judgment, but, not everyone is Yosef Haddad or Yahya Muhammid or Ishmael Khaldi. The pro-Hamas rallies must be stopped. We will win through but it is going to be a rough ride, for us all That’s it I’m going to bed, the time change, just one hour from summer to winter, has given me jet lag! Sending love to all of you, whether old friends or new. With love Sheila

Three weeks and two days

30th October 2023 Three weeks and two days after all hell broke loose Dear friends, I didn’t write yesterday because, sadly there was nothing specific to say and I have no intention of writing for the sake of writing, or speaking for the sake of speaking. Perhaps after all I am not a journalist! What British journalist Julie Burchill calls the” phoney, anti-colonial cant that unites both far left and the far right, the KKK and the PLO” She went on “It may be politically incorrect to call this ancient people "ours", but what the hell: they're tough, they can take it. And they are still our Jews, in that if they are wiped out, in Israel or anywhere else, we will be wiped out, too, one day, all of the modern world and its achievements - swept back into the Dark Ages mulch from whence we came. The cry of Cable Street still rings true. Not our Jews! But, this time, "our" means mankind, and the very future of our species. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/dec/06/race.uk Anti-Semitism is raising its ugly head all over the world, in places that have no Jews, in places where there are few Jews, in places where there are many Jews and institutions whose very existence depends upon the generosity of Jewish philanthropists. Yesterday a terrifying mob went on the rampage in a Russian airport searching for Jews when an aeroplane landed from Israel. They broke through security gates and reached the tarmac and stormed the aeroplane. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/byvmumhza The war in the north is heating up. Hezb-Allah is not necessarily sending the missiles, they simply allow Hamas Lebanon to use their area, the area occupied in this Christian country, to launch missiles on beautiful towns like Kiriat Shmona. The town is virtually empty, its citizens joining the refugees for whom life is too dangerous to stay in their homes. Actually, perhaps it is worth learning some history of Lebanon and the PLO. During Black September King Hussein of Jordan decided to rid Jordan of the PLO, led by Yassir Arafat and the Jordanians killed many thousands of Palestinians many more fleeing the bloodshed, and the only country willing to accept them was Lebanon, standing up to its Christian principles of charity. That generosity of spirit led to the downfall of Lebanon and the influx of Islamic terrorism in the form of Hezb-Allah. The son of Hamas, The Green Prince, has many names but his given name is Mosab Hassan Yousuf, and he the son of one the founders of Hamas. He was a spy for Israel for a number of years then in 1999 he converted to Christianity, emigrated to the States where he received asylum. Here, in this video, he speaks out, expressing his lack of surprise at the events of October 7th https://youtu.be/6cIBzZylOpk?si=nZ36Ky7uJEE2h_Sm Czech defense minister Jana Černochová, expressed outrage at the United Nations General Assembly. She called on her country to withdraw from the United Nations to protest its failure to condemn Hamas October 7th massacre while calling on Israel to withdraw from Gaza. “The Holocaust is back and we must not be silent again” The hotels of Israel are filled with refugees, refugees from the horrors of Hamas/ISIS. We do not take chances, for Israel human life is precious, any human life, which is why we send leaflets and make personal phone calls to the residents of Gaza, the ordinary residents of Gaza to leave the Hamas controlled areas and flee for their lives. The Israelis, however, are not simply evacuees, they are refugees, seeking refuge from Hamas brutality, from the diabolical thought that if they return home, for those that still have a home, it could happen again. Refugees, not evacuees, evacuees still have a home to go back to. The ground troops have gone into northern Gaza. The battle has started slowly but with great determination. It is essential, we were given no choice, but imagine the fears of the families of the hostages; they know that this is a war we cannot lose but their loved ones are in there, in some underground tunnel, in captivity. It will not be easy, it will be tough and many Gazans will die because Hamas hides behind them, according to an eye witness, shooting those who try to escape to the south, away from the tunnels that Israel is attacking. In a tiny beacon of light, the Israeli banks have actually come up trumps, offering everyone who had to flee their home, or whose home is destroyed, at least three months grace on their mortgage or overdraft. Similarly, the insurance companies have waived the payment of premiums for anyone from the Gaza Envelope. The problem is that until this government gets around to giving compensation it will be much more than three months. The BBC is not known for its honest reporting when it comes to Israel. However, this heartbreaking, terrifying video, from the body cam of the Hamas terrorist who shot their 18 year old daughter Mayan and kidnapped the father Zachi, is exceptional. It isn’t easy to watch. https://youtu.be/Ch6T9oR6tro?si=iSjsqDseZFnXmZCy CNN still has some empathetic reporters, especially when they are shown the truth by Major Marcus Sheff, yes, the CEO of Impact-se, who in his current position of IDF Spokesman in English, took foreign journalists to Kibbutz Kissufim. https://youtu.be/tmJf7cFKxik?si=BdhxKjjl4PpgHIOm Deir el Asad is an ancient village in the Galilee. Deir el Asad is a Moslem village in the Galilee and they got together and cooked vast amounts of food for the refugees from the Gaza Envelope. We must never forget that many, if not most, of Israeli Arabs are just the ISRAELI Arabs. Our pain is theirs. Many young Israeli Arabs have also headed south to help bring in the crops. Please do not tar everyone with the same brush. In a few minutes I am off to Motza ha Katana, where there is a street market of fruit and veg from growers in the South, it is amazing how the citizens of Israel either go south to help pick the crops or travel far and wide to ensure the sales of the crops. Don’t think that it is just a few people in the street, you have to get there early otherwise it is all gone!! As soon as I get back, I will report to you, I promise. Well, I cannot describe the situation but I’ll try. Let’s just say that it’s a shame that I don’t play American football because I would have had the right protection! They arrived a bit late, a big white van and a truck and trailer, trying to park where there were no parking spaces, and the awaiting crowd (mostly women) stampeded! Everything was beautiful and fresh, pomegranates, potatoes, pineapples, sweet potatoes, fresh sweet corn, cherry tomatoes and potatoes, all freshly picked. The grower, who luckily came with his wife, son and daughter, was trying very hard to put some order in the chaos! Poor man was sweating profusely and his wife and daughter were trying to calm him! The son, in the meantime offloaded the boxes of fruit and veg, with the help of all of the able-bodied people waiting. I took what I could without getting hurt and paid. I came home to the one piece of good news that we are so thirsty for. A number of the lookouts, the specially trained young women who sit at the screens and see exactly what is happening along their area, a number were taken hostage to Gaza. In a surgical operation, Cpl. Ori Magidish was rescued from Gaza and brought home. Thank heaven she is safe and well and with her family, hopefully able to give the IDF a great deal of information. Simultaneously, an ISIS style video was released of three of the women hostages who had clearly been told what to say. The only consolation is that their loved ones can see that they are alive – still. The Israeli media does not show such videos without the permission of the families, but Al Jazeera has no such compunctions. There was a red alert very close by, in both Shoresh and Neve Ilan and south of Jerusalem, hopefully not at Bethlehem which is just three kilometres south of Jerusalem. We don’t wait, we just go into the safe room and work on our computers! Talking of red alerts and missiles, do you know who Hanoch Levin is? Really? Well Hanoch Levin was the project manager of the combined project of Rafael Industries and Israel Aerospace Industries, it was under his keen eye and brilliant brain that the Iron Dome defence system came about. Thousands of lives are saved as this miracle shoots down the rockets and missiles. It works out the exact trajectory and intercepts the missile mid-air, neutralizing it with incredible accuracy. Even a massive salvo doesn’t phase this brilliant Israeli invention. The ironic result of this war is that more and more countries will want to buy it! Thank you for reading to the end. Thank you for wanting me to continue these updates. Thank you for caring. With love Sheila

28th of October Shevua Tov

28th October 2023 Three whole weeks In Jewish tradition, immediately after Shabbat we say “Shevua Tov” Have a good week, but in the light of what is happening around us we say “Have a better week” I was asked by someone why I don’t write more about the hostages, about my concerns for them, but if I tell the honest truth, I find it too hard. I cannot bear to think of those babies without mothers, and who knows what they were able to understand of the horror sights they saw of their parents being killed, I cannot bear to think of the mothers without their children, of the mothers with their children, of those two tiny red-headed angels clinging to their mother, of the Thai workers, of the elderly and the infirm and the soldiers; yes some of the hostages are soldiers. Those who will certainly suffer most are the Bedouins, soldiers and workers, just because they are Israeli Moslems. So that’s why I don’t write about it because I cannot bear to think of what they are feeling now, if they are being fed, if they are suffering violence, are they cold in their underground prison…..I simply can’t, and sadly I fear that the negotiations will either set them free or rain further terror upon us as the Hamas terrorists in Israeli prisons will be set free to wreak havoc once again. I am so proud of all of you that go to rallies, are ready to demonstrate, write, ensure that their names are on everyone's lips - and fight those who try to tear the posters down OK. Now you are going to learn some Hebrew!! You already know what a mamad is (safe room), a Miklat (shelter) Azaka (siren) Tzeva Adom (Red Alert) matachim (salvos) Yerutim (when Iron Dome shoots down the matachim), Nefilot (when a missile actually lands) Lehitkofef (if there is a siren and you have nowhere to find cover, you have to coopy down on the ground, if possible near a concrete wall, with your hands over your head) Then there is the TV news, basically 24/7 and on the right side of the screen one suddenly sees a row of orange flashed notices – Gaza envelope – the villages one by one, Sderot, Ashkelon, Holon, Nes Ziona, Rehovot, Tel Aviv one after another sometimes 20 sites at a time. Since most people there are in their safe rooms or down in the communal shelters, they often don’t have reception so you wait and try WhatsApp just to ask “Are you alright” Today we went to Amiad for lunch in Tel Aviv. It was lovely sitting beside their burgeoning table, filled with all the best (kol tov). Noga’s parents came down from the beautiful village of Timrat with its stunning views over the Jezreel Valley and Leor and family managed to come from Nes Ziona enticed, as we were, by Amiad’s excellent cooking and Noga’s excellent hospitality. We popped in to Irit and Yitzik Lev for a quick hug and then headed to home because I prefer to be home before dusk, before the “matachim” begin in Tel Aviv. As I suspected, we were travelling on the main Tel Aviv–Jerusalem road when the radio announced that the matachim had started along the entire coast and there were three nefilot. I quickly changed my speed from a comfortable 110 kph to a highly illegal 150 kph, determined to get home quickly – to my safe place, clearly many others had the same idea. Of course, Zvi was on the lookout for hidden police cars but as far as we know I got away with it! I want to address some of the misconceptions perpetrated and repeated by the media. A couple of years ago an Israeli company laid water pipes into Gaza, with the ole intention of providing a clean water source for the citizens handing over the pipes to a Gazan construction company which carried out the work. The water pipes were barely in the ground when Hamas dug them up and used them as missile launchers; Israel provided fuel for hospitals to use in generators, specifically for humanitarian use, and Hamas stole the fuel, they have huge storages full; we provided essential medications, guess who stole them? The list is long, the facts are horrifying, especially when they then twist the facts, no not twist the fact, outright lie and say that Israel is imposing a siege on them. In case anyone is interested, we stopped the huge truckloads of aid for just three or four days (they should have reserves if they hadn’t stolen them) and we continue to allow food and essential goods to go through. Oh, by the way, the electricity cuts have a purpose. If you don’t have electricity you cannot charge your cell phones! Almost all of Hamas instructions are sent through social media! By the way, fancied going to Turkey? Well be careful because they have put up big signs saying “Jews not allowed” Um, what was it that Erdogan said about apartheid? The ground assault has started, slowly, surely. In and out, very quickly. The greatest problem is the tunnels under civilian homes in which the cowardly Hamas hides, but worse still, where they are holding the hostages. The main tunnel widens under Shifa Hospital into great halls where Hamas has its HQ, right there under the hospital. Incidentally remember them saying that Shifa was hospital was destroyed? Well it is still standing. he Palestinian Islamic rocket which misfired and landed “on the hospital killing 500” actually landed in the car park, not the hospital…..500 people in the car park?????? The foul-ups made in the lead up to this our continuing war of independence are manifold; we were told, nay convinced that the fence between us and Hamas-ISIS-Daeesh-Al Qaeda, whatever you wish to call them, was unbreachable, after all we paid a fortune for it; now, the builder, the man who actually built it to the precise specifications decided upon by government and the security forces, says that it was unbreachable for a “normal onslaught” but not for the bulldozers of October 7th. What? What about the supposed 6 metre deep concrete wall underground? Oh, I get it! No-one could tunnel under it (yeah right) but all you need is a Caterpillar and you just pull the actual fence apart!! The number of mistakes and blind eyes turned to potential dangers is terrifying. Perhaps we too became complacent. Last night was just Zvi and I. Zvi made his beautiful kiddush over the wine and I made challot (plaited loaves) for the blessing over the bread. I made a whitefish ceviche followed by vegetarian cholent (yes it can be delicious) but since I was so busy making challah, ceviche and cholent I forgot to make a dessert. That was soon solved with a hug, ripe, juicy mango which in two minutes was paired with banana and hey presto, dessert! Yes, we are doing our very best to continue with normal life, but it is hard, so hard. If you take our estate as an example, out of 230 homes we have 70 soldiers called up or serving. Small, humble places just on the edge of the desert, places to worry about…..Yonatan Geffen wrote the lyrics and Matti Caspi wrote the music and sings. I dedicate this song to those small, humble places at the edge of the desert and the refugees from homes destroyed or bombed or deserted. https://youtu.be/Qr1u-a2kw7s?si=x5f-7loylxSF9KHC I will leave you with the words of Yair Lapid. It is your choice if you read it or not but I think it is very important I wish you a better week With love Sheila Yair Lapid on loss and grief My father was a 13-year-old boy in the Holocaust. They killed his father. Most of the kids in his class were murdered. He always carried it with him, all this baggage of pain, but not only him. He had much more in his life. He was a happy Jew. A fat, loud and funny man, who never missed a good fight and believed that most problems in the world could be solved over a cream cake with chestnuts. When my sister was killed, I thought the world had ended. I was right. The world as I knew it really did end. From it a new world was born. I miss Michal every day of my life, but the world we created after her death is full of goodness. We became a closer family, we learned that it is possible to be in pain without letting the pain rule us. Years later, when my daughter Yaeli was diagnosed as autistic, I discovered that Michal made available to me powers I didn't know I had. The world as we knew it ended on October 7th. Not only the dead died, but also the lies we told ourselves, the trust that crumbled like the Gaza fence. We can indulge in pain, indulge in anger, but that will get us nowhere. We have a new world to build. We have a new Israeliness to grow out of the soil soaked in blood. It will be an insult to our people if we do not build a better world here in the coming years than before. This is our life's mission. We've done it before. After the Holocaust, after the Yom Kippur War, after Rabin's murder. We already told ourselves we were done, then it turned out we weren't. We already told ourselves we wouldn't recover, then we got better. Our history is the story of building from dust, of updating a version, of being able to reinvent ourselves. We will not go back to what we were, we must not. The country we will become, the people we will become, should deserve what we have lost. The future is not just our worst options. It is also the best. Look ahead, not a week ahead, not a month, look further, but not too far. Look a year from now. what do you see? Do you see the possibility that in a year we will be better? We will talk to each other like a family that has gone through a disaster together, and its friends are careful not to cause more pain. We will be people who suddenly saw how empty and destructive the discourse about left and right is, and we will not accept it. We will get through everything together. If you are afraid, you are not the only one who is afraid. If you don't sleep at night, you're not the only one lying awake. In a year you will sleep better. In a year we will demand and receive from the government modesty and decency and proper functioning. In a year, a young leadership will emerge from among us who understood that responsibility is taken, not accepted. We will have an army that will be relearned to trust him because, heartbreakingly late, he investigated his failures and hid nothing. In a year our abductees will be home, because that's what we owe them. There will be an economy and a society based on solidarity. In a year, people will be living in Kibbutz Bari and Moshav Netiv Hatara and in the city of Sderot. Not only their houses will be rebuilt, but also their trust in their country. The knowledge that they were not saved from death to be saved, but to live. It's true that it's hard, it's always hard, but hard never scared us. We have never hurt like we do now, so we must work to make it hurt less. We may not have control over what happened, but we have the ability to change what will happen. We can, we have this power in us, to win the war, to eradicate Hamas, but this is not our only goal. We can and should also build a better country and society. We can and should also take care of each other. We are not alone, we are a community. We care about each other, and we have a lot to give. People around us need us and we have a lot to give them. Do you want to know where we will be in another year? Where we decide to be. It depends only on us.

Day 21

27th October 2023 Shabbat shalom dear friends, Shabbat Shalom to each and every one of you This is going to be a short missive. After all you have been so patient with my daily reports, actually you have expressed your need for true information so I kept right on going. I am fascinated by two words in Hebrew, Ta’amula and Hasbara. If you look up Google translate or even one of the translation apps, they both come out the same but in the local vernacular, they are very different. Hasbara is rather an innocent word, basically meaning dissemination of information whereas Ta’amula means propaganda. Hasbara means that you have checked your facts and tried to take out the emotion where possible; Ta’amula is propaganda and facts are a side issue often forgotten. Choose carefully what you read, what you believe. If in doubt please, ask me and I will be able to differentiate, if not I will ask Marcus. Just one important item and then I promise to send you into Shabbat with a smile. In case you hadn’t realised, a smile can change your world and the world around you We are no longer willing to be the “poor me” we must stand up straight and spread kindness. Rumour had it that the Hamas terrorists of the massacre on October 7th must have been drugged to perform such barbaric acts or cruelty, but it was only rumour, now it is fact. When Israeli soldiers captured Hamas terrorists and on the bodies of those killed, they found packets of synthetic amphetamines called Ceptagon or its generic name of fenethylline. It is trafficked from Turkey to the Middle East. Fenethylline lowers inhibition and is taken like candy during battle to raise aggression. It explains so much. Many years ago, during the ghastly second Intifada, I met an incredible couple from Canada, Chantal and Marc Belzberg. They told the story of their daughter’s Bat Mitzva when they asked her what she wanted as her gift, she told them she wanted to take all the money she’d been given to create a fund for Victims of Terror. Thus “One Family” was created and has supported those who suffered and their families ever since. They held Kinneret Chaya’s hand for many years. They now have a whole new situation and One Family needs the finances to reach out to all those families who are traumatised by the loss of their loved ones and the families of the hostages. https://onefamilyfund.ca/ Yosef Haddad is an Arab, Israeli who served in the IDF. Here he takes down the interviewer in very few words, https://youtu.be/OB6KMmGnIOk?si=L_UI98ivf7snHjUf Last night I went to a fascinating and highly spiritual ceremony here in our estate. It was held in the beautiful old building, built in the last century and designed exactly like the White House – really! Anyway, the ceremony of Hafsharat Challah involves taking the various components of bread (Flour, yeast, oil, water, sugar and salt) and blessing each component separately. We each added a little to the flour and one woman kneaded the result. We then each lit a candle to preserve and keep any soldiers that we know, I chose two families that mean a great deal to me, Shelly, who you know of and the family of Peter Cooper, a family where Peter’s wife, Yaella and their sons all serve. It was very emotional. We sang together and held hands Right now, Zvi is on “shmira” guard duty At least this time he chose a reasonable hour! It involves watching the screens of all the security cameras in the area, looking for any unusual activities. The centre, or Hamal, is in the local community centre and quite apart from doing one’s duty, one gets to meet wonderful people from the area. In fact, we have so many community activities to ensure unity and support that it is heartwarming. Anton Delin is one of the Admins of the Facebook group called Brits Living in Israel and he started a campaign to buy warm clothing for soldiers on the Golan Heights where nights can be really cold. Yesterday he delivered them! Special cold weather blankets, coats and so one to keep our boys and girls warm. So proud. Wonderful initiative. Despite taking our car to have its test and finding that I didn’t have all the necessary paperwork and the accompanying angst, I found a kind, helpful crew at the test station, all Arab Israelis, all kind, all traumatised as are we. They went out of their way to help me sort through all the obsolete paperwork that was in the car and to organise a copy of the 3rd party insurance (to which one adds the private insurance) without which I couldn’t have the essential document to say the car had passed the test. It all worked out in the end but it really was a hopeful experience. When I got home from the test centre I needed to do something positive, looking forward to better times. What did I do? What I always do, I plant! It really doesn’t matter what I plant just as long as I plant. In this case I had a loads of spring bulbs that were waiting for me to do something positive, so I did. Grape Hyacinth, Freesia, Tulips, Rununculus (which are my favourites) and several unknown bulbs that I had taken from the earth in the spring after flowering. Somehow, digging in the earth and preparing for better times calms my angst. I then did an inspection of our veranda and its produce. The citrus trees are burgeoning, the tomato plant that Rachel grew from seed is producing nicely and the pepper plants which I grew from seed are excellent although surprising – I took the seeds of a particularly delicious yellow pepper and the plants are producing long green peppers! Rachel and I often do seed swaps, both of us finding solace in our plants. Best of all, my favourite fuchsia, which I call Valerie because my wonderful friend Valerie had one and gave me a cutting, has come back to life after suffering from the searing summer sun. It gave me hope! I am not being flippant; I just feel that we must find the good in this world or we will sink. The Rebbitsen (wife of Rabbi) who did the Challah yesterday, said that the greatest blessing we can give to our world is to make another person smile. It is what I do automatically, always have done and always will. That is the only way we will come out of the current fears and trauma, especially with children. Smile, Charlie Chaplin understood https://youtu.be/xyHoohNyYkw?si=MisKglno1oKRReVb Stay strong, be strong. We are allowed to be afraid it is a very scary world right now and as the famous poem by Father Niemoller ends, “and then they came for me and there was no one to stand up for me” We must all stand tall; one must unite and stand up to bullies otherwise they can and will take over our world. I haven’t even referred to Shabbat! Tonight, it is irrelevant if you are observant or secular, Jewish, Christian or Moslem, light a special candle, even two, add them to your Shabbat Candles, and say a little prayer for those who are in captivity, for those who have family in captivity and for those who have lost loved ones. The Torah portion this week explains the start of the whole darned mess. When Sarai (Sarah) does not fall pregnant after 10 years of marriage, she tell Abram (Abraham) to lay with their maidservant so that he will have a child, then Sarai herself falls pregnant. The story of Isaac and Ishmael starts here. Oh well, I suppose I needed to talk to you and the short missive became longer than intended. Thank you all for your incredible moral support. I wish you a peaceful weekend, a Shabbat Shalom, be it Saturday or Sunday With love from Jerusalem Sheila

Day 20

20th day – is anybody listening? 26th October 2023 Things are tough everywhere, although I know and deeply appreciate that your thoughts are here with us, but I worry about you, about this insane world which has everything upside down, the moral compass has lost its north. A letter from a friend who recognises the wake up call I know Israel will prevail. But I can’t stop crying. For the level of barbaric brutality inflicted in our people. For how that energy from hell polluted the earth so quickly. For how it’s changing the world into such a tumultuous and constant aggression. For my daughter’s beautiful and brave friends who took planes from NY to defend Israel. For my daughters who go to the universities in NY and nj. My daughter in Princeton stood in a silent Jewish protest while in front of them a riled up group chanted for intefada, Palestine and Genocide (by Israel) while pointing at her and the other Jewish students. In nyu kids with posters to “clean” the world from Jews chanting “from the river to the sea” in the face of the Jewish students. My friends son barricaded in the library at Cooper Union while an aggressive mob chanted free Palestine and was forcing the doors to get in- the librarian had to guide them to the back door where police was waiting to help them escape. WHAT IS THIS???? I’m afraid they’ll go to the dorms room by room for the Jewish kids next. And the schools are doing nothing. It’s free speech. My husband and I spoke about a plan, he suggested moving the girls to Yeshiva University, me? I’m thinking of leaving before something happens. The question is where? We’re not safe anywhere, and that was always ok as long as Israel was there, but now what? We would only be a burden to the country already trying to help whoever is there, but it’s the only choice that makes sense. These are troubling times. I pray with all my heart that all the beautiful IDF come back safely after making sure these savages never bother anyone ever again. Without Israel, our home, no Jew is safe. Morality has left the building. Thank you for your letter. May you never need to go to your shelter. I had to stop and catch my breath, how on earth could this happen? How can students in Berkley get credits for attending a pro-Hamas Rally? Insane. Time to get out there and do some shouting of our own! Back to Israel. A very limited ground force went into Gaza and hit specific Hamas objectives; they went in and out within one hour. Two days ago, a direct hit on a Hamas building caused the area to collapse into a huge tunnel, revealing how fragile the structures are, some standing on very thin ground. The extensive tunneling means that most of Gaza is on thin ice. The missiles are raining on the coast again today, mostly on Ashkelon but right up the coast. Zvi’s grandchildren live in Nes Ziona, normally a delightful suburban town, and today I had a feeling, that very Safta feeling, that something wasn’t right. Of course, I called one of the girls and she told me that as Aliza came to collect her from school, just as she got to the school gates, the siren wailed again and Gili, Aliza and the younger girls all had to make a dive back to school to the shelter. They were fine. Basically in that sentence you have the difference between us and Hamas. In our case every school, kindergarten and of course public area has to have a shelter by law. More than 50,000 ceramic vests, over 20,000 helmets, and tens of thousands of combat items such as protective glasses and knee protectors are on their way to Israel, according to a joint statement by the Defense Ministry, the IDF, and the Association for the Well-being of Soldiers, issued Saturday evening. The statement followed the release on Thursday of contact details for individuals or organizations wanting to donate large quantities of personal protective equipment to soldiers. The email address is Trumot_migun@mod.gov.il . Since the number of reservist that reported for duty far outweighed the amount of essential protective equipment, the IDF found itself lacking, unprepared for the sheer amount. It says a great deal, yet again, about the incredible spirit of Israelis, men and women, who serve in the IDF, Zahal. It seems no time at all, just about three and a half weeks that this government called them traitors and now, look at them!! Talking of enlistment, the current situation has produced an unexpected and very welcome change in the Haredi community. According to IDF records, some 2,000 Haredi men have applied to enlist and many Haredi women are cooking for the troops. Hopefully, this will bring about a change, an essential change in Israeli society. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-769550 Zvi has gone to nearby Maaleh Hachmisha to visit people from Zikin which was physically destroyed and Nativ ha Asara, which lost 15 members to the horror of the 7th; families who had to leave their homes in the South. His parliament decided that each of them gave a certain sum and now they are taking the money to the people in charge to buy essential goods. So, if you thought they just chewed the fat, you are wrong, they may think that they put the world to rights and sometimes, they do. He said that the people there lack for nothing, volunteers have ensured that they have all their daily needs; a computer room for the teenagers, toys for the littlies; their laundry is put into bags and taken to Har Adar where families wash, dry and fold then return. They have everything but, but they have no homes. They don’t know if they are staying for one, two or three months. More and more people are going to pick fruit and vegetables in the south, along the Salad Trail and the Kibbutzim. Fabulous produce is being brought back for us to buy and of course the money goes straight to the growers. Little has been said about the dozens of Thai agricultural workers who either lost their lives or were kidnapped, but without them and he thousands of Gazans who picked the crops, the farmers are at a loss. Who helps? The people, again, the citizen’s army comes to the rescue as our united knights in shining armour, men women and children, come to the rescue. I was just sent something so true “We live in a world where the intelligent have to keep quiet for fear of offending the stupid” However, we often talk about heroes, heroes of war, heroes of peace, but there is an ever-growing wave of Moslem heroes in Israel. Bedouin and Druze in particular but more and more Moslems are standing up and speaking out, thus putting themselves and their families in harms way. Why? Because they say that what happened on the 7th, everything that Hamas stands for is not Islam. On the other hand, they recognise that Hamas doesn’t defend Gaza, Hamas has destroyed Gaza. The purport to being Robin Hoods whereas, in fact, they have stolen from the poor and made themselves rich. It is quite one thing to ay it quietly among friends, but these amazing people make TikTok clips, shout the truth from the rooftops and to me. They are heroes. Driving in to Jerusalem today I was filled with pride! Everywhere, every road is edged with Israeli flags, high above us. The railing that separates the pavement and the road as I wind my way up to our home is festooned with yellow ribbons and the determination that we will survive and thrive is tangible. The Shalva Centre has become a haven for those who left what was left of their homes behind. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-769126 Listen carefully to the words as Yossi Bana’i sings the beautiful song written by Naomi Shemer. Al Kol Eleh, above all this I dedicate to the those who have been uprooted from the land, from all they planted, their homes, their families and their crops. https://youtu.be/Gbw2FTYHCTg?si=zwcwE11aWWLjpujg Sending you all my love, take care, please take care Sheila

The 19th Day

The nineteenth day after the 7th 25th October 2023 Dear Friends, I know we are all exhausted, wrung out emotionally, but I want you to watch one of the bravest women I have ever seen; Rachel Polin Goldberg whose son Hersh was kidnapped, after he and his friends were blown up and he lost his arm. I want you to hear her words in the United Nations, before the Security Council of the United Nations, the corrupted Security Council of the United Nations. When you have listened to her calm, measured words, I want you to understand that immediately afterwards Antonio Gutteres the Secretary General of the United Nations spoke out against Israel’s actions in Gaza. In the words of Yad Vashem, he failed the Never Again test https://youtu.be/BULds4Wmlm4?si=bRYBh-gmoQkWlN1V My friend Monica went to a major vigil in Central London and was given a poster with the name of one of the hostages, it was Hersh Goldberg Polin Normally I try to keep the links to a minimum but I couldn’t in this case. The Secret Service of Israel interrogated those terrorists that were caught immediately after the massacre on the 7th of October. What they had to say was not surprising but the fact that they said it, that they felt that they were played, brainwashed, and spoke of it so easily was surprising. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEkBHSHezAY A dear friend has been taking journalists and diplomats to the south, to the scene of the heinous crimes, showing them the pictures and videos that we have been spared. Concerned friends asked him if he could survive what he was forced to see in order to get the message across. “I am coping, I have to stand back from the horror. For me, what is painful over and above the terrible things we see, smell (still) and know about, are the more "innocent" scenes in the homes of front-line kibbutzim. A lounge where coffee is half-drunk on a kitchen table, a newspaper open, toys on the floor. But there is no-one home. A still-life that is repeated in house after house, of a quiet existence 07:00 on that Shabbat morning, before Hamas unleashed barbaric crimes against humanity on these peaceful folks. This is 2023 and we are the IDF. We will finish Hamas.” Last night the missiles were virtually non-stop salvos, each missile stopped by Iron Dome, it is spectacular to see but the booms of the missiles combined with the sharp booms as Iron Dome eliminates them are equally terrifying for children and adults alike. The missiles reached all the way from Gaza to the coastal towns, Tel Aviv and Ra’anana and one or two even as far as Haifa. Life is not easy but we all know that this will stop, that we will wipe them off the face of the earth I am not a panicker, I tend to be on an even keel, at least on the outside, but I decided that under the circumstances it would be irresponsible if I do not prepare the “Mamad” the safe room. We are told to take in water, (and of course some Cola Zero for Zvi) medicines, a first aid kit, snacks, a torch and so on. I decided it is better to be prepared than regret. I found the correct video explaining how to use the special air filter equipment and have the appropriate cell phone chargers, I’m Android and Zvi is iPhone and apart from that I am about to go to another one of the exceptional meetings in the village library. We are not hiding away in a corner, we know that all the previous governments ensured that we have bomb shelters in every public place, that we are warned, because in Israel, the army, the IDF which is a people’s army, does everything in its’ power to protect us. Here in Israel the fighters protect the civilians and so in the constant barrage of missiles the number of people harmed is minimal. In Gaza the brave fighters of Hamas hide behind mothers and babies, families and hospitals so the death toll is ghastly. All our suspicions of the incitement to hatred in the UNWRA schools has been proven by Impact-se. IMPACT-se https://www.impact-se.org/ has found that at least one hundred Hamas terrorists are graduates of the UNRWA education system. At least 50% of school students in Gaza attend UNRWA schools; IMPACT-se reports show hate-teaching, incitement to violence in these schools. In further evidence of Hamas-UNRWA links, on October 16, UNRWA deleted a social media post alleging theft of fuel, medical supplies; likely bowed to Hamas pressure. $75 million in US aid given to UNRWA four days prior to Hamas attack, originally withheld over concerns that funds would be misused. Only pressure from potential voters can force the USA to withhold funding to UNWRA. Today I went to the supermarket and yet again, found that everyone responded immediately to my smile, ready to find something to talk about. A delightful man in the queue for the check-out, a man with two crutches, didn’t complain about the long wait, we talked about the fact that it is much harder to stand than to walk around with the supermarket trolley, about which cleaner to use, about the general mood….. until it was our turn, finally, to pay. It was the same in the lift (elevator) we all wish each other a better day, more appropriate than “have a good day”. This evening we had another get together of the community and again it was incredible. We thought we were just introducing ourselves, but it turned into a “So where are you from and for how many generations is your family here” We each had a story, for some reason one of the people, Erez, knew everything about Wales, even about the Welsh language, but the most fascinating was a lady called Margalit who told her family’s story from Gdansk, through Russia, Poland, Romania and finally to Israel, at last. What a proud lady she is to be Israeli. We didn’t talk about the situation at all. One of my Facebook friends, Anton Delin, wrote “They are turning the clocks back on Saturday night/ Sunday morning. How I wish we could turn the clocks back 22 days” Oh Anton, if only. With love to you all from the most incredible civilian force ever. Funnily enough I’m not talking about the IDF, the truly magnificent body of Israelis, but about the way that the people of Israel, ordinary people have stepped up to the plate. It is heartwarming and it works like clockwork. So many tears have fallen over the last 19 days, not just mine, not only the families of the fallen and the missing, not only the families of the hostages, but all of us worldwide. All we want if for them to come home, for someone to bring them home. My song for today will bring forth the tears you’ve been holding back, the Israel Opera singing Bring Them Home from Les Miserables. https://youtu.be/ssaur8sXFGo?si=Z7LGdb0mL806WhDH Bring them home, please bring them home. With love Sheila

Day 18

Day 18, 24th October, 2023 Ironically, 18 - חי in Hebrew counting known as Gematria, means Chai, life. I have to give you the true story of what happened to Yocheved Lifshitz and Nurit Cooper who were released from captivity in Gaza. Last evening Yocheved’s granddaughter decided that her traumatised Safta should give a press conference and that was when we realised that nobody had debriefed Yocheved or explained the repercussions of every word she said. To my dismay, my fears were correct, the foreign media jumped on her words that they had medication and food and were treated alright and left out the first part of what she said. Let’s start at the beginning. Yocheved and Nurit were kidnapped when all around them they heard the screams of the most horrific, bloody rampage imaginable. Kidnapped, taken hostage by terrorists who had killed most of the people they knew. Yocheved sat in her wheelchair, inundated with microphones, the closest held by her granddaughter. She started by saying that the moment they were taken into Gaza they were taken down into huge tunnels and she was slung painfully across a motorcycle in Kibbutz Nir Oz, sideways, her feet and head hanging over the side and taken into Gaza. She said that they travelled kilometres through a warren of tunnels into the earth, during which time they hit her with sticks time and again “I don’t know how they didn’t break my ribs” she said. They finally arrived at a huge hall, still underground, and they saw mattresses on the ground, very organised, separated into specific kibbutzim and villages some people were separated. Once there, a medic was brought in and he checked the and then ordered their medicines. They received food, pita and hummus, and drink. But folks, they were captive and had no idea where their family was or whether they would live or die. This is a woman who survived the Holocaust. Why she was released I cannot imagine. I know that her husband is a very well known journalist, far left, Oded Lifshitz, who used to help bring sick Gazans into Israel for treatment in our hospitals. Her husband and Nurit’s husband are still there. Who knows perhaps they told her that if she doesn’t say the right thing that he will die but I suppose we will never know. So that is the whole story, and I am deeply grateful to my dear friend Martin for drawing my attention to the half-truth that the foreign media is spouting, that they were treated well. No they weren’t. I cannot get the picture of those two little babies, their ginger hair shining in the sun as their Mother clung to them for dear life. These are the terrorists that brutalized the bodies of babes and raped little girls. No, they didn’t treat anyone well, they kidnapped them and killed all their families and friends. It is said that Hamas offered the terrorists of October 7th $10,000 and a new apartment for taking part in the massacre. I can’t prove it but that’s their policy so I have no reason to doubt it. I know that your journalists were taken to Be’eri and show the most dreadful of videos of the horrors of October 7th. I know because it was Marcus Sheff who showed them. How do we have the videos of their sickening, vile, debauched rampage? Because they wore body-cams! Yes, Body cams so that they could record the cutting off of children’s heads and make sure that one of the young women’s Mothers would see them as they raped her time and again. I know you don’t really want to hear it but, it happened. If they were not moved by what they saw, if they did not tell you what they saw then they are lying. I have to change key. I have to move on. I need to tell you of something beautiful and pure so that we can clear our brains of what was. I want you to know that we are an amazing people, that we the people have taken those removed from their homes, those who have lost everything, we the people have held them in our arms and emptied wardrobes, given furniture even if it meant that we sit on the floor ourselves, baked, cooked, bought and prayed for those whose lives will never be the same. We are so angry at our supposed leaders but we are doing it, at the moment Israelis of every nature are holding this country together! I love this generous, irritable, feisty, giving people called Israelis. Perhaps the purest, most beautiful thing that I heard today was when Rachel told me about Talia’s school where they made a huge table of names, of each of the hostages and each girl took a name and read a verse of Tehilim (Psalms) for their hostage. Such a simple thing but so beautiful. Zvi’s sons are incredible. Amiad, amongst the many selfless things he has done, realised that the people of Zaka, who faithfully gather body parts, no matter how ghastly the situation, needed new shoes, for obvious reasons, and his company went and bought 60 pairs of shoes to replace those that needed to be thrown. Leor is caring for all the members of his staff whose husbands are on reserve duty and I am so proud of our family. We are just one family among the many who have risen to the call. The free world is expressing its understanding by arriving here, every day more and more. Emannuel Macron of France; President Schulz of Germany compared Hamas to Nazis and he should know; the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was so moved by the stories he heard that he hugged and cried with the families. A bipartisan delegation of Senators came to Israel to support us. It is heartwarming to hear the words of American leaders. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDANIMGfhdo I went to my art studio this morning. I took some old paintings that I hadn’t finished and my excellent teacher sat with me and we thought of how to complete them without losing my emotions at the time. I can’t remember how it happened but I overheard one of the other people mention that she had relatives in Australia. “Which city”? She responded that most of her family had emigrated to Australia after the war. Who are your relatives? Well you could have knocked me down with a feather when she said Peter Hammerman! Zvi and Peter have been close friends or at least 50 years and the message that Naomi received was from Kitty, Peter’s wife! Of course, I immediately contacted Peter and discovered that Naomi is his first cousin and that he adores her. Gosh I love Jewish geography! After ensuring that all the necessary information was at my fingertips and listening to Marcus who had spent the morning with European Union MPs, giving them a full briefing on the situation I allowed myself to relax. These particular MEPs are incredibly supportive of Israel and Marcus knows them all personally. To refresh my mind and body I walked with my friend and neighbour, another Naomi, to my music and movement class. It was spectacular. Our intimate little group of six women, led by Gali our teacher, learned a whole new set of coping skills through movement and dance. As we walked home we found ourselves smiling. Of course my favourite part is the freestyle dancing which I do outside on the deck overlooking Jerusalem. So we are holding on to our sanity, ensuring that we are busy, busy, hopefully doing good and trying to spread a little joy in a situation which saps our strength. That’s about it for now, hope that you will demand that your news media reports the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Vehi Sheamda expresses everything we pray for right now – Natanel Hershtik has the voice of an angel and the words, the prayer, the orison so appropriate “And this is what kept our fathers and what keeps us surviving. For, not only one arose and tried to destroy us, rather in every generation they try to destroy us, and the Almighty saves us from their hands.” https://youtu.be/dyODpCquVzk?si=VqEKclqnqx1NCmUr With love Sheila

Day 17

Day 17 23rd of October 2023 Good evening. I admit it, I was so overwhelmed by everything that I didn’t intend writing tonight, then I saw Yosef Haddad crying on the evening news and as I listened to the reason for his tears I knew I had to write to you. Yesterday you saw him dealing with a stupid girl on the Palestine Club at Aukland University, today he took my heart anew. Although he is an Israel, he was invited to a press conference for the foreign press, because his audience is all over the world, especially the Arab world. Yosef is an Israel Arab who is, arguably, one of our best proponents, he tells the world exactly what it is to be an Israeli, an Arab Moslem Israeli who served with honour in the IDF. I digress; why was he crying and what was it that he said, or saw, that made me realise that I had to tell you. In the press conference for the foreign press, they were shown pictures and clips of things that happened on that diabolical day, things that no human should have to see, in order to shock the foreign press into understanding what happened. He saw a terrified little boy begging the terrorists to kill him after they shot his father and they simply continued looking through the family refrigerator for snacks, enjoying themselves before yes, killing him, they themselves filming it. That was one of the least horrific things they showed, every part, every depraved move was recorded and many times sent to the cell phones of the families. I will not tell you any more for fear of the nightmares that will follow, but how can I say that I am tired, after working all day trying to get the truth out there, how dare I say that I haven’t got the energy or the emotional strength to write? Yosef Haddad is not the only one to have cried this week, everyone I talk to, journalists and spokespersons alike, including one American VIP that I will not name, are broken, utterly broken by what they saw. I want you to know that we are on it. We will make UNWRA pay for teaching hatred, not just hatred but teaching tiny children that they should search out Jews and slit their throats. I promise you, right now, that they will pay. The European Union has already decided to cut their funding for 2024, 2023 already passed and several other countries have already done so. Impact-se has everything on file, files that we pass to the EU, USA, UK, indeed any country that wants it and we are ensuring that they will never teach another child to hate. It won’t be instant, we know that, but I, we, promise it will come about. I hate to tell you but that feels so much better. Rather than keeping it all inside I know that I am reaching an audience that will pass the information on. Thank you. When I, yet again hear the “proportional response” banality, I think about Winston Churchill after the bombing of Dresden in February 1945. Not just bombing but the utter destruction of the city of Dresden. He was asked why he ordered the bombing of a city full of civilians to which he answered with a single word “Coventry” Look it up and you will understand. It was also a turning point in the war. Noa Tishbi was the official spokesperson against anti-Semitism of the Israeli government until the current Government chose to end her position. This speech shows how wrong they were. She is phenomenal, a strong, eloquent Jewish woman, a true Israeli https://youtu.be/7dZRvg13rp8?si=vdV6DiBaWdwVzlNn I told you that we try to continue a normal life, when we have time! So today Zvi invited some friends that he sings with and of course his beloved musical director. They are very special people and have become my beloved friends too. I decided that I would cook and bake, it’s what I do when I’m not working, writing or….. anyway. I decided to bake bread rolls, the kneading gets rid of lots of frustrations, cut some salads and of course, what is the Israeli staple brunch? Shakshuka!! There is one problem with my industrious food preparation, the guests, being Israeli, came loaded with pastries, croissants and other goodies that I have to find room in the freezer or, perish the thought, eat them! Please understand, I’m not being flippant and despite our best efforts our conversation still went to the “situation”, how could it not, but we spoke of how we cope with it. One dear friend who is relatively frail, spoke of her frustration at not being physically able to go and pick fruits and vegetables to help the farmers and kibbutzim bring in the crops; then he admitted that she spends six to eight hours a day manning the emergency telephone line for people in distress at the situation. What an incredible thing to do. Tomorrow I will go to my art studio and try to put my emotions onto canvas and in the evening I will go to the movement group. Last week, if you remember, we went outside to the deck of the new hall and danced in the moonlight. We laughed at the thought that anyone seeing us would decide we were insane, but no, our teacher had a few phone calls from neighbours saying that they saw us dancing and it gave them hope, understanding that music can heal almost anything. Thank heaven Zvi is not on “shmira” guard duty tonight and I have convinced him not to take the dreadful middle of the night shifts. Tomorrow he will be on duty from 11:00 to 01:00, much better. Friends, I thank heaven for people like Yosef Haddad and our other friends, who are able to cry over babies bodies, the unbelievable videos taken by the terrorists themselves of their own degenerate, vile acts. I thank heaven for everyone who cries with us and one day we will laugh again, together. I told you that you give me strength, you really do. Your quick notes, emails and WhatsApps are the oxygen that keeps us breathing when our chests are so tight with stress that each breath comes with difficulty. When I hear from the former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey, or Canon Andrew White who would give anything to negotiate for the release of the hostages and the Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem who offered himself in exchange for the hostages, I know that we are not alone. If you suddenly stop getting these missives you can always go to http://www.theviewfrommyveranda.info/blog/ and find me there but please let me know. Gmail has problems because of the recent frequency of my mailings, but we will overcome, I promise. They say that you can take the girl out of Wales but not Wales out of the girl. The song that I chose for today is “Bless This House” by Sir Harry Secombe. Harry Secombe had the voice of an angel and the giggle of an innocent child, comedian and Welsh tenor this song is what I wish for Israel, our home https://youtu.be/hD9omDrTafE?si=QBq0JLCEAm8XUeUJ Goodnight, sweet dreams and may God bless you and keep you safe from harm Sheila

Day 16

Day 16 22nd October 2023 Shalom. That oh so Israeli greeting, its actual meaning is peace although it can be hello, goodbye, adieu, see you, in fact just about every greeting, but its origin is peace, that oh so elusive element to a good life. I have many friends, old and young, who are either based in the South, in the Eshkol region, as reservists, soldiers, journalists and volunteers and each of them tells that there is an all pervading smell, odour, that sickens the heart; the self-same smell that I smelled when I got to Manhattan, to see my children straight after 9/11. It is as if it stays in your nose, an offence to one’s olfactory senses, an offence to one’s soul, to one’s humanity. Just as Kristallnacht was the precursor of the Shoah, the intention of Hamas is to make Black Shabbat the precursor of wiping out the Jews. Since there have been rockets over the North of Israel, we have discovered that it is predominantly instigated by Hamas in Lebanon, something I didn’t know previously, believing it was only a Hezb-Allah stronghold. Another thing I hadn’t realised is that whereas I thought it was only Hamas in Gaza, in his research Joe Truzman https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-769597 finds many names. Al-Aqsa Martyrs, Jaysh Al-Ummah, Jaysh Al-Islam Gaza, Palestinian Mujahadeen and the most incorrectly named Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, all under the gory, blood-stained umbrella of ISIS. Israel’s security prisoners are often behind the planning of the most heinous attacks and transmitting their orders through their cell phones. Because we are a democratic state we must obey international laws concerning political and security prisoners. They are allowed prayer meetings and conjugal visits, however, we cut off the electricity to the security prisoners here in Israel because if there's no electricity they have no cell phones because they can't charge them! Clever eh? Our lovely Shelly came to visit us today with her Daddy Valeri. She looked so beautiful in her uniform and we got to here more of what she is doing in the army as a reservist. She is in charge of young, less experienced soldiers and paramedics, sending them wherever they may be needed, to whomsoever needs them. She was in the South but is now in the North. When they are not needed they also teach maths and English, basic studies in poor areas. So proud of her. Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles the BBC has actually extended an apology over the misinformation about the hospital in Gaza and their refusal to call Hamas terrorists despite the British law declaring so. https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/1826390/BBC-Breakfast-apology-Israel-Gaza-hospital-explosion I believe that the tsunami of complaints that reached the government through Ofcom.org played its part but understand, please, that the BBC, although it receives all of the TV licence money, does not answer to anyone, especially not the government. I was born in Britain and proud of the fact that Britain opened her doors to Jews leading up to, during and after the Holocaust where other countries simply closed the gates. Britain has been haven for refugees as virtually no other country; not as foreign workers but accepted citizens from the former commonwealth. Today that generosity is coming back to slap Britain in the face as thousands upon thousands yell free Palestine. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has received innumerable death threats because of his undaunting support for Israel. Israeli superstar Noa Kirel, who herself served in the IDF, has raised an incredible $30 million for the IDF. They plan to buy essential ambulances and equipment. Superstar in every way. Our friend Yaron Tzidkiyahu, whose family have led the stallholders of Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda Market for decades, announced today, in a television interview, that in a combined effort by everyone over 30,000 meals had already been given out. He also said that any of the families who are in various hotels in the city should come to the market and they will get whatever they want at cost. I have repeatedly written about Impact-se and our wonderful CEO Marcus Sheff who has taken on the role of Major M. Sheff spokesman for the IDF to the English speaking media. His understanding of the hate education in Gaza helps. I am so proud of him. Here he explains much of what has confused or angered us. https://youtu.be/9Jo51FRw42U?si=jE24Fds8HgT5oo8V I am trying to balance between positive and negative, precious good news and frequent bad news. I don’t want to depress you, I want to help you to understand that we are all, even those who have lost entire families, doing our best to get the message across. In between the 24/7 news reports well known actors are talking to the people, reminding us all that there is help, not to be afraid to ask for assistance, be it physical or psychological, with telephone numbers of the various government and voluntary organisations. Everyone is pulling their weight, in whatever manner they possibly can, we are all in this together. Zvi has been volunteering in our local “Hamal”, if you remember that’s the local emergency centre. I think he’s actually disappointed that they decided that women and men over a certain age are not accepted to patrol the narrow lanes of our village, so he volunteers to man the screens of the security cameras strategically placed throughout. What is interesting is that each time he is paired with someone different and suddenly people from our estate are meeting people from the old “Yishuv” of Motza. From disturbing necessity new friendships are born. Have you ever seen the podcasts and videos of Yosef Haddad? Here he is in Aukland University where during registration one young woman represented the Palestinian Club. He asks her about Israeli apartheid, about which she knows nothing, indeed she basically knows nothing and only at the end he reveals that he is an Arab Israeli. https://youtu.be/Bs94YDv3wj0?si=2z-92ToTPWLTS2dm To sum up today’s missive I want to send you a message from the children in Israel. Stand By Me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wYspKp-F68 So again, I sign off. With any luck there won’t be any news tomorrow, or only good news that can wait a day. I promise to keep you appraised of any and everything that is of importance, good and bad, but hopefully more good than bad. Gosh that was a muddled sentence but then my brain is scrambled egg at the moment; Israeli don’t know what to think or how the think, we are still numbed, traumatised by the horror of two weeks ago which keeps on revealing even greater, even more horrific truths. We all appear to be functioning, thank heaven this is a society which cares, cares for each other so that we can forget, or push aside our own tragedies as we look to care for those with even greater ones. This song was recorded during Covid, during isolation, but in many ways it suits our situation in Israel right now, that sense of isolation. We need you, we need your love, just as we need each other. https://youtu.be/h_7jvxBObaw?si=juS7HEFRXHjQyP0- With love Sheila

Day 15

Day 15 21st October 2023 Shevua Tov, which means Have a good week. It took no time until the world forgot about the depraved slaughter of innocents, it took less than two weeks before the voices were raised against Israel. What does that tell you? That as long as we are dying, we elicit sympathy but the moment we fight back it ends? Simple facts. Some 18,000 Gazans work in Israel, received full work permits, crossed the border and worked in close contact with those who Hamas slaughtered. We now know that Hamas knew exactly how to get in and the structure of the villages, who lives where and how many rooms in each home, from those workers! Based on that information they built their model camps where they learned thoroughly, where and how to cause the greatest suffering. I have said it before and now I repeat - there is no siege, never was. It’s all a big fat lie! Israel has been sending hundreds of truck loads of staple goods, crossing daily, for all the years of missile attacks. Egypt refused. Jordan refused. Only Israel provided sustenance to Gaza! Gaza receives billions of dollars from the international community and chooses to use it to invest in tools of war rather than in infrastructure, to ensure potable water for its people, at the very least. The building materials we were told to provide were used to build tunnels; every cent went underground not into housing. Gaza is a warren of underground tunnels with just two purposes – to infiltrate into Israel and to act as escape routes for the leaders. Egypt successfully blew up the tunnels which led into their country and built a far more secure barrier to prevent any infiltration. Anyone breaching that barrier is instantly killed. The agricultural aids didn’t grow a single fruit or vegetable in Gaza because it all went to making bombs – missiles. It’s time to get real. The lorries of aid have returned but don’t tell us we ought to care for the people of Gaza when nobody else is willing to. The additional aid from the USA is contingent on it going to the people not to Hamas, but who can tell which is which? I used to think it was a compliment that we are held to a higher moral standard than our neighbours but of late I have realised that far from being a compliment it ties our hands, prevents us from adequately defending ourselves. Is there another army in the world that sends sms messages and drops flyers to ordinary citizens to get out of harm’s way? The IDF spokesperson announced that we have completed plans for a ground attack but will choose our moment carefully. I believe that it will take a great deal of planning because the war against Hamas will be waged underground, a guerrilla war in the tunnels built from international funding and Israeli aid. We are good but when you don’t know where the tunnels are and your enemy knows them like the back of his hand, the risk to the lives of the soldiers increases a hundred fold. We must take our time, use every tiny piece of information from the “mashtapim” the moles inside Gaza, and only then, wage the ground attack ensuring the safety of the hostages too. In the meantime, more and more ordinary people have heeded the warnings of the IDF and moved southward. Alon Ben David, a very careful and accurate military correspondent on Israeli television, spoke of the change in the faces of IDF officers since October 7th. He said that their entire stature and attitude had changed dramatically, a determination to wipe out those who dared to wreak havoc, to slaughter, to rape and burn, to decapitate Israelis will pay for their heinous crimes. I know how things look from afar, I understand that many of you are afraid of the repercussions of Israel’s actions; I really understand, but if we don’t defend ourselves, nobody will defend you. The rumblings of hatred are becoming an earthquake fanned by the fallacious unspeakable lies told by the media. Shai Davidai a professor at Columbia University, an Israeli, stood on the grounds of the university and spoke out to parents in the USA “I cannot protect your children from pro-terror students or organisations because the Presidents of Columbia, Harvard, Stanford, Berkley will not speak out against terror” https://youtu.be/3_0sl3LDo-8?si=OE2DCaIz-iiLX-Wd Shabbat was surprisingly beautiful. Zvi’s boys and their families decided to come for Shabbat dinner, despite living in the coastal region which has suffered too many Red Alerts. They told me at about 11:00 on Friday that they would arrive at about 19:30, all 12 of them! Luckily, I am always prepared for all situations and by about 3 o’clock everything was cooked and the table was set for a 3 course meal when Zvi got back from his parliament. As an extra special treat for them and for us, Danny Liwerant, former World Chairman of Keren Hayesod came for dinner too. He is here to assess the situation, to guide the Jewish Agency in their decisions as to where their help is best needed. Danny and Zvi have been friends since Zvi was 13, the oversized Israeli geek who arrived in Mexico, wore short trousers and couldn’t speak Spanish! Danny is actually 9 days older than Zvi which he is never allowed to forget. I was so thrilled that once Zvi had made kiddush and most of the food had been consumed, the children went crazy! In and out of the apartment, playing hide and seek with whoops of glee and no sirens to disturb them. I think they enjoyed the food too, not a great deal left! My concern was their drive back home but all the children promise to let me know when they got in through their front door, and they did. Strangely enough we seem to be living a relatively normal life, being near Jerusalem, but every news bulletin, every story, reaches deep into our hearts. Stil,l we go to our meetings and courses, invite neighbours and friends to visit, the need to be together, to be with others who understand how we feel has become an essential part of our being. I just had a wonderful telephone call with Shelly Silver, the closest thing to a grandchild without being a blood relation! Shelly just got back from her post-IDF sojourn in South and North America and is now serving in the Home Front Command ensuring that new soldiers have everything they need on every level. Shelly went to see a girlfriend who is serving in the Southern village of Tzohar and found a diabolical reminder of what took place two weeks ago. Everything is burned, homes, trees, mounds of ash containing only heaven knows what horrific secrets and weapons discarded by the terrorists, sights too diabolical to describe. Beside Tzohar is the village of Tkuma where just one family returned, giving their home and their hearts to care for the soldiers that prepare for war. Shelly told me that young Israelis are determinedly returning from their travels to serve Israel, to play their part in the drama that is still unfolding. Talking to this fabulous young woman, with wisdom gained through experience, I sensed yet again that we are a very special country where our young people understand that they are fighting for freedom, for yours as well as ours. Shelly and her parents are coming to visit tomorrow on her way back to her base. I can’t wait. So dear friends, don’t believe everything you see on the screen, in the case of the BBC news and most of CNN, don’t believe a word! Please, speak out, timidity didn’t win wars. I decided to look online for a list of the hostages, the captives, in English and was surprised to find that the BBC had a full list. Please pray for each and every one of them. For me, I cannot get the picture of Shiri Bibas and her two tiny, red-headed babies being pushed and shoved onto a vehicle. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67053011 I wish you a good week, Shevua Tov, a better week in which we can all hear some good news, any good news and pray for the hostages to return home. Lt Col. Shai Abramson sang this song to honour those who were taken in war and never returned, but today I feel it expresses all our prayers for the hostages taken on that diabolical day, on the 7th of October. “Bring Him Home” from Les Miserables. https://youtu.be/AGBivN0PSIo?si=fVp4x3cL8vokC4IT With much love Sheila

Day 14, Shabbat Shalom

20th October 2023 Shabbat Shalom dear friends. I wish you a Sabbath of remembrance and peace, forget the anger for one day and think of ways to honour those who were killed, slaughtered, massacred and captured. Light that extra candle tonight. I’m sorry that I didn’t write yesterday but I was burned out by the rush of emotions that accompany every letter to you which forces me to express my confusion, helplessness and anger. Today I will try to bring you a more rational approach. Although his visit received less media attention than the Biden visit, the visit of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held a special warmth as he spoke in measured terms of his unquestionable support for Israel, that Britain stands with Israel in our darkest hour (reference to Winston Churchill’s statement). PM Sunak is Hindi, his family emigrated from India and he was educated in the UK but with the principles of his faith and his family’s understanding of the Moslem violence in India, which is rarely spoken about. PM Netanyahu also referred to the British fierce 6 year battle against Nazism 80 years ago and our battle against modern Nazism in the form of Hamas/ISIS/ Hezb-Allah today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S78nh1G5nI The horrors of last week are still in our nightmares, even more names of those who were killed or captured is rising daily. Despite the clear threats of American and British warships in the area, Hezb-Allah are still launching rockets against the north of Israel, the wonderful pastoral beauty of the North, irrespective of the fact that there are innumerable Arab villages and towns in that area. Kiriat Shmona has been evacuated and the government are asking that all of you who have apartments in Israel please allow a family to stay there for a short period, hopefully a short period of the war. Unlike former “skirmishes” or operations, this is war, outright war. It will not be over in a matter of days, it is a long and painful war against a horrific enemy, an enemy that is raising its ugly hear right where you live, wherever there is a Jewish community. The famous Pastor Neimoller poem speaks of starting with the Communists but here there is a clear aim to this war, this worldwide war, they are coming for the Jews and then, who will speak for the rest? Awad Darwashe, May he rest in peace, is a hero who happened to be Bedouin. He was a paramedic on duty at the Music Festival near Kibbutz Be’eri. Awad, despite being wounded himself, managed to save up to 30 young people before his ambulance was stolen by the terrorists and he was killed. His cousin, Mohammad lives on Givat Haviva working for coexistence. Israeli Bedouin are amongst the dead and captured, but due to the questionable legality of many of their villages and family campuses in the South, they do not have the security of shelters. Did you notice the instant, knee-jerk response by the media to the claim that 500 Gazans died in an Israeli attack on a hospital? Despite the obvious proof of an “overheard” conversation between two Hamas operatives clearly stating that the hospital was severely damaged by a misfired missile from a Palestinian Islamic Jihad launching site in a densely populated area near the hospital and videoed proof, they have barely retracted their condemnation. Incidentally, the fact is that not only was it a PIJ missile but apparently it hit the car park of the hospital and the death toll was between 10-50. If you are British and have a complaint about the content or half-truths of British news media please, please write to https://www.ofcom.org.uk/complaints/complain-about-tv-radio-a-website Don’t just sit and moan about the BBC, or SKY UK, do something about it! The question on the lips of many of you is “What does Israel gain by stopping aid to Gaza” You say it doesn’t do any good to Israel’s image. Perhaps you are right but on the other hand all these years that despite rockets, missiles and terror attacks we have faithfully delivered aid to the Gazans the media still listened to and related the lie of a “siege on Gaza”. Hundreds of lorry loads a week, full of staple foodstuffs, fuel, you know the list only too well, and after international pressure we included fertiliser which ultimately was used in the making and firing of missiles and it did us no good on the public opinion level, so ask yourselves why are we suddenly the bad guys when Hamas, instead of building the infrastructure for clean water, planting crops built a terror infrastructure. They had plenty of funding for missiles but not for food. Until now the Egyptians refused to give aid, now they have to. David-Seth Kirshner is a Rabbi in the USA. In his open letter to the world he speaks of the fears of his congregants of the rising anti-Semitism, the overt danger of threats and actual violence, the fact that the true hatred of so many is coming out, especially but not exclusively in colleges and Universities in the USA and around the world. https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/streams-of-anxious-consciousness-xii/ A dear and wonderful friend, someone I truly love, has worked for a long time teaching in NYU, for the first time she is deeply troubled, aware of the tangible and aggressive anti-Semitism right where she worked, where she loved to work until now. Eyal Waldman believes in coexistence. He founded and runs a Hi-Tech company called Mellanox and chose to employ some young Gazans in his company, to encourage them to seek knowledge and give them the ability to earn well. On the 7th of October, his daughter Danielle was at the Peace and Love Festival when she was killed, slaughtered by Hamas terrorists alongside her boyfriend. Please listen to her father’s words https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rja9piszp Together with my upstairs neighbour Yael, who was the spokesperson for Hadassah during the Intifadas, I went to a fascinating meeting of the “over 65’s” of the village of Motza. If I tell you that apart from the two younger women who organised the get-together, Yael and I were clearly the youngest! There were people who have lived in Motza village for 60 and 70 years and one or two who were born there. We sat and listened to their stories, short two minute synopses, each with a special sense of history. Some referred to the injured of the Yom Kippur War but when asked to give one good thing of our current situation and one disturbing thing, many wrote their disturbing thing “Helplessness” due to their age and physical inability to volunteer. The organisers, both of whom I know from my music movement class, asked me to explain about all of you, about my writings, which do not demand any physical prowess. When asked what is positive all pointed to the unity and volunteering, across the gamut of political thought. Of course, there are rumblings of discontent which are creeping back into our everyday life, but the anger of the pro-Bibi camp is still very threatening to any dissent. I am so proud of the reactions of ordinary Israelis, and some extraordinary Israelis, who have created instant centres for the distribution of necessities to the surviving families from the south, who are now in hotels and homes all over the country. One aspect that was ignored at first is the fact that fields and fields of produce is unharvested so volunteers are taking the risk of going South to gather the vegetables and save the area. Our Yishuv, our village and the estate have established what is called a Hamal, a centre for information and patrolling, guarding the area. Zvi gets up at 05:00 in the morning to take his stint of watching the screens showing the large number of security cameras around the entire area. Right here, in our tiny village, we have people who bake, people who collect clothing, those who go to IDF bases with hot meals and those who ensure that all soldiers have the right equipment. Of course it is not only here, all over the country the people, civilians, ordinary folk have set up Hamals. The civil society in Israel has come together, showing backbone and strength in dire straits. I’m also proud of you, you have rallied to the cause, whether by donations or by standing firm in demonstrations or ensuring that information goes out. Please keep it up! I know how hungry you are for news in English so here are some sources that you can reach https://cdn.fedweb.org/fed-110/2/The_Top_7_Israeli_News_Sources_in_English.pdf Amihai Grosz, principal viola of the Berlin Philharmonic, is sleepless with worry for his Israeli nephew, who is one of the 200 hostages snatched by Hamas and held to ransom in Gaza. Amihai has authorised the Israel Camerata to upload his performance of Yizkor (remember) by Odon Partos, as a means of drawing attention to his nephew’s plight. I feel that it is for all those slaughtered and all those taken hostage. https://youtu.be/34-W43XmC38?si=6zJ9t5R7fi2MkPbC As I hear the helicopters and aeroplanes overhead, I worry about family and friends in Tel Aviv, Ashkelon, and all along the coast and in the North, who are inundated with Red Alerts. While we have Iron Dome to destroy the incoming missiles, it does not stop the heart-stopping fear that maybe this one….. Of all the many Israeli songs dedicated to peace, there in one which expresses our prayers, our plea, our orison that is in the heart of every Israeli, finally, the recognition of our existence here in this tiny, beautiful land. This war is the umpteenth battle in our War of Independence, when will we achieve that elusive peace? https://youtu.be/Kr5wRdxBXgI?si=o_MTAMTD6DKQdPur The prayer for the Peace of the State of Israel sung by Shai Abramson, Chief Cantor of the IDF https://youtu.be/5JP1sy_O7wQ?si=1Rx3QQsZh60r23DU Sending each and every one of you my love, my prayers for your safety and for our beautiful country Shabbat Shalom, a peaceful Shabbat Sheila

Day 12

Day1218thOctober 2023 Ithas started. The disinformation about just about everything has started and themedia is lapping it up. Yesterday it was the siege, the supposed bombing of theRaffiah Corridor which prevented essential aid when the only aid came throughthe very border crossing, Kerem Shalom, that Hamas breached! Egypt has notopened any form of open crossing for aid, because they have not given aid, itonly came through Israel. Hundreds of lorries per week, each filled with aid ofevery form, came through Kerem Shalom – Ironically called the Vineyard of Peaceand now of course the hospital and the tragedy of 500+ dead Gazans. Lastnight, after I wrote to you, I received a video clip of a rocket launch whichalmost immediately failed, turned and landed within 100 metres of its launch.It is believed that this was the rocket, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocketthat landed on the hospital with horrendous results. Over 500 rockets andmissiles launched from Gaza fell inside Gaza causing untold damage. Understand,every single bomb dropped or rocket launched from Israel has to be accountedfor. We are not terrorists nor are we the Gazan version of ISIS, we have ahighly organised army and every bullet, every missile, every piece of equipmenthas to be accounted for. If, God Forbid, it had been ours, we would have known.The loss of life is horrific, our hearts goes out to the ordinary people ofGaza but we have to defend ourselves, we have no choice, they left us with nochoice. Theexplosion of the hospital in Gaza is tragic. Was it an Israeli missile? Highlyunlikely but we will know because every single missile is accounted for,requires a chain of command before a launch. It will not be the first time thatHamas-ISIS has lied. A video clip shows a missile being launched and immediatelycoming back on itself. The IDF is investigating as we speak. We have in ourhands a conversation between two members of Hamas describing how the missilethat hit the hospital was one of theirs but the media has already jumped to itsown conclusions – as usual, Israel is guilty. I just received the recording ofsaid Hamas conversation, loud and clear. Here, I just received this https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-768942#768942It is now irrefutable. Didyou know that 3 days ago, Hamas raided a UNWRA depot and confiscated fuel andmedicines? UNWRA tweeted the fact, sent a communique and then retracted becauseUNWRA is 99.9% Palestinian workers, everyone except the Director, and they arescared, scared of their fate with Hamas ISIS too. Did you know that when bags of rice,destined for Gaza, were opened we found bullets hidden inside? The lies areeverywhere. Did you know that the lorry-loads of aid which goes into Gaza,temporarily withheld, is more often than not commandeered by the terrororganisations? The supposed siege is a figment of the media’s imagination –until October 7th. From that diabolical day we stopped thehumanitarian aid, from bags of rice to the gas and electricity that we providethrough international funding. By the way, did you know that the fundingprovided by YOUR governments doesn’t go to the people of Gaza, it too iscommandeered by the ruling class, ISIS. KingAbdullah of Jordan has uninvited President Biden. It’s true but they havespoken long and hard already, with President of Egypt Sisi too. Both have madeit very clear; they will not accept any refugees from Gaza, not even one. PresidentAl-Sisi is, was and probably always will be a member of the Moslem Brotherhood,but he is very much a realist and Jordan and Egypt cannot risk importingterrorists. History tells us that this minute dot of land is a crucible ofhate. Iwish I could have written about the togetherness of Israelis pulling together,but you are going to need hard information because the lies have started. Yesof course we will continue to meet, indeed this lunchtime a get together ofwomen in our village will be held in the library, supporting each other,whether we have children or grandchildren in the IDF or because it is all justtoo much to bear.  Shalvahas become a National Crisis Centre. Already over 100 young girls have beenmoved to Shalva from a Youth at Risk Centre in the South and families seekingrefuge have moved in too. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CygTMp5tRKQ/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D Iunderstand that it is all confusing, but so many of you have asked me where tosend your donations and I tend to support the smaller, individual organisationsand as you know, Shalva is where my heart is. PresidentBiden arrived and went straight to his meeting with Netanyahu. His absolutesupport, the fact that he understands what we face, which is not “just” aterrorist group but the representatives of ISIS, indeed he said that Hamas iseven worse than ISIS and most importantly he stated that the explosion at thehospital was a Hamas mis-guided missile (as proven by the recorded conversationbetween the Hamas operatives). President Biden is the first American President tocome here during war-time to express his absolute support and the support ofthe American people. Anthony Blinken has been here from the very beginning,hasn’t left in panic, has been following, advising and helping our governmenton every level. This administration has been with us as no other. What struckme is that Netanyahu read his speech to the public and to “his friend Joe”, thefirst time ever that he was not “off the cuff” whereas President Biden wasclear, firm and clearly determined to express his horror DearFriends, I am signing off for now. Writing to you is undoubtedly cathartic,forces me to rationalise the irrational, express my fears and put my addled,distressed brain into some kind of order. Plese, I beg of you, share my missives,share the information, write to your media outlets and make sure that they tellthe truth (yeah right), it’s probably the most important thing right now. Sendingyou loveSheila  -- If the media does not inform us we must inform the mediaMy Website http://www.theviewfrommyveranda.info/Facebook      Sheila Silver Raviv Involvement   http://www.impact-se.org/ 

Day 11

Day 1117thOctober 2023 Yesterdayyou read about my reaction to one bang, one boom and my reaction, and you wereconcerned, for which I am truly grateful, but imagine living in a wonderfulrural area, but every day, every hour, a constant bombardment of rockets andmissiles, not one measly little bang. Children who have grown up in fear,hearing the siren, on a constant basis with 15 seconds to find shelter. Babieswho have barely known a night’s sleep and became used to having their days and nightsdisturbed. So you see, my single boom was irrelevant, an annoyance and Ishouldn’t complain. Thismorning I went to my art studio. It was a last minute decision because we allneeded to be with others in friendly surroundings. We have to keep ourselvesbusy. Zvi met his friends of the Tuesday parliament all thirsty for any fresh news.This evening I went to my movement class, just a few of us right next to ourestate. We danced outside on the deck of the community centre with its viewover Jerusalem and then we spoke about the connotations of that dance for eachof us. One felt deep guilt at dancing because those wonderful young people weredancing when they were mown down or captured; another felt that she was dancingfor those who can no longer dance; me, well I danced, looking over the lightsof Jerusalem in the distance determined to dance in honour of those who perished,the hostages, the families, willing this country to accept the pain, acceptthat we cannot change what was only what will be. Anunexpected invitation for supper from our neighbours Rachel and Yehuda, was anunexpected delight. Of course, the topic of conversation was around politicalleadership and the horrors of Black Sabbath, the 7th. We can’t helpit. As we left our house to walk up to theirs, we met with another neighbourout for a walk. “How are you? And the family?” to which she responded thattheir two sons and one son in law have all been called up and are down south.We responded the only way one can “Please God they will be safe and come homewhole” Again, I must explain the incredible togetherness, the care thatabounds, the need to do something, anything. I would be lying if I claimed thatthe rancour of the past months doesn’t creep into our lives. When the familiesof the hostages stood in silent demonstration outside the Defence Ministry,there were those who heckled them and worse, but it is rare. ShiraRuderman is here in Israel, down South, serving food to soldiers and so muchmore, Jay, her husband is back home and created this podcast of a First Responderwith United Hazolah who drove immediately, at 06:00 on the 7th, fromJerusalem to the scene in the South. Linor Attias tells what she found and whatshe did. This is essential listening. https://allaboutchangepodcast.com/  I am so proud of the Ruderman family. Jay isa member of the Impact-se Board Talking ofambulances, they have changed the sirens here so that they don’t sound like theRed Alert Sirens. PresidentBiden is coming tomorrow to show solidarity with the people of Israel. Israelisare deeply moved by his words which he has translated into action. ThePresident will meet with the families of Americans taken hostage and of coursewith the Emergency Cabinet. He will go on to meet with King Abdullah of Jordanand while in Amman he will meet also with President Sisi of Egypt. In anothermove of solidarity UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is coming next week. The liesabound. Today’s special was that Israel has bombed the Raffiah corridor preventinghumanitarian aid coming in to Gaza. There is one main problem with that claim –the aid never came in through the Raffiah corridor, it came in through KeremShalom from Israel not from Egypt. The Egyptians have closed any crossings anddo not give aid to the Gazans and now made it very clear that they refuse toaccept any Gazans into Egypt – a statement reiterated by King Abdullah!  In truth, nobody wants Gaza, citizens alwaysfomenting, inciting, hatred, uncontrollable. Israel took it on but left in 2005after we realised that the population was uncontrollable and liable to go on akilling spree of the Jews who lived there. If you remember e left them viable tomatofarms which they promptly burned! Remember I saidthat we have to stop donating to Universities in the USA where the anti-Israel sentimenthas become dangerous, so much so that Jewish students are in danger. WellLeslie and Abigail Wexner, of Victoria’s Secret fame have ceased to donate toHarvard University. It’s a good start! It’s nowlate and even during our delightful supper I could see the orange stripesappear on the television screen giving the list of towns and cities with RedAlerts, missiles in the air on the way to disturb everyone’s sleep. They arestill falling on the destroyed villages of the South, all the way up thecoastal area, including Tel Aviv, again, all the way to Kfar Saba. There have alsobeen a few missiles on Metulla in the North, yes, some Hezb-Allah operativesare trying to open up another front.  We need youto help us fight the inevitable media war. As you well know the world loves anunderdog and although we appear to be Goliath, in fact we are a tiny country,smaller than Wales, smaller than Maine, actually Maine is three times largerthan Israel! Remember my motto? If the media won’t inform us the we must informthe media. Talk to anyone and everyone about Israeli society, about the factthat thanks to Hamas, they not only slaughtered Jews they hold their ownpopulation under an oppressive regime ensuring abject poverty despite thebillions of dollars that pour into Hamas coffers to buy more and more armamentsto use against Israel. Please remember, Hamas = ISIS = Daeesh. You reallyare amazing, each and every one of you. Your support, be it moral, financial,verbal and just sending love, is incredible and know that I don’t take it forgranted. We are in what is turning into a world wide phenomenon, Jew hatred. Ifwe stand up strong, heads held high and respond to lies with truth, we can comeout the other side of this. Sending mylove, to each and every one of you. Thank youSheila  -- If the media does not inform us we must inform the mediaMy Website http://www.theviewfrommyveranda.info/Facebook      Sheila Silver Raviv Involvement   http://www.impact-se.org/