Day 6

Day 612thOctober 2023 Thismorning I received a WhatsApp from our dear friend Ian in Melbourne Australiasending me an article written by a South African journalist by the name of GarethCliff. The first paragraph goes thus. “I am not a Jew and I’m not a citizen of Israel.I haven’t even visited Israel. I don’t trace my religion back to a holy site inJerusalem and I don’t have a problem with Arabs or Muslims or Christians. I’veread about Abraham, Moses, David and Solomon; the Umayyads, the Abbasids andthe Ottomans; I know about the British, the Balfour declaration, Ben Gurion andGolda Meir. I know a bit about the Six-Day War and the Intifada. I might nothave any personal stake in the Holy Land, but humanity certainly does - and I’ma human being.” Please read on  https://cliffcentral.com/gc-blog/know-thine-enemy/ Yesterday was a somewhat disturbing day for thosewho receive updates from Pikud haOref, the National Emergency Portal, directlyto their telephones. I turned the app off, the constant reports of every singleRed Alert throughout Israel was not good for my emotional. Anyway, as I said itwas a disturbing day when the alerts said that our area had Red Alert but thesirens didn’t sound, it was a failure in the overworked system, we were safe,for now. Much worse was when the entire north of Israel was told to go intotheir safe rooms or shelters because a drone carrying a Hezb-Allah operativehad landed “somewhere” in the North. After 2 hours it was found to be a falsealarm. Of course, it is far better to obey the instructions only to find outthere was no need than to ignore them and find it was real. Most of us watch or watched Fauda and admired theacting of Lior Raz, the main character. Well Lior, in real life, served in theelite unit called Duvdevan, who undertake some of the most important actions inthe IDF, including going under cover, just like his Doron Kavilio. In ourmoment of need Lior immediately volunteered to serve his unit as a reservist onthe Southern Border. He won’t get any special privileges; he goes back to beingpart of his original unit. That’s the spirit, the Ruach, of our incrediblecountry. It is irrelevant whether one is an international star or the roadsweeper we all serve together. Finally, and at last the Emergency Cabinet hasbeen formed. General Benny Gantz, the battle-wise soldier that he is, refusedto give up, kept his cool and is now the adult in the room. I hear the cries of“But he was cheated last time, why is he willing to take that chance again?”The answer is simple, he is the one who is thinking of his country and hissoldiers, not of his personal glory. Anthony Blinken, US Secretary of State just landedin Israel, on his way to Jerusalem andmeetings with the newly formed Cabinet. Tomorrow he will meet with MahmoudAbbas, Abu Mazen, the aging leader of the Palestinian Authority. Hamas is adirect threat to Abu Mazen, to his leadership which is already weakened. PresidentBiden’s message is of absolute support but also that we have to open a humanitarianpassage to the people of Gaza. I understand why. If we continue to cut offsupplies then we will lose popular support as CNN and BBC show pictures ofsuffering little children in the Strip. I have to explain somethingto you. I’m often asked, why exchange the gentle rolling hills and gloriousbeaches of Wales for life in Israel. Well, I’ll tell you.Life here isn’t easy, we aresurrounded by enemies; the sheer intensity of life is draining, everything isextreme, pain, fear, love, anger, politics; rather than watching life go by, Iam part of it, I live it every day, my every move matters, with all the paincomes a sense of belonging, a sense of a greater purpose in life. Yes, I could havechosen an easier path but I cannot imagine living anywhere else  Gareth Cliff ended his writings “I’m afraidthere are only two sides in a war – your allies and your enemies. On September11th 2001, I knew whose side I was on. I feel the same today.”With love from Jerusalem.Sheila N.B. Kfar Aza was one of thecommunities that was devastated, decimated, on Shabbat. I received this fromLeor, Zvi’s son, who is working hard to help those in needKibbutzKfar-Azza is fighting for its life.Athriving community of 1000 people, men and women, was brutally crushed within48 hours.Wholefamilies, parents, bothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, grandfathers andgrandmothers, were murdered in cold blood. Their houses were turned into pilesof earth and ashes, and their lives as they knew them – destroyed. They losttheir homes, their livelihoods and all their property. They lost tens ofneighbors, both relatives and beloved friends, in one of the greatest terroristattacks in history.Thosesaved from the slaughter were trapped for two days under fire until they wererescued with only the clothes on their backs.Itis now time, in these difficult hours, to give a hand and help the familieswith their immediate physical and spiritual needs, and to already begin torebuild their beloved kibbutz.Itwill take time. But this wounded, bleeding community needs help today, now.Pleasehelp us bring life back to our beloved Kfar-Azza.Hereis one way to help: https://giveback.co.il/project/74858Ordirectly to:KibbutzKfar-AzzaBankMizrahi-Tefachot Number 20Branch420Accountnumber 626354 Banktransfers: KibbutzKfar AzzaMizrahiTefahotAccountnumber: 626354Branchnumber: 428IBAN:IL 550204280000000626354Swiftcode: MIZBILITFora tax-refund receipt, please send an email with the details of your donationto: kfar.azza.fund@gmail.com  Forsignificant contributions please contact directly:ChenAmales-Kotler +972 54 779 1001NoaShinar-Ron +972 54 498 9617SagitMor +972 50 821 5018Thankyou for your generosity, your support and your open hearts!TheKfar-Azza Community -- 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/