The 2nd of the 2nd 2024
Shvat 23rd 5784
October the 118th
Shabbat Shalom dear friends, Shabbat Shalom from a very wet, windy
and rainy Jerusalem. Shabbat Shalom from a very busy week in Israel’s life. As
usual I will try to give you a balanced look at our lives, what it means to be
at war with a cruel enemy which hides under the guise of the underdog. It’s a
strange world that we live in where Western politicians understand the situation and the public doesn’t!
I listened in rapt attention to the Congressional Hearing on UNWRA’s role,
particularly UNWRA’s hate teaching and role in the October 7th
massacre. I am so proud of Impact-se and our role in changing the world for the
better but rarely more than at the hearing as our CEO Marcus Sheff, presented the
schoolbooks taught in UNWRA schools and their part in hate teaching. Marcus,
unlike most others, presented with professional sang froid, without drama, the
facts. UNWRA was and is undoubtedly the catalyst for hatred. Of course one can
also quote the horrifying figures of corruption and profligate waste of money
within the organisation, but corruption occurs everywhere, the greatest crime
of UNWRA is promoting hatred of such dimensions that it led to a massacre. For
those with patience, the entire Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee Hearing
on UNWRA. Presenting the UNWRA control of education in Gaza and its effect,
Marcus Sheff, CEO of Impact-se, appears at 1 hour exactly and at 1 hour and 35
minutes. https://www.congress.gov/committees/video/house-foreign-affairs/hsfa00/zkBp1zgggtc
UNHCR the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees, takes care of refugees throughout the world,
refugees whose situation is beyond terrible and they do so with efficiency. Refugee
status in the rest of the world lasts for two years but UNWRA has succeeded in
making refugee status for Palestinians a multi-generational status. UNWRA must
be disbanded and allow UNHCR to take over the position.
Israeli satirical TV show “Eretz Nehederet”
or Wonderful country, did a very funny skit on UNWRA, in English, proving yet
again that Jews have survived every conceivable horror with a sense of humour! https://youtu.be/1RBnP05DGjw?
The war goes on, Hezb-Allah chooses to continue launching missiles at
the almost empty towns, villages and kibbutzim in the north and Britain and the
USA have been joined by many other countries in combatting the Houthis and
their attempted blockage of ships. If ships do not go through the Suez Canal,
Egypt loses essential revenue, so they may well join the fray. It is incredible
how Iran, the master puppeteer is bringing chaos to the world both directly and
indirectly. It is tangible in the Middle East but sadly clear in the West
through demands for Sharia law in societies opposed to changing from open Christian
societies to one governed by an oppressive way of life.
The hostage situation has reached boiling point here in Israel. We are fully
aware of the price paid to release the hostages, both those who survive and
those who do not. We learned a terrifying lesson over the Gilad Shalit case. We
released 1,047 prisoners, many of whom had blood on their hands, for one
soldier. I wanted to see Noam Shalit hug his son but the price was beyond all
logic. Ehud Olmert voted against it but Netanyahu chose, at the last minute, to
include one Yahya (pronounced Yichyeh) Sinwar among the released terrorists
with blood on their hands, his release created a domino effect of terror. Yahya
Sinwar, mastermind of October 7th. It is a dilemma beyond reason but
one shared with the most supportive American President in Israel-USA history.
Yes I know you don’t like the last statement, know that you want to think of
him as a doddery old man but he has been steadfast in his support.
Each and every day, each and every hour, the families of the hostages and the
fallen appear on our television screens. Their stories are part of our lives,
an important part of our lives and despite the known dangers, we want our
hostages home.
The Jerusalem Post reported that Qatar is funding the families of hostages
in their fight to bring their family’s home. It would appear that the Qataris
are playing all sides. https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-784799
I spoke yesterday to a dear friend who visits the wounded soldiers in
hospitals. She told me that the soldiers who are in the convalescent department
of Sheba Hospital do not want to leave hospital. The bond they have formed has
become their lifeline. Only they understand the disruption caused by the
physical and emotional turmoil. Wouldn’t it be amazing if they could live
together, with their families, in a kibbutz-style area, so that they could heal
together, support each other, not break the bond which ties them until their
last day?
Dr Nir Boms is a Middle East analyst and currently serving in the IDF, as he has done
since the beginning of this conflict. It is Nir who introduced me to Impact-se,
for which I will be ever grateful. I have taken the liberty of taking a small
part of his most recent report from the front, because it is of ultimate
importance to understanding this conflict.
“For many years now, the Iranian people have been trying to
demonstrate to the world that they neither support nor condone the policies and
actions of the Islamic regime. In fact, they want nothing to do with the
worldview and sentiments of the revolutionaries who brought the Islamic
revolution to fruition.
The support given to Israel after
the October 7 attacks is yet another clear signal to the world of an enormous
schism between the Iranian people and the Islamic regime of Iran. Iranians wish
nothing to do with the Islamic regime, the revolution that brought it into
existence, nor the mentality of activists who supported it. Similar to the
Islamist regime in Gaza, the Islamic Republic in Teheran has brought nothing
but pain, suffering, and destruction to its people and the region at large.
Iranians have long realized it. The question is – will the free world realize
it as well?”
A very quick roundup of thoughts.
Normalisation with Saudi Arabia, which is closer than you think, is the ultimate defeat
of Iran.
Americans, in our current situation, would have rejected anyone labelled a loser, a
fact we need to learn. It’s time for change.
Yair Lapid is ready to change his former position and join the government on
condition that the extremists are thrown out, in order to prevent the upheaval
of elections.
You will be surprised to hear that there is a great deal of good news too – Besorot Tovot.
Horfeish is a Druze town in
the North of Israel. A wonderful lady called Ibtisam lives there and has a
restaurant which, after October 7th, she made kosher so that all of
those who wish can eat there. A few days ago, a man was sitting in a nearby
coffee shop and noticed a group of soldiers who were not eating. He offered to
buy them food, thinking it was a matter of cost, but they said that they couldn’t
because the food there was not kosher. He immediately called Ibtisam to find
that the restaurant was already closed. “Bring them to me! I’ll open the
restaurant for them” She then began cooking, preparing them a feast, without
charge. It is typical of the Druze community, who have served with great honour
in the IDF too. As a result of their loyalty and bravery, change will be made
in the Basic Law to ensure that they have a place of honour.
Cedrick Garin z”l, a fallen soldier
who came to Israel with his mother from the Philippines some 17 years ago, was
a brave young man who loved Israel. His civil status was uncertain but last
week Interior Minister Moshe Arbel paid a condolence call on Cedrick’s mother
and young wife to inform them that they had both received honorary citizenship
and to thank them for Cedrick’s bravery. Moshe Arbel of the Shas Party, has
proven his humanity time and again. Zvi and our friends Prof. Shimon Shetreet
and Meishi Schreiber went to the Shiva (mourning ) at the Garin family home and
found that there were many, many visitors and each had brought them food along
with their condolences. Prof. Shetreet has done his best to visit as many
families as possible to show compassion and unity with them.
I wish you could
have been a fly on the wall when I went shopping this week in a large local
supermarket. Standing in front of me in the line for the cashier was a Moslem
lady in full, and beautiful, Arab dress. We started chatting, one of my
favourite aspects of shopping, and touched on the current situation. She was
from Abu Ghosh very aware of what is happening, and we helped each other with
loading our goods on to the conveyor belt. As we parted with a huge smile and
thanks, we wished each other peace. She said “Inshallah” and I said “B’ezrat
HaShem” both of us meaning may it be God’s will.
Our daily life continues as usual
with obvious changes. We have not been to the cinema lately, which we have
sworn to change next week. Continuing with normal life in times of chaos is
essential to one’s sanity. Going to courses, meetings, discussions, knitting
hats for soldiers, making sandwiches, working for the better of one’s community
and of course supporting those who need it, to show our enemies that we can
still enjoy life is of ultimate importance.
I finished my 20th hat for soldiers and decided that I would do for the family as
well! I find it so relaxing to sit and knit. It means I don’t have to think
about the war, about anything in fact. The pattern is so simple that I can
watch the news and still continue knitting!
When our conversation is over, Zvi will go to his
parliament in the botanical gardens, a sad parliament because we lost one of
our most loved members, Eli BenTovim z”l this week and I will head off to Rachel to see
the children too. Zvi will then go to get Gili, Ori and Yuval and bring them to
our home for Shabbat while their parents take a well deserved break to celebrate
20 year since they met. I have already made most of the food including Ori’s
favourite crepes with maple syrup for dessert! I’m just about to prepare the
crust for the pizzas and make the lasagne, not the usual Shabbat dinner but the
one they requested. Tomorrow will be much more traditional and if the rain will
just stop for an hour, we will go off to the nature reserve to check out the
wild flower situation!!
And so to music.
Yachad is a song about opening our hearts to love and
peace. https://youtu.be/S_Jmyu6MQHc?si=zx0PpbdgnfymW1Bb
Brothers in Arms
was written many years ago by a British Jew, Mark Knopfler, and it is said he
wrote it to honour the IDF. I don’t know if it is true but this song, in my
mind, does just that. These mist covered mountains, Are a home now for me,
But my home is the lowlands, And always will be
Someday you'll return to Your valleys and your farms,
And you'll no longer burn to be
Brothers in arms
https://youtu.be/p_zfB4zV3nY?si=3PfANg6HZPtuW8Cf
Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu – Peace will be upon us- a prayer
and a song. https://youtu.be/VcdCidGNaYo?si=iRHIdgoyxrWcqPSC
I wish you a peaceful Shabbat a weekend of kindness,
of good new and of good health. We can only control our own tiny part of the
world but as I always say “The Power of One” can change our world and
ultimately the whole world. Bringing love may be a banal statement but its
power is infinite.
Shabbat Shalom from beautiful Jerusalem, to you all,
my friends. Please write and tell me how you spend your weekend. I love hearing
from you
Sheila
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