6th of February 2025
Shabbat shalom to one and all!
“The rain will stop, the night will end, the hurt will fade. Hope is never so lost that it can't be found.”
― Ernest Hemingway
I decided to jump right in rather than avoiding the elephant in the room, after all one of my favourite words in the English language is the word mahout or elephant trainer. So, chances are I will upset or offend most people, irrespective of which side of the political scene they choose. I have no intention of talking about other countries or the Trump implications thereof, although I am obviously aware that “the” speech meant different things to different people. I want to address what was said in relation to Israel since, after all, that is within my realm of expertise. Here goes.
I can honestly say that I am not a Trump fan, indeed have major problems with his diction and syntax, the pursed lips, to say nothing of his impetuous, fractious personality, but since I am a logical thinker, I promised myself that I would try to analyse what he said, removing all the extreme rhetoric, what in Hebrew is known as getting down to Tachlis, to the nitty gritty behind the speechifying. Let’s begin with the simple truth; nothing, no conventional thought or plan concerning Gaza has had even one iota of success, indeed all plans led to greater power for Hamas, more wars, more killing, more hatred; someone had to come along with a totally new perspective, a possible solution to the crucible called Gaza.
Instead of thinking like a diplomat or even a politician, Donald Trump thought as a builder/businessman dealing with a crime ridden tenement, which requires flattening and rebuilding, by offering voluntary relocation of Gazans to the most likely candidate country, Egypt. Not permanent, not enforced (?) but to a country that already has nearly 118 million citizens and severe financial problems. If Al Sisi could solve his financial problems by taking in a couple of million Gazans, I’m certain he will. Presumably to spread them about rather than create an enclave to foment more fury and a breeding ground for Hamas. Egypt would not be willing for Hamas or any equivalent to spread their vile dogma of death. Surprisingly, a poll has shown that many young Gazans would jump at the possibility of getting out from under the Hamas regime. Accepting that the idea of Gaza becoming an international playground, a Mini Dubai, is so far fetched that one tends to ignore the possible logic behind the pursed lips. Trump’s plan is not to rebuild Gaza, not to rebuild that seething crucible, but rather to replace it with something better.
The strange thing is that some 15 or more years ago a dear friend (I don’t want to mention his name because I don’t have his permission) put together a plan, with maps and clear explanations, similar in principle to the Trump plan, but doing it from the perspective of a liberal left-wing strategist. It could have given the PA and Gaza a contiguous land, just as they claimed they wanted.
Do you understand what I am saying? Just because you find someone repulsive, their views diametrically opposed to one’s own, does not make anyone right or wrong. I admit that I had a major problem with our own Prime Minister sitting there ……… no I promised myself I would not lower myself into unsavoury comments.
Perhaps the statement that caught my attention most of all and above all others, was the demand that all the hostages be set free without delay. Sadly, even the President of the United States has no control over that one. Each and every one that is set free, the first words out of their mouths are “Everyone must come home, continue to demonstrate, take to the streets”. The men’s stories of being held in cages, of beatings and starvation, of mental and physical cruelty mean that everyone, everyone still alive must be set free before they die. It is known that thus far only those who still look relatively normal have come home, although Keith Segal was clearly very sick and skeletal. The euphoria of coming home kept them on their feet and those observers, those phenomenal girls, young women, they have shown huge courage, incredible loyalty to each other, and have shown their captors that they cannot be beaten down. The video of them dancing at Liri’s 20th birthday party was breathtaking.
One of the first actions of the American administration is to defund UNWRA which as I have been telling you for the last 5 years, is behind the hate teaching of Gazans and Palestinians. UNWRA schools, UNWRA textbooks, led directly to the slaughter of Israelis on the 7th of October 2023. If you think I am exaggerating, please read the reports - https://www.impact-se.org/unrwa/
On the same theme, Israel has reclused itself from the UN Human Rights Council. Hardly surprising since it is the second most corrupt branch of the UN, with Iran on the Women’s Rights Council!!
Douglas Murray made a video recently, yes, I know he makes many but this one caught my imagination more than most. He said that when someone loses a dog or cat, they put posters on every tree and if someone were to tear those posters down it would cause uproar, yet, there are those who tear down posters of hostages, even of those two beautiful gingy babies, and the world is silent! So, it is in many universities yet, incredibly, while the incitement can be traced back to Qatar, the Qataris are the very people who claim to negotiate with the devil for the return of the hostages.
Brendan O’Neill writes for the UK Spectator. His writings are concise, precise and honest. Do read this statement to the world asking why there was no uproar, not just about the treatment of the hostages but the diabolical handover. https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/why-are-the-anti-racists-silent-about-arbel-yehuds-terrible-ordeal/
Recent polls have shown something fascinating. The current government is going down in popularity but not significantly, in my opinion because the opposition cannot get its act together, but if Naftali Bennet comes back into the fray, he could form a strong government with Benny Gantz in second place, the two who could easily unite. Until now the opposition has proven ineffective. However, in the meantime, the highly experienced Mossad chief Dedi Barnea is being pushed out of managing hostage negotiations with the Americans in favour of Ron Dermer. Shin Bet leader Ronen Bar is being “considered” for removal from the hostage release negotiation team and Caroline Glick, the conspiracy theorist, is being appointed to a senior role in the public diplomacy apparatus and taken to Washington. What??? Eylon Levy, who was genius as our spokesman, was thrown out because a certain woman didn’t approve of the fact that he attended a demonstration and in his stead Caroline Glick?
That’s it! I cannot deal with being negative for one more moment. Today we should be given the names of the next hostages to be released and the families prepared.
Yesterday I had cause to go to the beautiful village of Ein Kerem just outside Jerusalem. The drive through the rolling green hills on the way to Ein Kerem was spectacular as the pink and white fluff balls of the almond blossom seem to pop up at the side of the road and surprise me at each turn on the winding back road. The almond blossom stood out, defined by the tree covered hills, each and every tree as far as the eye could see was planted in the hope of making a green and beautiful land. Today I headed in the opposite direction toward Modi’in to meet Ged and Judith Ornstein in BigA Restaurant. We had never met before although friends on Facebook (yes some of us oldies still use Facebook) and we clearly have many interests in common. The meal was delightful and the conversation lively, well worth the drive through the pouring rain and high winds!
Education begins at home. This week we, my siblings and I, lit the memorial candle for the anniversary of my father’s passing. My Father, Jack Silver, was a quiet man, auto-didact, having emigrated to Wales in 1910, following his older brother Ben, determined not to suffer the pogroms of Poland. He was so proud of being British, the bunting would come out at every public holiday and he read the newspaper avidly, having learned to read English. He had been a Yeshiva student until his “relocation”. Why did I mention education starts at home? Because my parents welcomed all comers into our home, but not even that; all four of us have memories of my Dad’s face lighting up every time we walked into the room, even if it was from the kitchen! For me, he was my rock, when my Mummy passed away I was only 17 years old and he had no experience of what to do with a willful teenager, but he did it, he gave me the one thing that made me what I am today, his love. I knew that he absolutely adored me. Simple. Teach love and it snowballs into loving others. Know that we are loved and we learn to love others. Make sure that your face lights up when your children and grandchildren enter the room, no matter how old they are, and you will build amazing human beings.
Mount Hermon is covered in snow and the rest of Israel is finally getting the rainfall we so desperately needed. Zvi has gone to his final rehearsal of his second choir for a performance next week and is really upsetting me since they have asked him to grow a goatee for another performance……. Sorry but I’m not a facial hair person!!
Anyway, it’s time for music to take away the blues and turn us away from politics!
Tamir Grinberg sings the song in all our hearts. Bring You Home. Each of us, all of us, just wait to welcome all our hostages, to bring them home to their families and begin the healing process. https://youtu.be/wOVTFlTkwDs?si=HjDBy7wHVKvibnhI
Our prayers repeat the same words in many forms, many tunes but always the same theme, we pray for peace. Oseh Shalom https://youtu.be/TFwqF2qVU38?si=KA9Ibz_3cq-5BLXx
Nearly Shabbat and almost time to welcome more Israelis home, to go through the emotional wringer of knowing there are still so many more. Never ever give up, always stand tall in your determination to make this world a better place. Just remember, we’ve been here a long long time. We’ve been taken into slavery ( a couple of times!), denied our right to prayer, suffered expulsion, dispossession and banishment and look, we are still here, alive and kicking! We have suffered the stones and arrows of many an overlord, religious and hedonistic, and we always bounce back, we’ll survive this because if you look very carefully, you will notice that all of those who tried to rid the world of Jews, have disappeared into oblivion. Oh yes, they try to raise their ugly heads every so often, but then as the Passover prayer says We are still standing https://youtu.be/Y784Uw96Rbs?si=jUB-VWwuCyQUTxWB
Shabbat Shalom dear friends, Shabbat Shalom from Israel, from Jerusalem, from our heart.
Sheila
Involvement http://www.impact-se.org/
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