19th March 2025
Today is a very important day in history. 80
years ago, on the 19th of March 1945, in the city of Jerusalem, a
boy was born to the Rybak family, to Kalman and Alla Rybak. Their joy was all
encompassing because they were both the sole survivors of the Holocaust, both
families had been slaughtered by the Nazis. Kalman and All’s lives were saved
because they were both in the nascent State of Israel. Zvi’s birth certificate
says he was born in Palestine, although the political term Palestinian had not
yet been created. It says his identity is Palestinian, that Kalman and Alla are
both Palestinian but they would not be recognised as such today. They named him
Zvi which means antelope or deer although Zvi actually turned out to be a lion
fighting for his country, not with a gun but with his words and actions. Happy
birthday my love. I know how worried you are about our beloved country but it
will be alright, after all, this is just a matter of politics!!
I know that you don’t like to hear about the political chaos
that we face, but I promised you honesty and I will always live up to that
promise. Israel is in the midst of a political crisis, one that feels like it’s
tearing the country apart. Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, composed of ultra-right-wing
and ultra-Orthodox parties, (the emphasis on the ultra, not on religiosity) has
pushed through a divisive judicial overhaul that has sparked massive protests.
Tens of thousands of Israelis, from all walks of life, have taken to the
streets, fearing that this reform would undermine the very foundation of Israel’s
democracy. The sense of betrayal is palpable, as citizens watch their
government attempt to weaken the judiciary, while the country’s unity continues
to fracture along ideological lines. At the same time, the violence in the West
Bank and a renewal of the battle with Hamas added to Netanyahu’s legal troubles
and the storm of controversy surrounding his leadership make it feel like
Israel is teetering on the edge of a defining moment in her history.
Gradually Netanyahu is dismissing anyone who disagrees
with him, the latest being Ronen Bar, Head of the Shin Bet and one of the
leaders in the hostage negotiations. To complicate matters even further former
Head of the Shin Bet, Nadav Argaman, has not only stated that Netanyahu
mishandled the lead up to the diabolical Hamas attack on October 7th,
but that he has damning information too. Indeed, many former heads of secret
service departments have come forward. The people, us, people like us, are
furious. We have taken to the streets for two crucial reasons. The release of
the remaining hostages whose lives are hanging by a thread and the
determination of the ordinary people to overthrow this government. Our problem
is that we don’t have a viable opposition.
Roni Alsheikh, former Head of the Israeli Police said -
"Who can be happy to live in a country where everyone who fulfills their
state duty is fired? Who can reconcile themselves to the emergence of a country
where loyalty is to the government and not to the state, to the king and not to
the kingdom?
I hadn’t realised the importance of the British system of
opposition. A shadow cabinet is formed, produces policies and ensures not only opposition
of the current government but policy making for the future. Instead of simply raising
the failures of the current government they produce a solution.
That was not easy. I love this country and there is
so much to love. The people are exceptional; our miluimnikim literally give
their lives for us; our youngsters are brave and willing to defend their
country and the future; ordinary people volunteer in almost every field, ensuring
that the families of those who serve, those who survived and those who fell to
Hamas’s day of slaughter, everything from going to funerals to visiting Shiva
houses to simple things like buying warm jackets so that soldiers will feel the
love. We are an incredible country of great beauty, both physical and
emotional, and we will win through, after all, this isn’t our first round with
fate!!
There were many British citizens either killed
or kidnapped resulting in a damning report of October 7th and Hamas
and the British Parliament produced a
harrowing report of Hamas atrocities
100 Druze religious leaders from Syria came to visit Muafeq Tarif the Druze
leader in Israel and to visit the Tomb of Jethro, their spiritual prophet near
Tiberius. The visit takes place after Israel's Defence Minister promised to
protect the Syrian Druze if they are threatened by the new Syrian government,
and to offer them work in Israel.
My friend Bryan Isaacs came to visit and this is what he
said. “My visit to Israel from March 7-12 felt like many previous visits. No
sign of war, seeming harmony between Jewish and Arab Israelis in Jerusalem
during Ramadan etc. What was noticeable was a sad absence of tourists. The
purpose of my visit was to dedicate an ambulance to Magen David Adom (MDA) in
memory of my beloved wife, Helga z”l. I’ve been a small donor to MDA for over
20 years but the October 7 war prompted me to do something significant. I
persuaded three friends to match my donation and, on March 10, we unveiled 4 ambulances
at the new MDA Blood Center. We were told that this was the largest one-time
donation of ambulances to MDA. This morning’s news is of renewal of the Gaza
war and I fear that these new, shiny ambulances will be called to duty.”
Purim was incredible every town in Israel had parades.
Shushan Purim, which is celebrated in Jerusalem, and all cities surrounding in
a wall. It is a special day when we celebrate the triumph over evil in the
Persian town of Shushan. My grandchildren went to the Shouk, to Mahane Yehuda, in
the evening where thousands and thousands of youngsters from all over Israel
danced and had a ball. Let me explain. When the shops and kiosks of the market
close, their blinds come down and the chairs and tables come out. Mahane Yehuda
becomes a huge music bar! Obviously with food as well, after all, this is
Israel. It is so wonderful to see young Israelis from age 16 to 60 dancing and
laughing as if there is no war, nobody wants to kill us and the time to just
have fun is here.
Since I started this missive with Zvi’s 80th birthday, let me begin
at the beginning. First the dinner part with four March 80 year olds to which
Rachel and Ayala walked in with huge 80 balloons; then lunch in Tel Aviv organised
by Zvi’s boys, with many friends and some I should have invited but I wasn’t
entirely responsible for the list and we ran out of room! Saturday night was the choir Purim Party, not
officially Zvi’s birthday, but great fun and games and fancy dress; Monday and
Zvi’s friends from his mini-mini-parliament came for brunch; Tuesday and the
mini-parliament came for brunch, today, his birthday was mostly spent answering
the phone but after hours of thought I finally managed to persuade him to
accept my idea for his birthday present! It’s impossible to buy something for a
person who believes they have everything despite explaining that to accept is
to give. Anyway, I found the perfect gift!! Next week we are going to hear the
Israeli Opera in La Boheme, surely an opera that one can enjoy no matter how
many times you hear it.
What about Gal Gadot then!! A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!
What was so special is that she honoured her beginnings, “Who would have
thought that a girl from Rosh HaAyin would be standing here today”! She brought
her four children, her husband and sat on the ground touching her well-earned
star. Well done Gal, you didn’t let Hollywood go to your head, you have become one
the greatest proponents for Israel, never fearing to speak out. We love you!
In case you are wondering why I’m writing today and not on Friday;
we are going north tomorrow!! We are travelling with friends, a coach not
private cars, so the element of camaraderie will make the weekend even more
enjoyable. We will visit many historic sites and will have lunch in a Druze
village. It’s impossible not to be moved by the Galil, not just by the beauty
of the landscapes but by the deep emotions that each place stirs. From the
sacred sites to the ancient ruins, every corner of the Galilee holds a piece of
something much larger than yourself. There’s a quiet intensity to this region,
one that invites you to slow down, breathe in the history, and leave with a
sense of connection that’s hard to put into words. Whether Jew or Christian,
Moslem or Bahai, the Galilee isn’t just a place to visit; it’s a place that
touches your soul. The north has suffered horribly from the onslaught of
Hezb-Allah rockets and missiles but nothing can spoil the sheer beauty.
When I think of the Galil I think of the beautiful kibbutzim,
vineyards and the Hula Valley. The pioneers thought that the ecological answer
to malaria and disease was to drain the valley, but then about 50 years ago we
understood that the marshes must return or the huge flocks of White pelicans,
herons, storks and cranes will have nowhere to rest on their migration. Now thousands
upon thousands of birds flock to the valley’s marshes, an incredible sight. I
don’t know if we are stopping there but I can always ask! See for yourselves! https://youtu.be/0SOvmwo3bjY?si=mPCOOSgqbKUN6ngJ
I chose the music carefully, wanting to honour our heroes. Idan Amedi
is from a large and well known Jerusalem family. Idan Amedi is a huge star in
Israel and you probably know him from his role in Fauda. On October the 8th
2023 he, and most of the cast of Fauda, put on his uniform and headed south to
defend this country. Idan a soldier in the Engineers fought bravely until
January 8th when a house was booby trapped and he lost 6 of his men
suffering severe injuries himself. Since that day he has been performing for
injured children and soldiers. He hates to be called a hero but he is https://youtu.be/qQepsm0Rc0U?si=LkryYCxSTmlmLyLu
Ishay Ribo and Omer Adam sing a prayer. I love the words,
their music and the meaning of this song. Listen carefully, the prayer is
there https://youtu.be/PcJ_cXib_TU?si=fnasA52pRafsgHMM
I know That this song is familiar because I have given it to you
before but it seemed the most appropriate for today despite being written and
recorded during Covid by 40 Israeli stars who got together to sing, to give
hope to us all. Katan Aleinu - We Got This. https://youtu.be/lHVAWnCXBkU?si=njqqNKgyjIkCg3f4
I pray that the Red Sea of hate will open and our hostages, those
who have beaten all the odds and still live, those who succumbed to the
atrocities of Hamas and those whose bodies were snatched on Black Saturday,
will come through to freedom.
I pray that the next demonstration will be one of jubilation as the
last men and women come home.
I pray that this Passover the empty chairs at the tables of broken families
will be filled with their loved ones.
I pray that hatred will stop. Enough.
With love
Sheila
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