21st of November 2025
776 days and 3 families still await their loved ones to be returned
home for burial
The great philosopher and anti-war leader Bertrand Russell said "War
was always a great evil, but in some particularly extreme circumstances, it may
be the lesser of two evils."
Shabbat Shalom! I hope you are well. The good news is that I am
writing today and despite appearances there are still good things happening in
this part of the world; on the other hand, I won’t be writing to you for a few
weeks because I am flying to visit my family in the UK and if I am able to get
travel insurance, my family in NYC. Incredibly it is now 6 years since that
ghastly day, after a delightful tour of Jerusalem with friends, we received the
phone call which changed my life; the news that my son Daniel was killed in an
accident in New York. Together with family and friends we are going up to the
grave in far off Westchester on his Yahzeit (anniversary)
So, what’s been happening here in Israel, or what’s been happening
in the White House that affects us in Israel? The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia,
generally called MBS, received a contrite President Trump, as we have never
seen him before. It was strange to see the manner in which MBS was received,
with full pomp and circumstance which has not been afforded to any other visiting
leader! It’s amazing what a promise of $600 billion investment can do,
especially when it then goes up to $1 trillion. I can’t even remember how many
zeros that entails!! I was fascinated by MBS’s body language When the President
spoke of money. He was obviously bothered, because in polite company such
things are not for public consumption. However, when questioned about Khashoggi,
despite the President suggesting it was impolite, he answered saying it was a
mistake that must be rectified. Of course nothing was said about all the other
killings!
However, surprise, surprise, amid talk of Israel–Saudi
normalization, something remarkable has already happened. Rabbi Yaakov
Israel Herzog has become the first Chabad rabbi in modern Saudi history to
open a Chabad House in Riyadh, creating a welcoming home for thousands of
Jewish expatriates working in the Kingdom. It is the first time that any place
of worship other than Islam, was allowed. Chabad is truly amazing, often providing
a home away from home and a source of kosher food and prayer for many.
Iran is now claiming that it hasn't recovered, nuclear
facilities destroyed after trying to incinerate Israel ae no longer viable.
Could it be because there is about to be an IAEA inspection?
Did you know that Gaza has its own water desalination
plants (based on Israeli technology) that serve half of its population? So much
for the constant shout that Israel is denying water into Gaza. And Jordan which
has a major water problem, following the ceasefire with Hamas, is weighing renewing
the project under which Israel and Jordan would fulfil the exchange deal of
desalinated water for solar power.
On November 18, 2025, the UN Security Council adopted a
US-drafted resolution (Resolution 2803) both France and Britain voted to make
Gaza an international protectorate. Yet both countries recently recognised the
sovereign “State of Palestine” which is incompatible with this new resolution.
Ah the joys of diplomacy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_2803
The Israeli government decided that they would not accept Gaza
being administered by the PA, which may seem logical but the problem is that
now we have lost the power to decide who will administrate, who will have
soldiers on the ground and the options are not in our favour. Turkey is
becoming more and more radical and……… well you know what I mean.
On the other hand, the latest Impact-se (www.impact-se.org ) report on the Palestinian
text books is deeply distressing and despite their insistence that they have
improved, they have not. The PA curriculum continues to embed antisemitism at
its core, with textbooks for all grades portraying Jews collectively
as deceitful and corrupt. Across grades, Israelis are presented in grotesquely
dehumanizing and demonic terms, enforcing conspiracy theories. Israel is
compared to serpents, vipers and Satan’s aids, promoting demonic depictions of
Jewish people as a collective. Teacher guides harden the message further,
directing educators to teach that Israeli Jews are “fated to disappear.” You
can see the full report on our website above.
On yet another hand, Eric Adams the outgoing mayor of
NYC is in Israel, and despite the obvious fact that he has nothing to gain by
it, he has declared his loyalty and allegiance to Israel in a visit at the Kotel
OK, so I have almost as many other hands as Tevye in Fiddler on the
Roof but if I don’t jump from subject to subject, I’m going to miss something. This
week, about 130 military officials from around the world have arrived to
get an inside look at the country’s newest battlefield insights from the
2023–2025 Middle East war, in a behind-the-scenes tour of cutting-edge tactics
and tech. The guest list is surprisingly diverse: a big U.S. delegation, plus
officers from Canada, Britain, France, Germany, India, Morocco, Finland,
Greece, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Austria, Estonia, Japan,
Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia. It’s a rare mix of uniforms, accents, and
perspectives—all comparing notes, swapping stories, and seeing firsthand how
Israel adapts on the modern battlefield.
In the Christian world things are not going smoothly. What
on earth is happening to the USA? U.S. District Judge Garcia on Tuesday issued
a preliminary injunction mandating the removal of Ten
Commandments posters from classrooms many Independent School Districts in Texas,
which were named in a lawsuit filed by multifaith and nonreligious families in
September. What on earth can be offensive about the 10 Commandments?
There is one situation where I run out of hands unless it’s to
punish the hooligans, the Jewish terrorists in Yehuda and Shomron. The
situation is close to anarchy and the government doesn't appear able or willing
to do something about it. A very small group of Jewish Israeli youth is going
on rampages against Palestinians and last Tuesday about 100 of the most likely
young thugs attacked the village of Beit Lid near Tulkarem. Some were initially
detained but only one was held for more than a day. I want to see them
locked up as the terrorists they are. Let it be no mistake the vast majority of
Jewish Israelis in the West Bank are law abiding and vehemently condemn
violence against the Palestinian residents.
The debate and knowledge team from Ehad
Ha’Am Middle School in Petah Tikva, competed against 2,500 students from 64
countries at the prestigious World Scholar’s Cup competition held at Yale
University. The competition, all in English, included challenges in debate and
writing. The Israeli team won the gold medal in debate and other academic
areas, and won third place overall as a team.
They won 10 trophies in total!
Today is the Festival of Sigd, the festival of
Ethiopian Jews who celebrate 50 days after Yom Kippur. There are 177,600 people
of Ethiopian descent in Israel, 47% born here, 53% came on Aliya, a tough masa,
a treacherous trek through Sudan. This is a fantastic Aliya primarily because
the Ethiopian Jews prayed for centuries to return to Jerusalem. They have
achieved success on every level.
17 survivors of Hamas captivity went to the White House
to be greeted by President Trump. The gesture is one of warmth from a President
whose disposition is somewhat mercurial, but in terms of the hostages has
remained steadfast.
Rom Braslavski was in Hamas captivity for 738 days. He
suffered the worst of extreme physical and sexual abuse, as did others, and he
feels that they do not receive the help that they deserve and desperately need.
It was not a political statement; it was a cry for help from the overwhelmed
social security and medical world. However, some disgusting people sent abusive
messages because they perceived it as a criticism of the government. How low
can human garbage go?
Alon Ohel dreamed of music and piano while in captivity. Although blinded in
one eye (surgery on his return has saved his sight). This week Alon sat at the
piano in Hostage Square and played for the first time. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRO5hsbiERn/?igsh=MWlvMXp3a2p5OHdscA%3D%3D
And then came Eli Sharabi! Eli Sharabi who lost everything,
his wife and daughters and his brother, to the barbaric actions of Hamas, yet his
dignity and goodness have won through and incredibly, this week, he became a
runway model! Here he is on the runway of Israel’s fashion week https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yo6dZcyCSbo
Melanie Shiraz is Israel’s contestant for Miss World. Melanie
designed her own symbolic dress. Poppies for October 7th, a yellow
shawl for the yellow ribbon and a big Magen David on the front. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRO8oA2kbQv/
I don’t know about you but I am exhausted by the amount of
information I have just crammed into less than 2 pages! I feel that, although
there is lots more news, I should finish on a high, on Eli Sharabi. In fact if
you haven’t already bought his book “Hostage” you really should https://www.amazon.com/Hostage-Eli-Sharabi/dp/0063489791
The song that Alon Ohel played in Hostage Square is exceptionally
beautiful. Called Song without a name Yehudit Ravitz sings https://youtu.be/aK184Uoejgo?si=qRLHxCwFmJlNAXma
Masa, or journey is the song recorded by a choir of young children
of Ethiopian origin about their trek and their dream of Jerusalem. It is the
story of all those who left the hills of Gondor, endured the bandits of Sudan, with the dream of Jerusalem ever on their
minds.
“The moon watching over above, On my back, the meager bag of food
The desert beneath me, no end in front, And my mama promises my little
brothers…
A bit more, a little more, To lift you your legs, A final effort, Before
Jerusalem
The strong moonlight scene, Our bag of food got lost, The never-ending desert,
the howls of jackals
And my mum calms my little brothers…
Another moment, a little more, Soon we will be redeemed, We won’t stop going,
to the land of Israel
And in the night, bandits attacked, With knives and a sharp sword
In the desert, the blood of my mum, the moon my witness and I promise my little
brothers
Just a moment, a little more, The dream will be fulfilled, Soon we will arrive,
to the land of Israel
In the moon, my mama’s image, Looking at me. Mum, don’t disappear from me!
If only she was by my side, she would be able to convince them, that I’m Jewish
A moment more, a little more, The dream will be fulfilled, Soon we will arrive,
to the land of Israel
A moment more, a little more, Lift your legs A final effort, Before Jerusalem.”
https://youtu.be/Jia0eXB1eP0?si=Q964iIWzctWpSL10
Finally, one that you all know. The Shabbat Prayer from Fiddler on
the Roof, after all, I have been “on the other hand-ing” all the way through
this missive. https://youtu.be/LnaZqHy2ZHE?si=1R-0Po__ZLO7zpyR
I wish you a wonderful Shabbat, a warm family orientated weekend.
Sending all my love to each and every one of you. Remember the old adage about
being worst before the dawn? Well I have a feeling that things must get better,
will get better, after all it all depends upon each and every one of us.
Talking of adages do you remember my motto “The Power of One”?
With love from Jerusalem, the glorious place that 500 years of
dispersion and humiliation never halted the Jews of Ethiopia determination to
come home.
Sheila
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