Shalom all,

It’s been a month since I sent out a blog post. Part of the reason is that my wife and I travelled to California to be present for the birth of our first grandson. He managed to make his grand entrance some 3 hours before we landed and the first notice we received after landing was a photo of him. That was a great welcoming message.

Air travel these days to or from Israel has become somewhat of a challenge. The vast multitude of airline companies ceased its “Tel Aviv line” because of the ongoing military conflicts with our immediate and not-too-distant neighbors. The Israeli airlines that remained increased their prices significantly and oftentimes, passengers tried to leave Israel for a short journey to a neighboring country with an Israeli airline and then link up with another airline to continue the trip, and then reversing the situation on the trip back. Making appropriate “connections” often entailed lengthy layovers, requiring overnight accommodations near the airport to return the next day to continue the journey. Our trip to and from California took two days in each direction. Difficult, yes. Worth it, absolutely! To be with son and daughter-in-law and to hold our grandson were unforgettable moments. While there, we were the recipients of the incredible graciousness and hospitality of a couple, who received us and treated us as close family. We were strangers in a foreign land and they made us feel at home. We were truly blessed.

And after our visit, we returned to Israel. It was clear to us that Hezbollah missed us during our time away, so it celebrated our return to Israel with its special brand of fireworks into our neighborhood in the middle of the night and a couple of times during the day. After the first missile barrage, we felt like we truly back home.

It is difficult to explain what a missile and armed drone attack is like to someone who never personally experiences it. Most of the time, although not always, there is an air-raid warning, a piercing alarm that sounds and feels as if it was intended to raise the dead. This lasts for a very short time, theoretically enough time for people in different locations to get to a safer location – a steel-reinforced, concrete room that can be hermetically sealed off from the outside world by a door and a sliding metal window, or an bomb shelter located at the bottom of a building or in a public area. Depending upon one’s physical location, the time to get to a safety zone can be 30, 60 or 90 seconds. Often, before reaching that area, we would hear the “pops” of  missiles or armed drones being shot out of the sky, or an explosion when one of them landed. We’ve had some close enough for the building to shake. A few days ago, a synagogue in Haifa took a direct hit and was demolished, with only some of its outer walls remaining. Its roof and interior were totally destroyed. It is located half a block from where we often shop for groceries. Attached is a photo from the outside of the structure. It was too dark inside to get a clear picture of the destruction, but some of it is visible.

© 20 August, 2024

Our relatives who live in communities north, and along the coast, of Haifa, all the way to Acco (Acre), have been experiencing seemingly endless missile barrages, many with direct or fall-out damage, as well as loss of life.

These barrages have been ongoing and increasing during the last couple of weeks, particularly since efforts were being made to reach a ceasefire agreement regarding the fighting in the north. This is exactly what happened each time we had a military conflict with Hamas (prior to October 7th, 2023). When negotiations were taking place for a cease fire, Hamas would launch as many missiles as it could into the Israeli communities in the south before the agreement would go into effect, only to be breached by Hamas shortly thereafter. As of now, there is a lot of talk, but no visible light at the end of the tunnel. I should say “tunnels”, as they are more plentiful, better constructed and more equipped with military hardware than those in Gaza. It appears that Naim Qassem has stepped up to take the present leadership of Hezbollah – now that Hassan Nasrallah and virtually all of his terrorist hierarchy have been eliminated – and carry out decisions, which are still forthcoming from Iran.

Although it has been reported that Iran is seemingly interested in seeking a cease-fire arrangement that would be advantageous to its Hezbollah proxy, it also gave instructions to its Houthi puppets in Yemen and the militia in Iraq to increase its armed drone attacks upon Israel. The clear goal is to wear us out and to have us respond to a constant flow of missiles and drones, creating a de-facto war of attrition, while at the same time hoping to deplete our supply of defensive weapons and, primarily, the missiles used in the Iron Dome.

While Israel fights for survival on seven fronts, it continues to be fired upon by words and accusations from countries and institutions. Two days ago, on Thursday, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, purportedly for committing war crimes. See here and here. The arrest warrants against them were issued despite Israel’s claim that the ICC has no jurisdiction over Israel, who is not a signatory to the Rome Statute of 2002 and did not join the ICC. Nor did the United States, for that matter. It needs to be pointed out that the arrest warrants have no mechanism for enforcement. The ICC relies on its member states to enforce its decisions. But, while member countries are supposed to comply with the court’s arrest warrants, various legal, political and diplomatic considerations may influence their decisions whether or not to enforce them. Stated differently, a country’s present position vis-a-vis Israel will most likely determine its cooperation or lack of cooperation regarding the arrest warrants and we are beginning to see who are our “fair-weather friends”.

Netanyahu responded to the decision of the ICC saying that the court’s decision was biased and that the court itself became “enemy of humanity”, adding: “This is a moral bankruptcy that undermines the natural right of democracies to defend themselves against murderous terrorism”. In his words, the decision was an “antisemetic step with one goal—to deter me, to deter us—from exercising our right to defend ourselves…Citizens of Israel, no outrageous anti-Israel decision will prevent us—and will not prevent me—from continuing to defend our country in every way.”

Yoav Gallant wrote on “X”: “The decision of the court in The Hague will be remembered forever – it places the State of Israel and the murderous leaders of Hamas in the same row and thus legitimizes the murder of babies, the rape of women and the abduction of the elderly from their beds. The decision sets a dangerous precedent against the right to self-defense and moral warfare and encourages murderous terrorism.

“Gone are the days when we could be denied the right to defend ourselves. The attempt to deny Israel its right to achieve its goals in its just war will fail – the soldiers of the IDF and members of the security forces will continue their action until the abductees are returned, Hamas is dissolved and the residents of Israel are safely returned to their homes.

“Proud of the privilege I was given to lead the security system in the difficult and successful war that was imposed on us – strengthening the security forces, who operate according to law and justice in their missions in the “seven fronts” war – the war that will determine our future in our country for decades to come.”

The United States was quick to respond to the decision of the ICC, with the House of Representatives passing a bill sanctioning the international court. Incoming U.S. Senatte Majority Leader, John Thune, called the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant “outrageous” and “unlawful”, and called on the current Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, to act to bring the Bill before the Senate for passage. Thune added that if Schumer refuses to do so, “[Our] Senate Republican majority next year will. We will stand with Israel and make this and other supportive legislation a top priority in Congress.” Mike Waltz, the incoming Republican Representative of Florida, wrote on “X”: “The ICC has no credibility and these allegations [of war crimes] have been refuted by the US government…Israel has lawfully defended its people [and] borders from genoicidal terrorists. You can expect a strong response to the antisemitic bias of the ICC and UN come January.” The member states and signatories of the Rome Statute, who are supposed to carry out the arrest warrants can be seen here. The present list of countries that WILL comply with the arrest warrants can be seen here .

Interestingly, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Mohammed Deif, the former Hamas military commander and co-planner of the October 7th atrocities, whom Israel said was killed in an air strike in Gaza in July. The ICC is playing politics by issuing a warrant for the arrest of a dead person, clearly a veiled attempt to tacitly admit that there is a reason for the present ongoing war, which was not started by Israel, but which Israel seeks to end once and for all.

As the war with Hezbollah continues, political attempts are being made to bring it to an end. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem, publicly expressed at least two of the demands being made by the terrorist group: (1) a complete cessation of hostilities and (2) preservation of Lebanese sovereignty. Both are reminiscent of the demands of Hamas regarding the Gaza war. The first, from Qassem’s perspective, would obligate Israel to stop all present efforts to defend itself against Hezbollah attacks, while Israel insists on the right to resume fighting, if Hezbollah violates any agreement that is reached. The second, preservation of Lebanese sovereignty, is a fancy way of saying that Israel must completely withdraw from Lebanon, leaving not even an uninhabited buffer zone. While Israel can, technically, agree to a cease-fire (although it would not be in Israel’s best interest to leave Hezbollah as a viable military force) and to withdraw its forces, it would be foolhardy to agree to a condition that prevents Israel from resuming its defensive measures against Hezbollah, if the terrorist organization violates the terms of a cease-fire agreement. If past events are any indication, the signing of an agreement with Hezbollah will be dishonored by it before the ink dries.

Qassem noted that Hezbollah was able to keep Israel fighting a long war of attrition and that the terrorist group was prepared to “pay any price because the price will also rise for the enemy”. He added that the Hezbollah would target Tel Aviv in response to Israeli strikes on Beirut. He made an additional comment, one that is indicative of the mentality of the region:

“When the enemy does not achieve its goals, it means we have won”.This is what is known as “not losing face”.

As for our war against Hamas, we might be closer to reaching an agreement than at any time in the past year. This is because Hamas has, apparently, “given up on its demand that Israel commit to an immediate and permanent ceasefire before freeing hostages” . We can continue to hope that this nightmare for the hostages and their families, which has now lasted for 414 days and has taken the lives of 803 members of the IDF and injured thousands more, will be brought to a close before too much longer.

And one more footnote on the diminishing mentality of world governments regarding Israel: Former Israeli Minister of Justice, Eyelet Shaked, was denied a visa to enter Australia, where she was scheduled to address a conference organized by the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council. The denial was, purportedly, because she might “incite discord in the Australian community or in a segment of that community.” Shaked responded to the rejection, saying that the denial of a visa, which had been granted to her only two years earlier, was politically motivated, due to her opposition to “Palestinian” statehood. She added: “These are dark days for Australian democracy, and this government has chosen the wrong side of history.” Indeed, Australia is not alone in this regard. All we need to do is take a look at the voting record of U.N.A.I. – the United Nations Against Israel – and the democratic countries, purported allies of Israel, who are willing to enforce the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant, that were issued without lawful jurisdiction.

And so the world continues to turn. Unfortunately, it is turning backwards.

Difficult times, indeed. But, when the countries of the world turn against us, may we never lose sight of one basic fact: “The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold.” (Psalm 46:12) So, we should cease striving and know that He is God and that He WILL be exalted among the nations and He will be exalted in the earth (v. 11), even by those who are presently enemies of Israel.

Have a great week and remember: Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin