There is a desparate attempt on the part of the leaders of the Hamas terrorist organization to convince the world that the last five weeks of Friday protests are non-violent. The leftist media, who cover their ears, eyes and mouths when it comes to facing pure evil, are an encouragement to Hamas, whose immediate war with Israel is a war for world opinion. Hamas places civilians in the line of fire, in order to protect the terrorists who are hiding in their midst. The resultant injuries and deaths are then paraded before the cameras for the world to see. Sympathy naturally leans in favor of the civilians victims. But, their deaths and injuries need to be placed at the feet of Hamas, not at Israel. The best defense in this type of war is truth, but only if people are willing to accept it.

What the liberal, media moguls tend to gloss over is that the purpose of the so-called protest “march” is to “return”. From the “Palestinian” perspective, “return” means to cause all of the land of Israel to “return” to them. Stated differently, their goal is to eliminate the State of Israel. With that understanding, the protest marches can be seen for what they really are – violent and becoming more violent with each passing week. Interspersed with the civilian protesters are Hamas militants, who use guns, bombs, rocks, sling shots, burning tires, molotov cocktails and, most recently, they added kite bombs, which were sent over the Israel-Gaza fence in an effort to set fire to fields and local communities on the Israeli side of the fence. So much for peaceful demonstrations. Israel has no choice but to keep the border intact and prevent infiltration by Hamas terrorists. 

Of course, the big complaint is that Israel is over-reacting and that its response is disproportionate to the actions of Hamas and those pressing closer to the fence. If the threat of breaching the border increases, the response to it will increase as well. And it must be so. But, maybe it is much ado about nothing. After all, the March of Return is supposed to be peaceful, according to those who want to take over all of Israeli territory and force the Jewish people into the sea. The weapons used by Hamas are not really guns with bullets that kill, but plastic. The rocks are only paper mache. The fire bombs are only flashing electric lights. The kites do not carry real explosives, but only confetti. And the moon really is made of swiss cheese.

We will be condemned by the international community, not because we act to protect our country and our citizens, but because we continue to exist. Siding with Israel means to incur the anger of the Muslim world. So, however we respond, it will be considered to be too much, inappropriate and disproportionate. The U.N. will also condemn us. Oh, my goodness, the U.N. Of all the organizations of the world. Yes, the united nincompoops of the world will sit in judgment of Israel, the only genuine democracy in the Middle East, while democratic regimes all over Europe are endangered by the increasing influence of Islam. There are none so blind as those who will not see. 

Perhaps a succinct analysis of the situation was best expressed by Hillel Neuer of UN Watch, who made the following remark to an Israeli-born Hollywood personality who has recently generated much controversy in the media: “If 30,000 rioters were at your borders; approaching your family in Los Feliz, and they were orchestrated by a terror group that advocates the murder of all Jews, I believe you would ‘in good conscience’ support officers doing their best to protect you.” 

Along these lines, brief mention should be made of the 29th Arab Summit that took place in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, two weeks ago on April 15th. This year’s gathering was labeled named “Al-Quds Summit” (i.e., “the Holy”, the nickname for Jerusalem in Arabic). Among the many decisions that were made intended to affirm “the importance of promoting Arab joint action to address challenges facing the nation” was the following: “We reaffirm that the Palestine Cause is the entire Arab nation’s main priority, stressing the Arab identity of occupied East Al-Quds as the capital of the State of Palestine.” Note that the use of “the ‘Palestine’ Cause”, as opposed to the “Palestinian” cause is a subtle shift in terminology. At first blush, it would appear to reflect an intention to focus on territorial “return”, as opposed to the establishment of another Arab state. But, other decisions of the Arab Summit continue the “Palestinian” narrative and the demand for a separate “Palestinian” state, while condemning the decision of the United States to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. It would seem wise to see whether the use of the expression “the ‘Palestine’ Cause” will continue to be used, together with the call for a “Palestinian” state. What is interesting to note is that the Arab Summit ignored the weekly so-called “protests” along the Gaza fence, leaving Hamas and its actions outside the consideration of most of the Arab states.

Hamas, in turn, realizes that its actions must remain in the headlines. It also recognizes that the only way for that goal to be achieved is through violence. As such, the March of Return cannot be non-violent. It would go contrary to the grain of the “Palestinian” charter and Hamas’s glorification of martyrdom. Even if the Gazan citizens wanted to demonstrate peacefully, the likelihood that Hamas would allow them to do so would be a non-starter. They can never take over the land of Israel by peaceful protests. Their strategy includes, among other things, that Israel must be provoked into action and that there must be innocent victims. Otherwise, Hamas’s efforts would be of no avail. The leaders of the organization would “lose face”. In this part of the world, losing face would be the beginning of the end of their influence in Gaza – a situation that they would make every effort to prevent, short of putting themselves on the front lines where they, themselves, could be injured or killed. If we think about it for a moment, we would naturally ask: Why should they be worried about potential harm to themselves, if their March of Return is really peaceful? Maybe it’s because their leaders think that martyrdom is for “the other guy”, not for those who direct them to become martyrs.

And so, Israel prepares for another round of “peaceful violence”, which will increase in intensity each week, as we draw closer to Nakba Day, which some Arabs refer to as the Day of Catastrophe, the day when Israel declared its independence, usually remembered on the 15th of May. The confrontations will only get worse.

National Celebration One Week – National Tragedy the Next

The joys of Israel’s 70th Independence Day celebration turned to mourning and shock, as only one week later, 10 teenagers met their deaths in a flash flood during a hike in the Judean Desert, near the Dead Sea. Tears of joy from the week before turned into tears of sorrow. The teens were all high-school seniors, who were on a trip to the Arava Desert, as part of a pre-military preparatory program. While hiking in what is usually a dry river bed, they were caught up in a flash flood, which resulted from the heavy rains that have fallen on Israel late in the season. There was considerable concern over the cold and wet weather conditions, as both meterologists and the police cautioned against going on the trip. One of the nine girls who was killed texted some of her friends a few hours earlier, saying: “This is tempting fate. We will die. I’m serious. I can’t believe that I’m actually going on a trip in this weather. It makes no sense for us to go to a place where everything is flooded.” Words fail in the face of such a tragedy and only memories remain, until they begin to fade. The pain of sudden, unexpected loss, leaves one almost numb. But, the tears will continue. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. If so, then 10 pictures should tell the story.  

                     Photo appearing in Jerusalem Online, 27 April 2018. http://www.jerusalemonline.com

“There’ll be a time I hear tell

When all will be well

When God and man will be reconciled

But until men lose their chains

And righteousness reigns

Lord, protect my child.”

From “Lord Protect My Child” (Words by Bob Dylan [1963])

“‘Comfort, O comfort My people’, says your God.” (Isaiah 40).

“[God] comforts us in all our affliction, so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Cor. 1:4)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.

(Psalm 30:5)

Sunset to Sunset – Turning National Sorrow to National Joy

How can a person go from shedding tears of sorrow one moment to tears of joy the next? By being present in Israel as the sun sets on the day when we remember those who gave their lives in the defense of this country, so that we, who are alive, could celebrate the remembrance of the day that we became a nation. At sundown on April 17 (which is the beginning of the next day, April 18th), we remembered those who fell in our wars and those who were killed by terrorist acts. It is always a difficult time, as Israeli media tells and re-tells the stories of our sons and daughters, who fell victim to a bullet, a bomb or a missile, a stabbing or a car-ramming. A day or two later, many would share how they were glued to the television, with an never-ending stream of tears, riveted to the stories that were told and pictures that were shown throughout the day and night of those who hugged and kissed, who sang and laughed, who played and who fought, but who now are gone, most of whom were cut off at an age at which they were supposed to begin to enjoy life. 

But, in addition to the multitude of Hebrew-language stories, the mothers of two American-born IDF soldiers participated in an English-language Memorial Day ceremony in Jerusalem. One of the “lone soldiers” who was killed in the battle of Shejaiya, during the 2014 Gaza War and whose funeral I attended was Nissim Sean Carmeli. His funeral was one of the most moving events of my life and demonstrated the attitude and respect that Israelis have for those who leave family and friends to live and fight, side by side, with those who are willing to defend Israel and to pay the highest price in doing so.

Now, almost four years later, as the sun began to set on the Day of Remembrance, the national mood underwent a subtle change. There was a growing expectation of celebration, of joy that is just around the corner, waiting only for the sun to settle just below the horizon. The country prepared well in advance for the events marking the 70th anniversary of its independence. Switching gears as a nation when evening descended on our national day of mourning to fireworks and celebrations all over the country is no small feat. Those who lost father or mother, son or daughter, brother or sister, husband or wife, or a friend in one of our many wars, or as a result of one or more of the multitude of terrorist acts perpetrated upon us during our short period of existence, do not put aside their remembrance of their loved ones just because the clock says it is time to celebrate. For some, the tragedy continues year to year, month to month, day to day and almost every waking hour. Eli Ben Shem, the Chairman of the Yad Labanim (Memorial to the Sons) organization, who lost his son 21 years ago in what has come to be known as “the helicopter disaster”, expressed it this way during the 66th Independence Day celebrations: “Like many other bereaved parents, I live under two clocks that measure time differently. One tracks the time of the living; the hands of the other one stand still at the point our son was killed…Bereaved parents, the ones who carry two clocks, fight constantly not to forget. The fear of, God forbid, waking up one morning and forgetting our child makes us alert and precise…Today, we give up the memorial clock we carry every day for a short while. We don’t need memorial days. As the cliché says – for us, every day is a memorial day. Today, the State of Israel takes the mourning upon itself. Everyone comforts. Everyone seeks comfort. Without a drop of cynicism. The show of solidarity comes from an honest place, not moralizing or self-righteous. The acknowledgment that we paid the price of living in an independent country with our children’s blood does not leave a single heart indifferent or eye dry.”

Hollywood can’t compare to real life. Every year, we see, hear or read stories about those who were killed and who were added to the growing list of those who have left this world before their time. This year, the number of fallen soldiers grew to 23,645, while the number of terror victims grew to 3,134. These figures may not seem to be large to those who live in countries with tens of millions of people. But, in Israel, every loss is like losing a member of the family and every effort is made to go behind the numbers and show the victims as individuals. The tears that flow from these stories can fill the Sea of Galilee! They touch the lives of families in every strata of society. These are the true “reality” shows that make an impact on our hearts, our minds and our memories. We don’t need a history class to remind us of national tragedies, or of attempts to destroy us as a people throughout our Biblical, and more modern, history. We need a release from the tears of the past. So, it is no major surprise that Memorial Day is followed immediately by Independence Day, a time to celebrate new life – as a people, as a nation, as families and as individuals.

Celebrating life is part of our national DNA. We lift a glass and toast “L’chaim” – “to life”. It is part and parcel of our national resiliency. It causes us to try to turn sorrow into joy and crying into laughter. It enables us to look with anticipation to the future and not to dwell on the problems of the past. It is engrained in the attitude that allows us to keep going forward and to see the good even in a bad situation. It appropriates the understanding that a cheerful heart is good medicine (Proverbs 17:22) and we try to cultivate a sense of humor even in the worst of circumstances. So, when we have an opportunity to celebrate, we take it seriously.

The official ceremony that was held last week on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem was a technological extravaganza, interspersed with a few speeches, songs and dances, among other things. The mood was one of true celebration, of thanksgiving, praise and appreciation of all those who labored to turn the desert of this ancient land green, to drain swamps and turn them into agricultural cooperatives, to build cities, to create a strong, economic infrastructure and to develop dynamic and innovative technology that benefits the world – even our enemies use devices developed by Israel. Celebrations continued throughout the night and the following day, with spectacular events, including some that were put on by the Israeli Air Force.

As was expected, there were some who tried to steal the joys of the day and who intended to carry out terrorist attacks. Israeli Police prevented a knife attack and just before the beginning of the Independence Day celebrations, security forces arrested a “Palestinian” at a checkpoint, after finding what was described as a “powerful explosive device” in his vehicle, which took a long time to defuse. The explosions that we experienced were those of controlled fireworks that lit up the night sky. The explosions that our enemies planned for us were defused. 

Many try to “mystify” the fact that this year was Israel’s 70th year of existence. Much can be said about 70 years from a Biblical perspective. Maybe that should be discussed. But for now, I just want to be thankful that God has brought me home to Israel. There really is no place in the world like it and there aren’t enough words that can adequately describe it.

And then there is Iran.

Nothing new about the Iranian threats against Israel. We’ve adjusted to them, even to those that overshadowed our Independence Day celebrations. But, they turned out to be clouds without water. There is no doubt that the constant rhetoric and increasing severity of the threats will, of necessity, generate genuine conflict with the descendants of our Persian enemies. But, that was not to be during the time of Israel’s joyful celebrations accompanying last week’s events.

We’ve been through a lot over the past 70 years. Wars and threats of more wars have filled the pages of our tabloids and airwaves. It is an annoying reality, one that accompanies our daily existence. Much as we try not to talk about it, Israel lives and amazingly functions to rise above the ongoing threats to our existence. We are all aware of the realities. We don’t ignore them, but face them head on. Against the backdrop of Iran’s threats against us, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during his Memorial Day speech, one day before Independence Day, “Anyone who raises a hand against us won’t be spared.”  Maybe Iran was listening and taking note. But, if it didn’t, God stepped in and gave Iran a direct reminder that Israel has a Friend in the highest of places. In the midst of Iran’s increased threats against Israel, Iran experienced a major sandstorm that blanketed an entire province in the heart of Iran last week. It was also hit with a severe earthquake that registered 5.9 on the Richter Scale a few miles from its only operating nuclear power plant, at a time when Israelis were celebrating the 70th anniversary of our independence as a nation. May Israel remember always, that He Who shakes the mountains and the earth has also inscribed us on the palms of His hands.

“[He] who touches you touches the apple of His eye (Zechariah 2:8).”

“Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored; Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish…Those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent.” (Isaiah 41:11-12)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

The Blame Game

A coalition of armed forces from the U.S., England and France, launched precision, military strikes in Syria, after they alleged that the regime of Syria dictator, Bashar al-Assad, used chemical weapons containing chlorine gas against citizens and insurgents during an attack in the country a week ago. The chemical attack, which killed 40 and injured some 500 people, mostly women and children, occurred in Douma, located about 10 miles east of Damascus. According to U.S. Secretary of Defense, James Mattis, no follow-up attacks are presently planned, as long as Assad doesn’t repeat his use of chemical weapons.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Marine General Joseph Dunford said  that the coordinated strike targeted three main chemical weapons facilities, which were hit by missiles from both the sea and aircraft. Syrian officials claim that Syrian air defenses downed one-third of the missiles, later changing it to about two-thirds. Russia said that all of the missiles aimed at four key Syrian air bases were shot down. The Syrian government said that they had a heads-up from Russia and the targeted sites were evacuated days before the strike.

According to French President, Emmanuel Macron, the goal of the military operation was to target Syria’s “clandestine chemical arsenal”. British Prime Minister, Theresa May, said that she “authorized British armed forces to conduct coordinated and targeted strikes to degrade the Syrian Regime’s chemical weapons capability and deter their use.” In his statement to the nation, President Trump said: “The purpose of our actions tonight is to establish a strong deterrent against the production, spread and use of chemical weapons…. The evil and the despicable [chemical] attack left mothers and fathers, infants and children, thrashing in pain and gasping for air. These are not the actions of a man; they are crimes of a monster instead.” While condemning Russia and Iran for their continued support of the Assad regime, Trump added, “The nations of the world can be judged by the friends that they keep [and that] Russia must decide if it will continue down this dark path or continue with civilized nations.” 

Russia, who was not notified about the coordinated, planned strike, said that such action was an insult against Russian President, Vladimir Putin, and that there would be consequences. Putin denounced the strike as an “act of aggression” that will make the humanitarian crisis in Syria much worse. But, he added that “Russia in the most serious way condemns the attack on Syria where Russian military servicemen help the legitimate government to fight terrorism”. What an incredible statement of support of a government that uses chemical weapons to control any opposition to its oppressive rule. Adding to the fake news that has permeated the media of late, Putin stated that the alleged chemical attack in Douma, which prompted the coordinated strike on Syria, was false and that the Russian military experts found no trace of chemical residue in Douma.

Russia called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council, while at the same time saying that it would consider supplying Syria and “other countries” with S-300 surface-to-air defense missile systems.

And where are the Syrians in all of this? After the attack on the chemical weapons factories and airfields, the Syrians who support Assad took to the streets of Damascus and protested against the military strike, waving flags of Syria, Iran and Russia, calling out: “Oh Trump you are a monkey. Oh Trump you are an animal”. Assad contacted his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, and told him that the strikes only increased Syria’s resolve to “fight and crush terrorism in every inch” of the country. Rouhani, for his part, told Assad that Iran would continue to stand by Syria.

As for Israel, it believes that the US-led strikes against Syrian targets were justified, because of the “murderous actions” of Assad’s government. Yoav Galant, a member of the Security Cabinet and a former IDF General, tweeted: “The use of chemical weapons crosses a red line that humanity can no longer tolerate.” Israel has been accused of being responsible for an attack upon an Iranian drone base in Syria, which killed 14 military personnel, half of them Iranians.

Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of the Hezbollah in Lebanon, stated in a televised speech (he doesn’t show himself in public for fear of being assassinated) following the attack upon the Iranian base in Syria, that they (Israel) “have committed a great folly and have put themselves into a direct fight with Iran.” Tehran blames Israel for the attack on the Iranian base. Deputy Hezbollah leader, Sheikh Naim Qassem, said the air strike against the Iranian drone base constituted an assault “on both Syria and Iran that has consequences which I do not know the limit of now.”

What’s the result of the US-led strikes against Syrian targets? Each side claims what it wants to believe is the correct result. Syria, Lebanon, Iran and Russia all believe that the consolidated attack failed to accomplish its purpose. The countries that were part of the military coalition and Israel all claim that the attack was a warning against further use of chemical weapons and that it severely weakened Assad’s ability to access those weapons.

In reality, however, almost nothing has changed. There has been some damage to facilities in Syria, but Assad remains in power. True, the military strike was not intended to interfere with the 7-year civil war, which continues. But, Assad has scientists and chemists at his disposal who are experts at making chemical weapons. If one chemical factory was destroyed, another can easily be built to replace it and Assad can quickly replenish its stocks. It is doubtful that Assad will be deterred from using chemical weapons again in the near future. Despite a September 2013 agreement between Russia and the Obama administration for Moscow to remove chemical weapons stockpiles out of the Assad regime’s control, over 50 reportrs of deadly attacks using chemical weapons were reported in Syria during 2016 and the first 3 months of this year. As long as the continuation of Assad’s regime is not seriously threatened, he will continue to do what he wants, particularly as long as he has the backing of Shiite Iran and, more particularly, the backing of Russia. If the coalition forces limited their attack to very specific chemical weapons plants, it could well be because they did not want to act in such a way that would necessitate Russia’s active military involvement against the allied forces. The major players in the Syrian theatre today are the two superpowers, the U.S. and Russia. All the rest are pawns!

A note about absurdity: Despite its use of chemical weapons, Syria has been appointed to preside of the U.N.’s annual Conference on Disarmament to take place in Geneva. Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of the NGO UN Watch, said this past Monday: “Having the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad preside over global chemical and nuclear weapons disarmament will be like putting a serial rapist in charge of a women’s shelter.” He urged the U.S. and the E.U., along with other democracies, to walk out of Conference during the four weeks that the Syrian representative serves as the Conference president.

The March of Return Campaign in Gaza

With the war in Syria now in its 7th year, and despite the regular use of chemical weapons against the insurgents and the civilian population in Syria, the focus of world attention remains on the events between the so-called “Palestinians” in Gaza and the Hamas-organized “March of Return” and Israel’s response to it.

We should not be deceived by the claim of the Hamas terror organization that the March of Return is just a series of peaceful demonstrations. Yesterday (Friday) marked the third week of demonstrations at the fence separating Gaza from Israeli settlements in the south. As with the first two weeks, violence was part and parcel of these alleged “peaceful protests”, the goal of which was clearly expressed by Hamas spokesman, Hazem Qassem, prior to the demonstrations of last week, who said that the “struggle [will continue] until they [the “Palestinians”] achieve their freedom and restore all their lands”, adding that their “right to all of the soil of ‘Palestine’ was absolute and clear” – a statement without historical or legal foundation. These protests are disguised violent, terrorist demonstrations, during the course of which some terrorists tried to breach the fence and were shot and killed or wounded by the Israel Defense Forces.

Realistically, the leadership of Hamas does not expect that it will be able successfully breach the fence and march towards Jerusalem. But, each week that its actions continue brings with it a degree of psychological success from an international media point of view. Hamas uses civilians in its protests, with armed terrorists in its midst. The terrorists stir up the crowd and urge them on towards the fence. They burn tires to provide cover for Hamas terrorists to cross over the fence and try to kill Israelis. The demonstrators hurl stones, or fire bombs, or shoot at the Israeli soldiers, who defend the border area, with resultant deaths or injuries on the “Palestinian” side. The international, leftist media eats this up, resulting in widescale condemnation of Israel for acting militarily against what the media hypes as “peaceful demonstrations”. Hamas, who had been sidelined in the media for an extended period, is now flexing its muscles and trying to take advantage of the renewed media interest in Gaza and the “Palestinians”. By re-focusing attention on the Israeli-“Palestinian” conflict, the leadership of Hamas is making every effort to divert attention from the multitude of internal problems that it is now facing (massive unemployment by its population, energy crisis, decreasing finances and split with the “Palestinian” Authority based in Samaria, among others). The easiest way to avoid being the focus of these problems is to draw Israel into another media fiasco.

However, what the media fails to understand is that the Gaza Strip is a powder keg with a short fuse attached to it, which could blow up with the smallest spark. But, if the situation in Gaza erupts into another war, the participants will include our neighbors in Syria and Lebanon, along with other players in the region. All of the sides recognize that the next Middle East War will be a mess and include many players and no one is looking to cause it to explode at this time – no one, that is, except Iran, whose war rhetoric is reaching the point of no return. All the while, Hamas is building up its militia and preparing for another military conflict with Israel. And the border protests are just what the “Palestinian” doctor has ordered.

The success in garnering international media attention once again is the shot in the arm that the Hamas leadership was looking for. It was more psychologial than military. It brought about the need for widepsread deployment of Israeli troops along the Gaza border, forcing it to confront a multitude of civilians, some of which were casualties in the anything-other-than-peaceful-demonstrations by the “Palestinians” along the border fence for the past three Fridays, including today. And, public opinion, particularly those abroad, who are influenced by the media, naturally leans in favor of civilians, as opposed to a strong military force.

While the protests usually are set to take place on Fridays, there will be additional protests on Tuesday, April 17th, to mark Prisoners’ Day, and again on May 15th, which coincides with Israel’s 70th anniversary of its Day of Independence, referred to by “Palestinians” as “Nakba” or day of catastrophe. It will also coincide with the planned move of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This will be followed by the Moslem month of Ramadan and is expected to be accompanied by violent protests during this entire period.

During Hamas’s recent campaign during the past three Fridays, Israeli Arab members of Knesset, most notably Ahmad Tibi and Hanan Zouabi, have been urging Arabs in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah and elsewhere, to participate in mass violent protests in those areas, in acts of solidarity with the Gaza demonstrators. If Hamas does not succeed in mobilizing support in the above cities, as well as in other, Arab-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria, it will not be able to achieve its goals and will suffer yet another, humiliating defeat at the hands of Israel. Hamas has its work cut out for it. Ever since the Hamas takeover of Gaza in 2007, residents in those areas have taken on the posture of being bystanders, rather than active participants in acts against Israel. The previous “successes” that had been achieved during and following the intifada of 1987 and the ongoing terrorism since then that continued into the early years of 2000, was due, in large measure, to the fact that both areas, Gaza on the one hand and Judea and Samaria on the other, rose up in terrorism and violence at the same time. That “cooperation” ceased when Hamas took over the rule in Gaza in 2007. The same is true in recent years with “lone intifada” actions, which were committed primarily by residents of Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, while Hamas and Gaza remained out of the picture. Much of this is due to the political divisions that have prevented the “Palestinians” from acting in unity. May it be that their divisions will remain and not be resolved and that the Gazan demonstrations will fail for lack of participants.

The “Palestinians” want for all of the refugees who voluntarily left Israel prior to the beginning of the War of Independence, and all of their descendants, who today number in the millions, to be able to return to Israel. This would be accompanied by their demand for soveriegnty over East Jerusalem, the “Old City’, Judea and Samaria, and Gaza. No Israeli government in its right mind would allow such demands to be met, as it would result in Jews in Israel becoming a minority and Israel and Israel then being democratically voted out of existence by its Arab population. Whatever “successes” Hamas may ultimately achieve with its March of Return, they will not include the ultimate goal of returning over 5 million descendants of Arabs who left Israel prior to the War of Independence. God promises to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob a people and a land. The enemy of our souls says he will kill our people and take our land. Who do you think has the final word here?

An interesting side-note on the burning of tires by the “Palestinians”, which created a health and ecological hazard. Muhammad Hamdan, a spokesman for the “Palestinian” Authority Transportation Ministry, stated that “We have been informed by the Israeli side that imports of tires have been halted until further notice, [adding] There is no doubt stopping tire imports will have a negative effect on “Palestinians” in Gaza especially considering there is shortage of them there.” Hamdan said:“We are going to exert all efforts so that Israel reverses its decision.” Some things are so outrageously ridiculous that to comment on them will only detract from the laughter.

Holocaust Remembrance Day

I usually have comments about this particular day of the year, which is always a difficult time for me. This year, my daughter, Hannah (Hanni), wrote a brief blog about it and I respectfully refer you to it. https://asweetsavor.wordpress.com/2018/04/11/and-the-world-remains-silent/

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

Have a simply great week. Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

It’s Been 100 Days

It is hard to believe that only 100 days ago, Jerusalem was recognized as the capital of Israel by American President, Donald Trump. It was an historic declaration that that gave recognition to reality and shook up the international political arena. The announcement rattled the foundations of anti-Israel countries and organizations and created a rift in the long-standing agenda of the “united” nations, whose reactions to Trump’s announcement reflected their collective disappointment that their plan to dissect Israel would be further delayed. Yet, a few rays of light shone through the darkness, as a handful of countries praised the recognition of Israel’s eternal capital and even decided to do likewise.

The “Palestinian” Authority, an organization that came into being in the 1960s, with whom we are supposed to make peace, considered President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital as sounding the death-knell of what was already the dead “peace process”. Trump, in essence, replied to the “Palestinian’s” intransigence to peace as “their loss”.

Let’s think about this for a moment. For dozens of years, Israel is being asked to make peace with a terrorist “organization”, which seeks its destruction, so that this “organization” can set up an independent, enemy country in the midst of Israel. What normal country in the world would do that? This question presumes that countries act normally. But, in asking the question, I momentariy forgot that when it comes to Israel, the vast majority of the countries of the world act irrationally. Returning to reality – this terrorist organization has been recognized by a multitude of countries around the world, many of whom have already set up embassies in East Jerusalem and are chomping at the bit in anticipation of adding yet another entity to the list of nations that seek to undo the recognition of Israel as the only democratic country in the Middle East. Israel, on the other hand, has learned the lesson that most countries still refuse to learn: When our enemy says that it plans to kill us and remove us from the map (which removal has already taken place in the education system in the “Palestinian” Authority), we take its words seriously. The world forgets the basic lessons that our school children learn each day: first taught, then tested. We have constant reminders that our enemies are intent on carrying out what they say they will do.

Only yesterday, before the entry of the Sabbath, in a vehicle-ramming incident, killed an IDF Officer and another soldier, and wounded two other people, one of whom seriously. Hamas, the terrorist faction of the PLO, openly welcomed the attack, stating, “The attack in Jenin comes 100 days after Trump’s decision and makes it clear that our people’s intifada for Jerusalem is continuing.” In an attempt to clarify its position, Hamas added, “The protest against the decision and against the occupation is not a wave of anger, but an ongoing matter until full freedom is achieved for our people.”

Commenting on the attack, Israeli Defense Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said following the attack. “We will act to sentence the terrorist to death, to demolish his house and to punish anyone who was involved. There’s no ‘lone terrorism.’ It’s terrorism that is supported by Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas] and the Palestinian Authority, which pays money to the families of the terrorists.”

In recent days, we’ve seen a number of incidents that reveal the serious rift existing between the political parties that vie for the leadership of the “Palestinian” Authority. It seems that the only thing they can agree upon is that they both hate Israel and seek to abide by the original charter of the PLO that calls for the destruction of Israel.

The Disaster of the Oslo Accords – Israel’s Biggest Political Blunder

It is almost a quarter of a century since Israel signed onto what has been referred to as the “Oslo Accords”. From day one, I had referred to that agreement as the “Oslo Disaster”, but hardened peaceniks kept saying “we need to give it time”. Time is an illusion that is believed to make everything work out well. But, for Israel, the past twenty-five year has been a nightmare, internally and internationally.

The constant yearning of Israel to live in peace with its neighbors gave rise to one of the biggest political blunders in its short history, resulting in serious ideological divisions and a de-stabilized political system – not to mention the number the number of resolutions passed against Israel by the united nincompoops of the world, which, hopefully, is now coming to an end with Nikki Haley’s presence in the UN.

It is not my intention to review the multitude of problems generated by the Oslo agreement, but an enumeration of some of them would seem to be in order.

The Oslo Disaster gave overnight recognition to a terrorist organization that had launched two major intifadas against Israel (one in 1987 and the other, after the signing of the accords, in 200) and to a multitude of “lone-wolf” incidents, particularly in very recent times (car rammings, stabbings, shootings and explosions). This organization exists in the heartland of Israel (Samaria) and along its southern coastline in Gaza (which, by the way, was apportioned to the Tribe of Judah – Joshua 15:21, 47). Terrorists put on a suit and we began to call them diplomats. But, the classic photo of Rabin, Peres and Arafat puts an abrupt end to wishful thinking. The photo shows Arafat in his military uniform, wearing his kfiyah that was usually covering his shoulder in the shape of Israel. For the “Palestinians”, it was pretending for peace with a pen, while continuing to seek soverignty and submission by the sword. Time and time again, the PLO was asked to renounce its chartered commitment to destroy Israel, which it blanketly refused to do and/or ignored. And the world community remained silent and if it spoke, it only did so if it condemned Israel for the failure of the Oslo Accords.

Then there was Israel’s failure to point out that it ended its “occupation” of population of the “Palestinian” territories within three and a half years after signing the Accords – a political blunder that has given rise to over two decades of condemnation over an issue that doesn’t exist in fact.

The Oslo Disaster polarized our political discussions and, as a consequence, the views of the country, focusing on our willingness or flexibility to “make painful concessions” for peace, which nothing was demanded of the PLO, other than to be willing to make a genuine peace with Israel, which its leaders would not, and could not, do. This is aptly demonstrated by the fact that on two occasions, the PLO was offered approximately 98% of all of the territory taken as a result of the 6-Day War, it turned down the offer. The pursued goal for the “Palestinians” was not peace, but prestige, power and prominence throughout the Arab world through total victory over Israel. Its attitude is what is referred to as “zero-sum” game – a sought-for, entire victory for one side, balanced out by an all-defeat for the other side. Enemies give all they have to achieve their desired victory over the other and when the balanced gains and losses are added up, they result in zero. But, here, it is all a “Palestinian” ploy. Pursue peace? The “Palestinian” attitude is “let’s not and say we did”. And the world remains silent and does not call the “Palestinian” leadership to account.

What the Oslo Disaster did achieve was to allow for the emergence of repressive “Palestinian” regimes, both in Samaria and in Gaza. Their leaders play on the misery of their own people, a misery that in large measure they, themselves, have brought about. They obtain billions from foreign governments and international organizations, which are intended to create a socio-economic infrastructure for the betterment of their population, only to have most of it funneled off into private pockets bulging from the misery of the people. The media focused and continues to focus on poverty-stricken areas, while ignoring that in places like Gaza City, the population flourishes with five-star hotels and restaurants that would rival those of any major city in the world. And the world remains silent in the face of media manipulation.

Almost twenty-five years have elapsed since the signing of the Oslo document and peace is ever more elusive now than it was before. Five successive Israel governments have extended their hands in peace, only to have them slapped away by “Palestinian” leaders, who are willing for peace to exist, if, and only if, the existence of Israel would disppear. Peace’s illusion. They really don’t understand peace, at all. The Oslo Disaster worsened already existing troubled waters, that only God’s direct involvement will be able to bridge. When that happens, the world will not be able to say anything.

Rejoice, O nations, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance on His adversaries, and will atone for His land and His people.” (Deut. 32:43)

The LORD bless you from Zion, and may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. (Psalm 128:5)

Many nations will come and say, “Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD and to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us about His ways and that we may walk in His paths.” For from Zion will go forth the law, even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (Micah 4:2)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Have a great week.

Marvin

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Shalom all,

Multi-Front Planning for War

The infiltration of an Iranian drone into Israeli airspace two weeks ago, along with its consequent events, is a definitive event marking a shift in Iranian policy from “covert” intervention against Israel by its proxies to “direct” intervention by itself. Iran crossed the line, prompting an immediate and severe Israeli response.

On the strategic level, Iran’s enemyship toward Israel is part and parcel of its desire to achieve regional hegemony and reestablish the Islamic caliphate. Iran has been at the forefront of leading the “anti-Israel resistance axis”, which includes the Hezbollah in Lebanon, and military proxies all over the Middle East, including a substantial military presence in war-torn Syria. Together with Russia’s intervention, the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad was strengthened. The substantial presence of Iranian forces in Syria enabled Iran to achieve its goal of establishing a “Shiite Crescent”, comprising Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. In addition to personnel, Iran set up military bases and airports in Syria.

It would appear that Iran’s presence in Syria has two basic objects: the stabilization of Assad’s regime and the furtherance of the anti-Israel resistance axis, uniting the various military forces in the different Middle East countries which serve as Iranian proxies into a single military force, under Iranian leadership.

The situation is being carefully watched by Israel, which acts when necessary to protect our country and our citizenry, while making plans for a multi-front war. No matter how we look at it, the next war with Lebanon, Syria and Gaza will be ugly.

Still Talking About a Middle-East Peace Plan

The Security Council of that infamous UN-organization once again devoted its time to discussing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but to no avail. The United States is still waving the potential peace plan that is supposedly being formulated by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Trump. One would have to ask “Why?”

Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the “Palestinian” Authority is pushing for multilateral negotiations headed up by Russia, instead of the U.S. But, he has made it as clear as can be that the “PA” does not recognize Israel’s legitimacy – in any borders. So, why should anyone give any credence to his feigned claimed of wanting to establish any kind of peace with Israel? Those who follow what is happening on the “Palestinian” streets recognize that Abbas is in a constant  struggle with the Hamas terrorist organization for control of the PA. His rhetoric is intended to win the public opinion of his people by demonstrating that his hatred of Israel is greater than the hatred of Hamas. But, he is careful not to force a confrontation between himself and Hamas, which could result in his losing his position, power and privileges. Playing the game and making the effort, although it is doomed to failure, can work to Iran’s further encouragement of its Hamas proxy and trigger another Gaza War. It could also trigger a war with the Hezbollah, another Iranian proxy, only this time across the borders of both Lebanon and Syria.

As also noted above, with the Netanyahu government facing the possibility of collapse because of the investigations instituted against him, this is not a good time for the U.S. to try to push for renewed peace talks – particularly since Abbas declared that Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel marked the death knell of the peace process. So, once again, we need to ask the question why would anyone seriously consider a new peace plan, which would undoubtedly require making more concessions to the “Palestinians”? At this point in history, with enemies facing us from the north, the northeast, the further east and the south, making any concessions to the PA would not endear Netanyahu to either his colleagues or his constituents.

So, that leaves the peace-plan push in the hands of Mr. Kushner and his father-in-law, President Trump. The latter, being a business man, is still bent on dreaming the impossible dream to make the deal of the century, or the millenium. He wants to succeed where others have failed, even though the likelihood of success is dim to non-existent. But, it has become “tradition” – to do what his predecessors have done and to make the effort, because that’s what he is expected to do. For the time being, the wisest thing would be for Mr. Trump to put his proposed peace plan on hold, indefinitely.

When will foreign politicians stop playing politics with Israel’s future? Maybe when they come to know that “There is none like the God of Jeshurun” (another name for Israel), in Whom Israel takes refuge and Who will drive out her enemies (Deuteronomy 33:26-27).

“Cigar Gate” – Is the Netanyahu Era over?

The major focus of events this past week was the two new criminal investigations that were opened against Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. These follow the first investigation where he was believed to have improperly received gifts of expensive cigars from a billionaire. One of those cases is looking into the ties between government officials and the Bezeq tele-com giant and the granting of “governmental favors” in exchange for getting more favorable coverage of Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, on a news website owned by the controlling shareholder of Bezeq.

The other case involved a suspected offer, made by another confidant of Netanyahu, to a former judge in exchange for her favorably closing out a pending criminal case (not against him).

This latest bombshell comes only a week after the police recommended that the Prime Minister be indicted for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in two corruption cases. When that recommendation was released, Netanyahu was defiant and determined to continue to lead the country until those legal matters were resolved in his favor. He received support from his own party (Likud) and from various coalition partners, who were willing to stand by him, while adopting a wait-and-see approach whether the Attorney General would make a decision whether or not to indict the Prime Minister.

The latest investigations against Netanyahu caused political pundits to question whether his coalition government is now facing the beginning of the end of its rule. Still, he has the continuing support of the Likud party and from other, leading members of his coalition, who remain faithful and are not willing to abandon ship, trusting that their captain will be able to repair the damage and see it safely into port. At this point, there are four potential criminal matters against the Prime Minister that the police are investigating – Files 1000 to 4000. Culture and Sport Minister, Miri Regev, made a statement in defense of the Prime Minister. She began her statement by mocking the four pending investigations: “I have to update you, just now Case 7000 has been published with serious allegations against teacher Shoshana, a kindergarten teacher who apparently gave Netanyahu an extra cookie at the end of the kindergarten. At this moment, researchers are investigating if that is the reason that she is still a kindergarten teacher to this day. Tomorrow, a photograph of Netanyahu with the cookie will be published in all the newspapers.” Some things simply need to be put into perspective.

In light of the present situation, where Netanyahu’s political enemies are chomping at the bit, looking for the collapse of the government, what are the most realistic possibilities?

First, the government could fall if one or more coalition partners quits, leaving the coalition without a majority. In that instance, new elections would be called and would most likely be held as quickly as the system will allow. Avi Gabbay, the head of the Zionist Union, the second largest political party in the Knesset, in a letter sent to party members, said that “the Netanyahu era is over. We must prepare for an election soon.”

A second possibility is that the Likud led coalition remains in power, but without Netanyahu, who would be replaced. Yair Lapid, the head of the Opposition, has suggested that the Prime Minister “step aside” or take a “leave of absence” until the air is cleared regarding the criminal investigations against him, even if new elections are not held.

The third possibility is also very realistic, namely, that the great expectations of the opposition parties and the efforts of the media to discredit Netanyahu and his wife, fail, and he remains in office. This is a viable option, given the present security situation that is fragile enough to explode, whether intentionally or unintentionally. An eye-opening and thought-provoking article by Rabbi Prof. Dov. Fischer is worth a few minutes read.

If, or stated more pragmatically, when, the next military conflict erupts, natural efforts towards self-preservation kick in, causing political enemies to join forces until the crisis is over.

It should be noted, there is no one within the Likud who is willing to step up and challenge Netanyahu’s leadership, a move which could split the party faithful, jeopardizing their own political future. The legal system here will make the final determination regarding the matters that the Prime Minister needs to deal with, matters that undoubtedly weigh heavy on his mind, in addition to his running the country.

“And the dread of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel” (2 Chronicles 20:29)

“Have a long life, peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have.” (1 Samuel 25:6)

And so, we begin a new week.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

As to the first comment, opponents of Netanyahu wasted no time to cause him of speaking as a racist, vis-a-vis the Arab population in Israel. A White House spokesman expressed that the U.S. was “deeply concerned about rhetoric that seeks to marginalize Arab-Israeli citizens”. Obama himself got into the blame game of condemnation of Netanyahu’s words when he told The Huffington Post on March 21st: “We indicated that that kind of rhetoric was contrary to what is the best of Israel’s traditions. That although Israel was founded based on the historic Jewish homeland and the need to have a Jewish homeland, Israeli democracy has been premised on everybody in the country being treated equally and fairly,” said Obama. “And I think that that is what’s best about Israeli democracy. If that is lost, then I think that not only does it give ammunition to folks who don’t believe in a Jewish state, but it also I think starts to erode the meaning of democracy in the country.” However, it needs to be remembered that this statement was made during an election day, when Israeli Arabs were encouraged to vote for the newly-formed Joint Arab List (J.A.L.), which unified the various Arab political parties under one umbrella. And, indeed, it was anticipated that the J.A.L. could garner as many as 15 out of the 120 Knesset seats. As it turned out, the J.A.L. received 13 seats in the new Knesset, making it the third largest political party after the Likud  (Netanyahu) and the Zionist Union (Yitzhak Herzog and Tzipi Livni). Netanyahu had every reason to be concerned and his statement was a factual and political reality, rather than a racist comment. 

Netanyahu’s statements were clear to anyone who bothered to listen to them in their entirety. Nevertheless, two days after the election results were in and following an international backlash and gross exaggeration and distortion of those comments by the mainstream media and by those who like to refer to themselves as journalists, Netanyahu clarified his comments regarding the two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict in an interview with NBC’s Andrea Mitchell: “I haven’t changed my policy. I never retracted my speech at Bar-Ilan University six years ago calling for a demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes a Jewish state. What has changed is the reality. … [“Palestinian” Authority President Mahmoud Abbas] the “Palestinian” leader refuses to recognize the Jewish state and has made a pact with Hamas that calls for the destruction of the Jewish state, and every territory that is vacated today in the Middle East is taken up by Islamist forces. We want that to change so that we can realize a vision of real, sustained peace. I don’t want a one-state solution. I want a sustainable, peaceful two-state solution, but for that, circumstances have to change.” Many Israelis do not agree with the Prime Minister’s willingness to allow for the establishment of a “Palestinian” state anywhere within the present state of Israel. But, whether it is agreed to or not is not the essence of the conflict over the statement. The heart of the matter has to do with credibility, particularly among those who are the heads of two countries that only two years ago were said to have an “unbreakable bond” between them.

Shalom all,

This will be short.

At 2 minutes before 3:00 p.m., Israel time, after 5 hours of a halt in the fighting at the request of the U.N. for “humanitarian reasons”, Hamas immediately thereafter sent a barrage of missiles into Israeli residential communities. The IDF responded and it’s been like that all day.

After 13 terrorists were spotted coming out of a tunnel and trying to infiltrate into a kibbutz to slaughter the residents and return to their hole like rats, the IDF blew up the tunnel with the terrorists in it. Their attempt to kill civilians failed. God did another miracle today!

But, that incident, being yet another in a series of attempts at infiltration into Israel to kill as many civilians as possible, caused the Security Cabinet to realise that ground action is necessary in order to find the tunnels and get rid of them. Tunnels were dug to smuggle weapons into Gaza. But, these particular tunnels were designed to provide access for terrorists from Gaza into areas close to residential communities in the south of Israel. Gaza is a maze of tunnels, some along the border with Egypt and some along Gaza’s eastern and northern borders near cities, towns, kibbutzim and settlements. In the present ground action, the IDF will attempt not only to remove destroy the tunnels, but in the process, to neutralise the military infrastructure and capability of Hamas. Israel had earlier demanded that a cease fire, if it would occur, would require “demilitarising” Gaza. That was not an option for Hamas and its affiliate terrorist organisations, who continued to send waves of missiles into the south of Israel and the wider Gush Dan region (Tel Aviv and locales surrounding it). 

Ground troops were just sent into Gaza. Many hoped that such action would not be required, but realistically knew that it was necessary to restore quiet to Israeli communities. Hamas was hoping that it would happen, so that the death toll would increase, resulting in world pressure being placed upon Israel. The call-up of another 18,000 reservists has been authorised.

As the IDF entered Gaza, sirens sounded in the northern Golan Heights. All three of our children are at a youth conference in the area of the Golan. Our two older children are counsellors at the conference, while the youngest is attending with dozens of friends.

Your prayers are solicited for wisdom, strength and protection for those who are putting heir lives in harm’s way to protect us. As of this writing, at least 15 of our soldiers have been wounded (the extent of their injuries have not yet been reported). Please also pray for all those attending the youth conference in the north.

A fuller report will follow tomorrow.

With thanks and blessings,

Marvin