Shalom all,

As of this update, the number the IDF death toll since the beginning of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip is 70. From the 7th of October until now, 392 members of the IDF have been killed.

The talk of the day is, as expected – the agreement for the release of the hostages. 

Hostage Deal – Main Points:

Israel gets:

50 civilian women (20) and children (30) hostages currently held in the Gaza Strip to be released in small groups over a 4-day period;

10 additional hostages released for every one day extension of the ceasefire;

Visitation by the Red Cross and provision of medication for the hostages not being released.

Israel gives:

150 “Palestinian” women and children detained in Israeli prisons;

4-day lull in the fighting in Gaza;

Cessation of aerial surveillance over the southern Gaza Strip to stop immediately; cessation of aerial surveillance for six hours a day over the area of the northern Gaza Strip during the lull in the fighting;

a larger number of humanitarian convoys and relief aid;

fuel designated for humanitarian needs.

The pause in the fighting is said to begin tomorrow, Thursday, at 10:00 Israel time and will continue for four days, subject to being extended, in exchange for the release of additional hostages. If Hamas attacks Israel during the ceasefire, Israel will be free to strike back and resume the fighting.

Just as there was a difference of perspective yesterday regarding “being optimistic”, so today’s announcement from Qatar downplayed the 3-for-1 release, as Qatar’s mediator said: “The agreement includes the release of 50 civilian women and children hostages currently held in the Gaza Strip for the release of a number of Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli prisons, the number of those released will be increased in later stages of implementing the agreement.” What the Qatari announcement failed to mention was that the 150 “Palestinians” who will be released are terrorists affiliated with Hamas, “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad, Fatah and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, among others. Most of the “Palestinian” prisoners are residents of East Jerusalem. The others are from Gaza.

Although most of the government approved the deal, not everyone was happy with it. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said that the deal was immoral and that by agreeing to it, Israel played into the hands of Hamas. Even though it is good that some of the women and children hostages would be released, nevertheless, Ben-Gvir expressed that Israel has a moral obligation to ensure that ALL of the hostages would be returned. “We don’t have the right to agree to separating them and have only some of them return…And we definitely cannot accept an outline that sees the release of female and underage terrorists when we don’t get every back…Hamas also wants to ‘be rid of’ the women and children in the first stage because they caused international pressure, and the organization wants fuel, released terrorists and a break in IDF activity in return.” He added that Israel was making the same mistakes it made in the past and that this was the time to continue the military pressure on Hamas. P.M. Netanyahu said that when the ceasefire is over, the fighting will resume and that “We won’t let up until victory is ours and until all the hostages are home too.” It is difficult to believe Netanyahu’s pledges at this point, after the government repeatedly stated that there would be no ceasefire UNTIL ALL the hostages were returned and backtracked when it agreed to the present deal.

From the 7th of October, Israel has experienced and continues to experience national trauma. To say that we have been “stressed out” would be a gross understatement. Our nerves have been frazzled and we will continue to go through additional torment each time that we try to negotiate with a monstrous terrorist organization, which our national leadership has referred to as being “worse than ISIS”, actually even worse than “Nazis”. And by sitting with them at the “negotiating table” and compromising on the stated goals of this war, Israel is actually enabling terrorists to exalt themselves in the eyes of their comrades and before the world. The terrorists will be seen as “the good guys”, freeing up women and children, while Israel continues to wage war to eliminate the evil that is called “Hamas”.

We will all rejoice, most likely with tears streaming down our faces and with an outpouring of emotion, when the first hostages are returned from Gaza – an infant, a toddler or young child, and a mother or grandmother – all of whom will be embraced by family whose hearts have been pounding with anticipation since the announcement yesterday that the deal was approved by the government. But, the list of hostages to be released is only partial and even the families won’t know if their loved ones are included until the IDF and our security forces are certain of which hostages are, in fact, being released. 

What about those who will NOT be returning home in the next four days? For their families and friends the anguish will continue. And while the families and the hostages continue to agonize, Yehya Sinwar and his murderous companions will celebrate yet another victory, together with the “Palestinians” who will be released from Israeli prisons. 

At the outset of this war and up to the present, Israel has set forth two goals: the return of the hostages and the elimination of Hamas. Sinwar and Hamas want to extend the ceasefire time, so they are dragging out the return of the hostages to keep Israel focused on them and not on the second goal, namely: eliminating Hamas. They will play the hostage card for as long as possible, during which time they will remain in power. Israel has already revealed its soft underbelly – the hostages – and we will not want to jeopardize their safety and their possible return by turning the Gaza Strip into a parking lot. So, we can anticipate that our nerves will continue to be frazzled.

Hamas essentially got everything it wanted: a separation from the women and children, fuel, release of terrorists being held by Israel, increased “humanitarian aid”, a cessation of surveillance and, most of all, a time out from the fighting. The next “round of negotiations”, whenever that will be, will be dangled like a carrot in front of a horse and will contain considerably more difficult terms. And then after that, maybe yet another round of negotiations. A few years back, we released a thousand terrorists, one of whom was Yehya Sinwar, in a deal to bring about the release of one of our soldiers. At the outset of the war, Sinwar wanted the release of all of the “Palestinian” prisoners being held by Israel, some six thousand. If we don’t internalize the mistakes that we made in the past, we will end up repeating them to our considerable sorrow and regret.

Hamas has never lived up to any ceasefire agreements that it made with Israel in the past. The present agreed upon ceasefire is supposed to go into effect tomorrow morning. There has always been a massive missile barrage before the time set for a ceasefire. Let’s see what happens between now and 10:00 tomorrow.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing,

Marvin

Shalom all,

Israel Update – Day 46 of the War.

As of this update, the number the IDF death toll since the beginning of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip is 68. From the 7th of October until now, 390 members of the IDF have been killed.

Words have meaning: An article appearing in The Times of Israel (TTOI) news feed at 4:04 p.m. today, two perspectives are represented by the words “very optimistic”. The news feed states:

Qatar says it is “very optimistic” on finalizing a deal to release dozens of hostages from Israel held by terrorists in Gaza since October 7.

Dr. Majed Al Ansari, the spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, says in a post on X: “We are working towards an agreement taking place and we are now at the closest point we ever have been in reaching and an agreement. We are very optimistic, we are very hopeful, but we are also very keen for this mediation to succeed in reaching a humanitarian truce.” (Emphasis in both paragraphs mine)

Same words, but different focus. The understanding and emphasis of TTOI is the release of the hostages. The understanding and emphasis of Qatar is reaching a truce. Yes, words have meaning and should be understood in the context in which those words appear and, who is speaking.

The IDF trained for the scenario that took place in the Gaza envelope…only in the wrong place. A month before the invasion of Hamas, the IDF trained for a possible terrorist incursion and attack of border communities, as well as the blocking of main roads that would hinder the arrival of reinforcements. But, the training was for a scenario in the north, by the Hezbollah, not in the south, by Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Believing that the Gaza border was secure, the IDF sent elite units to the north and prepared for invading terrorists from Israel’s northern border. There was a seeming justification for that action. A significant buildup of Hezbollah forces took place near the Lebanon-Israel border, in a blatant violation of UN Resolution 1701 that was passed following the Second Lebanon War in 2006. About 30 military posts and observation towers were set up by Hezbollah prior to the war in Gaza, many of which have since been destroyed by the IDF. It was believed that after getting “hands on” experience in the Syrian civil war, the al-Hajj Radwan commando force was looking for action against Israel. This is a significant part of the Hezbollah human arsenal, with some 2,500 members. 

Only five weeks before the massacre by Hamas, the Radwan force was doing simulated attacks upon Israeli communities, taking hostages, shooting up everything “Israeli” in sight, using motorcycles, weaponry and unmanned aircraft. According to Orna Mizrachi, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies: “[The Radwan] unit’s aim is to infiltrate Israel and conquer swaths of the Galilee…Their exercise last week showed that that’s exactly what they’re striving for. They wish to penetrate Israeli territory with captured vehicles, take over a community, hoist up their flag and declare their success.” With an almost prescient understanding of events soon to take place, she added: “I believe that the convergence of fronts is a new development that has become more prominent in recent years…Iran’s support for forces in Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon is increasing, and it may lead to a war with multiple fronts. Iran is leading a comprehensive resistance front, involving not only the Shia axis but also the Palestinian factions in Gaza backed by Iran. The objective is to challenge the IDF and open simultaneous fronts, although Hezbollah has never directly engaged in conflict with Israel alongside the Palestinians…Hezbollah is a state within a state….” (emphasis mine)

Denials and lies:The IDF has consistently maintained that the  al-Shifa hospital served as a base for Hamas activities. Hamas has repeatedly denied it and various nations have claimed that there is no proof of the IDF’s claims. The scenes displayed by the videos cameras inside the hospital, that went viral, was photographic evidence of Hamas’s lies. Now, one of Hamas’s own, home-bread terrorists, revealed that Hamas terrorists disguised themselves as medical staff in the hospital, buttressing Israel’s allegations of war crimes by Hamas, by using medical institutions for terrorist purposes.

A short while ago, the government approved the hostage deal, according to which Hamas will release 50 live hostages (8 out of 13 mothers and another 12 female senior citizens, as well as 30 of the 40 children hostages), in exchange for Israel’s releases 140 female prisoners and minors, including terrorists, but not those convicted of murder. That is a technical statement, to get around releasing terrorists responsible for incidents where Israelis have been killed, but for one reason or another, they were not actually convicted of murder. They will be released after the Israeli hostages are returned. 

According to the various reports, the hostages will be released in 4 stages over a period of 4 days (12-13 per day) during a daily ceasefire of 6 hours. The ceasefire will go into effect when the first Israeli returns. Israel will agree to further pauses in the fighting one additional day for every additional 10 hostages that are released. 

Considering the nature of the beast that Israel was negotiating with, it would be reasonable to expect that Hamas will take full advantage of the ceasefires to booby-trap installations, facilities and other locations in Gaza, to move its personnel and try to cause Israel to violate the ceasefire. Hamas really doesn’t care whether its people are released or not. Its goal is to embarrass Israel and to defeat it, psychologically and militarily.

The agreement also includes a condition demanded by Yehya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, that during the 6-hour ceasefires, Israel will halt its UAVs in the Gaza airspace. An Israeli official addressed this particular condition and said that according to the IDF and Shin Bet (Israel’s security service), even during the ceasefires, Israel will still have intelligence gathering capabilities. “We will not be blind and we’ll know what’s happening on the ground.”

During the times of the ceasefire only, Israel will also allow more fuel to be brought into the Gaza Strip. And, to wrap up the main points, Hamas will notify Israel one day in advance which hostages will be released the following day.

This deal is a public relations victory for Yehya Sinwar, the head of Hamas. Israel is beginning to pay the price for the return of the hostages. The price will only increase during the next set of negotiations.

P.M. Netanyahu, Minister of Defense Yoav Galant and former head of the IDF, Benny Gantz, all indicated that the return of the hostages is our primary, moral obligation, and that after the ceasefires, the war will continue until Israel achieves all of its goals.

What about the families whose loved ones WILL NOT be released as part of this deal? Some women will be released while their husbands will remain in the hands of Hamas. A child might be released, but his older brother or sister will still be held hostage. A mother will be released, but her son or daughter in the IDF will not. 

Some members of the IDF were interviewed by war correspondents during the last few days. Their motivation was high and most of those interviewed said that they did not intend to leave Gaza until the job was done. They were fighting for the release of ALL of the hostages. How will they react to the orders to “fight, then take a 6-hour break, then get back to fighting?”

The anger and anguish of the families that existed before this deal is expected to increase. After the release of the hostages that are part of this deal, will their families and friends continue to join the others in the demonstrations for the release of ALL of the remaining, close to 200, hostages?

This deal is difficult and painful. Not all of the families are happy that Israel agreed to the release of terrorists and that only a partial release of hostages was agreed to. We made that mistake a number of times, one of which resulted in freeing Yehya Sinwar. I’m happy for the families who will receive their loved ones back as part of this deal, but continue to agonize with the families whose hope is deferred.

The Dry Bones Blog – 15 November, 2023

We need to continue to pray. Yehya Sinwar continues to gloat over the massacre that was committed at his direction. He will also claim victory over the embarrassment that he is causing to Israel by setting the terms for the release of the hostages and the pace of the release. Most of those taken by Hamas, as well as by Islamic Jihad and others will remain hostages for an unknown period of time. The nation will continue to agonize. And the war…is far from over. We got over Pharaoh, we’ll get over this!

O Israel, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. (Psalm 115:9)

Wisdom is better than weapons of war (Ecclesiastes 9:18)

“When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way You shall send them, and they pray to the LORD toward the city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name, then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.” (1 Kings 8:44-45)

Help us, LORD, to keep our eyes on Him who is invisible, the Holy One of Israel, who longs to be gracious to us.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

Shalom all,

As of this update, the number the IDF death toll since the beginning of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip is 66.

Hostage dilemma: deal or denial. Ynetnews reported that according to what a Hamas official supposedly said to the Jordanian newspaper Al Ghad, there was going to be a pause/ceasefire/halt in the fighting that would go into effect as of 11:00 a.m. this morning. Well, obviously that hasn’t happened. So, let’s chalk up one more untruth emanating from the hellish halls of Hamas. From the Israeli side, it was denied that such an agreement was reached.

The fighting is ongoing, reports of IDF casualties continue to come in, loud and aggressive protests call for the government to “bring the hostages home now”, while Yehya Sinwar, the head of Hamas, sets the terms that he wants Israel to agree to in order to effectuate a release of hostages. It should be pointed out that Hamas is not willing to capitulate, but it is willing to “negotiate” – on its terms. The families, friends and protest organizers, who are clamoring for the government to act, should ask themselves a simple question: What can Israel do to expedite the return of the hostages? If they consider all of the circumstances, they may readily come to the conclusion that what they are requesting is not going to be decided by Israel, but by those holding the hostages – Hamas, “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad and others. More specifically, the fate of the hostages will be decided, from a human point of view, by Sinwar. His erratic “on again – off again” behavior at the negotiating table (through his intermediary, of course) reveals that he is, essentially, a one-man show, who does not take into account the perspectives of other senior Hamas members.

According to an article today in Haaretz, an acknowledged leftist journal: “Israeli defense officials say Sinwar is still euphoric over the success of the October 7 massacre. Consequently, he is sticking to hardline bargaining positions and ignoring the enormous suffering he brought down on Gaza’s residents. But based on that same analysis, some people are arguing that Israel should leap at the opportunity for a deal, even though it won’t free all the hostages. Sinwar is less rational than, for instance, Hezbollah, they say, and might therefore cut off contact with the mediators or even with the hostages if the war intensifies. If so, there’s an urgent need to quickly extricate anyone we can from captivity.” (my emphasis) The use of the term “captivity” in the article evokes considerations of prisoners of war. The hostages are prisoners of terrorists, not of soldiers.

Again, we come back to the dilemma of whether Israel should do everything it can (in other words, compromise) to get out as many hostages as possible from the clutches of an irrational ego-maniac (as is argued by former IDF chiefs, or do everything it can to put more pressure on Sinwar to agree to Israeli terms, as suggested by the present Minister of Defense, among others. No matter how we look at it, entering into a deal with Hamas will buy time for Hamas to try to get its act together. There will be trickles of releases, but no comprehensive deal will be worked out until Sinwar, or whoever will take his place, is convinced that Israel’s ground offensive will not be able to destroy Hamas’s rule in the Gaza Strip, notwithstanding present victories on the ground by the IDF.

So, where does that leave us? Go for a deal and get as many hostages back as possible, or press on militarily to achieve the original goal of eliminating Hamas, its tunnels and its threat to Israel? The former will, at some point, necessitate ending the ground offensive, as more promises are made for the release of additional small groups of hostages. But, there still is no guarantee that ALL of the hostages will eventually be returned, or that whoever is returned will still be alive. Maybe at some later point, Israel could initiate military action to eliminate Hamas once and for all and finally accomplish what this war was intended to achieve

.The second alternative is to press on for military victory now, which would undoubtedly succeed in one of its goals, namely, removal of the threat of Hamas. But, that would be accompanied by the reality that we may never see most of the hostages alive again. The real, practical question is whether Israel will be able to locate and return all of the hostages through its military endeavor. That is doubtful, because, as I have written on earlier occasions:

“***Hamas clarified that it does not know the whereabouts of all the kidnapped children and mothers and would need to gather them during the initial days of the truce, provided Israel refrains from airstrikes.

“Additionally, Hamas expressed willingness to increase the number of released hostages, contingent on being able to locate them in Gaza during the truce.” In other words, Hamas has been “negotiating” to commit to doing something that, at this time, it does not even know that it can accomplish. So, we are back to square one and the question that I asked very early on: If it was up to you, what would you decide to do?

Hostages brought to Al-Shifa Hospital:Contrary to denials by Hamas and denials by doctors and medical staff that hostages were brought to the Al-Shifa hospital, video footage reveals that at least some hostages were brought there. This adds to the physical findings in other parts of this and other hospitals that reveal that the hostages were taken there. Whether they were treated or killed inside or outside of the hospital will eventually be revealed. For now, the footage speaks for itself. Hamas forgot to shut off the video cameras inside the hospital, which cameras provide evidence against their claims that the hospital was not used for their purposes.

In many instances, where the IDF goes and what it does in the Gaza Strip is based on intelligence information received from captured terrorists, as well as from civilian residents in Gaza – including the use of hospitals for Hamas bases. “The IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate’s Unit 504 — which specializes in HUMINT (human intelligence) — has dozens of Arabic-speaking soldiers that are on the ground in the Gaza Strip, alongside the combat units, carrying out field interrogations and providing intelligence to forces….We received thousands of phone calls from [Palestinians willing to provide information] at a magnitude never before seen in the unit. It is evident that the residents of the Gaza Strip are not satisfied with the barbaric behavior of Hamas, the ordinary citizen understands that Hamas is bringing a disaster on the residents of Gaza that will be difficult for them to recover from.” If somebody wants to yell “war crimes”, they should direct their accusations at Hamas, not at Israel.

Today is World Children’s Day and some 40 children, including babies, are being held hostage by Hamas and other terror groups. Most of the articles dealing with World Children’s Day relate to the children in the Gaza Strip, while humanitarian crisis of Israeli children being held captive by Hamas is largely ignored.

And while President Joe Biden continues to say that a hostage deal is close to being worked out, two rockets were fired this evening from Gaza towards central part of Israel, setting off sirens in Tel Aviv.

The northern arena continues to see action, as the IDF struck a Hezbollah command center, along with other sites in southern Lebanon, following rocket and missile fire launched into northern Israel. Since the beginning of the war, about 1,000 projectiles have been launched by the Hezbollah into Israel.

The incredibly idiotic lie of the day: In an official statement of the “Palestinian” Authority, it denies that Hamas murdered participants at the music festival near Re’im and claims that the casualties there were caused by bombing from an Israeli jet fighter. Uncontrovertible facts prove that Hamas slaughtered and committed other atrocities on October 7th, which included those attending the festival. There will probably be many around the world who will believe what the P.A. claims. They won’t want to know the real facts, so they won’t be confused by those facts. After all, they’ve already made up their minds that Israel is guilty – it doesn’t matter what the issue is. For them, Israel is to blame. 

To round out the day:In addition to the hijacking of an “Israeli-linked ship” by the Yemenite Houthis, which had no Israelis on board, another sea adventure is soon to be undertaken from Turkey. An estimated 1,000 boats are reportedly getting ready to leave Turkey for Gaza and Ashdod this Thursday (23rd November). The goal is to break the Israeli sea blockade of Gaza and disrupt maritime trade with Israel. This is an enlarged, but repeat, performance of the Mavi Marmara “Gaza Freedom Flotilla” of May, 2010, which resulted in the deaths of ten Turkish activists and the wounding of ten members of the IDF, and caused an extended diplomatic strain in the relationship between Israel and Turkey. This time, it is estimated that some 4,500 people, including women and children, from 40 countries, will participate. The largest contingent will be with Russian activists (313 boats) and Spanish activists (104 boats). Although the organizers of the venture claim that none of the boats will carry weapons, still, if they attempt to violate the territorial waters of Israel, they will be stopped. Just another matter to pray about!

Update regarding Amitay, the IDF soldier who was severely wounded almost two weeks ago and had to have both of his legs amputated: He is still hospitalized in intensive care, sedated and ventilated.  He had another surgery on his legs today, which reportedly went well. Many more surgeries on his legs are expected. A prolonged hospitalization in the intensive care unit is expected.

 The family asks for prayer for him:

 * That no further infections develop and that the fever remains stable and low

 * Wisdom for the medical team regarding decisions regarding the continuation of treatment

 * That the wounds on the legs will respond well to the treatment

 * Full recovery for the left eye

And finally, if the war, the missiles, the vessel hijacking and the planned flotilla were not enough to deal with, the Israeli Ministry of Health announced this afternoon (Monday) that in light of unusual microbiologic results obtained as part of a routine sampling of the drinking water, it is mandatory for Haifa residents to boil water before drinking, cooking, preparing food, preparing medicines and brushing teeth. Water can be used for bathing and sanitation. These instructions are valid only for Haifa (where we live).

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

Shalom all,

As of this update, the number the IDF death toll since the beginning of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip is 64.

Release of Hostages: According to an article appearing in World Israel News and in the Jerusalem Post , citing a report by the Washington Post this morning, a tentative agreement was reached by Israel, the U.S. and Hamas, for the release of 87 hostages being held by Hamas, in exchange for the release of teenage terrorists and female terrorists presently held in Israeli jails. According to the article, among the 87 hostages to be released are “40 Israeli women, 13 Israeli children and 35 foreign nationals”. Part of the “deal” includes a 5-day halt in the fighting, during which time the hostages will be freed in “small groups every 24 hours”.

A few points about the above article: (1)  The article is in World Israel News and The Jerusalem Post, but the report referred to is in the Washington Post; (2)  The report does not become “fact” until the Israeli government acknowledges that an agreement was reached with Hamas – with the intervention of the U.S.;(3)  Despite the massive pounding by the IDF of Hamas strongholds, and the obvious loss of control by Hamas over northern areas of the Gaza Strip, the terms of this “agreement” are, essentially, being set by Hamas, not by Israel; (4) The release of 87 hostages will be carried out in stages during a 5-day period, when there is a temporary halt in the fighting; (5)  The 87 hostages that will be released represent just over 35% of all of the hostages being held by Hamas, by the “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad and by unaffiliated, and unknown, mob families; (6) The agreement by Israel for the release of 35% of the hostages, in exchange for a 5-day halt in the fighting is a serious breach of the promise by the Israeli government to the nation that Israel will not agree to a temporary halt in the fighting WITHOUT THE RETURN OF ALL OF THE HOSTAGES; (7) The 87 hostages to be released include 35 foreign nationals; (8) The U.S. is an active participant in the negotiations and has a vested interest in helping to bring about a cessation of the fighting, in order to help release some of the hostages, which includes American citizens; (9)  It would not be surprising if the foreign nationals to be released include all of the American citizens; (10) Israel’s agreeing to the release of 40 Israeli women and 13 Israeli children leaves an unknown number of additional women and children in the hands of the terrorists, whose identities, ages and health conditions remain unknown, and also leaves all of the men and, specifically, all of the soldiers – who are not necessarily all men; (11)  Israel’s agreement to the partial release of hostages will require the release of terrorists in Israeli jails, most of whom will probably have blood on their hands; (12)  Israel will be required to deliver fuel to the Gaza enclave, which it has already agreed to do, and which in all likelihood, will not be used for the humanitarian relief of Gaza citizens, but for military use by Hamas and the “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad; (13)  By returning the hostages a little bit at a time, Hamas can control, to a degree, Israel’s compliance with the terms of the “agreement” and can stop the return of the hostages at any time that it feels that Israel is not behaving itself properly; (14)  By returning the hostages a little bit at a time, Hamas can regroup, reorganize, rearm and repair some of the damage caused to their terrorist infrastructure, as well as remove themselves and the remaining hostages to a different location; (15)  By agreeing to the return of only about a third of the hostages, in exchange for the release of terrorists, fuel and a ceasefire, Israel shows that it is willing to bow to internal (as well as external) pressure and yield to the demands of terrorists, WHOSE DEMANDS WILL INCREASE DURING THE NEXT ROUNDS OF NEGOTIATIONS; (16) Leaving the IDF deep inside of Gaza for an extended ceasefire (5 days) will leave them as sitting ducks – it should be remembered that most of the IDF casualties during the Second Lebanon War took place when they were inside Lebanon, but were under orders from the government not to press forward in their fight against the Hezbollah, but to maintain their positions; (17)  When these particular hostages are returned, the pressure on the government will increase from the families and related groups to agree to whatever is necessary to bring about the release of the remaining hostages – a situation that could well bring us back to Hamas’s original “demands” for the release of all of the “Palestinians” (of whatever affiliation they may have) presently in Israeli jails; (18)  The release of women, children and foreign nationals, while leaving members of the IDF as hostages could have a serious affect upon the psyche of the nation, as well as the morale of the soldiers on the front lines, who were highly motivated to bring about the elimination of Hamas and the return of ALL of the hostages, including their comrades in arms; (19)  Once there is a prolonged cessation of fighting, it may be difficult to get motivated again and even to justify, at least from the point of view of international pressure, a resumption of the fighting; (20)  Israel’s failure to obtain the release and return of ALL of the hostages as a condition for agreeing to a halt in the fighting will be seen as a public-relations victory for Hamas and concomitant public-relations failure for Israel – Remember: in this part of the world, “saving face” or “losing face” is everything; it you are not decisively shown to having “lost”, then you are seen as having “won”. 

Admittedly, the Israeli government is in a difficult situation. Clearly, our “humanitarian assistance” should be first and foremost to our own people. But, our hostages have been and remain our weak point during these six weeks of warfare. 

Unlike prior military confrontations with Hamas, which resulted in third-party brokered ceasefires, this time, Israel committed itself to Hamas’s elimination. Representatives of Hamas have already publicly stated that there will be repetitions of the events of October 7th. As noted by Ritz Katz, Executive Director of SITE Intelligence Group, that examines the ideology and online communications of extremist groups: “Even if its current leadership is effectively destroyed…Hamas and its followers will continue to regard Oct. 7 as a victory. That’s partly because the group unquestionably succeeded in focusing the world’s attention on the Palestinian conflict…It’s the first time I can remember that Hamas has become so prominent on a global scale…So many people have already forgotten Oct. 7 because Hamas immediately changed the discussion. It put the focus on Israel, not themselves. And that’s exactly what they wanted.” By its willingness to negotiate with the terrorists, Israel is compromising on its specifically declared goals, bringing us back to a seemingly endless cycle that this war was designed to break.

There were warnings that most of the world ignored, including Israel. Hamas had previously stated its genocidal plans:

“We will cut off your heads”

“We must attack every Jew on the planet – slaughter and kill”

“We will die as I blow up and cut the throats of the Jews and their legs”

“We will tear them to shreds”  The “Palestinian” Authority, whom Uncle Sam is trying to convince Uncle Izzy to take over control of the Gaza Strip after Hamas is defeated, has the same goals as Hamas – the destruction of Israel. We weren’t listening then. Is anyone listening now?

Let’s also try to keep things in perspective. Representatives of Qatar are brokering the negotiations for a ceasefire and the return of hostages. The Prime Minister of Qatar accused Israel of committing a massacre “before the eyes of the whole world” and added: “The world community must take stand against the violation of international law…Israel claims that hospitals are the headquarters of Hamas. What happened in Al Shifa is a crime and, unfortunately, we have not heard condemnation from the international community. We appreciate the European Union’s calls for a humanitarian truce and a cease-fire in Gaza.” In light of these comments, are we supposed to understand and readily accept that Qatar is acting as an “impartial intermediary”?

Maybe, just maybe, the leadership of Israel will pause and consider its ways. Maybe, just maybe, it will fulfill its promises to the nation and keep its collective heart and mind focused and its eyes on the goal. Then it can say that it has faithfully performed what it has promised, echoing the words of Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

Shalom all,

As of this update, the reported IDF death toll since the beginning of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip is 56.

As Shabbat came to an end, along with six weeks of warfare, the IDF reported fierce clashes between its troops and terrorists in the northern areas of Hamas. This can only mean that the names of more casualties will be released tomorrow. In addition, rockets are still being launched from Gaza to Israel, with one such rocket hitting a home in Sderot. Along with that are reports that the Hezbollah has fired at least 25 missiles from Lebanon into the northern part of Israel, continuing its slow, but steady, expansion of its cross-border activities, resulting in pin-point responses from the IDF.

Israelis march to Jerusalem. Some 30,000 people joined the families of the hostages in their march to Jerusalem and the rally outside of P.M. Netanyahu’s office. Following the demonstration, the families returned to Tel Aviv, for a rally demanding the release of the hostages.  The families are also planning to meet with war-cabinet Minister Benny Gantz, and cabinet observer, Minister Gadi Eisenkot. A meeting with P.M. Netanyahu, with war-cabinet Minister Yoav Gallant and Strategic Affairs Minister, Ron Dermer, although desired, did not take place.

Israel’s war cabinet met last night and completely rejected Hamas’s proposal for the release of 50 hostages. Israel is looking for the release of at least 70-80 hostages. The war cabinet insisted that families who were taken into captivity should not be separated. Nevertheless, there was a willingness to conduct negotiations for the release only of all mothers and children being held hostage. The war cabinet further agreed to be flexible about the length of time that Israel would be willing to allow a pause in the fighting. In the meantime, U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with the Emir of Qatar and discussed the “urgent need to release all hostages held by Hamas without any delay.” (my emphasis) 

On Thursday, 16th October, CNN broadcast a 6-minute investigative report on the atrocities committed by Hamas, including rape. An IDF elite unit paramedic found the bodies of teenage girls in Be’eri who were raped before being killed by the terrorists that broke into their homes on 7th October. An additional report contained a description by a survivor of the horrors of the atrocities. Preceding the screening of that report, there was a cautionary warning that appeared, that the report contained “disturbing material”.

The leftist news paper “Haaretz” also published a verbal and written report, asking “Why is the Cruel Sexual Violence of the October 7 Hamas Attack Being Ignored?” In the report, Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddar, who served for 12 years on the U.N. Committee on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and is now a member of the newly formed Civil Commission on Hamas’s October 7 Crimes Against Women, said that she felt “completely betrayed” by the various international women’s rights organizations that she worked with for many years, because of their “failure to condemn – or even recognize – the rape, kidnapping and other atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists against Israeli citizens on October 7.” She added that now, “when we Israeli women are faced with the most horrible occurrence of ‘conflict-related sexual violence’, there is complete silence”  (my emphasis) by the UN-affiliated groups that she worked with, whose mission was to protect women from violence. Halpein-Kaddar’s further stated: “By being silent here, they’re not only failing us Israeli women, they’re undermining the whole system. They lose credibility. By not referring to the ongoing crime of holding hostages, they are in fact legitimizing [it] – and you might even say that they’re complicit in this situation of hostages being kept without a word about their whereabouts, without a word about their condition. They are also providing ammunition to all those who are already engaged in a denial campaign.” Indeed, one could and should legitimately ask why such a silence exists, particularly when the sexual attacks were filmed by the body cameras of Hamas and they broadcasted the footage of their barbaric assaults in real time. Maybe it’s because most of the victims were eventually killed following the rapes. Or, maybe it is just another form of antisemitic / anti-Israel sentiment.

Most of the nations in the world tend to have short memories. The Hamas atrocities were front-page news for a short period of time. When Israel got back on its feet and started to pursue Hamas, the front-page news began to clamor over the cost to civilian lives in Gaza and  Israel’s “disproportionate response” to the massacre of 7th October. Those who call for “proportionality” in our response really don’t understand what they are calling for. In its essence, the idea is based upon the Biblical concept of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,,,” (Exodus 21:23-25; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21).

In their article appearing in Israel Hayom, Alan G. Futerman and Walter e. Block cogently point out, among other things: “If those who speak of proportionality would follow the implications of their request to its logical conclusion, they would soon find out that it would have been better to stay silent. True proportionality in this context amounts to revenge on a horrendous scale….But in reality, Israel should not and in fact does not seek revenge, nor should look for “proportionality” in the above sense. Only Justice. In other words, the only sense in which the term “proportionality” makes sense in this context is that a country should be entitled to respond in proportion to the threat it faces, to end it. The only proportional response is to end the threat which Hamas represents for Israel’s citizens. Not to engage in the sort of mass murder that only monsters such as Hamas assassins could and did in fact commit.” (my emphasis)

David M. Weinberg is a columnist and lobbyist, who is a sharp critic of Israel detractors. In his article: Don’t You Dare!, he argues that the Israeli government should resist all pressures from Washington and other Western nations to cut back on its goal to destroy Hamas, because of their concerns over the toll on Gaza citizens. He argues that our leaders “must persist in pounding Hamas-ISIS to smithereens until every last Hamas commander is dead, every last Hamas terror attack tunnel is destroyed, and every last Hamas missile bunker is obliterated…The war cannot and must not end until Israel has achieved its legitimate military objectives in full, with no fudging, no obfuscations, and no hesitations. Israel cannot tolerate ceasefires along the way – no truces, no armistices, no fallbacks, no restrictions on its use of (overwhelming and simultaneously precise) force – until total victory is achieved. Complete capitulation or annihilation of Hamas is the goal, nothing less. No more Hamas in Gaza, or in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank). No more Hamas terrorists alive elsewhere in the world either. They all must be hunted down and eliminated.

“In the history of modern warfare, there is no more justified military campaign than this one. And only such a campaign to absolutely end the Hamas threat to Israel justifies the heavy losses that Israel already has suffered and the pain of what almost certainly will be further losses.

“Israeli leaders have no mandate from the Israeli public to call off or scale-back the assault on Hamas. Would they do so, under pressure from well-meaning and fickle allies alike, Israelis would explode in anger, assuredly filling the streets of every city in this country with millions of protestors demanding that the war against Hamas be fully prosecuted. Compromise with Hamas would be defeat. Bending to US President Biden (who, it must be acknowledged, thus far has been rock solid in his backing of Israel) would be considered collapse.” In the absence of a surrender by Hamas (the likelihood of which is nil), Israel has no choice but to pursue this war until Hamas is utterly defeated. The only way that basic security can be restored to our “battered and traumatized public” is for the government to follow through with its promise to Israeli society to pursue this goal of total elimination of Hamas. Only then will displaced Israelis return to their homes in the north and the south. Unfortunately, the government has decided not only to backtrack on its oft-repeated commitment not to allow a ceasefire without the return of ALL the hostages, but it is also willing to allow truckloads of fuel to enter the Gaza enclave, as part of the present humanitarian aid being provided to Gaza through the crossing from Egypt. This will eventually turn out to be counter-productive and extend, rather than shorten, the war.

Then again, this IS Israel, where miracles still occur on a regular basis. The government might actually follow through on its promises (although obviously, not immediately) to do what is necessary to destroy this existential enemy. 

I’ll close on a happier note: First Sergeant Noam Hacohen, a commander in an elite Givati unit, has spent 43 consecutive days with his soldiers in Gaza. He was supposed to be released, but chose to stay with his men. Colonel (in the Reserves) Yair Hacohen, Noam’s father, suprised him this morning in Gaza. No one’s eyes were left dry.

As we begin a new week, please remember to pray for: all the members of the IDF; all the hostages who are still alive; all the families whose loved ones were killed or taken hostage and for all the wounded. The government needs divine wisdom and courage. I’ll leave it at that.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

Shalom all,

“A voice is heard in Ramah,

Lamenting and bitter weeping.

Rachel is weeping for her children;

She refuses to be comforted for her children,

Because they are no more.” (Jeremiah 31:15)

Today, I attended the funeral of Corporal Avraham Fetena, who was killed yesterday (Thursday) in an attack at a tunnel road security checkpoint in Jerusalem. This checkpoint, like others, was set up in an effort to prevent, as much as possible, terrorists from entering Jerusalem. People can sit in their vehicles at these locations for an extended period of time, as traffic can easily be backed up for a mile. Anyone who wants to commit an act of terrorism just needs to become part of the traffic jam, while everyone who is stuck in the traffic jam becomes a target with no place to turn and nowhere to run. Corporal Fetena was attached to the unit inspecting the vehicles at the checkpoint. A squad of three terrorists, residents of Hebron, were in a vehicle that was stopped at the checkpoint for inspection when they opened fire, injuring six. Fetena was one of them and he later died from his wounds. The three terrorists were killed. Security sources in Israel reported that this was a failed attempt by Hamas to commit a broader attack inside Jerusalem. When their car was later examined, it was found to contain what looked like IDF uniforms, axes, weapons and ammunition capable of carrying out a wide-scale attack.

The funeral for Corporal Fetena took place at the military cemetery in Haifa. It was attended by multitudes -military personnel, as well as civilians, family, friends and members of the Messianic community. The coffin draped with the Israeli flag was brought in and carried by a special unit of the IDF, who were followed by members of the grieving family. The officer who was in charge of the funeral recounted Fetena’s faithful service and that his heroic action saved the lives of many others. As different Officers spoke or otherwise participated in the service, it was impossible to hold back tears, mine as well as those of others. Some of the soldiers were visibly shaken, while others tried to comfort them. Members of Fetena’s unit were also present, one of them being the daughter of the secretary in my office. When the shots were fired from the 3-volley salute, the sound seemed to reverberate, as it brought home the reality of the present war that has gripped both the hearts and minds of the nation. When Fetena’s father stood to recite the Mourner’s Kadish (an Aramaic term meaning “sanctification” – from the Hebrew word “Kadosh” = holy) , his prayer was mixed with tears and sorrow, his voice cracked and at the end, it was clear that he was broken, as we all were. Throughout the service, tears flowed freely, but the pain of loss was clearly felt by all. Rachel is still weeping for her children.

While at the military cemetery, I had a chance to look at the inscriptions on many graves. Each life represented was a silent world. One gravestone in particular caught my attention. I covered identifying information. But, look at the date on the bottom left: 7 October, 1973. He was killed in action 50 years earlier in the Yom Kippur War on the same day of the Gregorian Calendar that Hamas broke through the barrier fence and massacred in Israel over 1,400 people. On the bottom left corner are five Hebrew letters, which mean “may his life be bound up in the bundle of the living” based upon 1 Samuel 25:29, which is a prayer of faith in the eternal life of the soul.

Despite the pain, anguish and abiding sense of loss, we do not grieve as those who have no hope (1 Thess. 4:13). For those who are absent from the Body are present with the Lord (1 Cor. 5:8), in Whose presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11).

We say that “a picture is worth a thousand words”. So, in order to save a thousand words, I am attaching a photo of Yehya Sinwar holding a child. While the child, dressed like a Hamas terrorist, appears to be holding a rifle, it you look closely at the photo, you can see that Sinwar is actually holding the weapon with his finger on the trigger. This is how Hamas wants to train up the next generation. The title of the article, in Hebrew, is: “IN A WAR WITH SATAN ONE SHOULD NOT (literally – it is forbidden to) BLINK: THE FINAL AND JUSTIFIED GOAL OF THE WAR – THE ELIMINATION OF HAMAS”.

The article then discusses the reasonable likelihood that the dead body of a female hostage,  that was found by forces of the IDF operating in the Gaza Strip, will not be the last one. The IDF is meticulously searching for indications that the hostages were taken to hospitals in Gaza and that some were treated there. Rumors are circulating that a multitude of corpses were found in the area of one of the hospitals and that those bodies were removed to the forensic lab in Israel in an effort to identify them. According to unpublished reports, the number of bodies could be close to 200. If these bodies are, in fact, of those taken hostage by Hamas, then our entire understanding of the number of people kidnapped needs to change.

Present estimates are consistently that some 240 (give or take) people were taken hostage. Hamas is “offering” to exchange 50 hostages, while the “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad holds about 40 more. That gives us 90. Unaffiliated, civilian mobs are said to be holding another 20. That gives us 110. If another 200 dead bodies were found and will be identified as Israeli and/or those non-Israelis who were taken captive with the others on 7th October, then the number reaches 310, not 240. The extent of the atrocities only gets worse.

Then there are the crimes that took place on 7th October that tend to be ignored during a time of war, such as rape. Some do try to speak out against them. Others sometimes attempt to justify them. Evil takes many forms, some active, some passive.

The Genesis War:Israeli Journalist and former Israeli Ambassador to Italy, Dior Eydar, wrote an excellent article today in Israel Hayom and suggested that this war should be called “the Genesis War”, “not only because it broke out when we finished the Torah cycle and started over from the beginning, but because the terrible events forced us to abandon many of our old conceptions and views and pick up from scratch”  and that everything that took place before 7th October should be considered “BO7” . We are now living in “a completely different era from the one we knew previously.” This is actually a reasonable designation. He relates to the events and the stories of bravery that took place during the War of Independence and adds:

“And then there is the heroism of mothers and fathers who bury their sons and daughters. At the most difficult moment in their lives, they ask us all to unite, to love each other, to show restraint, and not give in to the inclination that pushes us to blame the other, whoever that other may be, and leads us to disunity. This is the most important thing now. There will be plenty of time to investigate, argue and fight after the war. Now we must focus on our goal: the destruction of Hamas and the return of the hostages. Harsh talk among ourselves will not help, it will hurt the spirit of our soldiers. This is therefore an issue of paramount security importance. ‘And the soldier emerges and leaps / And in his voice the cry of his mother’ ([Nathan] Alterman, “In Praise of Darkness”). May we be worthy of their sacrifice.” Amen! Thank you, Dror Eydar, for these necessary words of encouragement!

The Gaza Strip is now almost divided into north and south. As a suggestion to those who want to see a two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, let each side set up a state – the north, which is now under the control of the IDF, could become part of Israel (it was actually all given to Israel during the days of Joshua) and the south can, well, as least temporarily, become the place to set up a separate “Palestinian” state. In fact, all of their cousins in Judea and Samaria can join them there. I must admit, the thought of a two-state Gaza Strip is not original. See the cartoon in the November 12th Hebrew edition of Israel Hayom. Scroll to the right to page 26 or look for number 26 on the bottom of the page when you click on the link.

This just in from All Israel News: Israeli leaders are being asked to share with others an urgent request to pray, in an effort to help evacuate Arab Christians out of Gaza, about 1,000 of them, into the West Bank immediately – as they would face genocide by Hamas if they are forced to move south.

Please remember to pray: for the IDF wherever they serve; for the hostages who are still alive; for the families of the soldiers killed in action and of those taken hostage; for the wounded (whose numbers are not yet published); for the government and for all of the decisions that need to be made that will affect not only our lives, but yours, as well.

Shabbat Shalom! 

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Shalom all,

As of this writing, the number of Israeli soldiers killed in action since the beginning of the ground offensive stands at 51. 

As the war draws to a close on its 41st day, news reached us that a brother in the Lord who was a member of a local congregation in Haifa fell victim this morning to a terrorist’s bullet. Many of the members of the congregation are personally known to us and this loss hits close to home. Please pray for the family of  “A.F.” during this difficult time of loss. He was 20 years old. The funeral will be held tomorrow at the Military Cemetery in Haifa.

The fighting continues in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, including both in and around Al-Shifa Hospital, which is the largest hospital in the enclave that consists of several buildings. Units of the IDF were going building by building and checking floor by floor, while medical staff and hundreds of patients were still present. According to the IDF Spokesman, so far, not a single member of the medical staff was injured in this activity.

The IDF found laptop computers left behind by Hamas that contained significant information, as well as photos of hostages taken after they were kidnapped and taken to Gaza. In addition, stockpiles of weaponry were found, along with a map showing points of entry to, and exits from, the hospital. The IDF spokesman for foreign media said, “At the end of the day, this is just the tip of the iceberg…Hamas aren’t here because they saw we were coming. This [the items found] is probably what they were forced to leave behind. Our assessment is that there’s much more.”

A team from the BBC accompanied the IDF forces going through areas of Al-Shifa Hospital. Ynet News stated that “The report [of the BBC team] said that the soldiers operate with the understanding that there are many more terrorist infrastructures in the compound that are well buried. Already now, after scanning some of the buildings, weapons, intelligence materials, including information related to the events of October 7, military technologies and military equipment, command posts and means of communication all belonging to Hamas have been located….From the moment the hospitals were exposed a few weeks ago, Hamas worked to hide terrorist infrastructure and hide evidence. It is a complex, ongoing and developing activity led by a special unit and new information is constantly being discovered.” The use by Hamas of hospitals as a terror base is a clear violation of international law! But, nobody is doing anything about it.

Among the many things “discovered” was the body of 65-year old Yehudit Weiss, who was one of the hostages taken by Hamas and murdered in Gaza. At the time she was abducted, she was in the middle of treatment for breast cancer. Yehudit’s husband, Shmulik, was murdered in the terrorist massacre at Kibbutz Be’eri. They had five children and five grandchildren. Yehudit completed her studies as a nurse and worked with young children at Kibbutz. Her body was found in a building adjacent to the Al-Shifa Hospital. Following the discovery of Yehudit’s body, the IDF issued a statement, which included, in part: “The national task before our eyes is to locate the missing and return the abducted persons home.”

One of the women who was taken hostage was pregnant and gave birth while in captivity in Gaza. A million thoughts must be going through her mind, as well as the minds of other hostages who may be near her and aware of the birth. Questions arise concerning the well-being of the mother and of the child, of the trauma that must be experienced by members of the family who were looking forward to the arrival of the newborn. What can be done? Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, wrote a letter to Jill Biden, the wife of the U.S. President, stating: “You can only imagine, as I do, what must be going through the young mother’s mind as she is being held with her newborn by these murderers…Hamas also abducted a 10-month-old. A baby. He became kidnapped even before he learned how to walk or talk…We must speak out on behalf of these children [her letter referred also to the 32 children being held hostage by Hamas]…We must call for the immediate release of them and all those being held…This nightmare that began over a month ago must end. These children need our help.” Mrs. Netanyahu sent letters also to the wives of the French President and the British Prime Minister. Maybe you know someone who could, and would be willing to, help.

As the war continues, there are occasional events that will bring a smile to our faces. One of them is that the Israeli Air Force destroyed the home of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Hamas politburo. Haniyeh spends most of his time in a luxury hotel in Qatar, where he maintains an office, protected by the Qataris. We all remember Qatar … the country that is acting as the “impartial mediator” in the “negotiations” for the release of the hostages, in exchange for no small price that Israel will be requested to pay. But, former Israeli Chief of Staff and member of the present War Cabinet, Benny Gantz, said that Israel will eliminate ALL of the Hamas leaders who were responsible for the massacre of Black Saturday, whether they are in Gaza or found elsewhere in the world. Haniyeh’s people destroyed the homes, and lives, of many Israelis. It is only fitting and proper that Israel will destroy Haniyeh’s home, as well as those of other Hamas leaders, and, eventually, the Hamasnikim as well. So, Ismail Haniyeh, your days are numbered … and may that number be small!

Reports from various sources say that Hamas has agreed, in principle, to the release of 50 women and children. The “demand” on Israel is for a 3 to 5 day pause in the fighting and the release of an unspecified number of “Palestinians” held in Israeli prisons. Israel has yet to agree to this. It needs to be remembered that Israel has repeatedly said that there will be no pause in the fighting without the return of ALL of the hostages. The relatives of the hostages are divided in their demands. Some want their loved ones back, no matter what and whatever the cost, even if means that a partial deal is worked out. Others want ALL of them back. As one mother said: “How can I look my neighbor in the eyes if my daughter is returned, but her son continues to be held hostage?” The big question is whether the government will yield to internal, as well as external, pressure and agree to a ceasefire in exchange for the return of only some of the hostages, or whether it will follow through with its oft-repeated commitment to the nation not to stop fighting unless ALL the hostages are returned. As long as the “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad still refuses to return the hostages who are held by it, and we don’t even know the non-affiliated Gazans who are holding about 20 of the hostages, the government cannot follow through on its “commitment”.

The war is far from over, but governments, ours and others, are busying themselves with “the day after” – what will be the fate of the Gaza Strip when the war is over? Politicians so often try to put the cart before the horse. But, at some point, we will need an answer. So, here is a suggestion:

The Dry Bones Blog <blog@mrdrybones.com>, 1 November, 2023

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

Shalom all,

The Gaza “Under” Gaza: From the time that Hamas came into power in the Gaza Strip, it has devoted countless financial resources to building a maze of underground tunnels. The tunnel system covers literally hundreds of miles, most of which connect under Gaza City, where Hamas established its legislative building and command centers. The tunnels can be found under almost every type of structure, with entrances through hospitals, mosques, schools, hotels, private homes, stores, gardens and other places. The tunnels serve every aspect of terrorism, with headquarters, living facilities, weapons caches and weapon-manufacturing facilities, along with plumbing, electricity, and staircases, among other things. The interlocking tunnel passageways allow Hamas operatives to moving freely, without notice, to locations from which they can attack IDF units and then crawl back into their holes. The tunnel system is estimated to have cost over a billion dollars.

Now, the IDF is preparing to engage Hamas terrorists inside the tunnels. They have prepared for this, having constructed its own system of underground tunnels based on what it discovered in Gaza. Brigadier General Amir Aviva walked through one of the corridors, accompanied by Adva Dadon, an investigative journalist with one of the major news stations here. She wrote that as the IDF continues its offensive and controls more territory in the Gaza enclave, “it becomes clearer that all that intelligence knew about the [Hamas] tunnel system does not come close to what has been discovered in the field.”

It needs to be remembered that Hamas booby-trapped many of the tunnels and extreme caution will need to be exercised in the IDF’s efforts to pursue Hamas operatives in the latter’s playing field.

One more note about the tunnel system and the hostages: It is clear that the hostages were moved through the tunnels to some locations. It should also be clear that some of the tunnels have “exit points” far removed from Gaza City, where much of the fighting is now concentrated. It is quite possible that Yehya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, has already used the tunnel system to distance himself from the IDF. And, if this turns out to be the case, then it could well be that many of the hostages have also been removed to some location far removed from Shifa Hospital where fighting is taking place. Much prayer is needed for wisdom for the IDF in all matters related to “tunnel warfare” in the “tunnel city under the city”. 

Communities attacked by Hamas:Contrary to what Hamas and its ilk try to convey, the more than 1,400 people who were killed by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and various “unaffiliated, and unknown, mob families”, were not actors in a movie, but were real people. When their lives were cut short, the lives of their families, friends, neighbors and co-workers, among others, were brought to a standstill. However, when approximately 240 people were take hostage by Hamas, the lives of multitudes were stirred into action, in order to bring about their release. Numbers alone are not enough. A photo of a hostage may not be enough. Numbers and photos together have a greater impact. But, even then, it may not be enough. So, many try to come up with another fact, another relationship, another location, another name that adds to the formation of an unfolding picture of the magnitude and impact created by the hostage situation.

One such development is a website that “maps” the locations of the communities that were attacked, that allows an aerial “entry” of sorts into the community, that shows who were killed, who were taken hostage and who are missing. Click on Oct7map.com to start to put places together with names, together with status (killed, taken hostage, or killed while on duty in the IDF). It will open to “Mapping the Massacres” and show the names of many of the different communities that were attacked. The “red” dots refer to those who were killed; the “black spots” refer to those who were taken captive. On the left side of each location is a description of that particular community and a list of the names of those taken hostage, those murdered and those of the IDF who were killed there. Even a brief look at the community “maps” shows that Hamas did not take a leisurely stroll down Main Street, but went house by house, murdering inhabitants, raping, burning, dismembering and brutalizing their victims, as well as taking hundreds captive to Gaza.

The BBC bloops more bias, again. Did you hear of the BBC “editorial error” in saying that the I.D.F. targeted medical staffs and Arabic speakers in Shifa Hospital? They corrected it saying they should have commented that the I.D.F. included medical staffs and Arabic speakers, as they went to Shifa Hospital. It appears that the BBC tried to “translate” English to English. It’s not a translation mistake into English from Hebrew or Arabic. They received the report in English. How could this possibly be “an editorial ‘error’”? This is clearly biased reporting to an audience that relies on what comes out from the tube, without checking the “facts” by themselves. Whatever happened to honest, factual reporting? Lucy Aharish, an Israeli Arab, who was the anchor on Channel 13 News when the wrongful BBC report about the hospital was discussed, said it was inconceivable that they would even think that Israel is capable of targeting medical staff and Arabic speakers.

Let’s add some more “biased reporting” to the above. Yesterday, the largest pro-Israel rally took place in Washington, D.C., with close to 300,000 people attending. World Israel News reported that “The media insisted on claiming that only tens of thousands showed up and provided less coverage than they did to hundreds of anti-Israel protesters” and “This bias is as obvious as it is inevitable. The AP has put out its wire stories falsely claiming that only tens of thousands attended. In sharp contrast to the pro-Hamas ‘ceasefire’ rallies, there were no arrests and no fights with police officers. And no monuments were defaced.”

The Puppeteer lets the Puppet pull its own strings:It took more than four decades for the Iranian built terrorist Axis of Resistance with Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthis in Yemen, to oppose both Israeli and American power in the Middle East. Terror groups backed by Iran in Iraq and Syria have targeted U.S. forces have been attacked by Iran-backed terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria, while missiles and drones have been launched against Israel by the Houthis. 

During a meeting in Tehran earlier this month, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Kahmenei, told Ismail Haniyeh, one of the senior leaders of Hamas, that because Hamas failed to inform Iran of the October 7th attack on Israel, Tehran was going to sit this one out and not get directly involvedin the war on Hamas’s behalf, unlessit is attacked, in which event everything will change.

Hamas also failed to inform its cousins, the Hezbollah, who were also taken by surprise by the devastating assault on Israel and had to quickly mobilize some of its fighters upon waking up to the news of war. The Lebanese terrorist organization is, without doubt, the most powerful of the axis alliances (after Iran), with an estimated 100,000 fighters. Cross-border incidents have occurred almost daily since the beginning of the war and it has lost dozens of fighters. Even though the Hezbollah has escalated its attacks in recent days, including today with a rocket barrage with over 20 launches today, it has more or less confined its attacks to areas close to the border between Lebanon and Israel. Despite the urgings of Hamas for Hezbollah to take a more active role, taking into account its missile arsenal that is estimated to be over 110,000 – all of which are pointed in the direction of Israel, it has not consented to expand its present involvement. It seems that even Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of the Hezbollah, who is constantly threatening Israel, realizes that an active war against Israel at this time would be disastrous for Lebanon as a country.

It’s been a busy day, with more reports about Qatar seeking the release of some 50 hostages in exchange for a 3-day truce. According to some media sources, the release of ALL the hostages is not presently under discussion. 

We need to continue in prayer. The battle is far from over.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

As of this writing, the number of Israeli soldiers killed in action since the beginning of the ground offensive stands at 48. 

The war: In addition to capturing the building housing the parliament of Hamas, members of the elite Golani Brigade also captured the Hamas military headquarters and displayed the Israel flag. The IDF is moving slowly and cautiously, but steadily, striking some 200 Hamas targets since yesterday. These targets included naval assets, command posts, anti-tank missile launch pads and weapons product facilities. This same unit. the Golan Brigade, lost 41 of its members in the Hamas massacre of Black Saturday. 

As a result of the advances made by the IDF in the northern Gaza Strip, the frequency and number of rockets launched from the enclave have diminished considerably, although not entirely, as Hamas still managed to fire off a number of missiles towards Ashkelon today, as well as towards Tel Aviv, south and central Israel. It’s cousin, the Hezbollah, continues to be an increasing annoyance in the north, causing the IDF to become occupied in retaliatory strikes.

The IDF is highly motivated in pursuing the twin goals of eliminating Hamas and returning all of the hostages who were taken captive on 7th October. After Rantisi Children’s Hospital came under the control of Israeli forces, a tunnel was discovered under the hospital, which is believed to be one of the locations where the hostages, or at least some of the younger hostages, were held. On the floor of the basement, the IDF found diapers, a baby bottle, women’s clothing and a rope tied to a chair. In the same location, among other things, a cache of weapons was discovered, including rockets, grenades and explosive belts. The tunnel led to the home of a senior Hamas naval commander. A 6-minute video of a walk-through of the tunnel by the IDF Spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, is included in this report .

Hostages: The on again – off again “negotiations” regarding the release of the hostages still leaves the Israeli public without answers regarding the whereabouts of the hostages and their physical condition. While the International Red Cross is supposed to finally get into the picture, it is doubtful that it will accomplish much. The negotiations are complicated by the number and identity of the “players”. It is believed that of the 238 individuals being held hostage (one less than yesterday, following the disclosure that one was killed – apparently after being abducted), Hamas is holding about 180, some 40 are being held by “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad (“PIJ”) and about 20 are being held by unaffiliated, and unknown, mob families. While some reports indicate that a deal can be reached within the next few days, that report, like many before it, appears to be unfounded, at least for the moment. Approximately two hours before the posting of this update, Ziad Nakhaleh, the PIJ chief, said that “the conduct of negotiations with regard to the hostages that we detain and Israel’s reactions will probably push the Islamic Jihad out of the deal…Islamic Jihad can keep its hostages [while waiting] for better conditions.” The “conditions” mentioned by Nakhaleh remain undisclosed. And, after 5 and a half weeks of war, the identities and fate of most of the hostages held by Hamas, the PIJ and the “unaffiliated, and unknown, mob families” remain unknown.

Notwithstanding the position taken by the PIJ, according to a report by the Reuters News Agency and Israel Hayom , the spokesman for the armed wing of Hamas (headed up by Yehya Sinwar, who is Number 1 on Israel’s “Most Wanted List”), said that the terrorist group discussed the freeing of 70 hostages in exchange for a 5-day truce, which “should include a complete ceasefire and allow aid and humanitarian relief everywhere in the Gaza Strip.” The Jerusalem Post put it slightly differently, reporting that Hamas said that it was “ready to release up to 70 women and children held in Gaza”in exchange for a five-day truce with Israel . 

The number of hostages agreed to be released by Hamas increases with the IDF’s military gains, which is an excellent reason for Israel to keep the pressure on and not make any concessions. However, the demand by relatives and non-relatives for the return of the hostages is becoming more vocal daily and they are lashing out at the government, believing that Israel is not pursuing serious negotiations to free the hostages. Efforts to gain international support are also increasing, as photos of the hostages are being posted on web sites, social media, lamp posts, bulletin boards, trucks and on a vast number of other locations. Yet, the Israeli government has repeatedly indicated that there will be no break in the fighting without the return of ALL the hostages. With some hostages being held by two terrorist organizations and some by a number of “unaffiliated, and unknown, mob families”, the question naturally arises whether the release of ALL of the hostages is even possible. 

Who we are missing!! Photos of the hostages, from the youngest to the oldest, male, female, civilian and military, Jew and non-Jew are being printed, distributed and posted in countries around the world. The efforts of the families affected and those who are working alongside with them want these pictures to be part of everyone’s thoughts. A photo array can be seen here. But, not everyone wants the posters to be displayed and there are widespread, ongoing efforts to remove the posters, or tear them down. As noted by Emily Benedek, in her article The Art of the Teardown, appearing in Tablet Magazine, where she quotes another writer: “There is no possible justification for such heartlessness,” wrote Jeff Jacoby in The Boston Globe. “The whole purpose of the fliers is to heighten awareness of the Israeli (and other) civilians kidnapped by the Hamas terror squads—to put names and faces to the hostages, all with one goal: to bring them back home. How can a project so heartfelt and humane trigger such a poisonous response?

“The barbarity of the Hamas attack on innocents was thus impossible for those who hate Jews to process, so they didn’t. Rather, they attempted to deny the evidence by throwing away photos of the real-life Jewish victims, in a vain yet chilling attempt to resolve their own logical impasses. “Precisely because the massacre and abductions had been so unspeakably horrific, Jeff Jacoby wrote, “it was necessary to reinforce the narrative of Jewish villainy.”

Her article is worth reading, as it gives an insight into the mindset of the anti-Israel and pro-“Palestinian” throng, and reveals various reasons concocted by people in an attempt to justify their efforts to remove from sight, and therefore from mind, the reality that war crimes were committed by Hamas, by “Palestinian” Islamic Jihad, and by presently nameless “Palestinians”, who aligned themselves fully and completely with the atrocities committed on Black Saturday.

Keeping the focus on the real inhumanity: In a further effort to keep the atrocities of the 7th of October in the forefront of the eyes and minds of people who can influence other people, Israel screened a video of the slaughter and barbarity to members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The screening of the approximately 45-minute graphic video was organized by the House Foreign Affairs Committee. It left lawmakers stunned and in shock. Some were visibly shaken, others were openly crying and trying to comfort one another. Some left the screening in tears shortly after it began. Present at the screening were some members of the House who are pushing for a ceasefire in the present Gaza war. 

At least for some of those who were in attendance, the screening accomplished its purpose. According to Jewish Insider, one representative commented: “How anyone could call for a cease-fire after watching that — they’re not understanding what is actually happening.” Another representative said, in part: “Seeing the video footage of people celebrating the killing of Jews shows what we’re up against. And the fact that anybody would encourage or condone what Hamas did that day. It’s outrageous…It’s unbelievable seeing footage like that in the year 2023, in places we’ve all been.” Many compared the content of the video to the Holocaust, while some responded with “Never Again” and “Israel must do everything it needs to do to obliterate Hamas. Period”, as well as “I think it’s important to see and to make sure that our colleagues see because there should be no mistake about what Hamas is.” The U.S. Senate will be given the opportunity to see the video and experience its own abhorrence and revulsion this coming Thursday.

Maybe after both houses of Congress have viewed the barbarity of Hamas in real time, and the atrocities will be imprinted in their memory banks, that they will act to decrease the pressure from the U.S. for Israel to be kind to our local terrorists.

The Dry Bones Blog, 24 October, 2023 <blog@mrdrybones.com>

And lastly, a timely word of wisdom about … bacon!

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing!

Marvin

When Hamas took over control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, it established its Legislative Council in a building that came under the exclusive use and control of Hamas since then.

The IDF’s Golani Brigade today captured and took over the Hamas parliament building. Attached is a photo of the unit in the hall of the Legislative Council, holding an Israeli flag. THIS IS A MAJOR VICTORY FOR THE IDF AND AN EMBARRASSMENT AND SERIOUS “LOSS OF FACE” FOR HAMAS.

Also, the IDF took over the Rantisi Children’s Hospital, where some of the hostages were held. In the basement of the hospital, they found significant weaponry in one of the rooms, which seriously endangered the well-being of those being treated in the hospital. They also found a hatch leading to a tunnel built under the hospital. Funding for the hospital came, in part, from The World Health Organization. The IDF reasonably believes that the very young children who were taken hostage were held in the basement of the hospital.

It is clear that if, in fact, some of the youngest hostages were being held in Rantisi Hospital, they have been moved, possibly to one of the other two hospitals in Gaza, or worse, to other locations within the vast tunnel system. It is worth repeating that the taking of civilian hostages, including children, is a war crime! If there was any doubt before, it should be clear now that any halt in the fighting will undoubtedly enable Hamas to move the hostages as far away from the iDF as possible. 

We STILL don’t know where the hostages are, or how they are. In short, despite the military successes in the Gaza War, we STILL have NO INFORMATION about the hostages. This is OUR HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.

We need to continue to pray for victory against the forces of evil from our southwestern border.

Marvin

Shalom all,

As of this writing, the number of IDF members reported to be killed since the beginning of the ground offensive is 48! The heart is broken … the soul weeps.

A hospital is the last place one would normally expect to conduct warfare, unless, of course, the fighting takes place in Gaza City and the hospitals are used as military staging areas by Hamas. Major hospitals in that city had become places for storing weapons, including anti-tank missiles. A squad of over 20 terrorists operating in the area of the Al-Quds hospital (Gaza City’s second largest hospital after the Al Shifa Hospital) was eliminated today by the IDF. A terrorist leaving the hospital building with an RPG can be seen in the video that is part of the attached article . Israel has maintained that Hamas established command centers under and around hospitals, fully aware that Israel would exercise restraint and not fire upon hospitals. Believe it or not, the European Union actually “condemns the use of hospitals and civilians as human shields by Hamas” . Hamas, of course, denies using hospitals and civilians as human shields. But, as everyone should have learned by now, nothing coming out from Hamas is the be believed. In the same breath that the EU condemns Hamas, its foreign policy chief, Josep Morrell, reminded Israel of its obligation under to protect hospitals, among other things. Somewhere along the line, all of those countries urging Israel to be “kind to your enemy” forget that in an ongoing military conflict, every place used by combatants from which to wage war becomes a legitimate target. If civilians are used by Hamas as human shields, Hamas, and not Israel, is to blame if they are killed.

Fighting continues in the streets surrounding Al Shifa Hospital. Israel asserts after Hamas took control of the Gaza enclave, it built several floors under the hospital over the last 16 years and attached it to a vast underground tunnel network, able to accommodate for an extended period of time hundreds of terrorists, store weaponry, food and medical supplies. According to Israel, the facilities under Shifa Hospital are used as a major command center for Hamas, from which it also directs rocket fire on Israel. While expressing concerns of the Biden administration over potential civilian casualties in the IDF’s operation at Shifa Hospital, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also stated, “The United States does not want to see firefights in hospitals where innocent people, patients receiving medical care, are caught in the crossfire”, but also appeared to back Israel’s claims regarding the use of the hospital by Hamas: “Without getting into intelligence information, we can just look at the open source reporting that Hamas is using hospitals as it uses many facilities for command-and-control, for weapons storage, to house its fighters, and this is a violation of the laws of war.” In case someone has not been paying attention, Hamas terrorists do not play by the “rules of war”.

And it appears that Israel is ready to pursue Hamas in the massive tunnel system built by the terrorist organization, that is also lined with explosives that can be detonated by remote control. We definitely need abundant prayer for the protection of every member of the IDF. You CAN do your part by petitioning before the One Who longs to be gracious to us (Isaiah 30:18)

Israel continues to be pressed to “do more” in providing humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza. Corridors protected by the IDF that allow residents from the north to move south, out of harm’s way, along with allowing dozens of truckloads of supplies through the crossing for Egypt, among other things, doesn’t seem to be enough to satisfy those accusing Israel of creating a humanitarian crisis.  Even when we offer to supply fuel to hospital in Gaza, Hamas rejects our offer.

The reknowned British journalist, Douglas Murray, has become one of the most energetic and effective spokesmen for Israeli advocacy. On an interview on Ynet Live, he spoke, among other things, about the anti-Israel hostility and demonstrations around the world and the tearing up of the posters of the abductees, which he said is “an unbelievable abomination”. He added: “I don’t remember when when the West was battling ISIS demands that we fuel ISIS’s war machine or give them electricity or any of those. There’s an obscenity about this whole discussion that goes on with the International Red Cross where they seem to think this is a conflict between two equal sides, rather than a terrorist group and a state and they demand that the state protects the terrorist group.” Although the article is in Hebrew, the interview is only about 9 minutes and is in English and it is worth viewing.

As I mentioned in recent updates, the northern front is definitely heating up, with more and more activity on the part of the Hezbollah terrorist organization. Rocket fire into northern areas of Israel, aimed at Acco (Acre) and the suburbs of Haifa, has increased, resulting in civilian casualties, as well as injury to members of the IDF. The Hezbollah is playing a very dangerous game, one which could easily ignite the region and spill over into a full-scale war – and second front – with that organization, as well as potentially with Syria.

It needs to be understood that if the cross-border incidents and rocket launchings from the Hezbollah had occurred before the 7th of October, there is a tremendous likelihood that Israel would have been involved in a out-and-out war with Hezbollah. Now, however, with Israel immersed in the war against Hamas in Gaza, it needs to exercise great wisdom and discernment concerning its potential involvement in its northern front. The rocket launchings are extending further and further south, with Israel responding in an effective, although more-or-less restrained manner. Nevertheless, with the Hezbollah’s encroachment into Israeli territory, Israel is responding in kind, reaching deeper into Lebanon and taking advantage of the military escalation to eliminate potential problem areas controlled by the Hezbollah. Israel has said that it does not want to enter into a war with the Hezbollah, and its Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, appears to have a similar attitude – at least for the moment. Nevertheless, it would seem that by its daily escalation, the Hezbollah wants to drag Israel into a full-scale military confrontation at some point. The question of the day is “when?”

Throughout the course of the day, Israel has had to deal with reports of soldiers being killed and wounded, as well as civilians. It continues to hear reports of negotiations to free “some of the hostages” being held by Hamas, although Hamas said that it was cutting off negotiations because of the IDF’s movements in and around Shifa Hospital. Relatives of hostages are clamoring for the release of their loved ones, almost at “all costs” – they want them back! And the war is affecting the work-force and the economy, as well as generating more and more antisemitism around the world. To paraphrase a fast-food commercial: “We deserve a break today!”

So, here are a few thoughts: Efraim Kishon was one of Israel’s most famous humorists. He was born in Budapest, Hungary, and a Holocaust survivor, who immigrated to Israel in 1949 and died in 2005. Some of his stories and remarks continue to be circulated over the internet, some of which include the following:

Israel is a country so tiny that there is no room to write its name on the world map. (Some Arab countries have already removed Israel from the map and redesignated the entire area of Israel as “Palestine” – whatever that is supposed to be. – my note)

Israel is a country where every human being is a soldier and every soldier is a human being.

Israel is the only country in the world where reservists are bossed around and commanded by officers, male and female, younger than their own children.

Israel is the only country in the world where inviting someone “out for a drink” means drinking cola, coffee or tea.

Israel is a country where everybody has the right to speak his mind, but there is no law forcing anybody to listen.

Israel is a country surrounded on all sides by enemies, but the people’s headaches are caused by the neighbors upstairs.

Israel is one of the few places in the world where the sun sets into the Mediterranean Sea .

Israel is the only country in the world whose soldiers eat three sets of salads a day, none of which contain any lettuce (which is not really a food), and where olives ARE a food and even a main course in a meal, rather than something one tosses into a martini.

Israel is the only country in the world where one is unlikely to dig a cellar without hitting ancient archeological artifacts.

Israel is the only country in the world where the graffiti are in Hebrew.

Israel is the only country in the world that has a National Book Week, during which almost everyone attends a book fair and buys books.

Israel is the only country in the world with bus drivers and taxi drivers who read Spinoza and Maimonides.

Israel is the only country in the world where no one cares what rules say when an important goal can be achieved by bending them.

Israel is the only country in the world where “small talk” consists of loud, angry debate over politics and religion.

Israel is the only country in the world where bank robbers kiss the Mezuzah (a small object placed on the doorposts of Jewish homes and rooms, containing a passage from Deuteronomy – my note) as they leave with their loot.

Israel is one of the few countries in the world that truly likes and admires the United States.

Israel is the only country in the world where everyone on a flight gets to know one another before the plane lands. In many cases, they also get to know the pilot and all about his health or marital problems.

Israel is the only country in the world where no one has a foreign accent because everyone has a foreign accent.

Israel is the only country in the world where people cuss using dirty words in Russian or Arabic because Hebrew has never developed them.

Israel is the only country in the world where patients visiting physicians end up giving the doctor advice.

Israel is the only country in the world where everyone strikes up conversations while waiting in lines.

Israel is the only country in the world where people call an attache case a “James Bond” and the “@” sign is called a “shtrudel”.

Israel is the only country in the world where there is the most mysterious and mystical calm ambience in the streets on Yom Kippur, which cannot be explained unless you have experienced it.

Sunsets in Jerusalem are gorgeous every evening.

Israel is the only country in the world where people read English, write Hebrew, and joke in Yiddish.

Israel is the only country where rockets have already exploded from Iraq, Katyushas from Lebanon, suicide bombers from Gaza and shells from Syria, and still a three-room apartment costs more than in Paris.

Israel is the only country where the man in the open shirt with the stain is the Honorable Minister, and the one next to him with the suit and tie is his driver.

Israel is the only country where it’s no problem to get computer software to fly spaceships, but you have to wait a week to get your washing machine fixed. And only here is the unit of time called “I will arrive between nine and six”.

Israel is the only country where 60-year-olds still hate the Sergeant from the army Squad.

Israel is the only country where the corporal’s mother has the platoon commander’s phone, and let him be careful.

Israel is the only country where you can tell what the security situation is by the songs on the radio.

Israel is the only country where the rich are on the socialist left, the poor are on the capitalist right, and the middle class pays everything.

Israel is the only country where on the first date you ask the girl where she served in the army and it turns out that she was more combative than you. 

Israel is the only country where there are exactly sixty seconds between the happiest day and the saddest day (Independence Day following the Memorial Day for our fallen in war and by terrorism – my note). 

Israel is the only country where if you hate politicians, hate bureaucrats, hate the situation, hate the taxes, hate the quality of service and hate the weather, it means that you love it.

Israel is the only country where most people are unable to explain why they live there, but they have many reasons why it is impossible to live somewhere else.

Food for thought! Yes, there’s more.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

Shalom all,

Reports abounded throughout the day yesterday on the major television news stations about negotiations for the release of hostages held by Hamas. Reports varied from station to station regarding the terms of the negotiations, one even saying that an agreement was reached for the release of 100 civilian hostages, in exchange for allowing fuel into the Gaza Strip, the release of “Palestinian” women and children being held by Israel, and a temporary halt in the fighting. The reports were interspersed with scenes of demonstrations in Israel calling for the release of the hostages, even to the point of “All for All”, namely all Israeli hostages for all Hamas, Islamic Jihad and “Palestinian” hostages held in Israeli jails, numbering approximately 6,000 prisoners. It was clear to all that such an exchange, namely: 240 hostages, civilians and military personnel for 6,000 prisoners, many with blood on their hands, was not going to happen. Nevertheless, the reports of a near agreement continued to be reported.

Later in the evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Galant and former IDF head and now Member of the War Cabinet, Benny Gantz, held a televised press conference and answered questions from the journalists who were present. Several points were brought out: P.M. Netanyahu said that no agreement has been reached for the release of the hostages and urged everyone not to listen to unauthorized reports regarding the same. He also repeated that there will be no halt in the war unless all of the hostages are returned. It was also noted that the IDF completely surrounded Gaza City, adding that “Hamas has lost control of the northern Gaza Strip. They have nowhere to hide; all Hamas are mortals. We will continue with all our might until victory.” He also said that government leaders accusing Israel of creating a humanitarian crisis have their facts wrong and don’t understand the situation here. But, at the end of the Press Conference, one of the photographers captured Gantz and Galant warmly shaking each other’s hands, while P.M. Netanyahu stood near the podium alone. The thought conveyed: A picture is worth a thousand words. The point is that politicians can make the speeches, but the army generals know how to conduct a war. We should let them do it. We should also stop explaining why we are fighting and just release to the world the gruesome videos, from the body cameras of Hamas, of the atrocities committed by them on the 7th of October. Let these videos cause sleepless nights to the government leaders and all those who want to tell us how to fight a war, or that we should stop fighting,

As noted, reports of the terms of the negotiations vary, not only by the television stations, but by representatives of foreign governments that are either “involved” in the negotiations, or have an ability to influence those actually doing the negotiating. As a result, they become privy to what no one else will know until the public is notified that an agreement has been reached. Points of the negotiations are then “leaked” in some manner to the media, who then make sweeping statements about what is being agreed to, only to later find out that the actual terms are different. There is a well-established saying is the legal community relating to contract negotiations: “If any point remains open, everything remains open.” Considering that the media has “revealed” at least a half dozen different versions of the terms for the release of the hostages, we see the truth of that legal adage once again.

I previously discussed the military and tactical reasons why a temporary cessation of fighting should not be agreed to. But, there are also serious social reasons why Israel should not agree to a partial return of the hostages. In all of the reports of the negotiations for release of the hostages, Hamas made it clear that only civilians would be released, while members of the IDF would still be held hostage. This could have disastrous consequences and a backlash from the general Israeli public. While family members hold up posters of their relatives who were abducted by Hamas, the general tenor of the demonstrations and demands is that ALL of the hostages need to be returned. If only civilians are released, Hamas would have a public relations victory in the eyes of the broader Arab community, who would believe that Hamas is still in control of the situation and able to dictate terms to Israel. It knows that the hostage situation is Israel’s weak point and it will play that card to the hilt. Moreover, if only civilians are released, the families of the IDF members being held hostage would be outraged. The present demonstrations would take on a different form, with potentially violent consequences. It could also seriously affect the morale and motivation of the soldiers who are fighting in Gaza for the return of ALL of those taken hostage, INCLUDING their comrades in arms. The IDF cannot be treated as “second-class citizens”. The reasons should be obvious.

In the meantime, Syria appears to have awakened to the fact that there is a war going on between its neighbor to the west (Lebanon) and its neighbor to the south (Israel) and its cousin in the more distant southwest (Gaza). So, in order to be an obedient puppet to its Iranian puppeteer, Syria launched a few missiles into Israel yesterday. Suffice it to say that Israel responded appropriately. 

But, this morning, the Hezbollah stepped up its involvement and fired anti-tank missiles near the Israel-Lebanon border, causing injuries to civilians and soldiers alike, saying that its strike was in support of “our brothers in the Gaza Strip”. Throughout the day, at least 15 rockets were also fired from Lebanon to large areas of northern Israel, including the suburbs of Haifa, causing sirens to blast in certain communities. Here, in Haifa, we felt the “booms” of the explosions of the rockets. As was mentioned in the press conference last night, if Israel will attack Beirut, it is because Hezbollah General Secretary, Hassan Nasrallah, has crossed a red line. The north is beginning a not-so-slow boil.

Anti-Israel demonstrations are taking place in cities all over the world. Signs and placards contain all kinds of expressions and photos against Israel and the Jewish people. One of the most popular is: Free Palestine.” A photo was posted on Instagram with a depiction of what a “free Palestine” looks like with the facts of the events of Black Saturday still fresh in our minds. Wake up, America! Wake up, world! This is not only our fight. It’s come to your doorstep, as well.

One of the recipients of these updates said that there is too much information to digest and suggested that these reports be kept shorter. So, at least for today, this is an abbreviated report.

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear?
The Lord is the defense of my life; whom should I dread?
2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
3 If an army encamps against me, my heart will not fear;
If war arises against me, in spite of this I am confident. (Psalm 27:1-3)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing,
Marvin

Shalom all,
Israel Update – Day 36 of the War.
My thanks to all who wrote and expressed concern when they did not receive the Update for Day 35. Despite my intention to send it out, for various reasons it was not possible to do so.

Urgent Prayer is requested for Amitai Argaman. “He and his team have been fighting inside the Gaza Strip for the past two weeks. Today the vehicle they were traveling in hit an explosive device and he was seriously injured. Both his legs were amputated. He is currently sedated and ventilated and the family was called to come to the hospital to be with him. He is in critical condition [and] the doctors are working to get him stabilized. The family has asked to share and to pray!” Amitai comes from a Believing family, whom we have known for many years. Please keep the rest of his family in your prayers as well.

The IDF reached the western shore of Gaza, planted an Israeli flag on the beach and sang “Hatikva” (“The Hope”), Israel’s national anthem <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AAgizFZoTk>.

According to The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting (“CAMERA”), one of the “freelance” reporters present with the invading Hamas terrorists on 7th October “openly identifies with Hamas’s political platform and is a rabid antisemite, who praises terrorists and expresses joy over the murder of innocent and unarmed Israelis.” CAMERA further noted that since the murderous onslaught on Black Saturday by Hamas, Hassan Eslaiah, who also is/was a supposed “freelancer” for CNN and AP, among others, has referred to “the beautiful thing about storming the settlements” and “Settlers hide inside a garbage container in fear of the warriors of al-Qassam battalions”, as well as “a rocket of the resistance directly hits a building in Ashkelon”. <https://www.jns.org/hassan-eslaiah-freelancer-for-cnn-ap-referred-to-beautiful-thing-about-storming-the-settlements/?_se=bWpwb2xvQGJib3guZnI%3D&utm> AP reported that since 7th November, it is no longer working with Eslaiah. I wonder whether the other media outlets that worked with Eslaiah and/or the other photo-“journalists”, who were present at the time of the Hamas incursion into Israeli territory, will follow suit and stop working with them. Those who live abroad would undoubtedly have a louder voice to oppose such “employment” than those who live in Israel. A short notice to media outlets such as CNN, The New York Times and Reuters, might cause them to rethink their policies regarding the “hiring” of people who refer to themselves as “freelance photo-journalists” (emphasis mine).

With the IDF deep inside Gaza, how is it possible after five weeks of fighting that Hamas is still able to fire rockets into Israel? This is a valid question, but the answer requires an understanding of the type of warfare conducted by Hamas for over 20 years and how Israel has responded to it. In short, Hamas continues to be able to launch rockets for five main reasons <see: https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b12jpkrm6?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referral&utm>: location of the rockets; its rocket arsenal that is not dependent upon the functionality of Hamas’s command centers; the policy of Hamas in the use of its fire power, which is designed to maximize the period of its use, while inflicting as much damage as possible to Israel; saving “face” in front of Arab countries by showing “strength” of resistance – as long as Hamas can fire rockets, it gives the appearance of being able to resist the military gains of the IDF; and the priorities of the IDF. In this last regard, the rocket attacks can be met by Israel’s Iron Dome and other anti-missile defenses. So, Israel wants to accomplish its military goals in the shortest time possible, while utilizing the least amount of resources. One of those goals is to find and “eliminate” Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas, which once accomplished, would undoubtedly bring about a speedy conclusion to this war with the return of all of the hostages. 

“Bearing Witness to the October 7th Massacre”  The Israeli government screened video footage of the Oct. 7 Hamas atrocities for approximately 200 people at the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, while demonstrations – for and against Israel – took place outside, necessitating the massive police presence and the deployment of a police helicopter overhead. Among the speakers at the event was Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, who, because of the film’s importance, flew in from New York. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Erdan said, among other things: “It will change the way you view the Middle East and the way you view the war in Gaza…Hamas, just like the Nazis and ISIS, view Jews as insects to be exterminated”, adding that the present war in Gaza is “only about ensuring that such atrocities never happen again…Hamas must be eradicated. This is the only way to prevent another massacre… If Israel doesn’t eradicate this evil, mark my words: The West is next.” <https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/hollywood-screening-bearing-witness-hamas-israel-attack-1235642773/> This is the essence of the message that Israel is trying to communicate to a world that lives in a fantasy land, that thinks that “evil” is far from them on some distant shore. If they don’t wake up soon, when they finally do wake up, it may be too late.The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit denied on Thursday that a leaked version of the film was circulating online, noting: “The film is screened in a limited manner to decision-makers, media and influencers in Israel and the world, subject to strict conditions and accompanied by an IDF representative or an authorized person on its behalf…The participants in the screening undertake to comply with the viewing conditions and sign a document in which they undertake not to photograph or distribute any part of the film. We ask the public to refrain from spreading false rumors and from forwarding and opening links that claim to contain the film.” <https://www.jns.org/hamas-horrors-of-oct-7-screened-in-hollywood/?> Efforts to release the film for viewing by the general public is facing opposition opposition here, primarily because of the mental and emotional consequences of being exposed to unfathamable violence and brutality.

An extraordinary, joint Islamic-Arab Summit is scheduled to take place today (Saturday, 11/11/2023), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, discuss the present Israel-Gaza war. It is expected that the goal of the summit will be to press the United States and Israel for an end to hostilities in Gaza. The list of attendees should be of interest to any following events in the Middle East, as well as the threats to destroy Israel, the false reporting about the war and the shift from the devastating atrocities committed by Hamas to the misunderstood efforts of Israel to protect itself by pursuing the elimination of Hamas. Attendees are expected to include, among other: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (remember: Qatar is leading the negotiations for the exchange of hostages being held by Hamas) and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (who was welcomed back into the Arab League this year, notwithstanding his governments killing of tens of thousands of Syrians, including the use of chemical weapons, during the Syrian uprising that began in 2011). Iran’s Raisi wants action, not words, regarding the Gaza war, while Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is accusing the IDF of targeting civilians. Just a reminder: The present war put a “hold” on the negotiations to “normalize” relations with Saudi Arabia – another potential “fair-weather” friend.

The Saudi Foreign ministry said that the joint summit “will be held in response to the exceptional circumstances taking place in the Palestinian Gaza Strip as countries feel the need to unify efforts and come out with a unified collective position.”

Interestingly, there is a lack of unity regarding whether all diplomatic ties with Israel should be cut off, or whether open channels of communication should continue with the present Israeli government. 

<https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-host-extraordinary-joint-islamic-arab-summit-riyadh-saturday-2023-11-10/>

“God, do not remain quiet; Do not be silent and, God, do not be still. For behold, Your enemies make an uproar and those who hate You have exalted themselves. They make shrewd plans against Your people and conspire together against Your treasured ones. They have said, ‘Come, and let’s wipe them out as a nation, so that the name of Israel will no longer be remembered.’ For they have conspired together with one mind; They make a covenant against You.” (Psalm 83:1-5 – emphasis mine) There is no overall agreement regarding who the modern-day nations are that are referred to in Asaph’s Psalm. Nevertheless, the reality is that there are some Arab countries that would rejoice in seeing Israel destroyed. But, when they’re plans will be frustrated, they will be “ashamed and dismayed forever…humiliated and perish, so that they will know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, are the Most High over all the earth” (Psalm 83:17-18).

Last note for now: Negotiations are ongoing for the release of some – NOT ALL – of the hostages (certainly not members of the IDF), in exchange for an extended cease fire, possibly up to 3 days. That would be disastrous!! To keep it simple, an extended “pause” in the fighting will allow Hamas to regroup, reorganize, restock items necessary for an extended stay in the vast network of tunnels, repair tunnels, reload rocket launchers and repair destroyed communication systems. But, more than anything else, it will allow Hamas operatives to move the hostages to other locations via its vast tunnel network. It would also demonstrate to the broader Arab community that Hamas is still “in charge” and is calling the shots. Despite all of the pressure in Israel to release the hostages, we must not allow for a piece-meal release. The effect of members of the IDF remaining as hostages of Hamas could have a devastating effect upon the morale and motivation of those presently following in Gaza. As this was about to be sent, there was a “breaking news” on Israeli television about a deal that was made for the release of 100 hostages. It is not yet clear exactly what we agreed to do for that release. More to follow after clarification.

“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” Moses built an altar and named it The LORD is My Banner; and he said, ‘The LORD has sworn; the LORD will have war against Amalek from generation to generation’.” (Exodus 17: 14-16). No matter how you want to look at it, THIS is a spiritual war being fought out in the flesh.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.
Marvin

Shalom all,
Israel Update – Day 34 of the War.

As of this writing, the number of Israeli soldiers killed in action since the beginning of the ground offensive stands at 39. 

Outrage! I don’t know any other way to describe my feelings after seeing news reports that photographers affiliated with well-known foreign media sources were present, together with Hamas terrorists, at the massacre that took place on 7th October, 2023. Did the foreign media get advance notice of the planned slaughter? Questions asked by the “Honest Reporting” watchdog – which locates and reports on anti-Israel bias in foreign media – include the following: “What were they doing there so early on what would ordinarily have been a quiet Saturday morning? Was it coordinated with Hamas? Did the respectable wire services, which published their photos, approve of their presence inside enemy territory, together with the terrorist infiltrators? Did the photojournalists who freelance for other media, like CNN and The New York Times, notify these outlets?” <https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/1699514898-ap-cnn-nyt-reuters-photographers-embedded-with-hamas-terrorists-on-oct-7> In addition to CNN and NYT, other media outlets that published photos of the invasion and the atrocities include AP and Reuters. According to “Honest Reporting”, the names of the photographers appeared in the photo credits. We can also ask whether these reporters received financial remuneration (i.e., monetary payment) from Hamas to be present and to publish the photos of the worst attack upon Jews since the Holocaust.

This poses a number of related issues: Their physical presence IN Israel, with Hamas terrorists, means that they crossed the border fence separating Israel from the Gaza enclave without receiving an entry visa – a crime in any country (crime number 1); their knowledge of a planned massacre and their encouragement of the terrorists by their presence and photo op, might implicate them as aiding and abetting in the commission of a crime, and they should be charged accordingly (crime number 2); to the extent that a murder is committed in the course of a felony (and here there were multiple felonies), those who participate in the felony can be found guilty of felony-murder, even if they themselves did not commit the murder (crime number 3). 

No matter how we look at it, at the very least, the photographers have to be viewed as accomplices to the massacre. This is more than just “doing their job” and “being at the right place at the right time” to get first-hand “scoops” of the atrocities. State Party Chairman and Minister Without Portfolio Benny Gantz, who joined an emergency government following the Oct. 7 massacre, put the matter in perspective and stated clearly: “Journalists found to have known about the massacre, and still chose to stand as idle bystanders while children were slaughtered – are no different than terrorists and should be treated as such.” <https://www.israelhayom.com/2023/11/09/did-hamas-alert-foreign-outlets-before-oct-7-horrors-israelis-outraged-after-media-watchdogs-report/>

The problem, of course, is one of jurisdiction. The crimes were committed in Israel by foreign photographers. It is doubtful that these same photographers would attempt to gain legitimate entry to Israel at this point, for fear of facing criminal prosecution. It is also reasonable to conclude that Israel will not seek the extradition of these photographers from their different countries of citizenship, so that they can stand trial in Israel.

This leaves us with the various news agencies themselves, who deny having had prior knowledge of the intended massacre and atrocities. Undoubtedly, they also paid the photographers for the photos and videos. How should Israel deal with them? Are they all to be given a “free pass” to report on, and photograph, events in Israel, FROM ISRAEL, when their excuse is: “We only report the news and information that we receive”? Or, “All the news that fits, we print!” After all, these “news agencies” exist to make a profit. Sensational news “sells”. When the audience is large, advertisers try to take advantage of the numbers and they pay the agencies to allow their goods and/or services to be part of the information that is broadcasted. Some news media ignored the findings of  “Honest Reporting” and chose not to report on them. This is due, possibly, to the fact that they don’t see any ethical problem with what the photographers and other news outlets did, or, even worse, because such a failure to comment speaks for itself about the anti-Israel bias inherent in most of the world’s media outlets.

On a different matter, today is the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) – an event that revealed “a raw evil unmasked and unashamed with no excuses presented and no justification advanced” <https://aish.com/48966511/?src=ac>. In its essence, it was a pogrom against the Jewish people by the paramilitary organization of  the Nazi Party, along with Hitler Youth and a multitude of German civilians throughout Nazi Germany on the night of 9th November (into the 10th of November), 1938. It is estimated that over 90 Jews were killed that night and Jewish homes, schools, synagogues and hospitals were smashed and that over 7,000 Jewish businesses were either destroyed or severely damaged. What should have been an eye-opener, revealing the “watershed event in the destruction of European Jewry” was reported by foreign journalists working in Germany, as it was happening. But, the event was passed over by the Western world which continued in its reverie until the evil appeared on their own doorsteps. Now, 85 years later, again we have to answer the question of whether we learned anything from history. Recent events, including anti-Israel demonstrations in many countries throughout the world, accompanied by rampant anti-Semitism, show that we are exhibiting the same hatred and rhetoric that were prevalent in Nazi Germany in the 1930’s. And the world turns a blind eye and a deaf ear to events unfolding in their own nations, just as the German authorities looked on as the events of Kristallnacht were unfolding … and did nothing. 

But, there are some who DO speak up. In receiving an Award of Courage from Los Angeles’ Holocaust Museum for his ongoing efforts confronting antisemitism, Arnold Schwarzenegger said, in part: “Education to fight antisemitism has been something I’ve cared about since I was a young man…There’s all this chatter out there and all this stuff and all this negativity and hatred that we have to speak up and confront them. The more we speak out about that issue, the better it is. So every day you have to talk about that, you have to talk about it over and over again.” He recalled that from his youth, he needed to fight against antisemitism and sees his opportunity as a Hollywood celebrity, to be “a public voice against antisemitism.” <https://aish.com/arnold-schwarzenegger-its-time-to-step-up/?src=ac>

The organization, Stop Antisemitism, reports on antisemites throughout the United States. It warns that if you tear notices about hostages, if you praise killers and terrorists on social media sites, or if you attack Jews, verbally or physically, there are consequences. The organization will publish their names to their employers and will inform them of the opinions and actions of the antisemites. The internet has a long memory and the names of the antisemites will pop up when they seek employment or go out on a date. And, as the organization points out, once these people are discovered, they look for excuses to justify their beliefs and actions. We see, sadly, that the same is not only true today, but it is increasing. Truly, the more things change … the more they remain the same.

Yesterday, I tried unsuccessfully to upload a short video of an IDF Paratroop Unit praying for the success of the war and blowing the shofar, before going out to fight. One of the recipients of these daily updates found the link for the video and forwarded it to me. I am now forwarding it to you: <https://youtu.be/Gb4tSvSMtX0?si=ME0yUKU3B2P3ua5W> You might want to continue with the video that follows, that shows how the murderous attach of Hamas began <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN6GUrPKvi4>. The one saying that all of the soldiers in the tank were taken captive is one of the photographers mentioned at the outset. The scenes of the attack are mostly from body cams of the terrorists.

Today’s update will close with this: 

Translation: Only in Israel can an 18 year old drive an 80 ton tank in a war, and still be defined as a young driver for the car insurance of mom’s Kia Piquanto.

A heartfelt “thanks” to all those who have written and encouraged and prayed: for the IDF, for the hostages, for the government, for the nation and for us. “When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even His enemies to be at peace with him.” (Proverbs 16:7). May this be true of the nation of Israel as well. The results will be mind-blowing.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.
Marvin

Shalom all,
Israel Update – Day 33 of the War.
The IDF has completely surrounded Gaza City and has destroyed a multitude of tunnel networks. In addition, rocket launchers were found in many civilian locations and were destroyed. This may account for the reduced rocket launches from Gaza during the last two days. May this trend continue until Hamas’s capability to launch even a single missile is eliminated. Israel’s goal in the war remains the same: the elimination of Hamas and the return of all of the hostages.

In the north, about 20 rockets were launched from Lebanon toward the Golan Heights and the Upper Galilee yesterday afternoon, as part of its increasing daily attacks upon locations in Israel. The IDF responded appropriately, striking targets belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization, including rocket launchers, a weapons warehouse and sites containing technological devices. The situation in the north is still volatile and it could flare up and explode, creating a situation not only of an active second front, but of a potential for active involvement of other players in the region. The IDF is keeping a very watchful eye on the actions of  the Hezbollah and is prepared to respond and follow through with its warnings that if Hezbollah joins the fray, it would be the biggest mistake of their lives. <https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-772112?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm>

In the midst of our fighting, there are concerns by different countries about Israel “reoccupying” Gaza. Some people are really “losing it” over our efforts to remove the evil from our doorstep. It doesn’t bother to stop and ask why we would ever want to occupy Gaza?  

Demonstrations are taking place in various places throughout the country, with signs to the effect of “All for All”, meaning a trade for all of the hostages, in exchange for releasing all of the “Palestinian” prisoners in Israel jails. We are talking about 6,000 prisoners being released in exchange for some 240 hostages. That proposal was a non-starter, as the government did not even give it a serious discussion. BUT, it was revealed that there are now ongoing negotiations to bring about the release of between 10 to 15 hostages, in exchange for a 1 or 2 day “humanitarian pause” in Gaza. Qatar, which has provided millions, if not billions, of dollars to the Gaza enclave, which ended up in the hands of Hamas, is leading the mediation efforts. According to an article in today’s Jerusalem Post and elsewhere, “The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said that they welcome the return of every person held hostage in Gaza, but they insisted that any move for a ceasefire must include the release of all of the hostages from Gaza.” <https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-772295?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm> A partial release of hostages, in exchange for even a 1-day “humanitarian pause” in the fighting will be contrary to repeated statements made by the war cabinet that no such pause will take place without all of the hostages being released. Agreeing to such a partial release would be disastrous from the point of public opinion and the morale of the soldiers fighting deep inside Gaza. They want to get the job done, not sit around for a day or two. During the Second Lebanon War, the IDF was pressing forward into Lebanon and the government told it to stop while political negotiations were taking place. During this “pause” in the fighting, the IDF became sitting targets and most of the soldiers who died during that war died during that break time. This should not be allowed to happen again. Israel needs to take a hard line and not give in to partial releases of the hostages. 

There are non-combatants who are casualties of war, every war. A speedy end to this war could save many lives. The number of reported deaths of civilians in Gaza is based on information received from Hamas. There is no independent verification. As in almost all of the conflicts between Israel and “Palestinian” terrorist organizations, countries and human rights groups complain about the number of Gaza casualties, claiming that it is a “disproportionate” response on the part of Israel. It’s time that this ridiculous claim is debunked. Attached is a link to an interview that is just over 2 minutes in length. It is worth the watch, as it puts to rest the absurd argument that fighting a war should be “proportionate”. <https://www.israelunwired.com/douglas-murray-should-israel-have-a-proportionate-response-to-hamas/?utm> It’s good to be able to make a clear defense of Israel’s position when challenged.

Demonstrations about civilian losses in war, on the other hand, can be disproportionate.

Rashida Tlaib, a Democratic member of the U.S. Congress who is very anti-Israel was finally censured by the House of Representatives over her anti-Israel comments. <https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/11/07/house-votes-censure-rashida-tlaib-anti-israel-comments/?utm_source=breaking_news_email> Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) stated that he would support the censure of Rep. Rashida Tlaib, in part because of her use of the slogan “From the river to the sea.” As Moskowitz stated it: “ ‘From the river to the sea’ means the destruction of Israel and everyone who’s in it, okay? Just like ‘Mein Kampf’ is not a coloring book and the final solution means exactly what Hitler meant it to mean. ‘From the river to the sea’ is calling for the destruction of an entire country, period, full stop. And so, look, the Congresswoman has a First Amendment right. She can say whatever she wants. But, at the same time, Congress has the ability to express their displeasure with a fellow colleague of ours calling for the destruction of a country.  What if we had someone going around saying, France should be wiped off the map? We would think that’s outrageous. But, somehow, ‘From the river to the sea’ is debatable. It is another ridiculous double standard when it comes to Israel.” <https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2023/11/07/moskowitz-id-support-censuring-tlaib-redefining-from-the-river-to-the-sea-like-saying-mein-kampf-a-coloring-book/&gt;

Enough about someone who hates Israel. I wanted to upload a video showing an IDF unit about to move into action. They are praying to God before entering into the battle. They are not religious, but they are calling upon the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to watch over them and protect them, with the leader of the group praying the Aaronic prayer (Numbers 6:24-26) and ending with the blowing of the shofar and then, “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One!” Due to a technical glitch, I could not upload it. I’ll try tomorrow.

For now, remember: Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

Shalom all,
Israel Update – Day 32 of the War.
It’s been a full month since the Hamas massacre that was perpetrated on Black Saturday, a day that will be etched in the memories of Israelis and, perhaps, others  around the world. 

Writing for The Times of Israel, Amir Ben-David stated, in part <https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-israel-we-knew-died-on-october-7-the-new-nation-will-be-scarred-for-generations/>: 

“A month ago, our world turned upside down. A month ago, the Israel that we had lived in until October 7 died. A month ago today, a new Israel was born.

“What it will come to look like is something we cannot imagine yet. But of one thing there is no doubt: the trauma of the Black Shabbat will leave the deepest of scars in the soul of this new nation. For decades, it will shape Israel’s character, its politics, the relations between its people, between its people and its enemies, between its people and the antisemites and Israel-hating Nazis around the world.”

The atrocities committed by Hamas have been documented and videos have been screened before particular audiences. Israel is still reeling from the shock, as family, friends, co-workers and even tourists have been killed, most of them brutally. One month has passed, a traditional time for mourning after a death, when the gravestone of the deceased is revealed. But, there are still dozens of corpses that have not been identified. In addition to those killed, thousands were wounded, many of whom later died as a result of their wounds. And, there are still 240 men, women and children, of all ages ranging from 10 months to those in their 80’s, as well as members of the IDF, who are being held hostage by Hamas. 

Cities and settlements throughout Israel dedicated this day, 7th November, 2023, as a day to pause and to stand in silence, or join in prayer, for the hostages. Posters of the photos, names and ages of the hostages are everywhere, not only in Israel, but in other places around the world. One community in Haifa (where we live) tied 240 chairs in a row on a long block with a photo and identification on each chair. On one of the sidewalks in Haifa, in Carmel Center, photos of the hostages were placed in front of a cultural center, with a pair of shoes next to each photo. This is reminiscent of the 60 pairs of shoes that mark the site in Budapest, Hungary, where fascist Arrow Cross militiamen shot Jews and threw their bodies into the river in 1944 and 1945l <https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/shoes-danube-bank-memorial-0#>. Attached are just a small group of photos of some of the hostages that were taken by Hamas:

But, there are antisemites and Israel haters who are offended that photos of the young children taken hostage are being posted in various locations throughout the world. In an excellent article appearing in Front Page Magazine, Daniel Greenfield points out, among other things: “The Students for Justice in Palestine chapter [in Drew University] finds it “triggering” to actually see posters of its victims and complains that they “delegitimize” Hamas. It’s traumatic for Hamas supporters to see their terrorist organization cast in a bad light for kidnapping kids.” <https://www.frontpagemag.com/posters-of-kidnapped-israeli-kids-are-traumatizing-hamas-supporters/> It is amazing how Israel haters turn everything upside down and make Israel the aggressor and Hamas terrorists as victims. I don’t want to take up space here to quote some of the arguments made to justify Islamic terrorism. I would strongly urge you to read Greenfield’s article. He cogently states: “What the story of the posters reveals is that any resistance to Islamic terrorism is unacceptable. A poster of kidnapped Israeli hostages is as bad as an Israeli air strike taking out a Hamas terrorist. To justify Hamas atrocities, their supporters, like Students for Justice in Palestine, must dehumanize Israelis as monsters, occupiers, soldiers and settlers, and any depiction of them as human, let alone images of kidnapped elderly women and children, must be suppressed.”

In televised messages to the nation this evening, the Minister of Defense, Yoav Galant, and Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, made the following key points: First, there will not be any “humanitarian pause” in the fighting without the return of the hostages. Second, Gaza will cease being a threat to Israel. Third, residents of Gaza City are listening to the instructions of the IDF and are heading south, to get out of harm’s way, some waving white flags. They are actually being protected by the IDF, which has provided a humanitarian corridor for the residents both yesterday, as well as today. You can read more here: <https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hjanhj007t#autoplay>.

A full month has passed since the slaughter that took place on 7th October, 2023. Our nation continues in agony over the dead, the wounded and the captives. Personal stories fill the public news channels and the social media that break the heart and numb the mind. Tears continue to flow throughout a nation that is trying to grasp the unfathomable. Shock turns to anguish over the fate of the hostages, now being held by Hamas for a month, and anguish turns to anger over the failure of the international community to push for the return of our hostages. Anger turns to disgust of, and disillusionment with, so-called “democratic governments” and “humanitarian organizations” throughout the world, who are more concerned with the plight of the people in Gaza – most of whom are aligned ideologically with Hamas – than they are about the release of the hostages. A month of military action and penetration deep into the heart of the Gaza Strip has so far failed to end the rocket attacks in the south and middle of Israel. The Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon continues to flex its muscles and slowly, but steadily, increases its cross-border attacks upon locations in the north. A quarter of a million Israelis have been displaced from their homes, making them refugees within our own country – a fact that severely affects the economies of local communities and the ability to make ends meet. Still, in the midst of all of that, Aliyah (immigration to Israel) is expected to grow considerably in the coming year. “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:15 – emphasis mine) 

Dr. Seth D. Postell, is a Messianic Jew. He is a former Assistant Professor of Old Testament at the Charles L. Feinberg Center for Messianic Jewish Studies (in partnership with Talbot School of Theology), and is currently a Lecturer in Biblical Studies at the Israel College of the Bible in Netanya, Israel. He gave me permission to quote from his Daily Devotion for today, in which he states, in part:

“You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. You shall not follow the masses in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after a multitude in order to pervert justice; nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his dispute” (Exod 23:1-3). 
“I find these ancient few verses uncannily relevant to recent events in our modern world. The word for “malicious” in Hebrew is “hamas” (v. 1). God urges his people not to buy into unsubstantiated accusations against the innocent, lest we unwittingly become “witnesses of hamas.” God urges us not to be swept into a mass frenzy of a morally confused mob, lest we “pervert justice” (v. 2). Finally, God urges us to not to automatically assume that a poor person is always the victim of oppression and injustice in every dispute (v. 3).
“This divided world of mutually exclusive ideologies has finally found one ideology they can all agree on: “Death to Israel!” But lest we too quickly point an accusing finger at the mass delusion of Ivy League “intellectuals” and the Islamists from Istanbul, let us consider how easily we are also persuaded by the twisted morals of this world when we spend most of our time in front of the television or surfing the internet. Media does not INFORM our understanding of the world; it FORMS our understanding of the world, ultimately impairing our ability to distinguish right from wrong. As believers, we must refuse to be conformed to the mob morality of this fallen world by actively meditating on the truth of his word (see Rom 12:2). ‘Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path’ (Ps 119:105).” Thank you, Seth. 

Please remember the IDF, the hostages and the families, who grieve over the loss of their loved ones and anguish over the lack of information regarding their relatives and friends who are still held as hostages by Hamas.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.
Marvin

Shalom all,

Israel Update – Day 31 of the War.

As of this writing, the number of Israeli soldiers killed in action since the beginning of the ground offensive stands at 34. The number of Israeli soldiers who have died since 7th October – Black Saturday – has reached 348. Most of them were killed on the first day of the war, fighting to free the Kibbutzim around the Gaza Strip.

For the first time since the start of the war, sirens were heard in the Western Galilee and as far south as the northern suburbs of Haifa.The heavy barrage of 30 rockets were launched from Lebanon. The Hamas terror group has some of its members in Lebanon and they immediately  claimed responsibility for the rocket barrage.<https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bkip0lu7t> It is more likely, however, that the Hezbollah fired the rockets, as they have been irritating the IDF with on-again off-again missile attacks, primarily in the far north of Israel. 

Speaking of missiles, Israel eliminated a terrorist cell in Tulkarm, a city in the region of Judea and Samaria. The cell was planning to launch missiles into Israeli cities.

Israel’s war in the media needs a boost. Apparently, we don’t yell as loudly as the pro-Hamas demonstrators. The IDF and Israeli Embassies in different places have screened the 47-minute footage that documents some of the Hamas atrocities in private screenings to politicians and diplomats, both domestically and internationally. P.M. Netanyahu supports the release of the raw footage of Black Saturday to a wider audience under controlled conditions similar to those undertaken last week when the footage was shown to Members of the Knesset. The IDF is requesting the consent of families of the victims. The Prime Minister believes that distribution to a larger audience will help Israel’s public diplomacy campaign. Understandably, there is some opposition to the broader dissemination of the raw footage, as some of their loved ones appear in the videos. <https://www.ynetnews.com/article/skgtje8qt> 

When I first wrote about the IDF screening the raw footage to Members of Knesset, one of the recipients of these updates made the following comment: “Maybe I’m wrong but a part of me feels that we are such a society so calloused and hardened that only seeing the actual video would awaken us from whatever allows us to allow such milktoast, nay disguised double-speaking backstabbing, political pablum to issue from amongst us.  …But even then there would be those who would take it as an “AI” fake production…” He may well be right. I’ve seen some of the footage and the display of brutality is difficult to absorb. It leaves images in our minds that remain long after the screening is over. Maybe the world needs to be shocked into believing the atrocities. The footage is not “photo-shop”. It’s real, taken in real time. it’s hard to see. It’s impossible to ignore.

The IDF has successfully completed the siege of Gaza City and it is closing in on the area where Shifa Hospital is located. You will recall that Hamas has a massive Command Center complex UNDERNEATH the hospital, with an extensive tunnel system. The underground facility is staffed by a multitude of terrorists, equipped with  abundant weaponry, food and medical supplies. Missile launches are also directed from that facility. The IDF is slowly squeezing Hamas to crawl out of its tunnels.

A U.S. guided-missile, nuclear submarine arrived in our area. It’s presence is intended to serve as a deterrent and as a warning to Hassan Nasrallah and the Hezbollah in Lebanon, among other adversaries – including Iran, Syria and Yemen, not to become actively involved in the war. <https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/05/politics/us-missile-submarine-middle-east/index.html> and <https://www.ynetnews.com/article/mfx2mc1zz#autoplay>

The pressure is mounting from countries and humanitarian aid groups or different kinds, to get Israel to agree to a “humanitarian pause” or to a complete cease fire, because of the alleged number of civilian casualties from the IDF ground assault in the Gaza Strip. Again, we face the question of whether to pursue our goals militarily, or to agree to a pause in the fighting. The world is so concerned about the people in Gaza, but no “humanitarian relief” is forthcoming from Hamas. We still have no information from Hamas regarding the fate of some 240 hostages. There is no “humanity” exhibited on the part of this terrorist organization. Indeed, the massacre of 7th October revealed Hamas’s inhumanity. Multitudes of citizens in the Gaza enclave celebrated when the massacre took place and when the hostages were taken and brought to Gaza. And multitudes condemn us for our efforts to eliminate the evil that is Hamas … and Islamic Jihad … and other organizations like them in Gaza. We were humanitarian in dropping notices in Arabic warning the citizens of Gaza to get out of harm’s way. Hamas prevented many from leaving and the blood of the civilian casualties in Gaza is on the hands of Hamas, not Israel. 

Prime Minister Netanyahu, speaking at the Ramon Air Force Base in the Negev Desert, said that Israel would not agree to any ceasefire with Hamas unless the terrorist group releases the hostages. “There will be no ceasefire without the return of the hostages. This should be completely removed from the lexicon. We say this to our friends and to our enemies: We will continue until we defeat them. We have no alternative.” <https://unitedwithisrael.org/netanyahu-no-ceasefire-without-return-of-the-hostages/?utmo let it be written, so let it be done!!  If Israel will agree to a “humanitarian pause”, then it has to be, it MUST be, conditioned on the prior return of ALL of the hostages, who should be identified in advance. The pause should be for a very limited period of 24 hours, during which time ALL of the hostages should be returned. After that period of time, Israel should resume the goal of pursuing the elimination of Hamas. Period! We need to get the job done and over with. We must not cuddle the enemy. It only enables him to renew his strength and regroup, so that he can continue his goal of totally eliminating the State of Israel from the face of the map (some countries have already officially deleted Israel from their maps).

Reminder: Please remember the IDF in your prayers, for wisdom upon wisdom, grace upon grace, power, boldness and courage. May each one go out in peace and return in peace.

“As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people, from this time forth and forever.” (Psalm 125:2) “I will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust’.” (Psalm 91:2)
Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.
Marvin

Shalom all,
Israel Update – Day 30 of the War.

As of this writing, the number of Israeli soldiers killed in action since the beginning of the ground offensive stands at 33.

Hamas supporters try to downplay the use of civilian facilities to hide rocket launchers and olisther weapons. But, the IDF is constantly finding new locations of weapons in civilian areas. Today, they found a Hamas rocket launcher complex near an amusement park and swimming pool in the Gaza Strip. See the videos <https://www.timesofisrael.com/> and <https://www.ynetnews.com/article/byhz3xr76#autoplay>. Some things just speak for themselves and need no further comment.

While Israel does everything possible to minimize civilian casualties, Hamas does just the opposite. Israel notified civilians to vacate areas in the northern Gaza Strip and to move south, where there is sufficient food and medical supplies and to get out of harm’s way. Hamas threatened the civilians who wanted to leave the northern area and even killed some, apparently as a demonstration of what would happen to other civilians, if they listened to the IDF. <https://www.ynetnews.com/article/ryjyna7qa>.

Following the interrogation of Hamas terrorists who were involved in the massacre of Black Shabbat and who were captured by the IDF, it was learned that the attack was actually planned to take place earlier this year during the Passover celebration, particularly during the Seder meal. It was delayed by Iran for reasons probably related to the negotiations with the U.S. that freed up some $6 billion. The October date was most likely chosen because of its proximity to the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War and because it was on the most joyful holiday of the year. <https://m.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-771830#771830> Apparently, the original intention was to do a repeat of the Passover Eve Massacre that took place at the Park Hotel in Netanya, in 2002.

The U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, met with “Palestinian” Authority President, Mahmud Abbas, today and discussed, among other things, the P.A.’s possible assumption of responsibility of the Gaza Strip after Hamas is eliminated. Abbas again declared, “We will fully assume our responsibilities within the framework of a comprehensive political solution that includes all of the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.” <https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/middle-east/palestinian-territories/1699189071-abbas-pa-s-return-to-gaza-depends-on-comprehensive-solution-to-conflict> In other words, they want to establish an independent “Palestinian” state in the heartland of Israel that is connected to the Gaza enclave. Such a move will effectively create a corridor across Israel from the southwest to east by northeast, that will divide Israel into north and south of the “Palestinian” state. From a worldly, political point of view, that would be setting the stage for a repeat of the 7th of October, only this time with armed militants already in the middle of the country. Additionally, Abbas constantly makes commitments that are never fulfilled. This one, to “fully assume [their] responsibilities” is just another empty commitment that will be filed away alongside the multitude of empty commitments made by officials of the P.A. over the years. The reality is that the P.A. does not even fulfill its responsibilities now to its own people in the area of Judea and Samaria and the likelihood that it would able to do so in Gaza is nil.

The war is ongoing in Gaza and it is expected that the IDF will totally encircle Gaza City within the next 48 hours. The fighting will then take on a new dimension in order to force Hamas out of its holes. Urban warfare will, of necessity, be slow and carefully planned out before executed. 

Hamas supporters tend to grab hold of certain “statistics”, which they play like a broken record. But, when push comes to shove, they usually fail in their arguments because of lack of knowledge and outright falsehoods. When pushed hard enough, they will admit that the “Palestinians” claim that “all” of Israel is their land. Attached is a link to a short debate worth watching and listening to. <https://vm.tiktok.com/ZSNDxHPaW/> Listen to the incredible lack of historical knowledge at 2:44-2:46 minutes into the debate, and then to the admission made at the end by the person debating against Ben Shapiro. His arguments were to the point and factual and his questions back to the female debater were cogent and elicited the sought-after admissions.

One more interview, conducted a little over a week ago, is very much worth listening to. This time, it is conducted by Piers Morgan, who interviewed Mosab Hassan Yousef, more widely known as “Son of Hamas.” Yousef is totally pro-Israel and anti-Hamas. Pay attention to the questions asked by the interviewer. Yousef’s responses included, among other things, that Hamas “opened up the gates of hell on the Palestinian people [and] “Hamas’s cause is a sick one …only God knows what will happen text, if Hamas is not finished.” <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8YYmrgAeqw>. If you know someone who is blaming Israel for every evil in the Middle East, forward these two interviews to them.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing,
Marvin

Shalom all,
Israel Update – Day 29 of the War.

As of this writing, the number of Israeli soldiers killed in action since the beginning of the ground offensive stands at 29.

A missile between 8-10 meters in length (26.5. to 32.8 feet) was discovered 50 meters (164 feet) off the coast of Haifa yesterday by a lifeguard during his morning swim. He notified the Civil Command and the Israeli Navy, and underwater commandos exploded the missile under controlled circumstances. The shock wave of the explosion was felt several kilometers inland, including where we live in Haifa, just over 3 kilometers from the shore. We thought it was an earthquake. Only a short time later, we learned that it was missile that was exploded. Attached is a video of the explosion  (it’s in an article in Hebrew – I couldn’t find the English version; after a 20-second commercial, the video should appear <https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/byhmp5fm6?utm>).

In a short, but important televised speech this evening, Israeli Minister of Defense, Yoav Galant, related the high motivation of the soldiers in Gaza to be victorious in the war. He added that “there is no place for Hamas, there is no place for the ISIS of Gaza”. He also repeated: “We will get to Yehya Sinwar [the leader of Hamas] – and we will eliminate him.”

Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary General of the Hezbollah, at a ceremony honoring the Hamas terrorist who have died since 7th October, said last night that the Israel-Hamas war is “100% Palestinian, not regional”, but added that the Hezbollah has nevertheless been involved since the 8th of October, keeping the IDF occupied in the north. He also made a point of saying that the cross-border incidents have increased daily and threatened the possibility of an escalation on the Lebanese front <https://www.ynetnews.com/article/byfyvyzq6>.

There were a number of other developments today, but discussion concerning them will have to wait for another time. Shabbat ended here a short while ago and we are visiting with our daughter in Jerusalem. So, I will end this here and wish you all a God-honoring week.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.
Marvin

Shalom all,
Israel Update – Day 28 of the War.

As of this writing, the number of Israeli soldiers killed in action since the beginning of the ground offensive stands at 24.<https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rk9005izqt> The Hamas terror organization is suffering the loss of major command posts and weapons systems, as Israeli ground forces pressed on towards Gaza City. The IDF is able to reach, militarily, everywhere in that city, and can soon create a situation from which the leadership of Hamas would be unable to escape. However, to accomplish its goals, the IDF will undoubtedly have to engage is urban warfare, which could well increase the number of Israeli casualties. As a result, Ismail Haniyeh, a senior Hamas political leader flew to Tehran (from his comfortable living quarters in a hotel in Qatar, via a private jet) in an effort to convince Iran’s leadership to pull the Hezbollah’s puppet strings and get it to take a formal stance to enter the present war, opening a major second front in the north, that would cause Israel to re-direct its weapons and manpower away from the ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. There is no question that the Ayatollahs recognize the seriousness of the situation in Gaza and they activated their Lebanese terrorist proxy to increase the cross-border engagements with the IDF. Various Lebanese media, basing reports on sources affiliated with the Hezbollah, state that Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of the Hezbollah, is not looking an all-out war with Israel, as he knows that it would result in disastrous consequences for Lebanon, as well as Shi’ite locations in the Beqaa Valley. The position of the IDF, as revealed yesterday, was that if the Hezbollah formally open a second front, Israel would act and Lebanon, as a nation state, could cease to exist. “Intelligence” sources tend to believe that Nasrallah will keep the fires in the north on a low flame. We’ll soon see, after Nasrallah’s public speech today, his first in ages. Well, he threatened, but did not make a commitment to a broader war.

Governments and media around the globe are expressing concern over what they claim is a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They are all clamoring for a cease fire, or a temporary halt in the fighting, so that increased humanitarian aid can be sent into Gaza via the Rafiah crossing from Egypt. Dozens upon dozens of trucks have been entering Gaza since the ground operation began, all bring humanitarian aid, most of which ends up in the hands of Hamas, who couldn’t care less about the citizens of the Strip. One of the major concerns is an alleged lack of fuel needed to avoid a severe humanitarian crisis. BUT, the IDF released today a recording of a phone call with a healthcare system official in Gaza, who said that Hamas has fuel reserves of more than a half million liters under Shifa Hospital and further admitted that all energy and fuel resources in the Strip are controlled by Hamas that directs them for terrorism. A recording of the conversation can be heard here: <https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hywp1vfqp#autoplay>.The IDF has consistently maintained the position that “if fuel is allowed to enter the Gaza Strip, Hamas plans to seize those resources. The IDF will continue to expose information that proves that the Hamas terrorist organization uses the resources of the civilian population of the Gaza Strip for terrorism.” The recording of the IDF shows that its concerns are correct.

The “West’s” misunderstanding of the mentality of the civilian population in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip results in the continued claim that Hamas does not represent the civilian population. However, recent polls in the Strip reveal that a majority of the “civilians” there support not only Hamas, but Islamic Jihad and other terrorist organizations, not only in Gaza, but in Judea and Samaria (i.e., “the West Bank” [of the Jordan River]) as well. The polls further indicate that almost two-thirds of Gazans support “armed Intifada and confrontations” against Israel and further, that they were in favor of armed attacks on Israeli civilians. <https://unitedwithisrael.org/gazans-alarming-support-for-attacks-on-israeli-civilians/?utm>

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has been interviewed by a number of international media, who almost always focus the content of the interview on Israel’s military action in Gaza, which results in civilian casualties. He regularly tries to re-direct the interviewer to the questions that should be asked at the outset, namely: Why isn’t Hamas releasing the babies, girls, boys, that are being held hostage that breaks all the rules of war. But, there is an “agenda” that is focused on the casualties among the Gaza civilians who, on the whole, identify with Hamas and other terrorist organizations, rather than on the civilians in Israel, who were the victims of the brutal, barbaric and murderous act of terrorism <https://unitedwithisrael.org/bennett-calls-out-cnn-silence-on-hamas-and-baby-hostages/?utm>.

“Your pain is mine.”We all know that Ilhan Oman, a Democratic congresswoman from Minnesota, is a member of “The Squad”, that is deeply anti-Israel and anti-semitic. Somehow, he managed to be re-elected during the last round of voting for congressional representatives, with 74% of the votes from her district. Now, Dalia Al-Aqidi, an Iraqi-born Muslim immigrant to the United States, is seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Omar as the representative of Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District. Al Aqidi is a former journalist and media adviser to the U.S. Department of Defense in Iraq, who openly and boldly refers to Hamas as a terrorist organization. During an interview with The Media Line, she said that “[Whoever] supports these terrorists doesn’t belong to the United States of America, the land of the free.”

Al-Aqidi came to Israel “to show solidarity with the Israelis, with the Jewish people, to tell the Jewish people that you’re not alone.” During interviews with her while in Israel, she expressed her support of Israel and her commitment to fight against terrorism, as well as to replace Ilhan Omar, whom she referred to as the “No. 1 antisemitic lawmaker in the United States.” According to Al-Aqidi, Omar was appointed as representative of a district that she described as a hotbed for anti-semitism, fomented largely by the rhetoric of Omar, who claims that the state and country are anti-Jewish and they are pro-Hamas.“Somebody has to say no. Somebody has to correct the records.” I fully agree, Dalia Al-Aqidi. May you be successful in your quest to replace Omar. <https://unitedwithisrael.org/a-visit-of-solidarity-muslim-journalist-on-a-mission-to-replace-ilhan-omar-travels-to-israel/?utm>

Well, darkness has descended upon Israel and we have entered into Shabbat. Many will bless the provision of “challah” (traditional bread for the entry of Shabbat) as they sit around the table for dinner. Amid war, many Israelis turn to baking challahs to raise their spirits and bring the comforting aroma of baking into homes <https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/bjtbkifq6> The imagination is fruitful and often results in a sweet-smelling savor and a mouth-watering taste. 

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Shabbat Shalom.

Marvin

Shalom all,
Israel Update – Day 27 of the War.
The number of Israeli soldiers killed in action since the beginning of the ground offensive stands at 16, as of earlier this afternoon. This brings the total number of IDF troops killed since the 7th of October, to 331.

Continued heavy fighting took place today deep inside the Gaza Strip. One particular unit of the IDF spear-headed a certain operation and eliminated a terrorist unit that sought to ambush them. This specialized unit suffered the loss of over 40 of its comrades-in-arms on Black Saturday. 

Increased cross-border incidents took place throughout the day in the northern front, as well, with missiles being launched at IDF positions. It could be that the Hezbollah was acting at the request of its Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, who is schedule to make a speech tomorrow (Friday) in a ceremony celebrating “Martyrs who died on route to Jerusalem” (which can be interpreted to represent Hamas terrorists or other “Palestinian” factions). This will be his first public speech since the invasion and slaughter perpetrated by Hamas almost 4 weeks ago. The increase in military confrontation by Hamas naturally leads to a question that is on the minds of many, namely: if he will announce expansion of the conflict, more with missiles than with actual physical confrontation. Opinions are divided as to whether Nasrallah would risk joining the conflict, while a U.S. aircraft carrier is still anchored not far from the shores of Lebanon. In any event, the IDF Spokesman, Brigadier General Daniel Hagari, warned the “we will respond forcefully to anyone who tries to destabilize the northern front”. <https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b1q4sv11xp#autoplay> An all-out conflict with Hezbollah could result in the near elimination of Lebanon as a country.

Prior to the 7th of October, 2023, weekly demonstrations took place in various locations throughout Israel, sometimes with participants numbering over 100,000, against the government’s proposed “judicial reform”. Some in the media were cautioning against a potential “civil war”, particularly as the demonstrations took on a more violent character. But, since Black Saturday, there has been a nationwide stance that “We will be victorious – together”. This war has actually brought about a cessation of the politically-motivated demonstrations and has created a sense of “we are all in this, together”. It is a spirit of unity that cuts across the political divide and has energized right wing and left wing, secular and religious, Jew and Gentile. There was a widespread attitude that “Never Again!” Means “Never Again!” – not the Holocaust in Europe and not the second Holocaust that took place in Israel as a result of the terrorist invasion and slaughter of over 1,400 people and the abduction of over 240 people taken hostage by the terrorists. Some of those actually taken into the Gaza Strip by Hamas and its ilk were killed along the way and their bodies were found inside the Strip by IDF ground forces. So much for the Hamas psychological propaganda and proposal to exchange “All of the hostages for All of the “Palestinians” being held in Israeli jails”. Hamas can’t follow through on its offer to return “all” of the hostages held by it, because some are already dead and some are being held by others. It needs to be remembered that Hamas provided NO INFORMATION regarding the hostages, not their names, not their ages, not their gender, not their status of civilian or military, not their citizenship and not the status of their health and not even whether they are alive or dead. 

Yet, despite the barbarity of the terrorists’ actions, with a growing list of atrocities that have been documented and screened to select audiences, the burning, sensitive issue for hundreds of families and for the nation as a whole is: the hostages. The families want their loved ones back. Signs are posted everywhere in Israel, some stating: “Bring the hostages back – NOW!” “Release the hostages”. In other places, individual photos of some take hostage are pasted everywhere it is lawful to do so. The signs and posters and photos often appear side-by-side with “We will be victorious – together”. We cheer on the IDF, which is doing an excellent job (despite a multitude of condemnations from around the globe – based upon information released by Hamas and Hamas-controlled institutions in Gaza). The pressure is also mounting in Israel to agree to the “All for All” swap, but this would be, perhaps, the worst decision that this present government, or any Israeli government, can make.

A swap for the return of 240 hostages (less those whose bodies were later discovered in the Gaza Strip) for some 6,000 prisoners in Israeli jails, would be opening the door to perpetual abductions by terrorists, not only in Israel, but throughout the world.

Additionally, despite the military gains of the IDF deep inside the Gaza Strip, Hamas officials have declared that the ‘Palestinian’ terrorist group intends to repeat its Oct. 7 massacre of Israelis. Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas’ political bureau and a spokesman for the Iran-backed terror organization, stated in a television interview in Lebanon: “We must teach Israel a lesson, and we will do this again and again…[The Oct. 7 massacre] is just the first time and there will be a second, a third, a fourth … the occupation must come to an end.” Asked if by ending “the occupation” he meant the “annihilation” of Israel, Hamad replied, “Yes, of course…The existence of Israel is what causes all that pain, blood, and tears…It is Israel, not us. We are the victims of the occupation. Period. (Emphasis mine – see below**) Therefore, nobody should blame us for the things we do. On Oct. 7 … everything we do is justified.” Then, to emphasize the point, Hamad added, in English: “It is justified.” <https://www.algemeiner.com/2023/11/01/hamas-official-promises-carry-out-oct-7-massacre-again-and-again-until-israels-annihilation/> Those comments prompted James Cleverly, the British Foreign Secretary, to state that Hamad’s comments were proof that there can be no peace with Hamas. “How can there be peace when Hamas are committed to the eradication of Israel?…This is an official from Hamas committing to repeat the atrocities from 07/10 again and again.”

** It needs to be remembered that, on the one hand, while a number of countries stand with Israel’s determination to eliminate the existence of Hamas, they are many anticipating “the day after”. The unstated goal behind the stated goal is the ending of what has wrongly been called “the occupation” and the eventual establishment of a “Palestinian” state. This was the plan of former President Obama and it lies behind the think of his then Vice-President, now President, Joe Biden. In simple terms, that would be a disaster and the greatest undertaking of evil designed to undue the promise of God to Abraham that he and his descendants, namely, Isaac and Jacob and from there, the children of Israel (formerly Jacob) would be given this land, and even more than this land. The repeated song of Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, the “Palestine” Liberation Organization, as well as other terrorist organizations and even Arab countries, is nothing more than the perpetuation of an intentionally created “myth” that Israel stole “Palestinian” land. This will be discussed in a future update. But, for now, it should be clear that the establishment of a so-called “Palestinian” State in the region of Judea and Samaria (commonly referred to as “the West Bank” [of the Jordan River]) would be setting the stage for repetitions of the massacre of the 7th of October. See today’s cogent article by Bassam Tawil: The ‘Two-State’ Solution to Murder Jews<https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20120/two-state-solution>, where he writes, in part: “The idea of establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank means turning this area into another launching pad for attacking Israel and slaughtering Jewish men, women and children. US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken can continue to argue as much as they want that Hamas does not represent the Palestinians, but everyone who lives in the West Bank and Gaza Strip knows that this is a lethal lie. Every Palestinian is aware of, and often admires, the pro-Hamas demonstrations that have been taking place in the West Bank since October 7….it is high time for Biden and other Western leaders to stop pushing delusional ideas that will quickly lead to a repeat of the October 7 massacre. How many Jewish babies must be beheaded or baked alive in an oven, one wonders, for them to see that Palestinian leaders have radicalized their people against Israel to a point where they brag about slaughtering Jews with their own hands.”

Since we are discussing God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, I am closing with a quote from Dror Eydar’s incisive article, The Genesis War, which appeared today in Israel Hayom <https://www.israelhayom.com/opinions/the-genesis-war/>:

“We are only at the beginning of this big event; it should have us go back to the drawing board on how we approach war, messianism, political perceptions, and especially, and the attempt to understand evil.

“This is not only Israel’s war, but also a war for the whole free world. Israel is the forward outpost in the defense of the free world. We are not asking for anyone’s permission to exist, nor are we asking for legitimacy to defend ourselves. The statements by foreign leaders who identify with us that they support ‘Israel’s right to exist’ and ‘its right to defend itself’ should be greeted with a forgiving nod rather than an expression of gratitude. What these statements mean is that they have not internalized that this war is not only ours but also theirs! We will be thankful when those leaders who wish to show their support speak out against absolute evil, support our war against the new Nazis, and take it upon themselves to act in a similar manner.” In his last paragraph, Eydar closes with: “We will always return [home to this land], even if European or Middle Eastern Nazis fight the historical process of the return of the Jews to Zion. At the end of Abraham’s vision of the future of the nation he founded, we are assured: ‘On that day, the Lord made a covenant with Abram: “To your offspring, I assign this land…”.’  (ibid:18). Let the world hear.” (Emphasis mine)

I am thankful for those who have taken the time to write, however briefly, and encourage me in a number of different ways regarding these updates. 

Please remember our two sons in your prayers, along with all of the members of the IDF, wherever they are and whatever service they be rendering. May they all go out in peace and return in peace.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.
Marvin

Shalom all,
Israel Update – Day 26 of the War.
Yesterday, I mentioned that when the news media says that the fighting is heavy and difficult, it usually means that there are Israeli casualties. As much as I wanted that comment to be wrong, it wasn’t. The news this morning reported the deaths of 2 soldiers and later in the day, another 13 were reported killed in action (KIA), bringing the total to 15 known, as of this writing. The heart is broken, the pain of loss is great, the tears don’t seem to stop.

On the day following the barbaric assault by 3,000 terrorists, the majority of whom were Hamas, we grieved with a long-time friend of our over the loss of her son-in-law, who was killed while saving the lives of families in a settlement not far from where he lived. Now, the same friend told us that the cousin of her son-in-law was also killed today in the Gaza fighting. We mourn with the family.

For some, a picture is truly worth a thousand words. So it was today, when 56 Members of Knesset (Israel’s Parliament) watched 47 minutes of a film prepared by the IDF from the ghastly events of Black Saturday. They were asked to leave their cell phones outside the hall. The Knesset physician was at the entrance of the hall and offered MKs a tranquilizer before the screening. Almost everyone took him up on the offer and took one or two pills. But, according to some of the MKs, the tranquilizers didn’t help. Many of the MKs were not able to continue watching until the end and left the Knesset hall, weeping and emotionally distraught. Most of them continued to break down in tears, even hours after the screening. The Speaker of the Knesset said that the decision was made to screen the film, so that we would know just what we were facing, to see the evil with their own eyes and hear, as well as to see and know how just and justified the war on evil is and to be accurate when they speak about it. One of the MKs, Almog Cohen, was resting in the hall. During the first days of the war, he fought together with his comrades in the reserves. He said, “The eyes cannot comprehend and neither can the head.” Most of the Knesset Members who sat through the film until the end left the hall weeping and trembling. Another MK, who left the screening after 17 minutes said that she couldn’t bear the sights or see the evil – “the children’s voices, their pleas in the face of pure evil, never leave me. Seeing evil in this way is something that the human mind cannot absorb. I trembled, cried, left the hall. Can’t relax until now.” Still another MK said: “You just can’t digest it. We’ve seen horrors over the past few days, but the scenes of what happened inside the houses is unimaginable. For the first time in my life, I took a sedative.”

The media reported about the rapes, beheadings, dismemberments and kidnappings, among other things. But, they rarely reported about the gruesome sights that were found by medics and first responders inside the homes. One of them appears in the short video interview,  in English, that can be seen as part of an article in Hebrew. The link is attached and the report given by the medic is emotionally difficult. <https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/bjgt00p17t?utm> Similar atrocities were reported by a paramedic first responder, who reported that he saw “a dead baby that had been burned inside an oven by Hamas. He also described seeing a woman who was four months pregnant when Hamas ripped open her stomach to tear her baby out of her womb and then stabbed the child before killing the woman in front of her family.” He added that he saw little children who were beheaded and that he and the other first responders didn’t know which head belonged to which child. <https://www.christianpost.com/news/hamas-burned-jewish-baby-in-an-oven-says-israeli-first-responder.html>

A Hamas official says that they will repeat the events of 7th October until Israel is annihilated. <https://www.jns.org/hamas-official-we-will-repeat-oct-7-until-israel-is-annihilated/?_se=bWpwb2xvQGJib3guZnI%3D&utm_campaign=Morning+Syndicate+1112023&utm_medium=email&utm_source=brevo>  God said to Abraham: “I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you, I will curse.” (Gen. 12:3) When He curses, it is in kind. Hamas wants to annihilate Israel, it will be Hamas who will be annihilated.

While we fight a war on the ground, in the air and from the sea, there is another war that we are fighting – the public relations war – and we are not doing well in that, primarily because the goals of this war are not expressed clearly. One University Professor suggests that we express them in 8 words: Release the hostages; Punish Hamas and its enablers. Attached is the article. It’s worth reading. <https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/why-israel-is-fast-losing-the-public-relations-war/>

This is a short update, because it’s been a long day.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.
Marvin

Shalom all,
Israel Update – Day 25 of the War.
The War on the Ground: Reports throughout the day indicate the battles against Hamas terrorists is fierce and difficult. That is usually a preparation for receiving news tomorrow morning of the IDF soldiers who were killed or wounded. My fervent hope and prayer is that this is not the case and that their arms will be strengthened for war and that they will all return to their homes in peace. 

Still, Israeli ground forces have moved deep into the Gaza Strip in heavy fighting and eliminated dozens of terrorists, including the Hamas commander who directed the massacre of Black Saturday, on 7th October. This same commander had his hand in developing drone and paragliding capabilities.

Speaking of paragliding: Amid the numerous videos of the deadly Hamas assault, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,400 Israelis and visitors and at least 243 people taken as hostages, the ones of paragliders captured the attention of anti-semites around the world. Within two days following the massacre, neo-Nazis from Florida began selling a t-shirt depicting two paragliders, AK-47 rifles and another figure, probably intended to be interpreted as a Hamas terrorist. Other, pro-“Palestinian” groups developed various symbols of paragliders to show their support of Hamas and the “Palestinians”. I choose not to publish these symbols of anti-semitism.

The “Houthi” Front: Try saying “Houthi” five times fast. It sounds almost like the name of a kid’s movie, only their actions are anything except funny. The Houthis are a branch of Shiite moslems, that has been fighting the Sunni moslem majority government in Yemen for the past almost 20 years. They succeeded to take control of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and since 2016 they control much of north Yemen. So, why are the Houthis launching cruise missiles and drones against Israel, particularly towards the City of Eilat in southern Israel? The simple answer is that this terrorist organization, like Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, is backed by Iran, who trained and financed their actions against the ruling Sunni government. “Yahya Sria, a spokesman for the group, said that the aerial assault…was carried out ‘out of a sense of religious, moral, humanitarian and national responsibility’ for the people of Gaza, in the face of the weakness of the Arab world, and of the collusion of some Arab countries with Israel.” He added, incredibly, that the Houthi action against Israel was prompted by “the demands of the Yemeni people.” <https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-first-arrow-system-used-to-down-missile-from-red-sea-houthis-claim-uav-attack/> Really? Until now, I didn’t know that the Yemeni people were Iranian Ayatollahs.

Priorities of this war: In a speech given this afternoon by Tzachi Hanegbi, the National Security Council Chairman, he said the primary aim of the war is the return of the hostages and he is of the firm opinion that the present ground offensive of the IDF will help to accomplish that goal. He said: “This is our sacred responsibility as a nation, to our soldiers and our civilians.” But, he added that the massacre on Black Saturday “did away with the illusion that we are facing an enemy who wouldn’t risk his total destruction”, and that Hamas hides behind the residents of Gaza, whom it treats as “human dust that offers it protection.” The mission of the IDF is to see to it that Hamas will cease to exist and that “Monstrous terrorist organizations will never again be allowed to rule the Gaza Strip.” It is interesting to note that at the outset of the war, the priority was the elimination of Hamas, without taking into account the situation of the hostages. Pressure from within and from without reversed the priorities – now, first hostages, then military action for the elimination of the threat, which action that is supposed to help achieve the primary goal of returning the hostages. And so, the real priority is…?

Hanegbi also acknowledged the strong backing of the U.S. that assists Israel “to wage an unprecedentedly powerful campaign” against Hamas. But, he added, in order to maintain that support, “it is our responsibility to distinguish between murderers and civilian bystanders, to encourage the civilian population in the northern Gaza Strip to position themselves in safe areas in the south, to allow foreign aid forces to provide food, water, and medicine to everyone who heeds our call and is in the south today, and to call for lifesaving medical care to everyone who needs, but not in the hospitals which today serve as terror headquarters, for Hamas and PIJ command and control, but in Egyptian hospitals, in the protected area, or in hospital ships.” Foreign medical ships are already on their way to the coast of Gaza. But, providing medical care to Gazans in Egyptian hospitals is not a suggestion that will immediately be acted upon. Egypt is reluctant to take in refugees from Gaza, for the simple reason that Egypt may be stuck with them. The official claim is that Israel has not publicly agreed to allow the return to Gaza of those who leave to receive medical attention. <https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/hanegbi-says-israel-recognizes-egypts-reluctance-to-take-refugees/#:~:text=Asked%20whether%20Israel%20wants%20Egypt,border%20if%20it%20is%20opened.> Sounds familiar. Following Israel’s War of Independence, the Arabs who left Israel before the war were not allowed to return. And, none of the Arab nations around was willing to take them in, including Egypt. So, while Egypt is willing to help in a humanitarian effort, it is not willing to take a chance of the “Palestinians” becoming its unwelcome guests.

The psychological, financial and human price of war: A quarter of a million Israelis have been displaced from their homes because of the war, either because of physical damage already committed and/or because of concern that they were and/or might be and/or continue to be, in harm’s way, due to rockets launched from the Gaza Strip or from Lebanon. <https://www.jns.org/250000-israelis-displaced-bodies-identified-three-weeks-after-mass-murder/#:~:text=Some%20250%2C000%20Israelis%20have%20been,according%20to%20a%20senior%20Israeli> Some of the residents in the north were put up in a hotel, only to receive an evacuation notice from the hotel, which was closing due to lack of available financing. Other hotels are still full, while some cities have set aside special areas to set up “tent cities”. Indeed, refugees inn our own land. 

Additionally, according to the Walla news site in Hebrew, the Department of Welfare and Human Services reports that as a result of the slaughter that took place on Black Saturday, 20 children were orphaned and 96 were left with one parent. At a meeting of a special Committee of Labor and Welfare regarding the treatment of children orphaned by war, the Committee Chairman, Member of Knesset Yisrael Eichler, of the United Torah Judaism party, said: “The State of Israel never dealt with a situation like this since the day of its establishment, not in the numbers and not in its essence.” The main problem is that the figures of missing and orphaned children is not yet final and they continue to change. More than that, it is not clear which government department is responsible for dealing with those minor children and that there are a lot of relatives who took in orphans, all resulting in the need for someone to coordinate between the various factions. Too many issues, not enough concrete solutions.

I am leaving out facts regarding the targets of various missile launchings in the south, the middle of the country and cross-border gun fire and mortar fire in the north. All of these are on-going and they will be reported on in additional updates. 

Bon Appetite!

It’s been claimed, rightly or wrongly, that if Jewish people stop eating Chinese and Italian food, we will put two countries out of business. There is a very good Chinese Restaurant in Haifa, whose owners we have known for close to 40 years. The original owners were refugees from South Vietnam during the Vietnam War, who were received by Israel and were granted Israeli citizenship. They learned Hebrew and established a restaurant. Their children serve in the IDF and the next generation is now in charge of the restaurant. They are very thankful for Israel and loyal to it, demonstrating it in no small number of ways. There is a particular unit of the IDF not far from our area. We reached out to the owners of the restaurant and ordered food for the unit, which the restaurant delivered. Needless to say, it blessed the soldiers and we were blessed as a result. There is a short video of the unit expressing thanks in unison. But, we were not able to cover the faces, so we can’t show it. Still, you can see some of the pics. There was enough for all to be satisfied, as well as enough for a full meal tomorrow.

“His attendant said, ‘What, will I set this before a hundred men?’ But he said, ‘Give them to the people that they may eat, for thus says the LORD , “They shall eat and have some left over”.’ “ (2 Kings 4:43)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

Shalom all,

Israel Update – Day 24 of the War.
Jerusalem under fire! Two weeks ago, rockets were fired at Jerusalem. Most Jerusalemites and media pundits were of the opinion that Hamas did not intend to target Jerusalem and that some missiles went astray. The false sense of security expressed by many that Jerusalem was “off limits” was shattered this afternoon when a barrage of rockets were launched towards the city and surrounding areas. Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile Defense System was able to intercept the incoming missiles and no injuries were reported. The rocket attack came during certain Knesset meetings, with Opposition Leader Yair Lapid stating, among other things, that he would give his full backing to any government attempts to return the 239 hostages being held in Gaza. Lapid, who is usually critical of actions taken, or failed to be taken, by the present coalition government, added: “The State of Israel must not stop and must not let go until we kill six people (whom he named specifically)…All six have to die. Until they die, Israel will not have avenged the murdered of Be’eri and Sderot, Kfar Aza and Ofakim. Until they die, the Middle East will not understand that we are not messing around.” Finally, something that Lapid and I can agree upon.

Avigdor Liberman, the head of the Yisrael Beytenu (“Israel is our Home”) Party, also urged stronger military action against the Hezbollah, the terrorist group in Lebanon that is backed by Iran. He said, “We can’t wake up one day to a heavy salvo of missiles flying towards Haifa and Tel Aviv…We can’t finish a war without tossing Hezbollah beyond the Litani [River in Southern Lebanon].” It should be noted that the tension in the north of Israel is due to the cross-border incidents and rocket fire from the Hezbollah, who is still playing “cat and mouse” with intermittent launches and provoking responses from the IDF in various forms. <https://www.jns.org/rockets-fired-at-jerusalem-as-knesset-factions-meet/>

Interestingly, notwithstanding the ongoing cross-border incidents, Najib Mikati, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister, said that he fears an escalation and is trying to keep Lebanon from entering the war. He is cautious about the future, which “depends on regional developments.” He stated: “For now Hezbollah has managed the situation rationally and wisely, and the rules of the game have remained constrained to certain limits”. <https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/lebanon-pm-says-hezbollah-is-acting-wisely-says-he-is-trying-to-avoid-joining-war/> Mikati, who is on good terms withe the Hezbollah terrorist organization, did not comment on the repeated threats of Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of the Hezbollah, who has repeatedly threatened to blanket Israel with missiles. Present estimates are that the Hezbollah has about 100,000 missiles pointed in our direction. It is highly doubtful that Hezbollah will abide by “the rules of the game”, if push comes to shove and it receives instructions from its puppeteer, Iran, and enters the war, willingly or reluctantly.

Shani Lock was said to be one of the organizers of the Rei’m music festival that took place near the Gaza border. She was kidnapped by Hamas and her naked body was paraded in the back of a truck in the early hours of Black Saturday. Her family reported that she is no longer alive. Shani was born in Germany but raised in Israel and held dual citizenship. A video of her being taken to the Gaza Strip following the Hamas invasion and killing spree of Black Saturday was circulated over the internet. According to Shani’s cousin, Ruthie: “We received an official notification yesterday from the IDF and the ZAKA (emergency response organization), which included a letter stating that a bone from the base of a skull was found that matches Shani’s DNA. The doctors determined that a person could not live without this bone, leading them to conclude that she had passed away. They consulted with two additional experts and a rabbi on the matter.”

An announcement of her death was posted by her family, along with photos of Shani. <https://www.timesofisrael.com/german-israeli-shani-louk-seen-paraded-by-terrorists-in-gaza-confirmed-dead/?utm_campaign=daily-edition-2023-10 30&utm_medium=email&utm_source=The+Daily+Edition> German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, upon hearing of Shani’s death, wrote on a social media platform: “Like many others, she was brutally murdered. This shows the full barbarity behind the Hamas attack – who must be held accountable…This is terror, and Israel has the right to defend itself.”

Whose war is this? A telephone conversation took place last night between Israeli P.M. Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden. According to a post on social media, Biden said that the two leaders spoke “about developments in Gaza — we discussed efforts to secure the release of hostages and help Americans in Gaza leave safely, and I underscored the need to immediately and significantly increase the flow of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza. I reiterated that Israel has every right to defend its citizens from terrorism and a responsibility to do so in a manner consistent with international humanitarian law which prioritizes the protection of civilians.” (Emphasis mine)

While Biden was pressuring Netanyahu to provide MORE humanitarian aid, his Vice-President, Kamala Harris, was interviewed last night on “60 Minutes”. She, of course, parroted the expressed “demands” of her boss, but went further and revealed the intentions of the U.S. and what is expected to follow after this present war is over. Note carefully her words: “Israel, without any question, has a right to defend itself. That being said, it is very important that there be no conflation between Hamas and the Palestinians. The Palestinians deserve equal measures of safety and security, self-determination and dignity, and we have been very clear that the rules of war must be adhered to and that there be humanitarian aid that flows.” We need to point out to the Vice-President, and, apparently, to a host of other politicians wherever they may be, that the Jihadis do not play by the “rules of war”. These people kill indiscriminately – they rape, behead, burn, desecrate and kidnap civilians, as well as soldiers. Israel has sustained the worst attack and loss of life in a single day since the Yom Kippur War in 1973, and the Holocaust before that. We are in a war! and we are told, indeed, pressured, to “immediately and significantly increase the flow of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza.” Are we to also include the “self-determination” of the “Palestinians” as part of our military efforts? By the way, the “conflation between Hamas and the “Palestinians” already exists.

I wonder how gracious the U.S. would be if an enemy, sworn to the destruction of America, would slaughter over 1,400 U.S. citizens today. Has it not learned the lessons from 9/11? An enemy needs to be defeated, not cuddled. The U.S. went after bin Laden with a passion, pursuing every option available to it, until he was found and eliminated. The IDF Spokesman said last night that we will pursue the leader of Hamas until we get him. The best thing that could be done for the civilians living in Gaza is to bring about the speedy elimination of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. We were pursuing that end and closed the borders of the Gaza enclave so that no one could go in and no one could go out. I’ve already indicated in previous updates that there would be a price to pay for receiving support of different kinds, including weapons and supplies, following Biden’s visit here for a few hours. The price was for us to listen to Uncle Sam, to open the borders that were closed, at least the Rafiah crossing with Egypt, and supply the “Palestinians” with abundant humanitarian aid that is gobbled up by Hamas.  U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, during an interview yesterday with CNN, said that one of the purposes of the humanitarian pauses that the U.S. is pushing for is to help bring about the safe release of the hostages. The exact opposite is true. It only provides assistance to Hamas and strengthens its resolve to continue to fight and to continue to attempt to dictate terms for the release of hostages. 

Let’s try to put things in perspective. Israel has a population of 9.4 million people. The U.S. has a population of 340 million people, 36 times more than Israel. On Black Saturday, 1,400 people were killed in Israel by Hamas and its ilk. If we multiply that by 36, the number would be 50,400. That is the number of people who would be killed in the U.S. by blood-thirty terrorists and another 8,604 people would be taken hostage (239 hostages here times 36). How do you think the American people would respond to that? How open would they be to listening to other countries telling them how to conduct their war against those who slaughtered their people and took multitudes prisoner? Just a thought.

And when this war is over, the push will be for the establishment of a unified, “Palestinian” State, that includes Gaza and the area presently under the control of the “Palestinian” Authority. https://www.timesofisrael.com/pas-premier-says-ramallah-wont-take-over-gaza-without-plan-that-includes-west-bank/ 

Yahya Sinwar, the Head of the viper called “Hamas”, repeated that Hamas is willing to release all of the hostages for all of the “Palestinian” prisoners being held in Israeli jails. This is another psychological ploy of Hamas, who knows that the families of those taken captive will pressure Israel, as much as possible, to make the deal of “all for all”. The goal of Hamas is to stop the IDF advancement into the Gaza Strip. Hamas released a video of three Israeli women being held hostage. One of them read a pre-scripted text condemning P.M. Netanyahu and the government for not getting them released from captivity. It was not exactly a good public relations video for Israel, but is great for Hamas. P.M. Netanyahu remarked that the release of the video was a “cruel psychological warfare campaign by Hamas-ISIS.” In his response, seemingly to the women in the video, he said, “I embrace you. Our hearts are with all the captives. We are doing everything to bring everyone back home.” <https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hkvjrx6za>

On a happier note, during the present offensive inside Gaza, the IDF was able to free one of the abducted soldiers, who served as a lookout on the Gaza border. In its statement, the IDF said: “Ori Megidish was released during ground operations. PVT Megidish was kidnapped by the Hamas terrorist organization on October 7th. The soldier was medically checked, is doing well, and has met with her family. The IDF and ISA will continue to do everything it takes in order to release the hostages.” Ori’s aunt had these words to say about Ori’s release: “We are excited and grateful to the All Mighty, to all the people of Israel, to our soldiers…It is thanks to our prayers that she is freed…There is no one like the people of Israel, and no one like our soldiers. we thank all of them. There is nothing like our Ori. Your are strong, you are our hero and we love you and are waiting for you right here”. I’ll leave it at that.

“There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to your help.” (Deuteronomy 33:26)“The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.” (Psalm 28:7)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing,

Marvin

Shalom all,
Israel Update – Day 23 of the War.
The IDF Spokesman reported tonight that the number of hostages now stands at 239, up 9 from last night, with some 30 of them children.

The IDF destroyed anti-tank positions of Hamas; but rockets continued It can reasonably be said that a second front has opened in the north, but it is on a low fire at this point. The Hezbollah launched six rockets towards the northern city of Kiryat Shmona, causing damage to two buildings. The IDF returned pin-point fire to the launch locations and Hezbollah terror cells.

Central Israel came under heavy rocket attack around Noon, while rockets were launched from Gaza at various Israeli towns and cities throughout the course of the day. Fragments of intercepted rockets fell in residential areas, with one landing in a schoolyard in a suburb of Tel Aviv. 

Israel denies claims made by aid agencies in the Gaza Strip that Israel warned humanitarian aid groups to immediately evacuate al-Quds Hospital, a major hospital in Gaza City. Take the announcements coming out of Gaza with a grain of salt.

The day has been filled with political problems and a seeming disunity among members of the War Cabinet over comments made by P.M. Netanyahu over social media, which he eventually deleted, even expressing an apology for his actions. Hopefully, the mini-crisis is over and everyone will start to work together to get the job done that needs to be done.

In the midst of Israel’s heavy press against Hamas and the Jihadis in Gaza, U.S. President Biden is pressuring Israel to significantly increase the humanitarian aid that is being given to the citizens of Gaza. Either he doesn’t understand, or is willfully ignoring, the fact that Israel has been providing humanitarian aid by dozens of truckloads every day, including today. But, most of the aid is being diverted by Hamas for Hamas. Citizens of northern Gaza were urged by the IDF to move south towards Khan Yunis, but Hamas is forcefully preventing them from complying, wanting to keep the citizens in harm’s way so that Hamas can gain public sympathy because of the number of casualties resulting from the present war. What should be clear to everyone by now, Hamas is willing to sacrifice the citizens of Gaza to win a public relations war against Israel.

And, as if we didn’t have enough to deal with from the Jihadis in Gaza and the Hezbollah in Lebanon, several missiles were fried into Israeli territory from Syria, who up to this point has remained relatively quiet. The IDF responded with artillery fire at the source of the launch. 

Pro-“Palestinian” – Anti-Israel incitement and demonstrations increased significantly in different countries, some being very violent. Local law enforcement is having a difficult time restraining certain mobs.

In this last regard, the big story of the evening is the pro-“Palestinian”, Muslim riot that took place and is still ongoing in the airport in Makhachkala, the capital of the Russian Republic of Dagestan, against the flight that was due to arrive there from Israel. The pilots were made aware if the riots and the plane was re-routed to another airport. The rioters arrived at the other airport as well and were seen rampaging through the airport, breaking through locked doors and even trying to climb into the plane from the outside. According to reports coming out of Russia, the rioters were chanting “Allah Akbar” and were seeking to harm the Israelis who were on the flight. Passengers were told to remain on board the plane for the time being. There are conflicting reports regarding the passengers, with some asserting that all of the passengers were found to possess Russian passports, which were checked by the protesters. Other reports indicate that the passengers were returned to the plane, where the flight crew locked all exits from the plane, while the area was closed off by security forces. The Israelis and Jews are being secured at the airport until they will be evacuated to Moscow. Both the office of the Israeli Prime Minister, as well as the Foreign Ministry, are calling upon the Russian government to protect Israeli citizens. Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian President, whose country is fighting its own war with Russia, said that the attack of the plane “is not an isolated incident in Makhachkala, but rather a part of Russian’s broader culture of hostility toward other countries, propagated by state television, critics and authorities. The Russian foreign minister has made a series of antisemitic remarks in the past year. The Russian president, too, has used antisemitic slurs.”<https://www.ynetnews.com/article/byvmumhza#autoplay>

In addition to the riot at the airport, another violent protest took place outside of the Flamingo Hotel in the city, where some 500 demonstrators demanded the removal of Israelis from the hotel and put up a sign at the entrance to the hotel, that said “Entry for Israeli citizens is strictly prohibited.” <https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-770738>

Last thought: Yahya Sinwar, the head of the Hamas terrorist organization, said yesterday that Hamas was ready for an “immediate” swap of all Israeli hostages for all “Palestinian” prisoners. <https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hjv5rrqz6> Again, no information was forthcoming about the hostages taken to Gaza. The IDF is pushing forward in its ground action into the Gaza enclave. The pressure against Hamas is increasing and even the citizens of Gaza are saying that they are being sacrificed by Hamas. The Spokesman for the IDF said two hours ago, “We’ll pursue Hamas’s Sinwar until we reach him.” It should be noted that Sinwar was one of the multitude of Israeli prisoners who was freed in the swap for the soldier, Gilad Shalit a few years ago. Releasing all of the prisoners in Israeli jails should be rejected out of hand. But, the families of the hostages are pressuring P.M. Netanyahu to make the “All for all” hostage trade-off. The decision is not in the hands of Netanyahu alone. There is a War Cabinet and it needs to decide what to do. May God grant them and us wisdom to learn from our mistakes and not make another “Shalit Deal”.

It would be interesting to know how much of “our news” makes it to “your news”.

“If an army encamps against me, my heart will not fear; If war arises against me, in spite of this I am confident.” (Psalm 27:3)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.
Marvin

Shalom all,
Israel Update – Day 22 of the War.
It’s been three long weeks since the unfathomable murderous attack was carried out by the jihadists, orchestrated by the Hamas terrorist organization. As of this writing, over 1,400 were killed by those who infiltrated from the Gaza Strip into the communities surrounding the Gaza enclave and more than 5,000 were wounded. The revised figures of those taken hostage by Hamas and the other terrorists now stands at 229. The families of the hostages are outraged that no one from the government explained to them whether the ground offensive now underway engages the well-being of the hostages.

Major General Herzl Halevi, Israel’s Chief of General Staff, said that “This is a war with multiple stages. Today we move to the next one.” He also noted that the objectives of the war require a ground operation and that “In order to expose and destroy the enemy, there is no other way than to enter its territory with force.” Israel points out that the present offensive is a limited one and that it will expand, as necessary. The IDF operation is by air, sea and land and has successfully eliminated numerous targets, including high-ranking members of Hamas. Terrorist cells that attempted to launch anti-tank missiles were identified and neutralized by the IDF, who also destroyed a booby-trapped structure and eliminated it. Nevertheless, and despite the heavy assault on locations inside Gaza, rocket barrages continued to be launched from there into communities in the south and from mid-day until now, additional targets in the center of the country, including Tel-Aviv, Shell (south-central area between the Judean Hills and the coastal plain – about 15 km in length), Holon, Raanana and the Gush Dan area. No deaths were reported, but several people were injured and there is property damage. Halevi also stated that the IDF was “prepared for every possible scenario”, referring to regional escalation, particularly against the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon.

Without question, a second front has opened up in the north. It is limited at this point, but it exists. There is significant military confrontation with the forces of the Hezbollah and the IDF has responded with pinpoint accuracy and destroyed a number of locations from which missiles were launched, including anti-tank missiles. Air raid sirens blared in the entire area of the Galilee.

Israeli military intelligence is aware that Hamas has anticipated the Israeli ground offensive and that its knowledge of the geography of the Gaza Strip is greater than that of the IDF. There will be all kinds of booby traps and explosive devices in the path of the IDF, with many of them in the maze of miles of tunnels that criss-cross Gaza. Along with that are the thousands of terrorists, who are willing to fight to the death and in the process hope to maximize the number of IDF casualties. May God grant wisdom upon wisdom and boldness with caution to our forces now inside enemy territory.

Less than an hour ago, I watched the televised press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister, Yoav Galant, and former head of the IDF and now member of the War Cabinet, Benny Gantz. Their comments were brief and were intended to encourage the nation – and send a message to our enemies, as well as to our “friends”. Netanyahu made a number of points: The IDF entered the “gates of evil” last night, with the “supreme goal” of completely eliminating Hamas and guaranteeing our existence as a nation.“This is our second War of Independence.” 

Gantz added that the IDF is pursuing attacks from the air, above and below the ground, as well as from the sea. Hamas is taking difficult blow that it never knew before. We don’t want to expand the war, but we are prepared for it. Regarding the hostages, he stated that “We are dealing with a new reality”. The release of the hostages is of the highest importance and that we are doing everything we can to bring the hostages back to Israel, that it’s very complicated and that our enemies are not seeking a humanitarian resolution. He added that this will not be a short war. 

War Cabinet Minister Galant spoke forcefully and clearly: “This is a war for our home, a war of ‘no choice’.” He noted that the Hamas war criminals are willing to sacrifice their own people in Gaza and that it’s important for the world to know that “War does not have a political time clock.” And while they spoke, Hamas fired rockets toward central Israel.

Yesterday, it was mentioned that Hamas has a base of operations under Gaza City’s largest hospital. The IDF release footage of investigations of terrorists who were captured during confrontations with the IDF following the Hamas incursions on Black Saturday. The Hamas operatives confessed that hospitals in the Gaza Strip were used to shield Hamas from IDF strikes. Responding to a question about the connection between the Gaza hospitals and the vast tunnel system of Hamas, one of the terrorists interviewed, who is a member of Hamas’s elite Nukhba force, said: “[Most] of them are hidden in the hospitals. (At) Shifa for example (the hospital), there are underground levels…Shifa is not small, it is a big place that can be used to hide things.” When asked why medical institutions were being used by Hamas for protection, his answer was so that “you won’t strike them”, which enables Hamas to take advantage of that fact to smuggle “explosives, weapons, food, [and] medical equipment” for their operatives. Two other important facts came out of that particular interview. One has to do with the fuel situation in Gaza: “First, they [Hamas] take care of their own cares and jeeps and then distribute them to the people. They refuel from full containers for themselves.” The other is that there is no freedom of movement. “You can’t go to Egypt without their (Hamas) permission.” Regarding the use by Hamas of the hospital as a “safe place” for them, IDF Spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that Hamas’s Central Command is located below Shifa Hospital, from which terrorist operations, as well as rocket fire, is coordinated. The command center has several areas, all well-equipped with storage for weapons, ammunition and medical equipment, adding that “The hospital has 1,500 beds and about 4,000 staff members who act as a human shield for Hamas leaders.” An underground tunnel allows entry to the Central Command without have to go through the hospital itself. <https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bkrxjhcf6#autoplay> Needless to say, this poses no small problem for the IDF. In order to get to the command center, the hospital itself may have to be removed. Hagari was then asked whether Shifa Hospital is a target for the Israeli Air Force, to which he responded: “In this war, all options are on the table.”  Earlier in the war, another hospital in Gaza was damaged. Israel was immediately blamed, but it was discovered that the damage was caused not be Israel, but by Hamas. Many news sites did not correct the initial reporting of false information. Israel will need abundant wisdom and a holy boldness destroy the underground command center. 

The IDF showed to news executives and reporters a 43-minute video of the atrocities carried out by Hamas operatives and others. This was the first time that the footage was shown outside of Israel. The scenes are from the body cameras worn by the terrorists, from security cameras and from social media accounts. Fox News anchor, Martha MacCallum reported this today on her Twitter (X) Account <https://twitter.com/marthamaccallum/status/1717961633597710676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1717961633597710676%7Ctwgr%5E79edf76cbc56a6409f4fc731dca708d387362eb7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ynetnews.com%2Farticle%2Fsyfz9bcz6>: “Today we were shown the Hamas bodycam and other videos of the attacks of October 7th. There are no words to explain. It is to witness the darkest evil that can exist. Hamas terrorists laugh and call home to boast how many Jews they killed “with their hands.” Asking if their parents are proud? Humans bloodied, charred, ripped apart. But it is the cries of the children that I will hear forever. I share this with you because the world needs to know what happened. And so that you can imagine it, because I hope you never have to see it.” (EmphasisMine)

“There are six things which the LORD hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.” (Proverbs 6:16-19) Does this sound like any terrorist organization that you heard of?

We need to recognize that our fight is not just against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of evil that seek to steal, to kill and to destroy. And so, we need divine wisdom and strength.

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has wrought desolations in the earth.He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire. “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. (Psalm 46:1, 7-11)

As we begin a new week, may you be granted wisdom and grace and find favor in the sight of God and man.
Please remember in your prayers our sons in the IDF, as well as all those who wear the uniform, who serve day and night and stand in harm’s way to protect us.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.
Marvin

Shalom all,

Israel Update – Day 21 of the War.It’s Friday night and Shabbat has already begun. So, this will be short.
The IDF entered the Gaza Strip for the second day in a row began a heavy artillery barrage on Gaza. According to the IDF Spokesman, this was done in order to “meet the objectives of the war.” He also revealed that a Hamas command center is located under the Shifa Hospital, which is the largest hospital in Gaza City. The command center and control room, which are accessible through underground tunnels, are “heavily staffed by armed forces”. It was further revealed that another command center is actually located inside the hospital, which is used, among other things, to launch missiles at Israeli communities. Clearly, these are violations of international law and should be prosecuted as war crimes. But, the big question is “who is going to prosecute the leaders of Hamas for war crimes”, when there is a growing sympathy for “Palestinian” casualties?

Rockets landed in and around the Tel Aviv area, together with the coastal cities of Ashkelon and Ashdod. There were injuries reported, as well as property damage.

Push is coming to shove, as it is becoming increasingly clear that Israel needs to make a decision which way it is going to continue in the conduct of the war. On the one hand, there are those who want to delay the full ground offensive, to allow more time to negotiate for the release of some of the hostages. Other members of the War Cabinet want to pursue the ground operation, to place additional pressure on Hamas, which might help to improve Israel’s negotiating position.

I fully understand and appreciate the desire to have the hostages, all of the hostages, released. But, the likelihood that all of the hostages will be released is nil. Yesterday, the Hamas spokesman indicated that approximately 50 hostages have already died as a result of the IDF bombardment of the Gaza Strip. If they’re dead, it’s because they were killed by Hamas or put in harm’s way intentionally. No names, no ages, no identification of male or female, civilian or military, Israeli or foreign citizen. I don’t believe anything that Hamas has to say and it should be obvious that they are using the negotiations to extend time to gain media support for the civilian casualties in Gaza. The constant shift in Hamas’s position in the negotiations also indicates that even if hostages will be released (they should really by considered prisoners of war), they may be foreign citizens first and may include women and children. After them, other Israeli civilians and finally, if they are still alive, Israeli soldiers, male and female. We are bombing the daylights out of Gaza and Hamas is still calling the shots in the “negotiations”. There is something wrong here. Extended “negotiations”, without pursuing the ground offensive, will cause great damage from a number of perspectives – military, morale, public pressure, media pressure, international pressure, economics and politics (just to name a few). It’s time to decide, not to sit on the wall.

Much can be said about the atrocities that were committed by the terrorists on Black Saturday, 7th October. A viewing of some of the videos taken by Hamas operatives themselves, in real time, should convince anyone and everyone of what – not who – we are dealing with. The images seen on those videos will cause some to break down emotionally. Others will not be able to get those scenes out of their minds. I was asked by a long-time friend whether I saw some of the videos, because he was having a difficult time believing what he heard. I told him that I did and that he should be thankful that he didn’t see them.

A perspective of the difference between a Hamas terrorist and an IDF soldier appeared in a cartoon, in Hebrew, which has been reported on various social media here. It is attached. On the left is a Hamas terrorist calling his father and saying to him: “Daddy, I killed ten people.” The other photo shows a member of the IDF calling his mother and saying to her: “Mom, I saved ten people.” That’s it in a nutshell, the difference between those who have an ideology and philosophy of death and those who have an ideology and philosophy of life. “L’Chaim”!!! To life!!! We lift a glass and toast to it, we sing about it, we proclaim it and pursue it in all of its aspects, because it is a gift to be cherished.

There’s more that happened today. But, the best thing that I can report is that both of our sons were granted 24 hours leave from their units and came home for Shabbat. Our older son came home early in the afternoon, in uniform and with his weapon. His younger brother came home 3 hours later, also in uniform and with his weapon. This is how they greeted each other.

Shabbat Shalom,
Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.
Marvin

Shalom all,

Israel Update – Day 20 of the War.
As Israel’s war against Hamas enters its 20th day, the IDF entered northern Gaza early this morning in a brief raid in preparation for a full-scale ground offensive. Infantry, backed by tanks and armored bulldozers went in as far as a kilometer (about 6 tenths of a mile). The operation lasted a few hours, during which many terrorists were killed and the IDF neutralized various threats, following which they all returned safely to Israeli territory. Among the goals was a search for tunnel systems, as well as to test the responses of Hamas. Smaller, daily incursions are carried out by Israeli forces, in an effort to clear the ground of Hamas explosives, as well as to search for the bodies of missing Israelis. <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/26/joe-biden-west-bank-settlers-israel-prepares-gaza-ground-invasion> and <https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-tanks-troops-briefly-push-into-gaza-strip-ahead-of-ground-offensive/>

In his article entitled, “The Protests of Fools” <https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/hamasism-of-fools-again>, French author, journalist and a leader of the New Philosophers movement. Bernard-Henri Georges Lévy called out the duplicity of those taking to the streets and demonstrating in favor of Hamas and the “Palestinians”. He asked the question: “Where were they when it was Hamas, not Israel, that arrested, tortured, massacred the Palestinians guilty of wanting peace and dreaming of freedom?” He speaks about the failure of the “social and political left” to take to the streets en masse to advocate for the victims of numerous wars and uprisings in many places throughout the world, in the same manner as those today who chanting the cause of Hamas. He concludes his article with the following words: 

“But for those out in the streets today, there is a double standard. Even though all children killed should cause the same anguish, a death only moves them if it allows them to cry out ‘Israeli murderers’ or ‘Zionism equals Nazism’ or ‘from the river to the sea,’ which is to say, in good French, ‘Death to Jews’.” 

“Add to all this that these indignant people did not flood the streets when it was 1,400 women, men, children of Israel who were disemboweled, decapitated, burned alive, submitted to pogroms.

“Those same people we saw chanting ‘We are all Palestinians’ might well have, two weeks earlier, like the rebels of 1968, exclaimed ‘We are all Jews’—but they did not and, furthermore, it seems the idea never crossed their minds.

“Add, also, that they tolerated, in their processions, the flag of Hamas, an organization that speaks like ISIS, thinks like ISIS, films its crimes like ISIS.

“And add again that one of their reasons for assembling, at least one that appeared in their tracts and their social media, was the destruction of a hospital in Gaza—an attack which was shown to have been caused not by an Israeli shell but a Palestinian one. Add, then, that these indignants were manipulated and that their manipulators are masters of disinformation with no other goal than to inflame souls, sow chaos, and kill Jews.

“Antisemitism, it was once said, is the socialism of fools.”Today it is Hamasism that reproduces that same criminal imbecility—making these protests an offense to the republican spirit.” Well said, Monsieur Lévy!

Regarding the war itself, the Deputy Head of Intelligence for Hamas, Shari Barud, was eliminated by the IDF. Barus, who was responsible for planning the massacre of Black Saturday on 7th October. He was the right-hand man of Yahya Sinwar, the Head of Hamas. Nevertheless, heavy barrages continued to be launched by Hamas against areas in the south and, during the last two hours, missile alerts sounded in a multitude of communities in the greater Tel Aviv area. As of this writing, there are no reports of casualties.The situation regarding the release of the hostages continues to be the weak point of Israel’s military operation. Qatari negotiators claim that all civilian hostages could be released in a few day, conditional on a cease fire. Here lies the parallel lines of the present war. The spokesman for Hamas’s Qassam Brigades wrote today: “Al-Qassam Brigades estimates that the number of Zionist prisoners killed in the Gaza Strip as a result of Zionist bombing and massacres reached approximately 50 people.” <https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/hamas-makes-unverified-claim-that-almost-50-hostages-killed-in-airstrikes/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CIzz%20ad%2DDin%20Al%2D,war%20coverage%20important%20to%20you%3F> and <https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-770321>. The words “estimates” and “approximately” are part of Hamas double talk. The greater likelihood is that Hamas terrorists did the only thing that their limited mentality urges them to do, namely: murder, and then to blame the deaths on Israeli air strikes. The IDF Spokesman said that Hamas was holding 224 people hostage. We don’t know where they are, what their condition is and whether they are alive or dead. Addressing both the war and the hostage situation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a prime-time speech last night that “All Hamas members are dead men walking — above and below ground, inside and outside Gaza,” adding that the two primary goals of this war are: (1) to eliminate Hamas by destroying its military governance capabilities, and (2) “to do everything possible to get our hostages back”. It’s clear that the elimination of Hamas will require a massive military effort. But, it is also clear that “to do every thing possible to bring the hostages home” will most probably necessitate restraining a massive military effort. These goals are like two parallel lines that seem to be in opposition to one another, yet both are somehow expected to be accomplished. Well, this IS a land of miracles.On 24th October (2 days ago), an Article by Dr. Yvette Alt Miller appeared on the website of “aish”, entitled “14 Facts about Hamas Every College Student Needs to Know” <https://aish.com/14-facts-about-hamas-every-college-student-needs-to-know/?src=ac>. While it is true that college campuses today, particularly in North America, are hotbeds of anti-Israel and anti-Jewish demonstrations, this article will appeal to their intellectual appetite, although it is difficult to say whether they will be able to swallow the facts presented. The information in the article is also very beneficial for every one who wants to be armed with facts, to speak on behalf of Israel and to counter widespread disinformation, which are trigger points for mass rallies in favor of Hamas and the “Palestinian” population. It is a relatively short read and contains valuable information. If one wants to be an advocate for Israel, it needs to be remembered that truth negates a lie and that light dispels darkness.
When you get to the end of point 4 (Hamas’ Charter Calls for Genocide), click on the link “before Israel’s complete obliteration” <https://palwatch.org/storage/documents/hamas%20new%20policy%20document%20010517.pdf>. It will open your eyes to the ideology and goals of Hamas, as well as present a seemingly unending string of lies and distortions that have no basis in fact and ignore historical data and international agreements. Keep in mind what I indicated on Day 15 of the war: “The reality is that the Gaza Strip is a hotbed of falsehoods and deceit.” 
Among those speaking on behalf of Israel for an extended period of time is Joseph Haddad – a journalist and an outstanding Arab-Israeli advocacy activist FOR ISRAEL. He posted today on his Twitter (X) Account, that “Dealing with Hamas has only one outcome: they need to be exterminated from the world.” <https://twitter.com/YosephHaddad/status/1717558690285502519?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet >
I’ll leave this today with the words of Israeli actress, writer, producer and activist, Noa Tishby, Israel’s first Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism and Delegitimization, who wrote on her Instagram account four days ago: <https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyrHWQ5vO18/>:
“This is the most challenging speech I’ve ever delivered, but it’s time the world wakes up to what the Jewish community has been saying all along. 

“What we experienced on and since October 7 was sadly, predictable. We’ve warned of the danger of radical Islam or, more accurately, the radical Islamic Nazism that is constantly lurking at Israel’s borders. And we’ve warned of the ongoing grooming of Western civilization – through universities, the media, and social media. We warned what the phrase “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free” really looks like. It means “itbach al Yahud” – “slaughter the Jews.”

“This demonization of Israel is not “progressive”, it’s not peaceful and it absolutely won’t Free Palestine. It is a modern-day blood libel calculated to incite, pave the way for, and then justify – a genocide.

“We’ve seen it for over three and a half thousand years of Jewish “lived experience”. It’s the generational trauma that is in our bones. We understand it. That, is our “Jewish privilege.” We knew where it would lead, and we are devastated to be proven right.

“Israel is one of the greatest stories ever told and its vilification is one of the greatest smear campaigns in the history of the world. But we have news for you: when we say Never Again, we mean it. When you tell us you want to kill us, we believe you. And when you set out to do it in the most horrific of ways, we will defeat you.

“We stand shoulder to shoulder with the families of Israelis and Americans held hostage by the Hamas terrorists and demand they return the hostages now! Bring them home!

“Above all I am grateful that for the generations to come, the Jewish people will still live, love, and thrive and reach out a hand to the world. And Hamas will be nothing but a footnote in history, just like those who tried to exterminate us before. (emphasis mine)

“Am Yisrael Chai 🇮🇱” [The nation of Israel is alive!]
“So he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’

Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ And the LORD opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:16-17)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

Shalom all,
Israel Update – Day 19 of the War.
It’s been a long day and there have been a lot of developments. Some of the highlights follow.
Queen Rania Al Abdullah, the wife of King Abdullah II of Jordan, says that there is a “glaring double standard” by the West’s reaction to the Hamas massacre on 7th October. In her interview on CNN, she told Christians Amanpour that there was no independent verification of the atrocities committed by Hamas that was reported in the various media outlets, including the beheading of children. Amanpour replies that there was an abundance of evidence of the murderous brutality of Hamas, directed at people of all ages, including children. According to a report in the Times of Israel, following the Queen’s remarks, “families of Israelis who are being held hostage in the Gaza Strip sent her a link to a website that includes videos of abuse, beheadings, and the burnings of bodies by the terrorists … collected by police and Military Intelligence” <https://www.timesofisrael.com/jordan-queen-skeptical-israeli-children-were-beheaded-by-hamas-during-onslaught/>. Yes, the Queen speaks, but it probably would have been best if she kept silent.In this regard and what should put an end to Queen Rania’s denials and the denials of multitudes of others, IDF Spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, during an interview with CBS television, read a note recovered from the body of a Hamas terrorist, who took part in the massacre of Black Saturday: “You must sharpen the blades of your swords and be pure in your intentions before Allah. Know that the enemy is a disease that has no cure, except beheading and removing the hearts and livers. Attack them!” (Emphasis mine) <https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-770086?utm>

According to various reports, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised today that notwithstanding several delays, Israel’s ground offensive into the Gaza Strip will take place soon and that the timing of it will be determined by the War Cabinet. However, it is also widely reported that at the request of the U.S., Israel agreed to hold off on its ground offensive to allow the Pentagon to deploy a number of air-defense systems in the region to protect U.S. forces that have been attacked during the past week more than a dozen times in Syria and Iraq, presumably as a result of the tensions resulting from our present war. But, it also appears that in the opinion of senior U.S. military personnel, Israel is not yet “ready” to enter Gaza and they are coordinating with Israeli military about options and strategies. So, who is making the decision when to enter Gaza, if at all – Israel or the U.S.? Public confidence in the government’s handling of the war is at a low point; the IDF’s plans are put on “hold” (not good for our military that is used to going in and getting the job done); the economy is being negatively impacted and Israel’s international credit rating has dropped from “A” to “C”.In speaking to the media today, Netanyahu stated: “All members of Hamas are marked for death, above ground and below, both inside and outside of Gaza…[We] are working around the clock to achieve our war objectives until victory, without political considerations…We set two goals for this war: to cripple Hamas’s political and military capabilities and to do everything possible to bring the captives home.” <https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b1don00izt>

Despite the massive bombings of locations in the Gaza Strip, the evil of Hamas continues to rear its ugly head and there doesn’t appear to be any weakening in its resolve to win the media war, even if multitudes of “Palestinians” become casualties of war. The ongoing negotiations for the release of the hostages is being mediated by Qatar, who has funded, equipped and assisted Hamas in many ways over an extended period of time. Impartial mediators? Highly doubtful. They echo the voices of those who call for a cease fire, claiming that a ground offensive could end up jeopardizing the negotiations. But, the negotiations are not for the purpose of releasing ALL of the hostages, but only some. Hamas is, essentially, in control of the situation and is calling the shots. In order to release some civilians, the demand is that Israel cease the bombing of Gaza. This is somewhat akin to the Nazi “selektion” (selection) process of dividing prisoners into two groups – those who will live and those who will die. Data released by the Israeli government today reveals that 138 of the hostages are holders of foreign passports (54 Thais, 15 Argentinians, 12 Americans, 12 Germans, 6 French and 6 Russian). Are the negotiations for their release only? Are we then going to continue to be held hostage as a nation for the next stage of negotiations, the release of Israeli civilians and then the release of members of the IDF (men and women), in exchange for emptying our prisons of all terrorists? 

And what about the citizens who have been displaced from their residences in the south and in the north? The present war has already resulted in Israelis becoming refugees within our own country. Large companies have already begun laying off employees, with 100,000 expected to be placed on a “vacation without pay” status, seriously affecting the economy. Also, the war puts a halt on building construction, inasmuch as Israel’s construction industry relies heavily on Arab workers from Gaza. The biggest impact is the psychological one, with Hamas launching a missile here and a missile there, with air raid sirens blaring on and off throughout the day. This is compounded by the Hezbollah joining its southern cousin and daily increasing its cross-border confrontations with the IDF.

Speaking of launching projectiles, the Carmel range was targeted today by a missile, setting off sirens in the towns of Daliyat al-Karmel and Kerem Maharal, both slightly south of Haifa. Daliyat al-Karmel is a very short distance from Mukraka, said to be the location where Elijah defeated the priests of Baal (1 Kings 18). It was not clear whether the launch was from Gaza or from Lebanon and the IDF is investigating the matter.

The actress and comedienne, Amy Schumer, unloaded on supporters of Hamas and those who are calling for an immediate ceasefire in the present war. She reposted a statement on Instagram this past Sunday, accusing of antisemitism those who oppose Israel’s response to the massacres of Black Saturday. It is repeated here:

“If you scream ‘genocide’ but were silent about the massacre of October 7th, you might hate Jews.”“If you call for a ceasefire but not the release of hostages, you might hate Jews.”

“If you oppose Israel’s right to defend itself but say nothing of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and Syria’s continuous rocket launches toward the civilian population of Israel, you might hate Jews.”

“If you spoke out against Israel’s tragic bombing of the hospital in Gaza, but made no contraction once you learned it was actually done by Islamic Jihad, you might hate Jews.”

“If you use inflammatory language regarding Israel no matter how flawed their government, but use measured and apologetic terminology around Hamas, a terrorist organization whose charter clearly states their intent to kill Jews, you might hate Jews.”

“If you chant ‘decolonize,’ but fail to condemn the chanting of ‘gas the Jews’ at rallies in city streets and universities worldwide, you might hate Jews.”

“If you disagree with this statement, you might hate Jews.”

Schumer also re-shared an Instagram post by Mandana Dayani. It is a quick read. You can see it here: 

Amy Schumer Unleashes Fierce Critique Against Calls for Hamas Ceasefire

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing,

Marvin

Shalom all,
Israel Update – Day 18 of the War.
“And suddenly on Shabbat morning, when everything was quiet, there was very heavy shelling on the communities, and along with the shelling, the mob burst in, [easily] burst through the [border] fence… opened the gate of the kibbutz and broke in en masse. It was very unpleasant, very hard. My memory keeps replaying those pictures…I went through a hell that we never imagined.” (Yocheved Lifshitz, age 85, one of the hostages released last night) She added that she was beaten with sticks, not to the point of breaking her ribs, but “hurting me badly and making it hard for me to breathe.” <https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/freed-hostage-describes-being-taken-into-a-spiderweb-of-tunnels-under-gaza/?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ForwardingtheNews_8098826> Think of her as your mother, or grandmother, or your sister or aunt. She is 85 and was “beaten with sticks”.

Israel has made a number of mistakes, beginning with Day 1 of the War, being caught off-guard by the unfathomable attack by Hamas. It took a few hours, but we regrouped, responded and began to remove, from each community surrounding the Gaza Strip, the terrorists who remained. And now, after a multitude of the media, countries and organizations condemned Hamas, the IDF allowed an unsupervised, live press conference in front of dozens of journalists, where the released captive said that she was well-treated by the terrorists and that she was well treated by her terrorist captors and that “they were very friendly”. From the point of view of Israel’s and the IDF’s public diplomacy, this interview could only be described as a disaster. Why the hospital allowed it to take place without some form of government supervision is yet one more question that will have to be answered, and quickly. This was another “mistake”, but one that could have far-reaching consequences, as it is, essentially, a public relations bonus for Hamas. Maybe this needs to be counter-balanced by widespread showing of the atrocities committed by hate-driven, blood-thirsty terrorists – atrocities which they, themselves, filmed of killings, rapes, beheadings, burnings and body dismemberment, among other things. I’m still trying to reconcile how she could go “through hell”, be beaten by her captors and still say that they were “very friendly towards us.” 

Notwithstanding anything else, over 200 people are still being held hostage by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other terrorist organizations, as well as individuals, who joined in the abduction, hoping to get the apartment and $10,000 that they were promised for each captive that was taken. <https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hkm3zrvmt#autoplay>

As humanitarian aid continued to flow into Gaza again today from the south, Hamas renewed its missile bombardment of southern communities and even headed northward, towards the center of the country, where Tel Aviv and surrounding cities were again targeted. The missiles were destroyed by Israel. Hamas continues its rocket barrages. Despite Israel’s massive bombardment of strategic locations in Gaza, Hamas’s supply of rockets is neither depleted nor destroyed. Reports of Israel’s planned ground offensive are mixed – some say that it may be placed on hold, while others say it could be undertaken without much advance notice. The IDF says it’s ready to enter Gaza, but despite its readiness, it will conducting a ground offensive in an area that Hamas has controlled for years, an area with miles of underground tunnels and with missiles hidden in civilian-populated areas. Maybe more time is needed to get the military information that it needs. Maybe it already has what it needs. We’ll soon see.

As the aerial offensive continues, Israel is being called upon to end the fighting – as if our doing so will actually end the reason for the war in the first place. No matter how one looks at the situation, if Israel ends the fighting, the bottom line is that doing so will enable Hamas to survive. And if it survives, then in another year or two or three, we’ll be looking at another, perhaps even deadlier, assault from Gaza, as well as one from Iran, the Hezbollah in Lebanon, and from other places like Yemen, who will see that despite our initial resolve to eliminate Hamas, we will eventually agree to another foolish cease fire. One journalist put it very succinctly: “[Well]-meaning humanitarians and critics of Israel’s government who are nevertheless supporters of the Jewish state are essentially on the same side as the antisemitic left demanding its elimination. They must all be considered Hamas’s useful idiots…But contrary to the moral relativism of [certain named] people…the option facing Israel and the world in Gaza is not one that can be characterized as morally complex or one in which the truth lies somewhere in the gray area between the absolutist claims of either Palestinians or Israelis…The choice between Hamas and Israel is not complex. It is one between an Islamist tyranny and a democratic state, between a group whose Western ideology isn’t merely alien to western thought but steeped in what can only be described as evil. The comparison between Hamas and ISIS is apt; they are both modern-day Nazi movements that share an eliminationist mentality when it comes to Jews and the Jewish state…The destruction of the Hamas regime…is a moral imperative….” <https://www.jns.org/ceasefire-advocates-are-hamass-useful-idiots/>

Cross-border incidents with Hezbollah continue and increase slightly more each day. Without pursuing this too deeply at this point, it should be clear that the expansion of the war with Hamas (“Palestinians”) could explode into a regional war if Iran instructs Hezbollah to launch massive missile barrages into Israel. The situation in the north is truly  touch-and-go. In the meantime, drones from Lebanon have been intercepted near Arco (Acre) <<https://www.jns.org/air-raid-sirens-sound-in-haifa-area/?_se=ZmVkZXJpY28uYmVudHNpa0B0aW4uaXQ%3D&utm_campaign=Evening+Syndicate+Monday+10232023&utm_medium=email&utm_source=brevo>, which is about 25-30 kilometers from Haifa. For more than two weeks, the buzz of Israeli drones are heard over our area throughout the night, to ensure that additional drones, armed or not, from Hezbollah do not again enter into Haifa airspace. While this was being written, sirens blared in the area of the Golan Heights. 

I am attaching today’s Dry Bones <blog@mrdrybones.com> perspective, which summarizes four generations since the outset of WWII. Think about it in the light of the blood bath that took place two and a half weeks ago on Black Saturday.

The attached 3 minutes and 20 seconds video appeared at the opening of a Japanese television news site. A group of Japanese men, women and children are singing a well-known Hebrew song – in Hebrew. They are supportive of Israel and share its pain and agony. The song reflects an attitude of despair that many people in Israel feel today. I translated the lyrics below.

 
When the heart cries, only God hears.The pain arises from the soul.A man falls before he sinks.By a small prayer, the silence is cut.Hear O Israel. My God,You can do everything.You gave me my life,You gave me everything.My eyes are filled with tears, The heart cries quietly.And when the heart is silent,The soul cries out.Hear, O Israel. My God!Now, I am alone,Strengthen me, my God.Cause me not to be afraid.The pain is greatAnd there is no where to go.Make it end, because I have no strength left.When the heart cries, time is standing still.Man suddenly sees his entire lifeGoing where, is unknown.He doesn’t want to go Where he is calling to God at the end of the abyss.

Thank you for your prayers. We need a spiritual revival where our nation, and yours, will call upon the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Remember, God longs to be gracious to us. (Isaiah 30:18). 

So, why not ask? “It will come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24).
Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.
Marvin

Shalom all,

Israel Update – Day 17 of the War. Some terrorists, who were involved in the Black Saturday massacre, were captured by the IDF. They revealed that their instructions included kidnapping women and children, raping the women, killing as many as they could and then desecrating the bodies. They terrorists were promised that whoever bring a captive back to Gaza will receive a free apartment and $10,000! We need to REMEMBER who we are dealing with.

The number of hostages continues to increase and the IDF Spokesman said today that the number now stands at 222 and is subject to change.

Qatar, who has transferred considerable sums of money to the “Palestinians”, is acting as an intermediary to broker the release of “some” of the hostages. According to reports, in the next few hours, Hamas is willing to release some 50 hostages who hold non-Israeli citizenship. We have eased the pressure on Hamas and the “Palestinians” generally, by opening the southernmost crossing from Egypt and allowing the daily entrance (3 days in a row now) of humanitarian aid. Instead of weakening Hamas, it strengthens this heartless terrorist organization. Notwithstanding the continuous bombing of locations in the Gaza Strip, Hamas is still calling the shots of negotiation and deciding who will be released and when. Israelis are not part of the present, anticipated “selection” for the release of hostages. Did you catch the term, “selection”? It is a term taken from the Holocaust and used by Hamas. What happened to our decision makers? Why are we agreeing to conduct war by the rules of Hamas? Our goals were clear: Eliminate Hamas and return the hostages, ALL of the hostages. We were applying pressure and it was working. Then we eased off, delayed the ground offensive, allowed and continue to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. And while we are being so kind to our enemies, they continue to launch missiles and drones into Israel. Let’s not be deceived. A wolf is a wolf is a wolf. It wolf does not become a lamb simply because he releases two female hostages, U.S. citizens and is now notifying the media that Hamas is going to release more hostages, in an attempt to show how kind and humane it is. Only fools would believe the lies and deception that Hamas spews forth. Time after time, news reporters, who were assigned to this area of the world, have indicated that nothing that comes forth from Hamas should be believed. It’s time we took that advice seriously.

And while we fight a war, an internal crisis is rapidly developing. Families have been displaced and there’s a problem to temporarily re-settle them. Hotels, hostages, guest houses are full. The southern city of Eilat set aside a large area that will be used as a “tent city” for the some 60,000 residents from the south who vacated their residences because of the terrorists to whom we are providing humanitarian aid and who respond to our kindness by renewing their rocket assault to the areas surrounding the Gaza enclave. Our citizens have become “refugees” within our land. The northern area is also dealing with missile threats, particularly, but not exclusively, in the city of Kiryat Shmona. Some 35,000 residents have already been vacated from there. It is reminiscent of the “Disengagement”, which resulted in the removal of some 9,000 Israelis from Gaza and north Samaria in 2005.

Iran continues to threaten, this time to launch a missile strike, “without hesitation”, at Haifa, “if it is necessary and [the order is given].” <https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-769720?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Iran+will+not+hesitate+to+launch+missiles+at+Haifa&utm_campaign=October+23%2C+2023> The order, if given, will most likely be given to the Hezbollah, who has been threatening Israel for years. The IDF says it is ready and prepared to deal with any situation that will develop and, at least one Israeli Minister said that if the Hezbollah terror groups attacks us, Israel will wipe Iranian leaders off the face of the earth. <https://www.timesofisrael.com/barkat-well-wipe-irans-leaders-off-the-face-of-the-earth-if-they-expand-conflict/> and the U.S. may pursue military action directly against Iran <https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/15/graham-iran-threat-hezbollah-israel-00121615>.

As if that weren’t enough, some 100,000 employees have been laid off from their jobs because of the war. Their status is “on leave without pay” – similar to what happened during the Corona pandemic. Some businesses never re-opened and some people never returned to their jobs.Some within the Arabic-speaking community have opened their eyes and ears and have come to their senses regarding who/what Israel is and who/what the “Palestinians” are not. A dear friend, an Israeli Arab, now living “down under” sent a video. I wanted to attach it here, but it is “too heavy” to attach. I’ll try to send it a different way, but not tonight.
Instead, I’m attaching a song message from some of the children of Israel. It is simple, but direct. No politics here. <

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wYspKp-F68>Enough for the moment. Too much news clutter being reported now. 

Final Note: The news reported two minutes ago that another two hostages were released by Hamas. That’s all we know at the moment. We know that at 222 were taken hostage and now, only 2 are being released through the Rafiah Junction. Please remember to pray for wisdom for the government; wisdom, boldness and strength of the IDF; for the bereaved families who lost loved ones as a result of the Hamas slaughter; for those who were wounded on Black Saturday; for the return of ALL of the hostages, alive and well. Pray for wisdom for yourselves to know how to stand for Israel, to speak the truth without fear.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.
Marvin

Shalom all,

Israel Update – Day 16 of the War.

Israel is at war with “Palestinians”, not Hamas. Yesterday, I expressed my opinion that Hamas and the “Palestinians” are one and the same. One article in today’s Jerusalem Post, essentially, agreed with that assessment. “[The] war that started on October 7 should not be characterized as Hamas vs Israel. It would be more accurate to extend the characterization to a Palestinian vs Israel war…[The] Palestinian people elected Hamas to power and have continued to support the terror organization’s rule in the Gaza Strip – even at their own peril…The façade that there are two groups, Palestinians and Palestinian terror organizations has vanished.” <https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-769597?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=IDF%3A+Hamas+losing+control+of+north%2C+central+Gaza&utm_campaign=October+22%2C+2023> As the writer of the above article correctly points out: “Until a total Israeli victory over the Palestinians, and a Palestinian surrender and understanding that they will have terms dictated to them, the conflict will continue – as it has for the last 100 years.” Enough said about this, at least for now.

Netanyahu is delaying the commencement of the ground operations. In the next few days, an attempt will be made to free hostages, in exchange for providing humanitarian aid. The question is whether this “exchange” will be a bit here, a bit there. The hostage release has to include everyone. This poses no small problem for both sides. IDF Spokesman reported tonight that the number of hostages is now listed at 212, the reality is that nobody can say for certain how many hostages were taken, whether they are alive and where they are being held. This is due, in part, to the fact that a number of terrorist groups were involved in the Black Saturday massacre and there is no single spokesman for all of them who can present the numbers, condition and location of all of the hostages.

The delay in beginning the ground offensive works to the advantage of Hamas and the other terrorist organizations in Gaza. They can use this time to fortify their position and plant explosives in different locations, that can be detonated from a distance. Some media analysts expressed the opinion that the heart of Hamas’s operations still has not been damaged by Israel’s massive bombardment of the Gaza enclave. Communication facilities, energy, electricity and water are still operating in centers of Hamas operations. So, while pressure is applied by Israel, most of it hasn’t yet affected Hamas. Moreover, extended delay is not beneficial for the IDF, which is trained to respond quickly and get the job done. Also, the longer we wait on the ground offensive and continue the aerial bombardment, we can anticipate that there will be more and more condemnation of Israel from places around the world that are fueled by anti-Israel media.

In the meantime, an additional 17 truckloads of humanitarian aid entered into Gaza through the Rafiah crossing from Egypt. Notwithstanding this major concession to the “Palestinians”, the IDF said that no fuel was allowed to enter Gaza.

While final figures still need to be ascertained, as of today, at least 21 children were left orphaned following the terrorist attack on 7th October. Both parents of 16 of them were killed. At least 100 children have at least one parent missing.

As of this writing, more than 1,400 Israelis and foreign nationals are reported to have been killed as a result of the terrorist attack, The number of wounded has jumped to more than 5,300. But, the dead and wounded are not the only casualties of the war that has entered its 16th day. Literally hundreds of thousands of residents from the south, as well as from communities in the north near Lebanon, are away from their homes. They were vacated at the urging of the IDF, due to the continuing missile assaults from Gaza, as well as the concern over the massive rocket barrages that are expected to be launched by the Hezbollah in Lebanon when the ground offensive begins. This is no small matter. More than 120,000 were taken to hotels that are, basically, empty now because of the war. By agreement between the government and the hotels, those who were vacated will be given lunch, which will consist of a sandwich only. The Finance Ministry is hesitant to absorb the expense associated with housing the families who were vacated from their homes. Of course, there are some who, for various reasons, refused to leave their homes and are willing to take their chances that they will survive whatever additional assaults will be made by the enemy.

It should be noted that the massive removal and relocation of citizens is already affecting Israel’s internal economy and is creating a crisis for businesses, particularly for those who are self-employed.
One more note about the terrorist assault on Black Saturday – sraeli President Yitzhak Herzog, in the course of an interview, revealed the instruction manual that the terrorists carried with them, which was actually from an Al-Qaeda manual from 2003. It included written instructions how to improvise the manufacture of a cyanide dispersion device, which apparently they were planning on using against the civilian population. It is not yet clear whether Hamas has already begun to mass produce chemical weapons. But, given the fact that they have no moral fibre, we should not dismiss that possibility.

Finally, it is clear that a second front has already opened in the north. More on this in future updates.

Please remember to pray for the IDF, wherever they are stationed and in whatever capacity they serve.

I want to leave you with a short scene that will make you smile. A child just saw his father, who returned for a short while from military reserve duty. Hopefully, it will come through on your end. 

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing,
Marvin

Shalom all,

Israel Update – Day 15 of the War.As everyone knows by now, the Hamas terrorist organization that invaded Israel, stormed communities surrounding the Gaza Strip in the south, butchered men, women and children, and took hundreds captive, released last night a mother and daughter, both U.S. citizens, after they were held hostage for two weeks. The Hamas public relations network went into immediate action and notified the world that this was done for humanitarian reasons. Good news, right? Let’s stop for a moment and think. Why release two American women? If this was truly supposed to be a humanitarian gesture, why not release children first and all women? So far, other people are telling their stories, up to a point. We haven’t yet heard from the two hostages about their ordeal. 

Martin Fletcher, a former Israel-based NBC News correspondent, who is related to the two hostages who were released, was interviewed by NBC News about the situation. Towards the end of the interview, he stated: “In this area of the world, nobody does something for nothing.” We know, or at least we should know, that the word “truth’ is not in the vocabulary of Hamas. Another journalist, who is familiar with the way reporters are allowed, or not allowed, to operate in the Gaza Strip, said  “The reality is that the Gaza Strip is a hotbed of falsehoods and deceit.” So, if we know that the two American women were not released out of the goodness of the lifeless hearts of Hamas, then there has to be another reason. Attached is an Instagram post from 10th October, 2023, which speaks for itself. At the end of the post, the writer says; “If [Natalie – the daughter] is alive, I can confidentially help broker her return.” In the light of the release of the two women, how are we to understand that post and comment? How are we to understand this particular release in the backdrop of the big picture? 

In posting these updates, it is important to relate information that is factual. But, on occasion, it is both important and necessary to express opinion. It is also important and necessary to think about what is expressed in order to come to an understanding of the realities that exist here. Almost everything in the Middle East, and perhaps throughout the world, is open to negotiation. It is a “give and take”, a “quid pro quo”, or as Martin Fletcher stated it: “In this area of the world, nobody does something for nothing.” So, let’s broaden our perspective of the events of recent days and see if there are “hints” at “payback”.

Israel is involved in a war, with an attitude of exacting vengeance on the evil that is called “Hamas”. The IDF said that it would eliminate Hamas without taking into consideration the hostages being held by these and other terrorists. Preparation is underway for a ground offensive into Gaza. President Biden shows up and commits to unequivocal support of Israel, for which we are abundantly thankful. The IDF is pressing on in its aerial bombardment of locations in Gaza. No one is allowed in and no one is allowed out. Hamas urges and threatens the citizens of Gaza not to move out of harm’s way and to stay, even if doing so results in the death or serious injury. Hamas expresses a willingness to negotiate an exchange of certain hostages for supplies and medical aid. President Biden announced that the U.S. will provide $100 million in aid to help civilians in Gaza and “the West Bank” (Judea and Samaria) AND that he obtained a commitment from Israel to allow food, water and medicine into Gaza via Egypt’s Rafah crossing, which was part of the purpose of Biden’s visit to Israel (see the remarks of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, prior to that visit – <https://www.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-remarks-to-the-press-on-president-bidens-upcoming-trip-to-israel-and-agreement-with-israel-to-develop-a-humanitarian-aid-plan-for-gaza/#:~:text=It%20is%20critical%20that%20aid,the%20people%20who%20need%20it.>). 

Now, a 20-truck convoy containing humanitarian aid for the “Palestinians” is entering Gaza for the first time since the Hamas onslaught two weeks ago today. According to Blinken, this follows days of “exhaustive” diplomatic discussions by the U.S. with Israel and Egypt. He added: “Palestinian civilians are not responsible for Hamas’s horrific terrorism, and they should not be made to suffer for its depraved acts.” <https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/blinken-welcomes-start-of-aid-to-gaza-still-working-to-get-foreign-citizens-out/#:~:text=Blinken%20says%20the%20reopening%20of,saving%20assistance%2C%E2%80%9D%20Blinken%20says.> Along with the lifting of restrictions, various governments and international organizations are pressuring Israel to delay its planned ground offensive. So, we received a promise of support, but we’re asked to change our military plans designed to eliminate Hamas and related terrorist organizations; to consider delaying our plans for a ground offensive; to allow humanitarian aid to assist the “Palestinians” (which Hamas will most likely confiscate), but to continue with our stated goal of eliminating the terrorists, while doing everything possible not to harm “Palestinian” civilians. I don’t know about you, but this certainly sounds like “one hand washing the other”. I realize that some who will read this will see only what Biden agreed to do for Israel, without considering the possibility that there was a secondary goal for his one-day visit here. This is an expression of an opinion that can be accepted or rejected.

But, the bigger point is the misunderstanding regarding the “Palestinian” citizens, whom Blinken said (in expressing Biden’s opinion) that they “are not responsible for Hamas’s horrific terrorism, and they should not be made to suffer for its depraved acts.” The problem is the failure to recognize that the Hamas terrorist organization was and is part and parcel of the “Palestinian” people living in Gaza. They had elections back in 2006 – after Israel vacated 21 settlements and 9,000 residents in the Gaza Strip in 2005) and the residents of Gaza chose to be ruled by Hamas (which is an acronym for the Islamic Resistance Movement). The attempt to convince the world that there is a difference between Hamas and the rest of the “Palestinians” living in Gaza (as well as Judea and Samaria – the “West Bank”) is either an egregious failure to understand the make-up of “Palestinian” society, or worse, a willful attempt to perpetuate a deception for purposes that cannot be publicly expressed by politicians at this time. 

When Israel eliminates Hamas, who will take over the leadership of Gaza? Remember, the citizens of Gaza voted for the terrorist organization to rule over them. They align with the goals of Hamas, they cheer terrorist victories, they celebrate when Israelis are killed and butchered. The “Palestinians” gave birth to Hamas. They are not separate from them. Who will take over when Hamas is eliminated? More people, with the same ideology, who will be called by a different name. Giving humanitarian aid intended for citizens of Gaza will be confiscated by Hamas. Blinken acknowledges that possibility: “If Hamas steals or diverts this assistance it will have demonstrated once again that it has no regard for the welfare of the “Palestinian” people and as a practical matter it will hinder the international community from being able to provide this aid.”<https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip-conflict/card/blinken-delivers-gaza-aid-warning-to-hamas-OBp065RAuEWik8oTHH6I#>  OK, and then what? The spiritual war will continue long after the physical war is over and it is far from being over. But, we need to start thinking about what will happen “the day after”. Additionally, if Hamas and the other terrorist groups are removed from Gaza, leaving only “Palestinians”, then the argument will again surface that the “Palestinians” should be granted statehood – reviving the many times dead “Two-State Solution” that is never going to be a solution.

So much has happened here over the last 24 hours – Increased military activity from the Hezbollah and cross-border incidents between Lebanon and Israel. A second front definitely exists, although low-keyed at this point. The Houthis of Yemen (of all places – another Iranian puppet) launched missiles against Israel last night, which were intercepted by U.S. Naval forces. Missiles have been launched from Gaza throughout the day to communities in the south, as well as to areas around the center of the county.

Despite the difficulties and attempts to overcome national shock resulting from the murderous assault two weeks ago, Israelis have undertaken unprecedented measures to stand with the IDF and to encourage them in a host of different ways. The Registrar of Non-Profit organizations here made an announcement that will allow organizations that provide humanitarian aid to take an active part in the present war and to provide assistance where needed. As a result, our organization, A Future and A Hope <afutureandahope.org.il> purchased and delivered equipment to an IDF Brigade in the north, that a consists of the following: premium thermal pants; premium thermal shirts; fleece jackets; wool hats and rechargeable LED lights; sleeping bags; sets of high socks (3 to a set); vests and knee protectors. The person responsible for receiving, organizing and distributing the items wrote to us and said, in part (name of person, unit and location are withheld): “I want to thank you for an important and special donation and most relevant to this day. The soldiers will be happy to receive this help. Greatly appreciated…Take care and with God;s help we will win the war.” (See photos of the boxes being delivered to the unit. – the person in the photo delivered the items; soldiers’ faces covered.)

This is in addition to supplying special aid to single moms, women in a crisis pregnancy, and needy families. (See attached pics).

Shalom all.
Israel Update – Day 14 of the War.
As we complete two weeks of war, the national trauma continues following the atrocities and war crimes committed by the terrorist organization, Hamas, on Shabbat, 7th October, the last day of the most joyous of the Biblical festivals of Israel. That day has been designated as 10/7 (Israel’s 9/11), Kippur 2023, Holocaust 2023, and others. Some said that they don’t ever want to forget what happened and even tattooed the date on their forearms. 
As more and more bodies are identified, the numbers of dead and missing will change. In the meantime, the exact number of those who were taken captive is still unknown, not only to the IDF, but to Hamas itself, as some of those taken hostage were abducted by Gazan civilians. So, the numbers and locations of all those who are still presumed to be in captivity remains unknown. But, some facts are known. The IDF has reported that among the captured are about 30 children and that the fate of between 100-200 is not known.
Khaled Mashaal, a senior member of the Hamas terrorist organization, was interviewed last night on the Saudi Al- Arabiya television network. He insisted that Hamas does not target non-combatants, despite the massacre committed by his organization that resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 civilians. The interviewer, Rasha Nabil, said that the world watched what Hamas did to civilians throughout the communities in the south and added, “you (Hamas) injured Israeli civilians” and that Hamas is being equated with ISIS. Mashaal’s response was typical of the kind of lies disseminated through the media, as he said that the accusations of transgressions against Israeli civilians was “fabricated by Netanyahu and unfortunately the West is collaborating with it.” The interview is posted here, so that you can see and listen to the denials that the whole world knows are false and the intention of Hamas to do a prisoner exchange to empty all of Israeli prisons of so-called “Palestinians”. Mashaal sits comfortably while he expects non-combatant Gazan civilians to die as part of the cause of Hamas. In this case, the interview shows how leaders of Hamas lie with impunity and then expect the world to side with them. Unfortunately, many in the world buy into the lies and they, together with Hamas, will continue to condemn Israel for existing. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkZDxJ3JhCA&t=3s>
Amazingly, Sales al-Arouri, the number 2 man in Hamas and Iran inside man, even claims that Hamas is not responsible for taking the hostages, but what he refers to as the “riffraff of Gaza”. It is known that some of these so-called “riffraff” accompanied the Hamas terrorists. In all likelihood, some of the captives are being held by Hamas, some by Islamic Jihad and some by other organizations – all in different places.That is why the Hamas spokesman could only give an estimate of the number of hostages, because, as mentioned, even they don’t know. We traded 1,000 prisoners for one Israel soldier a few years back. One of them was Yahya Sinwar, the present leader of Hamas, who took over the leadership from Ismail Haniyeh in early 2017. Attempts to kill him have so far be unsuccessful. Now, instead of one soldier, there are hundreds of hostages held by Hamas, both soldiers and civilians, whowill play the hostage card and milk the proposed exchange to the fullest extent, as noted in the interview with Mashaal. When negotiations begin, Hamas will make its demands through a third party. But, that third party has to be a country with power and authority to press Hamas to agree (to whatever the end result of the negotiations will be). There’s not a lot of room to negotiate here. Israel is at a breaking point: It has to produce results on the ground, both against Hamas (as originally stated) and at home (to bring about the return of the hostages). It has to win the war in the flesh and the war in the media. Its “hasbara” (explanations and public relations to present truth and Israel’s actions and point of view) can use a good boost.
Surprisingly, as this was being written, Hamas released a mother and daughter, both U.S. citizens. This is, undoubtedly, is an attempt to gain public support to show that this is a humanitarian gesture, recognizing that the two of them were holders of foreign citizenship. This is a continuing story and will need to be followed up.
Right now, Israel is pursuing military action to revenge the massacre that was committed by Hamas. The weak point of the operation is the fate of the hostages. Hamas knows that Israeli society demands and pressures the government for the return of its sons and daughters. It is an acknowledged weakness. Can Israel succeed militarily and accomplish its goal of eliminating Hamas without endangering the lives of the hostages? We’ll soon see.
I’m not entering into a discussion of what will happen “the day after”. That is pure speculation at this point and will have to wait for another day. But, one thing is certain, Hamas rule in Gaza needs to end.

Looking back over the past two weeks, it can be said that Hamas seriously underestimated the Israeli response and resolve. The indescribable atrocities committed by Hamas was an intentional and calculated event, designed not only to shock the nation, but to serve as a preliminary outworking of the threat to eventually remove Israel completely from the face of the map, and bring about the return of “occupied” Arab land. This constant claim and narrative of “occupied” land is based on the Islamic belief that any place where Islam was once in control becomes land sacred to Islam, even if they are removed from it for a time, short or long. The history of the region reveals that the land of Israel, indeed the entire region, was once under the control of the Islamic Ottoman Empire. So, even though the Turks were defeated in WWI and were removed from the land, the area that was under their control, according to the dictates of the religion, remained sacred to Islam. Now, it can be readily understood that their claim of “occupied land” does not refer to the area of Judea and Samaria only (the so-called West Bank [of the Jordan River]), as claimed by those who call themselves “Palestinians”, but it refers to the entire land of Israel. That is why the chant of Hamas and the “Palestinians” is “from the River (Jordan) to the (Mediterranean) Sea”. From their religious point of view, Israel is the infidel that needs to be removed from Islamic land to usher in the Islamic messiah.

But, the Israeli public did not respond as anticipated by Hamas. We did not cower in fear and we are not willing to negotiate “at any price”. We pulled together in a resolve that could well spell the end of the rule of Hamas and result in its elimination. Undoubtedly, Hamas was relying upon the discord and divisions within the land that would weaken us as a people and minimize our resolve to fight back. But, their barbaric assault brought us together, on the whole, with a call and a resolve to end the threat of Hamas once and for all. The same response and resolve is true for Israel’s allies, who are standing with us in condemning the attack and the slaughter that is the severest attack upon the Jewish people since the Yom Kippur War and the Holocaust. As indicated by the Mayor New York, our fight is your fight. The threat against us is a threat against the “civilized” world, as we know it.

Hamas has undoubtedly understood that it miscalculated the Israeli response, so it is urging the involvement of the other Iranian puppets, Hezbollah in Lebanon and possibly Syria, as well as possibly the Huthis in Yemen. Iran has openly threatened to become an active participant in the present war, if Israel conducts a ground offensive into Gaza. That would most probably bring about a full-scale missile attack from the Hezbollah. It is more than just a military “alliance”. It is also a religious one. Iran and Hezbollah are both Shiite and they will see the Israeli attack to eliminate Hamas (also a puppet of Iran) as a defeat for Islam, which they will try to prevent. Hence, the increased cross-border activity in the north.Then, of course, there is always the possibility that Iran will try to take advantage of the present war to press forward with its plans to develop nuclear capability and to eventually carry out its threat to bomb Israel. But, if that goal is pursued by Iran, Israel may decide, alone or with the U.S., to pre-empt the situation and act to eliminate the threat from Iran. Both events would engulf the entire Middle East in war. 

In the meantime, the military activity in the north has reached the point at which the IDF is urging the evacuation of the residents in Kiryat Shmona, a sizable city in the north. The missile threat from Hezbollah is considerable and the situation can easily develop into a second front. Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of the Hezbollah, may talk a good game, but he knows that a full-scale war with Israel would not be good for the people of Lebanon. But, then, orders from Iran will need to be carried out.
Israel has already entered Shabbat, so we’ll leave this for now.
Shabbat Shalom (may you have a peaceful Sabbath)!

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing!
Marvin

Shalom all.

Israel Update – Day 13 of the War.

It’s been 13 days since the murderous slaughter carried out by the terrorist organization, Hamas. The body count of the killed and fallen victims is over 1,400, with thousands wounded, many of whom remain in serious and life-threatening conditions. According to the Israeli army spokesperson, at least 306 members of the IDF have been killed and 203 people are being held hostage by Hamas. It is not known how many hostages are still alive. All the bodies taken to the forensic examiner have not yet been identified. When they are identified, the numbers of killed, captured and still missing will change again.

There is no diminishing of the anguish of the families whose loved ones were taken hostage and brought into Gaza. The media here reports on many of the stories, almost all of which will pull at the heart strings of any rational person and cause tears to flow. The mother of one of the kidnapped said, “I can hear my son screaming to me every night: ‘Mom, bring me home, save me!’” For some, the pain is compounded by the loss of a family member who was murdered by Hamas. As one mother said, “I don’t have time to mourn my mother’s murder, because I have to save my children’s life.” This expresses ongoing trauma, compounded by murder and kidnapping.

A final word regarding the hospital explosion in Gaza. Israel has presented concrete proof, including a recorded conversation between Islamic Jihad Terror Organization operatives <see https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-10-18/ty-article/israeli-army-presents-video-audio-to-show-islamic-jihad-behind-gaza-hospital-blast/0000018b-41f1-d242-abef-53f7d6570000>, that the explosion was from a terrorist missile that misfired. It landed in the parking lot, not on the hospital, and only between 10-50 people died as a result, and not 800. And even if the victims of the explosion near the hospital are greater more than 100, the responsibility for their deaths is on the Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Lies and exaggerations are part and parcel of the Hamas DNA. 

The Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon launched 30 rockets and 3 anti-tank missiles into Israel today. Two-thirds were aimed towards Western Galilee and the remaining ten rockets were aimed towards the Upper Galilee. One his a home in the northern city of Kiryat Shmona. The IDF responded with with artillery fire against the locations from where the missiles were launched.

Simply writing about missile launches and retaliation cannot generate a full understanding of the whistling sound of incoming projectiles, nor can it generate an understanding of the booms and shock wave of missiles landing and exploding. Our daughter was with a youth group in Jerusalem when there was a missile alert. They all went into a bomb shelter, but she reported about the explosion that shook the building and the emotional impact resulting from this harrowing experience. My family went through a similar experience when, during the Second Lebanon War, a missile landed only a few blocks from where we live. 

An award-winning veteran journalist with one of the major television channels here, who has been covering the events of the war every evening, particularly in the south, shared this post on his Facebook account: “Two days ago, I went back for therapy. Psychological therapy. I thought, that as long as this war continues and I am working, then there really isn’t any need. Everything is OK. But, every night, when darkness descends – I fall apart. And every night that passes it gets worse.” If this is how war and missiles and explosions and deaths and atrocities and mayhem affects someone with years of experience in covering these events, how do you think it would affect the ordinary citizen? If you lived in the south of Israel, or even in the north near the Lebanese border, how do you think it would affect you? 

Political alliances rarely are made just because they are the right things to do under certain circumstances. As has been said in the past, “There are no free lunches.” There is usually a price to be paid for political “friendship”. One of those prices is to stop military action against Gaza and provide “humanitarian assistance” to those living there. Is this the “right thing to do”? After all, the citizens of Gaza supported ISIS. They chose the militarist terrorist group Hamas to rule over them. They cheered when Israeli citizens were killed, butchered and burned. We’re not talking about being nice to them, so that they can think well of us. The burning issue in Israel should not be to provide humanitarian aid to our enemies, but the defeat of Hamas and Islamic Jihad and the return of the hostages, all of the hostages. This brings us back to a “compromise” that poses the dilemma of national priorities.

In an earlier update, I posed the question: “What would you do if the decision was for you and you alone to make regarding the war against Hamas and the offer to free hostages who are foreign nationals only?” I’m thankful for those who responded, both in short answers, as well as in longer, analytical replies. Add to the situation the knowledge of the sheer evil of the atrocities that were committed; and the fact that we don’t know exactly how many hostages were taken, and neither does Hamas; and the fact that our original purpose was to go after Hamas and eliminate it; and that your family member was one of the victims and you have another family member who was taken hostage, and that there are still over 200 hostages that may be spread out over a wide area in Gaza. Now, you’re being asked to stop bombing Gaza and provide humanitarian aid, without condition, to citizens of Gaza (recognizing the possibility that members of Hamas would try to “blend in” with the local population, so as not to be captured or killed). So, with this additional information, what would you do? This is a question that will be repeated many times during the course of this war, which will not end tonight.

“Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, ‘Are you for us or for our adversaries?’ He said, ‘No; rather I indeed come now as Captain of the Host of the LORD’.” (Joshua 5:13-14). We need to grab hold of the fact that The “Captain of the Host of the LORD” is also the “Prince of Peace”. (Isaiah 9:6) The answer to Joshua’s question was, in essence: I didn’t come to take sides, I came to take over! That’s where the victory is.

We should not make the mistake of placing our trust in “princes, in human beings”. (Psalm 146:3-5)

God says: “I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors 

of bronze and cut through their iron bars.” (Isaiah 45:2) The road that is blocked by human power is open to faith. When God emphatically says that He will do something, we should not dare to doubt. 

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

Shalom all.

Israel Update – Day 12 of the War.

Well, the war continues and two major events took precedence is a multitude of media sites and newspapers between last night and this morning: (1) A bombing of a hospital in Gaza and (2) the arrival in Israel of U.S. President Joe Biden.

As most of you are probably aware, there was an explosion in Gaza. The terrorist organization, Hamas, immediately posted through every possible media source that a hospital was bombed, that the IDF did the bombing and that 500-800 were killed as a result. This contained three lies: (1) a hospital wasn’t bombed, it was a hospital parking lot; (2) the IDF didn’t do the bombing, but it was the result of a missile launched by Islamic Jihad that went astray and failed to get out of Gaza; (3) the numbers of dead were drastically reduced, without an exact number being given. There is abundant photographic proof, as well as admissions from the terrorist organizations in Gaza, that the intended target was somewhere inside Israel (possibly even as far north as Haifa, if it was a long-range missile). Despite the clarifications and proofs that it was not Israel, but the “Palestinians” who were responsible for killing their own, the narrative in most places didn’t change and Israel still came out as the one responsible for the damage and deaths. For some people and governments, they would prefer to believe the lies of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, because the lie aligns itself well with their own worldview and desires. Demonstrations against Israel flared up in a multitude of different places within minutes of the “false” report of the bombing. Media bias still plays a large role in “persuading” the people, rather than properly reporting and informing. They’ve made up their minds and don’t want to be bothered with the facts. At least one foreign government official thinks differently. British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, made it clear that the reports that Israel bombed a hospital was based on information that came from “the terrorists who control Gaza” and that we should not believe Hamas just as we don’t believe the Kremlin. Well said.

In the meantime, U.S. President Biden made an historic visit to Israel this morning, being the first U.S. President to come here during a war. He was warmly received by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His visit included a meeting with the war cabinet, with families of those who were taken hostage by Hamas and with a woman who was held as a hostage. He said that “Israel is still the safest place for Jews [and I] promise you that we will do everything so that the world will know this.” The President made two statements today to the press, along with Netanyahu. In a joint statement from a hotel in Tel Aviv, Biden admitted that Israel was not to blame for the explosion at the hospital in Gaza, based on what he had seen. He repeated the atrocities committed by Hamas, saying: “The terrorists from Hamas murdered more than one thousand three hundred people. Slaughtered, including some Americans…Rape, beheadings, bodies burned alive – Hamas committed atrocities that recall the worst ravagaes of ISIS, unleashing pure, unadulterated evil on the world. There’s no rationalizing it…They committed atrocities that make ISIS appear more reasonable.” Then he emphasized the commitment of the U.S., stating: “We must ensure that you receive what you need to defend yourselves and we promise that this is what will take place.”  In an effort to try to put things into perspective from the point of view of size, Biden said that the Hamas attack was equal to “fifteen 9/11s.” 

In his second address, President Biden said: “The State of Israel was born to be a safe place for the Jewish people. While it may not feel that way today…Israel must against be a safe place for the Jewish people…75 years ago, the founders of the State of Israel declared that this nation would be a nation based on freedom justice and peace. The United States stands by your side in the defense of freedom, in the pursuit of justice and in support of peace – today, tomorrow and always. That’s our promise.”  

In his statement concluding the visit, Biden said that when he returns to the United States, he will ask Congress to approve an unprecedented support package for Israel’s defense.: “You will have enough equipment for an Iron Dome, whatever is required, to defend Israel. We have military assets in the area.” At the same time, the President clarified that the “Palestinian” public is not Hamas, adding: “I asked the Israeli cabinet to allow aid, of course on the condition that it does not reach Hamas. We will transfer one hundred million dollars to aid the displaced people in Gaza.”

The Hezbollah also welcomed President Biden and launched anti-tank missiles into northern areas of Israel. The IDF responded appropriately and a short while ago, it destroyed to locations from which those missiles were fired. During his visit, Hamas also fired rockets towards Beer Sheva and areas surrounding Gaza. Shortly after the President left, sirens again blared in the area of Gush Dan, as well as Samaria, among other places, shattering a few hours of silence, as rocket barrages were first into Tel Aviv and neighboring communities..

The above are the highlights of the day. With President Biden no longer in Israel, we return to the war and its related events. The north is definitely heating up, while Iran has threatened to join the fray if Israel commences a ground offensive into Gaza. The massive build-up in the south indicates that troops will be sent into Gaza soon. And, if Iran follows through with its threat, a missile bombardment from Lebanon most likely will follow. Hezbollah is flexing its muscles in cross-border confrontations. 

There were a lot of other things that happened today, with many of them generating an emotional response with tears. For now, we still need considerable prayer support. Thousands have been displaced from their homes in the south as a result of the murderous Hamas assault. In anticipation of the opening of a second front in the north, thousands are voluntarily leaving their homes and moving to different areas for safety. They want to avoid the physical and emotional horror that they experienced during the Second Lebanon War in 2006. Many are being hosted by families in different cities, while others are being put up in hotels, with a partial subsidy from the government. The extent of the move away from the north has not yet been determined. But, 

Please remember our sons, and all the sons and daughters of Israel, who are wearing the uniform. There are at least 25 members and first-degree relatives of members of our congregation, who are presently serving in the IDF in different capacities and locations.

“I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give Him no rest till He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.” (Isaiah 62:6-7 – emphasis added)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin