Tag: gaza

Six Months of War – Expectations vs. Accomplishments

On By marvinsk1 Comment

Shalom all,

The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 256. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th stands at 600. 

We’re six months into Operation Sword of Iron. An in-depth analysis of the war will not be undertaken in this post. There are numerous articles that have presented pluses and minuses of the events since October 7th and have expressed various viewpoints, which are often at odds with each other, throughout the course of the war. Some things, however, are clear.

Following the massive invasion of Hamas and other terrorists into the southern communities in the Gaza Envelope, the brutal massacre of over 1,200 individuals, most of whom were civilians, and the abduction of over 250 men, women and children of all ages, both civilians and members of the IDF, Israel set out to eliminate Hamas, dismantle its ability to pose a threat to Israel, and to locate and return the hostages. The goals were and remain noble, but ended up being in conflict with each other. As a result, the repeated promises of “total victory” expressed by the Israeli government have up to now fallen far short of being accomplished.

After 183 days, Hamas has been weakened, but it still continues to exist and to fight. The same is true of the Islamic Jihad in Gaza. And, of course, there are the “unaffiliated” Gazans who participated in the events of October 7th and took some captives for themselves. While some of the hostages were released and returned to Israel as a result of a deal worked out between Israel and Hamas, and while the IDF succeeded to free 3 who were taken captive, the difficult realization is that as of this date, we still don’t know how many hostages remain alive, who they are and where they are being held. Tomorrow will be six months since October 7th.

There is no doubt that Israel’s military response to the events of October 7th has seriously impaired the operational ability of Hamas, as well as resulted in the elimination of a multitude of its operatives, including no small number of Hamas’s upper echelon. At the same time, it has taken control over a large area of the Gaza enclave. Nevertheless, for an extended period of time following the ground offensive, Hamas continued to fire missiles into Israel, necessitating the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents, causing them to become refugees in their own land. During the early days following the terrorist onslaught and the sadistic murder, sexual molestation, dismemberment and burnings of those in the southern communities, as well as those attending an outdoor festival, there was a broad showing of public support for Israel to pursue the twin objectives of doing away with Hamas and returning the hostages. Regrettably, neither of those objectives has been accomplished. Great expectations that have, as yet, to be accomplished.

The Israeli public was motivated to put politics behind them and to be united behind the government and the IDF. But, within a short period of time, it became necessary to decide which of the dual goals would take priority. The release and return of the hostages became the rallying cry of families and friends of those taken captive. Throughout Israel, from Metula to Eilat, in every public location, inside public buildings, on billboards, on lampposts, in windows and balconies, in newspapers and television news programs, among other places, there were slogans indicating that “together we will win” and similar words to that effect. Alongside the encouragements and calls for the nation to be unified in our efforts, there were posters, advertisements, tee-shirts and a multitude of other items that were quickly disseminated throughout Israel and to a multitude of other countries. In the same locations where signs for unity were posted, there were the banners, posters, advertisements, and other items, such as dog-tag-like necklaces enscribed with “Bring them home, NOW!”, or “We need to get them out of hell”, and various statements along those lines.

The urge for the desired unity quickly evaporated, as the conflict of priorities entered the picture: Rescue of the hostages vs. protection of the nation from a well-armed and well-organized terrorist organization. The division grew over the course of the war and now, there are organized demonstrations throughout the country calling for a hostage deal ‘at any price”, which not so gracefully slid into “new elections now”, “you’re the head, you”re gulity”, “go home, now” (referring to P.M. Netanyahu). The demonstrations against the government, which were carried on for long months before October 7th, have returned, only with a different excuse – or maybe with the same excuse that was hidden behind a convenient alternative.

What did we accomplish? We confirmed that it is not possible to live side by side with a terrorist organization that rules the Gaza Strip. By the same reasoning, and given the involved fighting in Judea and Samaria (“the West Bank” – of the Jordan River), we can’t live side-by-side with the entity known as the “Palestinian Authority”. What did we learn during this time? We learned that Islamic fundamentalism will not tolerate the continued existence of the State of Israel, whose existence prevents the coming of the Islamic Messiah, or Mahdi, and the re-establishment of an Islamic Caliphate headed by Shiite Moslems.

Added to the failure to accomplish Israel’s military goals set at the outset of the war, and to the internal divisions among the population, as well as in the government itself, is the pressure placed on Israel to unilaterally bring about a ceasefire, in order to effectuate a hostage deal AND to enable increased humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza. The unverified casualty figures announced by the Gaza Department of Health, which is under the control of Hamas, have been accepted by governments near and far, not the least of which include our “friends”, the United States, Canada, England and others. They have dictated to us what our priorities should be: protection of civilians and supply of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. 

There is a blindness that has affected our “friends and allies”. If what took place in Israel on October 7th had taken place in their countries, they would have pursued the terrorist organizations with a vengeance, just like they did after September 11th when they pursued Osama bin Laden and when they went after and fought against ISIS. I won’t even discuss the bigoted United Nations – a totally useless organization when it comes to being an effective, impartial peace keeper. 

Are there victims of terrorism? Yes. Are there casualties of war? Yes. Are mistakes made in war? Yes. Should the casualties of war be a reason to stop pursuing the terrorists who slaughtered the victims and generated the need for the surviving victims to pursue their attackers? Definitely not!!! 

Think of it a different way. Terrorists break into YOUR home, rape YOUR women, cuts off the arms and legs of members of some members of YOUR family, they destroy YOUR home and burn to death some members of YOUR family. Then, they kidnap other members of YOUR family and take them to where the terrorists came from and are hiding. It’s YOUR home, YOUR family members. You have both a right and an obligation to pursue them and bring the members of YOUR family back. Nobody is going to do that for you. Israel is a sovereign nation. Terrorists broke through OUR borders, raped, murdered, destroyed and kidnapped OUR people. We not only have the RIGHT TO PURSUE them, BUT THE OBLIGATION TO PURSUE THEM AND TO BRING OUR PEOPLE BACK. In the process of doing so, the terrorists hide behind civilians, set up military operations in hospitals, public buildings, business areas and residential communities. You want the non-combatants to get out of the way, but the terrorists continue to put them between you and them and the civilians become victims of their own terrorist leadership. And then, your close friends tell you that your primary concern should be to protect the people behind whom the terrorists are hiding and that if you don’t listen to them, they’re not going to encourage and support you any more. Now, it’s YOUR decision. What are you going to say? What are you going to do? Is this a fair comparison? Definitely! 

And so, our “fair-weather friends” not only condemn us, while threatening not only to vote against us in the U.N., but also to cut off military aid, unless we do as we are told. 
“United States President Joe Biden said Friday that Israel was heeding his demand to let aid into Gaza, a day after he warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a sharp shift in policy. Asked as he left the White House whether he had threatened to stop military aid to Israel in the call with Netanyahu, Biden replied: ‘I asked them to do what they’re doing’…In a tense call on Thursday, Biden warned Netanyahu that US policy on Israel was dependent on the protection of civilians and aid workers in Gaza, following an Israeli strike that killed seven aid workers.” The call to stop weapons deliveries from the United States to Israel “is increasingly becoming mainstream among Democrats“.

And while there is also an effort in England to get the British government to cease supplying arms to Israel, there is the voice and light of reason from former British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who said that “banning arms sales to Israel would be ‘insane’.”

With a keen understanding of the larger picture, Johnson published a “scathing column” in the British “Daily Mail”, noting that imposing an arms embargo on Israel would give a victory to Hamas, that is not concerned about humanitarian law. He wrote: “If you want an example of the death wish of Western civilisation, I give you the current proposal from members of the British establishment that this country should ban arms sales to Israel. If you want evidence of government madness, it appears that Foreign Office lawyers are busily canvassing the idea — which has not, as far as I can tell, yet been rejected by the Foreign Secretary himself. He seems to have gone into a kind of purdah on the subject…[adding] More alarming still, we are told that an Israeli arms ban is the subject of an active row in Cabinet, with only a handful of ministers positively sticking up for Israel. The contagion has spread pretty wide, and very fast. The proposed embargo is now supported by MPs on all sides, by the former head of MI6, by some former Supreme Court Justices, and by about 600 members of the legal profession, all of them clamouring for us to turn our backs on the only democracy in the Middle East…Let us be clear what it would mean, to ban arms sales now, when Israel is under a greater existential threat than at any time I can remember. If we ban the sale of arms ourselves, it surely follows that we do not think any self-respecting country should be arming the Israelis…And if we are willing everyone, including the U.S., to end their military support, be in no doubt what that means. There is only one logical conclusion. We are willing the military defeat of Israel and the victory of Hamas. Remember that in order to win this conflict, Hamas only has to survive. All they need at the end is to hang on, rebuild, and go again.” [emphasis mine]

While not ignoring the suffering of the people of Gaza, Johnson noted in his article the tactics of Hamas: “They [Hamas] wanted to evoke global feelings of repulsion about events in Israel, and, of course, they wanted to provoke the Israelis into a violent response, because they knew that retaliation would inevitably forfeit sympathy for Israel around the world…That’s why they took the hostages: to give Israel no choice but to fight. That’s why they refuse to give the hostages back. That’s why they prepared so carefully for the war, cynically designing their very defences so as to provoke the greatest loss of Palestinian life, and the greatest possible loss of Western support for Israel...That’s why they built 400 miles of tunnels, and that’s why they made sure to conceal themselves beneath mosques, hospitals, schools and other civilian targets. They are actively using the death and suffering of their own citizens, maximising their pain and grief so as to rally international opinion against Israel — and we are falling for it.“ [emphasis mine] Thank you, Mr. Johnson! At last, there is a clear expression of understanding that seems to have escaped many “leaders” in the Western world, who continue to bury their heads in the sand, while making outrageous demands upon Israel and asserting that the establishment of a so-called “Palestinian” State will solve the long-existing religious war and bring about a lasting peace.

Where do we go from here? Continue to fight with the goal of destroying the military capacity of Hamas (even if their leaders survive), or capitulate to internal and external pressure and make a series of disastrous deals with a thoroughly evil terrorist organization to return all of the surviving hostages, knowing that we will return and fight another day, as if October 7th never happened?

Then there is the threat of Iran to retaliate against Israel for the death of Brigadier General Mohammad Rez Zehdi, a senior military commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, who was the head of the ground operations of Iran in Syria and Lebanon. That is a genuinely worrisome and developing story. The Islamic festival of Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks the end of the month of Ramadan, will take place on Wednesday of this coming week. It would be reasonable to think that Iran will try to carry out its threat against Israel around that time, either alone (which is possible, but doubtful) or together with the Hezbollah, which has over 100,000 missiles pointed in the direction of Israel. May it be that their threats are like clouds without water.

But, we are beginning a new day and a new week.

So remember: Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

DOES ISRAEL REALLY STAND ALONE?

On By marvinskLeave a comment

Shalom all,

The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 253. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th stands at 597. We still don’t know how many hostages are still alive or who they are.

On Monday, March 25th, the United States abstained from voting on a U.N. Security Council resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. As a result, the Security Council finally achieved what it has been trying to do since the Israel Defense Forces entered Gaza over 5 months ago, namely: demand a ceasefire – at least for a limited period of time. 

Earlier attempts by the Security Council to pass ceasefire resolutions were vetoed by the United States. Due to increasing tensions between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the way in which the war should be conducted, and resolved, the U.S. sought a way to be able to abstain from the vote. A week ago, it was the United States that put forward a ceasefire resolution that was tied to the release of the hostages taken by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and “non-affiliated” Gaza civilians on October 7th. That resolution was vetoed by Russian and China.

Speaking of the present resolution, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said that despite the inclusion in the latest proposed resolution of some of the edits requested by the U.S., still, Washington “did not agree with everything” and so it could not vote “yes” to the resolution, opting to abstain instead. The interesting thing to note about the excuse offered by the United States is that since it could not give an affirmative vote, it chose not to veto the resolution as it had done in the past, but allowed it to pass. The excuse to abstain is lame and places Israel in the position of a political and international pariah. 
Thomas-Greenfield’s additional comment is instructive and reveals the hypocrisy of the U.S. decision to abstain from the vote, instead of vetoing it: “A ceasefire could have come about months ago if Hamas had been willing to release hostages…Any ceasefire must come with the release of all hostages.”

The position of the U.S., as stated by its representative, was clear: release the hostages, get a ceasefire. If that is the case, then the pressure should have been applied against Hamas during all this time, not against Israel. Once again, the ac-cent’ is being placed on the wrong syll-a’-ble.

Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, added his explanation for abstaining, rather than for vetoing the resolution, which was different in its emphasis from that of the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N.: 

“Because the final text does not have key language we view as essential, notably a condemnation of Hamas, we could not support it. This failure to condemn Hamas is particularly difficult to understanding coming days after the world once again witnessed the horrific acts terrorist groups commit.”

So, looking just at the above two excuses of the U.S., we see that failure to condemn Hamas and the failure to link a ceasefire with the release of the hostages, combined to convince the U.S. to abstain, rather than veto the resolution. Are we really expected to believe that those excuses are sufficient to betray a friend, with whom an “unbreakable bond” is supposed to exist? A friend that is fighting to survive the onslaught of a relentless, totally immoral enemy that lacks even the semblance of a conscience of what is right and wrong. Enter power politics and personality issues – exit practical efforts to release the hostages being held almost half a year – a release that would be the catalyst to bring about a ceasefire. Enter cracks in an “unbreakable bond” between the United States and Israel.

The Dry Bones Blog – 28 March, 2024

The text of the U.N. resolution demanded “an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan leading to a lasting sustainable ceasefire.” And, while the resolution also demanded the release of the hostages, it did not make the ceasefire dependent on them being freed. Following the vote, applause broke out in the chamber of the Security Council. Who were they applauding for? Certainly not the hostages, nor the families of the more than 1,200 who were killed in the south-west of Israel on October 7th.

As expected, Hamas and the “Palestinian” Authority cheered the resolution, while the Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan criticized the decision for failing to condition the ceasefire on the release of the hostages. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the U.S. of abandoning its policy in the UN, of giving hope to Hamas of a ceasefire without having to give up its hostages, and of “harming both the war effort and the effort to release the hostages”.

Israel Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, said that Israel would continue fighting until the hostages were released: “We have no moral right to stop the war until we return all the hostages to their homes. If we don’t reach and clear and absolute victory in Gaza, it could bring a war in the north closer.”

A look behind the scenes: Hamas and the Hamas controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza cite unconfirmed numbers of civilians casualties. That narrative has been accepted by the President of the United States and by the vast majority of members of the U.N., who have displayed their anti-Israel bias long before the present Gaza war. The reason for the war has been ignored. The more than 1,200 murders of Israelis and over 240 hostages being held, abused, ill-treated and killed by terrorists whose ideology calls for worldwide Islamic Jihad and the subjection of all nations and religions to Islam, has been ignored. The continued threats to carry out additional October 7th atrocities has been ignored. The only thing that is of importance to the nations that condemn Israel is the number of casualties in Gaza. 

We should not expect much from the U.N. that has seen fit to condemn Israel more than all other countries combined. But, from the U.S., our friend, we did expect a realistic appraisal of the situation that Israel is facing, fighting on seven different fronts at this point, not the least of which is in Gaza and facing a serious threat from the Hezbollah in Lebanon. We hoped for a demand for proof of numbers before blindly accepting the Hamas narrative of the number of deaths. “Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) reacted to claims that 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war — a claim that has been repeated by President Joe Biden — by stating that number includes a huge number of Hamas terrorists and also said that the war could end immediately if Hamas would surrender and release the hostages…And then we’re talking about now there [are] 31,000 Palestinians that were killed, and, well, you’re not talking about, well, 13,000 or more are actually Hamas fighters on that. So, why aren’t you breaking that out as well, too? And then, if you do, and talk about the casualty ratio, it’s actually very clear that this isn’t a genocide or that the Israelis are targeting civilians. In fact, the only ones that [target] civilians, that’s Hamas.”

The three Middle East countries that are most closely affiliated with Hamas (not including Iran, that is feeding it and encouraging it) are Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan. None of them has made any serious effort to help the citizens of Gaza or to exert pressure on Hamas. Egypt, which actually has a border with Gaza, is building a walled area near its border to prevent Gazans from entering (unless they have enough money to buy their way out of Gaza and into Cairo). Lebanon, which is in large measure controlled by Hezbollah, another Iranian proxy and a co-belligerent with Hamas, joined the fighting against Israel from the outset of the Gaza War. Jordan, which could rightly be said to be the place where so-called “Palestinians” should reside, only condemns Israel, without lifting a finger to pressure Hamas to release the hostages or offer displaced Gazans an option to move to Jordan and start their lives over. But, as the Hamas narrative becomes increasingly more acceptable, more countries seek to isolate Israel. And the latest proposal is to impose an arms embargo on Israel.  And, as one commentator noted: This war is exactly what Hamas wanted.

“[As] fiercely contradicting narratives about the conflict have seized the global imagination — so much so that they may be changing the course of elections in the United States and United Kingdom — it’s worth reminding the world that Hamas is not a friend of the Palestinians. Instead, it’s a militia of fundamentalists whose primary goals are to prevent a two-state solution [not that such a solution is desired, realistic or even a solution – my addition] — the realization of which would involve a verboten acknowledgment of Israel as a legitimate state — and to spread Islamic theocracy. The dismaying truth of these aims has been lost in progressive spaces, where Hamas is often portrayed as a force of Palestinian resistance. Those on the left should understand that Hamas is not trying to achieve a Palestinian state or justice for Palestinians. Instead, it aims to prevent those very outcomes by moving Israelis to the political right through terrorist attacks.” 

It is no wonder that The Economist ran a front cover last week declaring “Israel Alone”. But, when viewed from the hindsight of history, we see that we have, in essence, always stood alone – alone from the point of view of involvement with nations, but never alone from the watchful eye and protective cover of the God of all creation, who has designated Israel as the “apple of His eye” (Deuteronomy 32:10; Zechariah 2:8). Indeed, Dror Eyder, in his article in Israel Hayom: “3000 years of solitude: A response to The Economist Cover”, noted that the prophet Balaam, who was hired by King Barak of Moab (southern Jordan today) to curse Israel, refused to do, and referred to Numbers 23:9. “With his immortal words, Balaam shows himself to be a prophet who saw thousands of years into the future right up to the cover of the Economist and thousands of years beyond that: ‘As I see them from the mountain tops, Gaze on them from the heights. There is a people that dwells apart, Not reckoned among the nations.’ Not regular isolation, for we have ties with the nations of the world, we contribute and we benefit. Rather it is a special isolation that only someone taking a bird’s eye perspective of history (from mountain tops and heights) could have been able to see this from our beginning as a people: A people who for all our efforts to be accepted into the community of nations and to be treated equally, will never be counted as a normal nation. We will never belong to the family of nations, even if our contribution to humanity is priceless. And if, God forbid, we shall no longer be here, we will not be mourned as a family member. Not only in the synchronic sense do we not belong, but also in the diachronic; in other words, it is not only is our existence in the present different from that of all other nations, but we also travel along a different historic path to other nations.” 

Only one verse earlier, Balaam asked: “How shall I curse whom God has a not cursed? And how am I to curse him whom the LORD has not cursed?” (Numbers 23:8) The nations of today do not ask that question. If they did, they would have to acknowledge that “The Keeper of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps” (Psalm 121:4) and that He who created Israel and formed us, and called us back to this tiny stretch of desert sand, says that we are not to fear, because He has called us by name and we are His! (Isaiah 43:1). 

The community of nations is tredding on thin ice, if it thinks that it can unite to condemn Israel and succeed. “Those who do not fail to learn from history, are condemned to repeat it”. (George Santayana – 1905). Mark Twain, in his essay “Concerning the Jews” (published 1899) understood that. We can ask whether the community of nations today understands that our calling extends for around 3.5 millennia and that no decision from the United Nations will diminish that calling. We can ask ourselves whether we understand that as well. We have been instructed not to put our trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation, but to hope in the LORD our God (Psalm 146:3, 5).

As we look at the situation facing Israel today, we realize that the war that we have been fighting has been in existence for far longer than just six months. The world must come to an understanding that our fight against the terrorism of Hamas and similar entities, is a fight not only against an enemy determined to destroy Israel, but against an enemy that seeks to subjugate the other nations and religions of the world under an Islamic caliphate. The conclusion of Dror Eyder is appropriate in this context:

“Israel’s war against Hamas is not merely a localized affair. It is the war of the entire free world against tyranny that seeks to enslave the world in the name of faith in a pagan death cult. The moral perception of the nations that preach to us not to enter Rafah and finish off the job, stems from a confusion between private morality and political morality. We are not fighting individuals – as miserable as they may be – but a nation whose unifying core is the destruction of Israel and the murder of Jews wherever they may be. As far as they are concerned, the Jews are the spearhead of all Western (Judeo-Christian) civilization. For them Israel is only the outpost of this civilization; our enemies believe (and they have stated as much thousands of times) that we are the gateway to the collapse of the entire West. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the West not to leave Israel alone, but to strengthen it and hasten reinforcements. We’ve got you covered.

Is Israel isolated? Perhaps. There is nothing new in that. As always, we will survive and win. The God of Israel did not bring us back to Zion after thousands of years in exile, in order to toy with us. The question is, will the West understand that its long-term existence lies in the balance? Remember the words of the old prophet Balam. Learn from him and act in accordance.”

On another note, it appears that the creators of the calendars this year have once again placed the cart before the horse, by designating a celebration of Resurrection Day (referred to erroneously by some as “Easter” or “Pascha”, an early Middle English term for “Easter”) long before the date for the Feast of Passover. If we try to draw a parallel with the present Gaza War, we see that a reversal of facts and events tends to be the trend in modern thinking. Then again, tomorrow is another day and the beginning of a new week. The cares and concerns of this day are passing away. So, hope springs eternal and there is always a renewed cause for optimism.

Despite our situations, may we still bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Have a good week.

Marvin

Hamas Is Looking for an All-Out Regional Conflict

On By marvinskLeave a comment

Shalom all,

The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 247. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th stands at 587. We still don’t know how many hostages are still alive or who they are.

Hostage negotiations stalled, again, and Hamas doesn’t know where the hostages are. During the last round of talks just over a week ago, Israel demanded that Hamas provide a list of the hostages that are still alive. The representatives of Hamas balked at the request. As a result, Israel refused to continue in the talks. But, this past Monday, there was suddenly an apparent willingness on Israel’s part to agree to the basic terms laid out by the Egyptian, Qatari and U.S. participants in the negotiations. What was needed was the consent of Hamas. And then came the bombshell! Basic Naim, a political official of Hamas, who was interviewed by the BBC, said that Hamas didn’t provide a list of living hostages because it doesn’t know who they all are and where they all are. In his words, “We didn’t until now submit any list. But first of all, technically and practically, it is now impossible to know exactly who is still alive and who has been killed because of the Israeli bombardment or who has been killed because of starvation because of the Israeli blockade…[adding that the hostages] are in different areas with different groups and therefore we have called for a ceasefire to be able to collect the data.” He repeated that Hamas would not agree to conclude a hostage release / prisoner swap without an end to the war and a complete withdrawal of IDF troops from Gaza. The rhetoric of Hamas officials continues to blame Israel for the deaths of hostages. The representative added a new, absurd claim, that hostages died from starvation “because of the Israeli blockage”. This is an insult to everyone with even half a brain, like the Hamasnikim. Why is it that only the hostages have died from starvation, but Hamas fighters and officials apparently never go hungry? Multitudes of humanitarian aid trucks have been pouring into Gaza, but they are taken over by Hamas terrorists, and others, at gunpoint. Lest we forget, there is no humanity exhibited by Hamas. Their concerns are from first to last the members of Hamas and the continuing existence of their terrorist organization. We should not be surprised that they don’t have any real concern for the well-being of the hostages, but use them as pawns for negotiation. 

At 18:30 this evening (6:30 p.m.), Hamas announced that in addition to the three hostages who were reported to have been killed last week, another four male hostages were reportedly killed, with Hamas blaming their deaths on Israel. The numbers of hostages continues to dwindle, 2, 3 and 4 at a time. More statistics to be added to the massacre committed by Hamas on October 7th. One can only imagine what is happening with the 19 women and, particularly, the soldiers, who remain in Hamas captivity. Hamas has consistently refused to allow the International Red Cross to visit the hostages and to provide much-needed medical assistance to some of them. Although the families of the named hostages were informed by the IDF, Israel claims that the report of Hamas is psychological warfare and that there is no proof of the deaths that were reported.

In an article in The Times of Israel and in the Ynet News site in Hebrew today, Vice President Kamala Harris did it again, apparently parroting the present policy line of the Biden administration. She was interviewed today by the American CBS and was asked to differentiate between the government policy and the people of Israel, while being questioned whether Israel would be endanger if the U.S. ceased providing military aid to Israel. Her response was: “It’s important for us to distinguish or at least not conflate the Israeli government with the Israeli people. The Israeli people are entitled to security – as are the Palestinians. In equal measure…And our work as always as the United States is to do what we must, and what we always have, to stand for the security of Israel and its people, and also to do what we have done behind closed doors and in public around forcing a better path forward in terms of what’s happening currently in Gaza.” She added: “This conflict has to end as soon as possible, and how it does so matters. We need the hostages out, we need humanitarian aid to so in and ultimately we need a two-state solution.”  The Hebrew site has minor variations of Harris’ comments. 

The Dry Bones Blog – 8 March, 2024

There is a sense of single-minded blindness that has gripped the members of the Biden administration, who think that a two-state solution is really a solution that will bring about peace and harmony between Israel and so-called “Palestinians”, who are less interested in having their own state than they are about removing the State of Israel from the land of Israel. There is an old saying that “There are none so blind as those who will not see.” It is, indeed, difficult to try to force understanding on someone who chooses to remain ignorant. 

The senior policy makers in the U.S., along with those in many other countries, either failed to pay attention in their classes that discussed the history of the Middle East, or they willfully choose to ignore such history and even try to deny it. Establishing a “Palestinian” state alongside Israel is doomed from the start. Israel will never willingly agree to cut away its heartland and give it to an enemy that is sworn to Israel’s destruction. Apparently, the U.S. and other countries that are pushing for the establishment of a “Palestinian” state totally ignore what the criteria are for recognition of a people group as a state, none of which exist regarding the people in Gaza or those living under the “Palestinian” Authority in the Biblical areas of Judea and Samaria, commonly referred to as “The West Bank” (of the Jordan River). This has been reported in previous posts and may be discussed again in future posts, but need not in this one. 

From the “Palestinian” perspective, all of the land that constitutes the State of Israel is “occupied”. This ideology stems from the Islamic belief that any soil where Islam has placed its foot becomes holy to Islam, even if the Islamic presence is later removed. So, the chant “From the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea” is a call for the elimination of the State of Israel, which would, from an Islamic point of view, cleanse the land and make it ready for the appearance of the “Mahdi”, or the messianic savior in Islam. 

The fantasy of a two-state solution will only serve to bring an enemy closer to our doorstep and give it legitimacy as a nation-state, with all of the privileges that such an entity would possess. To say that it would pose a greater danger to Israel than that presently existing would be an understatement.
Ron Dermer, a member of the War Cabinet and Minister of Strategic Affairs, and former Ambassador to the United States, in an interview with Jewish News Syndicate, stated, in part: “Anybody talking about a Palestinian state right now is living on another planet because it will be the greatest reward for terrorism. That the international community will reward somebody for doing what was done on Oct. 7; would be a complete disaster. If tomorrow, there would be a Palestinian state, it would be a clear and present danger to the Jewish state.” The interview is worth reading.

The Islamic holy month of Ramadan is literally around the corner. Initial considerations for restricting access to the Temple Mount have fallen by the wayside. The government of Israel has caved into international pressure to allow the Temple Mount to remain open for worshippers, without “major” restrictions. Threats of an all-out holy war have, apparently, succeeded to convince Israel that the last thing we need right now is an expanded holy war with presently uninvolved players. This is clearly a reversal of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s plans expressed last month, which were intended to put limitations on visitation to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.  In the words of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir: “Hamas’ celebrations on the Temple Mount = total victory”. He also indicated in a separate statement: “The decision to permit visits to the Temple Mount during Ramadan similar to past years, against the recommendation of the police and against my advice, shows that Prime Minister Netanyahu and the mini-cabinet think that nothing happened on the 7th of October. This decision threatens the security of Israel’s citizens.”   Disruptions in and around the Temple Mount during Ramadan will clearly make a presently bad situation considerably worse, which appears to be one of the goals of Hamas.

We will soon see how this works out. Past experience shows that even in the best of times, the month of Ramadan is problematic and can easily become a spark that ignites the entire region.

Did you know that there is a UN sexual violence envoy? Apparently, the formal title is: “UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict”. Well, that representative, Pramila Patten, led a special mission team through Israel and reported that there was “clear and convincing information that sexual violence, including rape, sexualized torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment has been committed against hostages.” She called on Hamas to “immediately and unconditionally release all individuals held in captivity and to ensure their protection, including from sexual violence.” In presenting her findings to a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York, Ms. Patten added that there are “’reasonable grounds’ to believe that such violence is still ongoing against those hostages still in captivity in Gaza.”  The above article noted the response of Gilad Erdan, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN: “It took the UN five months to finally recognize the horrifying sex crimes that occurred during the Hamas on onslaught of October 7,” Erdan said in a statement. “Now that the report of the sexual atrocities and abuse that our hostages are going through in Gaza is being released, the shame of the silence of the UN — which is not even holding one hearing on the issue — is crying out to the heavens.” Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, voiced strong opposition to the failure of the Secretary-General of the UN, Antonio Guterres, for the failure to call a meeting of the Security Council “to declare Hamas a terror group and place sanctions on its supporters”, adding that Guterres did not say even “one word” over the report of the sexual atrocities, concluding with: “Guterres, wake up.” The time has come for not only Guterres, but for the rest of the world to consider whether the UN has any socially-redeeming value in world affairs today.

I am aware that the news media in many locations fail to give an accurate account of what is happening here. So, for those who may still question whether or not the Hezbollah terrorist organization is actively engaged in military conflict with Israel, I am attaching a link to some of the fireworks that took place in the north of Israel this past Wednesday. The situation may soon get worse, as it was reported that the grandson of Hassan Narallah, the Secretary-General of the Hezbollah, was killed in an Israeli strike in south Lebanon earlier this week. And Ramadan begins tomorrow night (Sunday, March 10, 2024) and will continue until Tuesday, April 9th. We certainly live in interesting times.

May your week be safe and remember: Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.
Marvin

That’s going too far.

On By marvinsk5 Comments

Kamala Harris went too far when she condemned Israel for not doing enough to provide aid to Gazans, who she said were “caught in the war between the Jewish state and the terrorist organization bent on its destruction.” Mr. Harris spoke at an event in Selma, Alabama, commemorating the anniversary of civil rights activists who were beaten by state troopers. Given the nature of the event where she spoke, it would be only natural for Ms. Harris to inject a few tidbits regarding other matters that in her mind are appropriate matters for discussion at that same event. But, she went beyond tidbits, focusing on crowd appeal and getting on Israel’s case.

I try not to get embroiled in U.S. politics or politicians. But, when either or both reflects upon events in Israel, it would be wrong for any of us to remain silent. In her castigation of Israel, she appears to have forgotten that we are in the throes of a war against a ruthless, totally immoral terrorist organization, whose sole raison d’être is to kill the Jewish people and eliminate the State of Israel from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. She asserted: “The Israeli government must do more to significantly increase the flow of aid. No excuses. They must not impose any unnecessary restrictions on the delivery of aid…[and] must open new border crossings.”

It is clear that the perspective of the Vice-President of the United States, of what is happening thousands of miles away from where she lives, is removed from the realities here. Her comments included that Israel “must ensure humanitarian personnel, sites and convoys are not targeted.” Targeted by whom? The IDF denies without hesitation that it does not target any humanitarian aid sites. That leaves Hamas and the Gazans themselves. As far as protecting the “humanitarian personnel”, with all due respect to Ms. Harris, that is not Israel’s responsibility. It provides humanitarian aid and allows other nations to participate in that regard. For all intents and purposes, Israel does not need to help in the distribution of the aid that enters Gaza, nor to act as a bodyguard for “humanitarian personnel”, who are undefined. Maybe she is referring to UNRWA employees. In any event, others are responsible for the trucks, the personnel and for the distribution. But, if those others fail in their responsibility, or choose not to participate in such distribution because of fear of Hamas, or because the fighting poses potential danger to them, the blame for what happens because of the failure of others should not be placed at Israel’s doorstep. 

Then Ms. Harris added that “Israel also needed to work to restore basic services and promote order so that ‘more food, water and fuel can reach those in need’.” So, now, in the midst of fighting, she wants Israel to restore/repair basic services for the Gazan civilians. Maybe she expects that Israel would send over a few plumbers, open up all-night grocery stores and set up fueling stations throughout the coastal enclave. She played to the crowd and got the response that she wanted … from them, at our expense.

It has been shown that when humanitarian aid shipments enter Gaza, Hamas is the primary beneficiary of those shipments, which are intended for the multitudes. That terrorist organization has no genuine concern for the civilians in Gaza, but only for its own survival, and it forcefully takes what it wants. A natural result of the lack of an orderly distribution of humanitarian aid could clearly lead to a crisis, which, in the opinion of Kamala Harris, would then be the catalyst that should result in “an immediate ceasefire…for at least the next six weeks, which is what is currently on the table. This will get the hostages out and get a significant amount of aid in…Let’s get a ceasefire, let’s reunite the hostages with their families, and let’s provide immediate relief to the people of Gaza.”

Her words give the impression that she is personally involved in either fighting this war or negotiating an end to it. “Let’s get…let’s reunite…let’s provide….”  Apparently, Ms. Harris fails to grasp the realities of this war and the nature of the terrorist organization that is, and absolutely should be, responsible for everything suffering in the Gaza Strip since October 7th. When she says, “Let’s”, she really means that Israel should do what she stated: “get, reunite, provide”, as if these are magical words that merely uttering them will bring about the desired result. No, Ms. Harris. There are casualties in every war and Israel’s primary goal is to defeat its enemy and bring the hostages home, alive. It is not to placate the enemy, or to pull out all the stops to make sure that the people who put Hamas into power are not harmed and are treated well. 

Israel makes every effort to minimize civilian casualties, but is not an insurance company that needs to compensate Gazans who suffer because of the evils brought about by the government of blood-thirsty terrorists that those Gazans empowered to rule over them. 

“Let’s get a ceasefire.” War is not an electric outlet that can be turned on and switched off at whim, because some politician thinks there is too much alleged innocent suffering. What about the innocent suffering of the hostages? Where is the humanitarian aid that should have been given to them during the past 150 days, humanitarian aid that the world should have demanded be given to them. Does their suffering not count? Where are the medical supplies that some of the hostages desperately needed? Hamas refused to provide access to the hostages by the International Red Cross. What are the names of the hostages that are still alive? Hamas refused to give a list of names to Israel. Are our hostages treated well? Testimonies of released hostages reveal ill treatment of them by Hamas and abuse that is contrary to what international law would require. Israel says that 32 hostages have died or are declared dead. Hamas claims that 70 hostages have been killed due to Israeli attacks, but did not return the bodies for examination. So, how many are really still alive and will be able to survive another six weeks in Hamas captivity? I honesty believe that even Hamas doesn’t know, so it cannot provide a list.  

“Let’s reunite the hostages with their families.” This should have been uppermost in minds of those who call themselves “friends”. But, it wasn’t. This call has been sounded loud and clear by the families of the hostages and has been exerted and felt both near and far. There is no guarantee that all of the hostages, whoever may still be alive, will be released. The “deal” that’s on the table is not a one-time hostage release in exchange for a ceasefire and a swap of 10 prisoners in Israeli jails for every 1 hostage held by Hamas. It is a staged release and at each stage, Hamas can back away, just like it did before, or it will turn up the heat and make its demands more severe, leaving members of the IDF as the last ones to be returned. “Let’s provide immediate relief to the people of Gaza.” Thousands of truckloads of humanitarian aid have entered into Gaza after Joe Biden’s visit to Israel following the massacre perpetrated by Hamas on the final day of the most joyous annual feast day here. The best and most appropriate “immediate relief” for the people of Gaza is for them to be rid of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. 

If Kamala Harris really wants the present situation to change, she should be making every effort to help Israel, America’s friend and ally, to rid itself of a deadly enemy and free the hostages. This will also allow the tens of thousand of Israelis to return to their homes, who have been displaced because of missiles launched by terrorist organizations, resulting in those who were displaced becoming refugees in their own country. The sooner we can take care of what we need to do, the sooner the war can end, families can be reunited, and displaced Israelis can return to their homes. Then, if the U.S. still has a mindset to do so, it can extend its hand of help to the people of Gaza. 

It’s easy to condemn. It’s more difficult to take a stand for a friend during its hour of need. There are consequences to both choices. “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.” (Gen. 12:3) This is as true today as it has ever been. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap.” (Gal. 6:7)

May the rest of your week be one of blessing.
Marvin

A Ceasefire Before Ramadan? Maybe … Maybe Not.

On By marvinskLeave a comment

Shalom all,

The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 242. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th stands at 582. The number of hostages still held by Hamas and other terrorists is still estimated at around 130+, without knowing how many, and who, are still alive.To say that this was not an easy week for Israel would be a classic understatement. 

The Gaza War remains one of the central news items for the world. Most people who like to refer to themselves as “journalists” continue to look for every opportunity to slam Israel for every evil under the sun. And, if they can’t find facts to back their claims, they’ll make them up. After almost five months of war against an immoral and heartless terrorist organization, most anti-Israel news sites have either completely ignored the events that triggered the fighting in the first place, or add a one or two-line summary about the day that witnessed the worst massacre perpetrated against Israel since its founding and the severest one-day slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust.

But, we haven’t forgotten the events of Black Saturday, which have been so severe and created such a national trauma that we refer to matters as being either before, or after, October 7th. The Gaza War has seen significant Israeli military successes. Even if the cowardly leadership of Hamas managed to escape from the Gaza enclave via the massive tunnel infrastructure that has become a city under a city, still, if some sources are to be believed, Israel needs only a few more weeks to dismantle the operational ability of Hamas. The thought of continuing the fighting in Gaza for “a few more weeks” is causing much of the world community to take tranquilizers, in anticipation the Muslim month of Ramadan, which is set to begin on March 10th. 

As usual, the pressure is on Israel to effectuate a ceasefire before the onset of Ramadan, either through reaching an agreement with Hamas, or unilaterally as a humanitarian gesture, to avoid anticipated mass riots around the Temple Mount area and elsewhere. Why isn’t there international pressure exerted against Hamas? Not so much to enter an agreement with Israel, but to return the hostages being held by it and by Islamic Jihad and various individual, “unaffiliated” Gazans, who are holding some of those who were abducted on October 7th. The finger pointing is against Israel.

In the midst of trying to eliminate Hamas control over Gaza and to dismantle its military capability, a disaster took place in Gaza that could only be described as a nightmare for Israel. In the early hours of this past Thursday, dozens of Gazans died while trying to get to trucks delivering humanitarian aid to the enclave. Hamas was quick to accuse the IDF of massacring over 100 civilians, which Israel claimed that dozens died by trampling each other. The IDF said that the 30 or so aid trucks were driven by private contractors, who ran over some of the Gazans. The IDF fired warning shots in the air and shot at the legs of some of those who were moving towards Israeli troops, and estimated that fewer than 10 of the casualties were the result of Israeli fire. An aerial view of the event can be seen here.  

As with all of the figures reported by Hamas, or the Gaza Health Department that is controlled by Hamas, the alleged figures could not be independently confirmed. There is little doubt that the event could affect the continuation of the present hostage release / ceasefire talks. CNN referred to the event as “one of the worst single tragedies to occur during Israel’s war with Hamas … after scores of Palestinians were killed trying to access food aid in Gaza City…” Note that the article says that they “were killed”, not that they “died”. There is a world of difference between the two expressions. The news site referred to figures issued by the “Palestinian Ministry of Health”, notwithstanding that CNN was not able to independently confirm the numbers. The article concluded with a comment by U.S. President Joe Biden, who said that “there are two competing versions of what happened” and that his administration was looking the matter. When asked whether the incident would complicate negotiations, Biden’s response was, “Oh, I know it will”, but he still was optimistic that a hostage release / ceasefire deal could be reached soon.

It didn’t take long for the members of the UN Security Council to consider a resolution drafted by Algeria to blame Israel for the events that resulted in Thursday’s deaths. Of the 15 member states comprising the Security Council, 14 of them voted in favor of the resolution. The 15th is the United States, who vetoed the Resolution. Robert Wood, the Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. was quoted as saying: “We don’t have all the facts on the ground – that’s the problem.”  The implication in the last three words are that the U.S. might have voted in favor of the Resolution , which called for the members of the Security Council to “express deep concern on reports stating that over 100 individuals have lost their lives, with approximately 750 others sustaining injuries due to opening fire by Israeli forces”. According to the same JNS site, “Drone footage of the incident shows a large rush of Gazans swarming the convoy, which was attempting to deliver needed aid under challenging circumstances.”

A news feed from Sky News a few hours earlier today reported, “Israel and Hamas have agreed on the duration of a truce and hostage and prisoner releases, they told Reuters. The sources said talks are due to resume in Cairo tomorrow. That leaves mediators a week to try to secure a deal before 10 March, the start of Ramadan – a date by which Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz said the IDF would launch an offensive in Rafah if Hamas did not release its hostages.”

Notwithstanding reports that negotiations are to resume tomorrow, a senior Israeli official reported today that “no Israeli delegation will participate unless Hamas provides the names of the hostages still alive.”  Such a demand should have been made by Israel at the outset of the first set of negotiations. We still are allowing a terrorist organization to dictate terms of the hostage release, ceasefire and prisoner release, which be conducted in stages. This war could have ended a long time ago if all of the hostages were released at one time. We could have pursued Yahya Sinwar at any other time. The price that Israel is willing to pay for partial releases of the hostages is exorbitant. According to the Jerusalem Post, the Egyptian Foreign Minister said, in part: “We cannot say that we have reached an understanding in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas yet.” The article added that Egypt was insisting on “sticking to the course of the deal agreed upon in Paris, which includes a 40-day pause in all military operations and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages at a ratio of 10 to one.” The draft of the Paris deal also states, in part, that “Hamas would free 40 Israeli hostages, including women, children under 19, elderly over 50, and the sick, while Israel would release around 400 Palestinian prisoners and will not re-arrest them.” And so, the devil continues to dictate terms and Israel continues to give in to them. There is something egregiously wrong with this picture. We are succeeding on the battlefield, despite the loss of lives of members of the IDF, but we are compromising at the negotiating table. Hamas just needs to sit and wait it out for international pressure to force Israel to unilaterally end the war.

Also, earlier this week, the government of the “Palestinian” Authority resigned and its resignation was accepted by the present President, Mahmoud Abbas. This move, apparently, is intended as an initial step towards the establishment for a new “Palestinian” government to comes into place “the day after” the war ends. According to The Wall Street Journal,  “The move falls short of changes Western and Arab governments have pressured the Palestinian Authority to make, including replacing longtime career politicians with a technocratic team and for Mahmoud Abbas, the authority’s unpopular, 88-year-old president, to step aside and invest a new prime minister with some of the president’s powers.”

However, as noted by Khaled Abu Toameh, writing for the Gatestone Institute: “The sole way to “revitalize” the Palestinian Authority is to insist that it rid itself of every leader who has failed his people and who remains in power, disregarding the will and interests of the people. That is hardly likely, at least not in the foreseeable future. No one is willingly going to forego perks and power. There is no way that Abbas or any of his senior aides are voluntarily going to step down….Only a new and fresh leadership committed to reforms, democracy, and transparency has a chance of leading the Palestinians towards a better life. Sadly, leaders with such a portfolio are hard to come by in the West Bank and Gaza Strip….Any leader who comes through the US or Israel will be accused by Palestinians of being a traitor and collaborator with the enemies of the Palestinian people….The assumption that 88-year-old PA President Mahmoud Abbas will step down or agree to share power with others is a non-starter. Abbas, who was elected in 2005, is now in the 19th year of a four-year term. He has already proven that he does not care what others say about him. Recent public opinion polls have shown that up to 80% of the Palestinians want him to resign. So what? The polls have also shown that a majority of the Palestinians believe that the PA is corrupt. So what? Abbas has also proven that he prefers to consult only with two or three of his loyalist officials. Since he came to power, Abbas has been controlling the Palestinian Authority as if it were a private fiefdom.” And THIS is what the U.S. and Western nations expect will become part of the new government of the so-called “Palestinian” people when the Gaza War is over? Truly, what is needed is not new governments, but new leaders, with new mindset.

The Dry Bones Blog – 27 February, 2024

While writing this post, a report came in that an additional 3 members of the IDF were killed, and another 14 were wounded, when a device exploded in a booby-trapped building in Khan Younis, bringing the IDF death toll since the Gaza ground operation to 245. More young lives (19, 19 and 20) lost, more military funerals, more grieving families, more wounded, 4 of them seriously, meaning that they may have lost one or more limbs or organs. These soldiers faithfully served to eliminate the continuing terrorist threats to Israel and to find and release the remaining hostages. Y’hee zihram’ baruch! (May their memories be blessed!)

The news this week was filled with different opinions on a variety of different subjects: There were calls for “no more ceasefires”; calls for a “one-state solution”, with “Palestinians” being made permanent residents of Israel, but having no right to vote in national elections; challenges to the figures cited by the U.S. Secretary of Defense, who relied upon numbers from the Gaza Health Department that is controlled by Hamas; claims that the U.S. is showing weakness via-a-vis the Houthis, which emboldens them and allows them to act with impunity; terror attacks on Israelis inside Samaria; and that the Hamas invasion of October 7th was actually stolen from the plans of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon. There is, of course, the “bad news”, of wars, threats of wars and rumors of wars. There is also ongoing news about the upcoming U.S. elections, with the possibility of a Biden-Trump rematch. Is America ready for that? Is the world ready for that? Noting that a recent Reuters polls showed that 2 out of 3 Americans wanted someone new, one writer suggested that if we are looking for an ideal candidate, we should consider Moses for President. But, can such a person be found in America? The author concludes: “So, as tempting as it may seem to fill out a protest write-in ballot for Moses, we will only have ourselves to blame should our troubled world take a turn to even greater upheaval. Still, it sure would be nice if whoever gets elected tries to emulate Moses, who enduringly models the noblest traits of leadership.” May it be true for the U.S. May it be true for Israel. May it be true for the rest of the nations. 

Against all this, we cannot lose hope. One day, one greater than Moses will rule and reign. Isaiah said that: “He will judge between the nations, and will mediate for many peoples; and they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not lift up a sword against nation, and never again will they learn war.” (Isaiah. 2:4) Now THAT will, indeed, be “good news” that everyone will be able to rejoice over and appreciate. But, until then …

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Have a simply great, and God-honoring, week.

Marvin

Fighting For Our Existence – Day 141 of the War.

On By marvinsk2 Comments

Shalom all,

The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 238. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th stands at 577. The number of hostages still held by Hamas and other terrorists is estimated at around 134.

After last week’s disclosures that the United States was working together with a number of “partners” to effectuate the establishment of a “Palestinian” state – without Israel’s involvement, the Knesset [Israel’s Parliament] earlier this week voted overwhelmingly against imposing such unilateral recognition on Israel. In what can only be described as a rare, historical moment, 99 of 120 Members of Knesset agreed to the declaration. Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, commented in an “X” post (formerly Twitter): “This landmark vote underscores our collective resolve: We will not reward terrorism by unilateral recognition in response to the October 7 massacre, nor will be accept imposed solutions. This strong stance sends a powerful message to the world: Peace and security for Israel will be achieved through negotiations, not through unilateral actions. Today, we stand united more than ever.”

Given such a stance on the part of Israel’s law makers and leadership, one would have to ask why foreign governments still speak about recognizing what is unrecognizable, a so-called “Palestinian” state. Maybe because there are still politicians who hold to the same point of view of Ahmed Tibi of the Ta’al Party, one of Israel’s most outspoken Arab Members of Knesset, who said, during the plenum debate on the proclamation: “A Palestinian state will be established Ras Ben Ami [Arabic slang for “in spite of his opposition”].”

Michael Freund, who served as deputy communications director under P.M. Netanyahu’s first term of office, wrote an Opinion piece appearing in The Jerusalem Post this evening (February 24th) entitled “Palestine is dead: No one will ever be able to make a Palestinian state”.   In the article, he pointed out certain realities that Western politicians, such as UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron and French President Emmanuel Macron, who “floated [the] suggestion”, notwithstanding the continuing Gaza War, that the time has come to give the “Palestinians” an independent state, “even in the absence of a negotiating process.” Freund cogently points out that what these, and other statesmen, fail to understand is that “the very idea of a Palestinian state is no longer geographically viable, morally acceptable, or even politically tolerable to the overwhelming majority of Israelis. Simply put, the idea of “Palestine” is dead and buried, and no matter how hard they may try, Western politicians will never be able to revive it.” He noted that a recent poll  released last month revealed that a considerable majority of Israelis are opposed to such a move, which is doomed to failure for a number of different reasons, among which is the national trauma of October 7th, that will prevent such a grant of “a massive and unprecedented reward to terrorism”. He concludes that “In light of the realities on the ground…it is time for people such as Cameron, Macron, and like-minded loons in the US State Department to take a dose of some reality pills.” 

If anyone reading this post has access to such “loons”, you might want to send them a copy of Freund’s article. 

In the midst of the ongoing Gaza War, Israel chose to send representatives to Paris for the renewal of talks that would lead to another hostage release / cease-fire. The Israeli delegation returned to Israel a few hours ago, with a new and updated outline for negotiations, with the major question being whether Hamas would agree to the new framework. There were, as usual, conflicting reports regarding any real progress in the talks, as the discussions in Paris focused on various demands of Hamas, including the complete withdrawal of the IDF from the northern Gaza Strip, which Israel opposed. The same news source indicated earlier today that the Israeli delegation returned from Paris “with no significant breakthrough, stating there are plans for follow-up talks in the future.”  There is no denying that pressure has been mounting on Israel to reach a deal with Hamas to prevent a planned move by the IDF against the City of Rafiah in the southern region of Gaza, and particularly, for such a deal to be made before the onset of Ramadan. According to a report in Sky News, a Hamas political official said that Israel’s position was making it difficult to reach an agreement. Particularly, the official said “the Israelis had refused the main demands put forward by Hamas to ’stop the aggression, to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, to return displaced people to the north [of Gaza], and to make a real reciprocal deal’ on exchanging the Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners in Israel … [adding that] his group [Hamas] is sticking to these demands.” P.M. Netanyahu’s response was that the demands of Hamas are “delusional”.

The leftist-leaning news site, Haaretz, reports this evening that broadly speaking, the outline/proposal calls for a six-week lull in the fighting, during which around 40 hostages would be released, including women, elderly and those in poor health, humanitarian aid and the release of prisoners being held in Israel. But, Israel will not commit to ending the war. The Guardian adds that Hamas is demanding the release of 500 “Palestinian” prisoners for each Israeli soldier being held in Gaza, along with its other demands. From a realistic point of view, if Hamas is holding a dozen Israeli soldiers, such a demand would result in Israel having to release 6,000 prisoners, which, in essence, was the original demand of Hamas. Even this demand would be a possibility, however far-fetched it might be. But, an immediate end to the war is a non-starter.

We are back to the point that is left unresolved from the outset of the Gaza War, with two seemingly irreconcilable goals: Ending the power and influence of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the safe return of the hostages. Both goals demand an all-out resolve on Israel’s part. 

The multitude of demonstrations that take place almost nightly in Israel for an immediate cease fire, coupled with the demand to bring the hostages home, NOW, is a different way of calling upon the government to yield to all of the demands of Hamas, so that some 130 plus hostages can be returned. Some hold up placards saying, “Choose the lives of our loved ones.” But, choose between what? The safe return of the hostages over an extended period of time, as against the safety of entire communities in the south of Israel. As of tonight, we still do not know how many hostages are still alive, who they are and the status of their health. We also don’t know whether Hamas, along with Islamic Jihad, will be able to return all of the hostages, or even if they know where all the hostages are. Israel appears to be running after Hamas to enter into another deal. It is as though we, the victim of a demonic massacre, are pleading with the devil that he should agree to make another deal with us, knowing that he will lie and deceive. And then after that, another deal and then still another deal. Hamas has learned how to fight a psychological war, while Israel hasn’t grasped its fundamentals.

The other side of the coin is the military successes against the Hamas terrorist organization. As Israel is poised to press on towards Rafiah, in seeking to weed out Hamas operatives, the world community is becoming more tense. The terrorist invasion of October 7th is of little, or no concern, to most of the nations. The expressed concern is over the number of alleged Gazan deaths, the reports of which are released by the Gaza Health Department that is under the control of Hamas. Almost half of the numbers include the deaths of terrorists, but they are lumped together in the release of the figures. The rest are unable to be independently confirmed. 

Given enough time, the IDF can destroy the organizational structure of Hamas. Militarily, Israel can defeat the Hamas terrorists, even though it may not be able to eliminate the ideology that underlies and motivates their anti-Israel and anti-Jew actions. Whether it can find the leading players in Gaza is another story. There is the possibility that Yehya Sinwar has left Gaza with his family via the tunnel network and is presently in Egypt, or somewhere else. The whereabouts of Mohammed Deif is also not known. For the Hamas leadership, its soldiers are expendable. Many of the terrorists are recognizing that their leadership doesn’t care about them, so they are making the decision to surrender to the IDF. The information gathered from the captured terrorists allows for additional measures to defeat Hamas and, in some instances, to locate some of the hostages, as was the case last week. But, the big question regarding the hostages is: Where are they being held? If we defeat Hamas militarily, but do not succeed in freeing the hostages, will we be considered as having “won” the war? Conversely, if at war’s end, Hamas is allowed to continue to exist, but is not said to have lost the war, then according to the mentality of the region, it will be viewed as if it has won.

Another question is whether Israel can achieve the military goals of the Gaza War before the beginning of Ramadan, which is almost around the corner. Israel is planning to restrict the number of Muslims who will be able to visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque to those over the age of 60 and under the age of 10. Hamas warns against an imminent “explosion of rage” if restrictions will be imposed. Consideration is being given to lower the age from 60 to 40. In a message posted on Telegram, Hamas wrote: “We call on the people of our Palestinian people in the occupied territories, Jerusalem and the West Bank, to escalate the confrontation of the occupation everywhere…[and] to mobilize and march to the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, to protect it from the desecration of the usurping settlers, and to thwart all fascist plans targeting the Holy Mosque and the Holy City.”  

It is amazing that the Hamas leadership continues to make threats against Israel and expects that Israel will allow tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of Muslims to visit the mosque in the midst of the Gaza War. Israel would be absolutely justified, not only in restricting the number of visitors, but of restricting them entirely. As one person said: “We didn’t celebrate Simchat Torah (the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, which was on October 7th)! Then they shouldn’t have Ramadan!” That should be a statement with which we can readily agree.

No discussion today about the Hezbollah, or the Houthis. Not because they are not important. But, because they are separate stories that will need to be dealt with at another time. Still, please remember to pray about the situation in the north. If the IDF pursues action in Rafiah or follows through with its plans to restrict visitation of Muslims to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the region could explode and the pot that is heating up with Hezbollah can boil over. 

As a final thought, I’ll leave you with Jonathan S. Tobin’s opening words in his article that appeared in Jewish News Syndicate on February 19th: “What Americans [and others – my addition] don’t get about Israelis fighting for their lives…They fail to understand a traumatized nation facing genocidal foes – one that is united behind a war whose aim is the preservation of their very existence.”

The Dry Bones Blog – 23 February, 2024

As we begin a new week, and despite any difficult circumstances –

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.
Marvin

The U.S. plans for a “Palestinian” state behind Israel’s back – Day 134 of the War.

On By marvinsk7 Comments

Shalom all,

The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 235. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th stands at 572. The number of hostages still held by Hamas and other terrorists is estimated at around 130, without knowing who and how many, are still alive.

A Spirit of delusion has taken hold of the United States leadership, along with a number of Arab countries. That fantasy relates to the push for the establishment of a “Palestinian” state, with East Jerusalem as its capital. It is difficult to state with exactitude how many nations genuinely believe that such a step will actually be the catalyst for peace in the Middle East. If we listen to U.S. President Joe Biden and his team, one might actually think that they truly believe in the nonsense that they are espousing. And these actors are moving forward with their plans, which are doomed to failure – or worse, regional war. There are a multitude of reasons why such behind-the-scenes political maneuvering will not succeed. But, the paramount reason is because their discussions do not include Israel! As one journalist expressed it: “The Biden administration’s dogged focus on creating a Palestinian state is ‘obtuse’ and ‘delusional’.”

In his article in “the Algemeiner” yesterday, columnist Jack Elbaum reported that the U.S., along with Jordan and Egypt, together with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates are “quickly working to form a plan to end the Israel-Hamas war and create a Palestinian state. The first step of such a plan would be for Israel and Hamas to agree to a six-week ceasefire in exchange for the Israeli hostages. Then, during that pause in fighting, the U.S. and its Arab partners would announce the plan and start to form an interim Palestinian government.”  

Let’s look at the Arab countries listed as “partners” with the U.S.: Jordan and Egypt both have peace agreements with Israel, but have been strongly outspoken against Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. Egypt refuses to allow Gaza residents to cross into its territory, being clearly concerned that Hamas terrorists will join the mixed multitude and wreak havoc in Egypt in due course, as they have in Gaza. Qatar has been a major financial supporter of Hamas and somehow has managed to become the major mediator in the talks between Israel and Hamas – a fact that remains difficult to comprehend. Pakistan issues passports that contain a statement that they are valid for everywhere in the world, with the notation “except Israel”. The United Arab Emirates was the first to sign the Abraham Accords with Israel, but those accords are primarily for economic interests. It never became an “ally” of Israel.

Those countries are talking and making plans behind Israel’s back. They are Biden’s “Arab partners” in the Don Quixote quest of charging at windmills in the totally misguided and, in some instances, intentional goal of dismembering the State of Israel from within, by the establishment of a so-called “Palestinian” state in the heartland of Israel. In choosing to move forward with his “Arab partners”, Biden and his team of spokespersons, have single-handedly written off the “unbreakable bond” that existed between the U.S. and Israel, until October 7, 2023. 

In a  lengthy telephone conversation between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden expressed his view that Israel should not pursue its military operation in Rafah (Rafiah), without developing an executable plan to provide for the safety of the civilians there. That this is a political decision for the benefit of Bidenik politics is without question. He calls Israel the friend of the U.S., but his actions are for his own benefit. The concern that has been expressed over and over again by U.S. representatives is for the civilian population and for the number of non-combatant casualties in the Gaza enclave. Somewhere along the line, the unfathomable atrocities that were committed on Black Saturday in Israel have been cast aside for political expediency, along with the fact that the multitudes of civilians in Gaza cheered the successes of Hamas, which was their leadership of choice. It has been revealed and reported over and over that Gazan civilians, including dozens of UNRWA employees, actively participated in the bloody assault. War is hell and people die, some justifiably and intentionally, while others, who are not active combatants, become casualties of war.

The Bideniks, all politicians of one sort or another and from one country or another, have conveniently ignored their own actions in the war against Germany and its allies in World War II. In a war that lasted for years (not just 4-1/2 months like the Gaza War), the Allied forces, that included the U.S. and Great Britain, conducted bombing raids against the City of Dresden that almost completely destroyed the city. According to Britannica :

“During World War II, Allied bombing raids on February 13–15, 1945… almost completely destroyed the German city of Dresden. The raids became a symbol of the “terror bombing” campaign against Germany, which was one of the most controversial Allied actions of the war.

“Throughout the war, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had called for increased British air raids against the population centres of Germany [my emphasis] in order to swamp German authorities and services, particularly transportation, with hordes of refugees. As the Allied forces closed in on the Third Reich in 1945, such targets became more feasible because of the air superiority and improved navigation techniques of the Anglo-American bomber force.

“Before World War II, Dresden was called ‘Florence on the Elbe’ and was considered one of the world’s most beautiful cities because of its architecture and art treasures. Having never previously been attacked in the war, the city offered increased value for terror bombing against an inexperienced population. On the night of February 13, the British Bomber Command hit Dresden with an 800-bomber air raid, dropping some 2,700 tons of bombs, including large numbers of incendiaries. Aided by weather conditions, a firestorm developed, incinerating tens of thousands of people. The U.S. Eighth Air Force followed the next day with another 400 tons of bombs and carried out yet another raid by 210 bombers on February 15. It is thought that some 25,000–35,000 civilians died in Dresden in the air attacks, though some estimates are as high as 250,000, given the influx of undocumented refugees that had fled to Dresden from the Eastern Front [my emphasis]. Most of the victims were women, children, and the elderly….

“Given the high number of civilian casualties and the relatively few strategic targets, some even called the bombing of Dresden a war crime, though both the British and the American militaries defended the bombing as necessary [my emphasis].

The goal of the Allies was to bring about an end to the war. Israel’s goal is not any different. While the Allies intentionally targeted “population centers”, Israel makes every effort to avoid civilian casualties. But, that becomes a gargantuan challenge, when seeking out an enemy that hides in civilian population centers and uses every type of civilian facility as a location from which to conduct its terrorist operations, even using the civilians themselves as human shields. Enough is enough. Israel has been engaged in military conflicts since its establishment as a State. It has compromised time and time again, entering into multiple agreements with its enemies, only to find itself attacked over and over again. This present war has created serious divisions within Israeli society. But, a recent poll taken by Channel 13, a major television station here, revealed that most of the Israelis polled are in favor of removing Hamas leadership from Gaza, even if it means not having the hostages returned. The question asked was (free translation from Hebrew): 

“Suppose that Israel’s leaders come to the conclusion that they have only the two following options, which of them, in your opinion, should be chosen? –  (choices):

The hostages should be returned and Hamas will remain in control of Gaza = 25%-  

The hostages will not be returned, and Hamas will lose its control in Gaza = 47%-  

Can’t reply” = 28%”

Why should the United States and Great Britain and their other allies be allowed to defend themselves against an aggressor that was determined to dominate the world, but minuscule Israel is denied that right against an aggressor that seeks to eliminate its very existence? Is the dependence on U.S. aid a justifiable reason for the Bideniks to dictate to Israel not to pursue military action in Rafiah – the last, remaining Hamas stronghold, and to set a timetable to end the Gaza War before the onset of the Muslim feast of Ramadan? Setting a timetable in a war, particularly this war, is not only an exercise in futility, but an indication that those who make such a decision are removed from realities on the ground and live on fantasy island. Is the U.S. abandoning Israel at a time when it looks to its alleged ally that is powerful enough to say “no” to resolutions against Israel in the U.N. Security Council? The evil of politics is found in the politicians that make decisions that have far-reaching consequences. The failure to pay attention to what is readily visible and the failure or refusal to learn from present-day events will inevitably result in a repetition of them. Those who close their eyes and ears will end up with a rude awakening.

The Dry Bones Blog – 14 February, 2024 <blog@mrdrybones.com>

As if the talks of establishing a “Palestinian” state were not difficult enough, according an article in the Washington Post, “One Arab official said Hamas’s political wing should be included in the talks, if not in the future government. ‘We need someone there who represents them to ensure they’re on board with this…If not, and they’re not happy about it, we will have Fatah and Hamas all over again’, the official said, referring to earlier confrontations between the two Palestinian groups that ultimately led to Hamas’s election as the governing power in Gaza. But if they can achieve two years of stability and prosperity under a revitalized government…’no one will choose Hamas’ at the ballot box.” Fatah and Hamas agreeing for two years? They can’t even agree for two hours. Such a proposition will never be accepted by Israel. It recognizes the power that Hamas exerts and it is that very power that this present war is being fought to eliminate. 

Following his telephone conversation with President Biden, P.M. Netanyahu wrote in his “X” (formerly Twitter) account (translated from Hebrew): “Israel outright rejects international dictates regarding a permanent settlement with the “Palestinians”. Such an arrangement will be reached only through direct negotiations between the parties, without preconditions. Israel will continue to oppose the unilateral recognition of a “Palestinian” state. Such recognition in the wake of the October 7 massacre would give a huge reward to unprecedented terrorism and prevent any future peace settlement.” Whether or not Israel will ever agree to a “future peace settlement” that will allow for the establishment of a “Palestinian” state as planned by the U.S. and its “partners” is doubtful. In any event, such a plan is doomed to failure because it is premised on the survival of Hamas and the involvement of Qatar. What is not doubtful, however, is that even the planning of such a move by the U.S. is nothing short of a betrayal of its friend and ally, Israel. As the situation has developed to this time, it is clear that Israel cannot, and should not, be dependent on any foreign government for its existence. Our leaders need to decide what is in our best interest, not the interest of any other government or nation or even the re-election of someone who once called Israel his friend. 

Israel wants to end the Gaza War. It has other issues that need to be dealt with. Hassan Nasrallah, the General Secretary of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, delivered a speech yesterday at a ceremony honoring the “martyrs” – as he referred to them, who were killed in a retaliatory strike by Israel on terrorist targets. He stated, in part, that Hezbollah’s determination increased as a result of the deaths of ten civilians and that the Hezbollah would increase their “presence, strength, fire [and] anger” and expand their operations and that Israel “must expect that and wait for that.” He added, that if Israel expands the war with Hezbollah, the terrorist group possesses a “huge arsenal” of “precision-guided missiles that can reach everywhere in Israel”.

One more item for prayer. The International Court of Justice (or Injustice – call it what you want) will be considering this coming week whether Israel’s presence in Judea and Samaria is “legal”. A decision against Israel would be disastrous. 

If we look at things from a spiritual perspective, as we must, and have our eyes opened, we really have no reason to fear. There are more with us than there are with them. (2 Kings 6:16) Still, a miracle here and there just now wouldn’t hurt.

Have a great week.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

A Daring Rescue Operation – Successfully Accomplished! – Day 129 of the War.

On By marvinsk1 Comment

It’s the kind of story that Hollywood script writers love to turn into an emotional action movie. Only this is real, not fictionalized script. It’s the type of encouraging news that the Israeli public longed to hear during the last few months since the murderous onslaught of Black Saturday.

A bold, complex joint operation between the IDF, the Israeli Security Forces, an Armored Brigade, a commando unit, Israeli Police special counter-terrorism force and the Israeli Air Force, succeeded last night in freeing two elderly male hostages being held by Hamas forces in the al-Shabura refugee camp, north of Rafah city in southern Gaza, near the Egyptian border. In a difficult fire-fight between Israeli forces and Hamas terrorists, one Israeli soldier was lightly wounded. 

This was actually the second time that the IDF was able to free a live hostage from Hamas captivity inside of the Gaza Strip, the first time being on October 30, when Private Ori Megidish was freed in the northern part of the Strip.

The two elderly men were abducted by Hamas and other terrorists from the Nir Yitzhak community on October 7th and have been held in captivity for over four months. Last night, shortly after midnight, the consolidated Israeli forces succeeded in freeing them.The IDF related that “the planning was meticulous, with excellent Shin Bet [Security Forces] intelligence on the location of the terrorists and hostages.” Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the IDF Spokesman, added that “every operation has great risks. There were models before the operation. The forces waited for the conditions for the operation…There is great complexity in reaching the target in the heart of Rafah [Rafiah]. The forces arrived covertly, in a complex operation on the second floor of the building where they were held.” He also described the conduct of the operation: “A breach is made into the building, there are guards at the entrance and inside the house. The forces storm in a hot breach, the door was locked. At the same time, fire was activated from the ground and air. The two men, aged 61 and 70, were pulled out of the apartment, at the same time as heavy aerial fire, accompanied by an attack on many Hamas targets, thus allowing the force to exit the building…During the operation, one soldier was lightly injured, not from fire. The force disengages contact and arrives at a landing pad [where] a helicopter … was waiting…..” 

Rear Admiral Hagari added: “From the moment of the breach and entry into the apartment, Yamam [the special counter-terrorism unit] forces shielded Louis and Fernando [the two hostages] with their bodies, initiating a daring battle and heavy exchanges of fire at several locations simultaneously, with many terrorists…The troops pulled Louis and Fernando out of the apartment and rescued them under fire, [escorting them-insertion in original] until they reached the safe zone…It was a very tense and very touching night. Such an operation was made possible thanks to the great sacrifice of the standing army and reserve troops who fell and were injured in the battles. Without their sacrifice, we would not have reached this moment.” 

Immediately after they were rescued from the building, the two men were transferred by the fighters to vehicles that were waiting for rescue in the narrow alleyways of the refugee camp and from there they were quickly driven to a makeshift airstrip, where a rescue helicopter was waiting for them that flew them to the Sheba Medical Center in Tel HaShomer, where they underwent examinations. 

From Sheba Medical Center it was reported: “Early in the morning, two Israeli hostages who were freed by our forces from the Gaza Strip arrived at the Sheba Medical Center. After an initial medical examination, the condition of the two is defined as good and stable, and they are now staying in a designated compound…These are sensitive moments for the families and for the returnees to Israel…We ask to maintain their privacy and dignity. We are happy for their return home and wish for the return of all the abductees. A media statement will be issued later. We will continue to update.”

The rescue operation in Rafiah lasted about an hour and was accompanied by massive fire power from both the Israeli Air Force and special ground forces. If Israel had listened to the many voices urging them not to press on into Rafiah, the two hostages who were released last night would still be held by Hamas, instead of being home with their families.

There is no question that the heroic and successful rescue operation inside Rafiah, a Hamas stronghold, is a moment of morale building and encouragement, both for the IDF, as well as for Israel as a whole. Yair Lapid, the leader of the Opposition in the Knesset, joined in the praises of the accomplishment of this heroic operation: “A morning with a little light, amid the pain and difficulty.”

 The hostages, as well as the Hamas terrorists, are dispersed throughout the Gaza Strip. Last night’s operation will undoubtedly cause the remaining hostages to be kept under heavy guard. Nevertheless, we should never allow the difficulty to prevent us from pressing on to accomplish what needs to be done.

Members of the IDF, both soldiers and officers alike, are highly motivated to defeat Hamas and to free the hostages, even at the risk of their own lives. That was demonstrated many times over and again last night. We need to continue to pray for them that God will grant them wisdom and strength, discernment and boldness, skill and exactitude, that with His guiding Hand, there will be more successful operations, similar to the one last night. This operation was called “The Golden Hand”. Indeed, there was an unseen, but ever-present, Hand of the One who has called, formed and established Israel to be here and remain where He has planted us. He will not leave us, nor forsake us, and we will not be moved!

Joshua then said to them, “Do not fear or be dismayed! Be strong and courageous, for thus the LORD will do to all your enemies with whom you fight.” (Joshua 10:25)

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin

How Far Does Your Love For Israel Reach? – Day 127 of the War.

On By marvinsk2 Comments

Shalom all,

“It is now evident that the tactical victory that Hamas achieved on Oct. 7 with all its scenes of unimaginable horror has become a leading driver of its strategic defeat, by compelling the Israeli government to persist in spite of the atrocious plight of the hostages, by motivating IDF troops to fight until its destruction, and by forfeiting much potential support even from within the Arab world, allowing all Arab governments that had them to maintain diplomatic relations with Israel. That feckless American college students sing its praises will not avert the well-deserved fate that awaits Hamas, and without the heavy casualties that some feared while others gleefully anticipated.”

It is a bit too early to sing the praises of “total victory”, but there is certainly cause for optimism.  Hamas militants have surrendered in different locations during the course of the war. Two days ago, one of the commanders of a Hamas elite Nukhba unit, along with two other Hamas fighters, refused to open fire on advancing Israeli forces, despite being sufficiently armed with weapons. “We sat in the room [inside a tunnel in Khan Younis – my insertion], we placed all the weapons outside…We sat and we waited. When the [Israeli] army arrived, we put up our hands and surrendered.” When asked by Israel’s Shin Bet (Security Service) intelligence officers if he had any advice for other Hamas terrorists, the unit commander said, “I recommend to everyone to surrender, because your destiny otherwise is to die.” A portion of the interview can also be seen here.

The New York Post yesterday (February 9th), published an eye-opening editorial, entitled: “Joe Biden throws Israel under the bus in a sad ploy to win on Election Day”. Biden verbally accused Israel, that our “response in the Gaza Strip has been over the top” and added, “I’m pushing very hard to deal with this hostage cease-fire. There are a lot of innocent people who are in trouble and dying, and it’s gotta stop.” That’s his perspective and it’s a shameful one, for the leader of a country who has touted “an unbreakable bond” between our two countries. America has lost its understanding of what it means to really fight a war and to press on to win, as opposed to fighting with the expectation that a political compromise would be achieved. America is not in a struggle for survival against visible enemies whose entire life’s goal is to destroy America. Biden’s concern is not Hamas, or Islamic Jihad, or the P.L.O., which threaten the very existence of Israel. As noted in the above editorial, his concern is his “obsessive fear that supporting Israel too hard will alienate Arab-American voters in Michigan…[where] Islamist extremism and Jew-hatred have a worrying foothold there…Whatever his thinking, the gratuitous Israel-bash means his defense of our greatest regional ally, currently locked in a struggle with genocidal, Jew-hating terrorists openly committed to its destruction and the murder of its citizens lasted all of three months…And it wasn’t even much of a defense to begin with: He’d already been pushing the lie that the IDF is bombing indiscriminately; he’s been trying to hem in Israel’s efforts to defend itself almost since the atrocities of Oct. 7.”  So much for friendship and “an unbreakable bond”.

Ambassador Danny Danon is a senior member of Israel’s Knesset and chairman of World Likud, who previously served as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, minister of science and technology and deputy minister of defense. In an interview with Jewish News Syndicate earlier this past week, he stated, in part: “[One] cannot expect us to win the war with our hands tied behind our back. We expect our allies to realize that we have to use force to eradicate evil. We can’t do it without our air force or with humanitarian aid going straight to Hamas.” That statement reflects the difference between fighting “to win the war” (Israel’s perspective) and fighting without an expectation of vanquishing the enemy (Biden’s perspective). If the U.S. and other countries are so desirous of ending the Gaza War, they should do everything possible to exert pressure on Hamas and on those who support Hamas in one way or another, to push for a Hamas surrender and the immediate return of the hostages. Pressuring Israel to end the war, because of the alleged number of civilian casualties, is to put the ac-cent’ on the wrong syll-a’-ble.

While Israel is advancing militarily against Hamas, the renewed American “push” for “Palestinian” statehood is another slap in the face to Israel. American politicians must have fallen asleep during their grade school classes in geography. The creation of a “Palestinian” state uniting the “West Bank” (Judea and Samaria) with the Gaza Strip, will necessitate a diagonal slicing of Israel to create a contiguous enemy state in our heartland. Such a declaration would also be contrary to every normal understanding of what essentials are required in order to create statehood, none of which exist with regard to the people group that calls itself “Palestinian”.

The two “issues” – fighting the Gaza War and creating a so-called “Palestinian” state should not be treated as being interrelated. The Gaza War was undertaken to ensure that Gaza will never again pose a threat to Israel. Allowing Hamas to remain in Gaza would be an unacceptable resolution to the war and will not only enable, but encourage, future attacks against Israel by terrorist organizations, as Hamas representatives have already publicly stated. The creation of a “Palestinian” state is a political consideration that will not bring peace in this region. It will only establish a terrorist base that is within our borders from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea that will be a catalyst for repeated assaults upon Israel, only this time it will be from inside the country, instead of from outside.

Right now, there are protests in various parts of the country calling for the return of the hostages being held by Hamas and by who knows whatever other organizations and individuals. In essence, the call is for Israel to end the war, as demanded by Hamas, as a preliminary for entering into a deal for the staggered release of the hostages, as well as a renewed call for new elections here. But, these are not the only voices being heard. Two days ago (February 8th), thousands of Israelis, including “soldiers, parents of fallen soldiers and relatives of Hamas hostages, took part in a rally…[that] concluded a five-day cross-country march titled, ‘Victory March: Keep Going Until IDF Victory’.” It was established by IDF reservists, who served in the Gaza War, as well as those who served along our northern border with Lebanon, since October 7th. So, Israeli society is being pulled from both directions, in addition to the pressures being placed on the government from outside sources. 

A possible solution that is being bounced around to end the war and bring about the return of the hostages is to allow the main Hamas leaders, Yahya Sinwar and Mohammad Deif, along with four other senior Hamas leaders, to be sent into exile. That consideration is still a possibility, but has not moved forward since November. 

Some of you will remember the request for prayer for Urijah Bayer, a non-Jewish, Israeli-born, evangelical of German extraction, who was wounded in the fighting in Gaza and eventually died from his wounds. Many articles have appeared regarding him, including reports on major television news stations here. His father, Gideon Bayer, spoke recently to a group of journalists at a Foreign Media Event about the call to live and serve in Israel and his son’s involvement in the IDF. The entire program was over two and a half hours in length and included other speakers, who were family members of some of those being held hostage. The story about Urijah starts at 2:13:30. At the end of the various presentations, an opportunity was given to those who were on the panel to add a message to the representatives of the foreign press. Gideon Bayer shared that his family sat Shiva (a week of mourning for a dead relative) in Israel as well as in Germany, where he was asked why Urijah joined the IDF when he didn’t have to. He explained, among other things, that he and his family believe in God and that his firm belief is that those who truly love God should also love Israel. He asked them what he considered to be a legitimate question to ask all true Bible believers, “How far does your love for Israel reach? Urijah didn’t have any boundaries regarding this question.” Joel Rosenberg, who moderated the panel, responded to this statement and quoted the Lord Yeshua, who said: “Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

Have a healthy and God-honoring week.
Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.
Marvin

Hamas and UNRWA; The Unbreakable Bond is Cracking; Hostage-Release Negotiations – Day 120 of the War.

On By marvinsk1 Comment

Shalom all,

The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 224. The number of hostages still held by Hamas and other terrorists is estimated at 136. 

THIS PAST WEEK REVEALED the involvement of 10% of UNRWA employees in the Gaza Strip, including teachers in schools run by that U.N. agency, are connected with terrorist organizations and are Hamas or Islamic Jihad operatives and at least a dozen were involved in the October 7th massacre. As a result of these disclosures by Israel, gained through interrogations of militants arrested during attack on Black Saturday, UNRWA fired “several” employees “to protect the agency’s ability to deliver humanitarian assistance”. As the above reports further indicates, the spokesman for Antonio Guterres, the U.N. Secretary-General, said that he “is horrified” by the accusations and that an “urgent and comprehensive independent review of UNRWA will be conducted”. Unfortunately for UNRWA, following those disclosures, the U.S. State Department temporarily halted funding the that agency, a move that was followed by Canada that review will be too little and too late. A review of the continued existence of UNRWA should have been conducted many decades ago, when it outlived its original purpose.

According to its website, titled United Nations Relief and Works Agency for “Palestine Refugees”, UNRWA was established by the U.N. General Assembly in 1949, “with a mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered “Palestine” refugees in the Agency’s area of operations pending a just and lasting solution to their plight…Tens of thousands of “Palestine” refugees who lost their homes and livelihoods due to the 1948 conflict continue to be displaced and in need of support, nearly 75 years on.” One with any sense of perspective and understanding would have to ask: “Why, after 75 years, are there still refugees from the Israeli War of Independence in 1948?” 

My posts of September 8 and 18, 2018, entitled “UNRWA-Debunking and Defunding a Deception”, parts one and two, dealt extensively with the politically-motivated establishment of UNRWA and answered the above question. The first of those posts stated, in part:

“By October, 1948, less than half a year after the establishment of the State of Israel, there was heated debate over the exact number of Arab “refugees” who left Israel. According to the United Nations, the number was estimated to be about 500,000….However, the UNRWA, for the purpose of its trying to obtain a census of Arab refugees in 1950, defined “refugee” as “a person normally resident in Palestine who had lost his home and his livelihood as a result of the hostilities and who is in need.” This definition was modified by UNRWA to include those people who had lived in “Palestine” a minimum of only two years preceding the 1948 conflict. These definitions differed from that of the 1951 Refugee Convention and further perpetuated the great cloud of unresolved doubt regarding the true number of Arab refugees. But, instead of being absorbed by the Arab nations in and around the Middle East, the matter of the refugees remained a political tool, which exploited and perpetuated the issue of the so-called “Palestinian refugees”. UNRWA played a major role in this matter, allowing the definition of a “Palestinian” refugee to also include the descendants of the original so-called “refugees”, resulting in the multiplying of the numbers of alleged “refugees” by hundreds of percent over the original numbers of 1948, whatever they actually were. So, instead of resettling and rehabilitating so-called “Palestinian refugees”, UNRWA has actually perpetuated their existence . . . and its own, thus furthering, rather than resolving, the “Palestinian refugee” issue. The claim of “refugee” status is based on voluntary information supplied by the individuals who seek to benefit from the services of UNRWA.

“Present numbers are estimated  to be some 5.5 million refugees. Even if some of these so-called “refugees” became citizens of different countries, they are still treated as “refugees” by UNRWA and eligible for its aid. The “repatriation”, of these alleged “refugees” is one of the major demands of the so-called “Palestinians”. The political structure was and remains well-oiled, well-funded and enables UNRWA to continue its unending goal of providing for the ever-increasing numbers of “Palestinian refugees” – until now….

“It is important to get a perspective of where the billions of dollars of taxpayers’ money have gone over the years. Some of it, unsurprisingly, has ended up in the pockets of the Hamas terrorist organization, many of whose members are openly on the payroll of UNRWA’s full-time staff of some 23,000 people. Despite the almost 70 years since its creation and a present annual budget of hundreds of millions of dollars, getting these so-called “refugees” status in different countries is not any closer now than it was back in 1948. UNRWA’s creation was flawed from the outset. It was devoted to one people group and has acted over the last three score and ten years to perpetuate not only the Middle East conflict, but its own existence. The world community has been duped and has been paying a hefty price for the privilege of being used as a financial tool to help prolong a situation that it condemns and wrongly blames Israel for causing. If you want to know where the problem areas of the world are, follow the money.

“The time is long past due for UNRWA’s existence to come to an end and for Arab countries in the Middle East to absorb all of the so-called “Palestinian refugees”, which they have refused to do for the past 70 years. A lie has been perpetrated during all that time. It was repeated over and over again, more and more loudly over the years and is even believed by those who promulgated the lie, to create a great myth – the myth that Israel stole “Palestinian” land. One cannot steal from someone what that someone never owned.” 

In 2018, it was already known that Hamas members were on the payroll of UNRWA. So why did this matter rise to the surface only now? Because it was politically expedient for everyone involved to ignore it. How many of the billions of dollars that were funded to UNRWA ended up in the hands of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad in Gaza? We may never know. But, we do know that the tunnel infrastructure that was built by Hamas over the past 17 years required massive funding. Some of the tunnels were under UNRWA-supported institutions. Maybe those expenses were written off as “renovations”! 

Despite the decision of the U.S. to pause funding of UNRWA, the Biden Administration sent millions of dollars to UNRWA, which were said to have been committed back in November, 2023. “Critics have long argued that UNRWA is directly tied to Hamas terrorists. On Tuesday, New Jersey GOP Rep. Chris Smith introduced a bill, known as the ‘Stop Support United Nations Relief and Works Agency Act of 2024,’ that would cut off U.S. funding.” It’s about time!

The Dry Bones Blog – 28th January, 2024

AND THEN, the Biden administration dropped its bombshell on Israel, when U.S. State Department spokesman, Mathew Miller, told reports last Wednesday, January 31st, that the United States  was “actively pursuing the establishment of an independent “Palestinian” state. According to an article in The Jerusalem Post, citing the Hebrew website Walla, “US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken order the US State Department to prepare staff work that will examine the possibility of American and international recognition of the state of “Palestine” the day after the war in Gaza.” One would would think that such a one-sided step could not be implemented, given the long-standing U.S. policy that such recognition, if it were to happen, should be the result of direct negotiations between the parties involved. But, as mentioned in the above article: “A senior US official said that the war in Gaza and the efforts to find a diplomatic solution opened the way for a re-examination within the administration of many old paradigms in the policy of the United States towards the Israel-“Palestinian” conflict. According to him, there are elements within the Biden administration who recommend changing policy and moving towards recognizing a “Palestinian” state as a first step in a renewed peace process and not as a last step that would be the result of negotiations between the parties.” This is sheer lunacy on the part of the Biden administration and reveals a total lack of understanding of the nature and underlying causes of this ongoing conflict.

The establishment of a so-called “Palestinian” state is not the real issue and, in any event, it is not really desired either by the people in Gaza or by those in Judea and Samaria. The real issue is the existence of the State of Israel anywhere on land that was once occupied by Islam, which remains holy to Islam, even if they are no longer in control of it. Hence, the proclamation “from the river to the sea” is not a call for “Palestinian” independence, or for statehood, but rather a call for the elimination of the State of Israel fully and completely. In its purest sense, this decades-old conflict since the establishment of Israel in the midst of a sea of Islamic countries is a holy war that has existed from the days of our forefathers and, at its core, is not only regarding the existence of the State of Israel, but the continued existence of the Jewish people, who need to recognize and call upon the Messiah of Israel.

WHILE WE ARE TRYING TO FIGHT A PHYSICAL WAR, the present politics of the Biden administration are working to grant success to Hamas and the defeat of Israel. In Jonathan S. Tobin’s lengthy, but extremely cogent and astute article, appearing in Jewish News Syndicate yesterday, he summarizes it all in the title: “It’s Biden who’s playing politics with the Gaza war, not Bibi.”  Tobin then goes on to state, in part: “[Netanyahu] may be pursuing two goals that cannot both be achieved as well as clinging to his pre-war strategic objective of getting Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel. Yet the real scheming going on right now is in Washington, not Jerusalem. It is Biden who is playing a double game in which he seems willing to ensure Hamas’s survival in power in order to settle scores with Netanyahu, as well as to defeat former President Donald Trump in November…That’s the context for the discussions about the latest proposal for a ceasefire and the release of 136 hostages—some living and some presumed dead—in which the double-dealing government of Qatar is playing a central role. Whether or not this effort, like previous ones, will be shot down by Hamas, Netanyahu will continue to face enormous pressure from both the families of the hostages and the United States to either pause or end the war…as the war heads towards its fifth month, Biden’s practice of talking out of both sides of his mouth on the conflict—backing Israel while also bashing and pressuring it to scale down its military campaign—has escalated to the point where a tipping point may soon be reached. American involvement in the hostage talks seem not so much to be focused on freeing the captives as they are on hamstringing the Israeli war effort and wrong-footing Netanyahu.

“While Washington’s focus on demands for the creation of a Palestinian state as part of a far-reaching postwar deal involving Saudi normalization may be wildly unrealistic, it is only understandable if seen in the context of a gambit to topple the Israeli coalition while winning Biden back the favor of left-wing and Arab-American voters whose anger over his supporting Israel’s right to self-defense has imperiled his re-election campaign…It’s also clear that Biden’s attempts to balance his support for Israel and not stopping the flow of arms resupply that enable the continuation of the war (which he has threatened to halt) with talk of a Palestinian state and gestures like sanctions on Israeli settlers accused of violence against Arabs are nothing more than cheap political maneuvers…No matter how [Netanyahu] navigates the current crisis or whether he survives in office, he seems not so much to be playing politics as his opponents claim as clinging to the only stand that makes any sense if Israel is to truly ensure that there will be no more Oct. 7 attacks. Biden, on the other hand, is doing nothing but playing to his party base, seeking to convince them that he shares their contempt for Israeli lives that is a key element in the calls for a ceasefire before Hamas is eliminated…[Biden’s] cynical tricks may or may not gain him votes, but the real loser in his politicization of Middle East policy is the security of a Jewish state that is being endangered by his vendetta against Netanyahu.” (Emphasis mine) The once believed and often touted “unbreakable bond between the U.S. and Israel” is being strained to the breaking point. Politicians need to hear and to heed the voice of their constituents. U.S. voters can press their representatives to continue to support Israel. They will be blessed in return. That is part of God’s promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:3).

AS FOR THE PRESENT HOSTAGE DEAL NEGOTIATIONS, I am referring you to Carolyn Glick’s explanation of the current negotiations and why their implementation means defeat for Israel. While I would encourage you to listen to the entire presentation, which touches on a number of different issues, it is particularly important to listen to the comments from minutes 4:14-8:14.

ONE FINAL NOTE: The situation in the north is reaching a boiling point. Hezbollah aggression has reached the point where Israel will need to do more than just respond to rockets, RPGs, anti-tank missiles and UAVs. Lebanon is unable to control the Hezbollah, who has ignored its obligation under U.N. Resolution 1701, which brought about the end of the Second Lebanon War, in 2006. Israel MUST pursue action to move the Hezbollah north of the Litani River, and create a buffer zone, as stated in Article 8 of the above Resolution, “free of armed personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the Government of Lebanon [weak as it is – my addition] and of UNIFIL” [United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon], which will not engage in any fighting. If we wait too much longer, we will end up with tens of thousands of missiles being launched into Israel, which will cause extensive damage to Israel’s infrastructure, particularly in the north, but also to areas south of Haifa. And then, Israel will follow through with its warnings and Beirut will be turned into a second Gaza.

Yes, it’s been quite a week.

And notwithstanding all that has been said here and the attempts of the prince of the power of the air to discourage us, God also has a few things to say: 

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘It will yet be that peoples will come, even the inhabitants of many cities. The inhabitants of one will go to another, saying, “Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts; I will also go.” So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord.’ Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’” (Zechariah 8:20-23)

Have a healthy and God-honoring week.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.
Marvin

War! Terrorist Invasion of Israel: Day 106 of the War.

On By marvinsk1 Comment

Shalom all,

The number of IDF deaths since the beginning of the ground offensive has now reached 194. The total number of IDF deaths since October 7th stands at 530. The number of hostages still held by Hamas and other terrorists is estimated at 136. The number of war-wounded is far beyond what any of us want to state out loud. 

We are a country that is bleeding, physically and emotionally. Israel is dealing with major pressures from outside the country, both from our “friends” as well as our “foes”, to immediately cease the military operations in Gaza. We’ve dealt with foreign pressures before and usually stood up against them. But, this time, the international pressure is being supplemented by massive demonstrations in Israel, calling upon the country to “Bring them home, NOW!” So, while not directly demanding a cessation of hostilities – although there are a number of “minor demonstrations” that do make such demands – the message from the demonstrations is that Israel should do everything possible to bring about the return of the hostages. The demands are being made primarily, although not exclusively, upon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. There are, of course, those who consistently claim that Netanyahu is keeping the war going in order to remain in power. I don’t deny that such a possibility exists. Nevertheless, he is not the only one that makes decisions regarding the continuation of the war.

But, the internal voices are becoming more vocal. While families genuinely want their loved ones to return, alive, there is also no escaping the fact that the protests are being backed by powerful individuals with a lot of money, whose goal now is the removal of Netanyahu as Prime Minister and the calling for new elections – now, in the middle of a war, possibly the most serious and difficult war since our War of Independence.
The Times of Israel refers to a report in The New York Times, which quoted four IDF commanders, who spoke on condition of anonymity, that “the dual objectives of freeing the hostages and destroying Hamas are now mutually incompatible.”  I’ve been saying that since the ground offensive began. I’m glad that they finally agree with me. The question now, as it has been the question all along, is which goal needs to be sacrificed in order to achieve the second goal? What is the “greater good” here, if in fact there is a “greater good” in this situation?

Without question, the biggest complaint against Israel is the number of civilian casualties in Gaza. The figures are almost exclusively provided by the Gaza Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas. Every report issued by that ministry that is reported in the Israeli media is usually accompanied by a statement that the figures reported cannot be independently verified. Well, the IDF has different figures, which are substantially lower than those reported by the Hamas Health Ministry.

Colonel Richard Kemp, a former officer in the British Army and anti-terrorism expert, sides with the IDF and actually concludes that the IDF has the lowest civilian casualty rate ever recorded in history, 1.5 to 1, while the UN estimates that the global average is a staggering 9:1 So, where is the world getting its information from that causes some to accuse Israel of committing genocide? But then, when one is accusing Israel of any time of wrong-doing, facts really aren’t important, are they? What Israel bashers want to do is to make the accusation and then put the burden on Israel to disprove the claim.

There are actually some people that understand the situation of blind hatred towards Israel. Sometimes their eyes are opened and they acknowledge the simple fact that the goal of Hamas is to destroy Israel. Such was the case with Shefali Vaidya, a social media influencer from India. She was part of a 13-member delegation of Muslim and Hindu journalists and social media-recognized personalities, who toured Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the communities whose members were massacred and butchered on Black Saturday. The tour was organized by the grassroots organization Sharaka, an organization seeking to strengthen the positive relationship between Israel and the Arab and Muslim world. She tweeted, in part: “Hamas does not want land or concessions. What it wants is the complete annihilation of the state of Israel and death of every last Israeli citizen. It was a sobering realisation of a chilling fact! “

Then, there are others, who don’t directly acknowledge the goal of Hamas to destroy Israel, but recognize the need for Hamas to be dismantled. The European Parliament called for a “permanent ceasefire” in the Gaza War, but conditioned it on the dismantling of the Hamas terrorist organization and the unconditional release of the hostages still being held captive in Gaza. Following the decision of the U.E., Haim Regev, Israel’s Ambassador to the E.U., was quoted in “Politico”, as saying that “We are happy to see that the European Parliament understands the need to release the hostages and disarm Hamas before any ceasefire.” Elon Levy, the government spokesman for Israel also commented: “The European Union wants Israel to win this war against Hamas… The European Parliament just demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages and dismantling of Hamas. It said no permanent ceasefire until then.” 

Not everyone was happy with the decision of the European Union, as can be understood from the statement of the representative of the “Palestinian” Authority, who denounced the vote as “a moral failure of the European Parliament.” 

Two days ago, P.M. Netanyahu had a lengthy conversation with U.S. President Joe Biden. It would have been great if we could have listened in on what was discussed and the tone of the communication between the two leaders. Following the conversation, Biden intimated that Netanyahu may be open to accepting some kind of “two-state solution”, but the P.M., in a rare statement issued today, Shabbat, repeated the same position that he held for years, namely: that after the elimination of Hamas, “Israel must remain in full security control of the Gaza Strip to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel – and this conflicts with demands for “Palestinian” sovereignty.” So, they can’t both be telling the truth. While Netanyahu credibility before the public has diminished considerably, particularly since the beginning of the Gaza War, I would still accept him position that a “Palestinian” state will not be established “on his watch”. This is in agreement with Biden’s assessment also, that an independent “Palestinian” state is not possible as long as Netanyahu remains in office. Apparently, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is not thrilled with a refusal to accept a two-state solution. While speaking in Kampala, Uganda, he stated: “The refusal to accept a two-state solution for Israelis and “Palestinians”, and the denial of the right to statehood for the “Palestinian” people, are unacceptable…The right of the “Palestinian” people to build their own state must be recognized by all.” I have no problem with the so-called “Palestinians” setting up their own state, as long as it is not anywhere on the land of Israel.

This week also saw terrorism committed on the streets of Ra’anana, a central city here. The acts of terrorism were accomplished by two residents from a community near Hebron in Judea. A woman in her late 70s was killed and at least 17 others were wounded, including 4 minors, in a combined car-ramming and stabbing attack. The adult victims were hospitalized and were reported to be in serious to moderate conditions. The terrorists were apprehended by the Police and it was discovered that they were employed in the industrial area of Ra’anana, but without valid work permits. It turned out that both suspects were known to Israeli security forces. We continue to make the same mistake, over and over again, and allow people to work in Israel who should not be allowed entry.

Yesterday, we had a large gathering of family members for an erev Shabbat (Friday evening) meal. In the middle of our conversations, loud sirens went off throughout Haifa, indicating a potential threat from a projectile. We all got up and went into the “secured room” in our apartment. We bolted the metal door that protects the window and locked the reinforced metal door to the room. Admittedly, it was a bit crowded. But, after 10 minutes, we were able to leave the room and resume our time together during the evening. The nature of the projectile was not immediately disclosed, but was said to be “a suspicious aerial target” that was intercepted by the IDF. The reports did not indicate whether or not the drone was armed. Our conversation turned to speculation over the possible destination of the projectile: the oil refinery on the outskirts of Haifa, the Naval Base next to Rambam Hospital or the natural gas facility off the cost of Haifa. Inasmuch as it came from the north, the likelihood is that is was a “smart” projectile, that was either programmed or controlled electronically. The IDF didn’t say and we didn’t ask. We’re thankful that no one was injured.

And, to round off The Week That Was, the Gaza War has become the subject of network television. I’m not referring to the local news, but to the season premiere of the long-running TV series, Law & Order, which aired this past Thursday. According to the Forward, “The episode, titled ‘Free Expression,’ manages to cram just about every major headline even tangentially related to Israel from the past few months into its hour run time.” It would be interesting to see how Hollywood relates to real-life, present-day events that are taking place thousands of miles away, and brings them into your living room, as though they are happening in New York City. 

There’s a lot more, but I think this is where we’ll stop.

Have a safe, healthy, encouraging and God-honoring week.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.
Marvin