” . . . but the shrapnel hit, right in the heart.”

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4 Av 5778

16 July 2018

The News on the Israeli Street

Palestinian terror in the last 24 hours . . .

In Judea and Samaria:

Palestinian terrorists attacked Israelis with “rocks” and Molotovs at Hizma, El Fawwar, Adam, Ateret, Mt. Hevron, El Khader, the Jericho Bypass Road, Shechem, Huwara, on Route 465, and Abu Dis among other places.

On the Gaza border:

Palestinian terrorists launched more incendiary kites and balloons setting six fires. The worst was at Nahal Shikma:

A local firefighter trying futilely to put out the fire.

The result at Shikma:

Desolation (photo source on picture).

About those six fires . . .

In a raucous meeting of our so-called political-security Cabinet yesterday, PM Netanyahu proclaimed: “I heard that Israel agreed to a ceasefire without stopping the kite terror. This is not true.”

Whereupon it was pointed out that fires were burning at that very moment in contravention of the supposed truce.

A tense exchange then followed between Education Minister Naftali Bennett, IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot, and Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz:

Bennett demanded that the IDF take action against those launching incendiary devices into Israel either by shooting them or by bombing them. Eizenkot said that the IDF would not because it would be immoral to do so. Bennett then asked whether it was more moral to let Israel burn. Steinitz then responded that “Israel is not burning. It is a media exaggeration.”

If you are shaking your head at the comments of Eisenkot and Steinitz, you are not alone. We have a military leader who will not take action to stop the destruction of our country, and an Energy Minister who is so detached from reality that he has no idea what is going on.  

PM Netanyahu then intervened and ordered the IDF to stop the launches. As you can see from what happened during the day, the IDF did not. We’ll see what happens today.

The Swiss apologize for a “gesture” . . .

On Friday, the Swiss Ambassador to Israel, Jean-Daniel Ruch, issued a written apology to the Jews of Hevron.

Sort of.

He apologized after a video came to light showing a Swiss member of an organization called Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) hitting a 10-year-old Jewish boy in the face.

TIPH and abominable Breaking the Silence were on a tour of Hevron when they decided to enter the Tel Rumeida neighborhood in express contravention of their previous agreement not to do so. When they were shouted at by young children in the neighborhood, the incident occurred.

Here’s what Ruch wrote:  “You are certainly aware of the incident that took place in Hebron two days ago, whereby a Swiss member of the TIPH slapped a young boy. Though this was no doubt preceded by some provocation on the side of the settlers – the action of this TIPH member is totally unacceptable . . . I wish to express my apologies for this gesture. I also wish to let you know that the concerned Swiss individual is leaving the country today.”

Since when is it a provocation for children to shout at interlopers in their neighborhood?

And “a gesture”? The member of the Swiss team should be arrested for assault. In fact, that is probably why he was rushed out of the country. 

Another European “explanation” . . .

The always haughty and smug Emanuele Giaufret.

In case you missed it, European Union Ambassador to Israel Emanuele Giaufret spent the day last Thursday calling Knesset legislators warning them not to vote for the “nation-state” bill that is about to be approved by the Knesset.

This provoked an angry response from PM Netanyahu who summoned Giaufret for a reprimand at which Netanyahu lambasted the EU:

“As if it is not enough that the EU funds organizations that undermine Israel and engage in illegal construction, now it is also interfering in Israeli legislation. It apparently does not understand that Israel is a sovereign state.”

To which Giaufret’s office arrogantly replied that it is part of the EU’s mission to discuss a country’s legislative agenda. The reply went on to suggest again that the proposed law would undermine the EU-Israel “partnership” by undermining “democracy”, “human rights”, and “equality.”

The good news is that the last obstacle to the “national law” was removed yesterday when PM Netanyahu and Naftali Bennett agreed that the following passage would be included:

This incapability affects man’s life up to cialis overnight no prescription a major extent do not carry a proper reason for cause or failed in analyzing the issue. Or they tend to rely on forum postings on the internet that are supplying http://appalachianmagazine.com/2016/01/04/technically-russia-and-japan-are-still-at-war-in-world-war-ii/ cialis on line purchase counterfeit root complexes that have no effect at all. If all tadalafil overnight shipping has gone well you should now have all three credit reports in your hands. get cialis overnight By knowing more directly about their sexual problems.

“The State views the development of Jewish settlement as a national value and will act to encourage and promote its establishment and consolidation.”

The amended version will be submitted to the Knesset today. Bravo to Bennett for getting the above sentence included.

TODAY’S BLOG:

” . . . but the shrapnel hit, right in the heart.”

As a long-time resident of southern Israel, your humble servant cannot stop thinking about how the government once again threw us all under the bus during the missile fire over the weekend.

But someone expressed her dismay over our government’s abandonment far better than I. A young girl named Alicia Volk posted this on Facebook last week—before the 200 missiles and mortars struck but after 100 days of fires and “occasional” missiles. She was writing primarily about the ongoing fires, but as you will see, her words are deeply relevant to the most recent missile attacks.

Please note as you read her eloquent post, that Israeli citizens along the border usually hear “red” sirens  as well as a recorded message on a loud speaker system (microphone) warning of incoming missiles. As you probably know, these citizens have 5 seconds to make it to a safe place.

Untitled 

By Alicia Volk

It just doesn’t make sense.

—

But it’s already become routine, became normal.

Every morning to get up to the same message, to the same message about the spirits that are not good for us and the fire in the . . .

—

Every morning to rise not knowing that another place you loved to go to will no longer grant you the same silence that it has bestowed for many years.

Every morning to get up thinking about what will happen if it’s in your house, what happens when you get caught off guard.

It’s every moment to think where I was wrong and why I’m here at all.

It’s every night to be afraid to get out of the house because you don’t know where you’re going to.

It’s also afraid that red paint will suddenly catch you off guard.

About 90% of your day, in the shower, when you’re sleeping, walking out, sitting in a hammock thinking about how good you are.

And it happens, it always happens.

It always catches you off guard, it’s always etched deep into your soul and soul.

—

The sound of the microphone you hear before she even starts that crazy combination of words, it’s like the sound of a door opening, of a chair that moves a little, reminds you of so many things. You sit in class and suddenly the door make some noise, and you? You’re already ready for the 5-second run you have to protect your life.

—

And you start running, you don’t know what will happen, because even at this time when you run, you hear everything.

You know when it fell and how close it is to you.

You realize you were saved, it didn’t fall on you, but the shrapnel hit, right in the heart.

And the heart was injured, and was hard to recover after something like that . . .

I’m tired of being afraid to shower, I’m tired of everything I do, I have to plan my time in case anything happens,

I’m tired of sitting in the living room and smelling that horrible smell of another amazing forest burning.

I’m just sick of it.

—

It’s 100 days that the south is no longer red, and the and [sic] won’t be in the next.

It’s Black, it burns and burns, but it’s off, and not just the fields.

So are we. The residents, Our heart.

Just want to live in peace and no worries, want to know someone is watching us all the time.

Knowing you can sit . . . in the living room and watch tv quietly.

Knowing you can go out at night without worrying about someone coming out of the nearest tunnel.

Knowing that next time we can look out the window again and see what nature gives us here.

Knowing that you can close your eyes at night and sleep.

Without having bad dreams.

To know there’s someone to watch over us.

—

I don’t want my younger generation to be scared and scared like I’m afraid of a chair that moves.

It became normal. And that’s what’s not normal.

Thank you to Alicia for this description of what life is like for our Israelis on the Gaza border. And for particularly showing why more than half of the Israeli children on the Gaza border suffer from PTSD.