17-18 Tishrei 5780
16-17 October 2019
Remembrance: Ron Arad
His emaciated tortured face still haunts us after all these years.
It was on October 16, 1986 that Israeli Air Force navigator Ron Arad’s F-4 Phantom II plane crashed in Lebanon due to a faulty bomb that exploded when it was released.
It is believed (there were some indications that he died in 1988) that for the next 9 years, Arad was tortured while being held by various terror groups. Attempts to negotiate for his release failed, and he reportedly died in 1995–though this was never confirmed.
His capture, torture, and the inability to gain his release remain seared in the Israeli consciousness.
Tragic Photo of the Day
Five members of a family who were swimming at Zikim beach south of Ashkelon were badly shocked when a lightning bolt hit the water. The 14-year-old son who was in the water died and is being buried today.
The MADA rescue attempt at Zikim.
The News on the Israeli Street
Palestinian terror in the last 48 hours . . .
*Border Police, GSS, and IDF troops captured 13 wanted terrorists in Judea and Samaria. In the process, they seized numerous illegal weapons including assault rifles and machine guns in the Palestinian settlement of Beit Awa.
*Palestinian terrorists attacked Jewish worshipers at Joseph’s Tomb in Shechem. According to Palestinian sources, 51 of the terrorists were wounded.
*Palestinian terrorists threw IEDs at Jewish worshipers at Rachel’s Tomb near Bethlehem.
*A Palestinian terrorist who attempted to run over undercover Border Police officers in the Al-Amari Palestinian settlement near Ramallah was shot and critically wounded. No Israelis suffered injuries.
Weird weather continues . . .
How about this for some strange weather in the last 24 hours?
*Heavy flooding is taking place in all the rivers in the Negev.
*Heavy fog has enveloped the Gaza border communities in southern Israel this morning.
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*All swimming and fishing in the Kineret (Sea of Galilee) was prohibited yesterday because of high wind.
*Heavy rains–and a sandstorm–pelted Tiberius.
*Wind and rain destroyed sukkot in the Jezreel Valley, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem.
*A lightning storm hit Beit Shemesh and the beaches of Zikim and Ashdod.
This lightning strike hit about 1 km from your humble servant’s home–it was very similar to the strike in Zikim that killed the young boy.
*A hail storm hit Jerusalem.
Netanyahu’s time is running out . . .
The prime minister only has about 6 more days to form a government. There are some reports that Benny Gantz of Kahol Levan is close to agreeing to President Rivlin’s formula for a unity government; however, there are numerous reports that talks are still going nowhere.
Yesterday, PM Netanyahu had the right block sign yet another loyalty pledge promising that they would not go along with a Kahol Levan “minority government” which is only kept afloat by votes from the Joint Arab List.
Everyone in the block went along except for Ayelet Shaked who declared that she was tired of signing loyalty oaths to Netanyahu–that one was enough.
Today’s Blog
“May The Lord Bless You And Keep You”
More than 50,000 Jews gathered at the Kotel yesterday for the Priestly Blessing (Birkat Kohanim) which occurs during Sukkot.
That blessing may only be recited by those males over the age of 13 who are of direct patrilineal descent from Aaron who was from the tribe of Levi and who was the first High Priest of Israel.
The Chief Rabbi of the Western Wall, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch had this to say:
“The coming together of tens of thousands of people to be blessed by thousands of Kohanim at the Western Wall Plaza every year is a tangible testament to the connection between the Jewish people and the Torah, our faith, and the remnants of the Temple.”
In case you think don’t know what the main blessing is which is made by Kohanim, your humble servant thinks you may recognize this translation (coming from Numbers 6:22-27). They are the words that the Lord told Moses to tell Aaron and his sons to tell the Israelites:
“May the Lord bless you and keep you; May He shine His face upon you and grant you grace; May He turn His face to you and grant you peace.”
Those are words that may comfort us all.
A student from Malawi, who had worked with an Israeli health volunteer in his country battling AIDS, came up to us as we walked down the street in the UC-Davis Picnic Day Parade and wanted to carry the Israeli flag.