Yom Shishee
Friday
14 Iyar 5783
May 5 2023
The Quote of the Day
“Defense Minister Galant’s decision to return the bodies of the three terrorist members of the terrorist organization Lions’ Den which carried out a large part of the attacks in Judea and Samaria in recent times is a serious mistake that will cost us dearly. This government is a right-wing government and the public did not give us a mandate to return the bodies of terrorists or to avoid bombing Gaza. It is still not too late to lead a powerful and offensive security policy. Otzma Yehudit will continue to be absent from votes in the Knesset until the Israeli government changes direction and begins to uphold the policy for which it was elected.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, head of the Otzma Yehudit Party commenting on the government’s decision to return the bodies of the terrorists and on the government’s moving away from its mandate from the voters.
Ben Gvir is absolutely correct on three counts:
1. There was no reason in the world to return the bodies of the despicable terrorists to the PLO.
2. The decision to return the bodies will cost us dearly. It will accelerate terrorism.
3. This government is supposed to be right-wing; it was elected by voters who are completely opposed to handing over terrorist bodies and who wholeheartedly approve of bombing terrorists in Gaza when they are shooting missiles at us.
Unfortunately, Ben Gvir is wrong when he says that “it is still not too late to lead a powerful and offensive security policy.” With a prime minister and defense minister who are utterly incapable of anything but a passive defensive strategy, a powerful security policy is not possible.
The only question is if and when Ben Gvir will realize this and return his Party to the Knesset.
By the way, it was revealed today that in the midst of the 114 missiles and mortars being fired out of Gaza at our communities a few days ago, Netanyahu and Galant were beginning negotiations with Hamas to develop the gas field off the Gaza coast.
Development of this field will line the pockets of Hamas and Islamic Jihad with tens of billions of dollars. Of note is the fact that the negotiations are taking place without any discussions on the return of our soldiers’ bodies from the 2014 war.
TODAY’S BLOG
“Thousands of rocks, every single hour, every single day.”
The overturned car that you will read about in Today’s Blog below.
Regular readers of OneIsrael know that your humble servant reports daily on “the war in Judea and Samaria”. Included in this section, I give the latest information about Palestinian terror attacks including shooting, stabbing, run-over, and IED-Molotov-“rock” attacks.
The latter IED-Molotov-“rock” category should always be considered as understated because it completely depends on reportage from the residents who have been attacked, and many residents who are attacked do not inform authorities. It has been estimated that for every reported attack, 5 more go unreported.
Today’s Blog is focusing on one attack that took place yesterday.
Last night, a pregnant woman who is a resident of Yitzhar was driving home just before midnight. As she reached the halfway point between Hawara and Yitzhar, she thought she saw suspicious movement on the side of the road.
One second later her car was hit by a barrage of “rocks”.
When she turned the steering wheel sharply to avoid the assault, her car flipped over. Other motorists that were in the vicinity and saw what happened called the IDF and tried to get her out of the car.
Eventually, she was was evacuated by paramedics to a hospital.
The good news is that both mother and fetus are physically stable; though the mother is suffering from extreme trauma.
The woman’s husband, Elazar, wrote this on social media this morning (bolding mine):
“This story could have ended completely differently! We have been in the emergency room the entire night, and in the meantime there is no expectation that they will release us. My pregnant wife is undergoing a series of examinations, both for her and the fetus.
As of now it seems that my wife received a few bruises and other than that she is physically fine, thank G-d. But emotionally it will take her a long time to recover.
Understand, this is the reality of our daily lives here in Samaria. Thousands of rocks are hurled every single hour, every day, and stories like this repeat themselves daily. Please, share this story, so that every Jew knows what is happening here in the Land of Israel, right under their noses. Friends, this really could have ended differently. I ask you, I beg you, go now to demonstrate and to protect our lives.”*
And so, as Shabbat draws near, we are sharing the story and are demanding that the government do more to protect our citizens’ lives.
On that note, we wish you and residents of Judea and Samaria:
Shabbat Shalom!
*Thank you to Arutz Sheva for elements of Today’s Blog.
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.