Achziv Island and Achzivland: Two Secrets of Israel

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16 Av 5778

28 July 2018

Quote of the Day:

“I met with Jews in Los Angeles. I thought I was at a branch of Meretz in Tel Aviv.” 

Likud Knesset member David Bitan describing on Israeli television a recent visit he took to the United States and the ultra-left wing Jews he found there.

Bitan’s statement has been excoriated in the Israeli press for its “contempt” for “our Jewish friends in America” and the likelihood that it will cause a “deep rift in relations” between American Jews and Israeli Jews.

Here’s a news flash: the rift between American Jews and Israeli Jews has been growing for decades and became more pronounced than ever under President Barack Obama.

Bitan is exactly correct about many Jews in Los Angeles. Describing themselves as “progressive”, they have distanced themselves from Israel in the same way as members of the ultra left-wing Meretz party have here in Israel.

The News on the Israeli Street 

Palestinian terror in the last 24 hours . . .

On the Gaza Border:

Dozens of incendiary balloons and kites continue being launched despite our government’s promise to stop them. At least six of them started major fires yesterday–a few of those were centered in the area around Nir Am.

Dozens more Palestinian terrorists attempted to breach the fence and kill our soldiers yesterday–but all were repelled.

In Judea and Samaria:

There were a number of “rock” and Molotov attacks over the weekend with the most egregious occurring at Shilo where a family was assaulted and at Tekoa where an IDF  soldier was badly wounded in the face.

In Jerusalem on the Temple Mount:

Following Friday afternoon “prayers” at the Al-Aqsa Mosque during which the imam of the mosque railed against Israel, “worshipers” barricaded themselves inside and started firing projectiles at police.

Whereupon, the police broke open the door and captured some 20 terrorists. During the melee, 4 Israeli security personnel were wounded.

As usual, the Arab world led by the Jordanians condemned “Israeli aggression” against “the Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

Back to Gaza for a moment and the strange case of the 12-year-old who was supposedly killed two days ago . . .

Yesterday, UN envoy Nikolay Mladenov tweeted this on his official UN twitter page: “The killing of a 12-year-old Palestinian boy by Israeli fire yesterday in the Gaza Strip is horrific and tragic. Children are not a goal (sic). Too much life cut off, it’s time to put it to an end.”

Well . . . hmm . . . your humble servant wonders how old a terrorist has to be before his life is cut off? . . .

But I digress. Let’s take a look at the strange facts here or what little we know of them. The boy in question is named Majdi Ramzi al-Satri. Mladenov said that he is 12, the Gaza Health Ministry said he is 14.

Notice that your humble servant is using the present tense because there is no way of knowing whether he is actually dead or not. There is a video which purportedly shows him being carried from the fence area on a stretcher to a Palestinian ambulance that just happened to be parked on the Gaza border–but we cannot see his head.

Similarly, there is no independent corroboration that he died at the Shifra Hospital in Gaza–under which is Hamas headquarters.
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But what we do have is an amazing video shot several weeks ago in which Al-Satri and his friends “acted” out a play in which they were attacking the security fence. As part of the play, Al-Satri was “killed”, his body was taken away on a stretcher, he was wrapped in a Palestinian flag, and he was kissed by his comrades–one of whom is then seen weeping over his body.

You can watch this bizarre video here.

Don’t be surprised if Al-Satri–just as so many other “dead” Palestinians in the past–ultimately shows up alive and well.

Another fauxtilla is approaching Gaza . . .

There is never a shortage of international crackpots who want to make a name for themselves by getting on some yacht or other vessel and sailing across the Mediterranean ostensibly to “break the siege” of Gaza.

One such crackpot group is now on a refurbished Norwegian fishing trawler renamed Al-Awda,”The Return”, and is about 90 km off the coast here. It is being accompanied by three yachts, “Freedom”, “Mairead”, and “Falestine” (sic).

Who are on the boats? Primarily Swedish, Danish, and New Zealand socialists. The leader of the group, whom I shall not name here today, has written an extensive piece about the trials and travails of the group and about all the poor Palestinians who have been traumatized.

But what caught my eye was this line: “We have a professional chef from a leading restaurant as our personal cook.”

What better way to spend the summer? Sailing across the sun-drenched Mediterranean, appropriately libated and fed by an international chef of renown?

In a day or two or three, they will all end up here in Ashdod–as all of the fauxtillas do.

TODAY’S BLOG:

Achziv Island and Achzivland: Two Secrets of Israel

Two of the small islands renowned for their extraordinarily clear waters and scuba diving.

The above fauxtilla snippet put your humble servant in a Mediterranean state of mind this morning, and he thought he would regale you with some information of which you may be unaware.

Have you ever heard of the Nahlieli Island, Shahaf Island, and T’chelet Island? Or the islands Achziv and Sagivion?

Would it surprise you to know that all five of these islands belong to Israel and are part of the Rosh HaNikra Island reserve? Or that all five of them are located about 800 meters offshore, or that in ancient times they were home to a sea snail from which highly prized Tyrian purple dye was produced?

Or that one of them, Achziv, used to be called the “Island of Love” by Israelis, and that a local businessman named Shmulik Vizengrin set up a kiosk there in 1987 complete with a dock and sun loungers–and that the island was visited by many celebrities including former US president Al Gore and his family?

These days the kiosk is gone, but one can still boat to the islands and scuba dive and snorkel among the remarkable corals and encounter exotic fish and sea turtles.

As for the other islands, they are now bird sanctuaries for terns, gulls, and the rare white wagtail.

But how about another interesting story about Achziv?

Or more precisely Achzivland? Did you know that back in 1972 a veteran of the Palmach turned hippy of sorts, established his own microstate of Achzivland between Rosh NaNikra and Nahariya on the north coast.

Where is Achzivland?

That veteran, Eli Avivi, not only named himself president, but also he wrote a Constitution, issued passports and stamps, and set up a hotel on the property that catered to the likes of Sophia Loren and Paul Newman (when Newman was filming Exodus).

The story of how Achzivland was established is a long, convoluted one but suffice it to say that Avivi moved into some buildings that were abandoned by Arabs in 1948, and was subsequently ordered out by Israeli authorities when he established his own little country.

An old black and white picture of Achziv(b)land back in 1971 one year before Avivi established his state. That is Avivi standing under the gate.

Nevertheless Avivi took the country to Court and won, with the judges ruling that there was no law against someone setting up his or her own country. Eventually, Avivi was awarded a 99 year lease for his property.

Avivi a few years ago. Note how the hotel expanded over the years.

And so it has been through the years with people still staying in Avivi’s rustic hotel in Achzivland. Unfortuately, Eli Avivi died in May of this year at age 88, but his partner Rina carries on.

Do you want a unique vacation in Israel? Go stay in Achzivland for a couple of nights and go snorkeling around Achziv Island!