Yom Shnee
Monday
15 Shvat 5783
February 6 2023
Tu B’Shevat!
Three Israeli children planting a pine tree (photo Yossi Alo).
Tu B’Shvat–the holiday and celebration of trees– began at sundown yesterday and continues until sundown today. Be sure to eat lot of nuts and fruit today–and plant a flower, bush, or tree! Click here to hear some wonderful Tu B’Shvat songs for the child in you!
The News on the Israeli Street
The weather . . .
Another huge storm is barreling into the country with snow already falling in the north.
Predictions are that snow and rain will be accompanied by gale force winds reaching 100 kilometers an hour. We are already experiencing the wind here in Ashdod–and our electricity is flickering on and off.
Earthquakes . . .
Israelis have felt both of the massive earthquakes that have struck Turkey in the last 24 hours.
Those quakes, said to be the strongest in Turkey since the 1930s, registered between 7.6 and 7.9 on the Richter scale.
It is worthwhile remembering that major earthquakes have hit Israel in the past. Ancient religious sites are the most vulnerable. The Al-Aqsa Mosque alone has been destroyed time and time again in earthquakes dating back to when it was first built in 690 CE.
At the surprising request of Turkey, Israel is mounting a major rescue and relief effort scheduled to leave Israel in the next few hours.
The war in Judea and Samaria . . .
Shooting attacks:
Palestinian terrorists opened fire on IDF forces in Shechem.
Palestinian terrorists fired on IDF forces in Alta.
IED, Molotov, “rock” attacks:
Palestinian terrorists attacked Israelis near Migdal Oz, between the Ramin Junction and the Einav Junction, between Ariel and Tapuach, off of Road 90 near Yatev, in Burka between Homesh and Shavi Shomron, and at other locations.
Hamas has vowed revenge for the loss of its terror cell near Jericho yesterday (5 terrorists were killed). The terrorists have told Egypt that they plan to fire missiles tonight.
Sensitivity to Arab society and its “values”. . .
Your humble servant continues to be struck by the conjoining of gay pride flags and PLO flags in the recent anti-government demonstrations.
It is a phenomenon that happens in various demonstrations around the world. Is it really possible that those supporting gay rights do not realize the utter animus that the Arab community has toward them?
Last night we had another example when the players on the Arab-Israeli Bnei Sakhnin soccer team from Israel’s premier league refused to wear a shirt featuring an LGBT badge (a heart with rainbow colors) yesterday during their game with Maccabi Tel Aviv.
The shirt was supposed to show solidarity with gay youth in the country.
However, all of the Arab-Israelis on the team refused to wear the shirt. Afterwards, the team management sent a letter to the league manager explaining that “it had a commitment to Arab society and its values.”
TODAY’S BLOG:
Another Missile Attack On Sderot Yesterday
The Graphic Of The Day
Sderot was the target again late yesterday afternoon.
If you read yesterday’s blog, you know that the IAF shot down an aircraft over Israel that came from Gaza. In its farcical sequence of explanations, the IDF spokesman first said the IAF shot down an aircraft—then said that maybe we fired at a flock of birds—then said it was a Hamas drone—and finally said that the IDF just doesn’t know what, if anything, was downed.
The same spokesman yesterday went through various contortions to downplay the missile attack. First, the IDF tried to have us believe that there were no missiles. Then when a photograph appeared showing 4 Iron Dome interceptors in the air over Sderot the tune changed but not much. Still the claim was that no missiles were fired (so why were the interceptors launched?). Finally, residents reported multiple explosions and the IDF had to confirm the missiles.
The Absurd Quote of the Day
“Setting up the community [Hanun] is additional testimony to the resilience of the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip and to the strength of the State of Israel against all threats, including any trickle to which we respond with full force.“
PM Netanyahu in yesterday’s Cabinet where the establishment of a new community along the Gaza border named Hanun was approved.
Including any trickle to which we respond with full force.
This is a joke. We’ve had more than 20 missiles hit southern Israel in the last month–20 missiles which Netanyahu apparently defines as a “trickle.” And there has been no response of full force–in fact, almost no response at all.
It would do well for Bibi and Defense Minister Galant to spend a few nights in a bomb shelter in Sderot with elderly adults, and parents trying to calm crying, traumatized children.
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.