Yom Rishon
Sunday
1 Sivan 5783
May 21 2023
Special Notice
Thank you dear readers for your patience as your humble servant traveled back to Israel over the last two days. It was wonderful to visit family and friends in California, and it is also wonderful to be back in the land of milk and honey.
The Quote of the Day
That Shows The Indecency of the Opposition
“Benjamin Netanyahu deserves to suffer in hell everyday.”
Avigdor Lieberman in discussing the proposed budget today.
How did we ever get to this level of uncivil discourse in Israel?
The Ludicrous Quote of the Day
“I estimate that this coming October, Israeli citizens will be exempt from visas to the U.S. A week ago I spoke with the American Secretary of State; PM Netanyahu will be invited to the White House.”
Israeli FM Eli Cohen speaking yesterday on the Israeli news program “Meet the Press”.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Israelis will get the visa exemption in October? The first time the exemption was supposed to have been granted was January of 2022.
As for Netanyahu being invited to the White House, does anyone really care? Netanyahu has been PM for six months and Biden hasn’t seen fit to invite him; any invitation at this point is a joke.
The Tweet of the Day
“The threats of Hamas will not deter us, I went up to the Temple Mount! Jerusalem is our soul, the Negev and the Galilee is our soul and we must work for each other.”
Minister of National Security Ben Gvir on the Temple Mount today.
Kolakevod to Ben Gvir for exposing Hamas threats for the horse manure that they are.
The News on the Israeli Street
The war in Judea and Samaria.
Five heavily armed (with M16s) Palestinian terrorists were captured at the Seam Fence in the Yehuda Brigade area this morning.
Shooting attacks:
Palestinian terrorists opened fire with anti-tank rifles on Israeli motorists east of Nili.
Palestinian terrorists opened fire on the Tzur Shalem neighborhood near Tzur Farms.
Palestinian terrorists opened fire between Kiryat Arba and Beit Anon at the Elias Junction.
Molotov, “rock”, IED attacks:
Palestinian terrorists attacked at Rantis, the T-Junction in Gush Etzion, Hizma, between Einav and Avni Hefetz, on Road 460 near Mazara al-Sharqiya (Israeli wounded), on Road 443 one kilometer west of Beit Horon, Hawara, Peduel, between Peduel and Katav, at Tiku Ha’Arabi, on Road 90 near Laitev, and south of Shechem at Einbus Square, among some two dozen locations.
Other attacks:
A group of 7 Palestinian terrorists attacked two Jewish shepherds at Kfar Yair. One shepherd had to be evacuated.
Thank you to Rescue without Borders SSF for much of the above information.
The continuing fallout from the “bloodsuckers” comment . . .
It has now been two days since Channel 12 anchor Galit Gutman angrily stated on air:
“How much burden can be placed on a third of this country in order to keep all these ultra-Orthodox who suck our blood?”
Perhaps the best response to Gutman (who was summarily suspended for two weeks for the comment) came from Shas Head Aryeh Deri:
“Whom did you call bloodsuckers? Shame on you. The Torah-learned righteous men are . . . the spiritual patrol, who together with all the security forces protect the people of Israel. We uphold Judaism and keep the Torah without which we have no right to exist in our country.”
Another person commented that there is no difference between what Gutman said and comments that were made about the Jews in the 1930s–just substitute the word “Jews” for “ultra-orthodox” and you have Nazi propaganda.
TODAY’S BLOG
With The Stroke Of A Pen
It may seem like a small news item to those who do not live in Israel, but this morning came the news that the IDF Commander of the Central Command has signed the cancellation of the ban on Jews staying in Chomesh.
Lest we forget, Chomesh was one of the 4 Samarian Jewish communities forcibly evacuated by Ariel Sharon in his unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005.
From that day until this, there has been a constant battle between the government and IDF which sought to enforce the evacuation, and Jews who were determined to return.
A yeshiva was built in Chomesh; the yeshiva was destroyed. Jews rebuilt the yeshiva with tents; the IDF sought to create a blockade to stop Jews from arriving there.
When it became apparent that Jews would not give up, then “Defense” Minister Benny Gantz ordered that all electricity be shut off–and forbade the delivery of water.
Still the Jews persisted.
And finally this year, as you know, the Secession Law which reversed the 2005 evacuation was finally passed.
All of which led to the announcement of the Commander’s order this morning.
Finance Minister (and Deputy Defense Minister) Smotrich had this to say today:
“We promised to legalize the continuation of Torah study in the Yeshiva in Chomesh, and we are keeping that promise . . . the commanding general signed an order today cancelling the ban on Jews staying in Chomesh and certifying the annexation of Chomesh to the territory of Samaria. Thanks to Defense Minister Yoav Galant for his cooperation.”
Years of struggle come to an end with a welcome stroke of a pen.
Kolakevod to those who persisted!.
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.