Re “War Has Provoked Multitude of Changes in My Life”
[Editor’s Note: As Hamas terrorists continue firing rockets into Israel, sending frightened residents underground, our correspondent resumes her daily update.]
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Dateline Jerusalem – Updating Sunday’s events, all has been quiet on the local front, my neighborhood. Unfortunately, though, I cannot say that for the rest of Israel. Hamas asked for another “humanitarian” ceasefire. When Israel agreed to it, Hamas immediately started sending rockets into Israeli cities. Not unlike a child going through the terrible twos, if Hamas does not get all its demands met, it continues in a tantrum. Only a Hamas tantrum is deadly.
Hamas rejected the Egyptian ceasefire terms. They only will accept Qatar’s and Turkey's. Considering Qatar finances Hamas's production of rockets, its tunnel and military infrastructures, no wonder the terms are unacceptable to Israel. No wonder Secretary of State John Kerry and U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon are so anxious to appease Qatar and Hamas. The U.S. just signed an $11 billion arms deal with Qatar. The U.N. is using a Qatari plane to fly Ban Ki-Moon. Turkey is sending another flotilla of “aid” to Gaza, backed by the Turkish Navy. The U.S. also has pledged $47 million in aid to Hamas who in turn has ordered missiles and communication equipment from North Korea via Lebanon. Strange bedfellows.
Speaking of strange bedfellows, just before this war with Gaza, Fatah and Hamas were enemies, fighting for control of the Palestinian people. Now they have joinedforces. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian political group Fatah, founded by Yasser Arafat, are in what most people refer to as the West Bank, the west bank of the Jordan river. However, the area for thousands of years had been called Judea and Samaria. It was only given the name West Bank by Jordan when Jordan crossed over the river and attacked the new state of Israel in 1948.
I have been speaking about Hamas since Hamas controls Gaza. One, however, cannot forget the role Abbas and Fatah play in this war. As soon as Hamas and Fatah joined together, three Israeli high school students were kidnapped in Israel by Hamas operatives from Fatah territory. Again this past week, Abbas and Fatah joined with Hamas in calling for a Day of Rage of rioting in Jerusalem that had begun Thursday night. Although Kerry and Abbas agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza, an area Abbas does not control, I guess their idea of ceasefire means another unilateral ceasefire by Israel in Gaza. But what takes place within Israel is fair game, whether rockets, missiles, infiltrations, or riots. So much for “moderate peace partner” Abbas.
Just another day in the lives of Israelis living with our “moderate” Palestinian peace partners in terror. A Palestinian driver, from Abbas territory, tried to drive through a border checkpoint with a car laden with explosive devices attached to gas balloons. Tear gas was thrown into a rail car on the Light Rail in Jerusalem.
Critics of Israel do not understand the catastrophic consequences of not allowing Israel to destroy the smuggling and terror tunnels in Gaza. Not only have they been used to smuggle weapons, rockets, missiles, ammunition and a myriad of other war material, they were built deep underground to infiltrate Israel. In one tunnel, the Israeli army found maps and plans showing how they intended to do so. Terrorist prisoners arrested by the Israeli army confirmed that Hamas intended to infiltrate Israel on the Jewish High Holy Day of Rosh Hashana when Jews would be praying together in synagogues. Attached is an English version of the map of the plan.
May I Correct That?
[img]2671|right|Shachar||no_popup[/img]Last Friday I write I “usually” shower after a Code Red Siren alert. This time I got caught in the shower when the siren started to wail. Made it to my stairwell just as the first booms were heard. I earned smiles and stares because my wet hair was wrapped in a blue towel turban. A picture is attached. This is the real me, wrinkles and no make-up. Wow, have I aged? Normally I am careful about showering after an alert, but I did not want to be rushed before Shabbat. This is what happens when you do not follow your gut instincts. I knew I should have waited. Good thing we have a minute to get to shelter. I do not know what people close to Gaza do.
While Shabbat begins at sundown, but I lit Shabbat candles prior to the time Shabbat commences. Once lit, I take on the laws of Shabbat. Therefore, my report only covers until 5 o’clock to prepare for what I hoped would be a peaceful Shabbat.
People have been telling me how brave I am. The real brave ones are our young soldiers. They leave their parents, wives, girlfriends, children and unborn children to fight an unwanted war for the survival of the State of Israel and the Jewish people.
Sad Time
I have just been notified of the death of one of the reservists from my town. May he rest in peace and his memory be a blessing.
Several friends think I am taking too many precautions, that I should relax. Some Israelis do not leave their apartments when the Code Red Siren screams. I agree that life must go on. But I have plenty of time to go out for coffee once this is all over. For now, I drink coffee at home. I only go out when necessary.
One good friend allowed me to tell what she and her family have been experiencing. “I am not paranoid,” she said, “just being safe.” What is wrong with that? My friend stopped vacuuming. She uses only the carpet sweeper so she can hear the sirens. She has stopped using some appliances for the same reason. She used to sleep with the windows closed. Now she leaves them slightly open “just in case” the sirens wail. When her grandchildren visit, they sleep in her apartment safe room so they do not have to be yanked out of bed when the siren goes off. All apartments 15 years old or less have a secure safe room made of steel and extra concrete. My building is 30 years old, which is why I must seek safety in my stairwell.
My friend describes how lives have changed. “Everyone is taking their cellphone in and out of each room in their house/apartment,” she said. “They text family when the siren goes, text again when you hear the booms. They ask family and friends to text when they are eventually home. Driving when you hear the siren whilst sitting at traffic lights waiting for them to change so you can park up quickly and find a safe place to take cover, especially when you have kids in the car who calmly take their seat belts off and walk calmly to a safe looking place. Looking non-stop at news reports online. With bated breath seeing names of fallen soldiers, or finding out that a soldier you've known since birth was injured and is in the hospital.”
Her grandchildren know exactly what to do when they hear the sirens. Children rushing into my stairwell think this whole thing is an adventure.
L'hitraot. Shachar
