[Editor’s Note: As Hamas terrorists continue firing rockets into Israel, sending frightened residents underground, our correspondent resumes her daily update.]
Re “How Israel Threatens Perfect Circle Islamists Have Drawn”
Dateline Jerusalem — What a way to start a Tuesday, or shall I say finish it? Officially it was a new day, but I had yet to go to sleep. Good thing I don't go to bed before the wee hours. I was fully dressed and alert at 2:30 a.m. when the sirens wailed across my area. A few people half dressed, half asleep tumbled out into the stairwell. Others brought their pillows with them. One lady was dressed in a towel. I guess the rest slept soundly through the loud Code Red alert sirens that seemed to wail endlessly. Or maybe they didn't feel like running to shelter. Seems that the Code Red alert sirens were blasting in several areas throughout Israel at the same time. A lot to talk about for us night owls, but I must admit I am feeling zombie-ish.
Feeling Safer
I love to hear Israeli jets overhead. Gives me a sense of security and comfort knowing they are protecting Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East. Yesterday I was hearing them non-stop. With pride that my ears are attuned to the sound of Israeli jets. The Israeli Air Force is an elite group of men and women. I used to be a court-appointed attorney at an air force base in California, representing civilians who got in trouble on the base. Whenever one of the U.S. Air Force jets took off, I would feel pride that they were in the air to protect democracy. On occasion, when a new jet was being flight-tested, the entire courtroom, judge and all, would run outside to watch.
Both men and women serve in the military in Israel. After active duty, they become part of Israel's reserves, until the age of 45. Mothers are exempt from reserve duty. In this war with Gaza, however, thousands of pregnant women and mothers have volunteered to serve as reservists. My father, may he rest in peace, was a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, my mother a Marine. They instilled in me a sense of love of country and patriotism. It is easy for me to understand why these Israeli women are volunteering. In Israel we are not fighting in some far off land, but at home, for the very existence of our country.
A Single Goal?
Most of the day and night Israel has been bombarded with rocket fire from Gaza. I would not be surprised if it were coming from the third U.N. school to “discover” Palestinian rockets in their midst. The U.N. returned the first rockets to Hamas, the second “found” rockets allegedly disappeared, and no one currently knows what has happened to this new batch of rockets that the U.N. is feigning surprise. Israel should concentrate on U.N. schools and facilities and we would win the war.
There is disturbing talk of a unilateral cease-fire being forced upon Israel. I hope that this is just talk. I cannot fathom that our boys would have lost their lives in vain and that Israel would be fighting another war in the near future after Hamas re-arms, rebuilds its tunnels, and re-attacks Israel.
On that depressing note, I close for the night.
L'hitraot. Shachar
