I left Saturday night, just hours after Israel finally decided to defend itself against the 
attacks of the Palestinians. In just a one-day period of this past week, the Palestinians launched
over 100 rockets and mortars into Israel. Can you imagine being hit with 100 rockets and
mortars in only 24 hours? 

The fact that there were not more casualties is a miracle. I honestly believe that Hashem (G-d)
is looking out for the Jewish people. And, as one of my daughters stated to me, G-d was looking
out for me. Why else would my scheduled vacation to the States, reservations and plans made
months ago, occur just when war broke out in Israel?  
 

On Saturday, a day of rest in Israel when planes do not fly, buses and trains do not run, and much
of the country is in prayer in synagogue (even the non-religious Jews), I went to a friend's
house for a peaceful Shabbat lunch after attending Shabbat services at my local synagogue. Friday
night I was at another friend's house for Shabbat dinner. 

There Go the Windows

Because my friends knew I was scheduled to fly out of the country Saturday night after Shabbat
ended, I was invited out for lunch and dinner so that I would not be burdened by preparing for
and cleaning up after Shabbat meals just before my trip began.  
 

While sitting in my friend's dining room for Shabbat lunch, all of a sudden her windows began to
shake and rattle. At first I thought it was an earthquake, but none of the ceiling lights nor furniture
were moving. We went and opened the windows to see if there was an extreme gust of wind. 

But, there was not even a slight breeze.  Unbeknown to us until later that night (we do not
watch tv or listen to the radio during Shabbat), it was just at that time when the windows were
rattling that Israeli jets retaliated against the Palestinian rocket fire. As soon as Shabbat
was over, I contacted my children and let them know I was safe. But I expressed concern that
my plane to California may not take off on time, if at all, since we were at "war.”  
 

My flight was uneventful until the young girl in the seat next to me decided to express her
political views about Israel to another passenger leaning over my seat to talk to her. I tried to read
my book, but it was very difficult for me to concentrate, let alone keep my mouth shut, when
this young girl kept talking about the "poor Palestinians." She complained that so many
Palestinians were dying when only a couple of Israelis died earlier that day.

How Long Should We Wait?

I asked her what she expected Israelis to do when over 100 rockets and mortars were launched
into Israel in just one day's time, and several hundreds of them during the last week. She had no
answer other than to say that the rockets and mortars weren't killing that many Jews. I then asked her
how many Israeli women and children must die or be injured before she felt Israel should be allowed
to protect its citizens from Palestinian rocket fire. This time she had no reply at all. I guess it is hard to
come up with a magic number of how many people must be maimed or murdered before Israel
is permitted to defend itself. 
 

The only "good" thing about these recent events is that Israelis from both the right and the left,
and those in between on the political spectrum, finally have come together and agree on something:
the very existence of Israel and the lives of almost one half of the world's Jewish population is at stake. 

Those of us living in Israel have seen that giving up land, releasing terrorist prisoners from Israeli jails, bowing
to international pressure, "peace" talks, and appeasement have not stopped the Palestinians in their
quest to drive Israelis to the sea. 
 

Although I am happy to be back visiting my family, I feel guilty about leaving Israel in its time of need,
not that I can do anything to help out other than possibly volunteer at hospitals or wherever else I might
be of use. But, a couple of friends have stated that it will be up to me while in the States to let everyone
know what is really going on in Israel since the world media does not report the facts. 

What Is It Really Like?

They want me to describe what it is like when I hear the drone of one jet after another fly over my home
on what should be a quiet Shabbat, what it is like to hear the loud and frightening sound of the air raid
siren go off while sitting at the desk in my apartment writing to you about my experiences here in Israel,
what it is like to see and hear windows rattle when rockets and bombs are going off several cities away,
what it is like to go to friends' homes for lunch or dinner and observe with my own eyes the empty
place-setting at the table because their son or daughter had just called home before Shabbat was to start
to advise their parents they would not be coming home because they had to report to their military base,
what it is like to see the fear on the faces and in the eyes of friends worried about the safety of their
children, what it is like to ride public transportation and wonder whether I will make it home without
incident, what it is like to wonder how I am going to make it to the bomb shelter in my building in the
15 SECONDS I will have once I hear the sirens warning me that rockets are coming, what it is like to
have my purse checked every time I go to the market or the mall or the bank or a restaurant because
of the fear of suicide bombers, what it is like to be ever vigilant wherever I go, what it is like when a
friend tells me of how her 15-year-old son was able to survive the attack at his yeshiva (school) by jumping
out a window while several of his friends were murdered by an Arab terrorist while they were studying or in prayer.  
 

Most of all, I want to tell the world that I do not know of one Israeli who wants to be at war. All they want is
to live in peace with their Arab neighbors and be able to have the freedom to pray at their holy and religious
sites, to be able to be alive. The word "shalom" means "peace," and it is said whenever we
say "hello" or "goodbye."  The word "l'chaim" means "to life," and it is said as a toast whenever we
rink.  

Peace and life. Is that asking for too much?
 they love their children more than they hate [Jews]."

As Israel's first female prime minister, Golda Meir once said, " [The Arabs] will stop fighting us when
they love their children more than they hate [Jews]."

"When peace comes we will perhaps in time be able to forgive the Arabs for killing our sons, but it
will be harder for us to forgive them for having forced us to kill their sons." (Press conference after the
Six-Day War, 1967). I think that says it all.
 

L'hitraot. Shachar

Shachar is the Hebrew name of a California-based attorney and former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy who moved to Israel last year.