[img]96|left|||no_popup[/img]Dateline Jerusalem – Sunday night at sundown, the Hebrew calendar will be commemorating the year 5773 from the time of Creation. For the last 5,773 years, Jews have been observing Rosh Hashana, the birthday of the world. For on the sixth day, a day being from sundown to sundown, according to the Torah (Bible), G-d (Hashem) created the birth of mankind, Adam and Eve (Chava). On the seventh day He rested, a well needed rest after having created a masterpiece, a perfect world. Yet, leave it to mankind to mess it up.
Instead of it being a time spent in serious self-reflection, acceptance of responsibility, prayer and asking of forgiveness, Israelis must spend hours waiting in lines for gas masks, emptying store shelves of bottled water, searching for portable battery-operated radios and other emergency supplies as they check off these items from a list provided to them by the Home Front Command. Every mailbox in Israel received a booklet about how to prepare for what unfortunately seems to be the inevitable. Of course it was in Hebrew, and I do not know Hebrew. One of my good friends found a website in English. Israelis look after each other. Although during emergency drills when shelters are locked or unavailable, the city governments are inspecting these areas in apartments and public buildings to make sure they are cleaned out and ready for a war, G-d forbid.
Some of my friends are discussing strategies of survival since time from hearing the sirens go off to making it to a shelter is slim to none. We all need to be Olympic sprinters with pounds of emergency food, water and supplies, and gas masks on our back in order to reach one in time. I am on the fourth floor (really the fifth floor in the U.S. because here the first floor is called ground floor) and the shelter is in the basement of my building. Supposedly I have 60 seconds, one measly minute, to make it down those flights of stairs once the siren goes off. Needless to say, I cannot think that fast, let alone run to safety. Some people are lucky because they have special rooms in their homes and apartments, but those are only found in newer buildings. I am lucky, too, because I get a minute to reach shelter. In many parts of Israel, people have no more than 9 seconds! The other day Palestinian rockets were shot into Israel from Gaza. One man survived only because he ran into his bathroom, the only room in his home with walls left standing. The other rooms collapsed about him. Of course, most of you probably have not heard about it. Palestinian rockets harming civilian Israeli men, women and children hardly make the news any more since 9,393 rockets and missiles have been lobbed into Israel in the last seven years.
Israelis are also spending their time following news and world events. Iran might be one of the main topics of conversation here in Israel, but personally I am more concerned about what is going on in Egypt. Once the U.S. encouraged the Arab Spring and overthrow of Mubarak, the tenuous peace Israel had with Egypt continuously has been threatened. I can understand Egyptian tanks in the Sinai to fight off terrorists, despite the fact that it is a blatant violation of the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. Since when do the Palestinians in Gaza have an airport? Why are Egyptian anti-aircraft missiles along Israel's border if there are no Palestinian planes to shoot down, only Israeli aircraft?
Americans should also be concerned with fixing the mess with the state of the world. What with American embassies and consulates being attacked in Libya, Yemen, and Egypt the last couple of days, it is obvious diplomacy and sanctions are not working. The bullies of the world get away with murder, literally, unless the victims of terror stand up for themselves. Bullies only understand strength. Actions speak louder than words. It is especially important that Israel and the U.S. stand together united in the pursuit of a better world.
L'hitraot. Shachar