tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43862564950884014442024-03-18T13:42:28.240+02:00A Soldier's Mother The Voice of One Israeli MotherA Soldier's Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370218893899121159noreply@blogger.comBlogger2490125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386256495088401444.post-74238472198026755042024-03-17T16:48:00.001+02:002024-03-17T16:48:00.248+02:00When the World Has a Hearing ProblemThere seems to be a disconnect between Israel and the world. We say something, you hear something else. We do something, you see some other action.<div><br />Worse, you seem to have a hearing problem. We've been quite clear from the start. We were wrong. We assumed that given enough time, Hamas and other Palestinian organizations would accept our right to exist, as if any other nation in the world had to somehow justify their existence.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPS956qLggy3YmQIW7gPiZXHgKi62dPJc44PpeOOtOco-rl83H8zBrUXZ8ptw_hT02Mkt41lz0xE-QaRmfdofwnG9h0a6B1iBtolrMCWD_oGIONENGzYUTGCjzh7HmQ-naDZugSByiH-mXVwGSbl8f_xpdqVkBiF_MHQPzjDO6SQGxc6phyphenhyphenTDB-ILv6D3/s245/blog27.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="245" data-original-width="198" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPS956qLggy3YmQIW7gPiZXHgKi62dPJc44PpeOOtOco-rl83H8zBrUXZ8ptw_hT02Mkt41lz0xE-QaRmfdofwnG9h0a6B1iBtolrMCWD_oGIONENGzYUTGCjzh7HmQ-naDZugSByiH-mXVwGSbl8f_xpdqVkBiF_MHQPzjDO6SQGxc6phyphenhyphenTDB-ILv6D3/s1600/blog27.gif" width="198" /></a></div> <br />The world simply doesn't understand that what happened on October 7 was an earthquake of epic proportions. Israel woke up to the truth. We finally believe what the Arabs have been saying for 75 years.<br /><br /></div><div>You hate us so much, you'll violate every law of basic human decency; you'll even violate laws in the Koran - so strong is your hatred.</div><div><br />Got it. Understood. It is, as you have known for a long time, you or us in this land. So enough with the sweet talking, politically correct reality.</div><div><br />And here's another truth - until now, we've been telling you that our end game was the destruction of Hamas. </div><div>That's actually our opening pitch.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJmHwb8gEMNVPCQfhZFHF10_gKKHZ5OIL92L660jGGhJBBvipHNVW8Hn0vzRFZKsxKoPgRtxEUq79isnC2vvq1C7w1UzHnDWgZmRXACIUgAPN2xE_GmCGPbqtMfjdGQepuucM3O_Jy5ZSMAZ6RyFf8aKTqhQ2GqEb5AcL-WO_3qzxj7HyrFL7W9j_0qfId/s441/8141003map.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="424" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJmHwb8gEMNVPCQfhZFHF10_gKKHZ5OIL92L660jGGhJBBvipHNVW8Hn0vzRFZKsxKoPgRtxEUq79isnC2vvq1C7w1UzHnDWgZmRXACIUgAPN2xE_GmCGPbqtMfjdGQepuucM3O_Jy5ZSMAZ6RyFf8aKTqhQ2GqEb5AcL-WO_3qzxj7HyrFL7W9j_0qfId/s320/8141003map.PNG" width="308" /></a></div> <br />When that's done we'll shake out every other terrorist organization, every last one. And then, then we'll sit down and have a cup of coffee with the remaining leaders of the Palestinians...or the new leaders...or the great great grandchildren of today's leaders...however long it takes.</div><div><br />Because we aren't going back to October 6. Ever.</div><div><br />The 2-state solution died on October 7, buried, gone. </div><div><br /></div><div>Think of something new that the Palestinians agree with - and let us know what it is. Until then, we're busy rebuilding our lives, our communities, our children's confidence in our tomorrow.</div><div><br />And if you don't like this...that's okay too. </div><div><br /></div><div>Because we're kind of done with all of you who think a good Jew is one who bows down and lets you tell us what to do. </div><div><br /></div><div>Out of the ashes of Auschwitz rose tomorrow's Jew...we lost sight of him for a while, but he's back and he realizes he can never leave again.<br /><br /></div><div>Today's Jew is done apologizing. We're done with suicidal borders and suicidal agreements.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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We ate ice cream and bagels and pizza...walked everywhere. </span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1iG9lQxgzysOz6Sd4oJaXYZNl5_-StGJlldw4tiucoi44KEaDkDZnkoNk8Gcbbag4jNACl3QOTLnLG5CcHVbnk6wE33IQ5qyAL2rDe41rPmff4lLRHN59QdHR6ux9K6DEwuPZW19KqWBd-5bU4ONuimJQF-90OT48j3MAmm3U1Dpdi6vb_kZrmJw7t4X9/s1121/teaneck3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="781" data-original-width="1121" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1iG9lQxgzysOz6Sd4oJaXYZNl5_-StGJlldw4tiucoi44KEaDkDZnkoNk8Gcbbag4jNACl3QOTLnLG5CcHVbnk6wE33IQ5qyAL2rDe41rPmff4lLRHN59QdHR6ux9K6DEwuPZW19KqWBd-5bU4ONuimJQF-90OT48j3MAmm3U1Dpdi6vb_kZrmJw7t4X9/s320/teaneck3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The town was about 1/3 Jewish, 1/3 black and 1/3 everyone else. Our synagogues didn't need protection. It <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>was just a nice place...so nice...</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The day I left for college, I cried and thought I'd never be back...only to come back that evening because the dorm room wasn't ready. And throughout college, home was Teaneck. No matter where I went...home was Teaneck.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">When, for a brief moment after being married for 10 years, my husband and I considered moving "back" to Teaneck, it was because of my memories, and I smiled when I heard people call Teaneck "Little Israel". </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6N9EiDKQB2xcdh-1NgPjZu-SuhEnlAvQz-8znaC6usoEedQ0Wq0j-AXqzIQ6vvqQ9MmjmqXNsZIPxXiwl5RN5DQUdB25mMArje6PZPngyjOvHF6BzOVgI1IoJ4cMgn2leTnRuyeJ6FBaKlDI36k2pMAjqnGW64-qkRfBG6qvHfEJYD9QtDym7YD8YopL4/s2048/teaneck2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6N9EiDKQB2xcdh-1NgPjZu-SuhEnlAvQz-8znaC6usoEedQ0Wq0j-AXqzIQ6vvqQ9MmjmqXNsZIPxXiwl5RN5DQUdB25mMArje6PZPngyjOvHF6BzOVgI1IoJ4cMgn2leTnRuyeJ6FBaKlDI36k2pMAjqnGW64-qkRfBG6qvHfEJYD9QtDym7YD8YopL4/s320/teaneck2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The name bothered me and the more I thought about moving to "Little Israel" - the more I knew that I wanted the real thing. The only thing, the only place. I knew it would be hard to leave Teaneck (again) with all its conveniences, kosher places and more.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I didn't want an EASY life, I wanted Israel. Desperately. So we didn't move there...and a year later, we came home to Israel.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">There is something growing inside me that considers visiting the States. I haven't been there in 26 years. At times I joke that I don't speak the language anymore. But in many ways, it's not a joke. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dQq-RYh3j_3kfadeHZ6lJaw5H0KOLZTK5jJ1cdRgATVOVZLsYvhhe0v8FkfSGd7Bgmaw95zUCs-LiFg6ImPV6cW_60FkGeTBhZdVY-I7xEmy2qexressmin1yQ9R4wbphJps93wwd8Rr06bP0UWqr7QSsEwxhppIe-m4B0_RpjTpNUNpODaALqo3nn-J/s2048/teaneck1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dQq-RYh3j_3kfadeHZ6lJaw5H0KOLZTK5jJ1cdRgATVOVZLsYvhhe0v8FkfSGd7Bgmaw95zUCs-LiFg6ImPV6cW_60FkGeTBhZdVY-I7xEmy2qexressmin1yQ9R4wbphJps93wwd8Rr06bP0UWqr7QSsEwxhppIe-m4B0_RpjTpNUNpODaALqo3nn-J/s320/teaneck1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>How, Teaneck? How...how on the streets I played on as a child, on roads I walked a million times...how do you let those who celebrate terror and genocide march freely?</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">This is not what your forefathers dreamed of when they demanded the right of free speech and the right to protest. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Oh, Teaneck...I mourn deeply for the home of my childhood. A place where we walked together. Where my best friend was a lovely black girl named Sherri and daily in first and second grade, we'd walk to and from school together. <br /><br /></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I mourn because it was in Teaneck, I learned about Israel, about what it meant to be a Jew. I didn't learn to walk the streets of Teaneck in fear; to feel my home was invaded by those who celebrate monsters and rapists.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">My ties were cut long ago, the graceful brick home with the huge fireplace and back yard long since sold. I have little of Teaneck left inside me except the memory of teachers and friends, of a life I would have been proud of giving to my children...except that wasn't my destiny - or theirs.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I stand now on polar opposites. They noisily and arrogantly take the streets of my youth to support genocide while they accuse my sons of the very crime those they support committed on October 7.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Worlds separate me from the Teaneck of today. Back then, our mayor was a wonderful black man, they piled the snow high for children to play. We built forts and castles and threw snowballs until it was time to go inside...</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Gone...it's all gone. Teaneck...I long for the beauty of a world that perhaps never existed. One in which I did not feel the racial tensions and hatred, the cries of hate that fill your streets today.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Perhaps it was my blindness and you were always as you are today. I'll never know...but I'll thank God my children aren't being raised in fear, in hate and anger, in Teaneck.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">From the river to the sea, there is no Palestine, nor will there ever be. Why? First, because you are not indigenous to this land...your bones are not uncovered when we dig below 6 feet down. Your people didn't live here even 200 years ago, let alone 2,000. No, you are not descendants of the Philistines...and no, Jesus was not a Palestinian. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Second, violence will not be rewarded in Israel. Perhaps in Teaneck you have the right to promote genocide, but not here. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Third, despite your taking over Teaneck, you won't take over here. Despite your protests, Hamas will die and we will get our hostages back and you won't get another chance to rape and kidnap again...</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">But, oh Teaneck...</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Photo credits to <a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x1ejq31n xd10rxx x1sy0etr x17r0tee x972fbf xcfux6l x1qhh985 xm0m39n x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/boyd.a.loving?__cft__[0]=AZVCAXjT196TQLhi47JaxArSdKVsmsfJ5nGFlPNAqZl2UCbt8Sr-vWZuSfziseaGeMo84A6vfrJNRbcKZC00Rs5RSHMjTWFpZ6eIFwuEmEkBjUaJ-DXqa329ZqTChpdoCFAMw4008RiG2Cywur6dv-4RA-vthpE_JXCkkkudePC9EZ4Y-Rnn0c0qvbW6JXCvogQ&__tn__=-]K-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0"><span class="xt0psk2" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">Boyd A. Loving</span></a></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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In my dream, I am crying and yet relieved...one more hostage brought home.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7g5n1VmlDCdQtBEoe-Pfg40eOBHn4CTxe-3aqSyD5_RAm0jpt1DKEy8eEGkGvatB7nxjo_evkdNfwDdfSl7xMFfYDfRRamccLOch8SmJRPpNJW0JPd76W9ryJeZr0-ZKf5iXJXPOKgakZhMqffxOWhH2BPL5vav81gWaowQ4qmJH3ewMXrv9R5bIbIWCt" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="581" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7g5n1VmlDCdQtBEoe-Pfg40eOBHn4CTxe-3aqSyD5_RAm0jpt1DKEy8eEGkGvatB7nxjo_evkdNfwDdfSl7xMFfYDfRRamccLOch8SmJRPpNJW0JPd76W9ryJeZr0-ZKf5iXJXPOKgakZhMqffxOWhH2BPL5vav81gWaowQ4qmJH3ewMXrv9R5bIbIWCt" width="320" /></a></div>I woke believing that she was free, understanding that it was probably only a dream. So I went to check and saw there had just been a terror attack on the Maale Adumim road to Jerusalem. Two brothers came from Bethlehem to murder Jews. They followed the traffic close to the checkpoint and then crashed into each other. As cars stopped, they jumped out and began firing.<p></p><p></p><p>They were quickly eliminated, the brothers from Bethlehem who came to kill Jews. A third ran off. Eight people were shot. At least one was murdered. A young man in his 20s. A pregnant woman was injured and rushed to the hospital. A whole city terrorized and terrified. Checking where our loved ones are, reassuring friends.</p><p>Shmuli was on the road going to work. Where is he? The timing is right. So I call. He answers and my words explode. "Where are you? Are you okay?" Because of the accident, WAZE told him to take the second road. He was stuck in traffic there, not on the road where so far, at least one person was murdered. Safe...Mine are accounted for, but what happened? Was Shiri rescued?</p><p>I rushed to my computer and I see in WhatsApp and Facebook messages.<br /><br />Hey I just saw there was an attack near you. Please let me know you and your family are ok.</p><p>Paula, are you all safe?</p><p>You all ok?</p><p>You ok over there?</p><p>Are you ok?</p><p>Paula, are you ok? Just please ping back.</p><p>Paula?</p><p>I answered each. We are fine. I'm fine. Only one son was on the road to Jerusalem at that time, but the other road, thankfully. Still checking the news, I listen and hear of yet another terror attack.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimJXASix1vgTlFJG8SqG3Tv0_YokJpFySdvIanLSwHFnMkVSvkTfwRkiL_ynwhqAnMffXGO9BNsfv2Ij7cjhM7YlEqK7lzYd46ypP5BbkBNBfB03NebL5PWbSwdVVcwdiOksr0Gdx8cwSXJrjx8WJM1L-miMl2hKt2lrBs5SVpWY0wvVtCZG3h4_5l_55K" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="360" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimJXASix1vgTlFJG8SqG3Tv0_YokJpFySdvIanLSwHFnMkVSvkTfwRkiL_ynwhqAnMffXGO9BNsfv2Ij7cjhM7YlEqK7lzYd46ypP5BbkBNBfB03NebL5PWbSwdVVcwdiOksr0Gdx8cwSXJrjx8WJM1L-miMl2hKt2lrBs5SVpWY0wvVtCZG3h4_5l_55K" width="320" /></a></div>Blood runs on the road I drive almost daily. The pregnant woman is stable, but in critical condition. Five months is too early to deliver, I tell myself, too early. Five were sent to Shaarei Tzedek. More critical were taken to the closest hospital, most likely. They brought grenades to throw but were stopped before they could throw them. <br /><p></p><p>At least two are in "matzav anush" - terrible words that have no simple translation in English. More than "critical", it means that it would take a miracle for them to survive. And yet, sometimes there are miracles.</p><p>The waves of a terror attack include a rush to call your children. To think, when your brain least wants to function. Where are my babies? Where are the babies of my babies? Where are my friends? Who, oh God, who was hurt?</p><p>The traffic is always terrible leaving Maale Adumim at that hour. In some ways, this was such an obvious target. Hundreds of people, no where to run. The road is cut deep into the mountain walls, hugging the road closely. No where to run. The terrorists knew their target well. </p><p>Perhaps the one thing they didn't consider is how many people in Maale Adumim carry weapons and don't run from an attack. The man who neutralized at least one of the terrorists was shot in the stomach and leg and still he managed to fire back. </p><p>Shmuli was on the road going to work. Where is he? The timing is right. So I call. He answers and my words explode. "Where are you? Are you okay?" Because of the accident, WAZE told him to take the second road. He was stuck in traffic there, not on the road where so far, at least one person was murdered. Safe...Mine are accounted for, but what happened? </p><p>And then I remember my dream. Was Shiri rescued?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb_vkkXzpqbKAefFvP5pKXNiqAO61UcFKsxI9En6bV2YXvaPGNQlMJKw7CMDeJ_TZaQbHorch93uy4pMJ1OMlDGCyUUUtNSOZJ_0cTJ2iSUXzHOyxPaDQMsxmBdWYPEBe3_KcxYmg19sd9a5crP7BdQd9_JJMCG8wasUT1g8ZTn81ZYD5UqwQtIruA0n49/s850/a-bibas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="850" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb_vkkXzpqbKAefFvP5pKXNiqAO61UcFKsxI9En6bV2YXvaPGNQlMJKw7CMDeJ_TZaQbHorch93uy4pMJ1OMlDGCyUUUtNSOZJ_0cTJ2iSUXzHOyxPaDQMsxmBdWYPEBe3_KcxYmg19sd9a5crP7BdQd9_JJMCG8wasUT1g8ZTn81ZYD5UqwQtIruA0n49/s320/a-bibas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div><p>I check the news. Nothing. It must have been a dream. Or a nightmare. Where is Shiri? Where is Ariel? </p><p>Where is little Kfir, who rests in my thoughts always.<br /></p><p>Early this morning, a rocket was fired towards Eilat - probably by the Houthi terrorists in Yemen. <br /></p><p>And this news bounces back and forth. Terror attack in Maale Adumim. And this morning from southern Lebanon, Hezbollah fired at least two anti-tank missiles, no injured, but a house was destroyed.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHCp63uK0StcMgxq54wj2rAj3KjNhHDSXWKHBmB3JvCO3snYEzk7pQvXy70BfPdZPMmLGWllpu6Z1Hkrj0WTxVfjC7fpJ2mfe5_G7BhTZltGMPV43zokuMHJTYrEpqh9bvOwY8B6pyqh6yCzC6-UsPDLtaEnRvFj2ZUhS9L2NB959N7dvQiz4SPULgCXTG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="711" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHCp63uK0StcMgxq54wj2rAj3KjNhHDSXWKHBmB3JvCO3snYEzk7pQvXy70BfPdZPMmLGWllpu6Z1Hkrj0WTxVfjC7fpJ2mfe5_G7BhTZltGMPV43zokuMHJTYrEpqh9bvOwY8B6pyqh6yCzC6-UsPDLtaEnRvFj2ZUhS9L2NB959N7dvQiz4SPULgCXTG" width="273" /></a></div>People in the northern cities are being told to stay indoors and close to safety. Not a good morning in Israel. We are being attacked - north, south and central. This is their plan. This is their hate. <p></p><p>The news continues. The pregnant woman is stable, her baby safe. Still others are critical. The politicians come to speak. People have been complaining about the traffic for years. And they switch to the more general picture. A country attacked in 3 places before 10:00 in the morning. He speaks of the attack in the north and asks where is this going. Too much to take in, too much to focus on. It's 10:13 in the morning and my brain is done. Too hard to think, too tired to think. </p><p>It seems Shiri was not rescued. We still do not know what has happened to Ariel and Kfir. We're waiting to hear who was killed, who was wounded. A neighbor? A friend? Someone's child. Somewhere, too close to me this time, a mother is crying. A family is discussing when the funeral will be held.</p><p>Paula, are you ok?</p><p>I wrote to everyone that I was, and now I know that isn't true. I'm not okay. How can I be? I live in a city in tears. A country in agony. A world filled with hate.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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Not the US, not the UK. No one. Certainly not the South Africans. <br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Announcement a short while ago (in Arabic) by IDF spokesman in Arabic Lt. Col. Avihai Adrai</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">نداء عاجل الى كل السكان المتواجدين في احياء الزيتون والتركمان في قطاع غزة:</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">حرصًا على سلامتكم ندعوكم للانتقال فورًا عبر شارع صلاح الدين إلى المنطقة الإنسانية في المواصي</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Translation:</span></h2><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Urgent appeal to all residents of the Olive and Turkman neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip:</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">For your safety, we invite you to go immediately through Salah Al-Din Street to the humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi. An urgent call to all the residents of the Zaytoun and Turkmen neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip: In order to ensure your safety, we invite you to move immediately across Salah al-Din Street to the humanitarian area in Al-Mowasi.</span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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</script></div>A Soldier's Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370218893899121159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386256495088401444.post-5817081850380280372024-02-20T09:58:00.003+02:002024-02-20T09:58:52.791+02:00Hillel Fuld - I'm not Sorry<p>I usually ask Hillel before posting his stuff and he always says "yes" and "go for it" and 👍. This time, I'm not going to ask, but I will say thank you. His words speak for so many; his voice a critical part of Israel's attempt to make others understand. And if they can't, Hillel speaks to his people, our people...because, as he writes, "I am so sick of Jews apologizing for existing." </p><p>My guess is that I'll have two responses in the comments - "I agree" and endless hate messages from the cowards who refuse to even put their names to their endless links not followed.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">And I quote - Hillel Fuld</h3><p><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I am so sick of Jews apologizing for existing.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I am so sick of Jews apologizing for defending themselves.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I am so sick of Jews apologizing for the optics of doing what’s right.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I am so sick of Jews apologizing for coming back to their eternal homeland.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I am so sick of Jews apologizing for fighting back and defeating a cruel terrorist organization.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I am so sick of Jews apologizing for winning wars.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I am so sick of Jews apologizing for the (tragic but inevitable) innocent people who die in a war that Israel didn’t start and didn’t want.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzCpRqGmsOm7CbvIuGLNw_TsEDxdZAB_z7Htb552gaHmW_PekR9B4rlgEgJL_7Ead-2-OK2i9ZWsPHLaVzABgokY3kTmJJTcXBSHbwJjkt4MmOCfpvt-bRP8I9WwqTE0YRDB3zD3JLNUBoKU_f4Isqwq4YRddKAKln__k7LvGby8rS3rlONBwh8ydTkh63/s922/391727710_10161108819083914_788546314108994367_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="922" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzCpRqGmsOm7CbvIuGLNw_TsEDxdZAB_z7Htb552gaHmW_PekR9B4rlgEgJL_7Ead-2-OK2i9ZWsPHLaVzABgokY3kTmJJTcXBSHbwJjkt4MmOCfpvt-bRP8I9WwqTE0YRDB3zD3JLNUBoKU_f4Isqwq4YRddKAKln__k7LvGby8rS3rlONBwh8ydTkh63/s320/391727710_10161108819083914_788546314108994367_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I am so sick of Jews apologizing for speaking up against antisemitism.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I am so sick of Jews apologizing for stating the hard, but unpopular fact that Israel is fighting a society that is deeply indoctrinated and rotten to the core.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I am so done apologizing.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I am NOT sorry for existing, for defending myself, for the optics of this war, for coming home to my homeland, for waging a war against a cruel terrorist organization, for winning wars, for the innocent people that Hamas is using as human shields in order to maximize civilian deaths (I am sad about it, I truly am, but every one of those people is on Hamas, not Israel.), for speaking up against antisemitism, and for unequivocally stating that Gaza and the general Palestinian society is deeply indoctrinated and rotten to the core (of course there are some innocent people but those innocent people are silent and therefore irrelevant. Besides, thousands of those so-called innocent people took part in October 7th, gave out candies to celebrate Jewish deaths, and/or voted for Hamas. That’s not what I call innocent.)</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Israel, contrary to what you were told, has the most moral army in the world. The lengths that the IDF goes to in order to minimize civilian deaths in Gaza are unprecedented and unparalleled.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The ratio between terrorist and “innocent” Gazan killed by Israel is unprecedented and unparalleled.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Dropping pamphlets to let the enemy know where the IDF will attack and when is unprecedented and unparalleled.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Israel and the Jewish people have nothing to apologize for. The Jewish people have been nothing but a source of light in this world.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Between the Nobel prizes won by Jews, Israel’s position as a leading technology superpower (look down at whatever device you are reading this on, and chances are at least part of it was developed in Israel), breakthroughs in medicine, cutting edge cancer treatments and research, rescue efforts across the world, and countless other achievements, the Jewish people have always been a source of bright light.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Sometimes when a light is too bright, if not prepared, it can blind you.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The Jews are done apologizing for their light, and if you don’t like it, either get sunglasses or be prepared to be blinded.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Our light will never go out, no matter how much darkness our enemies bring.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The era of the apologetic Jew who is led to the gas chambers with shaking knees, are over.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit !important;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Sorry, but we are no longer sorry!</span><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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</script></div>A Soldier's Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370218893899121159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386256495088401444.post-71352930713083393982024-02-19T11:15:00.003+02:002024-02-20T21:30:34.260+02:00A Message to Maz Morgan - Thanks and Info<p> Hi Maz - I want to thank you for having the courage to leave your name. So many commentors are cowards and refuse to identify themselves. So thank you.</p><p>Secondly, I'd like to respond here so that more people will see. Your comment sparked my understanding that good people outside of our area do need more of an explanation. You commented:</p><p><span face="Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #37474f; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;"></span></p><blockquote>What perplexes me is that you write as if Israel has no choice, but must act in the way it is doing. Of course there is a choice: Israel is governed by grown ups after all. The UK government had a choice in relation to the Troubles in Ulster. Innocents were being bombed in mainland UK as well as in Northern Ireland. Many mistakes were made by the UK government but they did not bomb houses and hospitals in Derry, or raze Belfast to the ground.</blockquote><p>As I often do with comments, let's break this down...</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Comment: What perplexes me is that you write as if Israel has no choice, but must act in the way it is doing.</h3><div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #37474f; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;">On October 7, 2000-3000 armed terrorists entered Israel. Moments before, the peaceful day of Shabbat combined with the holiday of Simchat Torah was shattered by thousands of rockets meant to distract from the air-gliders bringing terrorist in from Gaza at the same time explosives were used to explode the border allowing pickup trucks, cars and motorcycles of armed terrorist to cross into Israel. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #37474f; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #37474f; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;">During that massacre that repeated itself in about 20 different communities, kibbutzim and cities as well as the Nova nature party, 1,200 people were butchered. Women (and men) were violently raped (some before they were murdered, some while being murdered and some even after they were killed). Bodies were mutilated. People were burned alive. I was told last night that from outside of Israel, you can access the videos online. The Israeli government has firmly refused to show the most horrific pictures here in Israel and blocks us access.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #37474f; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #37474f; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;">So your comment about being perplexed about Israel having no choice actually perplexes me. What would your country do? What have other countries done in response to massacres of this size? The nearest one (and even that pales in comparison when comparing Israel's population to the US) is 9/11. According to the Watson Institute of International & Public Affairs of Brown University, "<span face=""Google Sans", arial, sans-serif" style="color: #4d5156;">U.S. post-9/11 wars have forcibly displaced at least 38 million people in and from Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, the Philippines, Libya and Syria".<br /><br />One promise we Jews made after World War II is that we would never again allow others to butcher us, burn us alive, gas us, beat us, massacre us. The Israeli population experienced much the same on October 7. That's the why of what we are doing. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #37474f; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;"><span face=""Google Sans", arial, sans-serif" style="color: #4d5156;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #37474f; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;"><span face=""Google Sans", arial, sans-serif" style="color: #4d5156;">Do we have a choice? No, we don't.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #37474f; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;"><span face=""Google Sans", arial, sans-serif" style="color: #4d5156;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #37474f; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;"><span face=""Google Sans", arial, sans-serif" style="color: #4d5156;">Why? Because in January, 2008 we had a war with Gaza that was started that began with hundreds of rockets fired at us from Hamas - 400 in a single day. The US demanded we stop...and we did.<br /><br />In 2012, four years later, they were back to firing hundreds of rockets at our cities and again, another military operation was launched - Pillar of Defense.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #37474f; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;"><span face=""Google Sans", arial, sans-serif" style="color: #4d5156;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #37474f; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;"><span face=""Google Sans", arial, sans-serif" style="color: #4d5156;">In 2014, two years later, once again Hamas fired a massive barrage against us and again we went in. Operation Protective Edge.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #37474f; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;"><span face=""Google Sans", arial, sans-serif" style="color: #4d5156;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #37474f; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;"><span face=""Google Sans", arial, sans-serif" style="color: #4d5156;">After more skirmishes and attempted infiltrations, in May 2021 and August 2022 - two more operations were launched to shut down the rocket fire.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #37474f; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;"><span face=""Google Sans", arial, sans-serif" style="color: #4d5156;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #37474f; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;"><span face=""Google Sans", arial, sans-serif" style="color: #4d5156;">Less than two years after that last operation, the strange quiet prevailed and we thought maybe...maybe. <br /><br />But no, they were trying and to some extent succeeded in making us relax. Residents in the south, the ones butchered, raped, and kidnapped, were employing thousands of Gazans, paying them "rich-man's wages" compared to the work in Gaza. Israelis would drive to the border every day, pick up sick children and adults, and drive them to hospitals in Israel for life-saving treatments (for free, of course). We gave them water and electricity (for free, of course). Humanitarian donations flowed freely into Gaza with minor restrictions (no bombs allowed).<br /><br />And then on October 7 - they attacked. And finally, we responded. Did we have a choice? Sure, we could sit back and watch our people slaughtered and do nothing. Would you? You could watch your daughter raped and do nothing? Your sons forced to fight endless and meaningless battles and not fight back? Could you?</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #37474f; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;"><span face=""Google Sans", arial, sans-serif" style="color: #4d5156;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p><span face="Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;"></span></p><h3 style="color: #37474f; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">Comment:</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span>Of course there is a choice: Israel is governed by grown ups after all. </h3><div style="color: #37474f;">As above, no, after tens of thousands of rockets fired at our civilians, after a baby was put in an oven and murdered while his mother was being raped (filmed by the savages), while they used a shovel to hack off the head of a Thai worker (proudly captured on the head cameras warn by Hamas terrorists, while they raped women in front of their husbands, shot people in their eyes as family members watched in horror, broadcast the live murder of a grandmother to her daughter and granddaughter's horror...no there was no choice.</div><div style="color: #37474f;"><br /></div><div><span style="color: #37474f;">Yes, Israel is not only governed by grown ups, unlike Gaza, it is governed by humane leaders who are doing all they can to prevent, as much as possible, civilian casualties. If you believe Hamas over Israel, there's really nothing I can say to dissuade you.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: red;">10:25 Rocket fire from Hezbollah fired at Kiryat Shemona and a dozen other places as I type this post</span><br /><br />What is interesting is nowhere in your comment do you condemn Hamas or even recognize what they did. Every day for 136 days (so far with the exception of only 3 days), either Hamas or Hezbollah has fired rocket at our civilians. No comment, no condemnation. <br /><br />When the Nazis marched through Europe's cities and collected and massacred the Jews, much to the silence of the world including, most probably, your country, Jews had no choice. Now we do. </div><div><br />We have launched no less than 10 operations targeting Hamas in the last 15 years. Always to stop them, never to destroy them. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTWoCbsyZPaO8i8idL73U3ZSIsMgQStv2SiEOabVNfUJmny9eeh7rkuPbw5ZujpBwttbK1eGbXcbegtoQC-WaGLMaGXMTCVtjHrFfWJRF6-UWObd_DizSJP3Vdeya4hI1nTBj7soS-SIbcHPtOluXOwQgu6SNfyV3hiNkUmfLAkl5OecJR2Qhe9MMHf89j" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Kfir - taken at 9 months, still held in Gaza" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="822" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTWoCbsyZPaO8i8idL73U3ZSIsMgQStv2SiEOabVNfUJmny9eeh7rkuPbw5ZujpBwttbK1eGbXcbegtoQC-WaGLMaGXMTCVtjHrFfWJRF6-UWObd_DizSJP3Vdeya4hI1nTBj7soS-SIbcHPtOluXOwQgu6SNfyV3hiNkUmfLAkl5OecJR2Qhe9MMHf89j=w320-h209" title="Baby Kfir - taken at 9 months, still held in Gaza" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kfir - 9 months old, kidnapped to Gaza. <br />Still held by Hamas</i></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>You say nothing of the thousands of Palestinians killed by HAMAS, shot intentionally, targeted "accidentally" by 2,000 rockets (at least) that Hamas fired into Gaza by mistake - including one that hit a hospital and for which they attempted to blame Israel. Why don't you put the blame where the blame belongs. </div><div><br /></div><div>Hamas, who launched this war. Hamas who hides behind its citizens, its women and children. Hamas who took billions of dollars in EU funding to build 450 miles of underground tunnels to protect themselves while civilians have no protection. Hamas that is stealing humanitarian aid from their own people?<br /><br /></div><p></p><p><span face="Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;"></span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Comment: The UK government had a choice in relation to the Troubles in Ulster. Innocents were being bombed in mainland UK as well as in Northern Ireland. Many mistakes were made by the UK government but they did not bomb houses and hospitals in Derry, or raze Belfast to the ground.</h3></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgF-61LHRpRiWhzva5ecqdtVyEvKSLtq_3FvbdVI4BBsH1Xn8hBRqX6SKIF2yDgLYJ1YgTKpMSiHLX1K8cTDevVwlJtZzuyS_XowoKctEeg3zZw519axYRDHayURKfnkHLEKnGwqAtWdrKULe9Z7cJqBXtSftxK9XEzH6KPmOKJep-mGTFQ2k2Wc-4HqM0S" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="261" data-original-width="400" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgF-61LHRpRiWhzva5ecqdtVyEvKSLtq_3FvbdVI4BBsH1Xn8hBRqX6SKIF2yDgLYJ1YgTKpMSiHLX1K8cTDevVwlJtZzuyS_XowoKctEeg3zZw519axYRDHayURKfnkHLEKnGwqAtWdrKULe9Z7cJqBXtSftxK9XEzH6KPmOKJep-mGTFQ2k2Wc-4HqM0S" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Noa, whose mother is dying of cancer. <br />26 years old</i></td></tr></tbody></table>I'll start with the end. Bombing houses and hospitals. Tell me, did the IRA build tunnels and command centers under the hospitals in Derry? Did they turn the hospital into an arsenal with rockets, explosives and rifles hidden there? Tell me, did the IRA or the UK intentionally target civilians, as Hamas does? Did they burn anyone alive? Behead anyone? Did they rape hundreds of woman and leave their naked bodies stretched out? Did they shoot people in their...private areas? From what I remember...they actually called people and warned them when they planted a bomb...and the UK mainly focused on trying to stop the IRA not punish or murder all the people in Northern Ireland. <br /><br />54% of the people who died in the Ireland-UK conflict were civilians. The current conflict is running about the same in Gaza. In Israel, about 75% were civilians and again, you wrote nothing of that. You don't question how many of the casualties in Gaza were armed combatants. Hamas, who runs the "Health Ministry" in Gaza is throwing out one number with no corroboration AND no information as to how many were armed combatants.<br /><br />Hamas regularly uses mosques, homes, schools and hospitals as arsenals and bases for their military activity. Israel is documenting all of this and proving it to be true. Our hostages were held in hospitals. According to captured Gazans, bodies of at least 10 murdered Israeli hostages are currently in the Nasser hospital.<br /><br />Like the IRA, Hamas seems to enjoy targeting civilians. What is ironic is that the fight between Ireland and the UK was called "The Troubles" and yes, was quite civilized on comparison to the way Hamas fights and so, in response I would say that when you fight a relatively civilized battle which seeks to disrupt rather than massacre, you have the luxury of calling it Trouble.<br /><br />What we had on October 7 was not "trouble" - it was a barbaric massacre of huge proportions against a largely civilian population, including many elderly and many children.</div><div><br /></div><div>You'll note, I hope, the together, the Allies, led by the US and Britain did in fact "raze" Dresden to the ground. And, without any evidence that the Nazis were using hospitals as bases, they destroyed 19 hospitals. Do you condemn this response to the barbarity of the Nazi regime?</div><div><br /></div><div>Today, Israel is fighting the Nazis of Gaza. Nothing less. Their victims were targeted because they were Jews. They went door to door, shot, beat, raped, and burned people alive. So no, there is no other choice but to destroy Hamas.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='501' height='417' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxv-CbdJXYQwTKA_466mr0T6LHdqeKycsjkXTIcZTxVhySM56u2AaAcMGgBcW5SlKxtk54Z5n4oeFoYB38H4g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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</script></div>A Soldier's Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11370218893899121159noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4386256495088401444.post-37783562849825720072024-02-18T18:52:00.009+02:002024-02-19T11:29:07.287+02:00Israel's Last Stand?<p> <span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">My heart hurts. My eyes burn. 5 months and 11 days...</span></p><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Numbers swirl in my head...</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">1,200 Israelis murdered
</span><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">242 Israelis kidnapped
</span><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">134 still help captive
</span><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">How many raped? We may never know.
</span><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">How many beheaded? With God's grace, they'll never tell us.
</span><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">How many soldiers have fallen? I don't want to write the number because it might grow. I know I can't stop it, but I'm afraid to write it. Too many. So many.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXpckV7-lP4Ox20M8M1ptXrdk6FzI1ZjrQKLpRFNy0js-UJ4f2cP7AL9Ppmx5O9v4OWM3QKhNVpX3ArXw5z0w4ADEBelHdRo6Y26bxEJM_x37tBgi8j57D7BfcrJNETmAtve47wh-bS_v48JZbGe81PfPUbJr7HJLxre8nS9u-8wsNK0oFIhow0FedPb1/s225/novaafter2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXpckV7-lP4Ox20M8M1ptXrdk6FzI1ZjrQKLpRFNy0js-UJ4f2cP7AL9Ppmx5O9v4OWM3QKhNVpX3ArXw5z0w4ADEBelHdRo6Y26bxEJM_x37tBgi8j57D7BfcrJNETmAtve47wh-bS_v48JZbGe81PfPUbJr7HJLxre8nS9u-8wsNK0oFIhow0FedPb1/w400-h400/novaafter2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></span><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Kfir is 14 months old... is he beginning to walk...is he even alive?</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Ariel...what of Ariel.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hersh? How is it possible his mother looks more and more broken and tired when each time I see her, I think she couldn't break more.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Noa? What of Noa? Does she know her mother is defying all medical realities, clinging to live, desperate to hold her daughter before...before...</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">So many names...</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">We cry in a forced silence...forced because few hear us. To the world, our pain is nothing. We are over-reacting...so they say. Tell me, what worlds would you destroy if they violated your daughter, cut off your son's head?</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">We know the answer - the British and the Americans flattened whole areas of Germany in WWII in their outrage...and their desire for peace...Did they over-react?</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95Riy3UYwowCrpjx7VzDmNNUnf43NsugSebjmYYo_jczunhFotIDazXOqu_kYWRg7BEoK5d8sliKp24JTmjavOe1FgDInGkMFYlVnJ8VUg1QoTc-FTnsMOxLnXdnwpx22LCIIn081Y2T7HD2vi286auGcEr4ox60SxvnZL4tIRZGlmwNKgJsQ3NR5MVJj/s922/391727710_10161108819083914_788546314108994367_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="922" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95Riy3UYwowCrpjx7VzDmNNUnf43NsugSebjmYYo_jczunhFotIDazXOqu_kYWRg7BEoK5d8sliKp24JTmjavOe1FgDInGkMFYlVnJ8VUg1QoTc-FTnsMOxLnXdnwpx22LCIIn081Y2T7HD2vi286auGcEr4ox60SxvnZL4tIRZGlmwNKgJsQ3NR5MVJj/s320/391727710_10161108819083914_788546314108994367_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>America dropped two nuclear bombs on two Japanese cities. How many civilians did they knowingly murder?</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Can you imagine German preaching to Israelis about a holocaust? </span><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">How dare the American President presume to dictate to Israel. North Korea. Vietnam. Germany. Afghanistan. Iraq. </span><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">How many bombs have you dropped on civilian cities? </span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">How many leaflets did you send? </span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">How many humanitarian corridors did you open?</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">It boggles the mind and so instead of Joe Biden, I remember Menachem Begin's response...we are not trembling Jews. We are the lions of Judea.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Judea - a land 3,000 years old and 75 years young. </span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I don't know the end of this story. Perhaps Iran will win. Perhaps Hezbollah will fire their 160,000-200,000 rockets at us. My daughter asks me, "Ima, if you knew we would be hurt, would you leave Israel?"</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">How do I answer such a question? I will answer it as I did almost a year ago with tears in my eyes at the thought of a world without Jews, "this is our last stand." </span><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">We are a nation of warriors again. Judea has arisen. The people of Israel will not cower.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">And if this is the end of Israel, the end of the Jewish people - because we will not survive another Holocaust, so be it. </span><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">If we stand alone, we will stand alone. I will not leave Israel. This is my home. The only home my people has ever known. The only home we will ever have.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dear ChatGPT - </span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><blockquote>How many Muslim countries, how many Christian countries, and how many Jewish countries are there in the world?</blockquote></span><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">And the answer....</span><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span><blockquote><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Muslim-majority countries: There are numerous countries where Islam is the dominant religion. The exact number may vary depending on the criteria used, but there are approximately 49 to 51 countries with a Muslim-majority population. Examples include Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Christian-majority countries: Christianity is the largest religion globally, and many countries have a Christian-majority population. Examples include the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, and several countries in Europe. However, there isn't a specific count of Christian-majority countries.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Jewish-majority countries: As of my knowledge cutoff date in January 2022, Israel is the only country with a Jewish-majority population. It's important to note that Israel is a diverse society with various religious and ethnic groups, but it has a significant Jewish majority.</span></blockquote><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span><br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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It's worse than spam - it's shows you to be as weak as the case you think you are making.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiesEjEPYG6AxSFcSeH0I7vliU1TxdXtmi9OazHu_S_gGpVw8-xeRpCm-K2Jl1uJt8lS5-joye_7Gf2eC7Qpsu9yZAxM-D3_CxhvOOBZ4cEhG1bIcajkJUlyeJRFPv1RfBvnSuHau8dPQkNWCI-E5pvlt1Sk0NCKKG9NYCuCaQg1_hODnFvRezKEjLAQYjW" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="72" data-original-width="1018" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiesEjEPYG6AxSFcSeH0I7vliU1TxdXtmi9OazHu_S_gGpVw8-xeRpCm-K2Jl1uJt8lS5-joye_7Gf2eC7Qpsu9yZAxM-D3_CxhvOOBZ4cEhG1bIcajkJUlyeJRFPv1RfBvnSuHau8dPQkNWCI-E5pvlt1Sk0NCKKG9NYCuCaQg1_hODnFvRezKEjLAQYjW=s16000" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>So the latest "Unknown" writes:</p><p></p><blockquote><span face="Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #37474f; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.25px;">You are not sane. You are living in an alternative reality.</span></blockquote><p>I do believe I am perfectly sane but that last sentence struck home. I am indeed living in an alternate reality. In his world (the cowardly Unknown), he sees black and white. Gaza is in ruins so Israel is to blame.</p><p>In his world (the cowardly Unknown), his argument starts on October 7. Hamas killed x number of people; since the time that Israel began to respond to the October 7 massacre, a larger number of dead people have turned up in Gaza. The simpleton concludes we are wrong.</p><p>Things the coward missed:</p><p>Among the dead are:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Hundreds, if not thousands, killed by over 2,000 Palestinian-fired rockets that landed in Gaza, including the hospital that they attempted to blame on Israel (sucks having live pictures, huh?)</li><li>Hundreds have been killed by Hamas operatives not wanting to allow innocent civilians to leave and/or being shot while the civilians attempted to access the humanitarian aid that was being hijacked by Hamas</li><li>Thousands of the most-likely inflated Hamas numbers were armed combatants, terrorists and those that participated in the October 7 massacre</li><li>Close to 200 at least are higher-up commanders of Hamas</li><li>Hamas human shields</li><li>Gazans who died in booby-trapped buildings...meaning buildings that Hamas booby-trapped</li></ul><p></p><p>Another thing the cowardly Unknown refuses to consider</p><p>How many Israelis would have died if the 15,000 rockets (give or take) fired at Israel had hit their intended targets? The answer is thousands and Israeli cities would be in ruins as well. </p><p>Why didn't those rockets hit? Not because of anything Gaza did, that's for user. Instead, while Hamas invested EU billions in building between 350-450 miles of tunnels. Instead of building bomb shelters for every home, Gaza built a few bunkers for their leaders. </p><p>When Gaza rockets struck a home in Israel, from the rubble, almost every time the family emerged alive because of those bomb shelters. </p><p>So, according to the warped minds of the United Nations and the Cowardly Unknown, the Hamas missiles of are no consequence. </p><p>How many women were raped by Israelis in Gaza? The answer is zero. Literally zero.</p><p>How many babies were beheaded by Israelis in Gaza? The answer is zero. Literally zero.</p><p>International law states that if there is no way to protect civilians within a certain area during war, it is preferred to move the population out of the way. Israel did not actually move civilians. What we did was give them a chance to live while endangering our own soldiers. We alerted Hamas where we were going to hit, by telling civilians there to flee.</p><p>And in the incredibly warped minds of the International Court of Justice and the Cowardly Unknown, we are at once guilty of civilian deaths when they didn't evacuate, and guilty of evacuating those that did evacuate. </p><p>In my reality, I guess an alternate reality to many in the world, we can only be guilty of one. If we are guilty of moving them, then don't blame us when they get slaughtered when we fire rockets at the arsenals, launching pads and training grounds Hamas built within their neighborhoods.</p><p>Or, if you want to blame us for the few civilians (comparatively) killed in those northern areas, credit us with saving over 800,000 lives by demanding they evacuate.</p><p>The ICJ ruled on Friday with an un-shocking, pretty much predetermined outcome. Ironically, in South Africa, land of corruption and crime, they are celebrating the "victory". If you concluded that a country was likely committing genocide, why would you celebrate? Is that their idea of victory?</p><p>For Israelis, the vote signaled yet another forgone conclusion delivered. We have no respect for the United Nations, the ICJ, and/or South Africa. And still, Israeli celebrated the vote because one of the absurd orders that South Africa demanded was that Israel be "ordered" to stop the fighting.</p><p>In the Unknown Cowards world, that is an acceptable demand. In our world, we cannot fathom the idiocy of demanding that ONE party in a war stop fighting when the other side is the one who started the war, has consistently targeted the civilian population of the other, and its leaders have continuously rejected any peace offering, broken every ceasefire, and admit freely and openly that their goal is the destruction of Israel.</p><p>So, in my "alternate" reality, Israel has no option but to fight. </p><p>After the absurd <a href="https://israelisoldiersmother.blogspot.com/2024/01/an-open-letter-to-international-court.html" target="_blank">International Court of Justice </a>vote, part of me wanted to say to the Israeli army - yalla, they are accusing you of genocide, of bombing civilians - show them what that looks like. But I don't because that isn't Israel's way. There is, however, a fairly decent chance that Cowardly Unknown supports the Gaza massacre of innocent Jews and likely believes deeply that his friends in Gaza have the right to commit genocide.</p><p>How can I know what he believes, right? I mean, the only other cowards I can compare them to are the "men" who came into Israel on October 7 and raped women, murdered babies, and attacked sleeping soldiers...and when the awake soldiers came, they ran back across the border, dragging young children and elderly with them.</p><p>I guess it really does make sense that a coward would support cowards.</p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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The new conflagration has arisen from the continued illegal occupation of Palestine land, continued settlement expansion, desecration of the Al Aqsa Mosque and Christian holy sites, and ongoing oppression of the Palestinian people.</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;">V</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">iolence, killings, imprisonment, forced removals, illegal settlements, and the continued siege of Gaza are not conducive to resolving the conflict. Urgent attention must be given to resolving the final status issues such as borders, the status of Jerusalem, the release of political prisoners, and the right of return. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">No real and lasting peace in Israel, Palestine, and the region is possible in the absence of a just and comprehensive resolution of the conflict. Israelis, Palestinians, and the region do not stand to gain anything from escalated tensions, increased violence, growing instability, and a continued and protracted violent conflict. </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">South Africa therefore calls on all sides to seize the opportunity for peace as opposed to violence, and for the international community to actively rise on the side of its own international resolutions and establish a credible peace process.</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> </span> </blockquote><blockquote><span style="color: #484848; font-family: Inter, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">https://dirco.gov.za/south-africa-calls-for-the-immediate-cessation-of-violence-restraint-and-peace-between-israel-and-palestine/</span></span></span></span></blockquote><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yes, on October 7. Not a word did the South Africans say about what Hamas was doing at they same time they were releasing this incredibly insensitive and ignorant statement. But then again, why would someone expect a condemnation from a country where rape is widespread, murder rampant.</span></span></p><p>Today, in a few short hours, the International Court of Justice plans to issue its "Order". Their decision on the facts and information provided to them. Of course, they cannot include the horrific 47 minute video of what happened on October 7, scenes so horrible that few see it and leave unscathed. The cowardly members of the ICJ refused to allow Israel to show this video. That alone should tell you how they will rule in a few short hours.</p><p>The government of South Africa, a country plagued by crime, corruption, bribery and bigotry went before the ICJ to demand "justice" for the people of a land that does not exist, a land that has never existed and likely never will. The financial backing of Iran for South Africa tells its own story of corruption, bribery and immorality. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">To the world, I would like to say something. No, I will not tell you what exactly was done on October 7, before Israel launched a response. I will not tell you of the terror every Israeli felt, the agony, the tears.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Instead, I would like to tell you about my country today, what we are feeling and experiencing. Today, on the 112 day of October, 2023, we are still fixed in time, still reliving the horrors inflicted upon us by barbarians who came not to fight as an army but as savage marauders seeking to pillage, rape and murder. </span></span>Nothing and no one came between them and their demand to destroy the light. Their darkness prevailed for hours until it was killed or driven back into Gaza. </p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><br />Today I sit here, knowing that the kangaroo court will soon rule. The soup of the coming Shabbat dinner is simmering on the stove, chicken bakes in the oven. The challah dough stares at me wondering why I am delayed. It is getting late while I sit here knowing what will happen soon at the Hague.</span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvhUmRUdcJ5pPSm_jctnLS28otH00s9Lps0tBIHS58MxW4OsKb6e1E2-dsxWVuewbQFI1wLaWMcP3NlfI3uFljh5_RfT7lufFrEtvMeseJeDEjGKkFuLJKUCwMFPmT72NMSK1rnoShyphenhyphenoRM4J0IF0FjkHnndPgLwNAwQl-9bnJTsBAIkHNcExiHb2xpDMS/s735/sa1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="735" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvhUmRUdcJ5pPSm_jctnLS28otH00s9Lps0tBIHS58MxW4OsKb6e1E2-dsxWVuewbQFI1wLaWMcP3NlfI3uFljh5_RfT7lufFrEtvMeseJeDEjGKkFuLJKUCwMFPmT72NMSK1rnoShyphenhyphenoRM4J0IF0FjkHnndPgLwNAwQl-9bnJTsBAIkHNcExiHb2xpDMS/s320/sa1.png" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Does anyone really expect Somalia, Russia, Morrocco, China, Uganda, Lebanon and others to vote for Israel? The judgment was, most likely, fixed before the South African's draped themselves in the colors of Hamas and Gaza and dared to speak to the world of that which they know little about.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">So on this cloudy day in Israel, where gentle rain falls and flowers bloom in my window and in my garden, I am preparing for the holy Sabbath to come, trying to focus not on the insanity here, but of the real sanity that seems to have escaped much of the world</span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">And this week, as all weeks, we will read from our Torah, the first five books of the Bible given by God to the Jewish people and from the Jewish people to the world. </span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">In the Torah are the values and the justice lacking in the Hague. Thousands of years ago, our courts ruled according to the Bible in issues of damages caused and debts owed. There is is written when it is time to grow our crops, and when it is time we must leave the growing of those crops to defend our people. It tells us that the poor and the weak must be protected, the elderly respected. It demands decency from our men, and our women. <br /><br />None of these are concepts that the ICJ cares about. For them it is who pays their salaries, who is bought and sold. How many hate versus how many love. And, as always, the Jewish nation stands before the world as they assume to judge us. In our place, they flattened cities (and 19 hospitals in just one of them), rivers of blood ran from their revenge because for them the blood lust of revenge blinded much of their actions.</span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Here in Israel, few will watch the proceedings. Why bother? Instead, we will focus on the peace that is promised to us, in a few hours. A respite from the world, one we have earned for surviving yet another week in this world.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">We will pray together on this Sabbath, as we do each week. We will pray for those held captive, those abused and our tortured souls - both those who are in Gaza and those who were in Gaza. We will pray for our soldiers, the sons of our hearts as well as those we brought into this world.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">As I look towards Jerusalem in the distance, I know we are where God promised us we would be. Here in our land. No matter what the ICJ says, our lives will not change tomorrow. An order for one party to stop a fight while the other vows to destroy it, is not a just ruling, nor one that any sane human can expect to be taken seriously.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">We are the people of the Book, the people of this land. We have lived thousands of years, some here in this land, some yearning to return, and now returned to build and finally declare our re-establishment of our ancient home. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">We have defeated all our enemies to stand up in the world, proud of who we are and what we have contributed to this world. We are among the first to fly to help others. We have focused our technology on that which defends, that which feeds, that which educates.</span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">And so, to the world, I tell you - today's Jews will not bow before you. We will fight when we must and we will always be, as we always have been, the first to come to the peace table. But never again, never again will you slaughter our people without repercussions, immediate, swift, and justified.</span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">If they hide their weapons among their people, we will not allow our children to be murdered to save theirs. If they store and fire their weapons from homes, mosques and churches, these will not be safe havens and there is no sanctity or respect owed to a building which they have already defiled by bringing weapons and explosives in it.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">To the world, I tell you - we will stop when our people are home and when the threat to our people has been eliminated. Until then, we, the people of Israel, will fight.<br /><br />I will say as well, that we are an eternal people. We watched the dawn of civilization and monotheism blossom as we raised our children. We were literate when others had never even touched a book or the written page. We have seen our enemies come and go for thousands of years while we alone remain. Nothing said in some farce of a room in the Hague carries any weight when our children still cry in the night for want of their fathers, when wives beg for their husbands to come home, when young girls are still being held and when little Kfir hasn't been returned to our waiting arms.</span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">To you, the world, I ask you to listen and understand - not to the warped words of South Africa, but the sound of the wind blowing outside my window where below stands an ambulance. My son and daughter-in-law are first responders who rush to help others and so the ambulance pulls out within seconds of a call, just as all our sons and daughters ran to help on October 7. </span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">To you, the world, I say that the people of Israel are not afraid. We are determined, we are proud and we are strong. And we are the ones protecting our own people and whatever innocent Palestinian civilians we can.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">To the International Court of Justice and to the governments of Hamas and South Africa, I have nothing to say.</span></span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzSZhL1w5CeKsxzCrWj-yBn8Oh6md5g4VnV1wjBKGQ8y5Uh_OMPHnOZ2JokQRWrr0pNhKQYfFtE2twDWi_nPCnSkkkLLpr5ZwUE_vJIqA1LOpG3R_EpqXpNWaxhFPDzF4m1ojgp52106rwDZWdOaiJGPiKMGzD8UbNm4HhakcYA0xY6LCWo2m6dq1H16E/s1195/SA2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1195" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzSZhL1w5CeKsxzCrWj-yBn8Oh6md5g4VnV1wjBKGQ8y5Uh_OMPHnOZ2JokQRWrr0pNhKQYfFtE2twDWi_nPCnSkkkLLpr5ZwUE_vJIqA1LOpG3R_EpqXpNWaxhFPDzF4m1ojgp52106rwDZWdOaiJGPiKMGzD8UbNm4HhakcYA0xY6LCWo2m6dq1H16E/w640-h358/SA2.png" width="640" /></a></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #484848; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></span><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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Kristallnacht....</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWekFlV6xYlcEoqwxeogo_tMRSusx1PzNyxCu8VLTs_yWR38wxrMc89cmrrJwvgTf70Ld_wijub48VzcKN3i8eECVQdcLtd8JxBlmwKzqoPouIzvjikWN4GSuW8tXi9zdet9Rz_daoOcwXWKgjQiQD-Xi-oi23rOlQgKSrWuSYutdRqP5gkJUPBh_dLcTk" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="380" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWekFlV6xYlcEoqwxeogo_tMRSusx1PzNyxCu8VLTs_yWR38wxrMc89cmrrJwvgTf70Ld_wijub48VzcKN3i8eECVQdcLtd8JxBlmwKzqoPouIzvjikWN4GSuW8tXi9zdet9Rz_daoOcwXWKgjQiQD-Xi-oi23rOlQgKSrWuSYutdRqP5gkJUPBh_dLcTk" width="319" /></a></div><p></p><p>On May 14, 1948, Israel issued a proclamation and a promise. The proclamation was to the world. We are here; we are home. We are back; we are never leaving. What we were, we are again. We are the nation of Israel, now home again in our land. And a promise to our people - you will know no more sorrows. We are here to protect you. No matter where you are, we will come for you.</p><p>We have spent most of that time on the brink of war. I've lost count of how many times we fell over the brink into the abyss.</p><p>And here we are, 75 years later, again on the brink. Ironically, we are on the brink of a second war while still in the midst of a first one. I think that's somewhat unique. But the fear and worry of the Lebanon brink is too familiar to those of us who have become accustomed to the suddenness with which brinks appear in our lives.</p><p>It often starts with rhetoric, then a show of force. In the past it was amassing armies on our borders. Today it is firing rockets into civilian towns and cities.</p><p>October 7 was more sudden. A war with no brink is unheard of in our history. Even the Yom Kippur war had a brink. Then, like now, we know we were headed into war. Lebanon will have it no other way, this time.</p><p>October 7 had no brink, no time to prepare. We finished our holiday, opened the computers, radios, televisions and all had the same thought, "we are at war." Now, we fight there while watching the northern border. All over Israel, there is certainty. It is whispered in the supermarket, spoken about in our living rooms. Hezbollah has 160,000 rockets aimed at Israel and Iran has determined that now is the time to use them. </p><p>My nightmare is approaching. That moment when sirens and explosions are everywhere. Hope is diminishing with every day on the northern front even as there is a glimmer of hope that maybe a temporary ceasefire will bring more Israelis home.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7vZQ_KdAKe-wt-ojlZIbBpZ8MG2y-dF1PDXvs-aEAHDUxxM7LOVGgEibEUhSBk0ek43SWYiTonY5NlyehnqmWKPrg-8p4bzTLO8UzMlXfvJ49dza4VYlvsPMschE9Fh6Wh_kCrc-Xxw4WC8xMZIquIo-t9TRluFv3rWlEMfwawxCQd2I1k-lOFWAAyfiu" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="330" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7vZQ_KdAKe-wt-ojlZIbBpZ8MG2y-dF1PDXvs-aEAHDUxxM7LOVGgEibEUhSBk0ek43SWYiTonY5NlyehnqmWKPrg-8p4bzTLO8UzMlXfvJ49dza4VYlvsPMschE9Fh6Wh_kCrc-Xxw4WC8xMZIquIo-t9TRluFv3rWlEMfwawxCQd2I1k-lOFWAAyfiu" width="275" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>We all know the cost of that ceasefire will be huge. I can't wait to hear the same BBC news anchor ask an Israeli spokesperson why Israel insists on such an unfair tally - as if we are saying that the lives of Jews is of more value than the lives of Arabs. </p><p>Eilon Levy's eyes showed it all, the idiocy of that comment. After all, as Levy explained, the equation was the making of the Arabs, not Israel. And so, if this ceasefire happens, we will again release murderers and terrorists to bring our people home.</p><p>A few weeks ago, I was introduced to a beautiful song. I thought it was written for October 7 but it was actually written about 5 years ago. And still, the word's are perfect today for the darkness in which our hostages have been thrust, and the hope we have that our army will rescue them and bring them home.</p><p>So that's what we will do - deal with the Gazans, deal with the Lebanese...perhaps even the Jordanians...whatever it takes.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzMRKK514KQBirT6oY-qw0iptE9fPPJFzDpVyvcUBnU4_O43d8wenl3Lh9YZNe-J8at5B5m8_Tb1JpBrjugHQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Lauren Diagle's incredible song I Will Rescue You<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6xJxeaHODo</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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It took me months to understand all the energy I had wasted in being terrified when, in fact, the most terrifying part was yet to come.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3ntmLrYMmODUglj7nhfirFDVhw4EEllXA3g-IYruQZ27YjVZXsHPAzjNVpuv0pDQp6jYkTLcvy03Jh15-7NEnB31EZeTOBNv8ccu8UAd7P7_E-DPUOZ3pPfD5moTtkYLIrXAyyI60rAZaulelEddnRdeIEbx2EqDf5mxCwF07GJtxZAdMbWRAegRMju-/s1600/elie%20and%20davidijpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3ntmLrYMmODUglj7nhfirFDVhw4EEllXA3g-IYruQZ27YjVZXsHPAzjNVpuv0pDQp6jYkTLcvy03Jh15-7NEnB31EZeTOBNv8ccu8UAd7P7_E-DPUOZ3pPfD5moTtkYLIrXAyyI60rAZaulelEddnRdeIEbx2EqDf5mxCwF07GJtxZAdMbWRAegRMju-/w300-h400/elie%20and%20davidijpg.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>Towards the end of his second year in the army, he was called to war. They called it Operation Cast Lead and I scoffed arrogantly because even if they didn't call it a war, I'd heard the explosions and I knew that was the sound of war. <p></p><p>Eli finished his army service a month before Shmuli began his. Many parents of soldiers don't have the luxury of being spared the fear of two or more soldiers in at the same time. It was only years later, after Shmuli had finished that Eli was called into miluim (reserve duty) at the same time David was serving.<br /></p><p>I never got a picture of all three of them, never mind all five, adding in Yaakov and Chaim...just two. Both staring at me with the same impatient and somewhat amused face...both with their blue eyes that only they have in the entire extended family.</p><p>Elie was called in to Ammud Anan (Operation Pillar of Fire), his second war...and two more operations in a shifted role within the army.</p><p>And then came October 7, when suddenly, they were all called in and I learned two things. Parents who have more than one son or daughter in the army at any given time deserve a medal and worldwide recognition; and Israel was right. All the other "wars" were really indeed "only' Operations.</p><p>On October 7, Israel woke to a new reality, one that it will never recover from. We'll move forward, but never passed that day. It was the first time most living Israelis experienced war. The last war we fought was the Yom Kippur War when then, as now, we were attacked on a holy day by an enemy that shows no mercy, no humanity.</p><p>Shmuli and Chaim were called in to the home front defenses. Elie somewhere in between, and Yaakov and David as far into this war as anyone can get. I'd walked away from this blog and somewhere in the early days I learned something else.</p><p>Just as my sons cannot walk away from the training and the obligation to defend this land, I'll never really be free from being a soldier's mother. I've learned that as they must defend, I too must speak.</p><p>If you don't live in Israel, you have almost no idea of what is happening. If you support Israel, you probably think you know but if you are relying on CNN, BBC, NBC, ABC and any other news station, they aren't telling you. Did you hear we were hit today by dozens of rockets from the north? Did you hear about the tunnel they found today - one that is over a kilometer and a half long and gives access to a manufacturing plant that produces rockets. It's located in the heart of residential neighborhood in Khan Yunis, near schools and homes. Did you hear?<br /><br />And if you are against Israel, you also have no idea of all we do to protect Palestinians from the very same barbarians that came into Israel on October 7 and massacred our people. You don't know and I also know you don't want to know.<br /><br />So what's left? What's left is for a woman to speak even though some might call her old, hopefully not too old, but still a mother and a grandmother whose sons still fight.<br /><br />So I am, as I have been since that day in March,2007, a voice. And if you'll listen, I'll promise to tell you the truth. Even when the truth isn't what you want to hear.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZ0sgZT-6aO4lfxEAdBVsvJRS_ePcp5DJvDIztcVtuZf7up3-VFMBrDQh_xMsc3g8rc1Rt4oT-U4R4uBrkCbuNYG_rgcL8W4mhTidEP5V6vwLLMdiHVHmx9PVEHqWPB3mUj1MnaDm3eLc3wMUn0YswEsuTEvnyd6AYM_4DtMyYwFnuApoiuyzLrkVlW72/s334/ancient%20and%20modern.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="217" data-original-width="334" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZ0sgZT-6aO4lfxEAdBVsvJRS_ePcp5DJvDIztcVtuZf7up3-VFMBrDQh_xMsc3g8rc1Rt4oT-U4R4uBrkCbuNYG_rgcL8W4mhTidEP5V6vwLLMdiHVHmx9PVEHqWPB3mUj1MnaDm3eLc3wMUn0YswEsuTEvnyd6AYM_4DtMyYwFnuApoiuyzLrkVlW72/s320/ancient%20and%20modern.png" width="320" /></a></div>And what is the truth - that's easy. The truth is that Israel is the land of the Jewish people. It says so - in the Bible AND in the Koran. It was verified by the British in 1917, the United Nations in 1947. It is verified all the time in Israel. Ancient coins found buried deep in the ground and modern coins fashioned in the same likeness, with the same language. <p></p><p>To deny our connection to this land is an absurdity and so I will speak of the future instead. This will always be the land of the Jewish people. </p><p>And today, is one of the hardest days we've had ever in our land. Today we begin burying 24 sons of Israel who gave their lives for this land, whose mothers now suffer the most horrible of agonies - a lifetime without their son. </p><p>Today is a hard day to be a soldier's mother. Today, I cried and felt broken and old for hours and hours until friends started reaching out, telling me the same advice I have given them in the past. Breathe. Just breathe. Pray for Israel. Pray for our soldiers.</p><p>That is what we ask of you. That, and remember that nothing will take us out of our land. Our soldiers are committed to finally finishing this fight. Finally, ending Hamas. It's time they tell us and we agree.</p><p>If you agree, pray for Israel; pray for our soldiers.</p><p>And if you don't agree, watch and listen. The lions of Judea roar and once again, our enemies tremble and run from before our lions. Thus it was 3,000 years ago. Thus it was 2,000 years ago. Thus it is today.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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Should we do nothing?<br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLHzHn0BzMI-nTh649F22pXwBrEUC4c5y7tYzpJVeGdERjztzdxv-tykjwOPgzwOoNvSHPBEC8mHa17ELZjW27AF2Qz2xUfuebJUdDK--jAMhI_SmAisaiBQJOcjc82ptGixa3wnAlBIU9yVxYBZczBdlNY2l7xIQ3XcwxKZ3tGgi6a7nh8M9rOMuUwKed" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1286" data-original-width="1290" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLHzHn0BzMI-nTh649F22pXwBrEUC4c5y7tYzpJVeGdERjztzdxv-tykjwOPgzwOoNvSHPBEC8mHa17ELZjW27AF2Qz2xUfuebJUdDK--jAMhI_SmAisaiBQJOcjc82ptGixa3wnAlBIU9yVxYBZczBdlNY2l7xIQ3XcwxKZ3tGgi6a7nh8M9rOMuUwKed" width="241" /></a></div>Last night, we lost 21 soldiers (and 3 yesterday). Today, Israel is, quite simply broken. Yesterday, it was sunny here. Today, the skies are pouring and we all feel these are the tears of heaven, joining in our sorrow.<div><br />It seems many of the soldiers write "the letter"...in case.<br />Elkana Wiesel wrote a letter, that today, his family and Israel are reading. First Sergeant Elkana Wiesel, married man with young children, chose to fight in this war because he could not, despite being wounded in a previous war, sit and do nothing. Not after October 7.</div><div> <br />Here are his words, explaining what Israel must do...<div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"></div></div><blockquote><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">"If you are reading these words, something must have happened to me. If I was kidnapped, I demand that no deal be made for the release of any terrorist to release me. Our overwhelming victory is more important than anything, so please continue to work with all your might so that the victory is as overwhelming as possible </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Maybe I fell in battle. When a soldier falls in battle it is sad, 'but I ask you to be happy. Don't be sad when you part with me'. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Touch hearts, hold each other's hands and strengthen each other. </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">We have so much to be proud and happy about. We are writing the most significant moments in the history of our nation and the entire world. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">So please, be happy, be optimistic, keep choosing life all the time. Spread love, light and optimism. Look at your loved ones in the whites of their eyes and remind them that everything we go through in this life is worth it and we have something to live for. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Don't stop the power of life for a moment. I was already wounded in operation Tzuk Eitan, but I do not regret that I returned to fight. This is the best decision I ever made."</div></div></blockquote><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"></div></div>Don't stop the power of life for a moment...this is what we are fighting for, don't you see? The lives of our hostages, the lives of our people. Our nation.</div><div><br />We will cry today. Break and break. And we will fight because if there is to be an Israel in this world, it is we Jews who must fight to keep it here. And we all know what happens in a world without Israel. It took us 2,000 years but we never forgot and now, we stand.</div><div><br />Please God, you took 21 into the heavens above. Please watch over them and let them watch over us. They are our angels, our babies. Please God, avenge their blood. You did not want us to celebrate when the Egyptians fell into the waters and drowned. You commanded us to eradicate Amalek...</div><div><br />We have not forgotten. We honor this command. We will remember what Amalek did to us in the desert and what they did on October 7.</div><div><br />Am Yisrael Chai</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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I don't think I ever broke before Poland. Or at least I never realized the depth of what it means.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Breaking is when you stop and you say, I'm done. I can't take anymore. You close down and if God grants you your greatest desire at that moment, you'll never feel again, never even walk again. You just want it all to end. The pain, even if it means the joy stops too. Anything to stop the end of hope, the horror, the pain.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I broke in a few places in Auschwitz...when I begged them to let me go and leave the group. I would go to the airport and wait from them and all I wanted was for them to guard my daughter. But they wouldn't let me go. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0EbIUE_xq3KyIJUjHZFhB7_Pe81EFH10_-4DSu4YxQ-mSSey1fRUSDHceFvUS-Q5QVI_fnwxt-Eb47GGiHIZYBvgKtf8lYpbQANQsB-F9gZtctmLMANOQud9URHr2Tsm_OeGNKcZnwiAwOb7tzBjl44p-h8OI0gIvUGGMp45Zo3XQ6wv7Do_Tx9sirZbG/s569/auschwitzcrematoriapicture.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0EbIUE_xq3KyIJUjHZFhB7_Pe81EFH10_-4DSu4YxQ-mSSey1fRUSDHceFvUS-Q5QVI_fnwxt-Eb47GGiHIZYBvgKtf8lYpbQANQsB-F9gZtctmLMANOQud9URHr2Tsm_OeGNKcZnwiAwOb7tzBjl44p-h8OI0gIvUGGMp45Zo3XQ6wv7Do_Tx9sirZbG/s320/auschwitzcrematoriapicture.JPG" width="182" /></a></div><br /></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I broke the first time in Auschwitz when I stared at the rubble of the crematoria and thought of my great-grandmother dying in that very spot. I broke when I took out a picture of the Western Wall and slipped it into the mangled metal and realized that I would leave the picture there. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I broke when I looked around me at the grass growing and the gentle summer wind blowing in an almost cloudless sky. And I broke when I heard our Saba Moshe whisper, "it wasn't like this. If there had been grass, we would have eaten it. It was so cold."</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I broke in Chelmno when I stood by the grave of a 3-day-old baby boy's grave and I broke for the last time in Jedbawne when I heard about how the Polish neighbors had herded the Jews into the synagogue and set it afire. July 10, 1941. </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I still remember the date.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">They call it a pogrom, but it was a massacre. The Russians had fled; the Nazis were on the march. But on that day in Jedwabne, there were only the Jews and the Poles. And the Poles murdered the Jews. After the war, they put up a sign "To the 1,500 Poles murdered by the Hitlerites". A lie. One of many.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Sixty years later, a year before I was there, they finally agreed to change the sign. "To the 1,500 Jews who were murdered." And in 2002, I hear about the memorial ceremony they had had in 2001, when the President came and apologized for the massacre. Still, the Poles who live there deny what their parents did. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">At the ceremony, from one house, a stereo began blasting music loud enough to disrupt the ceremony. Embarrassed, the president sent the head of the police to shut the music down. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">And when he returned and they started the ceremony again, the town's church bells started ringing...and ringing...and ringing.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I heard someone who had been at the ceremony describe this and I broke again. Please, I begged them, let me go to the airport. I need to go home. I need air. I want to leave.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">But I couldn't and so I went to Treblinka and watched the wind blow there too. Today, I watched Ben Shapiro and Elon Musk walk in Auschwitz and my heart hurt again. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">This time I did not think of the child buried in Chelmno but of our child, perhaps buried in Gaza. I thought of Kfir who was born free in our land, and still hatred has taken him from us.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I thought of the lies told by the South Africans in the <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/ICJ.TheCourt?__cft__[0]=AZVgCwkN2EbR9Klw86Jgm4DN3r2ab5Ve2WRkZ1PbKcoqpinNFLRaxah_MFLS1BMUg7XfHe2Ahfg5EU9l61s0m_Bun7r2JXTFtEJ2vhtZ1VigyniArNFt7KsqVT2JkpL0sWLzrOYdzTAKdFq5F7KYz0sK&__tn__=-]K-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0"><span class="xt0psk2" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">International Court of Justice</span></a></span> and I thought of the lies told in Jedwabne.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I'm broken. We are all broken. But not really.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">You see what isn't broken are our sons and daughters. They are dancing. Singing. They hold their guns with pride because they are fighting the Nazis as we never could in Auschwitz. They are chasing those who massacred our people and they are catching them. Every day brings word of more of these barbarians falling, these cowards running.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">What we didn't have in Jedwabne was an army and weapons and planes and tanks. In Jedwabne, they murdered almost all of the Jews. No one stood up to stop them...</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0028byQZGOpSL1u77KRJV87354XyZQmjFwDv2HpsBq4KLr00EXfLu7kjo18ClZKuwQffyezsoutFIPMNfyGaNi88Rf4335DJ7ng82hlckeIqGrY_Vw5XPr5tacnqT87VSvXFjbHXSK79tF8P76sVNQXUVPjVGu6xybCJ6hcepWnNbYgA5G3b3_ZtJAKN/s657/tekesshmulik2.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="657" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0028byQZGOpSL1u77KRJV87354XyZQmjFwDv2HpsBq4KLr00EXfLu7kjo18ClZKuwQffyezsoutFIPMNfyGaNi88Rf4335DJ7ng82hlckeIqGrY_Vw5XPr5tacnqT87VSvXFjbHXSK79tF8P76sVNQXUVPjVGu6xybCJ6hcepWnNbYgA5G3b3_ZtJAKN/s320/tekesshmulik2.gif" width="320" /></a></div>And here, here we stopped them, we chased them out of our land and followed right into theirs. And today, even when we break...we know that it's different. No one was punished for what was done in Auschwitz or in Jedwabne. Justice for most of the Nazis put on trial was slow and often a farce.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">True justice is happening now in Gaza. And all the innocent have to do to avoid being hurt - is get out of the way, trust that unlike Hamas and the Nazis, our only intent is to flatten Hamas.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Biden and others say it isn't possible. But our determination was forged in the fire and hell of Auschwitz. Just watch us.<br /></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">And with that thought, I am healed. I am not broken because this time, we took our future, we fight back. And we will win this fight. Hamas will die. And what and who the Palestinians choose to lead them next will determine their future. It won't be Hamas.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/neveragainisnow?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZVgCwkN2EbR9Klw86Jgm4DN3r2ab5Ve2WRkZ1PbKcoqpinNFLRaxah_MFLS1BMUg7XfHe2Ahfg5EU9l61s0m_Bun7r2JXTFtEJ2vhtZ1VigyniArNFt7KsqVT2JkpL0sWLzrOYdzTAKdFq5F7KYz0sK&__tn__=*NK-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0">#NeverAgainIsNow</a></span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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Unable to make you understand. Either you do, or you don't.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">If you don't, I now know you never will.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">And that brings the sadness, the sorrow, and the misery.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">But no words...I'm finally out of words. At least for now, I surrender. </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I surrender to the sorrow.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I surrender to the endless pain.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The loneliness. The abysmal loneliness of missing 136 people I've never met.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiysPXjFEl4jLSTEQkmS5k_Spti4qLTnsXBoWity8UFhmm_eKbduPs9SPmm0wUHCvtK_eMi83XXOTJEOAoAac_i3cyGUWBwKCjCeAE9ziIuRyl4oIYGyw0IPOq4G_uh1PQd-NOVcIeptE1fV2klMK0B1ua8w5k1BCCo0vnLrwC_WRymIMAWNbqB0WGPaeNZ/s225/novaafter2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiysPXjFEl4jLSTEQkmS5k_Spti4qLTnsXBoWity8UFhmm_eKbduPs9SPmm0wUHCvtK_eMi83XXOTJEOAoAac_i3cyGUWBwKCjCeAE9ziIuRyl4oIYGyw0IPOq4G_uh1PQd-NOVcIeptE1fV2klMK0B1ua8w5k1BCCo0vnLrwC_WRymIMAWNbqB0WGPaeNZ/s1600/novaafter2.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>And I know that they could bring all of Israel to its knees.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">With one picture...just one picture.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Show us Kfir is alive and we will fall to the floor in agony.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Agony that he is alive, that monsters hold him.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Agony that we can't hold him.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Not knowing is bad; knowing might even be worse.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">The agony has won. The words are done.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Bring them home.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSp9U19IT_4sCFKf7rkWBp7RHFXxTyMhC05b7q7WFnUfysc2Zgg-ZaXICYYN3Suf2bYe-9UBCrT7-phLDgRSrrWn7383lsERym8mF98Rkwv-nlw5ka_AbQO29OqOMlUsvv4TJLY2tNBDgWd9kDuhHR2cLPLe_9Nl5X_I5sC5OpKdFK5FwEK0RU1luMlbzp/s276/novaafter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="182" data-original-width="276" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSp9U19IT_4sCFKf7rkWBp7RHFXxTyMhC05b7q7WFnUfysc2Zgg-ZaXICYYN3Suf2bYe-9UBCrT7-phLDgRSrrWn7383lsERym8mF98Rkwv-nlw5ka_AbQO29OqOMlUsvv4TJLY2tNBDgWd9kDuhHR2cLPLe_9Nl5X_I5sC5OpKdFK5FwEK0RU1luMlbzp/s1600/novaafter.jpg" width="276" /></a></div><br /><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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Today, I will think of something else, be the person I was before.</span></p><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="675" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cjZjVebz1c1ZvPi5DCaCaajIFewqzO82uaFI0obKxNmy4Qy6bXAadIELL-s0SA0grP665Obse4TFV6KMVPWwxnZsYzsdLI7SiHxGMyuSyS8E8Rmh7q_ctgKdrVDfrN1hNe0l1xAb_BEhjN88HUWu4hlL05JbmOshYhspVLhqWeJQeZp4AevDIpa2eONe/w400-h291/want.png" style="text-align: center;" width="400" /></div>I'm bored with posting, thinking the world will listen. I'm not bored speaking "to the choir" because we all need to read something and say, "YES, finally, someone else thinks like I do". </span><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">But what I really want is someone from the side of "closed eyes" to say I've helped open their view; someone from the side of hate to say, wow you are suffering and Hamas did cause that. </span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Someone to agree that the appalling numbers that Hamas is publishing of casualties is as reliable as Hamas or as likely as UN peacekeepers are at keeping the peace. </span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I want them to acknowledge that in whatever real number of casualties - and there are real numbers and real suffering in Gaza - that there are thousands and thousands of terrorists - confirmed by Israel to be at least 9,000 (with another 21,000 that need killing) armed combatants. That the 2,000 rockets Hamas and Islamic Jihad mis-fired into Gaza, are responsible for hundreds (if not thousands) of lost lives in Gaza. </span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I want them to acknowledge that Israel has done all it can, more than ANY other country did in ANY other war to save lives. </span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I want...</span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I want it to end - but not end before we bring them home, and so it won't end.</span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I want to sleep at night; to know they won't call my sons back; that all the sons and daughters are back on their bases.</span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I want to feel the sun shining on my face and not think of the hostages in the darkness of the tunnels. </span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I want Kfir home and years from now, I want him to listen to his parents as they tell him of the nightmare the last quarter of the first year of his life was and I want him to smile and say he doesn't remember anything, as he prepares to get married.</span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I want one stinking day to pass that doesn't include tears.</span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I want every one of the South Africans who sat in the Hague at the </span><span class="xv78j7m" spellcheck="false" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">International Court of Justice</span><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"> to go to hell and then I realized, I don't have to want that because they have made a bargain with the devils - Hamas and Iran - and so they are in hell every day of their lives.</span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I want to not feel guilty if I laugh, if I smile. I want to listen to my friend, a comedian and one</span><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"> of the funniest people I know, and not feel I am betraying those who cannot laugh</span><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I want to stop worrying about the mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers of soldiers in this country (and many who live abroad) who spend all day and night in fear of a knock on the door.</span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFLEA5v5detCINywoTJ5LDEPCU0JH0v9YyXsdi-0o8x6Enq-1uT1QOgQQYYv5gnxXkuEK2POttxYSrrRCSSwoErBYXqfPrCSp8jMUWk7jLzsv5UqNyezlOMmFEAMcrOL5S4PQpXEzbD6NtfCImJVIyGsj6V8uOJY5I5JxGlsNOvcRS1hJPPxuAd8Rf39vU/s1080/387011831_7353787554651105_7639323027030974485_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="1080" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFLEA5v5detCINywoTJ5LDEPCU0JH0v9YyXsdi-0o8x6Enq-1uT1QOgQQYYv5gnxXkuEK2POttxYSrrRCSSwoErBYXqfPrCSp8jMUWk7jLzsv5UqNyezlOMmFEAMcrOL5S4PQpXEzbD6NtfCImJVIyGsj6V8uOJY5I5JxGlsNOvcRS1hJPPxuAd8Rf39vU/s320/387011831_7353787554651105_7639323027030974485_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I want peace. A peace that will allow everyone to come to Jerusalem and marvel at her beauty without wanting to take her from us. We, who created her, we who built her. We who have loved her for thousands of years, and we who have always been willing to share her and protect her from those who want to dominate her and claim her as theirs alone.<br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I want the rain of winter in Israel to wash away the pain and bring the sunshine within our hearts back to Israel.</span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I want.....</span></div><div><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></div></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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When South Africa cleans up its own ugliness, then, maybe, they can consider being the voice for others. For now, the world can only laugh at the pathetic case they had no right to file against a country that has lower crime rates, lower homicide rates, lower rape rates, a higher standard of living.</span></span></p><p> So instead of trying to make their country better, apparently they believe attacking others without justification, facts, or logic is better. While Israel consistently ranks in the top 10 (usually in the top 5), South Africa hovers in the mid-40s.</p><p><span style="color: #374151;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #374151;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqAVNR6gxTvvIYyWBI6wK1HXX5ZFjv4oq__2tUKfVl_IBW47NMVgFqzAaoDOYO0KRH2wgSJH7EfW7EoUiwSVTgQxM4S0FwAAI1uBTv8-guAaGKCu955Ah3ClP9BNUZRQ6z9QwfAE3xbQrpgPH6av8qZ5MfC1MXiCz1hI-QLgl0MKWd8yqZn0PxC01i1do-" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="1128" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqAVNR6gxTvvIYyWBI6wK1HXX5ZFjv4oq__2tUKfVl_IBW47NMVgFqzAaoDOYO0KRH2wgSJH7EfW7EoUiwSVTgQxM4S0FwAAI1uBTv8-guAaGKCu955Ah3ClP9BNUZRQ6z9QwfAE3xbQrpgPH6av8qZ5MfC1MXiCz1hI-QLgl0MKWd8yqZn0PxC01i1do-=w640-h376" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #374151;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Homicide Rate</span></span></h2>According to Wikipedia, "In Israel the homicide rate is relatively low: in 2015, there were 2.4 people killed per 100,000 inhabitants (in Switzerland the number is 0.71, in Russia it is 14.9, in South Africa it is 36/4 (as shown below).<br /><br />8th highest in the world - Way to go, South Africa!<p><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, Segoe UI, Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, Noto Sans, sans-serif, Helvetica Neue, Arial, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Noto Color Emoji" style="color: #374151;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, Segoe UI, Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, Noto Sans, sans-serif, Helvetica Neue, Arial, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Noto Color Emoji" style="color: #374151;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwS2y8pP29Hkq5GOT7tk5Dy9d1UFVdTW5dV8vAFJo1iw6BUP3GESpOAk3MAxMPGaoMLZ_HkV33fYPLk1Cl-Mrq9esWpv5hyphenhyphenRuuwLXZeI9hgcerNuDPNYN0AhFkxWDU7GSz7tvK-xxVppTxDD8qonKcGYlJHZL_y_HM6LgXL_XhYBY08jRgNRnWWN0TpZvm/s1040/southafricamurderrate.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="1040" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwS2y8pP29Hkq5GOT7tk5Dy9d1UFVdTW5dV8vAFJo1iw6BUP3GESpOAk3MAxMPGaoMLZ_HkV33fYPLk1Cl-Mrq9esWpv5hyphenhyphenRuuwLXZeI9hgcerNuDPNYN0AhFkxWDU7GSz7tvK-xxVppTxDD8qonKcGYlJHZL_y_HM6LgXL_XhYBY08jRgNRnWWN0TpZvm/w640-h380/southafricamurderrate.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, Segoe UI, Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, Noto Sans, sans-serif, Helvetica Neue, Arial, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Noto Color Emoji" style="color: #374151;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>South Africa is a house built with glass when it comes to hatred, racism, apartheid, high crime and hypocrisy. Someone who lives in a glass home, shouldn't throw stones.</span><div><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, Segoe UI, Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, Noto Sans, sans-serif, Helvetica Neue, Arial, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Noto Color Emoji" style="color: #374151;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, Segoe UI, Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, Noto Sans, sans-serif, Helvetica Neue, Arial, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Noto Color Emoji" style="color: #374151;">Here's what you need to know about South Africa<br /><br /></span><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Massacres in South Africa</h2><ol style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; counter-reset: list-number 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"; font-size: 16px; list-style: none; margin: 1.25em 0px; padding: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span color="var(--tw-prose-bold)" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600;"> - Sharpeville Massacre (1960):</span> On March 21, 1960, police opened fire on a peaceful anti-passbook protest in the township of Sharpeville, resulting in the deaths of 69 people and hundreds of injuries. This event marked a turning point in the anti-apartheid struggle and led to increased international condemnation.
<br /></p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"> - <span color="var(--tw-prose-bold)" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600;">Langa Massacre (1960):</span> On March 21, 1960, the same day as the Sharpeville Massacre, police also opened fire on a crowd in the township of Langa in Cape Town. The exact number of casualties is disputed, but this event contributed to the heightened tensions during the anti-passbook protests.</p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><br /></p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"> - <span color="var(--tw-prose-bold)" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600;">Cato Manor Killings (1960s):</span> Cato Manor, a predominantly Indian and black residential area in Durban, experienced a series of police raids and killings in the early 1960s. The security forces targeted suspected members of the anti-apartheid movement, resulting in multiple deaths.
</p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"> - <span color="var(--tw-prose-bold)" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600;">Soweto Uprising (1976):</span> In June 1976, students in Soweto protested against the compulsory use of Afrikaans in schools. The government's response was violent, with police firing on the unarmed protesters. Hundreds were killed, and the event triggered widespread protests across the country.</p></li></ol><div><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, Segoe UI, Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, Noto Sans, sans-serif, Helvetica Neue, Arial, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Noto Color Emoji" style="color: #374151;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">- </span></span><span color="var(--tw-prose-bold)" face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Church Street Bombing (1983):</span><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"" style="color: #374151; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> While not a massacre in the traditional sense, the Church Street bombing in Pretoria on May 20, 1983, resulted in the deaths of 19 people and injuries to more than 200. The African National Congress (ANC) claimed responsibility for the bombing as part of its armed struggle against apartheid.</span></div><ol style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; counter-reset: list-number 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"; font-size: 16px; list-style: none; margin: 1.25em 0px; padding: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;">- <span color="var(--tw-prose-bold)" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600;">Uitenhage Massacre (1985):</span> In March 1985, during anti-apartheid protests in Uitenhage, police opened fire on demonstrators, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries. The exact number of casualties is disputed.</p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"> - <span color="var(--tw-prose-bold)" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600;">Highgate Hotel Bombing (1988):</span> In May 1988, a bomb exploded at the Highgate Hotel in East London, killing three people and injuring many others. The ANC denied involvement, but the incident was part of a series of bombings during the apartheid era.
</p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span color="var(--tw-prose-bold)" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600;"> - Boipatong Massacre (1992):</span> In June 1992, 45 people were killed and many more injured in the township of Boipatong. The massacre was linked to political violence and tensions between rival factions, including elements associated with the apartheid-era security forces.
</p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span color="var(--tw-prose-bold)" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600;"> - Bisho Massacre (1992):</span> On September 7, 1992, the South African Defense Force (SADF) clashed with protesters in Bisho, a town in the Eastern Cape, resulting in the deaths of at least 29 people. The protesters were demanding the removal of the homeland government and the reincorporation of the Eastern Cape into South Africa.</p></li></ol><div><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, Segoe UI, Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, Noto Sans, sans-serif, Helvetica Neue, Arial, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Noto Color Emoji" style="color: #374151;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"> - </span></span><span color="var(--tw-prose-bold)" face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Heidelberg Tavern Massacre (1993):</span><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"" style="color: #374151; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> In December 1993, four armed men attacked the Heidelberg Tavern in Observatory, Johannesburg, killing 10 people and injuring many others. The motive behind the attack was believed to be political, targeting patrons known for their anti-apartheid activism.</span></div><ol style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; counter-reset: list-number 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"; font-size: 16px; list-style: none; margin: 1.25em 0px; padding: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"> - <span color="var(--tw-prose-bold)" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600;">Bophuthatswana Crisis (1994):</span> In March 1994, just before South Africa's first democratic elections, a crisis unfolded in the Bantustan of Bophuthatswana. Violent clashes erupted between government forces and pro-democracy activists, leading to a significant number of casualties.</p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;">
</p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span color="var(--tw-prose-bold)" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600;"> - Shell House Massacre (1994):</span> On March 28, 1994, just weeks before South Africa's first democratic elections, the African National Congress (ANC) headquarters, Shell House, was attacked. The incident resulted in the deaths of at least 19 people. The circumstances surrounding the attack were complex, involving political tensions and rivalries.</p></li></ol><div><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, Segoe UI, Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, Noto Sans, sans-serif, Helvetica Neue, Arial, Apple Color Emoji, Segoe UI Emoji, Segoe UI Symbol, Noto Color Emoji" style="color: #374151;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"> - </span></span><span color="var(--tw-prose-bold)" face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Malmesbury Prison Uprising (1996):</span><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"" style="color: #374151; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> In December 1996, inmates at Malmesbury Prison staged an uprising to protest poor living conditions and alleged abuse by prison authorities. The authorities responded with force, resulting in the deaths of several inmates.</span></div><div><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"" style="color: #374151; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><ol style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; color: #374151; counter-reset: list-number 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"; font-size: 16px; list-style: none; margin: 1.25em 0px; padding: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span color="var(--tw-prose-bold)" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600;"> - Marikana Massacre (2012):</span> In August 2012, during a strike by mineworkers at the Lonmin platinum mine in Marikana, North West province, the South African Police Service opened fire on the striking miners. Thirty-four miners were killed, and many others were injured. The incident shocked the nation and raised questions about police conduct and workers' rights.</p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span color="var(--tw-prose-bold)" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600;"><br /></span></p></li><li style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; counter-increment: list-number 1; display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 28px; padding-left: 0.375em;"><p style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"><span color="var(--tw-prose-bold)" style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-ring-color: rgba(69,89,164,.5); --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 transparent; --tw-shadow: 0 0 transparent; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; border: 0px solid rgb(217, 217, 227); box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600;"> - Xenophobic Attacks (2008, 2015, 2019):</span> While not a single massacre, South Africa has witnessed several waves of xenophobic violence targeting foreign nationals. In 2008, 2015, and 2019, there were outbreaks of attacks on immigrants, resulting in deaths, injuries, and widespread displacement. These incidents were driven by socio-economic factors, competition for resources, and anti-immigrant sentiments.</p></li></ol></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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Well, Shai is a "Partner and Director of National Government Relations with <a href="https://www.gothamgr.com/" target="_blank">Gotham Government Relations</a>. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdvOlRYxY7vRBOPTUcjeV_ft2pxfL8d88QCNHQTMgvLvNMGnHIHP5t_imB91lDP-lgx2lRABkb04REcO-h4UkZk7U3aqApVptmvTJXmjJa8mLolNeNa68p9KMujHW-Vt54ojgzyZwCvf8JrUsIVbsViqJAkp4GZ6XXHq1sw_SeneWMAwFtAZd3eP8OHVtK" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="918" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdvOlRYxY7vRBOPTUcjeV_ft2pxfL8d88QCNHQTMgvLvNMGnHIHP5t_imB91lDP-lgx2lRABkb04REcO-h4UkZk7U3aqApVptmvTJXmjJa8mLolNeNa68p9KMujHW-Vt54ojgzyZwCvf8JrUsIVbsViqJAkp4GZ6XXHq1sw_SeneWMAwFtAZd3eP8OHVtK=w446-h223" width="446" /></a></div>I have no idea what all that means. I know he was, according to himself, the Director of International Organizations for the World Jewish Congress. It says has been registered to lobby at state and federal levels and aren't we impressed, he's "addressed" the United Nations. So have I but not in words I'd admit to having said. <br /><br />In JTA's "100 Most Influential Twitter Users" of 2009, he was ranked 8th. It also says the copyright date of his website is 2019. Reading in his "News and Views" section, he writes about how the "real fight against antisemitism can resume" under Biden. That's kind of ironic, considering antisemitism has skyrocketed under Biden's leadership. (Points for me for not putting an adjective between Biden and leadership.)<p></p><p>In 2019, he was apparently hired on behalf of the Libyan government (<a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-influence/2019/09/27/gotham-will-work-for-libyan-government-762774" target="_blank">Gotham will work for Libyan government</a> 27/9/2019). Hey, they paid him $1.5 million dollars plus $150,000 in expenses and look how smart - they demanded 50% up front. One might assume from this that he doesn't come cheap and doesn't trust his clients to pay their bills. </p><p>They also list the New York Tobacconist Organization, which "works to represent and assist all tobacco retailers in the state of New York". Wonder how much money they earned from that job?</p><p>What is ironic is not that Gotham works with the Libyan Government, and the New York Tobacconist Organization, but that they also work with/for ZAKA Search and Rescue.<br /><br />On October 7 and in the days that followed, hundreds of ZAKA volunteers worked around the clock to deal with over 1,400 dead, mutilated, tortured, raped, massacred victims. From the agony of what they saw, several volunteers were broken. WHY would <a href="https://zakaworld.org/" target="_blank">ZAKA</a> work with Shai Franklin or the organization for which he works? I promise, I plan to ask them.</p><p>It sickens me that this man, this Shai Franklin believes he has the right to determine when those innocent victims' lives should be "considered avenged". The outrage I feel is enormous, the anger beyond measure. This man's arrogance is completely unexplainable.</p><p>What right does he have to tell Israel who should lead us? </p><p>Has he ever lived in Israel?<br /><br />Has he ever served in the Israel army? Any army? <br /><br />Was it his wife raped? </p><p>His daughter murdered? </p><p>Were his grandchildren kidnapped? </p><p>Do his sons serve Israel? <br /><br />Were they there fighting in Gaza?</p><p>I find as the days go by, my tolerance for these woke Jews lessens. Who the hell does Shai think he is to dare attempt to speak for Israel or even about Israel?</p><p>Here's an update for Shai - YOU do not speak for the Jewish world. From what I see, you don't even speak for the American Jews. You have no right to tell us when October 7 has been avenged. </p><p>As for who leads the current or next government of Israel, again - your statement makes it clear Israel is nothing to you, you understand nothing. Hey, Shai - We are not worrying about politics, why the hell do you think you have the right to say ANYTHING about what Israel should do? Who we should elect? </p><p>If you wish to think how little you think of Shai Franklin, please feel free to comment on his website (linked above), or his <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaifranklin/" target="_blank">LinkedIn profile</a>. I'd offer his Facebook page (feel free to add it in the comments) but I can't because Shai refused my offer to comment and simply blocked me. Thus showing how mature and open to dialog he is...<br /><br />So, I'll leave my message here for Shai Franklin and Gotham Government Relations:</p><p>I have to tell you - the thought that you think you have the right to tell us when we have avenged our dead is beyond insulting. The thought that you even think you know how much damage is in Gaza OR in Israel is arrogant and incorrect. You know only what the media tells you. IF you have any connections in Israel, given you clear and obvious hatred of Netanyahu, you clearly are no intelligent enough to understand they are feeding you what you want to hear. As to your clearly ridiculous encouragement for empowering "moderate Palestinians" - perhaps you can explain where we can find any.</p><p>Certainly not in the Palestinian Authority, which has announced they stand with Hamas; certainly not in Gaza, nor in the areas of Judea and Samaria - where over 82% have expressed the horrific opinion that the attacks of October 7 were justified.</p><p>As a result of this tweet, not to mention your general background and history - it is time for you to resign. Perhaps you would best serve those in line with your thinking by joining the Palestinians. I encourage you to travel to Gaza or to Ramallah. Yes, please do.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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When I got home, I told my son and he said, "it's bad." And on his face was a seriousness I don't think I have ever seen before. "Elie, what's happening?" I asked him.</span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">And he shook his head and said, "it's really bad."</span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I waited tensely till my husband came home and we sat down to a subdued meal. I remember nothing of that day other than the need for it to end, for the darkness to come. Each week on the beautiful Sabbath, I ask it, "why do you have to leave? Stay. Stay forever. I could live the rest of my life with day after day celebrating the Sabbath. No work, no phones, no outside world. Good food. Family. What's not to love?</span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">And yet on that day, I said the the Sabbath with tears and fear, "Go, please go. I need to know what is happening. Please go."</span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">The calendar on the door from our synagogue tells us what time the Sabbath ends. Typically, it takes time for us to actually let go. My husband comes back from the synagogue. We set up Havdalah - a brief prayer in which we proclaim the separation of the holy day to the mundane work week. We announce with a candle the end of the time during in which we did not cook or use electricity. Go, please, just go.</span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I didn't want to wait even a minute and yet, we decided to verify the end of the Sabbath in the most ancient of ways, the true and final determination - the ability to see three stars in the night's sky.</span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Outside, I found a star but before my eyes could search for another, the star moved. It was then I realized the sound that I was hearing was the dull rumble of planes, jets, flying high in the sky. I found another star, still determined to find three and rush to open my computer.</span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii49SkAYWQWKw6S8ZWgt_AZhXsCOOK3HBZHW6_uMVrro17dnogPrQ1XmSfrLTnRTUr1l7xky0KiEDjYsjLPIEGGqzcsHHoYoqgWj0u46WYtquDiAltD-xUhqcpOGzGKTGy6u9fZeBdfHC0tqb1ijYHeNb90hRdTTYzsPrKoxwb9F-ymewf2nMZPSRIlbc9/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202024-01-08%20at%2010.20.14.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1535" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii49SkAYWQWKw6S8ZWgt_AZhXsCOOK3HBZHW6_uMVrro17dnogPrQ1XmSfrLTnRTUr1l7xky0KiEDjYsjLPIEGGqzcsHHoYoqgWj0u46WYtquDiAltD-xUhqcpOGzGKTGy6u9fZeBdfHC0tqb1ijYHeNb90hRdTTYzsPrKoxwb9F-ymewf2nMZPSRIlbc9/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202024-01-08%20at%2010.20.14.jpeg" width="307" /></a></div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">The second star did not move, but the third and fourth did. Finally I found two more and having determined the end of Shabbat under the clear skies of Israel, I rushed to open the computer. "At least 100 dead". I stared at those words and in the hours that passed late into the night and into the early morning, the numbers grew. I went to sleep, exhausted and, I thought, out of tears. Over 700 killed. How was it possible.</span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I don't remember what the sky looked like the next morning. I didn't need the sky to tell me anymore of the tragedy that had come to my country. </span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Day after day, since then, I look at the sky and remember. I once loved the clouds, I've worked hard to learn how to paint them. Billowing skies, storms in the distance. I loved painting clouds and yet now, I don't know.</span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Now, now I prefer cloud-less skies of blue.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript"><!--
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