Reflections on Israeli POW's and the public's reaction towards them on Israel's 60th

Last Friday, May 2nd, a very interesting article appeared in the Weekend supplement of the Jerusalem Post, Israel's oldest English language newspaper. The article, entitled Stigma of Surrender, and written by correspondent Larry Derfner, dealt with Israelis who had been taken prisoner in various wars, especially the Yom Kippur War of 1973 and the first Lebanese War of 1982. Former Israeli POW's who had been taken prisoner and later released, recounted their experiences in the hands of the enemy, and what happened to them after their final release. Many of them said that the treatment they received by IDF authorities who "interrogated" them afterwards was (from a psychological basis) almost as bad as when they were prisoners of war, or of terrorists.

With Israeli soldiers such as Gilad Schalit, Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser still not back home after nearly two years, this year's Soldier's Remembrance Day and Independence Day celebrations will take on a special meaning for members of their families, as well as for many other Israelis.

Israel will be celebrating its 60th anniversary as an independent state this week; and the matter of captured and missing soldiers is an issue even more important, especially in light of recent offers to affect a prisoner exchange with the Hamas organization for captured soldier Gilad Schalit.

Many people in Israel feel that trading this young soldier's life (assuming he's still alive) for several hundred Hamas and other terrorists who will only go back to killing Jews, is not going by the old Rabbinical context of "he who saves one life has saved the entire world". This time it's entirely different.

I wouldn't want to be in the shoes of either Mr. and Mrs. Schalit or the Prime Minister in regards to what to do in this situation. Israeli prisoners have mainly been repatriated in wartime - and at that most were from the Egyptians who were only slightly more humane than their Syrian allies.

Regarding soldiers captured or taken prisoner by terrorist groups, it's nearly always been a death sentence - except for some like Elhanan Tennenbaum, an Israeli reserve officer who was captured while in Dubai on a "business trip" and later transported to Lebanon, and who may have had "connections" which enabled him to stay alive.

Some people feel that Israeli solders should be issued a cyanide pill, like Mossad agents are, and if they have the opportunity, to simply swallow it. At least it prevents the suffering, including by such as Ron Arad, who may actually have died long ago (this was supposedly verified by Russian and other foreign diplomats who received inside information).

That's the sad reality of being captured as an Israeli soldier. So much for the "Pinchas Shevi" (POW ID Card) issued every IDF recruit. Some say that it's not worth the paper it's printed on!

Or is it?

I'm quite sure that if one talks to parents and relatives of the three young men mentioned here, they will definitely agree that Israeli soldiers should not only come back alive but should be given the honor that they truly deserve. In fact, I'm sure these relatives feel that Israeli leaders are not doing enough to ensure their loved ones' release.

As Israelis celebrate 60 years of independence, they should also take time to reflect on these brave young men who so much deserve to come home – with honor – to their loving and waiting families.

How Israelis Plan To Celebrate Passover, 2008

Israelis have always had a "love-hate" affair when comes to the 7 day holiday known as Pesach (Passover) or Hag HaAviv (Festival of Spring) to secular folk. Pesach is one of Judaism's most beautiful and important festivals as it commemorates the Jew's freedom from slavery under the Egyptian Pharaoh, Ramsis II, more than 3,000 years ago. Like Thanksgiving in America, the Passover Seder is one of the best times for families to be together to enjoy this holiday and eat the foods that God commanded their forbearers to eat as they left Egypt for what turned out to be 40 years of wandering through the wilderness of Sinai.

For some Israelis, however, Pesach is not the joyous and meaningful festival that it should be, and many go abroad for the week to escape having to eat matzah or unleavened bread and other foods deemed Kosher for Pesach. Recently, more and more restaurants and stores have begun offering bread products, including pita, pizza, and even baguettes to those who want them. This now includes large supermarkets as well as small convenience stores, many of which are run by non-religious kibbutzim. Enforcing the existing law concerning the selling and eating of "hametz" (leavened bread and other non-kosher for Pesach products) has been difficult, and many businesses, including a large supermarket chain, simply pay fines as a "cost of doing business".

Enter Pesach 2008. Due to objections in the existing laws by secular Israelis, a Jerusalem court judge issued a decree that in some instances the existing "Passover Law" will not be binding for private establishments who are not considered as "public arenas". This means that breads and other "hametz" products will now be allowed to be sold in grocery stores, restaurants and pizza parlors, etc., and that beer will flow freely in all the pubs (as if it hasn't already up to now!). While this has made a lot of secular people happy, religious and traditional Jews feel just the opposite as this edict clearly violates a very old and important tenet of Judaism.

Or does it? Those who intend to keep Kosher for Pesach wouldn't eat or drink in most of the establishments who will serve "hametz" as many of them are already non-kosher and are open during the year on Shabbat and religious holidays; serving non-kosher foods, including pork and shellfish. This being the case, there's really no reason for these types of establishments to have to be Kosher for Pesach anyway, since serving non-kosher pepperoni pizzas prepared on matzos instead of normal pizza dough is a bit superfluous.

The bottom line is the personal consciousness of people; and being forced to do something they really don't care to do is not going to change them. Anyway, it's been estimated that at least 70% of all Jews in Israel will forsake their pizzas and falafels for a week and be none the worse off for it. In fact they will do this proudly, out of respect for their faith and tradition.

As for the remaining 30%, hopefully some of you will get the message and join your Jewish brethren in observing a truly unique and wonderful religious tradition to celebrate our release from human bondage into freedom.

Hag Pesach Semach!

Less murders in Israel as police return to "normal" work

Despite the recent terrorist attack in Dimona and continued Kassam missile attacks on Sderot, Israel police say they actually have more time now for conducting what they consider to be normal police activities. New Head Police Inspector General Dudi Cohen disclosed that in the year 2007, the number of murders actually decreased in Israel by 21%. Although many serious crimes such as aggravated assault, robbery, and rape have not shown significant deceases, at least murders have, according to Cohen.

While murders have decreased, assaults such as stabbings by youth have increased, however; and this area is one in which the police are trying to put more efforts into. Another area in which the police will be putting more attention in is the increasing numbers of traffic violations and serious accidents, many resulting in death and serious injuries. Hardly a week goes by without these accidents being shown on TV. Many are caused by young drivers as well as by those with a history of serious traffic violations. The police are already putting more officers on the roads to give citations for traffic offenses. This might be something that senior police officers should make themselves examples of as it was just the other day that the Inspector General himself was shown driving at speeds in excess of 140 km per hour.

Another new unit, called the Magen anti-drug enforcement unit is working on combating narcotics smuggling from Egypt to Israel. Some of their new equipment includes specially equipped helicopters to spot smugglers on the ground and thus call in mobile units to apprehend them. One of their top offices, Chief Inspector Kobi Mor is the police officer who killed the second terrorist in the attack in Dimona. His unit was not far away when alerted to the scene of the terror attack.

Inspector General Cohen was appointed to his post after his predecessor was forced to resign following a number of serious allegations dealing with his connections with crime figures. The police force has had problems with other high ranking offices as well, and one of Cohen's chief tasks has been improving the image of the police in Israel.

It hasn't been an easy task. Cohen and other high ranking police and security officials attended a special conference a few months back dealing with finding ways to improve the police and security forces in Israel. The conference, entitled: To Protect and to Serve – Police and Policing in an age of terrorism and beyond, was also attended by law enforcement officials from the USA. It is hoped that new efforts and concepts will improve the efficiency of all departments of the police force in Israel.

Mass Sderot protests after Kassam attacks

Increasing numbers of Kassam rocket attacks on Sderot are resulting in more casualties as either the Palestinians are getting better at launching on populated areas, or just by the numbers of rockets launched. Whatever the reason, the recent attacks occurring over the weekend, in which two boys in the same family were both seriously injured, and may other people were treated for shock, appears to be pushing the IDF into some kind of ground engagement in Gaza.

The plans for a ground attack although potentially costly to Israeli soldiers is basically two-fold. Following the breach in the security fence and wall between Gaza and Egypt, a large amount of more sophisticated rockets (like Ketiushas) and other military hardware were probably brought over from Egypt into the strip, which will eventually be used against Israeli civilian and military targets. A large scale ground attack will be aimed at gaining some form of control back over the Philadelphi crossing at Rafah, where the border breach was made. Another reason for a ground attack is to try to wipe out the sources of the rocket launchings and possibly even capture some high ranking Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders; forcing these organizations to tone down their attacks.

Israel is already stepping up concentrated air strikes against those involved in planning and carrying out these missile attacks; and word is out that high ranking Hamas officials, including Ismail Haniyeh himself, may be targets. This policy has already been tried in the past when Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmad Yassin and former Hamas leader Abdel Azziz Rantisi were both "taken out" in this manner. Other ideas, including complete cutting off of Gaza from both water and electricity are also being considered; although it must be remembered that it was these forms of collective punishment that resulted in Hamas people blowing up the border barriers at Rafah two weeks ago. Many of the more than half a millions Gazans who took advantage of this act to have a free tour of the Sinai are still over there and possibly planning future terror attacks against Israel.

The people of Sderot, in the wake of the severe Kassam rocket attacks, took to the streets, burning tires and other material and shouting for the P.M. to either take immediate action or quit. They have now carried their protests to both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Prime Minister Olmert is still hanging on to his position regarding the matter; but all indications are that he won't be able to hold the army back for long. In the meantime, even though government officials like Defense Minister Ehud Barak promise that Israel will "use all available means to stop these attacks" the attacks themselves continue and the residents of this southern town of 20,000 are growing more and more impatient.

Mass Sderot protests after Kassam attacks

Increasing numbers of Kassam rocket attacks on Sderot are resulting in more casualties as either the Palestinians are getting better at launching on populated areas, or just by the numbers of rockets launched. Whatever the reason, the recent attacks occurring over the weekend, in which two boys in the same family were both seriously injured, and may other people were treated for shock, appears to be pushing the IDF into some kind of ground engagement in Gaza.

The plans for a ground attack although potentially costly to Israeli soldiers is basically two-fold. Following the breach in the security fence and wall between Gaza and Egypt, a large amount of more sophisticated rockets (like Ketiushas) and other military hardware were probably brought over from Egypt into the strip, which will eventually be used against Israeli civilian and military targets. A large scale ground attack will be aimed at gaining some form of control back over the Philadelphi crossing at Rafah, where the border breach was made. Another reason for a ground attack is to try to wipe out the sources of the rocket launchings and possibly even capture some high ranking Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders; forcing these organizations to tone down their attacks.

Israel is already stepping up concentrated air strikes against those involved in planning and carrying out these missile attacks; and word is out that high ranking Hamas officials, including Ismail Haniyeh himself, may be targets. This policy has already been tried in the past when Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmad Yassin and former Hamas leader Abdel Azziz Rantisi were both "taken out" in this manner. Other ideas, including complete cutting off of Gaza from both water and electricity are also being considered; although it must be remembered that it was these forms of collective punishment that resulted in Hamas people blowing up the border barriers at Rafah two weeks ago. Many of the more than half a millions Gazans who took advantage of this act to have a free tour of the Sinai are still over there and possibly planning future terror attacks against Israel.

The people of Sderot, in the wake of the severe Kassam rocket attacks, took to the streets, burning tires and other material and shouting for the P.M. to either take immediate action or quit. They have now carried their protests to both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Prime Minister Olmert is still hanging on to his position regarding the matter; but all indications are that he won't be able to hold the army back for long. In the meantime, even though government officials like Defense Minister Ehud Barak promise that Israel will "use all available means to stop these attacks" the attacks themselves continue and the residents of this southern town of 20,000 are growing more and more impatient.

Snow comes again to the Holy City

Snow comes again to the Holy City

 

With all the 'combinations' of precipitation and lower temperatures coming into form, "Jerusalem the Golden" became all white as the winter season's first snow storm blanked the city with 2 to 3 inches of snow. The snowfall is always a welcome diversion to the city's children, though more a nuisance to their parents since the municipality announced that schools in the Holy City will be closed on Wednesday due to the Frosty the Snowman's visit. The snowy weather also reached some higher elevations in the Galilee and really hit the northern Golan Heights, especially the ski site at Mt. Hermon, which had been unused for that purpose so far this year. With a little more snow in next few days, the site will probably be at least partially open to both skiers and people who just want to bring their kids to frolic in the "sheleg" the Hebrew word for snow.

The moisture for both the snow and the rains that have reached Israel is welcome relief to the country's chronic water problems, and anyone who has visit the Kineret lately must have noticed that the lake level is a bit low – even to the point where fishing boats are sitting in the mud instead of floating in their mooring berths. The lake should receive enough water from both the melting snows on Mr. Hermon and from feeder streams (including the Jordan) to raise the water level at least half a meter. Even so, the lake level will still be about 2 meters below the accepted level to not cause any water shortage problems during the long dry season of April through October.

Not much rain has reached Israel so far this year, and what has arrived previously is far below what the country should have received by late January. Israel's "rainy season" if one were to call it that, is only from December to March, although some rain does fall occasionally in October and November; and even some freak rain storms come as late as mid May.

But getting back to Jerusalem, a winter snowfall adds a special beauty and charm to an already beautiful and charming city. Seeing pictures of a snowy blanket on the Old City and the Mt. of Olives is especially enchanting, and despite any temporary inconveniences, I'm sure the citizens of Jerusalem will agree. It is written in Jewish daily prayer, referring to God's divine assistance to the Land of Israel: "Thou causest the winds to blow and the rains to fall".

Israeli Hip Hopper goes big time

What is a nice Jewish Israeli girl doing with a bunch of L.A. rappers and hip hop artists? Why she's making a lot of money with them – that's what! Miri Ben Ari began playing the violin when she was a young girl, and more recently switched from classical music to more interesting melodies like gospel, rhythm and blues and jazz after going to America following advice from local entertainment personalities who said that her music style was something that would have more possibilities in the USA.

But what has really given her career a boost is her connection the black American music community, especially the one performing the new hi hop style of music. In fact, her career has done so well that she recently won a Grammy award for her music and has put out a best selling CD entitled The Hip Hop Violinist. "I was introduced to this kind of music by the pop star Wyclif Jean, and also received a lot of assistance from another well known artist Jay Z, who introduced me to the black community".

She won her Grammy award for her performance with the rapper and record producer Kayne West.

Miri is very enthusiastic about her association with the black music community as she is able to relate to them very well, despite being from Israel. "Many blacks are evangelistic Christians who are very pro Israel" she says. Despite the fact that Miri lives most of the time now in the USA, she is very proud to tell people that she is Israeli; and she has recently been involved in performing special music to commemorate the Holocaust. Some of her music, used in the recent Hollywood movie The Freedom Riders, was honored by the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and museum in Jerusalem. Mir recently visited Israel and made several guest appearances, including one on the morning Channel 10 talk show. She is very proud that her music is connected with helping to create more awareness about the Holocaust.

Her music will be featured in special events connected with Israel's upcoming 60^th anniversary celebrations and she is now working on a new music album as well as providing background music for a "come back" album by pop music icon Donna Summers. She has also performed in campaign promotions for Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

"As a woman, I would love to see a woman president, although Barack Obama is also very capable" she said.

At Least 3 Reasons to Keep the Golan Heights

I just came back from 3 wonderful days of vacation in the Golan Heights.

We enjoyed the wide open spaces, the stunning nature trails, the flowing water in the streams and waterfalls...

Who could ever dream of giving this away to Syria?

But apart from the stunning natural landscapes, there are at least three very good reasons why Ehud Olmert would be wise not to negotiate at all on the fate of this land.

1. Emotional. There is a national consensus about it. As Nadav Shragai wrote in a Haaretz article a couple of weeks ago: “The Golan is a lot more "Israeli" than "Syrian." It has been Israeli for 40 years, double the time it was in Syria's hands. It has been under Israeli sovereignty for 26 years... The Golan has become a part of Israeli life. It is the most frequently visited part of the country, dotted with dozens of Jewish communities, agricultural fields, industrial areas and tourist resorts, nature reserves and wild landscape.

... For the past two generations at least, the Golan became ingrained in our consciousness as an inseparable part of the state... It doesn't take a poll to know that the Israeli public is tied to the Golan, loves it and senses through healthy intuition that it is part of it.”

2. Historical. I’m not sure why we talk about ‘returning’ the Golan to Syria. In the brief period Syria held the Golan, they turned it into a launching pad, all too similar to Hezbollah’s behavior last summer and the Kassam attacks on the South today. The Syrian army shelled the border communities, tried to tamper with Israel’s water system and turned life in the North into a Sderot-style hell. The Golan was conquered in a justified defensive war. We paid for it with blood. The Syrians lost it fair and square.

In Biblical times too, the Golan was always part of Israel. Archeologists repeatedly find evidence of Jewish sovereignty, from the reign of Solomon, through the Second Temple period, the heroic battle of the city of Gamla and the Talmudic period. It was certainly no foreign land.

3. Security. In 1992, before the elections, the late Yitzhak Rabin declared, “As for the future, it is inconceivable that even in peacetime we should go down from the Golan. Whoever even thinks of leaving the Golan wantonly abandons the security of Israel.”

He acted a little differently after his election but the facts remain:

1. The 400 square mile area is of supreme strategic importance.

2. Its high ground provides early-warning capability. Without it, Israel would be exposed to surprise Syrian attacks, just like in 1948, ’67 and ’73.

3. The Golan dominates the Jordan Valley.

4. There are only two natural terrain bottlenecks through which tanks can advance. These ‘choke points’ are defensible and indeed Israel used them to repel 1,400 Syrian tanks in 1973.

5. If the Golan were in Syrian hands, they could overrun Israel in a matter of hours.

6. Over one third of Israel’s fresh water comes from the Golan. In 1964, when they possessed the area, Syria attempted to cripple Israel’s water supply. What would stop them trying again?

In short, whatever way you look at it, Ehud Olmert should make it clear that any peace negotiations should be conditional on one thing: The Golan Heights are not for sale.