My Views Regarding Weekend Terror Attack in Israel
I've also included resources so you can learn and stay informed from reliable resources
Years ago, when my son was born I was strongly advised to pick up a protective gas mask for him.
For my new born baby boy. He was four days old.
I did just that.
Twenty six months later, I repeated the process when my daughter was born.
Living in Israel, I always knew we could be attacked one day.
Our four bedroom apartment in Modi’in, roughly half way between Tel aviv and Jerusalem, included a sealed room to shield our family from terror rockets.
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We never needed to use the masks. The sealed room wound up doubling as my home office. That’s not the point of the post. During the time I lived in Israel, from 1994 to 2001, the country was always under attack.
It started not long after I left my job with the Dodgers and moved to the Middle East.
It was 1994.
I made Aliyah. I became a citizen. I learned to speak Hebrew in Jerusalem. Classes were held in a typical classroom of about 30 students led by Ruti our Israeli teacher.
Russians, South Americans, Ukrainians, Arabs and two Americans spent four hours a day five days a week learning to speak. The group included a young Russian couple. They didn’t make it.
One day, they were murdered in a suicide bomb attack in Jerusalem. A terrorist blew himself up on a bus.
Everyone knows someone in Israel who has been killed by terror attacks. You cannot escape this fact.
I once dined at a Jerusalem based Sbarro restaurant. It was a week day lunch. A few days later, on August 9, 2001 to be exact, the restaurant was bombed by a suicide terrorist. Missed me.
However, the attack killed 16 people and injured 130.
The saying “never again” after the Holocaust has happened again.
Murder. Rape. kidnapping. Innocent civilians. More than 900 Jews have been murdered by Hamas in the weekend attacks. For the record, Hamas is a designated terrorist organization by the United States government.
I spent a good part of last Saturday morning franticly texting dozens of friends in Israel. After leaning of the attacks around 4:30 in the morning, I spent hours on the my cell phone making sure everyone I knew there was safe.
I watched the news. Read online reports. I scoured social media for the latest reports.
There was no shortage of information online. The terrorists document it all. Killing innocent people as they slept. Slaughtered young adults trying to escape after a Rave in the desert. They silenced 260 souls by murdering them. Some of the young Israeli women they captured from the concert site were raped. At the site. And then executed. Facts.
I witnessed video online of families being abducted. Young women taken and babies snatched from their parents arms. I was glued to the phone for endless hours. Eventually I had to take a small break for my mental health. I could and cannot fathom what was taking place. Here are screen shots from some online posts post attacks.
I am grateful Debbie and I had returned from our recent visit and are safe. I am grateful that my Israeli friends are safe. I feel guilty for not being there to help. There is a deep, helpless feeling watching this unfold so far away.
Once upon a time, when I was much younger, I believed in a peace process. I had hope for a new Middle East. How naive was I? Incredibly.
Now 30 years older, I firmly believe the chance for long lasting peace in my life time is slim and closing in fast on - not a chance. Peace is not word being used anywhere in Israel now. Nor is a cease fire. I am sure some political idiots will call for a case fire soon. Those calls will fall on deaf ears. Not this time.
Since 1948, Israel became strong because it fought back. Survived and thrived. Very different from what happened to the European Jews during the Nazi era.
However, Israeli’s collective leadership fell asleep at the wheel this time. Reports abound that no one in the Israeli military was expecting these attacks. Israeli citizens and the army became arrogant. FeelingUntouchable. Arrogant.
When you start believing too much of how good you are - you become vulnerable. Fast.
The weakness was exploited by Hamas, with planning help from Iran. Facts.
Most people believe war is being fought by land, sea and air.
The war is also being fought online This is now a live streamed war and sickening video and photos are being used by Hamas to help tell their “story.” Pro Hamas groups are using the internet to build and sway public opinion.
I am writing this post because words need to be said. I cannot post any of my beautiful photography nor tell stories of my travels right now. I can help educate you the reader. I can suggest resources. Whether I’ve known you for 30 years or since I launched this blog in July, this needs to be told.
Educate yourself.
Here are reliable news links where you can read and view the news.
Here are a few suggestions.
The Jerusalem Post — The site crashed with too many requests at one point
Instagram Resources
Also, share this post with friends and family and folks in your online and offline community.
Make your voice heard. Stand by Jewish friends.
The more we can educate the better informed we are.
Never again is now.
thank you for sharing Charles, deepest with friends and families. Hugely appreciate you taking the time to share your views as well as highlighting further reading.