November 4th, 1995

I can remember that day quite clearly. It was basically a normal weekend except for an event that transpired thousands of kilometers across the Atlantic Ocean. At around 2 o'clock, my mother answered the phone and after putting it down, announced, 'Yitzchak Rabin has been assassinated'. Needless to say, we were all in shock. I couldn't believe it. Turning on the TV that night shocked us even further - the man who 'pulled the trigger' was Yigal Amir, a 26 year old law student from Bar Ilan (After reading a few books, watching the 'Kempler' footage and observing the obvious contradictions in this case, I am rather convinced that Yigal Amir was not the only man involved in this - and is most likely not the man who fired the shots that actually killed Rabin.). I cannot really remember my feelings or thoughts during that day besides the shock - Although I didn't really know anything about the man and his role in the country's past, I think I felt a deep loss, a loss of a man who was important to me.

Those feelings of loss & pain haven't changed, but I never thought that my feelings towards his 'memorial day' within Israel would change so drastically. I actually cannot stand the day anymore. This should be a day where we can remember a man who defended this country for decades and strove to lead it to peace. He was a leading figure in the Palmach & the IDF and his decisions as the Chief of Staff (during the 6 Day War) and the Prime Minister (presided over the Entebbe Decision) were critical to our country's safety and standing in the region. Despite the long list of military successes, Rabin also strove for peace as he pushed for dialogue with the Palestinians as early as the mid 1970s and then pushed (or was pushed by George Bush as he told ABC News & William Safire) the Oslo peace process and a peace deal with Jordan. However, despite the fact we should all be united in remembering a towering figure in our short history (one only surpassed by David Ben Gurion and Menachem Begin), the day has been completely hijacked for selfish, political & personal gains by the Israeli left. Finally, the left has a day where it's 'ok' to bash the Right and blame them for Rabin's death and a day where it's 'ok' to bash religious Jews as if we were all to blame. Sadly, this day has veered off the path and lost its supposed meaning. Instead of uniting us in mourning for a man who tried to do what he saw as best for his country, it further widens the obvious cracks between us. While I can never forgive Rabin for his statements regarding the suicide bombings of 1995 ('the price of peace'), I feel he wanted what was best for Israel. So, despite the day's often hateful and cruel rhetoric, I still take the time to pay my respects to a man who did so much for this country.

Below is a nice clip with pictures of Rabin's life, with the song Ha'Reut in the background:



The rather famous eyewitness report - "Rabin put his right leg in the car, and suddenly there were shots", "Rabin was not hit":

Alcoholism Explained

Are We That Sleepy?

In a recent Haaretz article, Professor Robert (Yisrael) Aumann, the Israeli-American scholar who won the Nobel Prize for economics last year, talked about the possibility that Israel might not be around within 50 years. A few of his quotes (and my take on them) can be found below ...

"Too many Jews don't understand why they are here. If we don't understand why we are here, and that we are not America or just a place in which to live, we will not survive. The desire to live like all the nations will sustain us maybe another 50 years, if we are still here. Fatigue, in the State of Israel's situation, will lead to death, as occurs with mountain climbing. If a mountain climber is caught on the side of a mountain and it starts to snow, if he falls asleep, he will die. He must remain alert."

I would change Professor Aumann's sentence to "Too many Israelis don't understand why they are here." No, I'm not saying that all Israelis (by this, I mean those born in Israel) are like this, but it is definitely something that seems to infect too large of a segment within our population. What Aumann is saying here is that Israel, unlike other nations, has a different reason for existence. Israel was built on the ashes of 6,000,000 of our brethren, and has survived due to incredible heroism and sacrifice. Israel is the only homeland for the Jewish people. The failure to understand this, or the 'fatigue' he talks about, could eventually erode our ability to deal with the challenges we continually facing. So, the desire to be here, to continue our existence as a Jewish State, needs to be nurtured and strengthened so that it is as intense as it is amongst the religious Zionists, secular Zionists and the dominant majority of our new immigrants. This part of the battle to be here is, in my opinion, just as important as the actual fighting on the battlefield itself.

"We are too sensitive to our losses, and also to the losses of the other side. In the Yom Kippur War, 3,000 soldiers were killed. It sounds terrible, but that's small change."

During the war with Hezbollah, the days at the office were terrible. Every day, people at the office would be on the edge of their seats. We were worried about our friends, the deaths of our fellow countrymen, the damage being caused to our brothers up in the North and our inability to deal a crushing blow to Hezbollah. Every death hurt us inside, as if it was our friend that had been killed. We have become incredibly sensitive to the deaths of our fellow Israelis. Not to sound incredibly cruel or insensitive but this must never hinder our ability to fight. We are on the verge of some very serious conflicts with Syria, Hamas, Iran and Hezbollah - if we cannot accept that many of us won't be coming home from these battles, then we will not be able to succeed in our mission to defend this country properly. It's a tough reality, but this is the reality we need to face and accept in order to continue here. As Gaylord Nelson said, “The ultimate test of a man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.”

Dare to Realize!

Three days ago, my blog mentioned the remarkable 1-1 tie between the Israeli and French Under 21 teams. The result, which meant Israel only needed a 0-0 tie tonight to advance to the Championships in 2007, made tonight's return fixture the main attraction in Israel:

"An entire nation stands behind you in expectation; you have succeeded in uniting the country and bringing it pride. Together, the entire nation will be willing you on and we know that you are capable of completing the mission you have begun. Good luck."
Israel Football Association chairman, Itche Menahem

With 8,000 fans crammed into the Herzilya stadium, the Israelis defended like lions as the French went looking for a goal early on. Only a fantastic Tom Almadon save kept the scores level at half time. With the French pushing more and more men forward, Israel started carving out chance after chance. However, the French keeper managed to pull off save after save, denying Omer Peretz, Idan Srur, Toto Tammuz and Ben Sahr. However, a perfectly executed fast break by Israel on the left flank allowed Amir Taga, who had only been on the pitch for a few minutes, to score the game winner in the 93rd minute. Our boys had done it. This Israeli U21 team had managed to write their name in our country's footy history books. The result not only booked our place in next year's Under 21 European Championships (only 8 teams made the Final), but also set themselves up with a chance to represent Israel in the 2008 Olympic football tournament in Beijing. What a great night for Israeli football and Israel in general, something to make us proud, to put a large smile on our faces. Our little country will be on all the major sporting newtorks next year (for all the right reasons) competing against the best Under 21 talent Europe has to offer for a chance to be called 'Europe's Best' ... Congrats ...

The Starting 11:



Amir Taga, the goal scoring hero, on top of Tom Almadon's shoulders:



Aviram Bruchian and Omer Peretz celebrate a historical night:



The celebrations continue between Omer Peretz and Lior Jean:



Ben Sahr, the 17 year old Chelsea striker, and Maor Melikson join in on the celebrations:



!!!אל אל ישראל

Testing the Time

I'm not sure what to make of it ... This was after all what was expected by the US, by China, by South Korea, by Japan, by the 'living in reality' world. North Korea made their intentions known, and they did what they wanted to do. The questions, which is what starts to scares me, now become - What does the world do? Does it do anything? What message will that send to Iran, who's going to be pulling off the same stunt in a year or two? Are we heading to that 'confrontation' that eluded the US and the USSR during the 'Cold War'?

Interesting times ahead ... I guess, everything for the better - so we'll just wait and see what happens ...

Dare to Dream

It was way back in 1970, some 36 years ago, when Israel's national football team last participated in a major international competition (1970's World Cup in Mexico). But on the back of 3 very solid results (a 1-0 win against Estonia, a 4-1 thrashing of Andorra and yesterday's 1-1 tie with Russia), Israeli fans are yet again starting to dream of a place amongst Europe's elite in the European Championships in 2008. Despite a very poor 1st half performance, the half time whistle blew with Israel only down 1-0. Although there was only a slight improvement in the 2nd half, two of Israel's up & coming youngsters managed to carve something out of nothing late in the game to steal a share of the points. On an error by a Russian defender, Toto Tammuz (a 19 year old born to Nigerian illegal immigrants) managed to get a vicious shot on goal which the Russian goalkeeper managed to deflect. Amit Ben Shushan, a 21 year old striker with bucket loads of potential, was there to collect the rebound and put in his 2nd goal in 4 competitive matches for the national team. Ben Shushan's goal not only lifted Israel to the top of the group (tied with England on 7 points), but it also continued Israel's remarkable 3 year unbeaten streak in competitive matches. To cap off a marvelous night for our football teams, our U21 team managed to tie the French U21 team 1-1 in Paris despite playing with only 10 men for 65 minutes. This team is oozing with talent, confidence, speed, technique and a belief that they belong. Israel's footballing future hasn't looked so bright in a long time - El El Yisrael!

Yom Kippur Musings

"The basic assumption in our work is to prepare in the best possible fashion, so that we may stand quietly on the day of judgment, when it comes, in the knowledge that we did everything we could in the time that we had."
Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Netanyahu (killed in action, Entebbe, July 4, 1976)

Although this quote is in reference to the short time in which Yoni & Sayeret Matkal had to prepare for Operation Thunderbolt (a mere 48 hrs), I find it to be very meaningful for the upcoming two days of the Jewish calendar (Yom Kippur beings at sundown on October 1st). "Our work" to me is our life, and during our life, we "prepare in the best possible fashion" to make the most of our life; Be it by strengthening the family ties, or by developing lasting friendships, or by going to university to set up our future, or by following our dreams to appease our hearts, or by following our religion in order to find our spiritual fulfillment. We do all of the above to prepare for the current, and for the future.

And so every year, we "stand quietly on the day of judgment" as Yom Kippur approaches. All that we have done passes by Hashem while we deprive our bodies of food & water. We pray and silently ask for forgiveness, hoping Hashem passes a positive judgment & stamps our name in the Book of Life for one more year. In this short period of 25 hrs, our prayers (of the day & the past year) hopefully signal to Hashem that "we did everything we could in the time that we had" to warrant that place for next year.

On that note, Gmar Chatima Tova to you all. May you and your loved ones be inscribed in the Book of Life for years to come, and may Israel be blessed with many years of peace and prosperity.

Life As A Male

Thought I'd share this classic:

The Real Enemy

As I checked my few e-mails on Sunday night after Rosh Ha'Shanna had ended, I came across an e-mail from a good friend of mine from high school. I'd like to share one part of his e-mail:

I've recently started dating someone I like very much, and the only setback is that she isn't Jewish. While I don't care, and she isn't religious by any means, my parents seem to have difficulty grasping the concept of my appreciating someone who isn't a member of the Tribe. We can't help who we fall for, I suppose, so I make no apologies for whom I've chosen to care for at this time. Just thought I'd share that with you

What my friend is talking about here are in my opinion the greatest threats to the existence of the Jewish people: Intermarriage & Assimilation. While I responded to him being as tactful as possible as I'm sure he knows my 'real' stance on this, I'd like to make two quick points:

1. Intermarriage & Assimilation, the silent killers, have 'killed' more Jews than Hitler's final solution, more Jews than Stalin's paranoia, more Jews than the pogroms, more Jews than Ferdinand and Isabella's inquisition and the list can go on & on ... Scary point, eh?
2. We can't help who we fall for as my friend says, but if we put ourselves in the right crowd, we can make sure we don't fall for people who'll deprive our future generation of the one thing that has defined us throughout our existence.

What a Goal!!!

Liverpool won 2-0 last night against Newcastle ... forget the score though, just watch this 60 yard Xabi Alonso wonder goal ...



Come on you Reds!

A hypocritical Mufti? Naaaaaaaaah

While skimming today's Jerusalem Post, I came across one article which aroused my interest. In 'Mufti of Jerusalem urges halt to Palestinian attacks on churches', Muhammed Hussein (The Mufti of Jerusalem) declared:

We condemn any attack on churches, because it is an attack on the places of worship of others, protected clearly by Islam

Interesting Mr. Mufti - I'm glad your faith condemns it but tell me, why are these attacks seemingly encouraged within Muslim communities? Do you remember the Lebanese civil war and the non-stop attacks on Christian holy sites? The desecration of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in 2002? The list of Churches attacked just recently because of the Pope's comments? Perhaps a worldwide condemnation by leading Islamic figures would go a long way to remove the doubt from your rather lame statement. I trust the Mufti also remembers last year's events after Israel's Disengagement from (G)Aza ... If he doesn't, maybe these pictures will at least jar your memory ...







I guess Jewish places of worship don't count even though they're clearly protected by Islam because they're places of worship?

Get Back to Where You Once Belonged

Yup, I’m finally back. The 23 days are finally over, and I’m glad to be a civilian yet again. While I really enjoyed spending time with the lads and the various daily experiences, it was time to get back to the routine of life: the 9-5 job, the evenings to relax, a good night’s sleep and so on. Despite the growing desire to finish up this stint, the last few days presented some good learning experiences for me. On Sunday, we were given a chance to ‘practice’ urban warfare on a paintball course. I’ve always been scared to try paintball – the idea of getting shot at & hit for ‘fun’ wasn’t something I was too eager to experience. However, despite my worries, I gave it a shot. The practice runs were a good chance to put into action the routines we drilled in July. I really enjoyed the ‘wet’ runs and actually did really well: quite a few clean hits and amazingly, I didn’t get hit once. Oh well, I guess I’ll have to wait till the next time to get hit! That night, I participated in my first mission to arrest a wanted fugitive. The GSS (General Security Services, also known as the Shabak) had all the information on this man, except for what apartment he inhabited in the 3 story building he lived in. The task of securing the GSS agent and the ‘main team’ from above was left to me and Daniel, a 34 year old Italian who immigrated to Israel some 16 years ago. Basically, he would cover me on the stairs as I would sprint up and make sure the next stairwell was clear of any menace. Before the first sprint, I felt my heart pounding against the 12 kg bulletproof vest – all of a sudden, it wasn’t that heavy. As I approached the stairwell, I can only remember my mind being literally blank and just being at ease with the task at hand - I knew what had to be done. Once I made that first dash and pointed my M-16 upwards, my heartbeat slowly started to ease up and any worries I had about hoping my reflexes would be fast enough if I encountered a terrorist subsided. 25 minutes later, we had our man and whisked him away. 25 minutes that felt like an eternity but at eternity's end, we all went ‘home’ unscathed after a successful operation.

During this stint in the reserves, I finished Menachem Begin’s ‘The Revolt’, a first hand account of the Irgun by its commander-in-chief. The book was extremely interesting, and easy to read. I’ve always been fascinated by the Irgun and how important of a role the organization played in destroying the British desire to occupy a land they didn’t belong in. Begin’s amazing narrative covers the whole period from his imprisonment in Siberia through to the country’s declaration of independence. He delves into the Irgun’s war on the British (the daring raids on the British army depots, the King David Hotel bombing, the Acre Jail break etc), the tragic betrayal of Jews by the Jewish Agency & Haganah (the ‘Season’, the Altalena Affair – I need to mention though that Ben Gurion was deliberately misled and hence allowed the Yitzchak Rabin led forces to destroy the ship, the kidnapping of Y. Stern etc.), and the amazing destruction of the Arab & British forces in Jaffa, which ensured Tel Aviv would be safe from potential invasions during the Independence War. What amazes me about Begin was his handling of the period of self-delusion and self-hatred of the elitist Jewish Agency and Haganah leadership. He refused to even contemplate retribution, despite non-stop betrayal of his organization – be it to the British or to the yishuv itself. His love for the Jewish people and desire to stay focused on the goal (the eradication of British rule in Israel) allowed him to deal with the severe blows of seeing a people who’ve been destroyed time after time by not only their enemies, but also by their self hatred, potentially go down the same track yet again. Begin’s book gives a much needed first hand account of events that have sadly only been narrated by the people who held power till he became prime minister in 1977.

When I made aliyah, my parents rightfully warned me that Israel wasn’t the Israel I was dreaming about. The Israel I was obviously yearning for was the one that Begin so elegantly strove for: An Israel where Jews were proud to stand up for their undeniable right to live on this land, where brothers stood united on all fronts, and were were driven by a deep love for the Jewish faith and the values it tought (and still teaches). While this Israel did in fact shows signs of developing despite the elitist attitude of its leadership, I really wonder how much differently Israel would have been had Begin been given a chance to run the country his leadership helped bring into existence. I’d just like to quote one part of his famous May 14th, 1948 speech (I wish we still had leaders who cared so much like this man obviously did):

Citizens of the Hebrew State, soldiers of Israel, we are in the midst of battles. Difficult days lie ahead of us … We cannot buy peace from our enemies with appeasement. There is only one kind of ‘peace’ that can be bought – the peace of the graveyard, the peace of Treblinki. Be brave of spirit and ready for more trials. We shall withstand them. The Lord of Hosts will help us; he will sustain the bravery of the Hebrew Youth … And you, brothers of our fighting family, do you remember how we started? With what we started? You were alone and persecuted, rejected, despised and numbered with transgressors. But you fought on with deep faith and did not retreat; you were tortured but did not surrender; you were cast into prison but you did not yield; you were exiled from your country but your spirit was not crushed; you were driven to the gallows but went forth with a song. You have written a glorious page in history ...

And as Begin ended his book, so I will end my entry with the following tribue to the wonderful boys and girls of the IZ”L, the Irgun Zvah Leumi … “Their Life was a struggle; their death heroism; their sacrifice sacred; the memory eternal”

Facing Reality and Flies

About 2 months ago, 18 year old Eliyahu Osheri was kidnapped by Palestinian terrorists. He was driven to Ramallah through Merkam Hayim, a road that connects Ramallah to the Arab villages that surround Northern Jerusalem. A bullet to his head, plus the kidnapping of 3 soldiers in a period of a week, would force Ehud Olmert's government into war (I'll leave the disastrous handling of the war for now) on our Northern front with Hezbollah and on the Southwestern front with Hamas militants in (G)Aza. Due to the large call up of reservists during the war and the movement of the sadirnikim (soldiers still in mandatory service) to the Northern front, my battalion was called up for 23 days of service in the region between Jerusalem and Ramallah. Although it meant disengaging from our lives, 90% of our battalion arrived on the 29th of August for 2 days of training before our movement up to the outskirts of Jerusalem to man the week old Merkam Hayim checkpoint, to do missions in the various Arab villages and to patrol the area with armored hummers.

My first experiences at an IDF checkpoint were definitely eye openers for me. With regards to us soldiers, we were uncomfortable from the start with this assignment. Hurriedly set up, the checkpoint left us with very little ability to truly protect one another; we understood we were basically sitting ducks. We even had Israeli Arabs warning us of how dangerous of a situation we were putting ourselves in. However, after a Channel 10 report on the checkpoint, the army started moving quickly and the ensuing changes gave us a slightly safer feeling as we went on about our business (sadly, there was no protection against the constant kamikaze fly attacks at day or mosquito attacks at night!). 'Our business' entailed being on the lookout for potential terrorists, hence resulting in the checking of all traffic coming from Ramallah while trying to ensure the steady movement of traffic in and out of the checkpoint. I now better understand the harsh objections to checkpoints by Palestinians and worldwide organizations; it makes life incredibly uncomfortable - especially when we have warnings for potential suicide bombers. However, if it's a decision between the Palestinians' comfort or the safety of my people, I will choose my people's safety every time (like any other person would too I feel). I tried being as respectful and friendly as possible with all the Palestinians and Israeli Arabs I was constantly interacting with, however, even I have my limits. As the days progressed, I felt my fuse shortening and with the constant 'prodding' by insolent drivers, our weapons were raised often. It's not something easy for me to do, to point a loaded M-16 into a human being's face. I don't like the idea of being responsible to decide who lives and who dies. That's a job for the Almighty, not me. But sadly this job requires that and while shots were fired by us during the 2 weeks at the checkpoint, no one was injured or killed by our bullets.

The two weeks at the checkpoint definitely had some moments that stick out. When one Israeli Arab didn't stop at the checkpoint, I went to talk to him and tried to explain to him the 'rules of the game'. Before I could even finish my sentence, the man blurted out, "I'm sorry soldier, it's not my fault, it's just that I'm a donkey". As I smiled and assured him that he in fact was not a donkey, I sent him on his way home. The various discussions with Arabs with foreign passports (American, Brazilian, Jordanian etc) were always interesting - with only the discussions with the UN being more 'fun'. Anyone who knows me knows how much I dislike the UN - and my talks with their various representatives only served to strengthen my dislike. Always overtaking the line, these 'law abiding' UN officials seem to always try and take advantage of Israeli soldiers who cannot really communicate in English on their level. I guess this was not their lucky week! Every time a car with the UN logo came up to be checked, I gladly approached and discussed the issues at hand with the shocked officials; it's not as easy to 'control' a situation when your main advantage is nullified! Despite their hypocrisy and reasoning for overtaking (in my opinion, blatant lies), in the end, after rather well-mannered conversations - I admit it, I had to control myself sometimes when they threw out typical UN political arguments - they always went to the back of the line realizing they really weren't going to get anywhere by arguing. After two weeks of check point duty, we started doing armored hummer patrols around the area, which I enjoyed. Once I return to base tomorrow, we will be doing various missions within the neighboring villages before being released G-d willing on the 20th of September, just in time for Rosh Ha'Shanna, the Jewish New Year!

Taking a break from the laughs and 'good times' on base with the lads, a lot of the serious talk revolved around miluim (Reserve Duty) and our thoughts on the matter. People seem to underestimate the difficulty us reservists have when we disengage from our jobs & families (Expecting fathers left their wives to come serve - 3 babies were born within 2 days in our battalion last week, trips abroad were canceled - to the US & China, final exams were missed etc), and drop everything to protect our birthright. With only around 100,000 active reservists in Israel, most of us voiced serious concerns about the direction our society is taking. Unlike the Israel of yest-a-year, only major operations and wars bring about a mass showing of reservists. Nowadays, the youth of our country would rather be on Kochav Nolad (Israel's version of American Idol) or do anything possible to find a way out of a combat position, or the army itself. Gone are the days when names like Raziel, Netanyahu & Barak were the names we honored and looked up to ... Something must be done within our society to re-instill the passion and desire to serve this country after the required tour of duty ends, even when it's not 'good timing'. A few discussed the idea of a 'tax break' for those who serve every year - something that would only improve the high motivation I found within my battalion (soldiers who openly complained about not being in Lebanon). Often times, it feels as if Israeli society looks at us as 'friarim' (Hebrew for suckers) - but if a sucker means someone who eagerly defends his country while others take their freedoms for granted, then so be it ...

Find Me a Title

Wrote this piece a while back, but have never been able to find a suitable title for it! So, if ya like, suggest a title and the 'winner' shall have the honor of having his title on my poem!

Untitled
Motta* screamed, "Jerusalem is ours."
And so, two lonely halves reunited
After years of forced separation, 6 days forever sealed her future
Her bullet riddled walls eagerly narrate her story ...
A story of restoration
A story of faith & power
A story of endurance & perseverence.
And while Naomi** is no longer here to sing her inspiring words
Jerusalem of Gold will forever serenade the undivided birthright of our people
Through the tough days, through the good days
She'll stand with us as we continue developing the dream
To be a free people on our land

* Motta Gur commanded the paratrooper forces that conquered Jerusalem in 1967. He has the honor of announcing that Jerusalem was finally ours
** Naomi Shemer, one of Israel's greatest song writers (wrote Jerusalem of Gold) passed away last year

The Definition of a Hero

Dictionary.com defines 'Hero' as:

1. In mythology and legend, a man, often of divine ancestry, who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his bold exploits, and favored by the gods.
2. A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life: soldiers and nurses who were heroes in an unpopular war.

Due to the events of the last week, I could simply define the word as Lieutenant Colonel Ro'ee Klein z"l. The story, which I very much doubt has even reached the media outside of Israel, is one that should be recounted with extreme pride, astonishment and tears of respect. The deputy battalion commander in the 51st Golani infantry battalion lost his life in a way that perhaps only Hollywood could script. In the fierce close quarter fighting in Bint Jbeil, Klein (the most senior soldier in the battle) noticed a grenade thrown at his forces. Realizing there was not enough time to get his soldiers to cover, Klein covered the grenade with his body, taking the brunt of the explosion. Survivors from the battle that claimed 9 soldiers' lives, including Klein's, all recount him screaming 'Hear O' Israel' (Shema Yisrael) as he jumped on the grenade. A hero in every sense of the word. Buried on his 31st birthday, his widow's only wish was that her 2 sons grow up to be similar to their departed father.

This is just one of the many stories of extreme bravery our soldiers have displayed over the past month. In the heat of battle, where split second decisions will often dictate who lives and who dies, Klein's incredible bravery and love for his soldiers dictated that he would return wrapped up in an Israeli flag. May his memory be blessed.

In tough times ...

Remember the famous words of Ein Li Eretz Acheret (I have no Other Land):

I have no other country
even if my land is aflame
Just a word in Hebrew
pierces my veins and my soul -
With a painful body, with a hungry heart,
Here is my home.

Musings from a Land at War

During the last two weeks of fighting up North, Staff Sergeant Yonatan Vlasyuk (Ukraine), Sergeant Assaf Namer (Australia) and Staff Sergeant Michael Levin (USA) have all been killed while fighting Hezbollah terrorists. All three boys, despite being from different countries, had one thing in common. They were all chayalim bodedim, soldiers serving in the IDF while their families were living abroad. When one makes Aliyah (immigrates to Israel), it oftentimes ensures that he sacrifice the comfort of his family and home; joining the IDF (and especially the upper echelons of our infantry brigades like these boys did) on the other hand is a declaration that one is willing to sacrifice oneself for his beliefs and love of Israel. The embodiment of Zionism has always been the readiness to do all for the Jewish State - and sadly, these boys paid the ultimate price for their love of Israel ... May Hashem bless their memories ...

Since I started following Liverpool, my dream was to always watch them live. While I've managed to watch some of the giants of the game (AC Milan, Real Madrid & AS Roma), getting to see Liverpool has somehow always eluded me. Which brings me to last Friday ... The draw for the 3rd round of the Champions League qualifiers: Liverpool and the reigning Israeli champions, Maccabi Haifa, were paired up. Obviously I was ecstatic; my first 'real' chance (I could have made my way to Istanbul to watch the classic final in 2005 - but missed the last package by a few minutes) to watch a team I've been following since the mid 80s. However, due to the current situation, Liverpool have pushed hard to have the fixture moved away from Israel. Sadly, I cannot see the tickets I've reserved through my friend being used. A real shame ...

Last but not least, I cannot understand what on earth led Ehud Olmert to say what he said two days ago. The prime minister of Israel, during one of his speeches, declared:

"I'll surprise you, I genuinely believe the outcome of the present [conflict] and the emergence of a new order that will provide more stability and will defeat the forces of terror will help create the necessary environment that will allow me ... to create a new momentum between us and the Palestinians."

It seems quite clear to me that this war has become more of a 'political' tool for Olmert to push his realignment plan, a plan that will lead to the expulsion of 200,000 Jews from the 'West Bank'. Dear me, what was Olmert thinking? For the first time since Operation Defensive Shield (April 2002), the country is practically united (except the usual nuts on the fringes of the Left and the majority of Israel's Arabs). We have Bibi Netanyahu, the opposition speaker in the Knesset (Parliament), standing by Olmert even as world pressure begins to drastically increase. Our soldiers' motivation hasn't been this high in years (Countless of stories about injured soldiers 'sneaking out' of hospitals to return to their units and continue the fight) and the country as a whole is behind them. Why jeopardize that? Why create cracks in a united front? To put it bluntly, these idiotic comments are perhaps the first bits of evidence at why this war has been handled so poorly, being totally monopolized by two clueless politicians (Olmert and Amir Peretz, the Defense Minister) to further goals that will only strain our country's shaky internal unity.

Pics from Miluim (Reserve Duty)

Scrolled our battalion's website and found 3 pics with yours truly! :)

Lunch time on Day 2:



And the following are from day 3 where we were drilling urban warfare techniques:

A Time for War ...

I'm sure I will write more about this war as it continues. It's been a very trying few weeks for me, my first stint in reserves (I thought about writing about the experience but it seems rather trivial when compared to the current situation) & my first brush as a citizen of a country in war. It is difficult to explain the stress (dealing with friends going to the front, daily IDF incursions into Lebanon and the daily barrages on our Northern cities - 2500+ rockets in the last two weeks) this 'war' has placed on Israelis . That topic however is for another day's blog, for now I'd rather focus on our amazing soldiers. The pride and joy of our nation are now standing up against our most serious test since Operation Defensive Shield in 2002. They won't fail us; they never have, they never will. I would like to share this snippet from a Haaretz.com article ... It made me extremly proud to be an Israeli, a reservist and a Jew living in my one & only home:

"It's our turn now. It's our turn to protect the border. And we'll carry out any mission we need to, against any force, in the best way possible. If we don't, we have no right to exist. We will not lose this war. We did not start it, but it's our duty to protect the Jewish nation and see to it that the residents of Metula and Haifa can live in peace. If we don't do it, no one will. We waited 2,000 years for our own state, and we won't fold because a group of terrorists think that they can scare us. Someone who cannot protect his freedom does not deserve it"
Captain Ori Lavie - Golani

CAMPIONI DEL MONDO!!!

Unfortunately, I clearly remember the penalties from the 1994 World Cup Final, the penalties which resulted in Italy bowing out to a stronger Brazilian team after Roberto Baggio's famous miss. As extra time began waning away in last night's Final, the nervous tension of the Italian fans at Seven (a pub on Yaffo Street) started to increase steadily. Since 1990, Italy has been eliminated from the World Cup through the dreaded penalty shootout three times. In 1990, Argentina did the honors while the aforementioned Brazilians delivered the cruel blow in 1994. Les Bleus were the guilty party in 1998, sending the Italians home after a quarter finals shoot out. However, this time history would thankfully not be repeating itself. A 'German' like efficiency in the penalty shoot out would lead Italy to a memorable 5-3 penalty shoot out win, their 4th triumpth in the tournament (Italy were also crowned world champions in 1934, 1938 and 1982). A fantastic achievement for a team many overlooked at the tournament's beginning, despite their highly rated head coach (Lippi) and a squad full of Serie A stars.

A few thoughts from the game:

When I saw Fabio Grosso approaching to take the 5th and decisive penalty kick, I knew we had won. This was the same lad who Lucas Neill brought down in the dying seconds in the 2nd Round against Australia to win the deciding penalty, the same lad who scored a quite stunning game winning goal against Germany in the 119th minute of the Semi Final against Germany. Failure wasn't an option for this Palermo based player. And as he struck it sweetly into the right hand corner, he had further cemented his spot in Italian footy folklore. What a sudden rise to stardom by this youngster - congratulazioni!


What a black mark on one my generation's greatest talents. The best player on the European continent since Johan Cruyff, Zinedine Zidane ended his storied career with a sickening head butt to Marco Materazzi's chest and a rightful red card. It's a black mark on a fantastic career that saw this maestro dominate in Serie A with Juventus and in La Liga with Real Madrid. Zizou's tricks, remarkable passing ability and uncanny ability to score critical goals (2 goals in the 1998 World Cup Finals and the only goal in the 2002 European Champions League final) will be missed. Merci pour les mémoires ...


FORZA ITALIA!!! CAMPIONI DEL MONDO!!!



The winning squad:
1 Gianluigi Buffon
12 Angelo Peruzzi
14 Marco Amelia
2 Cristian Zaccardo
5 Fabio Cannavaro
6 Andrea Barzagli
13 Alessandro Nesta
22 Massimo Oddo
23 Marco Materazzi
3 Fabio Grosso
4 Daniele De Rossi
8 Gennaro Gattuso
16 Mauro German Camoranesi
17 Simone Barone
20 Simone Perrotta
19 Gianluca Zambrotta
21 Andrea Pirlo
7 Alessandro Del Piero
9 Luca Toni
10 Francesco Totti
11 Alberto Gilardino
15 Vincenzo Iaquinta
18 Filippo Inzaghi

A 12 year absence

For any Italian footy fan, the image on the left is etched in his/her memory. With his team needing the penalty to stay alive in the first penalty shoot out in World Cup finals history, Roberto Baggio sent his spot kick sky high. The 'divine pony tail', as he was fondly known to his adoring fans, put his head down in sheer disbelief. After almost single handedly carrying his nation to football's holy grail, including stunning performances against Nigeria and Bulgaria, he had just let down the entire nation. I remember the whole game & the incredible shock after the miss quite clearly. I had just returned from my 2 week trip to Israel with Carmel College, and was eagerly awaiting the game after following most of the World Cup in Israel. Italy's run had captivated the whole nation, and even my parents & little sister sat with me in our lounge watching the game. Only some fantastic saves by the 'wonderful' (just quoting my Mom here!) Gianluca Pagliuca managed to keep Brazil from breaking down the stubborn Italian defense. However, the cruel penalty shootout would finally put an end to the Italian dream ...

Fast forward 12 years later (granted, I'd be watching the game in Jerusalem, my sister in London and my parents & little brother in New York) to 2006 and Italy again had a chance to make amends for the previous generation's errors. A daunting game against the hosting nation, Germany, stood in between Italy and another Final's appearance. The first 90 minutes provided few chances, with Simone Perotta and Bernd Schneider both guilty of missing golden opportunities to put their teams ahead. As extra time loomed, Marcello Lippi, a defensive minded head coach, threw caution to the wind by substituting tiring right winger Mauro Camoranesi for the fresh legs of Udinese striker, Vincenzo Iaquinta. This move almost paid off immediate dividends with the substitute's presence on the right flank allowing Alberto Gilardino to hit the post on a determined individual effort, and Gianluca Zambrotta to hit the bar with a thundering drive off a corner won by the aforementioned Iaquinta. With the first period of extra time ending, Lippi yet again made a surprising tactical move by taking off Simone Perotta, who put in a fantastic performance, and replacing him with Alessandro Del Piero, the man who replaced Roberto Baggio as Juventus and Italy's golden boy. Del Piero's history with the Azzurri has been a bitter sweet one. Although he's always played well for Italy, he was guilty of failing to put away the French in the 2000 European Championships final, missing two golden opportunities. The French would eventually tie the game in the waning moments of normal time and win the game with a golden goal. History seemed to be playing the same cruel trick on Del Piero as he missed the net completely late in the 2nd period of extra time after Jens Lehmann took a 'field trip' in the box. With the game set to go into penalties, a stage where the Germans had never lost and the Italians had never won, Fabio Grosso stepped up and etched his name in Italian football history in the 119th minute of the game. After a fantastic pass by man of the match Andrea Pirlo, Gross struck a one time, curling shot into the upper left corner of Lehmann's net, leaving the German keeper with no chance whatsoever. Grosso, who's celebrations reminded some Italians of Marco Tardelli's similar act in the 1982 Finals against West Germany, had yet again played a critical role in the dying minutes of a game (He won the hotly disputed penalty against Australia in the 2nd Round). Seconds later, Del Piero would finish off the game by scoring a goal after a fantastic fast break move by the Italians. As he ran to celebrate, the refree blew the whistle and Italy eagerly awaited the winners of the Portugal-France game. 6 games down, 1 to go to reclaim the Crown we last won in 1982 ... Forza Azzurri!




Here are the highlights from yesterday's riveting 2-0 win:

Remember Entebbe?

Another 4th of July is fast approaching here in Israel. A day which should mean something not only in Israel, but also worldwide, will probably only be mentioned non-stop throughout our media because of its 'anniversary'. It is after all the 30th year since one of history's most daring rescue missions. However, even 30 years later, this event can still play a major role in shaping the world's mentality in pursuing her inalienable rights. During such an uncertain stage in Israel's & the world's war on radical Islam's terror tactics, July 4th should be remembered for the actions of Israel's elite forces during Operation Thunderbolt, otherwise known as the Raid on Entebbe.

A brief overview of the event: Late June 1976, an Air France jet leaves Israel and lands in Athens, where 2 Germans and 2 Arabs board the plane and proceed to hijack it. The plane arrives in Entebbe (Uganda), where the terrorists are joined by more Arabs & friendly Ugandan troops (by orders of the country's president, Idi Amin Dada). The terrorists demanded the release of their imprisoned buddies throughout Europe & Israel. After a few days, all the non-Jews and non-Israelis were released, allowed to return to Paris (an eerie reminder for Israel of the holocaust and the selections). While the world remained silent, Israel planned a daring mission while 'attempting to negotiate'. Late July 3rd, Sayeret Matkal (Israel's most elite unit) with other standout soldiers from various units, left Israel on a 4000 km flight to deal a death blow to terrorism. On July 4th, Israel's forces did the impossible: they rescued all but 4 of the hostages (2 were killed by stray bullets at the terminal, 1 died of his wounds in a Nairobi hospital and Dora Bloch z"l was left behind in a Ugandan hospital, where she was murdered by Ugandan troops) and one soldier, the commander of Sayeret Matkal, Yonatan Netanyahu z"l. Israel had once again stood up to terror, refusing to allow it to dictate her policies.

The significance and importance of such an accomplishment should be stressed in light of worldwide events in the last few years. Islamic terror has killed thousands of innocent civilians since 2000, and while their numbers, supporters & strength only grow stronger, the world's reactions become more and more timid & pathetic. While the US pursues actions (offensives against terror supporting Afghani & Iraqi regimes) that she deems are necessary to protect her citizens, way too many countries refuse to react. When Spain suffered a devastating attack which killed 191 people, their reaction was to change PM and withdraw all their troops from Iraq. Wonder what the terrorists learned from that mission?!?!? (Perhaps something along the lines of: kill civilians, get what you want!). When Australia lost 100+ citizens in the attacks on Bali in 2002, the reaction was a few harsh words from PM John Howard and since then, very little else. After the introduction of suicide bombing on buses in London, England's reaction also left much to be desired. While radical Muslim activity flourishes in the Balkans (& Europe in general), Northern Africa, the Middle East & Southeast Asia, too little is being done to put obstacles in the terrorists' paths. The inability to act or react is only further strengthening the belief of the terrorists that one day they will win the war against the West.

The rescue at Entebbe stresses the rights of any nation to defend her citizens' right to live and breathe. A day to honor the bravery & excellence of those soldiers would stress a vital point: A country should undertake whatever means it deems necessary to protect her citizens from the threats of terrorism, be it a preemptive strike (for example, the 6 Day War where Israel attacked Arab forces lined up on their borders before they were ready for their attack, hence allowing us to win the war) or by reacting to attacks. A good example of the above are the events surrounding the World Trade Center towers: Bill Clinton should have reacted with force after the first attack in '93 (By that, I don't mean bombing a medicine factory in Sudan) and George W. Bush should have started to act when all the warnings came in before the tragic attacks on 9/11. The free world is in the most vital phase of its war to eliminate radical Islam's terror tactics & allow a moderate & peaceful Islam to flourish. Any hesitation (like we're seeing today with Israel with regards to Hamas) or backtracking will only strengthen the terrorists' resolve to destroy the values most of us take for granted. By commemorating & highlighting the brave actions of the IDF on July 4th, the world would be sending a clear & necessary message to the terror cells of the world: no action taken against the citizens of the free world will go unpunished.

Gus

I was so excited at first to walk Gus, a pedigree cocker spaniel we were given by my lil bro's futbol coach. I remember walking him on the Heathcote sports field, refusing to allow my sister and her friend to share in my fun. Eventually though, I lost interest in the walking part and just enjoyed playing with him. However, in order to pay insurance on my car, I was required to keep Gus company daily on two 15 minute walks. At the time, I hated it. But looking back on it, it was a wonderful way to take a break from homework or the TV or the Playstation or other distractions. Throughout my 4 years at university, I absolutely loved to see Gus' reaction to me when I returned home. He would get so excited, shivering wildy and start anticipating his belly being scratched. Words can't truly describe how wonderful of a dog he was ... Sadly today, my mom had the unfortunate task of telling me that this inseparable part of our family had sadly passed away.

As I type this out, a smile crosses my tear stricken face ... I can just remember so many time where he made me laugh so much - be it his summer hunting of cicadas, his constant battles with the blue devil (a pump), his crying during Shabbat waiting for Challah, his crying during Pessach not understanding there was no Challah, and his eagerness to protect Eitan when we used to play fight. Such a special part of our family ... but now, just a memory, a very fond warm memory ...

You were one in a million gus buster ... You'll be sorely missed ...



"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive."
Gilda Radner

Holocaust Mentality needs a changing ...

I wrote this a while back - but after today's events, I just feel it needs to be reiterated. A recap of today's events from Haaretz:

Two Israel Defense Forces soldiers were killed and another was reported missing when Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups attacked an IDF post within Israeli territory near the Gaza Strip border, in the pre-dawn hours Sunday.

Now granted, Israel has gone into Aza to find the missing soldier but something needs to be done. Something major. In the last month alone, we've allowed over 200 quassam rockets to hit Sderot and other Israeli cities with little retaliation. What message are we sending the terrorists? Are Olmert's preventative measures & 'Realignment Plan' really going to make a difference? Sometimes I wonder what our leadership really strives for ... American dollars and positive world opinion or the safety of her citizens?

Things are as usual heating up in Israel and no, I'm not talking about Ariel Sharon bolting the Likud to form his own centerist party. I'm talking about yesterday's border incidents with Lebanon and the upcoming confrontation with Iran. Yesterday, a few groups of Hezbollah terrorists crossed the Israeli-Lebanese border with the intent of kidnapping/killing soldiers. Their crossing was accompanied a heavy barrage of LAU missiles. Luckily for us, only 11 Israelis were injured (amongst them, a few civilians in Metula) and 4 Hezbollah terrorists were killed by a soldier (who's only been in the army for 8 months - remarkable) How do we react? We state that if Hezbollah don't escalate the border tensions, we won't take any further action. Escalate? I mean what are our leaders smoking?!?!? Imagine any country in the world taking that stand after yesterday's flare up? To make matters worse in the region, Iran is coming close to the 'point of no return' with regards to completing their nuclear reactor. With their wonderful president (Ahmadinejad) declaring, "Israel must be wiped off the map," it seems that Israel must be ready to act. But seeing how we react to Hezbollah attacks (or terrorist attacks in general nowadays), can the citizens of Israel truly expect our country's leadership to take the necessary steps to protect us?

In my opinion, this all comes down to this holocaust mentality we have re-acquired in the last 20 or so years. It goes without saying, Israel from 1948 to the mid 1980s acted as it saw fit when it came to the protection of her citizens. From border raids of the famous 'Unit 101' in the 1950s, to the preemptive strike in the 1967 Six Day War, to the Entebbe and Sabena Raids, to the famous attack in 1981 on Iraq's nuclear reactor to the assassination of Abu Jihad in Tunis, Israel always made protection of her citizens it's main priority. Where did it change? I wish I knew the answer, but I think irreversible damage was done during the first Gulf War where the US forced Israel to not protect her citizens despite Iraq's continuous launching of scud missiles at our territory. And today, as we approach extremely difficult situations with the aforementioned Hezbollah and Iran, not to mention Hamas and the other Palestinian terror organizations, our leaders (& nation in general) must change their mentality. This Holocaust mentality that for some reason dictates that us Jews succumb to world pressure (or not act like any other normal independent nation) and not protect our citizens is threatening our very existence. The onus is on us to educate the upcoming generation of the importance of remembering that this country was founded after the ashes of 6,000,000 Jews were scattered across Europe and that we have a right to defend our birthright as we see necessary. Let the youth of this nation be proud of our amazing history, both before and after Israel's rebirth in May 1948. Stress the Zionist beliefs and values that inspired generation after generation to stake their claim to this land, and do whatever it would take to 'plant their roots' here. This will take time, but it's a necessity if this dream, which was hatched in 70 CE with our expulsion from the land by the Romans, is to remain a reality. Perhaps no one says it better than Menachem Begin, who 'upset' the whole world in 1981 when he had the Israeli Air Force destroy the Osirak nuclear reactor in Iraq, "Believe me, the alternative to fighting is Treblinka, and we have resolved that there would be no Treblinkas. This is the moment in which a courageous choice has to be made. The criminal terrorists and the world must know that the Jewish people have a right to self-defense, just like any other people."

"Let his cry and his plea come before You to transform a valley of gloom into a doorway of hope"
Hosea 2:15

Instantaneous Hero

The 2006 World Cup is now in full swing. For whatever reason, I have not really been as excited about this World Cup as I was during the previous 3. Perhaps not having it on my TV screen without the ludicrous 492 NIS charge has something to do with it. But that all changed Saturday evening. No, I'm not talking about the highly disappointing Italian performance (Their 1-1 tie with the United States left me feeling that the Azzurri will yet again fail to lift the trophy they last won in 1982). I'm talking about Ghana, the next country in a long line of African surprise packages (with European stars like Stephane Appiah and Michael Essien) producing a stunning 2-0 demolition of tournament dark horses, the Czech Republic.

What caught my eye in the highlights was that after every goal, John Pantsil, Hapoel Tel Aviv's right back, celebrated with an Israeli flag. Yes, an African Christian, showing unity with a country that he has called home for almost 5 years. He said he'd do it, and boy oh boy, did he ever deliver. That flag waving took him from being a practically unknown player in Israel to being on the cover of every single Israeli newspaper. After the game, he told an Israeli reporter that he wanted to make Israel happy because he loved the country. Johnny boy, not only have you done that, but you've become our representative in the World Cup. You, and your 2 other countrymen (George Owu & Emmanuel Pappoe), that play their club football in Israel have just become our heroes - Come on Black Stars!

Osirak - 25 years later

Below is a really awesome 40+ minute special on the bombing of Iraq's nuclear reactor back in 1981 by the Israeli Air Force. Quite an amazing story, with one particular quote standing out:

"I felt that Ilan Ramon, who was my wing man, and myself were gonna be killed and couldn't share the information with my wife or anybody else. I remember that I came to peace with myself on the day of the mission because I'm named after my grandfather, who had died in a concentration camp. And I felt that I'm flying for him, and there's some calm in it that you know that there's a meaning to whatever happens to you"
Lt. General Relik Shafir




"Let the world know that under no circumstances will Israel ever allow an enemy to develop weapons of mass destruction against our people. If ever such a threat reoccurs we shall take whatever preemptive measures are necessary to defend the citizens of Israel with all the means at our disposal"
Menachem Begin - minutes after the IAF destroyed Osirak in 90 seconds on Erev Shavout, 1981 (25 years ago)

Say It Before Tomorrow

My daily 45 minute trek on Jerusalem buses back and forth to work usually includes some much needed 'quiet time' with the MP3 player. Yesterday's play list included P.O.D's Youth of the Nation, which seems to have been 'inspired' (if you can call it that) by the sadly all too common shootings plaguing US high schools. The opening two sentences of the song are extremely powerful:

Last day of the rest of my life I wish I would have known cause I'd have kissed my momma goodbye. I didn't tell her that I loved her or how much I cared or thank my pops for all the talks and all the wisdom he shared.

It got me thinking - if one was to go in the next few minutes, would your loved ones know how much you cared? How much you appreciated their love and guidance throughout your years on this planet? It's a tough question to answer. Most of us live our lives expecting to be here tomorrow, putting things off based on our 'knowledge' that tomorrow will come. In the above quoted sentences, there's a truly simple and important lesson to be learned. Let the ones you love know, be it by simple words or actions, how much you care and value their presence in your life. It's such a simple thing to do really ...

On a less serious note - the World Cup starts next month in Germany. For some reason, Israel is the only nation in the world where people will be charged to watch the tourny (492 NIS, about 120 US dollars). This has caused an outcry within the country, and while the price seems to be on the way down now, I for one would rather go to various Jerusalem bars and spend a few sheks on a beer watching the game then to pay the cable providers. Bloody Jews! ;) As for who I shall be rooting for ... The answer is easy, Italy. Forza Azzurri!

Musings from Memorial Day & Independence Day

Watching the tele on the evening of Yom Ha'Zikaron (Memorial Day) is rather difficult. You have non-stop stories of parents talking about the return of their sons and daughters, not in their military uniforms, but wrapped up in the blue & white flag of Israel. Unfortunately for a nation of soldiers, it's all too 'easy' to relate to stories of pain and loss. With eyes glued to the screen, one cannot help but cry as parents recount how in one instant, they lost their most prized possession. Israelis deal with the pain and reality of death constantly. We are a country that was built on the ashes of European Jewry and have survived non-stop onslaughts by our neighbors to repeat the Nazis' crimes against our people. Death unfortunately has become an all to normal part of our existence. But for one day a year (Holocaust Memorial Day is a week before Yom Ha'Zikaron where we remember the 6,000,000 Jews who were brutally slaughtered by the Nazis), we take 'time off' to mourn the loved ones who have given up their most precious asset, their right to breathe, to defend our people and land.

One of the biggest debates I had in the army was about the issue revolving Israeli agents/soldiers who have fallen behind enemy lines or in army operations. I amazingly was in the minority arguing that no matter what, one never leaves a brother behind. If someone G-d forbid falls, everything must be done to ensure his return - it's a value I feel that the army cannot even begin to compromise on. Why do I bring this up? On the way to a BBQ on the evening of Yom Ha'Atzma'aout (Independence Day), I asked my taxi driver what the day meant to him. He told me that ever since his friends' blood had become a part of the land, he had lost his desire to celebrate the day like he used to. Another topic he brought up was the issue of our fallen heroes (and in same cases, our living heroes) that are still in enemy territory. With the typical passion you can expect from an Israeli, he blasted every government for not having done everything in their power to return the bones of one of history's greatest spies, Eli Cohen (first pic on the left). How a nation that held thousands of Syrian POWs & high ranking Syrian generals after the Yom Kippur War not ensure their return for the return of his bones to Israel to be buried baffled the man (and rightly so). He continued to talk about his great disappointment in the abandonment of figures like Ron Arad (pic on the right) and Jonathan Pollard (second pic on the left side). This is a major problem in my eyes. All these examples (Along with the UN assisted Hezbollah kidnapping of 3 Israeli soldiers in 2000 - their bodies were only returned in 2004 and the incident at Joseph's Tomb) were mentioned in that heated army debate I mentioned earlier. Eventually more and more of the unit started realizing that a soldier's dedication to his mission would be greatly compromised if a fate similar to that of the examples I've mentioned was the norm. I'm sure I'm not the only soldier who asks himself, that if G-d forbid he was to fall in a battle in enemy territory, would the country do all in her power to ensure that his body would be returned to its rightful resting grounds in Israel?

The difficulty of Yom Ha'Zikaron ends with an explosion of happiness and euphoria as Yom Ha'atzma'aout is ushered in. It's an amazing 180 degree u-turn and it's something that basically signifies the Israeli mentality. While we deeply mourn and miss our fallen, we understand that life must continue. The sadness and pensive moods of Yom Ha'Zikaron are necessities but the joy and celebration of life during Yom Ha'atzma'aout is just as critical. Besides a BBQ and the usual bar hopping, I also spent some time at a Rikuday A'am (Israeli folk dancing) event. Hearing songs like 'Od Loh Ahavti Dai' or 'Mayim Mayim' and seeing so many people dance them, and dance them right, bought a few tears to my eyes. These are the songs that the first generation of Israelis danced to ... Israelis who knew they'd never see the fruit of their labor, and yet gave everything they could to ensure that their children and grandchildren would have the amazing country we have today. If only more of us had that attitude today ...

Life without Breath

"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."
Jane Howard

I'm kinda struggling with how to exactly write this blog, so bear with me. The first day of Pessach (Passover) just ended Thursday night and for the 4th straight year, I spent it with people whom I don't call Mom, Dad, Tov or Eitan. After being 'spoiled' for so long with the amazing warmth, food & traditions of my family during Passover (and Shabbatot & Chagim in general), I've now kinda grown accustomed to being with a new family each year when the Seder arrives. This is the first time I've actually really struggled with the feelings that yet again, my family would not be together. This 'hole' has truly been my biggest struggle since I made aliyah, with this chag suddenly stressing the longing, the desire, the need to be around them. Not hearing the Ladino songs or phrases that my dad reads from the Hagaddah (the Passover 'prayer book') or eating my mom's unrivaled dishes (bendichas manos, ‘of blessed hands’ in Ladino) or just not having the warmth of the 5 of us being together leaves the chag missing something so vital in the equation for me. My last blog (it feels like I wrote it decades ago) spoke of how I'd come so far in the last 3 years here, but yet no matter how far I've 'traveled', this hole still eats away at me, especially during times when I'm 'supposed' to be with them.

I've always really enjoyed spending Shabbatot and Chagim with my family. Granted as a younger chap, times with the family would almost always mean some bickering and arguing but still, those nights helped instill something in me and my siblings. My parents were not only teaching us the importance of the Chagim, Shabbat & our family's traditions, but they were also strengthening our family bonds - something that sadly seems to go unstressed nowadays in too many families worldwide. It has been such a major part of my upbringing, and I am so grateful for the relationships it has helped me forge with my family. These strong bonds however have now ironically become the thorns in my move here as I know that I've missed out on so much back 'home'. I have missed out on my lil bro growing up and slowly but surely, becoming a 'mensch'. I was barely able to keep up with my sister's Florentine adventure, and I somehow know that it will be just as difficult to track her new adventure as a member of Google in London. I have truly missed my long talks with my parents, and while the internet has helped alleviate that, it cannot replace what I had just a few years ago. I guess that's part of the 'Zionist Dream'. If you come here alone, you sacrifice things that are of extreme importance to you. However, on a positive note, it makes me appreciate my family even more, and I hope that one day in the not so distant future, we can all live in the same country (or at least the same continent!) and enjoy each other's presence more frequently.

"The family is one of nature's masterpieces"
George Santayana

Strike 3, y'er in!

For 2 years I must have driven all my mates at Binghamton University crazy, blabbering non-stop about Israel, Zionism, my green suit dreams and my ambition to make aliyah. Everyone saw it was the one thing that drove me, a passion that was getting stronger and stronger as events in Israel spiraled out of control with the 2nd intifadeh and the rise of anti-Israel activity on Binghamton's campus. I knew where I was going, I would do what parents did in 1983 and thousands did before them, and leave behind the comfort of home for the sake of my people & my dream. So on February 16th, 2003, I choked up as I hugged my parents. Although I'm sure it was difficult for them to see their eldest leave them, I know they were proud of me. The same passion and desires that took them away from their parents in Cape Town had infected me and was pulling me towards my real home. A day later, I awoke to see the shoreline of Tel Aviv as the plane made its descent to Ben Gurion.

3 year later ... Yup, 3 years have passed already since I left the good ole comfort of Scarsdale, New York. I've traveled throughout the country, walking on land that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob wondered on. I've tasted the delicious Negev sand while training to become a defender of my nation's right to exist. I've stood up silently to honor the 6,000,000 brothers and sisters that were brutally taken away from my nation while the world stood silent. I've stood silently to honor the 20,000+ Israelis who've died in our ongoing battle to find peace in the Middle East. I've laughed. I've cried. I've experienced the highs of Independence Day, the lows of losing friends. Tasted the cultures and foods of the plethora of nations represented here. I've been paid to take Jewish holidays off. I've learned some Russian, some Amharic (the langauge spoken by Ethiopians) and a few important phrases in Arabic. I've tasted love. I've gotten closer to my faith. But most importantly, I've lived. I've pursued my dream, and lived it to the best of my abilities while learning and trying constantly to better myself.

So 3 years have passed. The passion is still there. The love for my country (& her future) and my faith are as strong as ever. The roots I planted here as a 22 year old are slowly growing stronger. I'm extremely happy with how my dream is playing itself out - and as Mark Twain said, "Throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Onwards ...

Psalm 133:1

The events of this past week in Israel were incredibly difficult to handle. The non-stop photographs and videos of Jew on Jew violence in Amuna was excruciatingly difficult to watch. This was not like what happened in (G)Aza, where most of the settlements were evacuated peacefully with protestors and soldiers crying together. This was Jew on Jew violence, leaving 200 people injured with 2 in serious condition. I've read and heard both sides' stories and I don't care what each other blabbers on about, they are BOTH to blame. I mean what the hell are they thinking?!?!? The 'settlers', though I know most were not in fact residents of Judea and Sumaria, for resorting to some sick language (like throwing around the Nazi word freely) and violence (like throwing bricks on policemen). The cops for their extraordinary use of force, and the numbers of injured tell the story of that force. What is this country coming to? This is Israel? This is the country that I love so much? I shudder to think what will happen when the next settlement is evacuated ...

These kinds of events are littered throughout the history of the Jewish people, but it's become even more of a problem since the 1940s. Two pre-State events highlight these problems. The first is 'The Season', where the Haganah willingly disclosed information to the British about Etzel & Lechi (both more radical underground movements than the aforementioned Haganah) fighters. Many of these fighters the British caught would later be hung. How did the Etzel & Lechi react? Menachem Begin refused to retaliate. The propensity for 'brother on brother' crime was highlighted again during the Independence War, when the Altalena, an Etzel cargo ship filled with Holocaust survivors and weapons, was shot on and destroyed by Yitzchak Rabin's forces from the nearby beach (David Ben Gurion's direct orders). Although 16 Jews were killed, there was no retaliation from the Etzel. Menachem Begin, who refused to leave the burning vessel until all the injured had been evacuated, famously said, 'There will not be a war here between brothers.' Does it stop here? Sadly not. The treatment of the 850,000 Arab Jews, who arrived throughout the 1950s, was disgraceful and more recently, the obvious racism when handling our brothers from Ethiopia. The non-stop references to Yitzchak Rabin as a Nazi during the Oslo process was an embarrassment. The list can go on and on but the point is sadly clear. We are too prone to baseless hatred, to 'sina'at achim' (hatred of our brothers). It has to stop before it destroys us. Anwar Sadat quite nicely sums up the stupidity of my people in his autobiography, "How do you destroy Israel? Simple, leave them alone for 25 years and they'll take care of themselves."

Ask a Rabbi what the most important prayer in Judaism is and he should tell you it's the Shema, 'Hear O' Israel'. What's amazing about that prayer's introduction is that it's directed at a singular Israel even though it's talking to every Jew. Simple really, we are one nation, we are supposed to be united and not divided. The divisions in our society are at the worst they've been since the 1950s. I am sadly coming to the conclusion that while the 'nation' of Israel still lives, the country is slowly being lost - to corruption, to sina'at achim, to violence etc. I was discussing why Israel is so special with my dad's cousin a few weeks ago, and she made a very strange comment, 'You have to see this country during war.' Perplexed, I asked her why she would wish a war on Israel. She quickly replied, 'I didn't mean it like that, but to see the unity of our people, how everyone wants to help one another and work together, it's simply amazing.' Sad eh? Sad that war or death (Rav Kadouri's funeral this past week bought in 200,000 Jews - ultra orthodox, modern orthodox, non-religious, Sephardim, Ashkenazim - to mourn) has to unite us.

"How good and pleasant it is when brothers are together in unity"
Psalm 133:1

If only this psalm could become a day to day reality ...

A legend returns home ...

As youngsters, we all have our heroes. We all seem to find someone famous to be our inspiration, a person who's achieved what we surely will when we grow up. As a footy (soccer for you Yankee readers!) mad teenager in Carmel College, a Jewish boarding school near Oxford, my hero was none other than Robbie Fowler. I've always been a passionate Liverpool fan (Not sure why but I'm positive it's from the influnece of my grandfather and uncle). My move to Carmel finally allowed me to follow Liverpool non-stop. Be it by reading the weekly footy mags (Shoot or Match), or by reading the back page of the available papers; I was always looking to see what was happening up at Anfield. My 2 years in England coincided with the meteoric rise of a youngster from Toxteth (The 'Harlem' of Liverpool, which experienced bad riots in the early 1980s) by the name of Robbie Fowler.

Fowler broke into the first team as a 17 year old, scored 5 goals in his 3rd game and by his second season, was a shoe in for 30 goals every year. As I started playing regularly for the Carmel team, I tried to mimic him as a player (without much success I might add). The first Liverpool shirt I bought with my money would have his number (9) and name on it. The player the fans nicknamed 'God' had become a hero to us younger Liverpool fans. By the time I left England in 1994, I was able to follow Liverpool quite easily with the advent of AOL and the internet. Although I was in New York, I still eagerly followed the exploits of God and the team. Injuries took a toll on the player and in 2001, he was sold to Leeds. I was actually quoted by football365.com article after I wrote an angry e-mail slamming our manager's betrayal of one of our most loyal, passionate and talented players. I, as well as most Liverpool fans, thought this was it, it was the end of one of the most majestic striking careers in Liverpool history (171 goals in 330 games).

After Shabbat came out, I checked the headlines on various sports sites and one caught my eye, "(Phil) Thompson warns Liverpool fans not to expect the old Fowler." It confused me for a second as Fowler was now a Manchester City player and I had seen nothing on Friday afternoon signaling the potential signing. As I read the article, a huge grin covered my face. Robbie Fowler was coming home. It kinda took me back to those countless of hours in front of the tele in Carmel watching Match of Day talk about yet another Fowler goal, or the non-stop arugements about England's best natural finisher since Jimmy Greaves. Nice way to reminisce about the past, to remember years gone by. At his press conference on Monday, Fowler visibly emotional on his return to 'his true love', said 'If you pray enough for things I'm proof they can happen.' Guess the hero I grew up idolizing can still teach me a thing or two after all ...

Hamas' vicotry and what it means

Hamas, the radical Islamic terror group, have won the Palestinian elections quite convincingly - with over 70 seats in a 132 seat government. In other words, they will most likely form the next Palestinian government, a government who will be responsible for negotiating with Israel in any peace settlement. To say that this victory is 'shocking' like some foreign newspapers are describing it is wrong. This was expected. Hamas has always been very popular in the Palestinian street due to their heavy involvement in trying to 'improve' the lives of the Palestinians - ironic considering it is their terror activities that result in Israeli retaliations.

What amazes me is that the Palestinian people have basically made a few statements by giving Hamas so much power.

1. They want a 'terrorist organization' in charge of their well-being
2. They support an armed resistance against Israel
3. They could care less about foreign aid.

Forget what the Palestinians call Hamas. The fact is that a dominant majority of the world views Hamas as a terrorist organization whose sole purpose is to destroy Israel. The US has already come out with a strong statement that it will not recognize a Hamas government. The EU, while in less harsher terms, has distanced itself from Hamas saying they'll only talk to a 'peaceful' government, which is something Hamas doesn't fall under. Obviously, Israel will not talk to Hamas. Amir Peretz, the leader of the left wing Labor party, has already said talking with them is not an option. The moderate parties (like Ehud Olmert's Kadima) and the right wing parties have followed with the same lines which certainly could mean more unilateral measures, like the one that ended our presence in (G)Aza. Not only have the Palestinian people alienated their 'nation' even further by voting for Hamas, they have also stated overwhelmingly that they could care less about foreign aid from the US, the EU etc. They have obviously impressed their big brothers in Iran and Syria, but is that honestly what these people needed? After a 5 year struggle with Israel, their society lays in ruins. They had an opportunity to make a change. Israel started the ball rolling with the disengagement, and the Palestinians could have continued this by voting a 'moderate' Abu Mazen into power. But Abba Eban's famous statement somehow always finds a way of coming true, 'The Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.'

Surely our prospects for a peaceful settlement with our neighbors have now all but been put on hold for quite some time. But perhaps a hint of optimism - the first Israeli government to make peace with a hostile Arab nation was Mencahem Begin's Likkud, a man and party who the world feared would lead Israel to further wars with the Arab world. So who knows, maybe Hamas will pull a 'Begin', or a 'Rabin', or an 'Arik' and accept the responsibilities of leading their nation to peace. Let's wait and see ...

and the crowd sung what?

Since arriving in Israel almost 3 years ago, I've adopted Beitar Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) as my favorite football team in Israel. While the quality of football in Israel is still rather poor (although more players are being exported to the European leagues), the games are always fun to go to and the crowds are as passionate as it gets. What sets the Beitar crowd apart from any crowd I've ever been a part of is the chants of the crowd. Yesterday's game against Hapoel Kfar Saba included a few takes of a famous religious song that is normally sung in Yeshivot or Jewish weddings. To hear it (& sing it) sung so passionately by 6,000 fans is quite an experience. Only in Israel ...

On a side note, Beitar managed to pull out an undeserved 1-0 win thanks to a 90th minute penalty by Barak Yitzchaki.

2006 calling June 7th, 1981

The two events that stood out for me this past year were the disengagement from (G)Aza and the continuous comments from Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad about Israel. Ahmadinejad's non-stop banter about wiping Israel off the map, or about the holocaust's numbers being vastly exaggerated and how us Jews need to be in Germany or the US are normally the 'Arab talk' that I tend to ignore ... but ignoring it sadly isn't an option as Iran is well on its way to developing a nuclear arsenal. It seems that the world is actually worried too (the EU made some pretty strong statements this past week), and potential 'talks' in the UN might be on the way. But talks normally don't stop dictators (see Hitler, Saddam etc). The question is, can (or will) anyone act to prevent a nuclear Iran? Judging by history, it seems that the honor of trying to neutralize Iran's nuclear ambitions will fall on the broad shoulders of Israel.

In the late 1970s, Iraq was attempting to become a nuclear power with French assistance. Israel was gravely concerned, but with France's backing of the project, most of the world remained quiet. To Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin, 'a survivor of the holocaust, Huessin was Hitler, and the Osirak reactor was a technologically advanced version of the Final Solution,' (Amos Permuletter's Begin Bombs the Iraqi Nuclear Reactor - and the 1981 Elections). With the world turning a blind eye exactly like they did during the Holocaust, Begin knew it was up to Israel to act. The groundwork for a military strike was laid out, but the obvious tremors of such an action would be huge, no matter if the mission was successful or not. Despite all these worries, the Israeli cabinet approved a military strike on Osirak. On June 7th, 1981, 16 Israeli jets left an air force base in the Sinai and within 80 seconds of arriving at the target for a night time strike, the nuclear plant at Osirak was left in ruins. As expected, Israel's daring attack was met with incredible criticism from friends and foes alike, with the US leading a chorus of condemnations and the UN passing resolution 487 strongly condemning her actions. 10 years later, when the US invaded Iraq during the Gulf War, a letter was sent to the Israeli government signed by various congressmen thanking Israel for the destruction of Osirak. Yitzchak Shamir in "Failure of Diplomacy" summarizes the event simply, 'It (deterrence) was attained by the State of Israel and its prime minister who decided, acted and created a fact that no one in this world - with the exception of our enemies - regrets.'

And so this brings us along to January 2006. Iran, with Russian assistance, is close to attaining a nuclear arsenal that could not only eradicate Israel, but also threaten various European capitals. The US has expectedly taken a strong stance, but I am fairly surprised that some European nations have made strong comments, not ruling out a military strike. But who are we kidding here? These are the Europeans after all. In other words, a potential strike is up to the US (who are really bogged down in Iraq) or Israel. With Arik Sharon currently lying in a coma, the potential leaders of this country after the March elections are either Ehud Olmert, Amir Peretz or Bibi Netanyahu. In other words, 3 candidates who don't have the leadership capabilities of our stricken leader and hence, are leaving a lot of people in this country worried. When the time comes to act, will our leader have what it takes to not only make the decision but to take the heat the way Begin did in 1981? I guess only time will tell ...

How do you say Thank You?

I remember as a 5 year old growing up in Ra'anana that I always used to dread going to visit my dad's Tante Amelie and Oncle Solomon z"l. Nothing against them as people obviously, I was just little and when you're young, unless they're named Granny or Grampa or Nonnou or Nonna, old people are just not the 'in thing'. As I grew older however, my attitude towards Tante Amelie greatly changed (Oncle Solomon z"l passed away in the last 1980s - 1988 if I'm not mistaken). What brought along the change in attitude? A story. A story that effectively summed up her role in my family's existence: Life Saver.

Rhodes, the birthplace of Tante Amelie and my Nonnou Nissim z"l, had a thriving Spangoli community (Spanish Jewry who trace their roots back to Spain pre-the 1492 expulsion) up until the Holocaust. As Hitler's armies swept into the Rhineland, and then the Sudetenland, and finally the 'real' invasion into Poland on Sept 1st, 1939, European Jews who actually foresaw the upcoming tragedy started looking for any possible way to escape the continent. From what I understand, Nonnou's mother, did not want Tante Amelie to take Nonnou on the boat but she nonetheless took him onto one of the boats that left Rhodes. That boat would be the last boat to leave Rhodes before the Nazis arrived. Along with the majority of the Rhodes Jewish community, his mother Miriam and one brother (Isaac) perished (Yeshaya, the other brother, had left years before that for the Belgian Congo). Tante Amelie would proceed to move to Palestine with her husband and youngest son, while Nonnou went to the Belgian Congo, eventually ending up in South Africa, where he lived until he passed away in 2000.

Were it not for Tante Amelie's insistence on Nonnou being on that boat with her, the Piha line would have died in the holocaust (Oncle Yeshaya never had kids). She is the reason why I'm alive, why my dad, my little brother and I carry the Piha family name. My dad said she always looked at him as a son, and me and Eitan as grandsons. Although she wasn't the 'mother' that gave us life, she did have an extremely important role in assuring that we'd in fact be alive. I always try to spend time with Tante Amelie when I'm in Ra'anana.

Despite being 89 years old, she's still remarkably sharp and recounts stories as if they had happened just yesterday. I always bring up the same story, thanking her for what she did. I never feel as if it's enough though. How can you honestly thank a person for a deed that great? The Talmud says that if you save one life, it's as if you've saved the whole world - well I guess Tante Amelie technically saved the whole world a few times over - and for that, my family will be eternally grateful to her.
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