The truth of cold hard facts

Facebook prompted me; "What is on my mind?" 

And WHAT "IS" on my mind is being truthful and stating the cold hard facts!

Allow me to begin by stating here, that for years many of us older American immigrants pushed for the need of the Knesset to ratify a written set of laws (a constitution) and to dissolve / abolish the "vote for party" adopted Mandate English parliamentarian system. We who campaigned for the change, wanted to institute the American style representative form of government. Whereby the individual voter would vote to elect representatives, who would be more in touch and receptive to their constituents, of specific areas in Israel.

Furthermore, allow me to mention here, that though I was a delegate and member of the Labor Party for many years, I was NOT a "Peace at any price" left winger.

Neither was I personally opposed -as I have written in my blog entries - to the legitimacy and presence of returning Jewish residents to Judea and Shomron JUST as Golda Meir and David Ben Gurion believed and spoke about in interviews.

As a true Zionistic Jew, I am a person who is concerned about the social welfare of our people, and especially as a father, I believe that THE most important and pressing issue in our country is in allowing the construction of "quality housing" at lower prices for young couples.

I also see this as a dismal failure that Israel never adopted a “GI Bill” of rights system for ALL those who have given of themselves to defend the nation!

I have often spoken out many times on the dire need to revive (Amidar) the construction of subsidized rental (larger and quality) apartments especially for young families to make their lives easier and to encourage larger families!!

As we the previous generation are aging, there is a need for the construction of one- and two-bedroom apartments for us and a means for us to sell our larger "homes" or to have a program to eliminate the hassle and exchange them for the smaller housing and to receive a crediting for the difference. 

For years I have been opposed to many of the policies of "King Bibi" and the general policies of the “overly free” market system as perpetuated by the Likud.

Bibi is the perfect example of just what is wrong with our electoral system and of those who remain in power way pass their time.

Though I openly disagree with the Prime Minister on many issues, I will be the first to readily agree with what he stated in his recent speech of the; “strategic imperative” to sever "Hamas’s pipeline for oxygen and rearmament”. 

To all those who are rioting and demonstrating I can readily emphasize with you over your fears for the wellbeing of your loved ones. These latest anti-government protests in Israel, triggered by the murder of the six hostages, are being extensively covered and celebrated by Hamas-affiliated media outlets. The protesters are being referred to by Hamas and its supporters as "Jewish settlers," although they live inside Israel, not in "West Bank" settlements.

But first stop and internalize the cold hard fact and let it be remembered just WHO those barbaric murderous rapists were that abducted your loved ones that bloody Shabbat October 7th! 

As Bassam Tawil recently wrote:

"Hamas, which does not recognize Israel's right to exist, views all Jews living on land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea as "settlers." For Hamas and many Palestinians, there is no difference between a Jew living in Tel Aviv and a Jew living in a settlement in the West Bank: every Jew is a "settler."

Hamas, in addition, does not distinguish between a right-wing and left-wing Jew. Some of the thousands of Israelis murdered, wounded and kidnapped during the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel were known for their advocacy for coexistence with Arabs, providing employment for Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip, and fostering genuine connections." 

Let us take note as to WHO the Hamas terrorists slaughtered and took hostage on the bloody Shabbat Morning of the Jewish religious holiday of Simchat Torah.

One of the hostages, 83-year-old Oded Lifshitz together with his wife Yocheved, were peace activists who worked for Israeli organization "On the Way to Recovery", which helps aid Palestinian citizens in need of medical care in getting transportation to Israeli hospitals across the border. Before his abduction, he regularly transported Palestinian patients from the Gaza Strip to receive medical treatment in hospitals across Israel.

Vivian Silver, 74, was an Israeli-Canadian peace activist from Kibbutz Be'eri near the border with the Gaza Strip. Silver was a former board member of B'Tselem,,was one of the founders of the "Women Wage Peace" movement that was established in 2014 to pressure the Israeli government to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians. She was murdered by Hamas terrorists during the barbaric October 7th pogrom.

These repugnantly blood thirsty "Untermenschen" were the product of systematic indoctrination of a extremist fanatical fundamentalist version of Islam as embodied in the Moslem Brotherhood and the extremists of the Iranian regime

As you stand there inconveniencing your neighbors by blocking thoroughfares you blithely fail to remember, that following the 2005 Disengagement, Israel controlled all of Gaza’s borders except the one with Egypt, and it was through that border that Iranian made weapons and material to make explosive laden rockets and ammunition reached Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip.

As Bassam Tawil points out in a recent article; "Let those protesting take note that Hamas official Ghazi Hamas has applauded the Israeli public pressuring their government to allow Hamas to "live to fight another day": to rearm, regroup and continue attacking Israelis"

"It has long been the dream of Hamas and many Palestinians to see the US turn its back on Israel. Hamas leaders are banking on the Biden administration to compel the Israeli government to give in to the terror group's demands...."

As we have all witnessed Bibi has come under immense criticism domestically for "allegedly" blocking a deal with his insistence since July on the continued Israeli control of the Philadelphi Corridor and central Gaza’s Netzarim Corridor, which divides the north of the Strip from its south.

"Hamas is insisting that Israel withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Israel's presence there obstructs Hamas's efforts to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip through cross-border tunnels, as it has been doing for the past two decades." -Bassam Tawil

Regretfully our recent history has shown the abject failure of our "Peace Partner" Egypt to stem the flow of weapons from Sinai to Gaza and their kowtowing to the powerful Bedouin clans and the corrupt Egyptian official who via to profit from the smuggling tunnels. El Sisi is aware of all this and is doing NOTHING to absolve the issue!

Due to the continual utterable failures of the Egyptian government, and the US Government guarantees from the "Camp David Accords", it is imperative that we keep Israeli troops stationed along the 14-kilometer (8.7 miles) "Philadelphia Corridor" along Gaza’s border with Egypt.

From our regretful past experiences, with international intervention of the UN and "Western Powers" as well as with Left-Wing domestic legitimacy we MUST stand fast on our demand to stay. 

It cries out to be remembered that should the IDF withdraw, even for the 42-day first phase of a deal, in an effort to secure the release of numerous living hostages, we would never be able to return.

In light of the recent deaths of the six hostage it has been shown the abject barbaric cruelty of Hamas. To initiate a withdrawal will “not bring back the hostages” but would have the “opposite” effect leaving the "Philadelphi Corridor" will enable Hamas to spirit the hostages to Iran or Yemen, overground, during that 42-day first phase.

I also wholeheartedly agree with Bibi's statement; " in order to prevail in the existential war against Iran and its axis, “we must stand united as one person against a cruel enemy that wants to destroy all of us, all of us without any exceptions.”

Critic must remember that Israel agreed to what President Biden presented on May 31 as well as to the ‘final bridging proposal’ on August 16. The bottom line is Hamas has rejected ALL the proposals

In conclusion, "Even though we are very close to dismantling Hamas,” Israel still has to find an alternative to the terror group’s civilian control over the lives of the residents of the "Gaza Strip.

"Hamas's primary goal is to remain in power and return to the pre-October 7 era, when it built a large terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. Hamas knows it will not be able to accomplish its aims without a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and an official end of the war."- Bassam Tawil

King Bibi, the Likud and Control over the Philidelphia corridor

What is on my mind? Is being truthful and stating the cold hard facts!
Allow me to begin by stating here, that for years many of us older American immigrants pushed for the need of the Knesset to ratify a written set of laws (a constitution) and to dissolve / abolish the "vote for party" adopted Mandate English parliamentarian system. We who campaigned for the change, wanted to institute the American style representative form of government. Whereby the individual voter would vote to elect representatives, who would be more in touch and receptive to their constituents, of specific areas in Israel.

Furthermore, allow me to mention here, that though I was a delegate and member of the Labor Party for many years, I was NOT a "Peace at any price" left winger.

Neither was I personally opposed -as I have written in my blog entries - to the legitimacy and presence of returning Jewish residents to Judea and Shomron JUST as Golda Meir and David Ben Gurion believed and spoke about in interviews.

As a true Zionistic Jew, I am a person who is concerned about the social welfare of our people, and especially as a father, I believe that THE most important and pressing issue in our country is in allowing the construction of "quality housing" at lower prices for young couples.

I also see this as a dismal failure that Israel never adopted a “GI Bill” of rights system for ALL those who have given of themselves to defend the nation!

I have often spoken out many times on the dire need to revive (Amidar) the construction of subsidized rental (larger and quality) apartments especially for young families to make their lives easier and to encourage larger families!!

As we the previous generation are aging, there is a need for the construction of one- and two-bedroom apartments for us and a means for us to sell our larger "homes" or to have a program to eliminate the hassle and exchange them for the smaller housing and to receive a crediting for the difference.

For years I have been opposed to many of the policies of "King Bibi" and the general policies of the “overly free” market system as perpetuated by the Likud.
Bibi is the perfect example of just what is wrong with our electoral system and of those who remain in power way pass their time.

Though I openly disagree with the Prime Minister on many issues, I will be the first to readily agree with what he stated in his recent speech of the; “strategic imperative” to sever "Hamas’s pipeline for oxygen and rearmament”.

To all those who are rioting and demonstrating I can readily empathize with you over your fears for the wellbeing of your loved ones.

But first stop and internalize the cold hard fact and let it be remembered just WHO those barbaric murderous rapists were that abducted your loved ones that bloody Shabbat October 7th!

These repugnantly blood thirsty "Untermenschen" were the product of systematic indoctrination of a extremist fanatical fundamentalist version of Islam as embodied in the Moslem Brotherhood and the extremists of the Iranian regime

As you stand there inconveniencing your neighbors by blocking thoroughfares you blithely fail to remember, that following the 2005 Disengagement, Israel controlled all of Gaza’s borders except the one with Egypt, and it was through that border that Iranian made weapons and material to make explosive laden rockets and ammunition reached Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip.

As Bassam Tawil points out in a recent article; "Llet those protesting take note that Hamas official Ghazi Hamas has applauded the Israeli public pressuring their government to allow Hamas to "live to fight another day": to rearm, regroup and continue attacking Israelis"

"It has long been the dream of Hamas and many Palestinians to see the US turn its back on Israel. Hamas leaders are banking on the Biden administration to compel the Israeli government to give in to the terror group's demands...."

As we have all witnessed Bibi has come under immense criticism domestically for "allegedly" blocking a deal with his insistence since July on the continued Israeli control of the Philadelphi Corridor and central Gaza’s Netzarim Corridor, which divides the north of the Strip from its south.

"Hamas is insisting that Israel withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Israel's presence there obstructs Hamas's efforts to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip through cross-border tunnels, as it has been doing for the past two decades." -Bassam Tawil

Regretfully our recent history has shown the abject failure of our "Peace Partner" Egypt to stem the flow of weapons from Sinai to Gaza and their kowtowing to the powerful Bedouin clans and the corrupt Egyptian official who via to profit from the smuggling tunnels. El Sisi is aware of all this and is doing NOTHING to absolve the issue!

Due to the continual utterable failures of the Egyptian government, and the US Government guarantees from the "Camp David Accords", it is imperative that we keep Israeli troops stationed along the 14-kilometer (8.7 miles) "Philadelphia Corridor" along Gaza’s border with Egypt.

From our regretful past experiences, with international intervention of the UN and "Western Powers" as well as with Left-Wing domestic legitimacy we MUST stand fast on our demand to stay.

It cries out to be remembered that should the IDF withdraw, even for the 42-day first phase of a deal, in an effort to secure the release of numerous living hostages, we would never be able to return.

In light of the recent deaths of the six hostage it has been shown the abject barbaric cruelty of Hamas. To initiate a withdrawal will “not bring back the hostages” but would have the “opposite” effect leaving the "Philadelphi Corridor" will enable Hamas to spirit the hostages to Iran or Yemen, overground, during that 42-day first phase.

I also wholeheartedly agree with Bibi's statement; " in order to prevail in the existential war against Iran and its axis, “we must stand united as one person against a cruel enemy that wants to destroy all of us, all of us without any exceptions.”
Critic must remember that Israel agreed to what President Biden presented on May 31 as well as to the ‘final bridging proposal’ on August 16. The bottom line is Hamas has rejected ALL the proposals

In conclusion, "Even though we are very close to dismantling Hamas,” Israel still has to find an alternative to the terror group’s civilian control over the lives of the residents of the "Gaza Strip.

"Hamas's primary goal is to remain in power and return to the pre-October 7 era, when it built a large terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. Hamas knows it will not be able to accomplish its aims without a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and an official end of the war."- Bassam Tawil

The "Big Lie" of the "Palestinian Narrative"

The essential framing of the "Palestinian Narrative" is that the bountiful and beautiful “land of Palestine” was once a rural land of peace and contentment where Muslims, Jews and Christians lived happily and peacefully together. 

According to this "Kumbaya" view that distorts historical facts and context, the golden age was "brutally ended" with the UN imposed catastrophe (Nakba) that was the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. 

According to their fantasy it was then that the UN and the European nations opened the door to "alien" European usurpers who then for no reason forced 750,000 Palestinians to “leave their homes so that the Israelis could settle there”.

By this highly propagandized falestinian dezinformatsiya narrative, the UN and the Europeans (the British and the US), made "Palestine" into an outpost of Western imperialism.

The UN and the Europeans (the British and the US) did this by allowing the "Zionist" to take "their" land and to impose an “apartheid”regime over the native population. 

According to the "narrative" it is same "Zionist Regime" that ultimately turned Gaza into a closed off "Concentration Camp" as it "commits genocide' of the poor residents of Gaza.

According to this highly distorted "Palestinian Narrative" the oppressed and persecuted "Palestinians" have bravely resisted the occupation of their land for decades. 

Those who have "resisted" and have been killed as they defend "their land"; their homes, their community, or their religion, aren’t considered victims. 

They are known as ‘shaheed’ according to the concept of “martyrdom”,where one who bears witness becomes a "martyr". They are the "true" heroes who have a special place in Palestinian #Pay4Slay society. 

Their "narrative" relies on the concept of "resistance" which was imbodied in the waves of “intifadas”, which means to “rise up against oppression” and “resist persecution”. These "Intifadas" were instigated by the "Shebab"- the youths- of "Palestine" in the first intifada of 1987-1993 and the second from 2000-2005 which included horrific suicide bombings of innocent Israeli citizens. 

The naive reader, or person unfamiliar with the FACTUAL TRUE historical narative of the Arab-Israeli conflict and is exposed to the Tsunami of distortions and lies of "Palestinian dezinformatsiya" Are not informed or aware that the second Intifada only ended after the construction of the walled barriers, fences and creation of numerous check-points to prevent the suicide bombers from entering to become martyrs. 

I have several times pointed out in my Blog entries how in the aftermath of the embarrassment of the massive defeat of Arab armies, who were armed with the most advanced Soviet weaponry in 1956 and even more so in 1967 and 1973. The KGB had launched the Active Measures or ideological subversion plan against the West to “changing the perception of reality to such an extent that despite of the abundance of information no one is able to come to sensible conclusions.”

The planned operation was known as SIG which is the Russian acronym for Sionistskiye Gosudarstva, or "Jewish (or Zionist) Government." The operation started shortly after 1967 to incite hatred and create chaos against the Jewish (Western Orientated Democracy) as means to create upheaval in the Middle Eas They then initiated the "falestinian dezinformatsiya campaign" of subvertisment to undermine the once favorable view of the Jewish State of Israel which had been very favorable of a "Tiny David fightining a Goliath" to one of a despised abominable one.

This campaign of dezinformatsiya became an obsession with the Soviets in the utter defeat, once more, of the Arabs in the Yom Kippur war of 1973. Realizing that through warfare they could not succeed in defeating Israel the KGB set the stage for the infamous Yasser Arafat 1975 -Zionism equals Racism speech were he outlines the method to "Negate Israel".

This “art” of ex-Soviet brand dezinformatsiya, is being used successfully by the New "Palestinians" in their "Mass and Social Media" campaign where they present known forged documents as genuine; invent ingenious but implausible reasons for distrusting genuine documents; attribute false conclusions to books and sources that report the opposite; manipulate statistics to support their given point of view; and deliberately mis-translate texts.

According to the Palestinian narrative, “The Palestinian struggle for justice and freedom”, today, “is a lesson for us all” this "narrative" utilizes the zeal of "youthful idealism" to spread through the Western Democracies in universities. 

They are taught by "educators" that by expressing support abd to identify with the Palestinian cause they are joining a solidarity movement (and community) backed by a “majority of the people in the world”.   

According to this propagandized narrative being spread on the social media, the "people of Palestine" have endured many repeated setbacks as they continue to fight and sacrifice to achieve that moment of ultimate triumph when, in the final struggle, these Zionists will be vanquished and the Jews expelled from "THEIR" land.

According to the Palestinian narrative; once ALL the post 1948 Jews are expelled or eliminated a new age for "Palestine; "From the river to the sea"(the Jordan river to the Mediterranean Sea) will be ushered in.

And in the end all the "Displaced Palestinians" will be amply compensated for all their past suffering by the return of their homes and their land. 

WHY? Learn the Truth

It terribly saddens me to read in the news that two more young men have died fighting against a recognized FTO Hamas -whose members are taught hatred from birth in a barbaric primitive backward society.

I see demonstrations on the News and I hear the so called news personalities and the world leaders spewing out such far fetched lies and corruptions of truth that regrefully show just how deep ignorance has reached into the minds of the uneducated and spineless "educators", news personalities and politicians.

Once truth, integrity and education shined in the eyes of those who wished to know and relay knowlwdge based on documented facts.

I look around me and all I see today is that we are emerged in a vast abyss of hatred and ignorance.
I readily see that the perception of reality has been so perverted by hate filled "falestinian dezinformatsiya' to such an extent that despite the abundance of factual information available no one is able, nor wishes to come to sensible conclusions.

I have written here and spoken of the need of the people of the world to recognize that they have been nefariously manipulated by a planned ideological subversion.

The world is focused on the "Plight of the Palestinians" and not one individual is willing to speak the truth!
No one dares to ask the question WHY?

All that you are shown is their childish whinning and demand for a fantasy-"From the river to the Sea"- that they once could have had a national entity but THEY themselves CHOOSE WILLINGLY to set out in the road to death and war.
It is the collective complicity ot the world that allows this fallacy to continue.
It does not penetrate the minds of those screaming banshees that the "Plight of the Palestinians" is a self imposed situation!

That if the "Palestinians" where to finally acknowledge the fact that their grandparents set out to exterminate the Jews of Eretz Yisrael -the "Yishuv" and rejected the United Nations Partition in 1947 they would be no "Plight"!

It is a well known fact that people die in war when one takes up arms to fight and refuses to sit and negotiate and compomise for the sake of life and peace. This is the Judeo Christian view on the sanctity of life -for HaShem created life to live.
It is this simple fact that I have learned over the years in my experience with Arabs that peace cannot be achieved unless they realize that no amount of warfare will achieve their goal.

However, sanctity of life is NOT part of Islamic religious belief.

For under their religion ALL the lands conquered by Islam are Islamic Lands.
For the uneducated poorer classes they are taught by their religious leaders that Allah has cursed the Jews for our treatment and disobeying Mohammed. This "divine" curse has been the cause of the scattering the Jews throughout the globe, forever exiling them from their ancient homeland.
For them to die as "Shahidim" for Dar al-Islam as "true believers" is the stated goal of the Islamic extremists who prevail among the "Palestinians".
For [many Muslims], the Koran, every word of it, is the dictated word of Allah (God) as told by the Angel Jibril (Gabriel) to Allah's prophet Muhammad....

Those Palestinians affiliated with Hamas feel they have the right to murder Jews anywhere at any time. They believe there is no credence in the historically reality of a biblical Israel, no legitimacy in the geopolitical areas of Judea and Samaria.
Therefore the real dispute from that brand of Islamic Jew-hatred is not about land, or "refugees" or a "two-state solution." It is about the refusal by many Muslims to co-exist with Jews. The anti-Israel chant of pro-Palestinian protestors is: "From the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea, Palestine will be free" -- meaning "free" of Jews. This is the hoped-for Islamist outcome that is reinforced in Arab school textbooks, maps that omit Israel, and even crossword puzzles.

It is way past time that those who "dream of a two state" solution wake up and realize the truth that until the Arabs can comprehend that their vision of Martyrdom death and Islamic fundementalist belief must be changed -as "His Royal Highness" Prince Faisal ibn Husseini had once written:

"We Arabs, especially the educated among us look with the deepest sympathy on the Zionist movement" Prince Feisal continued, "We are working together for a reformed and revived Near East, and our two movements complete one another. The Jewish movement is national and not imperialist. Our movement is ?national and not imperialist, and there is room in Syria for us both. Indeed I think that neither can be a real success without the other. People less informed and less responsible than our leaders and yours, ignoring the need for co-operation of the Arabs and Zionists have been trying to exploit the local difficulties that must necessarily arise in Palestine in the early stages of our movements. Some of them have, I am afraid, misrepresented your aims to the Arab peasantry, and our aims to the Jewish peasantry, with the result that interested parties have been able to make capital out of what they call our differences."

Two IDF reservists killed in Gaza a day earlier laid to rest...

Two IDF reservists, Sgt. first class (res.) Omer Smadga, 25, and Sgt. first class (res.) Saadia Yaakov Derai, 27, were laid to rest on Friday.

Omer Smadga was buried at a ceremony in Netanya, as his father, Olympic judo medalist Oren Smadga (the first Israeli male to win an Olympic bronze medal in the 1992 Summer Olympics) eulogized his son:

"We heard from the commanders what really happened there, we saw a commander who was truly broken and in pain...From this place, I say to you soldiers - hold your heads high, push harder as much as possible, keep going, and don't stop until we win. That's my message to everyone involved in this war. Am Yisrael Chai."

Saadia Yaakov Derai was laid to rest in Holon. His father Chaim mourned: "The year of mourning for Grandpa Yaakov hasn't ended, and you've already gone to join him. You found your place in the study hall, but you were also a brave and heroic fighter. They said how strong you were. You were gentle as a feather with people, and knew how to convey any message to everyone. As a class commander, you cared for the soldiers; you were like their father. Since his bar mitzvah, Saadia was a Torah reader, and knew all the Torah. You were sharp in wisdom and Talmud, a delightful child."

“May all who mourn their loss be comforted by the Lord Almighty and may it be His will that they / WE never know the pain of sorrow no more."

War. What War?

My community, the "small" city of Ma'alot -Tarshicah a "joint Municipality" with the Arab village of Tarshicah, lies 7.45km or 4.63 miles southwest of the "dip" in the border from Rmaych, Lebanon or 9.44 km or 5.87 from Ramyeh, Lebanon.

In difference to many communities immediately north of us, Ma'alot was not ordered to evacuate, and we live our regular daily lives as though nothing out of the ordinary is happening. -For us "veteran" residents we are quite familiar with the situation and the name of our town is infamous and synonymous with Arab terrorism.

Seeing my fellow residents of Ma'alot most of whom are the descendents of the original "Maabara" refugee camp composed of "Jews of Arab Lands" who were brutally expelled from their homes  between 1949 -1956 as well as those Jews who in 1990 with the openning of the gates of Russia came "Home" go around doing banal daily chores ever since that 7th of October,2023. It does not "click in" that we are at war. 

Yet as banal as life is, things can become VERY deadly very rapidily merely because Nassarallah and his cronies decide to "let lose" a barrage of Iranian made explosive laden rockets. Which if NOT intercepted by the Tamir interceptors(*) of the Iron Dome Defense System can not only destroy homes but murder and maim Israeli civilians-Arab and Jew alike!

That many times while you are simply walking the dog or simply out for a stroll the "Red Alert App" or air raid siren may fail to operate quickly and it is only by instinct that you catch the familiar sounds and whoosh of air of approaching rockets and how you lunge to the ground for cover. 

In the cases of a "near miss" "If" you are LUCKY you are showered with the dirt and debris. If they land further away your feel the concussion of the explosion as you remain laying there aware that pieces of intercepted rockets can still kill you.

Oh yes I see ALL the "Social Media" and news broadcasts of "distinguished" news journalists nodding their heads in agreement with pro-Palestinian propagandists of how the poor citizens of Gaza are and how THEIR children are "traumatized" ...but where is the mentioning of our kids my grandchildren who since October of 2023 have heard; the "out going" artillery fire, the explosions of the Tamir Interceptors shooting down the incoming Hezbollah rockets, the explosions cause by the landing of Bulkan-heavey mortars-with 250Kg explosive warheads nearby, or the sounds of the explosive drones ...

My grandchildren Ori Meir 11.5 Tehillah 10 and Shirah Rachel 9, regretfully have become well acquainted with the need to "duck and cover" or run to shelter if they can. It is the fear that is in their eyes when the incoming explodes that makes my blood boil!

For me, a combat experienced member of the IDF I already suffer from "Profound PTSD" and TBI-Traumatic Brain Injury from 3 IEDs while serving in Lebanon from 1978 -1997. I just chalk it up to yet another day attempting to be a "Free Jew" -read "Zionist" - in my indigenous homeland.

Some factual information regarding the 2006 Second Lebanon War:

During the 2006 Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah-fired some 4,228 rockets at a rate of more than 100 per day, unprecedented since the Iran–Iraq War. About 95% of these were 122 mm (4.8 in) Katyusha artillery rockets, which carried warheads up to 30 kg (66 lb) and had a range of up to 30 km (19 mi) which landed in northern Israel, including on Haifa, the country's third largest city. Over 1680 landed in a five kilometer radius of Ma'alot, six less than 100 meters from my home. 

The "indiscriminant Hezbollah" rocket barrage killed 15 out of a total of 43 Israeli civilians (including four who died of heart attacks during rocket barrages) were Arab Israelis.

On August 3rd, 2006: Shanati Shanati, 18; Amir Naeem, 18; and Muhammad Fa'ur, 17, Bedouin residents of Ma'alot were killed bt a Hezbollah rocket.

During the "Second War In Lebanon" some 250,000 Israeli citizens had to evacuate and relocate to other parts of Israel - including my wife and five of my children,  while an estimated 1 million Israelis were confined in or near bomb shelters during the conflict.

Many like me in the "Development Town" of Ma'alot we do not have "secure rooms" nor bombshelters in our buildings. Many of the neighborhoods of Ma'alot  were built during the "Austerity " period in the middle 1950's when the nascent State of Israel had very little money to build housing for the 850,00 Mizrachi-Jews of Arab Lands who were expelled over night. 

These hapless Jews kicked out of their homes where some had lived for centuries. Their and families lives torn apart.Their possessions, savings, property and businesses seized or stolen thrown out into the streets to flee for Eretz Yisrael when the Arabs lost the Nachba -ther tragedy of their defeat by the "Dhimmi" Jews!

My neighbors and my daughter in law's family barely escaped the blood thirsty mobs to flee to the ships that transported them to Haifa in 1955. In the middle of the night they were shipped by truck to live temporarily in the abandoned Arab village of Tarschich. 

Later they were "moved" into tin huts of the tempoary housing of the "Maabara" or "Transit Camp" created in the valley near what would become the "Development Town" of Ma'alot.

We have been neglected and forgotten as we live in the "Peripheral area" (out of sight, out of mind).

Socially and economically deprived, we continue to survive on low income jobs, inferior health care, education and housing. Our grown children flee for the better conditions in the center of the country.

Now for what is saving lives:

(*) As for the Elbit designed and patented Tamir interceptors of the "Iron Dome Air Defensive System", developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries.

The Iron Dome system is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells fired from distances of 4 to 70 kilometres (2–43 mi) away and whose trajectory would take them to an Israeli populated area. The Iron Dome was declared operational and initially deployed on 27 March 2011 near Beersheba and   the system successfully intercepted a rocket launched from Gaza for the first time on April 7th 2011.

Each battery costs about $50 million and the interceptor missiles used are called in Hebrew the "Tamir" (a Hebrew acronym for Til Meyaret or 'interceptor missile') and they cost around $40,000 each. The the interceptor missile uses a proximity fuze mechanism to detonate and destroy incoming rockets,

Iron Dome has three central components:

1) Detection & Tracking Radar: the radar system is built by Elta, an Israeli defense company and subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries, and by the IDF.

2) Battle Management & Weapon Control (BMC): the control center is built for Rafael by mPrest 

3) Missile Firing Unit: the unit launches the Tamir interceptor missile, equipped with electro-optic sensors and several steering fins for high maneuverability. The missile is built by Rafael. A typical Iron Dome battery has 3–4 launchers (20 missiles per launcher). 

The Iron Dome (Hebrew: kippat barzel) radar developed by Elta compliments a"specialized rapid data system" to correct the interceptors in mid flight to their target. The system's radar is referred to as EL/M-2084. It detects the rocket's launch and tracks its trajectory. The BMC calculates the impact point according to the reported data, and uses this information to determine whether the target constitutes a threat to a designated area. Only when that threat is determined, is an interceptor missile fired to destroy the incoming rocket before it reaches the predicted impact area

It should be noted that within the US-Israel "Joint Military" assistance program from 2011 to 2021, the United States contributed a total of US$1.6 billion to the Iron Dome defense system. Israel uses the "US AID package"-to purchase most of the components from Raytheon, a US Defense Contractor, who since July 2014 has been a major U.S. partner in co-production of major components for the Iron Dome's Tamir intercepting missile.  The US Congress voted to add another US$1 billion to provide more Tamir Interceptors.

It needs to be noted that Rayethon the U.S. Defense Contractor supplies components through various US owned and subcontractors -with US workers - in a brand new Tamir missile manufacturing facility in East Camden, Arkansas USA. NOT JUST FOR ISRAEL BUT for the US Marine Corps and partner forces.

This means that ALL the US Aid Funding is going back into the pockets of a US Defense Contractor who employs some 70,000 US citizens. 

Now compare this to the unaccounted millions given -with absolutely NO restrictions nor accounting to UNWRA and the Palestinians.

More importantly the Iron Dome Air Defense System is a means of warding off missiles sent in an act of a  blatant "International War Crime", against non military civilian targets within Israel.

Yet, one wonders where is this mentioned in the Mass Media of the world?

The Day that will live in infamy relevance to Israel

 

What IS on my mind this Memorial Day Weekend?

As I the historian I am, willst I tried to sleep, the two old men in my mind started to recall the recent subcommittee meeting of the Senate Appropriations Committee where, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) referred to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki when he urged Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and others to provide ammunition to Israel. 

As I tried to sleep I was reminded just how history repeats itself and how the "enlightened" Professors and educators of the illustrious and "Prestigious University's" failed to note this historical equalization and to enlighten their charges to the documented historical truth of one of the most famous speeches of the twentieth century, giving birth to one of the most famous phrases of the century.

Laying there in my bed two the old guys, probably WWII veterans, argued back and forth about how our situation here in Israel is so similiar to those dark days of WWII. 

As I lay there I could hear my Mother of blessed Memory who would teach me as a young Baby Boomer and son of a WWII veteran of the famous phrase:"A day that will live in infamy" from that momentous FDR speech which had been broadcast throughout the United States by radio.

How when atttacked by the Japanese in their "Surprise Attack" America found itself embroiled in a conflict with the "Axis nations"of Gernany and Italy in a "Two Front War". Just as we were attacked by the Iranian Axis of evil with the Iranians and their Hezbollah proxy in Lebanon as well as with the Houthis in Yemen 

As I lay there I recalled that U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) also made remarks on a NBC News program criticizing U.S. President Joe Biden, who had stopped some ammunition shipments to Israel. 

Graham compared the similarities in the 1945 U.S. atomic bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to necessitate the fanatical Japanese to surrender to that of the Israeli use of force in Gaza against the barbaric terrorists of Hamas to release the hostages and surrender!

“Why is it OK for America to drop two nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end their existential threat war? … I thought it was the right decision.” Senator Graham continued, “So, Israel, do whatever you have to do to survive as a Jewish state,”

In reponse to the claim of "Genocide" a moderator told Graham that, "U.S. military officials" say technology has advanced since World War II to minimize civilian casualties, he said, “Yeah, these "military officials" that you’re talking about are full of crap.”

And as I "tossed and turned" dying to sleep I also recalled the similarities of how the war for Israel and the USA began with surprise attacks that unified the nation in it's resolve to end the reign of Hamas. I also noted FDR's words regarding the deceitful Japanese and just how similiar this manner of deceitful behaviour was with Arafat when he signed the ill fated "Hudna" of the Oslo Accords". 

One should, as I did, reread, the thoughts and words of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt regarding the Japanese  "Surprise Attack" on Pearl Harbour  on December 7th, 1941 and realise just how like the "Palestinians", the Japanese had been in negotiations for a "just peace"!

How we too had been at "peace" and on more than a "day of rest" -the Simchat Torah religious holiday, when we were oh so violently attacked. How deadly the attack was and how though attacked by surprise our "first reponders" acted heroically in response to the overwhelming barbarious attack. 

"In the early afternoon of December 7, 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt was just finishing lunch in his oval study on the second floor of the White House, preparing to work on his stamp album, when his telephone rang.

The White House operator announced that Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox was on the line and insisted on talking with him. Roosevelt took the call.

Secretary Knox told the President that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, just before 8 a.m. Hawaiian time. Harry Hopkins, a top aide who was with Roosevelt at the time, could not believe the report. But Roosevelt did: 

"It was just the kind of unexpected thing the Japanese would do. At the very time they were discussing peace in the Pacific, they were plotting to overthrow it," 

As you read the words of the speech in the transcript, note that FDR wrote it himself wrote it himself and that he made three drafts.

Here is the transcript transcript of President Roosevelt’s speech, which he delivered to the joint houses of Congress in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 8, 1941—one day after the surprise attack that led America to join World War II pay attention to the highlighted sentences:

“Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Members of the Senate, and of the House of Representatives:

Yesterday, December 7th, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

And this morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph—so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.”

As the saying goes history DOES repeat itself and our present day political leaders (sic) should take heed!

Watch the speech here: here:

May we all know no more war and the sacrifice of our youth on the altar of death! 

The Iranian weapons of Hezbollah and Hamas

Iran invests great efforts in smuggling weapons to their proxies especially the terrorist organizations operating in the Gaza Strip, especially Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad). They have also sent large funds to support the reconstruction and upgrading of their military infrastructures. 

It should be noted that Israel has repeatedly spoken out about Iran’s strategic endeavor in providing weapons for terrorist organizations, opposition forces, subversive elements and foreign countries is an important factor in Iranian strategy, which seeks to establish and lead an extremist camp, promote terrorism and subversion, and achieve regional hegemony in the focal areas of the Middle East (among them Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, Iraq, Yemen, Bahrain) and abroad (among them  East and West Africa, Latin America, Central Asia).

Over the years the Iranians continually learn lessons from the interceptions of their arms shipments which they attempt to smuggle to their destinations by sea, air or  over land.

The entire smuggling system is supervised and directed by the Iranian leadership and carried out by the Al Quds (Jerusalem) Force of Sepâh, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is Iran’s main tool for exporting its Islamic revolution. The IRGC works in close collaboration with Syria’s security system and terrorist groups acting as Iranian proxies and promoting Iranian goals from Lebanon and the Gaza Strip to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Iran has placed a special emphasis on supplying Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad with advanced rocket and missiles like the Fajr-5, which is based on the Chinese WS-1 MLRS.The Fajr-5, is a solid fueled missile with a 175kg  HE) high explosive fragmentation warhead which can reach the center of Israel from Gaza. 

The rocket has a length of 6.485m, a body diameter of 333 mm, and a launch weight of 915 kg. The Fajr-5 mobile launchers used in 2006 carried up to four rockets each.

The Fajr-3 has a range of 43 km while carrying a 45 kg high explosive (HE) warhead. The rocket has a length of 5.2 m, a body diameter of 240 mm, and a launch weight of 407 kg.  Fajr-3 launchers used in 2006 carried up to 14 rockets each.

The Karine A Affair, was a military action in January 2002 in which Israeli forces seized the MV Karine A, a Palestinian freighter found to be carrying 50 tons of weapons, including short-range Katyusha rockets, antitank missiles, and high explosives.

Omer Mahmad Hasa Ahawi, who directed the weapon-smuggling industry for the Palestinian Authority, had failed in two prior attempts to ship weapons from the Hezbollah in Lebanon. Already under the watchful eye of Israel´s Intelligence, his purchase of a large ship in Lebanon in the summer of 2000, for his next attempt, led to the surveillance and other Intelligence work that ultimately doomed his delivery.

At the end of 2001, Israeli Intelligence monitored as the ship was loaded with weapons from Iran and the Hezbollah and concealed with a layer of civilian goods, such as clothes, rice and toys destined for Gaza via Yemen. During the night between January 2-3, 2002, Israeli naval commandos, along with Intelligence personnel, boarded and captured the Karin A and its lethal cargo. The State of Israel confiscated the weapons and distributed the civilian goods to the Palestinians via UNWRA.

The M/V Victoria, built in 2004, which sailed under the Liberian flag. Belonged to the German company Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG and was operated by the French shipping company CMA-CGM. It had set sail from the Syrian port of Latakia and had a stopover at the southern Turkish port of Mersin where it continued to the Egyptian port of Alexandria.

On the morning of March 15, 2011, 200 miles (108 nautical miles) west of Israel’s coast, an IDF navy force intercepted and inspected the cargo ship M/V Victoria. The Victoria was found to be carrying three containers holding some 50 tons of weapons destined for the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip. The weapons were in three containers, concealed behind bales of cotton and sacks of lentils. There were:

1) 230 120 mm mortar shells manufactured in Iran accompanied by a range table.

2) 2,270 M-61 60 mm mortar shells accompanied by a range table. According to the table the type of fuse involved was the AZ111-A2, developed and manufactured by Iran.

3) Six Nasr-1 copies of the Chinese C-704 anti-ship missiles manufactured in Iran that incorporate a radar homing system and have a range of 35 kilometers (20 nautical miles).

5) two naval radars and operating stations for the anti-ship missiles.

5) Instruction manuals in Farsi and range cards for operating the systems. 

6) 66,960 7.62 caliber bullets for Kalashnikov assault rifles.

The seizure of the M/V Victoria was also the first time, Nasr-1 long-range anti-ship cruise missiles manufactured by Iran a reverse engineered Chinese C-704 anti-ship missile was captured, that would have endangered Israeli military and civilian vessels as well as Israeli strategic targets in the Ashdod-Ashqelon region. The operational range of these Iranian made  missiles is 35 kilometers.

The containers with the missiles contained instruction manuals written in Farsi. On the covers were the emblems of Iran and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, proof of the source of the weapons and of the Revolutionary Guards’ Al-Quds Force’s involvement in the attempted smuggling with the collaboration of Syria and the Palestinian terrorist organizations.

The shipment of weapons aboard the M/V Victoria was a gross violation of the sanctions imposed on Iran by the UN Security council. It is also a violation of civilian naval security and transportation regulations governing the shipping of dangerous materials.

“Il Faro Sul Mondo“, an Italian International Politics Magazine website published an article several years ago regarding Hezbollah's home military industries production of a heavy weight mortar that was used and upgraded during the Civil War in Syria. 

These heavy rocket propelled "mortars" positioned along Israel's northern border have become a serious additional threat to the civilian populace of Israel's Northern Border. 

The Borkan (Volcano) heavyweight Mortar -as seen in the photo is a double barrel vehicle mounted weapon that fires a projectile of between 200 (450LBs) to 500(1200LBs) Kg of lethal explosives currently up to a range of 5KMs. 

The mere size of the explosive charge causes massive damage and loss of civilian life 

The heavyweight Borkan rocket propelled mortar shells Hezbollah has armed itself with, which have been vastly improved by Chinese made Iranian provided "extensions" which have improved the original range of about 5 Kms to 11 to 12 Kms. These rocket propelled "Heavy Mortar" rounds but can carry payloads of either 200 to 500 kilograms of lethal explosives. 

These Borkan rocket propelled mortar shells have caused enormous damage to bases and communities within their range.

IDF spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, had stated that the rocket used by Hezbollah in the attack on Majdal Shams, which claimed the lives of 12 teenagers and children, was a "Falaq 1" rocket of Iranian origin, manufactured in Iran. "Its warhead - the explosive material - is more than 110 pounds. The forensic findings at the scene indicate this rocket, which is only found with Hezbollah," he emphasized.

According to Arabic publications, it is a rocket developed in the 1990s, produced in Iran. The rocket has a diameter of 9.4 inches, a length of 4.3 feet, and a range of about 6.2 miles. It operates on solid fuel and has a significant warhead. The rocket can be mounted on jeeps and can be launched from ground launchers, and it can also hit naval targets. It weighs 245 pounds and its warhead, as Hagari mentioned, weighs about 110 pounds. An article on Sky News in Arabic claimed that it resembles the Russian BM24 missile.

Since Hezbollah revealed that it uses this rocket, there have been numerous claims of responsibility for firing it in recent months, including towards the settlements of Birnit and Zar'it in the western Galilee. There is an advanced version of the "Falaq 1" – the "Falaq 2" – which has also been used by Hezbollah in its fighting against Israel in recent months. At the beginning of June, it was reported that Hezbollah launched a "Falaq 2" missile into Israeli territory for the first time. 

According to a publication on "Sky News" in Arabic, the rocket has a diameter of 13.1 inches, a warhead weighing 265 pounds, and a range of up to 6.8 miles. It was claimed that the rocket's speed exceeds the speed of sound and that the missile’s load during launch is equivalent to 12 rockets of 4.2 inches. 

Additional publications stated that the rocket could reach an altitude of 2 miles and is launched from ground launchers and warships. It was claimed that the "Falaq 2" has a larger and more powerful engine.

At the beginning of June, a Hezbollah artillery officer said in an interview with the Lebanese channel "Al-Manar," which is affiliated with the organization, that "Falaq 1 and Falaq 2 are missiles that entered the battle based on the restrictions set by the leadership. Other types are heavy and destructive and can destroy an entire post. The Falaq missile has great destructive capability and can also reach targets up to 6.8 miles, its importance lies in its range. Each Falaq missile is equivalent to an airstrike." According to him, Hezbollah fired 20 Falaq 2 missiles in one barrage towards the Miron base, which he said is "equivalent to a fire belt." He added: "We have surprises. We have advanced to Falaq 2 and we will go further."