A Soldier's Mother

That's Just Sad...

2013-05-19T19:09:00.002+03:00

It's a fact that I'm a disappointment to my sons. I am, without doubt, completely car-illiterate. Worse, I have this notion that you can credibly identify cars by color rather than make and model. So, as Shmulik and Davidi go about their lives, there is an unspoken contest. Which of them can photograph the coolest car?

eBay company car in Israel

My first attempt shows I'm more interested in the interesting than the exciting.I though it was really cool that eBay has offices (and cars) in Israel.

I've seen Microsoft cars here, IBM, Intel...in short - tons of company cars.

But I digress....

Davidi's RT - okay, that is a cool car...but, well, it's not sparkling

With my latest picture, I've upset the order of things and best of all, I've clearly won the contest!

Worst of all, however, in the eyes of my two youngest sons, is that I didn't even know I had won.

For months, they've been showing each other the amazing cars they've found.

Shmulik's old...something

Each time I try to point one out...it turns out to be something quite mundane. Davidi was, I believe, in the lead having captured a GT or an R-something...or maybe it was an RT and a G-something.

Shmulik's been up there with brand new BMWs, not my thing at all.

A new Camry, a Cougar and an old American car that Shmulik thinks I should recognize (me? seriously?).

He offers me hints - a Chevy, blue...yeah...
On the day Shmulik drove me to my client because of my arm, he got really excited about one car and was trying to figure out if it was what he thought it was. He said the name and I was rather impressed - Massarati - but I have to be honest and say, it wasn't nearly as exciting as I thought.

Shmulik's Orange Something...

"It's an old one," Shmulik conceded.

And while we sent it to Davidi, it didn't seem to tip the scales in anyone's favor. And then...

Last week, I was walking in Jerusalem towards the light rail. I passed a fancy-shmancy hotel just as a couple drove in and got out of their car.

She was dressed quite nicely - wish I knew where she got that shirt...and he was dressed quite expensively as well. And the car - well, it looked like something that would win a prize.

I took the picture - not really sure what I'd gotten. I don't really know cars, but it looked like something that they'd want me to capture...and so I did.

I only took one picture because I'm not a kid and really, you just don't stand around taking picture of other people's car if you want to be a professional.

I had to rush to get to the station and I was thrilled that I got there about 2 minutes before the train. A few minutes later, I got a great connection on the bus and though I was tired, I was happy to be home.

Maserati (an old one) in traffic in Herziliya

And...then...a few days later, I said to Haim (my wonderful daughter's wonderful husband) - oh, I got a good picture. He looked.

"It's a Ferrari," he said.

Now, Haim is a very special person but I have to admit - I don't really think he wastes nearly as many brain cells on cars as my sons do and so I was hesitant to believe that I'd captured a Ferrari.

Please. Me? Ferrari...are you SURE? Not that I don't trust him, but we're talking about the prize. We're talking beating Shmulik and Davidi at CARS. We're talking Ferrari here!

He zoomed in and showed me the logo or insignia or whatever you call that thing. A horse. Okay...now if I only know the insignia of a Ferrari. I tried sending it to Davidi, but couldn't attach it to the SMS.

So, last night, as I was driving Davidi - I remembered the picture.He didn't believe me. Yeah, Ima (mother in Hebrew)...Ferrari...no way...no way...no...wow....

He confirmed it was most definitely a Ferrari - in mint condition. I win!

And the winner is...Ferrari...

"That's just sad," Davidi said. He can't get over the fact that not only did I win, but I didn't even know what I was taking a picture of!

"A Ferrari isn't a pig," he told me. Like I was supposed to know? Oh, bad...I actually asked him what it was, "That's just sad," he said again. "Horse. Ferrari."

"Oh."

He transferred the picture to his phone - clearly expecting to take credit for it. I would have none of that! So I called Shmulik to make sure I got credit.

"Is it red?" he asked me.

"No," I answered, "it's a white Ferrari."

"It can't be a Ferrari, then," Shmulik answered. "All Ferraris are red."

"Nice try. No way. I won," I said, pretty sure that Ferraris can't be all red because I caught a white one!

Anyway, my two sons have decided - apparently they have concluded that I wasn't in the game and so my Ferrari doesn't count. If you ask me, that's just sad! I won!

Well, me and the elegant couple driving the Ferrari, that is! Now, if only I could actually drive one of those things - man, I would so so win for sure!

In Appreciation - Israel (and a bit on BBC)

2013-05-17T08:15:00.004+03:00

I'm in a holding pattern with this blog. Not much to write about in terms of being a soldier's mother because thankfully, my sons are home - two with their wives; another happily and unhappily studying away in high school. Yaakov is coming home this summer to begin further studies; he brings with him his wife and two daughters. Chaim is blooming in university, finding facets of himself, polishing his abilities and finding the voice that is uniquely his.

My daughters are doing well - my oldest is finishing university - she is the kind of mother I always wanted to be. Aliza is grace. Hard to explain it with another word so I'll leave it at that. They've grown to be people - something that a mother has to learn to accept. They are individuals - all of them, with their own directions and lives.

I'm going through a rough time personally - not things I really want to write about, but things that weigh on my mind. The BBC show aired and it was...okay. That's a ridiculous word but an excellent one. I never thought it would be pro-Israel - but the fact that it wasn't anti-Israel pleases me greatly. They were fair. Over and over, that word comes to mind.

What I didn't like about the show - was the ridiculous things that came from the people they interviewed. We are, I remind myself often, our own worst enemies. Avrum Burg is nothing. He is a man living on the past glory of an amazing father. His commentary was, quite simply, stupid.

He blames Israelis for the lack of peace - something his Arab brothers will readily agree. We are responsible, says this ridiculous has-been, because we can't get over the Holocaust and put our determination to stand against any future genocide into all that happens. Well, yeah, okay. Wouldn't you?

If you'd been hounded and hunted, and then are surrounded by a few hundred million people calling for your extinction - wouldn't you remember what was done once before and do all you can to ensure it doesn't happen again? What am I missing here? The answer, of course, is the one who is missing something is Avrum Burg, but we all knew that here in Israel. It was a silly choice to interview him, but I can't blame BBC. Burg is the one guilty of opening his mouth.

Then there was David Landau, a journalist/editor from Haaretz. Well, duh - you choose the most left-wing paper in Israel, you're going to get left wing drivel. Landau didn't disappoint. He too loves to beat his chest in shame for all that is, all that we have built. Again, the guilt lies with Landau for the nonsense he spoke, not with BBC.

My greatest concern was having my words twisted - they weren't. The fact that BBC didn't have to twist the words of Landau and Burg to beat on Israel means the fault lies with them.

The other part of the show that I didn't like - again, lies with the speaker more than BBC. There was a whole section on the Ultra-Orthodox Jews (Haredi) in Israel and the "great divide." Overall, unlike many, I'm not really overly worried about this. Those among the Haredi community who are committed to living in Israel will stay - even if it means their sons serving to protect this country; those who are not committed will send their sons abroad - and that too is fine with me.

If you aren't committed enough to fight and defend the country in which you live, my personal feeling is that you should leave. And finally, a last comment on BBC's show - there was a wonderful clip, a few minutes into the show, in which John Ware spoke about a band in Tel Aviv playing at a pub. The band members are all current/former IDF pilots. I loved it.

And so, this brings me to the point of this post - I live in a land that I love. People have told me that came through in the show and if it did, I am grateful. I would take that defending thing one step further - if you don't live in a land you love, find one that you do. To love your country is not a thing of shame but of honor.

Again and again, Israel stands for what is right. Yes, Avrum, we will prevent the next Holocaust because we remember, because we honor, because we are on guard and wary. That bothers you? Really, truly - tough. And while we are doing all that defending and protecting and guarding and whatever - you know what we are doing here?

We are living - in a land so beautiful it can bring tears to your eyes and steal your breath away. The majesty, the dignity, the absolute holiness of this land comes through as you drive, as you walk, as you sit on your balcony and stare out at the mountains to the east, south, west or north. From my backyard, I can see Jerusalem and the mountains nearby. From my front porch, I can see the Judean Desert and the low hills that lead down to the Dead Sea.

Far in the distance are the first mountains of Jordan and on a clear day, I can see two tall towers - Amman, the capital of Jordan. Isn't that something? How many people can see the capitals of two countries from their home?

I do believe that some day - perhaps and most likely far into the future, there will be peace. It won't come soon; it won't come easy. Probably not in my life time, perhaps not even during the lives of my children. I can hope that my grandchildren will live here in peace, but then again, I hope and pray that even my children have that opportunity.

For now, I'm in this flat of the roller coaster that is life. I know Davidi is on the track towards the army but that seems to distant right now. Much sooner, Elie will be called to the Reserves. Shmulik has been studying in yeshiva, the last leg of the Hesder program that combines army service with study. He leaves the army officially in a few weeks and then he too can be called for Reserve duty.

I'm not sorry that I did the BBC program - and that is probably also the most I could have hoped for. They didn't show the Israel I would have chosen to show. Too little time was spent on showing Israeli innovation and the massive hi-tech world that we have here. Too much focused on strife, missing the amazing things we have and do here.

They didn't show Yad Sarah - an amazing organization that lends out medical equipment (wheel chairs, crutches, nursing pumps, and so much more) merely for the cost of a down payment that will be returned. They didn't talk about how Israel regularly sends emergency teams around the world, often landing hours and hours before others.

They didn't show the cornerstones of Israel's psyche - the places that show the many facets of who we are as a nation...Masada's towering legacy to a nation determined to be free and independent, Yad Vashem's dedication to remembering what was done so there will never again be another Holocaust. Israelis kayaking the Jordan, snorkeling near Eilat, floating the Dead Sea, and yes, surfing the Mediterranean (which they did show) - all testimony to our determination to hike and swim and enjoy our land.

They didn't show how we stop and give beggars coins and sometimes warm soup. They didn't show how people quickly help young mothers load their baby carriages on the bus and how the bus drivers will wait for the old woman running to get the bus.

But, I never expected BBC to show this picture of the Israel I love. On this cool morning in Israel, as I begin preparing to welcome the Sabbath, as the soup begins boiling and I know the my older children are also preparing for Shabbat, it's enough to know we are here - again, always, past and future.

I live in a land that I would serve proudly. My sons have served; my sons will serve. The flowers are blooming all over the land. There's a bird sitting on my neighbor's roof; in the distance, I hear a car door slam. Our greatest gift to ourselves is to live here in this land. The Israeli flags still fly from my house and those of my neighbors. We need to take them down or the harsh Mediterranean sun will ruin them - and yet, they remain. No one seems to want to be the first to take it down.

Shabbat shalom, Israel - may you forever grace this world and may we always have the honor of knowing you are ours.

Ceremony of the Tank Division

2013-05-17T08:10:00.002+03:00

Here's a great video - only 5 minutes long but worth watching. It's the induction ceremony of Yonatan Gordon. His father is a talented writer, editor, etc. He posted the video to YouTube and it includes English subtitles to help those of you who don't understand the Hebrew.

Even if it isn't your son there, it fills you with pride. These are our sons - it closes with the singing of the national anthem - Hatikvah.

Congratulations to Yonataan and to his very proud family! Welcome to the family of soldiers - it is an amazing journey. Be safe and know that we are all proud of you.

A Message to Ahmadinejad

2013-05-15T21:56:00.001+03:00

A few years ago, I saw a video of a most amazing young man who was brave enough to walk in the midst of an Arab demonstration and stand for the truth. The young man's name is Daniel and he is of Persian (Iranian) descent. He took to the streets with an Israeli flag. At the end of the video, there's a very interesting statement by a young Arab girl who readily admits there can be no peace; that they do not and will not accept the Jewish state of Israel. If you didn't see that video - it's here... (but the more important one is just below).

"Daniel" is at it again - with his wisdom. He's older now, a bit anyway, and though he was very wise then, he is even wiser now. In the language of his ancestral home (the one before he came home to the only real home his people has ever known), Daniel has an important and inspiring message for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. I hope this message is delivered. I hope it is seen in Iran. Please watch the video and spread it to your friends. It should "go viral" - around the world...around and around - until it reaches the streets and ruling halls of Tehran. Am Yisrael Chai - the nation of Israel lives.

Being Intellectually Honest - Professor Stephen Hawking

2013-05-12T08:34:00.001+03:00

Last July, I went to the President's Conference in Jerusalem, invited as a blogger and treated with such respect. My political agenda is pretty obvious to anyone who takes the time to read about my writings. I am, if nothing else, intellectually honest in my feelings. I object when someone says I hate Arabs - I don't. I don't object when someone says that my political realities leave no room for the hope that peace is just around the corner. It isn't.

When I was first invited to the conference - I was a bit surprised. Truthfully, I despise much of what Peres has done in his life and certainly, dislike many of the words that come out of his mouth. I think at age 90, he has finally found his niche and he's an excellent president - if he would just stay out of politics. But he won't, and I won't, so he and I have a nice truce most of the time. He talks; I write. I was concerned that being invited meant I'd have to write his words, break this quiet truce we've had going for the last 20 years - I couldn't agree to that.

But I was assured that I had complete freedom to be, to write...and the promise was most definitely delivered - I wrote what I wanted...I did. I blasted several of the speakers. I called them naive. I argued that some had no right to come here and draw lines on the map or lecture us about how we can do more. And the one who amazed me beyond all others, was the one who spoke in direct contradiction to most of what Shimon Peres believes. "Even if you give them Jerusalem," Ayaan Hirsi-Ali said, "even if you give them Jerusalem, there will be no peace."

So I went, I wrote, and felt that I had fulfilled two commitments - the first, to attend and write as much as I could to provide the noise and the bang any conference organizer wants associated with an event, and second to be true to myself. Obviously, the conference organizers agreed, because I was invited back again this year.

It truly is an amazing event - and this year, Professor Stephen Hawking was invited to attend and speak - and he agreed. And then, as would be expected, Palestinians started writing to him demanding that he boycott Israel and the conference and - amazingly enough, as would not be expected, this intelligent man, this icon of British intellectualism, caved in and agreed. He wrote the organizers that he has agreed to the boycott of Israel and will not be coming.

I have no problems with his boycott. I understand and respect his sentiment. I ask only one thing - that he be true to his convictions and boycott Israel entirely. Do not come here, do not speak here. In fact, if you want to be intellectually honest, don't speak at all. You see, the device that you, Professor Hawking. use to communicate despite your crippled body, includes a computer with an Intel Core i7-based communication system, which runs on a chip designed in Israel. So you see, Hawking, every word you say bears testimony to your hypocrisy.

Please go ahead - truly boycott Israel - I can think of no easier way to silence your absurd position. You don't want to come to Israel to thank those who enable you to sustain a higher quality of life - no problem, don't come. This year's President's Conference has a rich list of speakers and unlike some others, I personally don't think you'll be missed.

But I do hope a man of your...um...intellectual honesty...will have the decency to truly fulfill the boycott you support. I wonder if maybe the scientists in Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon have developed an alternative device...yeah, I didn't think so either. In the meantime, there's always pen and paper...

Will Mohammed come to the Mountain?

2013-05-09T12:25:00.003+03:00

If you haven't read the previous post, please click here.

This is the update to the Mohammed and the Router story...otherwise known as "When is a messenger not a messenger?

UPDATE:

It's now 12:20 p.m. in Israel - three hours after this story began. Mohammed is still refusing to deliver and קבוצת בר has given in to this, causing us quite a bit of inconvenience. As far as they are concerned - it is not their problem that I can either have Elie disable the Internet and function without Internet until next week (not possible) or have to climb up a ladder by myself on Sunday or Monday to attempt to install a router. They work for Bezek, after all - what do they care?

I'll add here that I'm a technical writer, not a technician. קבוצת בר will not compensate us for their driver's behavior and really couldn't care less about the damage they have caused. Okay, good to know. See if I ever use them! More importantly, hopefully, Bezek will drop them!

Bezek has offered to compensate us - their first offer was 100 minutes of free airtime - on lines that already have plans large enough so that we don't get to our maximum amount (in other words - worthless).

We asked them to cover the cost of sending a technician to uninstall and install the routers for us. I had taken care of this by having Elie here today; on Sunday, he has classes all day and can't come to the office. To uninstall the router, you need to climb up a ladder to about 2 meters above the ground, disconnect the existing one and then reconnect the new one. On a good day, I'm not sure I could do this; with one arm...so not.

They won't cover the cost of sending a technician, explained the manager, because this costs them money. Seriously? Whose fault is it that I need a technician in the first place. I didn't hire that dumb delivery company and I certainly didn't hire Mohammed!

Their next offer was to pay for the delivery service...great - see where that got us so far...and two months free phone line (comes to about $12). Delivery would be made on Sunday. After arguing, they agreed to pay for another delivery to pick up the old router after someone (not me) manages to install the new one.

And after all this, Elie came over and asked me for Mohammed's phone. I wasn't really sure I wanted him to do this...but Elie is Elie. He called Mohammed. He asked Mohammed what the problem was and why he didn't deliver the package. After 5 minutes, Mohammed agreed - if we would give him parking. Mohammed was, apparently, right in the area - this was really all a game. Within about three minutes, Mohammed called back and asked us to open the parking gate. We opened the gate - Mohammed drove in and came upstairs and delivered....

One router...um...we were supposed to get two. Ah....well....at least Mohammed came to the mountain...

When is a messenger...not a messenger?

2013-05-09T10:52:00.003+03:00

So, my company has jumped from 10 MB for Internet to 100 MB. To do this, we need new routers. The deal was made - they'd bring two today and take back one. I got a call from the delivery person - he's bringing it now! How exciting.

Wait, he wants us to come downstairs. He doesn't want to take the old one. He won't come up to the office.

"So, you don't want delivery?" he asks. We want delivery. We need delivery, we told him very clearly.

"I have no parking" he says from the driveway in which he is parked next to the building. We see him from our window speaking to us. Elie is here - he came specially to help me climb up the ladder to take out the old router (not that I could manage that even if my arm wasn't hurting me, but I like to believe). Cars park in the driveway all the time. The police won't give a ticket - the printer downstairs will get annoyed and honk if he needs the driveway cleared. They've taken my parking space enough that I'm not concerned if one time I am responsible for blocking the street.

Elie tells the delivery person to come deliver the routers. The man refuses and pulls out of the driveway, nearly causing a traffic accident. We see him drive less than 50 meters - and pull into a parking spot that opened minutes before. He pulls in legally and we assume we are about to take delivery.

And then the unbelievable happens. After a few minutes (as we assume he's organizing something in the car), he pulls out and drives away. Elie calls him and the man says that the Moked (the main line of the delivery company (called Mishloach Bar part of the קבוצת בר (The Bar Group) which was founded in 1990, says their website: http://www.bar-ltd.co.il/default.htm) has told him he doesn't have to make the delivery.

Elie is arguing with the man and I ask Elie for the phone. I take it and ask his name. Amazingly enough - he answers.

"Mohammed."

"Mohammed?" I ask him again. Really? "What is your family name?"

"Shelbawi," he answers. I ask him for his telephone number (which I won't put here) and for the company number, which I will - +972-3-942-6010.

We called the number - their answer is that Mohammed is refusing to deliver, is already in the next neighborhood. If we want, they will deliver the routers tomorrow (Friday - a non-working day in Israel) or Sunday. I believe our Internet will die before that. We are being kicked up to a more powerful speed - there is a reason why we are getting a new router - the old one can't handle the speed, the protocols, or whatever. Bottom line - thanks to Mohammed and Mishloach Bar - my company may not have Internet.

The damage right now is relatively annoying - Elie came in specially and is now missing school waiting for Mohammed to decide whether he will deliver the items in his car, whether Mishloach Bar will, at least, fire the heck out of this ridiculous worker, and whether Bezek and/or Mishloach Bar will pay my company the compensation legally required to avoid this very situation. If a technician schedules to come to you and does not come - Israeli law says you are entitled to compensation. This is intended so that companies will value the time of its customers.

It is incredibly unprofessional and annoying for Mishloach Bar to hire independents who use their own cars and save them money - while costing their end-customers so much aggravation. The company tells us that Mohammed is refusing to return. Amazing that we are all hostage to this one man in a beat up old car, amazing that קבוצת בר allows themselves to be held hostage this way.

We try to speak to a manager at the delivery company - the woman refuses. Then she tells me that we need to wait 3 hours. We say fine - but we are not closing the phone. In general, a service person in Israel is not allowed to close the phone. She tells me again it will take up to three hours and again I say I will wait. In the middle of my next sentence, she puts me on hold and within three minutes, a very polite man picks up the phone to talk to Elie.

In between the delivery company - we try to reach Bezek - the phone company who is sending the delivery, which chose קבוצת בר, which Mohammed. Bezek offers us compensation - 100 minutes on every line - not the 500 shekels required by law. They say, "but he tried to deliver it, he was there." To which Elie offered the best line of the day, "and if you order pizza and the delivery guy drives past your home, will you pay for the pizza?"

What will happen? I don't know - we've spent the last almost two hours arguing over something that could have been resolved if Mohammed had simply exited his legally parked car and done the job he is being paid to do. Instead this is being raised to the level of a national telephone company running after one messenger in an old Toyota Corolla who has our routers and is refusing to deliver them.

Will Mohammed come to the mountain? Will the mountain have to wait...stay tuned...the manager says he will try to resolve this in two hours - the time I have before I have to leave for a meeting. All I can say is that I'm glad Elie is here with me. I would not want to be here alone when Mohammed gets here.

For the update - see the next post...

Neo-Nazis on Twitter

2013-05-08T19:38:00.002+03:00

I woke before dawn today, a bit disoriented and very tired. I need to avoid the traffic because, yeah...I've abused my arm enough and driving isn't the easiest of things to do. I've got two working arms, but one that needs babying a bit. It's kind of funny to watch my arms, almost as an outsider. The left, always sure of itself, is in pain and quite annoyed at the right. The right arm is less sure, clumsier, more inexact.

Can't you pick up that stupid pen, thinks the left with impatience I've been doing it for you for well, more years than my brain wants to admit on this blog.

Sheesh - just dip it in the sauce and put it in the breadcrumbs...how much effort does it take? Oh, forget it, I'll just do it myself - OUCH. And so it has been for almost two weeks - an endless argument from the left, which wants it done as I've always done it, to the right, which is trying so hard.

So, I dressed in the morning - also not the easiest of tasks and left the house early, hoping to avoid the worst of the traffic. In doing that, I probably found the best of the day. Dawn was breaking as I climbed the mountain up to Jerusalem, leaving the Judean Desert behind. The desert has bloomed over the wet winter and there is more green than you can imagine.

I passed through the northern roads of Jerusalem, between the slumbering neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo on one side and the hi-tech, Har Hotzvim area on the other. Golden stones begin reflecting the light as I drive through the still-sleeping city.

The Jerusalem forest was to my left and right as I pass the neighborhood of Ramot and exit through the latest tunnel built to help traffic flow. Free of Jerusalem, my car climbed slowly to join the old Tel Aviv-Jerusalem Highway.

To my left are the graves of tens of thousands of Jews - Har Menucha...the Mountain of Rest, the largest cemetery in Jerusalem. Having cleared the city in little time because of the hour - I began the descent down to flat areas of Israel.

Past the beautiful suburb of Mevasseret Zion, the road descends again. The first reports of traffic in the north didn't faze me as I continued down. There to the left are the beautiful hills covered in trees while to the right, Neve Ilan and further down, Abu Ghosh - an Arab Israeli city known for its humous and the fact that Jews can actually enter and exit safely.

Shoresh is located almost at the edge- where the hills give way to a view of the sea sparkling in the distance, a reminder that we are really a very tiny country. You get the first glimpse of miles and miles of land and towns below. As you approach the bottom, to the right is the Burma Road - a dirt path used by amazing heroes who trekked into Jerusalem under cover of darkness in 1948 to break the Arab siege of the Old City and bring food and medicine to the starving elderly Jewish population. And there, in the center between the two pathways of the Tel Aviv - Jerusalem highway are a series of ancient relics.

These are the seemingly ancient trucks and vehicles used in the 1948 war. Close to here, as they began the ascent to Jerusalem, they were stopped. This is a memorial we leave to them as we pass this site - always to remember their bravery and sacrifice. On Memorial Day, they lay wreathes of flowers here and drape the trucks with Israelis flags - there to remain through our Independence Day.

And then you are down off the hills of Jerusalem. I pass Latrun, and a memorial to the tank division, as I see signs to Beersheva - ancient and modern, it is a name that comes from the Bible and reminds us that we were here long ago, still are, and always will be.

I reach the open fields - between the cities of Beit Shemesh and Modiin - they are building a speed train deep in the ground to connect Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. I drove into the fog, not really minding it a bit. It changed the light as the sun hid behind the fog but I knew the sun would be out soon. I drove past the relatively new intersection that shortens the trip to several points south - more cars on the road; more reports of traffic.

Israel was waking up and starting another day. I called Aliza to make sure she got up and reminded her that she had to call Shmulik, who had offered to drive her to school because her stomach has been bothering her lately.

And on I drove - simply enjoying the time, the road, the view. Israel coming awake is a beautiful thing to watch - fields and fields of green passed my view and Route 1 from Jerusalem joined with Route 6 - the newest "super" highway that travels from up north to far into the south.

And then I was into the central area - Gush Dan, because this is the land given by God to the tribe of Dan...yes, we still know where those lines are and even today - in Tel Aviv, they know they are located in Gush Dan, as Jerusalem knows it lies in the land of Binyamin (Benjamin). Now on the main roads of central Israel, there was a lot of traffic and little time to enjoy the views other than to note passing through Petach Tivkah (the opening of hope) founded in 1878, home today to over 200,000.

And then, the first glimpse of the sea - the Mediterranean. A right turn, another major highway, and I've arrived at my destination where I will spend much of the day working onsite at a client's offices before going to a meeting later today.

A few days ago, I saw a strange and horrible avatar (picture) on Twitter. It was a swastika; the Nazi flag. I thought perhaps it was a joke; perhaps it was ignorance. It certainly is ignorance, but not the kind I had expected. There are whole worlds on Twitter and it would be impossible to find them all. I am connected to many different worlds, but this was a new one.

I know it sounds hopelessly naive to say this, but it just never occurred to me that they were there - this underworld of hatred. Oh, I know there are those filled with hatred - I follow the #GAZA stream all the time. I know there are those who will lie and deceive - did I mention I follow the #GAZA stream?

But this was a different kind of hatred, a deep, ancient one. I understand the Arab hatred - I know what they want. But this one is a mindless hate bred into their bones, their souls, if they even have souls. Not all Arabs are filled with hatred but to be a Nazi, to be a racist, is to believe in the extremes. All Jews must die; all Jews are guilty. All Jews caused all tragedies and are responsible for everything.

It's hard to believe, I wrote one twit, that in this day and age, there could be people who are so ignorant, so stupid, so naive. But of course, there is an agenda, a cause behind this. It's there in the avatar...it is as new as the concept of Twitter, and as old as time. It is a hatred so strong, so evil, it touches and destroys anything, everything, in its path.

Hate-filled, ignorant, small minded, racist. For a day or so, I responded. It felt good to show them, to answer them. We will NEVER fall to you again, I told them in anger.

But that was the problem - this discussion, this discovery that they live and breathe among us and spread their hatred filled me with fury. We are strong. We will not ever, ever let you do what you did once.

I even laughed when one wrote, "Have no Mercy! Cry for vengeance! The enemy Jew will turn pale! Beat the enemy Jew and push him back!" He was quoting Goebbels, but I couldn't resist the simple response, "HELLO? IDF? Duh"

Quickly, the "discussion" got to the Holocaust and, of course, they denied there ever was one. They deny the gas chambers I have seen with my own eyes. They ridicule the Jews as weak.

For a day or two, I responded. To the lie that the gas chambers never existed, I wrote that my mother-in-law had been in one and was pulled out at the last minute for a work detail. That too he called a lie. The proof that the Holocaust happened was made by the Nazis themselves. They were so proud of what they did, they kept records of who they killed; they filmed their tortures and genocide. I doubt any crime in the history of man has been so meticulously documented as the Holocaust against the Jewish people.

And I find it ironic that what Hitler took great pride in doing - advancing the destruction of the Jewish people, these idiot modern-day followers are struggling to deny.

A few joined me in expressing their disgust, more wrote to me and told me it was no use even wasting time answering them. I had to get to that conclusion on my own.

As I often do, I came here to write. I started with the title - Neo-Nazis on Twitter and I started to copy in images of the tweets I have seen in the last few days. And then I stopped. I went home and this morning, as I drove, I realized the truest answer was to come here and write about my trip this morning. And that's what I did...

These Nazis of today are pathetic losers living on past glories. Their king is dead...such a coward he killed himself. Those that survived - on their side, have spent their lives looking over their soldiers. It is not over until they are in the grave. Until then, even in their 90s, they could fall to the incredibly slow justice system.

And when they die, for those of us who believe in hell and justice, we know that what man did not give them, God most certainly is. I can fight them, we can all fight them, but perhaps the best thing to do is let them live in their dark caves while we drive in the sunshine.

Every step I took today, every mile I drove was the greatest response. Yes, you murdered millions of Jews - men, women - over a million children....but four of my children carry the names of those you harmed. Through their namesakes, they live on.

The truest answer is for me to do two things. First, I will write to Twitter and ask them to delete the following accounts - these are the Nazis I found (and will continue to report as I found others):

@NS_ChiefofStaff
@NSofAmerica (an alternate account for the previous one)
@NSFM_CoS (an alternate account for the previous one)
@TheNSFM_CoS (an alternate account for the previous one)
@_northerner
@AryanFamily
@SkinheadPride88 (more racist than anti-Semitic, but neo Nazi for all that)
@Usnazi

One account boasts that he has already had several accounts deleted - they know they are being hunted. So many of the accounts were new, and few had many followers. This shows that Twitter is vigilant and I hope they will continue to be.

And the second thing I will do - is live in this land, continue to be all the Nazis hated most of all. My children will live here - my grandchildren and on and on. I started this post wanting to describe the horrible tweets I have seen in the last few days - those that deny the Holocaust, the gas chambers. I have stood in those gas chambers. I have seen the ashes of my people left in the ovens built by theirs.

I thought I was not naive, but I am. I know there are Nazis in the world today. They don't scare me, but they do bring forth an anger so deep, so sharp, so strong, that it can cripple me if I let it. They are nothing because we are strong.

I have the greatest answer of all for these worthless things that plague the earth - I have the sunshine and dawn in Israel - only surpassed, perhaps, by the sunset I see out the window nearby, as the sun sets on another day in my land.

May God bless the people of Israel and bless the memories of those who didn't make it into the sunshine I enjoyed today - because Hitler's cursed plan condemned them to death. Yes, there were gas chambers and yes, the Nazis murdered over six million of my people. And yes, remembering brings back the pain and the anger but it also brings forth the pride.

From what they did to us - look what we have built. The mountains have been here throughout time, but we've built cities, planted the trees. We've paved the roads and built a hi-tech community known throughout the world. We've built an army of our sons - not something we would have wanted, but something that had to be - and with that army, we have sworn to protect Jews everywhere. It is in their names - our sons and daughters - that we can promise that never again will they have the power to hurt us, to torment us. And so my final tweet will be the simplest of all.

Jerusalem Day - 1967 - 2013 and Forever

2013-05-08T13:21:00.000+03:00

Today is Yom Yerushalayim - the 46th we have celebrated since the reunification of Jerusalem. From 1948 - 1967, Jews were barred from the Old City, from the Kotel and the Temple Mount - that was how the Jordanians and the local Arab population dealt with the issue of religious freedom - there was none. The UN did not condemn them; the world was silent while we could not visit our holy places.

In 1967, Israel was facing war with Syria and Egypt - the rhetoric and belligerent movement of their troops made their intention clear. Even as we launched a preemptive attack (though Egypt's closing of the Straights of Tiran was clearly an act of war and intent), we sent a message to Jordan - stay out of this war. We don't want to fight you....we will not attack.

Jordan sent back a clear message - we will fight with our brothers, and they attacked. Like the Egyptians and the Syrians, the Jordanians fell in days and what was known as the West Bank of the Jordan river, was conquered. Jews were allowed to their holy sites but we did not do what the Arabs had done. Though we found our holy places desecrated, we protected theirs. Centuries old Jewish grave stones were turned into bathrooms, smashed and crumbled, we rebuilt them.

We reunited Jerusalem - while allowing the Arabs access - virtually unrestricted - to all their holy places (there are times it is restricted to men over 40, for example - but this is usually when there is a clear danger of violence (or just after there was violence from there). We have never taken control and made it ours - as they did.

It was our Holy Temple - our Temple Mount - on which they built, centuries later, their mosques. If anyone is restricted today - it is Jews, who are warned they will not be allowed to visit the Temple Mount if they dare attempt to pray...can you imagine? Pray. We are not allowed to move our lips in a whispered prayer.

But for today, I will think of the greater celebration. The Temple Mount is not free, but the rest of Jerusalem is - free, free these last 46 years - for all.

This is the video from 1967, below is a translation/transcription... (courtesy of Yitschak Horneman / Quality Translations, Jerusalem)

Colonel Motta Gur [on loudspeaker]: All company commanders, we’re sitting right now on the ridge and we’re seeing the Old City. Shortly we’re going to go in to the Old City of Jerusalem, that all generations have dreamed about. We will be the first to enter the Old City. Eitan’s tanks will advance on the left and will enter the Lion’s Gate. The final rendezvous will be on the open square above.
[The open square of the Temple Mount.]

[Sound of applause by the soldiers.]

Yossi Ronen: We are now walking on one of the main streets of Jerusalem towards the Old City. The head of the force is about to enter the Old City.

[Gunfire.]

Yossi Ronen: There is still shooting from all directions; we’re advancing towards the entrance of the Old City.

[Sound of gunfire and soldiers’ footsteps.]

[Yelling of commands to soldiers.]

[More soldiers’ footsteps.]

The soldiers are keeping a distance of approximately 5 meters between them. It’s still dangerous to walk around here; there is still sniper shooting here and there.

[Gunfire.]

We’re all told to stop; we’re advancing towards the mountainside; on our left is the Mount of Olives; we’re now in the Old City opposite the Russian church. I’m right now lowering my head; we’re running next to the mountainside. We can see the stone walls. They’re still shooting at us. The Israeli tanks are at the entrance to the Old City, and ahead we go, through the Lion’s Gate. I’m with the first unit to break through into the Old City. There is a Jordanian bus next to me, totally burnt; it is very hot here. We’re about to enter the Old City itself. We’re standing below the Lion’s Gate, the Gate is about to come crashing down, probably because of the previous shelling. Soldiers are taking cover next to the palm trees; I’m also staying close to one of the trees. We’re getting further and further into the City.

[Gunfire.]

Colonel Motta Gur announces on the army wireless: The Temple Mount is in our hands! I repeat, the Temple Mount is in our hands!

All forces, stop firing! This is the David Operations Room. All forces, stop firing! I repeat, all forces, stop firing! Over.

Commander eight-nine here, is this Motta (Gur) talking? Over.

[Inaudible response on the army wireless by Motta Gur.]

Uzi Narkiss: Motta, there isn’t anybody like you. You’re next to the Mosque of Omar.

Yossi Ronen: I’m driving fast through the Lion’s Gate all the way inside the Old City.

Command on the army wireless: Search the area, destroy all pockets of resistance [but don't touch anything in the houses], especially the holy places.

[Lt.- Col. Uzi Eilam blows the Shofar. Soldiers are singing ‘Jerusalem of Gold’.]

Uzi Narkiss: Tell me, where is the Western Wall? How do we get there?

Yossi Ronen: I’m walking right now down the steps towards the Western Wall. I’m not a religious man, I never have been, but this is the Western Wall and I’m touching the stones of the Western Wall.

Soldiers: [reciting the ‘Shehechianu’ blessing]: Baruch ata Hashem, elokeinu melech haolam, she-hechianu ve-kiemanu ve-hegianu la-zman ha-zeh. [Translation: Blessed art Thou L-rd G-d King of the Universe who has sustained us and kept us and has brought us to this day]

Rabbi Shlomo Goren: Baruch ata Hashem, menachem tsion u-voneh Yerushalayim. [Translation: Blessed are thou, who comforts Zion and bulids Jerusalem]

Soldiers: Amen!

[Soldiers sing ‘Hatikva’ next to the Western Wall.]

Rabbi Goren: We’re now going to recite the prayer for the fallen soldiers of this war against all of the enemies of Israel:

[Soldiers weeping]

El male rahamim, shohen ba-meromim. Hamtse menuha nahona al kanfei hashina, be-maalot kedoshim, giborim ve-tehorim, kezohar harakiya meirim u-mazhirim. Ve-nishmot halalei tsava hagana le-yisrael, she-naflu be-maaraha zot, neged oievei yisrael, ve-shnaflu al kedushat Hashem ha-am ve-ha’arets, ve-shichrur Beit Hamikdash, Har Habayit, Hakotel ha-ma’aravi veyerushalayim ir ha-elokim. Be-gan eden tehe menuhatam. Lahen ba’al ha-rahamim, yastirem beseter knafav le-olamim. Ve-yitsror be-tsror ha-hayim et nishmatam adoshem hu nahlatam, ve-yanuhu be-shalom al mishkavam [soldiers weeping loud]ve-ya’amdu le-goralam le-kets ha-yamim ve-nomar amen!

[Translation: Merciful G-d in heaven, may the heroes and the pure, be under thy Divine wings, among the holy and the pure who shine bright as the sky, and the souls of soldiers of the Israeli army who fell in this war against the enemies of Israel, who fell for their loyalty to G-d and the land of Israel, who fell for the liberation of the Temple, the Temple Mount, the Western Wall and Jerusalem the city of the Lord. May their place of rest be in paradise. Merciful One, O keep their souls forever alive under Thy protective wings. The Lord being their heritage, may they rest in peace, for they shalt rest and stand up for their allotted portion at the end of the days, and let us say, Amen.]

[Soldiers are weeping. Rabbi Goren sounds the shofar. Sound of gunfire in the background.]

Rabbi Goren: Le-shana HA-ZOT be-Yerushalayim ha-b’nuya, be-yerushalayim ha-atika!

[Translation: This year in a rebuilt Jerusalem! In the Jerusalem of old!] *

Kobayashi Maru

2013-05-03T12:48:00.001+03:00

If you aren't a Star Trek fan, you might not know about the Kobyashi Maru test. I don't doubt that someone (or more) has written an entire doctoral thesis on the Kobyashi Maru test. What it is - simply - is an impossible situation in which there can be no winner.

As with so many things from Star Trek, there are deeper questions, challenges, that reflect back on the lives we lead - as people, and as citizens of nations. The paradox presented in the Kobyashi Maru test is simple. A starship is given the option - break an international...let's say...interplanetary...treaty to rescue 300 lives that are in imminent and immediate danger...risking war...or let them die.

If you do not enter the "neutral zone" - 300 lives are lost. If you do, you are surrounded by enemy forces with little chance of successfully shooting your way out.

What do you do when you find yourself in a no-win position, caught between two immovable options? Where there is no way out put to hurt someone you love...where each side presents you the option of choosing their solution or the promise of a destroyed relationship? What do nations do when they must sacrifice some lives or risk many?

What does a nation do when it is caught between the need to protect some of its citizens, which requires, in many cases, curtailing the rights of others? What happens when as a society you want peace - and to maintain whatever peace you can manage, you must be constantly ready to wage war?

What happens when you are surrounded by enemies who are ever on alert for an opportunity to destroy you. What happens when on a personal or national level you face the Kobayashi Maru test?

Of course, the difference between fiction and reality is that, in fiction at least, you can cheat.

So Yaakov's Coming Home...

2013-05-01T19:13:00.000+03:00

I have this amazing slideshow going on my laptop - it's got a bunch of family pictures - from various weddings, bar mitzvah celebrations - from infancy in some cases, to marriage and motherhood in one case. One of the pictures...is...well...this one...

And another that seems to have been taken just a bit later...

A little before Elie's wedding, Chaim and Yaakov surprised me with the wonderful news that Yaakov was going to be flying in to surprise Elie. I was to keep it a secret - and I'm really lousy at that.

So, each time I was just itching to tell Elie or Lauren, I told someone else quietly. At one point, knowing I couldn't tell Aliza, I still wanted to make sure she remembered Yaakov. Right after he finished his army service, he flew back to America to ask Shoshana to marry him. They've got two GORGEOUS little girls now.

Aliza was about 7 when Yaakov went back to the States - she'd seen him only once in the years that followed. "You remember Yaakov?" I asked her one day. I thought - if she doesn't - I'd have to start reminding her or Yaakov would be so hurt.

Well, Aliza looked at me like I had somehow lost some brain cells, "Of course I remember Yaakov, he's my brother!" she said with all the exasperation only a 7 year old can express.

Well, I've learned my lesson - I won't ask her again - but then again, he was just here a bit over a year ago. We saw him some...but he was also very busy. In addition to the wonderful times he spent at the wedding and with us, he also spent time checking out places in Israel.

And the amazing news is...he's moving back home to Israel this summer with his family.

UNIFIL forces in Lebanon Report

2013-05-01T17:17:00.003+03:00

UNIFIL...um...United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon...was founded in 1978.

They had several tasks - most of which, it seems, they have failed. The only one I think they really succeeded in completing was watching over the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000.

They didn't succeed in stopping Hizbullah from basically taking over Southern Lebanon, with tens of thousands of missiles aimed at Israel.

They didn't succeed in stopping an infiltration and kidnapping of Israeli soldiers which resulted in three deaths; they didn't stop a second infiltration to Israel which resulted in the deaths of two more. Each an agonizing chapter in Israel's history.

They haven't succeeded in stopping two drone launches against Israel and the firing of several katyusha rockets.

And, according to latest reports from Lebanon - they haven't succeeded in stopping Hizbullah from taking up strategic positions along our border - which means the next Lebanon war is probably not far off....

And according to a post in today's Arutz Sheva:

UNIFIL forces in Lebanon report Wednesday that Hizbullah has seized strategic positions along the border with Israel. Lebanese Daily Star reports the military have, after repeated clashes with Nasrallah's terrorists abandoned their border posts to Hizbullah control, who have set up roadblocks and surveillance observation points facing the border with Israel.

So - what exactly has UNIFIL succeeded in doing?

Five more orphans....

2013-04-30T18:17:00.001+03:00

This morning, I had to go to work in Herziliya at a client's site. About 10 days ago, I fell and hurt my arm. Mobility is a bit limited (and yes, I need to make an appointment for an ultrasound and I need to make an appointment to do physical therapy...) and so my wonderful children - Amira, Elie and Shmulik and my husband, have been driving me around.

They've changed their schedules - Amira drove me to work, went to university, and then came back to pick me up. Elie has left earlier than he needs to or gone out of his way. He's taken me shopping twice - pushing the cart, loading the car. Shmulik took the day off today to drive me to and from the client - sitting at a side desk for several hours waiting for me to finish my meetings, discussions, etc. Yaakov and Chaim's sister - yeah, she deserves her name here too...so...Mera invited us to dinner on a Friday night, saving me from having to cook; Lauren (and Elie) cooked another Shabbat for me. Chaim called me - and in a voice that is only his, said, "PAULA...." - which is his way of reminding me that I need to make those appointments...

Words cannot express how much I love them all and how amazing they have been.

I wanted to write about this today...but like much of what happened in Israel today, our regular was interrupted by the bad. At this moment, there is a funeral happening in Israel. We are burying Evyatar Borowsky. I never met Evyatar and I never will.

This morning, as Shmulik drove me and we talked, the tone of the radio changed - a shooting attack was reported. A knife attack...shooting. The picture became clearer in the minutes that followed. Evyatar was attacked by an Arab - stabbed repeatedly and his gun was grabbed by his assailant. The Arab shot Evyatar, mortally wounding him and then opened fire on border guards who were nearby.

The guards quickly opened fire, wounding the attacker. An eyewitness, Yehuda Shimon, gave this account to Arutz Sheva:

I was coming from the direction of my house, and I saw an Arab man break away from a group of Arab men standing south of the junction. He came toward the hitchhiking post and jumped on one of the people there, pressed against him, and was pushed back.

At that point I didn’t see what exactly was going on. I stopped my car. A few seconds later the Arab man started to go back to the point he came from, while shooting at an IDF position nearby. Soldiers shot back at him. I got out of my car and the woman who was getting a ride with me crouched down beside the car, because we couldn’t tell if he was shooting at us or at the IDF post. I started to give first aid to the injured man. I turned him on his back, lifted his shirt, which was drenched in blood. I saw stab wounds and I tried to stop the blood until paramedics got there.

When the paramedics got there I left the wounded man. Police arrived, too, and I pointed them in the direction the terrorist had gone. Apparently the terrorist had been hit by the shots fired at him, he had fallen in the middle of the road with his gun about a meter away. He was still moving. I went back to the wounded [Israeli] man and the paramedic told me he had died. I said the ‘Shema Yisrael’ and closed his eyes, and then the soldiers started arriving.

Shema Yisrael - is the final prayer, final declaration a Jew says before dying. Evyatar was 31 years old. He was training to be a medical clown - one of a number of amazing people who go from hospital to hospital making patients smile and laugh. Evyatar was the father of five children - the oldest is only 7 years old.

Al Aksa group - which calls itself the military wing of Fatah, has already taken responsibility. Fatah is the peace partner that Obama tells us we must acknowledge.

As the sun sets here in Israel tonight, there are several communities in mourning but most of all, there is a young widow with five children who have just lost their father. The terrorist was evacuated to an Israeli hospital where doctors will work to save his life...it doesn't seem fair.

Five Facts about the Israel Air Force...

2013-04-28T16:40:00.000+03:00

How many of these did you know already?

What can happen on a school trip?

2013-04-25T23:35:00.000+03:00

Aliza had a school trip these past two days. It's an Israeli thing - something I have always loved. They...we...take our children to the land; to see the amazing places, sites, views. This year, they took them on an overnight trip to Haifa. She came back dirty, exhausted, starving. She showed me the pictures she took - the coast of Haifa and the mountains, the flowers...

The first thing she wanted - after food - was to show me the pictures. She was so excited. She and her friends posed for each other - and, "I can totally see you in me," she said.

It's strange to hear a child say that - that she can see me in the pictures of her. Listening, not just to what she said, but the order in which she said them, convinced me yet again that the mind of a 13 year old is a most amazing thing.

She started with what was special to her - but, as you'll see - pretty much the opposite of how a parent would rank the events of the trip. To her, it was about what she saw, what she did. To me, it became more of a national identity, more of an example of the politics that can affect our lives in the strangest of ways.

Yesterday, I had a normal business day - telephone calls from/with clients, two potential new projects, firming up plans to speak at a conference in England in June (wow...okay, that's not normal for me), two meetings, and then shopping.

Somewhere late in the day, I heard about the drone from Lebanon being shot down. It was all background noise. Shabbat is coming and I'm making the unusual dairy Shabbat - a completely different menu than usual. I needed to buy several things and a part of my brain was focused on making the list.

Aliza came home well into the night, anxious to talk, to tell me about the last two days of her life. Her trip unfolded before me in a combination of complaint and wonder. She enjoyed the beach; hated where they slept. She liked the flowers; hated the food. She slept in a tent and she was FREEZING. And the food, back to the food.

"It was disgusting. There were ants in the bread," she told me.

To which, her 17 year old brother responded, "That's good, we had cockroaches." (...which I sincerely hope is not true).

She began by telling me that the girls were given the choice of two hikes - either the "easy" one or the "hard" one. Those that took the hard one were rewarded with ices. Those that took the easy one, got to enjoy time on the beach. Aliza chose the beach (if you have time, see A Candle and a Wave).

And as she was talking, it hit - hours ago. Mid-afternoon, she was on the beach. Near Haifa...where the Israeli air force shot down a drone that they believe was launched from Lebanon, probably intending to spy on Israel or, perhaps, worse.

Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu's helicopter was flying north when the drone was identified. The first thing the air force did as it scrambled jets to intercept the drone was to order the prime minister's helicopter out of the skies above Israel.

And while they were doing this - my daughter was not far. It clicked as she was talking about the beach - and when it was happening, in those moments when the Israel jets were flying and my daughter was there below...I had no clue, no warning, nothing.

Her mind had moved on to the next part of her trip...mine tripped behind. "Did you hear planes?" I asked her.

"Yes," she replied.

"Did you hear a boom?" I asked her.

"No," she answered.

She went back to the story of the beach, how clean and beautiful it was, how nice the water felt. She was amazed by the number of shells she found on the shore and complained that they were told that the shells were part of nature and protected.

They could take rocks and pieces of broken glass that had been smoothed over time by the sand, but they could not take any shells.

She sat on thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of shells as her friends took a picture and she told me about the magnificent view from the upper hills of Haifa.

And she told me about how she walked across a bridge and how it was so scary - another picture there as well.

And then, she told me about how an Arab driver had thrown rocks at the girls and how one was hit - or her friend said she was hit. And how the girl was crying on the phone when she spoke to her parents.

"Where was your guard?" I asked her - trying to get the story without showing her that I was getting more and more upset.

"He wasn't a guard," she answered, "he was a madrich (counselor)" - which is fine - he was armed. On with the story, my heart begged her.

"He was in the back."

"What good does it do if he was only in the back?" I asked her. Dumb, I thought to myself - WHY am I asking a 13-year-old where the guard should be?

"There were two of them but only the one in the back had a gun, but they stopped the driver and they were talking to him."

"Why didn't they call the police?" I asked her. I have to tell you, getting the story from a 13 year old can be very frustrating.

From what I gather - the guards detained the Arab who had thrown the rocks but while they waited for the police, the driver left. The guards didn't pull their guns and threaten - but then again, they were surrounded by about 60 young girls who kept coming over to their crying friend to ask if she was okay. So, all in all, their not pulling out their guns was probably a good thing. There's no way of knowing what the Arab had done and it probably ended for the best. Though scared, Aliza's classmate was not hurt - and yes, what about the next time? I don't have an answer for that one.

The police did come and speak to the girls - no idea how the story ended other than that everyone is fine; Aliza is home safe, tired, dirty (taking a shower now) and looking forward to a LONG night of sleep.

It's a funny thing to send your child on a school trip - what can happen right? You worry about them being cold or hungry. You worry about them not sleeping enough or perhaps falling during the hiking. Scrambled air force jets shooting down a drone; an Arab attacking them with rocks...

Well, on the bright side, Shabbat is coming...

Happy Birthday, little Adelle

2013-04-25T09:37:00.002+03:00

Today is the third birthday of little Adelle Biton - she was critically wounded in a rock attack several weeks ago and her family will celebrate this day in the hospital with her - praying for her recovery. Adelle is still unconscious, still on a respirator.

What should have been a happy, exciting day celebrated in nursery school turns into a day of tears. May God grant her a full and speedy recovery and may she be the last Israeli child hurt by the rocks and missiles of hatred thrown/launched by Arabs who seek our destruction.

Please say a prayer for Adelle and her family - think good thoughts for her recovery. I look into her eyes in this picture and think of how little she is, how beautiful. These are our babies, the children of Israel - we cherish them, we love them and we teach them to choose life. We are all praying that Adelle will be given life - a long one, a happy one.

Dear God, please return Adelle to her family - healthy, whole, and with sparkling eyes that once again light up the hearts and souls of all who see her.

Allahu Akbar or Kol HaKavod

2013-04-24T16:42:00.001+03:00

I debated what to call this one - my first thought was "A Mother's Words?" but in the end, I prefer this title - Allahu Akbar or Kol HaKavod...

Two brothers have been accused of planting the bombs that went off during the Boston marathon, resulting in the deaths of four innocent people, including one child, and injuring over 200.

The mother of the two brothers is Zubeidat Tsarnaeva. In this interview, she speaks of her sons Tamerlan and Tzhokhar Tsarnaevso to CNN.

“If they are going to kill him. I don’t care. My oldest son has been killed, and I don’t care. I don’t care if my youngest son is going to be killed today. I want the world to hear this. And, I don’t care if I am going to get killed too. Okay? And I will say Allahu Akbar! That's what I'm going to say!“ -- Zubeidat Tsarnaeva

The surviving brother, all of 19 years old, has said the actions they took were to defend Islam. His words, combined with his mother's words make it clear what the motive was. It is, once again, a message from a culture that cares more for martyrdom than life. I watched this video, wondering if maybe it is a hoax. CNN wasn't particularly reliable when reporting about the Boston marathon manhunt...maybe, maybe this is just another case of bad reporting?

Why would a woman, days after losing one son, say she doesn't even care about losing a second son also? I cannot, for the life of me, understand this woman. There is a line from an article I once wrote that goes through my head again and again, "Such anger they must have, such hatred."

This morning, driving in, Amira was talking about a class she is taking in university and the various discussions they have about violence and terror. Some of her classmates and her oh-so-left-leaning-professor expressed satisfaction that so many Arabs are refraining from committing violent acts (well, not counting the rock-throwing and fire-bombing, of course).

"No one ever told me 'Kol HaKavod' for not killing anyone," my beautiful daughter said to me and I smiled. Kol HaKavod's direct translation is "All of the honor" - these words indicate high praise in Israel - good work, you did the right thing, good for you. When a younger child makes a mess and an older child cleans it up, you tell him, "Kol HaKavod." You didn't have to, and despite that, you did - good for you.

When Davidi spent his entire winter vacation studying and taking the course to ride on the intensive care ambulance - I told him, "Kol HaKavod," - I'm proud of you.

I can't get past the thought that this idiot woman thinks saying "Allahu Akbar" is her Kol HaKavod. Your sons MURDERED four people...people who were loved. Families devastated. There's a woman who spends every day in the same hospital as Zubeidat's son - only this woman visits with her two boys - both have lost a leg because of her sons' actions.

If you praise your god for actions that lead to the deaths of innocents, to the permanent maiming of dozens - there is truly something wrong with your "god."

May God watch over the people of Boston and those injured. May He grant them health and love and justice. For Zubeidat and her sons, I pray that God grants them a just sentence - in this world and in the next.

Boston Terror Suspect Taken to Israel

2013-04-23T23:54:00.002+03:00

Well, not Israel, exactly - but to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center where an Israeli doctor and the director of the hospital, Dr. Ilan Tabb and his staff are responsible for doing all they can to save the life of a man accused of murdering four and injuring close to 200.

Unfortunately, I have had a lot of experience with these types of injuries after years of treating people injured in terror attacks in Israel. We have a few Israeli doctors in the emergency room, and the director of the ER is also Israeli. But most of the physicians at the hospital are not Israeli, and they functioned exceptionally well.

It was very similar to what I was used to in Israel in that we had to admit many injured people in a short period of time," Professor Tabb said. "The fact that we are treating both the victims and the suspected terrorist also reminds me of similar situations in Israel. In Israel we had an injured soldier and a terrorist lying on adjacent beds. When an injured person is admitted to the ER, the doctor or nurse treats him without asking questions.

Having met many Israeli doctors, I can tell you that I understand their training. I know that they are asked and expected to treat everyone evenly. I know that many doctors have been challenged with saving the life of someone who has maliciously taken the lives of others. More times than you can imagine, the terrorist is evacuated with the wounded - and in some cases, given priority in treatment because the doctors treat based on severity of wounds, not on nationality. All efforts will be made to disarm the terrorist - any and all force is acceptable...until the terrorist is disarmed, and then, in the eyes of the doctor, even the most horrible of human beings becomes a responsibility, an obligation.

There have been several really dumb comparisons made - especially one by John Kerry related to the Boston bombers. When I was reading about the Israeli doctors treating the terrorist, I remembered a passage I had once read about the Eichmann trial.

I wonder what Dzhokhar Tsarnaev would say about his doctors being Israelis. I doubt he could possibly understand the humanity behind the actions of the Israeli doctors. Tsarnaev won't understand - as Eichmann did not. I found the passage I remembered...it was spoken during a discussion between then Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion and the Director of the Mossad Isser Harel. The conversation was recorded and classified, and only recently released.

In the discussion, people are asking Harel about the time right after Eichmann was captured. Eichmann came from a culture that believed in death, as apparently Tsarnaev did. Neither would expect decency from their enemies, from those they had perceived as weak. I find it fitting that Eichmann was fairly tried in Israel, convicted, and punished according to the law. If ind it fitting and just that Tsarnaev will live his life, knowing that it was Jews that saved his life.

Harel told Ben Gurion and others...

He doesn’t understand our behavior, he thought that we would beat him and treat him cruelly. We are treating him in keeping with the laws of the State of Israel, from the day the arrest order for him was issued and given to the Justice Ministry he is being treated according to the law.

When the anger burns within you, it is easier to lose sight of the law, of what is just and what is right. There is justice in Eichmann not being executed in Argentina; of his being brought back to Israel to see what we have built here and to know that it is by our law, by our justice that he was sentenced to death. For the record, Israel has only executed one person in all of its 65 years of independence. One man.

There will be justice for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev because, like Israel, America will rise above the anger to do what is right, what is just. It is in the anger we overcome that we prove our humanity.

There are those who will wish Tsarnaev had died rather than been captured but death is glory to the Islam that Tsarnaev says he and his brother were defending. The glory comes from becoming a martyr and as he survived, that martyrdom will be denied to this brother at least.

He will rot in jail - no glory, no honor. That is justice, the ultimate and true punishment.

Days Like Today...

2013-04-23T15:16:00.000+03:00

...are quiet and easy. I don't think I wrote this before...but I slipped and fell last week. Made me feel like a clutz! I deserved it, in a way - I was rushing because I couldn't find parking and so I gave in to the urge to just park in front of a carton recycling box (better than the way other people block someone else's car in, but still not completely legal). It was 6:45 p.m. and the yarn store was closing.

I'm making Davidi a blanket and running out of the gorgeous blue color I need and slip...boom. I fell on my hip (yeah, me - I didn't break it or even hurt it very much) and on my elbow...ouch. My elbow is fine - actually, all of me is fine, but my left arm (and yes, I'm left-handed) hurts and I have limited mobility - even a few days later.

What was amazing was my family. Amira and Lauren offered (and did) cook things for the weekend; Elie took me shopping; Davidi helped me unload and unpack. Aliza did TONS of dishes. Shmulik came to visit and asked if I needed help and moved things around. In short - my babies took care of me!

My husband was wonderful...sweet and caring and I've been walking holding on to his arm because when I come to an incline or stairs, I have this clear picture of myself tumbling down. I'll get over it, but in the meantime, it's kind of fun to hold his arm!

Elie drove me to work yesterday; Lazer came later and picked me up and we went to a meeting and out to dinner. Today, Elie drove me in again and Lazer will take me home. I'm not really up to driving yet.

There are reports in the news that are scary - massacres continue in Syria; Iran is moving ever closer; Hezbollah is heavily armed with rockets and missiles that can reach most of Israel. It's enough to cripple you, if you think about it too hard or for too long.

But mostly, I want to tell you that the tree outside my office window is the most amazing shade of green (even through the dirty window that the building refuses to wash). Hundreds of new, tiny leaves are growing and all the leaves are still shiny and clean from recent rains.

Spring has come to Israel; the rainy season is in its last days. I love rain - I'm going to miss those wonderful, cold, wet days in the coming months as we enter our dry spring and summer months.

For now, Israel is awash with color - the flowers are everywhere - in the windows, in the gardens, sold on street corners, and in the front of my house again. The open fields have high grass growing wild. Soon, the grass will whither, as it does each year, and turn golden and yellow. It will break in the wind, leaving the ground ready again for next year's rain. A cycle that conquers time and man; a promise from the heavens to the ground. It is a rebirth we watch each year, marvel at its beauty and wait for it again and again.

Last week, we celebrated Israel's Independence Day - the Israeli flag still flies in so many places. The government buildings and many office buildings still have long runners of flags handing down their sides. Even many of the cars have the Israeli flags flying from the rear windows.

We've learned - you don't put the flag in the front window because invariably, you end up opening it for a second and as you travel 80 or so kilometers an hour - the flag goes flying. We see dozens of them on the roads as we drive past - they too will be picked up at some point, but for now, they often remain.

The little green car across the street has been there all day - with two blue and white flags in the back windows. The car in front of it had a flag as well. The building across the street had flats that stretch four stories high flanking the entrance to the building.

So, for this week, at least, Israel is green and blue and white and quiet. Quiet is good.Syria is on fire. Lebanon a threat we may have to deal with soon. Gaza burps missiles at us now and then, a reminder that they can start the next war anytime THEY want and we will once again be forced to respond.

For now, we let them belch out their little aggressions (yeah, it might not be a word...poetic license here). The children are finishing up school for the year; they can already smell summer vacation coming...just two months and a few days away.

We're good, we want to tell the world. We're fine. My city won a national award for education; so did all of Israel win an international award.

We're at peace with ourselves, if not our neighbors. Yeah, we have this problem and that but we're really okay. This group doesn't like that group; this one things the other one is misguided - but what the world fails to understand is that even if we don't like someone, how they raise their kids or follow their religion - we still have a love inside ourselves for them. They are a part of us...we know it and they know it and truthfully, when it comes to the outside, there is no we and them. We might slip and fall, but we'll help each other back up, we'll conquer the mountains, the missiles, and the moments where we think about what could happen if...

Days like today...remind me that life is good...it really, really is...and it reminds me that tomorrow will come...but only tomorrow, not today. Tomorrow, we can worry about all sorts of things...but not today...not today.

What did you do the night before....

2013-04-22T14:30:00.000+03:00

In the middle of the Cast Lead Operation (otherwise known as the Gaza War), I was approached by a "journalist" named Faisal who wanted to interview me. Now, I don't want to say that I automatically reject some requests and accept others. I've been interviewed by journalists from Korea, Ireland, Italy and the US. BBC, Fox, and once Al Jazeera asked but canceled at the last minute (it was on the day of the last bus bombing in Tel Aviv and they might have been concerned about giving that attack too much air time).

But something got me wondering and so I suggested Faisal "interview" me via email. It was, I quickly realized, a smart move. Some of the questions were so obviously stupid, I had to laugh, but one bothered me tremendously.

Faisal wrote: Before leaving to war zone, did u make farewell party for him? Did u spent all the night before he went?

A farewell party? What kind of a society do you come from?

There is no celebration for Israel in going to war. We've never handed out candies when our enemies die - as the Palestinians did on 9/11 and as they do regularly when there is a suicide bomb attack, so no, I never considered celebrating the fact that my son was going off to war. Elie was on another base before he was moved to the war zone and so we did not spend the evening together. The weekend before, we had all been together and, as always happens when Elie is home, I just relax and enjoy having him home. On Friday night, after lighting the Sabbath candles, I watched my husband bless his children. The last part of the blessing asks God to grant the child "peace." It's an especially important prayer you offer a son who is a soldier and I always feel very touched to watch my husband bless his son this way.

I posted the entire "interview" here - if you want a good laugh, enjoy...

Later I went and found his blog - it was called HamasLovers...and had another funny blog post in which I denied his request to use my son's picture...and countered with some questions of my own...here.

I thought of this exchange from several years ago when someone posted this next picture to Facebook.

What did this Palestinian mother do the night before her son went out...no, not to defend but to attack; not to save the lives of those being attacked with rockets, but to further the cause of those who fire the rockets.

I see her cleaning his gun - the gun he will use to kill and I remember the few times Elie handed me his gun to hold. Once, we stopped on the side of the road to help a neighbor. He couldn't leave the gun in the car and he couldn't access the engine to see if he could help her.

Once, he was lifting something and said "hold this," and I said, "Elie...I don't hold guns...Elie...." and he took it away quickly. Another time, he handed it to Yaakov, who had been in the army - anyone but me. I never touched his M16 willingly, lovingly. and though there were times I handed him his uniform or helped him pack - I never helped him hide his identity in shame.

And yes, each time he left, I hugged him, gave him a kiss and prayed he would return to me. This picture, this sick idea of a mother was praying for his success in a mission that would have been suicidal. Victory for me was Elie and Shmulik walking through my front door - home and safe. I never took that moment of the door opening for granted. Not once.

What did you do the night before? I never prayed Elie or Shmulik would kill someone. I never prayed they would have glory or be heroes. I prayed they would never fire their guns and I begged God to please, please, bring them home safely.

John Kerry....Boston...Mavi Marmara

2013-04-22T09:37:00.000+03:00

John Kerry has redefined the concept of stupid. Really...

According to a recent news item:

Speaking at Istanbul, Turkey, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry made a jarring comparison between the victims of the Boston Marathon terror bombs and terror activists from the IHH group who were killed when they attacked IDF forces aboard the Mavi Marmara in 2010.

Kerry told his hosts in Turkey that he understands the pain of the families whose loved ones were killed aboard the Marmara – and added that he can understand their pain well, having just dealt with the families whose loved ones were slain in Boston.
Kerry said in his speech that he hopes the Israeli apology will lead to a thawing of Israel-Turkey relations.

Through the anger I feel - I find it hard to formulate a response to this incredibly ignorant concept. Did the Boston runners know they were heading into enemy territory, as the thugs aboard the Mavi Marmara flotilla know?

Did the terrorists warn the people at the finish line and those who were approaching it after running so hard...as Israel repeatedly warned the so-very-violent "humanitarians" aboard the flotilla?

Does Kerry think that sweet little 8-year-old boy, the women who were killed, and the 170+ people injured were armed and did they start attacking the bombers...funny how the media forgot to show how the victims of the Boston marathon terror attack could have easily avoided being murdered or injured had they avoided breaking international law...oh wait, they didn't break international law by running a legally declared naval blockade. They didn't attack soldiers who had, for the better part of a few days, been warning them not to approach a war zone.

All those people did was to go out on a beautiful day, in their beautiful city, to enjoy a peaceful event.

John Kerry - you owe the nation of Israel and the army of Israel an apology. We owe the Turks NOTHING and the vast majority of Israelis care nothing about thawing Israel-Turkey relations until Turkey starts acting like a modern nation and not yet another aggressive, hate-filled dictatorship.

And worse, John Kerry, worse of all is that you owe the victims, their families, and all of the people of Boston an apology.

Shame on you!

Eilat Hit....

2013-04-17T12:42:00.000+03:00

Two missiles have just hit Eilat - at least two others seem to have hit the Jordanian city of Aqaba, though the Jordanians are denying it at this time. Early reports said two missiles hit Eilat - and two hit Aqaba...then it was changed to three, and back to two hitting Eilat. Jordan is apparently still in denial.

No injuries though it hit in the same residential areas where my husband and I vacationed just a few months ago. Israel has closed the airport in/out of Eilat lest the next potential missile target a plane with dozens aboard.

Eilat...

Eilat is a special place - removed from Israel in so many ways. It is a long distance between Eilat and the center of Israel, both in physical space and in mindset. We go to Eilat to forget the pressures of every day life - to remember the beauty that God has put on this earth.

Gorgeous desert views...

Mountains to climb...

Salt water fish in colors the mind can barely grasp...

Tourist sites to entertain - some with Biblical references, like the theme park called Kings City; cruises, an ice skating mall...and so much more...

People go there to get away from it all - but today, the trouble came to them. To Eilat.

Watch BBC Tonight?

2013-04-17T09:58:00.000+03:00

Now, if only I had a television...do I want to watch? I don't know.

I guess I hope they don't make me look like a fool.

I guess I hope they don't make my city look like some occupied fortress stealing bread from the mouths of hungry, half-naked Palestinian children.

I hope...I hope...I hope.

It's a done deal, now - no more time to hope they showed my city as I see it, my country as the one I love. Either they did or they didn't. It's their chance, not mine anymore. I had my chance here, now they have theirs.

Why did I agree to do this? What made me think I could speak for Israel and do it right? What words shouldn't I have said? What phrase could be cut and misinterpreted, twisted to be ugly, racist, uncompromising? Why did I believe them when they said they wanted to show the Israel so few really see?

I hope...I hope...I hope.

I hope I don't look fat. I hope I don't look ugly. I hope my hair wasn't blowing in my face. I hope my hair was blowing in my face. I hope the camera doesn't make me look even another 10 pounds over the ones I need to lose. I've had five children, people - but yeah, that's an excuse. Exercise - why didn't I exercise more before I agreed to go on international television? Maybe I shouldn't have worn...what was I wearing...who remembers?

I don't hate all Arabs. I do want peace. No...I really don't believe there will be - but that sounds like a negative thing - does it come across? Did they make it come across? Does it look silly and staged to have walked in the supermarket? Did they show the barren hills - that was so important - did they include the image so people can see the truth of where we live? That no one, no Arabs, no village was destroyed to build the beautiful city in which I live?

Will they understand that even someone who doesn't believe in peace still wants it terribly? Why did I choose the name "A Soldier's Mother"? It sounds like I want violence. I don't. I just want...

Okay...should I watch BBC tonight...or should I just let others tell me that I made a mistake. That I shouldn't have been so arrogant to think that I could find un-twistable words. Arrogant...arrogant...arrogant. So many others have fallen before the BBC reporters, their words taken out of context, ignored, twisted. Why...why did I believe I could talk, that I should talk? Why did I do it?

I hope...I hope...I hope.

I'm just human. I am not an international, famous person. I am me. I met them, I opened my heart, my city, my life. I gave them my words, my story. I want to believe but right now I don't. In...how many hours? It's almost 10:00 a.m. in Israel - is England ahead of us or behind us...how many hours till this shows? Should I watch it?

Okay - enough. I could spend hours pouring out my concerns about this. I hope...I hope...I hope.

I hope tonight comes quickly and no one is watching...unless it's good, in which case, I hope everyone is watching. I hope my friends and neighbors don't think I was an idiot. I hope I don't look stupid.

I hope...tonight comes and goes very quickly and I can go back to my words being mine. Yes, from now on, I think I'll let others speak for Israel and I'll stick to here.

Please John Ware, please BBC...let tonight do what you said you wanted - let it show the side of Israel I have always loved; a land unlike any other. Let people see that no one was hurt by the creation of my city; that both Arabs and Jews benefit from Maale Adumim - and Israel, being where it is.

Let them see all settlers aren't gun-toting, bearded men.

Let them see we are all human beings, with children and lives.

I hope...I hope...I hope...until tonight, I guess...

The Switch - Israel Style...

2013-04-16T13:02:00.000+03:00

It's just after 6:00 p.m. here in Israel. Memorial Day is fast coming to a close. I lit a memorial candle last night. It burns for 24 hours. It is mostly gone and soon it will go out. At 8:00 p.m., Israel will do what it does each year at this time - a most amazing and hard to believe thing. It will, in an instant, switch from our deepest sadness to our greatest joy.

Before we can celebrate our Independence Day, we honor those who made it possible, by commemorating our Memorial Day. Soon, all over the land, we will go to parties, barbecues, and fireworks. I am on the flat of the roller coaster of life as a soldier's mother - Yaakov, Elie, Chaim and Shmulik and Haim - are all out of the army. One nephew is out - one remains in the army. Elie did Reserve duty a week ago - a few days with other commanders to give him a heads up on where they are and what's likely to come at them in the next few months. Most of the unit wasn't even called in...

For the most part, my sons are home while other sons and daughters guard our borders, our seas, our skies. Davidi has begun the process but it is the very early stages and it will be more than a year - perhaps even two or three before he enters the army. He has chosen something dangerous but I can't worry now - perhaps he will change his mind; perhaps the army has other plans. For now, the roller coaster moves along and, as is its way, I can't see any fall ahead (of course, that's the point of the roller coaster - you never can see a fall), but you have this wonderful sense of calm, here on the flats. Not today...not tomorrow...

I am, for now, in the back lines. My sons are not in the front lines of the army and as a mother, I have stepped back behind the other mothers with sons on the front. Tonight, in a few short hours, my older sons will go with their wives to celebrate. Davidi will join his friends on the ambulance squad to help young children who fall and hurt themselves during the celebrations, or older people who need medical assistance as thousands converge on the center park of our small city. Last night, they came in the thousands to cry; soon, they will come with laughter. As hard as Memorial Day has been, I can only hope that's how happy Yom Ha'Atzmaut (Independence Day) will be.

Happy Birthday, Israel - may you go from strength to strength.

65 Years - 65 Things to LOVE About Israel

2013-04-16T09:00:00.000+03:00