Opuscula Occupation? What Occupation? Occupation by whom?

 

It is getting more than a little tiresome.

I hear, again and again, tv talking heads tell me that Gaza is occupied, the implication is that Israel is occupying Gaza.

If any of these tv "personalities" could read, they would know that Israel evacuated - actually the Jews were chased out by the IDF on then-prime minister Ariel Sharon's orders -in 2005.

From the Washington Post:

But in 2005, as prime minister, he ordered Israeli soldiers to forcibly evict some 8,000 Jewish settlers from two dozen communities in the Gaza Strip, ending the Israeli civilian and military presence inside the coastal enclave that Israel wrestled from Egypt in the 1967 war.

Shades of Ben Gurion and Rabin and the Altalena.

In the UK, The Guardian reported that

Thousands of Israeli troops evicted Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip today amid anger, grief and isolated acts of violence.

The actual removals - which have seen troops dragging some settlers out kicking and screaming - have taken place amid high emotion but little physical confrontation.

Protesters as young as 12 at Neve Dekalim, the largest settlement, struggled as troops dragged them onto removal buses. "I want to die," one youth screamed as he was hauled away.

Settlers were pulled from homes, synagogues and even a nursery. As the day wore on, it appeared more settlers were cooperating with the troops.

Tom Gross defines himself on his blog as a journalist and international affairs commentator, specializing in the Middle East details in text and graphic coverage the Jews' expulsion from Gaza and includes before (when Jews were there) and after (when Jews were gone) photos.

The images of a burned synagogue and destroyed greenhouses attest to the fact that Gaza is not occupied by anyone other than Arabs.

Charles Krauthammer, writing on the Washington Post's Opinion Page, writes

Apologists for Hamas attribute the blood lust to the Israeli occupation and blockade. Occupation? Does no one remember anything? It was less than 10 years ago that worldwide television showed the Israeli army pulling die-hard settlers off synagogue roofs in Gaza as Israel uprooted its settlements, expelled its citizens, withdrew its military and turned every inch of Gaza over to the Palestinians. There was not a soldier, not a settler, not a single Israeli left in Gaza.

And there was no blockade. On the contrary. Israel wanted this new Palestinian state to succeed. To help the Gaza economy, Israel gave the Palestinians its 3,000 greenhouses that had produced fruit and flowers for export. It opened border crossings and encouraged commerce.

Ibrahim Ibn Yusuf, on his blog titled The Hasbara Buster argues that

About half the greenhouses in the Israeli settlements in Gaza have already been dismantled by their owners, who have given up waiting to see if the government was going to come up with extra payment as an inducement to leave them behind, say senior officials working on the coordination of this summer's Israeli pullout from Gaza.(...)

Of the roughly 1,000 acres of agricultural land that were under greenhouses in the 21 Israeli settlements in Gaza, only 500 acres remain - creating significant doubts that the greenhouses could be handed over to the Palestinians as "a living business," the goal cited by the Israeli coordinator of the pullout, Eival Giladi.

Finally, a last-minute effort by American Jewish philanthropists raised $14 million and the remainder of the greenhouses was bought and turned over to the Palestinians.

Even by Ibrahim Ibn Yusuf, the Jews have been long gone from Gaza - so how can there be claims of "occupation"?

Next time anyone says Gaza is occupied understand that, yes, it is occupied - by Hamas, voted in by the good people of Gaza. (Was Jimmy [I hate Israel] Carter or the UN there to supervise the free elections?)

A few more words About tefillin/ תפילין

 

The following was intended to be part of the tefillin entry Tefillin תפילין for July 28, but the blog software decided to turn the normal background into a dark color and the text into unreadable blue.

Are all tefillin the same?

Yes . . . and no.

There are two (2) major "tefillin types": Rashi and Tam. Both contain the same words from the Torah, but R. Tam - Rashi's grandson, placed the commandments in a different order.

The lettering of the commandments differs by tradition (vs. Rashi or Tam order).

A few differences in customs

The following is NOT "all inclusive."

The following is from קצור שלחן ערוך השלם (של מרדכי אליהו); this kitzur includes the Ashkenazi kitzur of R. Shlomo Ganzfried with Sefardi/Mizrachi customs added by the former Rishon l'Zion/Hakham Bakshe Mordechai Eliyahu as footnotes.

Checking tefillin

ASSUMING the tefillin were purchased from a reliable sofer stam (a person who is qualified and writes Sefer Torah, Tefillin, and Mezzot), and IF the tefillin are used daily (excluding Shabatot and holidays) they need not be checked on a regular basis. HOWEVER, if the tefillin are not worn daily and not kept in a controlled environment, they should be checked (at least) twice in seven (7) years. The ideal time to check tefillin, according to Sefardi custom, is during the month of Elul, particularly during the 10 days.

When to put on tefillin

According to Ashkenazi custom, the time to lay tefillin is from the time a person can recognize an acquaintance at a short (4 amot) distance. According to Sefardi custom, tefillin - and before that the tallit (tzit-tzit) - may be put on one hour before HaNetz. (When is "HaNetz?" Go to http://www.myzmanim.com/ for your location. This site gives you important times throughout the day for your selected location.)
According to most authorities, tefillin must be removed before dark.

Three steps

Tefillin are put on in three steps.

Step 1    Place the hand tefillin box on the bicep. Wrap the strap around the arm (from the beneath elbow to the wrist) seven (7) complete turns (half turn, then seven turns, then one more half turn)

Step 2    Place the head tefillin on the head and center the box.

Step 3    Wrap the hand tefillin around the hand and finger(s) - see images, above.

To stand or sit?

Ashkenazim stand to put on both hand and head tefillin. Most Sefardim sit to lay the hand tefillin and stand to place the head tefillin. The tefillin are removed the same way; what was put on standing is taken off standing; what was put on sitting is taken off sitting.

Note   Sefardim need not be מקפיד (extremist) about sitting to put on/take off the hand tefillin; most sit, but if this is inconvenient then the hand tefillin may be put on standing.) Source: ילקות שמ''ש Page 24.
With all customs, the hand tefillin is put on first/taken off last; the head tefillin is put on before the three wraps around the finger(s). See Three steps, above.

One blessing or two?

Ashkenazim say separate blessings over the hand tefillin and the head tefillin. Sefardim say only the blessing over the hand tefillin IF THERE IS NO INTERRUPTION BETWEEN THE TWO ACTIONS; if there is an interruption between putting on the hand tefillin and the head tefillin, the Sefardi says the separate blessing for the head tefillin as well.

Note   North African Sefardim, and perhaps others as well, make a point to say the blessing for the tallit/tzit-tzit and tefillin aloud so that others can participate in the mitzvot by saying ברוך הוא וברוך שמו and אמן.

May a Sefardi wear Ashkenazi tefillin?

According to R. Eli Mansour, As for the practical Halacha, Hacham Bension Abba Shaul (Israel, 1923-1998), in his Or Le’sion (3:7), writes that if a Sepharadi has access only to Ashkenazi Tefillin, he should wear those Tefillin because he has nothing else to use, but he does recite a Beracha. It should be noted that an Ashkenazi can fulfill his requirement by wearing Sepharadi Tefillin. The reason is that.Halacha requires that the fourth paragraph of the text in the Tefillin be written “Setuma” (“closed”), and there is a difference of opinion among the Halachic authorities as to what exactly this means . According to the Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 32:36), an empty space the length of nine letters is left in between the third and fourth paragraphs, whereas according to the Taz (Rabbi David Segal, Poland, 1586-1667), empty space is left both at the end of the third paragraph and at the beginning of the fourth paragraph. In the view of Maran, leaving additional empty space, beyond what is required, invalidates the Tefillin, and thus Tefillin prepared in accordance with the view of the Taz are invalid according to Maran..

Intermediate days of festivals.

Sefardim praying in Sefardi congregations do not wear tefillin on the intermediate days of a festival. (Ashkenazim and Sefardim normally do not wear tefillin on the first and last days of a festival; Ashkenazim wear them on the intermediate days.) Sefardim making minyan in an Ashkenazi congregation should follow the majority or find another minyan. Ashkenazim making minyan in a Sefardi congregation should, likewise, follow the majority and not lay tefillin during the intermediate days - or find an Ashkenazi minyan for the duration. The basic rule: The majority rules. In Israel Ashkenazim also omit tefillin during Hol HaMoed (intermediate days of a festival.)

Additional resources

Difference between Rashi and Tam tefillin:
http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/8990/what-is-the-difference-between-rashi-and-rabbeinu-tams-tefillin

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/practices/Ritual/Prayer/Ritual_Garb/Tefillin_Phylacteries_/Rashi_and_Rabbenu_Tam.shtml http://ohr.edu/3943

How to Put on Tefillin: My Jewish Learning: Includes video

Aish: How to put on tefillin (graphics and video, Ashkenazi)

World Wide Wrap's Tefillin - Frequently Asked Questions

How to Lay Tefillin (Ashkenazi)

Schetcher on Judaism (Conservative)

Sephardi Jews (Sefardi, with video)

The main thing is to buy and wear tefillin to comply with the commandment:

והיה לך לאות על-ידך ולזכרון בין עיניך"
(Exodus/שמות 13:9)

Tefillin תפילין

 

והיה לך לאות על-ידך ולזכרון בין עיניך
(Exodus/שמות 13:9)

 

Some months ago on the Chabad web site there was a discussion of how to don/lay/wrap/put on tefillin.

Since only Chabad can post graphics I was unable to show some of the many different - and acceptable - ways men wrap the hand tefillin. (There is little difference in the way the head tefillin are placed.)

The following images show several of the more common ways to wear the hand tefillin.

Sefardi - Specifically Moroccan

As with almost everyone, there are three (3) turns around the finger; some Moroccans place one "loop" on each of the finger's three phalanges (as shown above). Others have two turns on the proximal phalange and one on the medial phalange (see Chabad hand, below.

Some Sefardim/Mizrachim also place a shin (ש) on the biceps, similar to the Chabad shin, below; this helps hold the box in place, but since there is a shin on the finger, a shin on the biceps is not a requirement. Of those who do place a shin on the bicep, some put the strap on the box's upper edge; others on the lower edge.

Securing the tefillin

Egyptian "spring" - This may be common with others (e.g., Ben Ish Hai). The hand is the basic Sefardi/Mizrachi hand wrap (See the Sefardi wrap, above.)

Chabad "Shin" (sometimes used by Sefardim)

Chabad hand wrap

All of the above wrap out (away from the body), that is, the knot on the hand tefillin strap is close to the heart with the "loop" away from the heart vs. the normative Ashkenazi knot which is distant from the heart so the Ashkenazi can wrap inward (toward the body). There are numerous explanations for each custom.

"Typical" Ashkenazi wrap on hand

 

All the above, and others not shown, are "kosher" wraps. Each man should follow his father's or grand-father's tradition. Fathers-in-law also are valid if the father forgot how HIS father "laid tefillin."

 

Next: A few more words about tefillin/תפילין

Opuscula If truth be told EMBED

 

Watch the news on the Web? On tv? In one of the few surviving newspapers?
for the most part the news is one sided; as an example, look at the picture the UK's Daily Mail posts at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2702485/Israel-investigated-war-crimes-Gaza-UN-says.html under a hed that screams Israel should be investigated for war crimes in Gaza says UN, as it warns that they have not done enough to protect hundreds of Palestinian civilians (this followed by a pull quote by UN human rights chief Navi Pillay stating Israel must end blockade and respect obligations as an 'Occupying Power' (even though Israel has not occupied Gaza since Sharon's expulsion of Jews from the area in 2005.)
There are, to be fair, the rare report that fails to condemn Israel. Such a report was printed in the Washington Post under the heading While Israel held its fire, the militant group Hamas did not. The WashPost reported that
   * Hamas rejected an Egyptian-brokered cease fire.
   * Hamas uses a hospital as headquarters
   * Hamas calls PA president Abu Mazen a traitor” and “collaborator” for allegedly supporting the cease-fire proposal by Egypt
   * Israel warned non-Hamas residents in Gaza, by telephone and by noon-lethal bombs, that they were in danger of an Israeli attack
The WashPost article includes an embedded AP video showing Hamas rejecting the cease fire.

The Algemeiner, claiming to be The fastest growing Jewish newspaper in America, the NEW Algemeiner serves as a valiant media voice addressing the most compelling issues of our time, with vision, integrity and moral clarity has additional material lifted from the WashPost.
While the WashPost and a few others are reporting both sides of the conflict without an obvious bias for one side over the other - the WashPost's article While Israel held its fire (ibid.) included a photo of smoke rising over an unseen structure followed by the two captions:
Panicked residents flee their homes in the northern Gaza Strip as Israel continues its attack on Hamas. As of July 15, at least 185 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed and nearly 1,400 injured, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
July 17, 2014 - Smoke rises following what witnesses said was an Israeli airstrike that took place before a five-hour humanitarian truce in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters
Note there is no mention of Israeli causalities or the reason behind the Israeli air strikes.
 
Hamas' willingness to negotiate as stated by its leader in Gaza:
 

WashPost

 
When the U.S. went to war in Iraq (both times) and elsewhere, it carefully embeds reporters and photographers. It hopes these people will report truthfully (and farther hopes editors and managers will disseminate the reports fairly).
In a generally pro-Hamas article from Reuter's heded At least 50 dead in Israeli attack on Gaza district – hospital by Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Jeffrey Heller, after three paragraphs of how Israeli attacks are hurting Gazans, Reuters allowed two paragraphs:
The Israeli military said on Sunday Hamas had deployed rockets and built tunnels and command centres in Shejaia.
"Two days ago, residents of Shejaia received recorded messages to evacuate the area in order to protect their lives," an Israeli military spokeswoman said.
After returning to the plight of the Gazans, Reuters did admit basing its article on a (V)ideo given to Reuters by a local showed at least a dozen corpses, including three children, lying in rubble-filled streets, though the footage could not be verified independently.
Later, in the same article, the Reuters reporters noted that Hamas had urged people across the territory not to heed the Israeli warnings and abandon their homes.
Israel, to protect itself, must embed not just Israeli media but both international media and UN representatives with its front line troops. Let the media - especially the likes of the UK's Daily Mail - see why "innocent civilians" are victims (even after Israel has warned them where it plans to attack); let them see if some of these "innocent" victims really are victims of Israeli attacks or are they victims of Hamas' desire for photo ops (as has been proven in the past).
In truth, it is more important to embed hostile media with the front line troops that it is to embed media known to be favorable to Israel. UN "observers" must be included so that the misconceptions (lies?) of UN human rights chief Navi Pillay and others like her can be exposed.

 

See related blog entry:
Excerpts from Times of Israel Thursday article on this site.

What the media ignores Excerpts from Times of Israel Thursday article

 

From Times Of Israel, Thursday, July 24, 2014

150 Palestinians surrender to IDF in Gaza

By ADIV STERMAN
July 24, 2014, 11:44 am 28

Dozens of Palestinian terror operatives, most of whom were said to be members of Hamas, surrendered Wednesday to IDF soldiers during raids in the southern Gaza Strip cities of Rafah and Khan Yunis. FREE SIGN UP!

The operatives, who came out of hiding spots with their hands raised above their heads, were taken into Israeli custody for further questioning.

In total, 150 Palestinians were arrested, but only 70 of them who were suspected of carrying out terror attacks were transferred under tight security to IDF Intelligence and Shin Bet facilities for interrogation, an IDF spokeswoman told The Times of Israel, adding to 28 operatives already captured. The remaining detainees were later released, Army Radio reported.

Map of Gaza (Khan Yuis is in the south)

The army on Wednesday bombed Al-Wafa hospital in Gaza City, calling it “a Hamas military compound.” The IDF said there was a command-and-control center in the hospital, a lookout post used to monitor IDF forces, and several access shafts to a tunnel network beneath the hospital.

On Tuesday the hospital was evacuated from patients and staff, the army said, but was still in use by Hamas gunmen, who continued to fire at the IDF forces. On Wednesday, prior to the airstrike, the Gaza Coordination and Liaison Administration confirmed that the hospital was empty of patients and staff.

The strike set off massive secondary explosions, supporting the army’s contention that there was an arms cache, perhaps of rockets, beneath the hospital. (See video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM1F9oP80kc)

Meanwhile, the Shin Bet announced that it had succeeded, along with the army, in either killing or incapacitate four mid-to high-level Palestinian Islamic Jihad commanders, all in the Khan Yunis area.

According to the Shin Bet, the officials included the group’s Khan Yunis commander Akram Shaar, who was behind a series of attacks against Israeli soldiers and was in charge of rocket fire from the area; Mahmoud Ziada, a resident of Jabalya, who had served as a battalion commander in the northern sector; Sha’aban Dahduh, of Gaza City, also a battalion commander, whom the Shin Bet referred to as “outstanding”; and Saeed Ma’amar, also a battalion commander, in the Rafah brigade.

A senior Israeli security source asserted Wednesday that Hamas’s rocket manufacturing capacity had taken a strong hit during the IDF’s operation in the Palestinian enclave.

Get to Israel Sans a plane

 

This entry was created during the time airlines refused to fly to Lod.

CONSIDER THIS

The airlines have, for safety reasons, ceased flying into Lod and Eilat. Whether it is a legitimate concern or not is "out of scope" for this blog.

But Israel is not isolated.

If I was, say, Nefesh b'Nefesh or a tour organizer or even an Israeli returning home to join my Tzhal unit, I'd fly from "wherever" to Italy or Greece, then take a ship to Haifa. (Ashdod is too often a target of Hamas' unguided missiles.)

Who has ships that might serve the purpose?

In a pinch, maybe a ZIM Integrated Shipping Ltd. (Zim) vessel could transport people, but most of Zim's ships are not "passenger friendly." (Truth in blogging: I once worked for Zim in Norfolk VA.)

A better option is to "draft" a cruise ship.

Carnival ships come to mind.

Micky Arison is Chairman of the Board of Carnival Corporation & plc; he owns, according to Wikipedia, 47% of the business. Carnival was founded by his late father, Ted Arison; there is an "Israeli-connection."

Carnival is one of the world's largest cruise ship business; its holdings include the Italian-based Costa Cruises.

Zim acquired its first ship, the SS Kedma, and sailed to the future state of Israel in the summer of 1947. During the 1948 war, the company was the sole maritime connection with the state of Israel, supplying food, freight and military equipment.

Zim S.S. KEDMA, c 1947

In 1953, some of the money from the reparations agreement between Israel and West Germany was allocated to the purchase of new ships. The SS Bergensfjord, renamed Jerusalem, sailed the Israel-New York route, Another ship purchased with reparations money was the SS Etzel. The SS Dolphin IV, acquired in 1956, was renamed SS Zion.

In 1950s and 1960s, ZIM concentrated on passenger ships, alongside a constant expansion of the cargo shipping business. Passenger liners were a common means of international transport before the emergence of cheap air transport, and pleasure cruises were also popular. ZIM sailed the Mediterranean Sea, as well as having regular routes to the United States. Some of its ships cruised to the Caribbean during the winter. 1964 saw the completion of the ocean liner SS Shalom, which turned out to be a failure, marking the end of the ZIM passenger shipping era.

(The Zim history, above is from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zim_Integrated_Shipping_Services)

The bottom line was that, until the mid-1960s, arriving in Israel onboard a ship was probably more common than arrival by plane.

The Costa Cruises division of the Carnival organization owns 14 ships sailing from multiple European ports (as well as other locations).

If Arison and company were willing, it seems reasonable to fly to a Mediterranean destination and board a Carnival/Costa ship for Haifa.

Costa Cruises S.S. Costa Fascinosa cut-away view

While it only takes (roughly) 5 hours to fly from a Spanish or Italian airport to Lod, the trip to Haifa via a cruise ship, even at maximum speed, would be measured in days, but travel by "boat" keeps Israel accessible despite terrorists' rockets.

The other alternative would be to fly to Amman and then cross into Israel by bus near Jericho on the Allenby/King Hussein bridge..

Allenby/King Hussein bridge crossing

Frankly, I'd LIKE to sail to Israel; if not from my home ports (Fort Lauderdale and Miami Florida) then a fly-and-cruise: fly to Europe and sail to Haifa. (Costa sails from Amsterdam, home of a favorite airport.)

Opuscula All boys at day school Must wear tallit katan

 

From kindergarten on

 

The news from a Jewish day school delivered today states that effective with the 201-2015 school year all male students will wear a tallet katan (tzit-tzit).

All the students are Jewish, so it's not a question of forcing non-Jews to dress to a Jewish standard. The rule applies only to students.

So what bothers me?

The ignorance, or perhaps arrogance, of some Jews who feel that unless you are exactly like them, you're not Jewish or at least not Jewish "enough."

According to דברי שלום ואמת, Page 31, there are a number of reasons why a tallit katan is generally worn only by the rabbis. One reason given is because the knots on the tzit-tzit can spell out one of HaShem's names and must not be worn in an unclean place.

But if a tallit katan is worn, according to ילקות שמ''ש Page 22, the tzit-tzit are to be worn inside the clothing.

AS AN ASIDE, on the same page we read that when we recite the Shema we hold only the front two tzit-tzit; this is according to the Shulhan Aruk.

It really would be nice if, before issuing a fiat that applies to all, the Powers That Be would at least consider the traditions of all the people they are trying to shoehorn into their mold.

Maybe it's fair.

When the Germans first came to America they were not greeted according to Shammai by the resident Sefardim. Now that the Ashkenazim are in the majority they have donned blinders and are forcing their customs on Sefardim and Mizrachim.

Opuscula Tunnel Vision

 

Headline in Arutz Sheva for July 20, 2014: Livni Asks: 'Why Destroy Tunnels Before They Were Used?

A synopsis of the article reads: Justice Minister Tzipi Livni (HaTnua) explained over the weekend why she agreed to a ceasefire - even though the IDF had not yet managed to destroy the Hamas tunnels network.

This is the Member of Knesset who repeatedly meets with PA officials in Europe despite being told not to do so by the prime minister. Netanyahu fires deputy defense minister Danny Danon, a member of Netanyahu's own Likud party, for publicly disagreeing with him, but he keeps one who thumbs her nose at his political decision. Only in Israel.

When asked by a tv personality how it developed that the government basically agreed to a ceasefire on Tuesday, while on Thursday it suddenly "remembered" that "the tunnels are a strategic problem that must be urgently taken care of" Livni answered, "First of all, in truth the tunnels aren't something new…. There is a difference between a problem that still hasn't taken place and you still don't see it inside the territory of the State of Israel, [and between] that infiltration [from the tunnel] at Sufah that basically meant that it's not only a tunnel, but that Hamas continues and intends to use them inside Israel against the citizens of Israel."

It was Livni's veto last week that delayed the ground operation into Gaza for two full days.

The article continues by noting that In actuality, Livni overlooked the fact that the tunnels had been used successfully in the past against Israel. It happened in June 2006, when Hamas tunneled under an IDF outpost, killed two soldiers, and abducted Gilad Shalit back into Gaza. Hamas held him hostage for more than five years, until Israel released over 1,000 terrorists to secure his release.

In my professional life I am a risk management practitioner, and in a former life I was in the U.S. military. As I read Livni's remarks I have to wonder is this person has eyes to see and a brain to think.

Only the most isolated hermit lacks knowledge that Hamas builds tunnels for a purpose - either to import restricted goods and contraband from Egypt - which, to its credit, has demolished many tunnels - or to infiltrate Israel to kill or capture Israelis.

Yet this person is not only a member of the Israeli government (Member of Knesset) she also is Netanyahu's Justice Minister and the person he has appointed to work with the Palestinian Authority to achieve a two-state peace deal - never mind that the PA, now in bed with Hamas, still has as its primary goal the destruction of Israel and the making of Palestine a "Jewish-free country. (Even the Muslim in the White House and his lackey Kerry can't get Abu Mazen to give up that raison d'etre.)

Still, when the "apartheid" state of Israel has seven (7) Arab members, most of them Muslim, with at least two, Hanin Zoabi of the National Democratic Assembly and Dr. Ahmad Tibi of the Ra`am-Ta`al-Mada list, who outrageously condemn Israel for daring to exist. (Yet it is interesting to learn that according to her Knesset page, Ms. Zoabi has a B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy from Haifa University and an M.A. in Communications and Media, from Hebrew University in Jerusalem.)

Given the prime minister's actions and those of his Justice Minister, it is a wonder Israel's military and do more than play soldier, let alone conduct attacks against enemies using tunnels that - according to Livni - had not been used before. (Why did she think Hamas built them?)

Only in Israel.

Opuscula Atlanta, 1864 Gaza, 2014

 

What to do with Gaza.

Once again Israel has to occupy the so called "Gaza Strip," a place Ariel Sharon handed over to the "Palestinians" in August 2005.

For a history of Gaza, at least from a Jewish perspective, go to the
Jewish Virtual Library site.

When Israeli settlers were forced out by Sharon and the IDF, they left behind homes and greenhouses - Gaza was growing 15 percent of Israel's agricultural exports, including 60 percent of its cherry tomato and herb exports and 70 percent of all its organic produce.

As the Jews withdrew, the intact homes and greenhouses were destroyed by the Moslems newly in control.

Israel will prevail - at a terrible cost - and it should extinguish Hamas' rule in the area, allowing non-extremist Moslems, and by most reports, Hamas is a minority in Gaza - a minority with guns and money, but a minority none-the-less - to set up a government that is willing to coexist with Israel. (The government need not be "democratic" or even similar to Israel's, and Israel must recognize that most Islamist countries are run by strongman dictators.)

Israel will, when Gaza is weapons-free and a government established, once again withdraw its troops from Gaza.

The question is: Should Israel treat Gaza as William Tecumseh Sherman did to Georgia and burn everything to the ground or follow the lead of George C. Marshal.

According to Biography.com:

In September 1864, William T. Sherman took Atlanta and burned it to the ground. With 60,000 men, he began his celebrated "March to the Sea," ripping through Georgia with a 60-mile-wide path of total destruction. Sherman understood that to win the war and save the Union, his Army would have to break the South's will to fight. Everything was ordered to be destroyed in this military strategy, known as "total war."

After the World War Two ended, then-President Harry S Truman appointed George C. Marshall as Secretary of State and, with the help of many in politics and outside of politics, a plan bearing his name was developed. According to a Wikipedia entry,

The Marshall Plan (officially the European Recovery Program, ERP) was the American initiative to aid Europe, in which the United States gave $13 billion in economic support to help rebuild European economies after the end of World War II in order to prevent the spread of Soviet Communism. The plan was in operation for four years beginning in April 1948. The goals of the United States were to rebuild war-devastated regions, remove trade barriers, modernize industry, and make Europe prosperous again.

Israel's experience with Gaza would suggest that Sherman's tactic would be the approach to take.

After all, when Sharon sent troops to expel Jews from their homes - a chutzpah at that time exceeded only by
Ben Gurion and Rabin opening fire on Jews aboard the Altalena - the Jews left behind a solid infrastructure. They also left behind synagogues (destroyed by Moslems), homes (destroyed by Moslems), greenhouses (destroyed by Moslems), and other useful structures, all "destroyed by Moslems."

Given that, it is unlikely that a Marshall plan would work - at least in the initial stages.

It is worth noting that the Marshall plan enabled the Europeans to modernize their operations. The modernization caused the demise of America's steel industry since, with its outdated equipment, it could not compete with the Europeans.

Lest anyone contend that the Marshall plan succeeded because the Europeans had a different mentality than the Moslems, similar plans were implemented in Japan - whose soldiers were willing to die for their emperor/god - and the Japanese have been for the most part political allies.

Finally, the United States continues to pour aid into both Japan and its European allies treasuries.

There are a number of Israeli-PA (Moslem) joint projects, mostly extra-governmental (that is, without interference or support from any government). At the same time, the PA educates its children to hate Jews; it prepares them to die for jihad; and it yearns for the day when all of Israel will be free of Jews. All this suggests that, as in Gaza, the opposition to peaceful co-existence is blocked only by governments of extremists.

Gaza, and the PA, are akin to Vietnam. The "soldiers" don't war uniforms (except perhaps for ski masks). It's difficult to identify a Hamas loyalist so how will Israel be able to weed out the extremists in the midst of Gaza's "we want a better life" population? Don't expect the average Gazan to point a finger to "rat out" a Hamas loyalist.

The U.S. and its allies were unable to identify all nazis after the war; many (were allowed to) escaped to South America and even the United States.

Should Israel set up a vetted government, complete with armed police? Not necessarily immediately, but later, as it did with the PA. (The U.S. supplied both weapons and training.)

No matter what Israel does in the end, it will be a lose-lose situation until Gazans can realize - and they will have to realize it on their own - that peace with Israel, and with that, peace with Egypt is in the best interest of Gaza

Unless, of course, Egypt wants to regain control of the area.

Opuscula Hamas aim: Destroy Israel Or kill innocents?

 

If you think Hamas wants to destroy Israel, you are mistaken.

Hamas wants to slaughter civilians. Period. End of story.

It wants, if the Israeli government has the "intestinal fortitude," to commit political suicide by forcing Israel to take over Gaza. (This time there is no Arial Sharon to give it back until it has been disarmed and a responsible government installed.)

Either that or its leaders are imbeciles, and that is well within the realm of probability.

My logic?

I'm not a career military planner, but if I wanted to get rid of Israel I would NOT go about it by firing rockets at civilians. That's just making the people angry and causing them to demand (at last) that Gaza once more be under Israeli military control (and damn the bleeding heart liberals who will gnash their teeth and wail about "occupation").

Israel is a "revolving door" nation.

It imports raw materials.

Does something with those raw materials.

Exports a finished product.

Add under the import/export category "tourists." Tourists are hardly "raw materials," but they are a major source of income for the country.

All the imports and exports go through ports.

  Ashdod (sea)

  Ashkelon (sea)

  Eilat (air and sea).

  Hadera (sea)

  Haifa (air and sea)

  Lod (air)

  Ovda (air)

Shut down the ports ^{NOTE BOTTOM} and you almost completely isolate Israel from the world. Israel still would have access, albeit inconvenient access, to the world via Egypt and Jordan.

It's pretty clear that the "fearless leaders" behind Hamas - and Hezbollah in the north - are interested in murdering civilians and not, as they and the PA leadership proclaim, in destroying Israel.

Add to that the terrorists Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of installing rocket launchers in residential areas, of using their own civilians as shields against Israeli counter-attacks and it becomes clear that the goal is not Israel's destruction but population reduction.

Hamas doesn't even target military installations - army, navy, and air force bases. No, it saves its missiles for civilian targets.

If Israel "went away" tomorrow - and G-d willing will be it remain until the mashiach arrives - Hamas, the PA, Hezbollah, et al, could have little or no reason to exist, so the reality of it all is that the terrorists need Israel to keep money flowing into the leadership's pockets.

NOTE: When I worked for Tadiran in Holon, customs clerks went on strike. Nothing came into the country; nothing left the country. Tadiran, a huge, multi-division company, would have laid off 20% of its workforce if the strike continued beyond a specific date. Fortunately for me and other Tadiran employees, the strike was settled and we had no strike-related layoffs.

Opuscula Off the paved road

 

Dudu Levy, my son-in-law's father (is there a name for the relationship between fathers of the couple?) has been around.

But his favorite place is Israel, more specifically in and around Yavne.

I'm told he's a taciturn, not one for chit-chat.

When he and his wife come to visit his son, daughter-in-law, and first grandchild, after about 15 minutes he's looking at his watch and signaling that he's ready to leave. During the visit he maybe said 20 words. Taciturn.

BUT, he comes alive when he plays tour guide, which he does whenever I visit.

My Hebrew vocabulary is worse than Dudu's English vocab so you would think that when he and I go touring - he's the guide and its on his turf - silence would dominate. Not so; as a tour guide, he is down right loquacious.

We traveled to Mini-Israel, a park with the major areas of Israel in miniature. (The link should open up a Web page with an abundance of photographs.) According to the folks at the Information desk it takes 60 to 90 minutes to "tour" Israel. (Click on images to enlarge.)

Photo by TopFoto

A gigantic undertaking that, according to Wikipedia cost about US$20 million, Mini-Israel covers nearly 15 acres. A small portion of the $20 million came from the Israel Tourism Office, but as we walked around the exhibits we saw signs for commercial enterprise on buildings, on miniature trucks, and on sign boards, all to scale.

After hiking around what seemed like a "not-so-mini" Israel we took a short snack break, then headed back to Dudu's "jeep" - that is a lower case (small) "j" jeep; in Israel all four-wheel drive vehicles, no matter who makes them, are called "jeep." Dudu's jeep happens to be an elderly Suzuki.

We traveled a little way down a major highway until he found the turn-off he wanted. The Suzuki's 1800 cc engine is not made to climb gentle highway grades at speed, much to Dudu's frustration.

The short-wheelbase vehicle is, however, nimble at climbing hills on rutted roads, often no more than a path.

Dudu dreams of having a home with a view - high on a hill and at least 600 meters to the nearest neighbor. Searching for such a site, even though it is an impossible dream, is for Dudu like a dose of a serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) - a/k/a Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil. Despite the narrowness of the "road," its twists and turns, and Bedu sheep lazing in the right-of-way, the search is calming for the driver as he navigates boulders and pot holes.

The Suzuki proved its "Jeep-worthiness" by scaling a height that left us with an unobstructed view far exceeding Dudu's 600 meter requirement.

While high on the hill - I used to live in the Intermountain West and anything less than 6,000 feet elevation is little more than a "hill" - Dudu pointed out what allegedly is the grave of the hero Shimshon (Samson) and his father. We also saw a cave that might have been used as a hiding spot by an early Israeli.

It was obvious the area was often visited, but interestingly there was very few signs of tourists - no litter, no cigarette butts, just a well policed area.

All-in-all, the two fathers spent the better part of the day, unbeknown to the wives, not in silence.

Dudu is a good tour guide and we are patient with each others language handicap. We also both have spouses that would avoid at all costs exploring the hills via a narrow, twisting road. (My wife made one trip to the top of Lookout Mountain; going up was OK, coming down with the drop off on her side of the car was most definitely not OK.)

Exploring with Dudu is one of the high points of my visits to Israel.

All photos except Mini-Israel taken by author with Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS

Opuscula ?תפילת שקר

 

Do we REALLY
Mean what we pray

 

In the לשבת ולר''ח שמונה עשרה we read:

From סדור וזרח השמש

Yet, despite that we insist on staying חו''ל.

Later on, in רצה we state

From סדור וזרח השמש

But the question is: Do we really want the return of sacrifices? Some would say "No, we've outgrown the need to slaughter animals to worship HaShem" while others would argue that this is a Torah commandment and cannot be cast aside if - when - the Temple is restored.

Making aliyah is not a decision to be made lightly.

It's not that life בחו''ל is all that great, especially for Jews in Europe, with its home grown anti-Semites and its imported Islamists. Canada and the U.S. have their problems, but - so far - nothing compared to Europe.

Israel, and those Zionists who view it through rose-colored glasses will dispute this, has its own share of problems.

As with the U.S., it has a political leader who "waffles." One day it's build new housing; the next it's tear down the new housing. It seems PA/Hamas Islamists who murder Jews have more rights and police protection in Israel than the Israeli Jews.

Obama in the U.S. seems to have trouble making up his mind, as if he is between a hammer (Islam) and an anvil (denouncing terrorists, Islamists and otherwise - if there IS an "otherwise").

In Israel there are members of knesset who promote destruction of Israel, who praise Islamists who attack the country in which they are members of the government. As "politically correct" as the U.S. has become, I don't believe Americans would tolerate such behavior from any member of its congress.

If you're looking for a cop in Israel and you are anywhere but outside the knesset building or cabinet members' residence, keep looking. Israelis can go for days without seeing any police presence. Some neighborhoods now hire "rent-a-cops" to patrol in an attempt to limit minor crimes; the rental cops have no real police power.

To be fair, it seems every time Israel does do something to protect its citizens - and that includes ALL of its citizens - someone, most often the UN or the EU - criticizes Israel.

It's "OK" for Hamas to send missiles into Israel from Aza, but then Israel retaliates ^{Note 1} the world shakes its collective finger and condemns the Israeli action.

It's "OK" for Islamists to kidnap and murder Israeli civilians, but when Israel does what is necessary to punish the kidnappers and murderers, the world complains, yet look what America and Europe have done recently in response to real or perceived threats.

It's no wonder that people בחו''ל- assuming they understand what they say in their daily and Shabat prayers - are in truth lying, but to whom? Themselves or HaShem.

Maybe it's time to revisit and revise the prayers to eliminate the need for so many Jews to lie while they face Jerusalem.

FOR THE RECORD there are many good reasons to live in Israel (the government is not, IMO, one of those "good reasons"), but while aliyah is up, the bulk of us are firmly rooted to where we live now.

Note 1: Retaliate is defined as:
Verb
  make an attack or assault in return for a similar attack.

Archaic
  repay (an injury or insult) in kind

Opuscula דו''ח

 

Israel & back

In the air Tickets were for Iberia (Spanish airline) flight. From Miami (MIA) to Barcelona (BCN) the flight was in an American Airlines (AA) ice box. Aside from being super-cool - blankets and sweaters to the rescue - the flight was uneventful. Left on time, arrived on time. Flight attendants (FAs) attended.

Arrived at BCN for a short layover. Nice airport, relatively small, meaning that passengers don't have to run a mile between gates. Once again the security check.

I fail to understand why passengers who got off one flight at an international terminal and are boarding another flight in the same terminal - that is, no mingling with the possibly uninspected masses in the main terminal - need to be body searched again.

From BCN to Lod (TLV) the flight was with El Al, another Iberia code share. Like the flight from MIA to BCN, this segment was uneventful.

Lod used to be a nice compact airport, back before "jet ways" kept passengers out of the elements. Now it's a long hike to passport control (went smoothly), baggage collection (not bad since the BCN>TLV plane was relatively small - at least compared to a Boeing jumbo), then a breeze through the customs green line. The customs guy in the red line (for inspections) was a lonely as the Maytag repairman (when Maytag still was Maytag).

For all that, the chauffer (son-in-law) didn't spend a lot of time in wait mode.

On the return trip is was Iberia all the way.

Iberia buys and flies Airbus jets. I am not a fan of Airbus, an airplane built by a committee of Brits, French, Germans, and Spaniards (which probably is why Spain's national airline uses Airbus aircraft).

From TLV to Madrid (MAD) passengers were treated to the narrow, and hard, seats of an A (for Airbus) 319. I was more comfortable in a USAF C-119 "Flying Boxcar" than the A319. But we left on time and arrived on time.

The TLV flight docked at the "R" side of Terminal 4S. This terminal has gateways for R, S, and U docks. My flight to MIA was at gate S67 - the far end of the terminal.

While MAD has some moving walkways, there still is some hiking to be done, so I was ready to rest when I encountered - surprise - another security check.

Mind, Israeli security already allowed me on a plane (profiling seems to have been replaced - unfortunately with electronics; it may be faster, but is it as good? - and I had neither time nor inclination to exit the international terminal, but once again, removed computer, empty pockets, remove belt, etc. and et al. Meanwhile the clock is ticking.

I got to the MAD departure gate as the first passengers for the A-330/300 jumbo were heading down the jet way.

My turn came and I found my seat.

And waited.

And waited.

Seems an Iberia inbound flight with passengers slated for the MAD>MIA trip was delayed. To its credit, Iberia delayed the U.S.-bound flight until the late arrivals were aboard. Iberia joins KLM and United in accommodating connecting-flight passengers; all deserve a tip of the hat for patience. In the end, most of the delay was made up as we crossed the Atlantic - to be held up by a typical south Florida afternoon deluge.

MIA is not the airport where I hung out as a teen (Civil Air Patrol Miami Composite Squadron 2) back in the day when Pan Am, Eastern, and National had a major presence there.

MIA is huge and even with moving walkways, there is a lot of hiking to be done.

MIA has introduced a self-check-in for arriving U.S. citizens. Stick your passport onto a reader, follow the directions on the monitor, have your picture taken and you're on your way to baggage claim in only a matter of minutes. Passengers till need to fill out the immigration form on board the airplane so a pen is a must for all travels to the U.S. - the airlines don't seem to have pens for passengers. (I might add that handing out cheap ball points with the airline's logo or name would be good advertising for future flights. Me? I carry several inexpensive ball point pens when I fly.)

Iberia is a "code chare" with El Al and a number of other airlines. Basically, that means is you buy a ticket on Iberia, which often has the lowest price tickets to Israel, you could end up flying in any of a number of different carriers.

Funny thing about the Iberia-El Al code share. It's a secret known only to El Al.

The Iberia code share page in its in-flight magazine lists almost all of its code share partners except El Al.

From Iberia in-flight magazine (click to enlarge)