News From the Land

It is a dilemma, a terrible dilemma that hangs over us all. There are still 134 hostages held by the savage, Hamas terrorists in Gaza.

At the conclusion of World War II, the world learned of the horrors that the Nazis had inflicted upon the Jewish people. For the first time in history, a nation had decided to fully exterminate another people, to eradicate the Jewish people from the face of the earth. 

Thanks to you, CFOIC was able to plant a grove of young trees in Gitit, just in time for Tu B’shvat! Tu B’Shvat is the new year for trees and is traditionally celebrated by planting trees and eating fruits and nuts native to Israel.

As we navigate this somber period, let us honor Amichai’s memory by continuing to stand together in the face of adversity.

What is it like to live an ordinary life, to follow routine, in the midst of a war? For most of us in Israel, we do not have the luxury to imagine the answer to that question: we are living it.

On June 7, 1981, the Israeli Air Force destroyed the Osirak nuclear reactor, deep in Iraqi territory. Menachem Begin was Israel’s prime minister at the time and US President Ronald Reagan was furious when he heard about the attack.

It has been more than three weeks since that horrible Shabbat of Simchat Torah, the 7th of October. A date that has become seared in our brains and in our souls.

Over the last several months, Israel has seen a massive wave of demonstrations overtake the country. The heart of the matter lies in the ongoing debate over Israel’s judicial power and the very essence of its democratic core.

On the Eve of the Jewish New Year in 2000, the Second Intifada began. Israel was then still in Gaza and the first shot fired was that of a Palestinian policeman who murdered the IDF soldier who was patrolling with him. What was supposed to be a relationship of trust between the PA and Israel to stop terrorism, quickly became war.

Israel is going through a very hard time. The Judicial Reform that was first introduced by the government seven months ago has created a huge storm of protest and dissension both in the Knesset and on the streets.

Last week, two terrorists drove up to a popular rest stop and houmous restaurant on Route 60, at the Eli Junction (between Maale Levona and Shiloh). They opened fire on a man filling his car at the local filling station, killing him on the spot.