News From the Land

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.

I am getting tired of foreign interference in internal Israeli politics. I realize that there is a long history of foreign interference in Israel, particularly from the US and Europe. These countries can be counted among Israel’s strongest allies and for that reason, their interference is often the most potent. But what we are seeing today has crossed all lines.

Today is Israel’s Memorial Day for our fallen soldiers and terror victims.  It is a difficult day for all of us but particularly difficult for those who have lost loved ones.  Their loss permeates their lives each and every day, but one day each year, the entire nation mourns with them.

After weeks of aggressive demonstrations in the streets of Israel against the Government’s proposed judicial reform, in the past few days, things reached a frenzy that was truly frightening.

Today is Purim, one of the most joyous holidays of the Jewish calendar. It commemorates the events recorded in the Book of Esther.
Interestingly, God’s name is not mentioned once in the Book of Esther, the only book of the Bible where He is seemingly absent. But then again, that is the point.