Exchange of death

I'm not the first and I won't be the last to comment on the ridiculousness of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange.

There is no doubt that everyone is happy for the Shalit family.  However, there is no one who is happy at the price being paid, the terrorists with blood on their hands (who in the past were never part of deals) being released, the 1000 death sentences being pardoned, the fact that they have all said that they will go back to terrorism, the lack of sensitivity to the families who have lost loved ones already by the hands of these terrorists, etc....

Were the government to also release Jewish security prisoners, had the US in an act of good will released Jonathon Pollard in addition,  were the entire 1000+ terrorists released ONLY to Gaza putting many of them in exile and not next door to me or other Israelis, it would have been a little bit easier to stomach.  The government should have dealt with this situation by force years ago.  Taking one km a month until he was returned, it would be a completely different story now.  Instead, this is what we end up with.  The Fogal family murderers were spared the death penalty for what????  They show no remorse and have said, 'we'll sit here for 15 years and get out just like these guys, we'll still be young'. 

All are happy for the Shalits.  They have been living in hell for over 5 years.  But don't think for one minute their hell will be over.   Every time another Jew is killed by one of the terrorists that was release in this deal, they will feel it.  They will know that others are suffering in their stead and that is a huge burden to live with.

Attack in the South

Yesterday there were three separate attacks in Israel's south.  Many people are still unaware that for the last 6 years there has been a constant barrage of missiles fired from inside the Gaza Strip - which Israel gave up control over as an act of good will and in a bid to get the peace process going.  That went well didn't it?????

Yesterday not only did terrorist fire a grad missile into a random car of two middle aged couples going on vacation but they attacked two public buses filled with civilians.  Then they bombed a car with a soldier inside.  8 people killed and many injured including children.  The Israeli government responded by taking out the terrorists but in my humble opinion, there needs to be a much stronger response and I believe that this is also the answer to the situation with Gilad Shalit.  You take back the Gaza Strip one kilometer at a time.

Clear one Kilometer and replace the boarder.  This kilometer is now annexed to Israel and no longer has a conflict, as all the Arabs living there will be relocated into the remaining Gaza Strip.  After a three month period of quiet and the return of Gilad Shalit.  Then talks can begin.  If there is no quiet and Gilad Shalit is not returned, then we take another kilometer.

Why is this the answer, because there is only 13 kilometers to the Gaza Strip.  They'll get the picture fast and that will be the end of it.  But if for any reason, and I don't believe that it would happen but, if it did, and they don't stop the attacks and don't return Gilad Shalit, then in the end all the Arabs in the Gaza Strip would end up in the Sinai - basically back to Egypt which is where they come from anyway.  The Gaza Strip would be back in Israeli hands completely empty and Gush Katif can rise from the ashes.

Its a simple plan but it would work. 

This is how terrorism works.

Listen to the web casts or read the articles about Pvt. Nasser Abdo.  He's the Muslim American who was planning a terrorist attack on Fort Hood.  They all say that it appears he was 'acting alone'.  Listen to the guy who alerted the authorities, he comments that the reason he did this was that Nasser asked some 'strange questions', like what is odorless gunpowder?  The shop owner comments, you don't buy large quantities of this stuff if you don't know what it is.

Now put the two together.  Why is he buying stuff that he doesn't even know what it is, unless someone else told him to buy it.   There's the connection.   He was not working alone. 

He was being groomed as a terrorist.  Here's why.  All of a sudden Nasser Abdo asked to be discharged from the US army a year ago, on grounds of being a conscientious objector.  These are the guys who are usually pacifist and object to armies etc... in general.  But Nasser was in the army so how could this be???   He woke one day and decided to be a pacifist?  No, he is a pedophile and his Muslim brothers, who knew this, were giving him a way out, while retaining his Muslim and family honour.  You see many of the people who blow themselves up have some kind of secret, homosexuality, pedophilia, extra marital affairs, etc...  The terrorist organizations collect dirt on people and then approach them giving them an option, they either blow themselves up or become terrorists, bringing honour and glory back to themselves, their family and Islam or they will be killed in an honour killing by their family and friends.  Oh and the US army also knew that that Nasser was a pedophile, they had caught him with child pornography and this is why his discharge was pending, for him to have psychological testing and treatment and for them to keep an eye on him.

Many of the suicide bombers we've had here, had something in their past which caused them to choose between being honour killed and killing to bring honour back to their families and Islam.

Ramadan Cancels Rosh Hodesh Av March Around Old City - News Briefs - Israel National News

Ramadan Cancels Rosh Hodesh Av March Around Old City - News Briefs - Israel National News

Now this is another thing that is absurd in this country.  

Yes, this a democracy and yes, we are in theory 'rule of the majority with protection of the minority'.  However, when there is a situation like this and you have two traditions which coincide then logic says that the majority rules.  Not here.  They are cancelling a very ancient Jewish tradition (records of this go back to the Byzantine period) of walking around the walls saying Psalms on the Eve of the New Month (Erev Rosh Hodesh).  Why???  Because this month it is the same night as the beginning of Ramadan. 

No one is saying don't have Ramadan, no one is saying they don't have rights, but in 22 Muslim countries around the globe, this isn't a problem.  There is only one Jewish country and I'm sorry, our traditions take precedent.  Assign the Muslims a specific gate and for that one night they should have to use that gate.  The Jews can either start or finish at that same gate according to what the Police deem best in order to prevent altercations at the end of the Muslim prayer time.

Enough is enough, NeemUS!!!!!

Housing Crisis

Anyone following the news in Israel realizes that we are having a housing crisis.

This is due to a number of factors.  One is that the country's population has grown in 63 years from less than 1 million to over 7 million, TG.  The other is that a large percentage of apartments were bought by foreigners when the Israeli Shequel was low, for investment and as holiday apartments for them and their families.  While we are thrilled that so many Jews feel that this is home and this is where they come to celebrate holidays and hang out during vacation times, it has created a situation where there is an huge amount of apartments that are empty most of the year.  Together, the fact that most of the jobs, as well as three of the largest universities in the country, are in the center and an in proportionate number of apartments are not available to rent, has shot rental prices, even for the ones that are available to ridiculous levels.  It has created a situation in which no student, young couple, large family or old couple for that matter can afford to rent or to buy.

The answer could be that salaries need to be more proportionate to the cost of living, which should include rental and mortgage prices.  There is a huge par between what people earn and what they can afford.  We are a family of 8 and our income have gone down over the last few years, while the family and expenses grew TG.  If I could work in Jerusalem and live in Dimona, then I could afford something.  As it is our work is centered around Jerusalem and so here we must stay.

There needs to be government subsidies to help families who don't own and would like to.  Also, government housing should be built, in the areas of the university; hostels which are like dorms for use of the students and their families while they study.

Last but not least, there should be a government program to build new neighborhoods, like Homat Shmuel (Har Homa), and to encourage the building and growing of a strong Jewish presence in and around our eternal capital.

Redeeming a Captive

This is considered one of the most important mitzvot, and considered by many to be the highest form of charity, yet there are times where it is not right to do so.   Hundred of years ago the Maharam of Rottenberg (Rabbi Meir ben Baruch) was kidnapped by an evil German ruler.  He did not allow his community to pay the ransom for his release, as he felt that this would just lead to more of the same and cause undo hardships on the community. 

Today there are a number of Jewish captives in the world.  Why does it appear that our government is doing little to gain their release and what is the connection between them? 

Zachary Baumel, Yehuda Katz, Zvi Feldman - are Israeli soldiers captured or killed in the battle of Sultan Yaakub in 1982.  There is no evidence that they are still alive.

Ron Arad - is an aviator whose plane was lost in the 1986 and until 1988 there was evidence that he was alive.  At this point in time, the government has no evidence that he is still alive.

Gilad Shalit - is an Israel soldier who was kidnapped by Hamas 5 years ago from his army base in the night.  All known evidence shows that he is being held in Gaza and as long as two years ago there was still evidence that he was alive.  Nothing since then shows that he is still alive.

Jonathon Pollard - is an Jewish American who passed classified information to the Israeli government and is serving a life sentence in prison in the United States. 

Let's look at the differences.

With Baumel, Katz, Feldman and Arad.  The assumption is that they are dead and therefor negotiating for their remains would not warrant negotiating with terrorist of the release of terrorist who in all likelihood will spill more Jewish blood. 

This holds true also for Shalit.  How many Jews will likely die from the terrorists released in such an exchange?  Can the Shalit family really be prepared to visit the families that will be mourning their loved ones as a result of such an exchange?  How many more soldiers will be kidnapped when Hamas realizes that this is a good idea?

Pollard on the other hand is being held captive by the American Government, not a terrorist organization.  The Americans are not going to ask for the release of terrorists in exchange and he has already served more than a normal life sentance.  He wasn't release on compassionate leave to visit his dying father, nor to attend his funeral.  Murderers are released after 2/3 of a sentence is served.  Many hardened criminals are released on compassionate leave for just such reasons, the fact that they didn't release Pollard for his father's funeral is disgusting.   

This is someone who spied for a friendly country not an enemy, he co-operated with the investigation and trial after which his plea bargain was then not accepted.  So why is this man still in jail?  The only answer is that the Americans are keeping him in jail to hold Israel by 'the short and curlies'.  The Israeli government won't dare pressure their good friends.  This is the biggest and most unacceptable abuse of friendship ever.  Clinton and Bush could both have commuted his sentence and didn't.  Obama is holding him in order to pressure Israel to the negotiation table with ............................................ the same terrorists who are holding Baumel, Katz, Feldman, Arad and Shalit.

AND THERE IS THE CONNECTION.

Elementary School Class Sizes -

Many people don't have this option but I decided to send my daughter, not to the local school but to one further away where she'd have to take a school bus.  I did this for a number of reasons but the main one was class size.  Her Grade 1 class was going to be 37 girls.  This is crazy, but the school didn't have the funds to split the class into two.  In the end, the school that I sent her to had only 21 girls in their Grade 1 class.  Much better.  I am of the opinion that Elementary school classes should have no more than 30 in a class, hit 31 and split them.  The Israeli cut off at present is 41.  Up to 40 children in a class, seriously!!!!  Why is the government living in the clouds.  Is it possible that there aren't enough young parents in the Knesset and so they don't know what's happening on the ground????

NeemUS is born!!

For a good 10 years or more I've been talking about doing this and now I have.
Things that just don't function properly in this country and should with a little help (or sometimes a big push).
This is both for me to vent and to get people thinking, please feel free to join me and to comment.

Let's start with something relatively small. 
The way we define and treat each other in this country.
I have long held that all these 'titles' we use are not necessary.
Religious, Secular, Ultra-Orhtodox, Traditional, Israeli, MOT  etc...  
Let's make it simple, Jews and Gentiles. 
As I see it, there are Jews who chose to be strict with their religious observance and those that are less strict. 
There are Gentiles of various shapes and sizes, from different religious and ethnic backgrounds.

When we came back to Israel after Shlihut, 11 years ago, it was suggested that we live in Jerusalem for a few years so that we could 'figure out' who we were.  We were told that abroad, Jews fall into maybe 5 or 6 defined categories according to the community they belong to.  Not so here, there are 150 or so categories and we needed to see where we fit in.  This may have been true, however, in order for us to find a community which we liked, but these titles serve a purpose of fragmenting us as a people and we need to unify, so really they are counterproductive. 

For the next week, try seeing everyone as a family member.  Some are brothers and sisters and some are distant cousins and some are the eccentric relatives that we need to make sure are behaving themselves.