The last few days have really been pretty bad. Non-stop sirens throughout the country, terrorist infiltrators in the South, numerous tunnels reaching deep into the country, up to half a kilometer after the border, only meters away from kibbutzim. One tunnel was found just outside the city of Shderot.
The roads to my daughter have been closed twice already. Today, two tunnels opened concurrently and out came 13 terrorists dressed in Israeli uniforms including army helmets covered in material, and bands in their pants legs. They were spotted right away but the army couldn’t tell if they were soldiers or not and did not want to shoot till they were certain. Only after a jeep went to investigate and was shot upon did they know. the air force was called in and 10 were killed. Three escaped back into the tunnels which were then blown up.
Please note that the tunnels are not small tunnels with terrorists crawling on their stomachs. They are up to a man’s height, are made with concrete and reinforced cement, and are built similar to the tunnels under the river in Sydney or the Holland tunnel in New York.
The entrances are found in Mosques, schools, private homes, play grounds and hospitals. They reach for kilometers and cost a fortune, not to mention, years of digging. The soldiers found road signs sent in by the Israeli’s for civilian purposes, which were then used to maintain the structure of the tunnels. In addition, metal rods with Israeli markings on them were traced to materials sent by Israel specifically for a health clinic that was supposed to be built.
One of the tunnels had the equivalent amount of cement for a 10 story tower. Can you imagine, a new Singapore could have been built with the money they spent on tunnels for Israel’s destruction.
By the way, the Hamas does not allow the civilian population usage of the tunnels as shelters against the Israeli raids. they are only for the Hamas leadership and “freedom fighters”. Damn the children, women and elderly. And the world…….Jews are terrorists, murderers of children, blood suckers. As the international media writes incessantly, undue force, poor Palestinians don’t have an Iron Dome system. Well thank you 21st century anti-semites. Why write why Israel has an iron dome, why write who started all this crap, why write why the Palestinian civilian population is used as a shield, why write why the missiles are stored under homes and the terrorists only fight where civilians live. Why write that all the aid the Western world gives under the auspices of that worthless organization known as the UN, is used for weapons and tunnels. Why write that the poor suffering Palestinians bring their troubles on themselves and in a typical Islamic cultural manner, blame the Zionists, the US, the West, the Christians, and the rest of the world for all their suffering. Allah forbid, it was their fault.
When will the world wake up and realize that Islamic culture is totally alien to Western civilization. It is so different, Islamists are truly tribal, following whatever their leaders tell them to do. They believe what they hear and do not wish to hear otherwise. You can’t rationalize with them as you would to others in the Western world. Their values are different, their beliefs are different and their attitudes are different to everything the Western World believes in.
They mourn their children but are proud they are martyrs.
In Israel, the beaches and pools are empty because Jewish mothers, including my daughter, won’t let them go. There is not enough time to find a shelter if you are in the water. In Gaza, while the navy is bombarding the coast, the parents let the children “play”. Four were tragically killed by a missile. What did their parents think. Did they really care about them. I just don’t get it. But……it did give them 15 minutes of fame on the BBC and CNN.
This morning Rachel and I went to the country club to work out out and take some classes. We then showered, got dressed and went to our car. As I backed out of my spot, the sirens went off. we got out and ran like crazy for shelter. The usually locked gate was left open and as we ran in there were about 80 kids, their parents, guards, gym instructors running to the shelters. It was amazingly well managed, no panic. As we stood there about 8 missiles were shot down by Iron Dome. We waited 10 minutes, and then everyone went back to their classes and the secure sports area. But…..it was stressful.
It is most stressful when driving a car and you are on an intercity highway. there are no sirens and unless you have your radio on, there is no way you can know to stop the car and run for cover.
It is now 20:49 pm and the TV is on all the time with non-stop updates on what is happening. As the commentators speak, a voice breaks in and says, Red Alert in the following towns and cities, and then mentions which ones so that you can get to your safe room on time.
They said that seven soldiers were killed today with about 50 wounded, placed in hospitals throughout the country.
They show the pictures and tell the stories of the soldiers who died yesterday and were buried today.
The army asked the public to attend the funeral of a soldier who will be buried in Haifa tonight at 11pm. He was a “lone” soldier, with no family in Israel. He made Aliyah from Texas and other than his parents and two sisters who were flown in, and an Aunt who lives in Israel,there are few friends and no other family. The army wants to make sure that his funeral will be with the respect owed to one who gave his life for the State of Israel. So sad.
But once again I will end by saying….life goes on. Tomorrow I will go back to the country club, on Wednesday I will go to work at Beit Hatfutsot and Rachel will be with my daughter and grandkids who are coming tomorrow to visit for two days.
The air is very pleasant this evening, so I will go out on our terrace and trim the hedges and flowers…… just as if I was in New York or Sydney.
Joel
