More Reservists Are Being Called Up
31 Dec 2008 1 Comment
There are many, mostly reporters and politicians, who are analyzing to death whether or not a ground operation will happen. They speculate endlessly, and usually according to their own political leanings, all the while putting a spin on the situation to serve their own interests.
The reason why the IDF hasn’t gone in yet, (in my very unprofessional opinion, I admit) is rather simple. Anyone living in Israel can figure it out just by looking out of the window.
We are enjoying a good few days of rainfall here, and this includes the south. These conditions are not ideal for a ground operation, so this is why it has been put off.
Meanwhile the IAF is continuing to bomb its targets, and more reservists are being sent down to the border with Gaza (one of the graphic artists we work with has been sent a Tzav Shmoneh).
Tomorrow it is supposed to be cloudy with only sporadic rain. Friday it will be cloudy, and it is supposed to clear up by Shabbat. Look for movement then.
Jack’s Got More Links – Roundup Number Three
31 Dec 2008 Leave a Comment
Jack is doing his thing again – roundup number three here.
Links and a Twitter Opportunity
30 Dec 2008 Leave a Comment
Jack is continuing his roundups of the war here. Treppenwitz has some very practical suggestions on how you can help. Baka Diary has some portraits of the Israelis who have died from the rocket attacks by Hamas.
And, for the first time ever, there is going to be a Twitter press conference today (Dec. 30) from 1-3pm EST. Israelis are always one of the first to use the most updated technology, and I guess the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is keeping up.
The IDF has posted some videos on YouTube here, showing how precise the bombings are in Gaza. (Hat tip to Ezzie).
One example is this one – notice the terrorists loading the rockets onto a truck, and then getting sent to their just reward:
School Closings, But Not Because of Snow
30 Dec 2008 3 Comments
I grew up in Upstate New York, and part of the ritual of waking up in the morning in the winter was listening to the radio and praying that there was enough snowfall the night before to cancel school.
This morning, as I woke up my own kids for school after the week long Chanukah vacation, I also heard a list of school closings.
This time, unfortunately, it was not because of something harmless.
The cities within rocket range, which is growing every day, are closing their schools so that the children don’t have to travel, and can stay near their safe rooms.
Some Perspective
29 Dec 2008 6 Comments
Most people, including foreigners and new immigrants to Israel, have a hard time grasping what I call the “geographical” perspective of Israel.
Those of us who grew up in America “think big.” We overestimate the distances between cities here. It takes a number of road trips to be able to internalize just how small the country really is.
People who have never driven here are at a loss to understand.
Now, when the news is full of stories about the various rockets being aimed at Israeli cities in the south, it is important to be able to get a perspective.
Here is one map showing the terror threat of bombardment by rockets (you need to scroll down a bit to see it) The opening paragraphs are already somewhat out of date, since the terrorists in Gaza have improved the range of their rockets already.
One part of the map is extremely personal. Please note the threat to Ben Gurion airport. The lower arrow is at the airport, and the upper one is pointing to a space just over what is known as the green line – or what I call pre-1967 borders. That space is my yishuv.
I live in a yishuv in the first mountain range east of Tel-Aviv, and when the weather is bad, the planes circle over my house until it is safe for them to land at Ben Gurion.
There are those who want to kick the Jews out of Judea and Samaria, including me. If this comes about (G-d forbid), then instead of my being here there could be terrorists. And instead of hearing about the bombs being launched from Gaza and landing in Ashkelon, you could here about the bombs being launched from Dir Balut and landing at Ben Gurion airport. (Happy flying everybody!)
Links and Things
29 Dec 2008 1 Comment
in Havel-Havalim, Israel Update, Kosher Cooking
First, there is this week’s Havel-Havalim, sponsored by MaterialMaidel. Then, there is the Kosher Cooking Carnival here, hosted by Leora.
On a more serious note, Jack has a roundup of posts concerning the war here in Israel.
Tzav 8 – Reserve Soldiers Are Being Called Up
28 Dec 2008 3 Comments
IDF radio has announced that reserve soldiers are being called up now, what is known in Israel as Tzav Shmoneh. Already the yishuv email is starting with requests for those traveling to various places to bring “care packages” to soldiers. Not only do we have yishuv members being called up, but many have sons in the “regular” army.
The mothering instinct is kicking in everywhere.
I have just heard on the radio that families in the north, who unfortunately had to be evacuated from their homes during the second Lebanon war, are now giving out invitations to those in the south to come up to them to get away from the rockets.
The invitations are not to friends or acquaintences, they are to complete strangers. Over the radio. (How can you not tear up at this?) The phone number for coordinating this is 052-6767-171.
In addition the Home Front Command has announced that they are officially on an emergency standing. This means a number of things, but one practical step is that the emergency stores of food and other materials are opened and ready to be delivered to the south if needed. It also means that people who have special jobs in these situations are being called to their stations.
A Chanukah “Present” For Hamas
28 Dec 2008 Leave a Comment
(Jameel is keeping a running post with updates on the situation, for those of you who want up-to-the-minute info from our side).
I must admit I was surprised to hear the news last night that the IDF finally started the operation that everyone knew needed to be done, to target Hamas and destroy its infrastructure in Gaza.
Even after the diplomatic activity by Livni and our representative in the UN, I thought that the government would just keep holding back.
On second thought, though, the timing is really good. Not only is it symbolically a good time for the Jews to beat their enemies (the miracle of the oil comes after the war), but it is a good time to catch the outside world asleep. President Bush is certainly not going to give us a hard time, and Obama isn’t in office. He is on vacation with his family, along with most government officials (a long holiday weekend between Xmas and New Years is probably the quietest time in America).
Hamas got caught off-guard too. Barak kept opening the crossings into Israel, despite the kassam rockets raining down on Sderot, so who was to think that this time the IDF would really retaliate? (It turns out that the government misled the Israeli media too)
The Jerusalem Post has an article with a list of some of the targets hit in the air attacks during the past twenty-four hours. My personal favorite is the graduation ceremony for the Hamas police force. Talk about a target rich environment!
I also relish the thought of the underground Kassam launching sites which were hit. After the drones gave the IDF real-time pictures of Kassam launchings, and a number of Hamas operatives got killed while “in the act”, they decided to put them on timers, and launch them from underground.
(There are broadcasts in Arabic to those living in Gaza that if they have stored ammunition or are harboring Hamas terrorists in their homes that they are in grave danger. I guess the bombings will continue for a while yet).
It is going to be tough for those in the south now. The schools in rocket range have had their Chanukah vacations extended indefinitely, so they probably won’t be opening on Tuesday. And a grad rocket (what we know as a Katyusha) has fallen in Ashdod, meaning that the rocket range is creeping up. Hopefully it will be just a matter of time, and afterwards the people in Sderot and Ashkelon can go back to a normal life.
Better Late Than Never
23 Dec 2008 Leave a Comment
A little late, but worth the wait! Jewlicious hosts this week’s Havel-Havalim.
Can We Have Some of That?
22 Dec 2008 4 Comments
I’ve been surfing the internet and I came across a number of bloggers (in America) complaining about the severe winter weather.
I have to admit that I am jealous. We here in Israel are in the midst of another year of drought. The poor Kineret (Sea of Galilee) is so low it is heartwrenching. We’d gladly trade a week or two of snow (or, more realistically, rain) and let you have the sunny, 70 degree weather we have been having lately.
I keep checking the weekly weather report and I am happy to see that we should be getting rain this week. But so far the clouds have rolled in but no rain.
Maybe tomorrow.
