Security is Paramount

An incident happened at the train station last week which I thought pointed out the difference between Israel and other countries. As usual, when the train pulls into the station, there is a rush at the entrance by those coming a bit late and wanting to make the train (by my station the trains leave about every twenty minutes).

The security guard was doing his job checking everyone’s bags, but one gentleman was in a rush and wanted to get through quickly. The guard became angry, and “pushed back” (not physically, but almost) and insisted that the man slow down and get checked as he should. The crowd behind the man, also wanting to catch the train, started to complain and demanded that the guard take the man aside and let everyone else go through.

The guard reacted very strongly and told everyone in a very loud and firm voice that NOONE was going through until the man in question was checked as he should be. Meanwhile the train closed its doors and left the station, leaving a group of very annoyed Israelis.

Many were annoyed at the man who caused the hold-up, some were angry at the guard, and others were angry at the station master, thinking he should have stopped the train for them. (Chutzpah, no?)

Personally, I was very reassured at this incident.

Just think, if you were a terrorist trying to get a bomb onto a crowded train, how would you do it, if there is a security guard at the entrance to the station checking bags? Perhaps you would join up with someone else, who would cause a distraction, and you would rush through while the guard spent his time checking someone who seemed to be more suspicious than you?

This is obviously what the guards are trained to look for – and the one at my station ignored the annoyed crowd behind the first man and insisted on checking everyone thoroughly. Of course noone was a terrorist this time around, and every bag turned out to be fine.

But you never know – and the fact that the guards are doing what they should be doing is keeping all of us safer. Even if the crowd grumbles and yells at each other afterwards. Security comes first.

The Newspaper Wars

I take the train every day to work now – so I have about twenty minutes of “quiet time” in the morning before I arrive at the office. (I call it “quiet time” because sometimes it is not so quiet – many people like to use their cell phones on the train, and frequently don’t realize that their voices are quite loud. I have heard more about certain people’s backed up toilets and the hospital stays of other people’s families than I care to…..)

I usually take the time to say my daily Tehillim, but afterwards I usually have some time left over. I started to take the free daily newspapers that are given out at the station. There is competition between two – Yediot Achronot (sometimes called Idiot Achronot by those who don’t like the rag) and Yisrael Hayom. I of course take Yisrael Hayom, since it has a right wing stance.

I can’t tell you how important this newspaper is. It used to be that the public was exposed just to the left wing point of view. Then Makor Rishon came along and started to change things. The problem with Makor Rishon is that it is still only bought by the dati leumi public, with a smattering of charedim and traditional Jews joining in. It doesn’t really reach most of the Israeli public.

The free daily newspaper does reach the Israeli public – and it can be a game changer.

The coverage of the financial situation and the budget cuts are a prime example. Yisrael Hayom had full coverage – and it skewered Yair Lapid. It had a full page spread just on what Lapid said about the economy in his campaign promises before the election, and what he says now that he is in a position of responsibility. It showcased a middle class family – and how much more they will be paying now in taxes, etc.

In the past the newspapers would do the same thing – but the left wing papers would put all of the blame on the Likud and especially Bibi Netanyahu. Now, with a more objective stance, the newspapers are putting the blame on both the Likud and Yesh Atid – as it should be.

You can’t underestimate the power of this communication tool. Those of us who are somewhat politically active and aware of the media and its power can see how important media bias is. Most people don’t think about it too much – they are too busy working and raising their families to get really involved. These people do read the papers though – especially if it is free and handed to them at a gas station or a train station. What is written in these papers has a lot of power.

The people behind Yisrael Hayom are doing a great service to Israel.

Yom HaZikaron – A Day to Remember

This opinion piece in Ynetnews sums up what Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and terrorist victims) is all about. I always turn on the radio for awhile to hear some of the stories, and inevitably turn it off very quickly. I feel that I should hear about the families that have suffered loss, and I do – but after a bit it becomes too sad. It reminds me to be grateful – and I am.

Where the Bible Comes Alive

A huge swarm of locusts has invaded an area in the Negev, and the Israeli agricultural authorities have sent out crop dusters to spray pesticides to kill them, before they wreak havoc and eat all of the vegetation in the area.

According to the article, they need to spray and kill them in the morning hours before the locusts warm up and fly onwards. The forecasters say the swarm will not go north towards the central area because of a cold front.

It really is pretty interesting that we are getting this ”live” lesson about one of the plagues before Pesach (Passover).

Another Parent’s Nightmare

For those of us living in Yehuda and Shomron (Judea and Samaria)  tremping (hitchhiking) is a fact of life. We live in areas that are rural and the bus service is usually not adequate. Therfore adults and teenagers take rides with strangers.

For a long time we did not have a car and I took rides home to my yishuv after work (going to work was somewhat easier as I took rides with people I knew). As my sons grew older they also started to take tremps. I tell them that they need to travel with at least one other person, have their cell phone on at all times, and look carefully at the driver before getting into the car. With all of these precauations, I still get nervous when they do this.

Now the IDF has put out a video trying to discourage teens, especially those who live where we do, to avoid hitchhiking, because there are many terrorists who want to kidnap Israelis, like they did with Gilad Shalit. I wish I hadn’t watched the video, because it will give me nightmares.

I don’t think the video will affect the number of teens traveling like this though. During the spring months, when high school kids have a lot of bagriot (matriculation exams) the usual school schedule is practically suspended. A kid will have a day off to study before an exam, and then have to get to the school at 1:00 pm for the exam itself – and there is no school bus for them to take. Most parents are not available to drive kids to school in the middle of the day, and the busses are practically non-existent during the slow hours.

Both of my boys are learning to drive now, and will hopefully get their licenses soon. As much as I fear them driving I think this video will put that fear into persective.

True Grit – Israeli Style

I came across this video on the Aish HaTorah site, about an amazing young man who was critically injured during the Second Lebanon War, and has come back stronger than before. Please click on the link to be inspired.

They Are Very Afraid

The religous Zionist segment of Israeli society is disproportinately represented in the officer’s corps in the IDF. We comprise approximately 12% of Israeli society, but 35% of the officers in the IDF wear the knitted kippa (skullcap).

This disproportion is very frightening to some secular Israelis, especially in academia - so much so that it has been studied. Israel HaYom has an interesting article about this topic, which is essentially a book review of a collection of essays.

The essays are written from various viewpoints. I find it ironic that those who are most frightened of the fact that so many national religious young men are now officers are mistaken about the viewpoints held by these officers. They assume, wrongly, that those national religious soldiers hold views that are, for want of a better term “extremely right wing” concerning future borders of Israel, and that these viewpoints will seriously affect how they act in the army.

Perhaps it is all relative, but from my experience I see that the men in the national religious camp that are extremely right wing either do not serve at all, or serve for a very short time, and are most certainly not the ones who go on to become officers. They usually sit and learn in yeshiva, and do the minimum of army required by the hesder program (14 months, versus the committment to three full years for officers).

The religious men who do go on to become officers are committed to the army for the best of reasons, and with the guidance of their rabbis serve to the best of their ability while following the halacha. For the most part their motivation for being in the army in general and their desire to be officers in particular comes from an overarching ideal – that of serving Klal Yisrael and protecting their fellow Jews. This ideal then makes it easier for them to perhaps follow a more lenient interpretation on some halachic issues where others would take a more stricter view.

Therefore the fear by many in the secular camp in Israel about the national religious in the army is misplaced and completely blown out of proportion. It comes from not understanding the nuances of a different sector of the country.

I Love Happy Endings

Elisheva Hai, the widow of Rabbi Meir Hai, who was killed in a terrorist attack a few years ago, remarried yesterday.

She is the mother of seven children, and she showed great courage in picking up the pieces of her life and moving on. She continues to live in Shavei Shomron, a yishuv near Kedumim, and her new husband will join her there.

What I find remarkable and inspiring, is that after the terror attack she not only put her life together – she went on to volunteer to help others. At one point she decided to do chesed by helping to arrange matches. After setting up her future husband with others, it was suggested that she go out with him herself, and the rest is history.

People sometimes wonder how Israel survives all of the terrorist attacks aimed at us. The answer is twofold – help from G-d, and the strength of our people. Elisheva Hai is just one example.

The Second Zionist Revolution – Im Tirzu Leads the Way

Im Tirzu, the pro-Zionist movement, has published a booklet called “The Guide to the Zionist Revolutionary”. This guide is only in Hebrew, as the organization is mainly geared towards young Israelis, especially those in college and university.

The guide states that it is time for a second Zionist revolution. The first returned Jews from the Diaspora to its homeland and rejuvenated the holy language of Hebrew. The second Zionist revolution’s goal is to return the Jewish nation to the original Jewish culture and values. These values have been undermined by the post-Zionist culture in Israel and it is time to turn it around.

The booklet covers a wide array of topics and suggests a number of actions. Some major points include:

“Don’t be afraid to demand academic pluralism!” This means that in the twisted academic culture that exists in Israel today, the pro-Arab point of view is usually the only one being voiced, and it is incumbent on the students to fight back.

“Join the culture war” It is time to push back at the post-Zionist culture in Israel, not by demanding censorship, but by putting forth something pro-Zionist.

“Bring Zionist ideas to the schools” The booklet suggests volunteering in schools to bring Zionism back to education.

I urge those of you who can read Hebrew to read the booklet. I found it inspiring.

The Disappearing Israeli Left

Political satire done well is a work of art. In Israel noone does it better than Latma.

Now that it is not popular to be left wing (a recent Israeli poll shows that over 50% of Israelis consider themselves right wing, and only about a quarter consider themselves left wing) many Israeli political parties are trying to pass themselves off as mercaz - ”central” – even though they have not changed their views.

To point out this absurdity Latma has done a number of sketches about other places where the left has disappeared….

Enjoy!