War Report #5

Life Under Attack, the Cease-Fire And Forward

Tuesday, June 24: I awakened peacefully at 3:00 this morning, looked at my computer, and found that there was a ceasefire. It was so early that I wasn't thinking clearly yet, and missed the part that said "beginning 7 AM Iran time (6 AM Israel time).

Many years ago two Syrians told me, and I quote: "It is a point of honor among Muslims never to tell the truth to an enemy." So I was not surprised when the cease-fire was broken so early.

I cannot begin to give you a timeline of that morning. We were in and out of the shelter several times. The family where I was staying had held small daily prayer services in the front yard during the Corona and began doing so again when the Iran War began, when meeting in large groups was prohibited for security reasons. In the middle of their service we had an alert. Those living nearby rushed home. Three lived farther away, so when the attack came they joined us in our shelter. That morning, though, I was dressed. It was much better than being in close quarters with strangers in just my night clothes and summer robe, as had happened a few days earlier.

We had back-to-back attacks so altogether were in the shelter probably an hour, with a brief respite. But those rockets had been launched before the ceasefire began. So maybe we'd have peace, we thought. Maybe I and the others staying here for safety could go home.

Fat chance.

Around 10:30 AM we had another attack. You know what people say when they want an alcoholic beverage early in the day: "It must be 5 o'clock somewhere." Well, all I could think was, "It must be before 7 o'clock somewhere." Some cease fire!

Needless to say, we all stayed very close to home that morning. Later in the day people started out to run errands, although I saw when walking the dog that there was much less traffic than usual.

At dinner (our large afternoon meal) we went around the table saying something that we're grateful for. I, of course, said I was grateful to be staying with this family and being treated like family, instead of having to be home alone. The 6 1/2 year old said she was glad her uncle had returned from reserve duty--his unit was released unexpectedly--and had not been killed. We laughed because she was saying what we all had thought but would not have said. The 3-year-old said, unprompted, that he was thankful for the good food and thankful that God was taking care of the Jewish people, and that he wished the Iranians would let us have peace.

With no English library in town, I have been buying used paperbacks from overseas shops. Last week I got a notice that my latest--two books--was at the package pick-up point. I did not ask anyone to take me, and I wasn't about to take the bus. A year ago I was on one bus when we had an attack. Everyone got out of the bus and took cover lying flat on the ground a few meters from the bus. I figured it wasn't worth two used paperbacks to go through that again; they wouldn't be sent back quickly. Then I got a notice about a registered letter too. If the cease fire holds, Wednesday I'll do some errands.

Most of the Israelis, including the kids, are not particularly nervous. They've been living pretty normal lives, except school has been closed and they're all doing some zoom classes. But I--American living here 8 years--am still not used to the uncertainty of waiting for an alert or an attack.

That afternoon word got out that normal activities would resume Wednesday. Schools will be open, as will shops. Our shuk--the farmer's market that we have every Wednesday--might not be open because the farmers probably have not harvested and planned for it. I might be wrong, but will be going to the supermarket to get my vegetables instead. Official notice was sent to everyone in the evening.

In the late afternoon, the two little girls where I was staying (finishing first and second grades) gave a performance. My hosts' 16 year old daughter has been a volunteer youth group leader for as many years as possible. A very artistic girl, she has been choreographing these kinds of things for a long time. I was very impressed at the dance the girls did to a recorded song. Later, the fifth grader and his three-year-old brother danced too. Dancing is part of the male culture here as well as the female, although in religious communities the sexes dance separately, even at weddings. The fifth grader impressed me with his rapid, accurate steps and grace.

A Conversation

MB: I can't imagine living in that state of worry, it is just wrong.

HBG: People are resilient. Humanity has continued through all kinds of things. At the very beginning of the war, Oct. 2023, every time the siren went off I just about embarrassed myself from fear, if you know what I mean. Now I get ticked off but that is all.

Jews have a survive-and-thrive mentality, not a victim mentality. Israel last year was something like #8 in the world happiness rating, in spite of being at war. Young adults who had limbs amputated by the Hamas terrorists or were so severely damaged by them that they needed amputations have moved forward to productive lives.

The Mizrachim--Jews from North Africa, more than 50% of the Jewish population--have in general very strong faith that whatever happens is God's will and the ultimate result will be good, even if it feels terrible in the short run. This optimism is pervasive. In other words, we worry less or at least differently than Americans. And we hear a lot of first-hand news that is diametrically opposite what CNN, ABC, etc. publish.

The Gaza War

The Houthis have announced they will continue their attacks until there is a cease-fire with Gaza. We are hoping that that will occur and that our remaining hostages, living and dead, will be returned in the very near future.

This is a huge world, and there is plenty of land to house a few million people. The people of Gaza need to be resettled far from Israel. They need to be given citizenship and jobs, and educated for peace and to love humanity, not to follow a religion that idolizes death and destruction as does the Palestinians' form of Islam. They should not be kept deliberately in refugee camps for more generations in order to cause political/religious unrest with the ultimate goal of destroying Israel and the Jewish people, as the UN and its disgusting agency, UNRWA, has done. The people need to be treated humanely, which means reeducated so that they treat each other as well as non-Muslims, humanely. But last night, seven beautiful young Jewish lives were snuffed out when their vehicle was blown up in Gaza. The West reeducated the Japanese and German people after World War II to make them good world citizens, so we know that this can be done. Until the world takes responsibility for removing the Palestinian people from the land they have stolen, settled them far from Israel, and reeducated them, we will not be able to live in peace.

Israel has tried time after time to provide a two-state solution. It has not worked; the Palestinian Arabs have rejected every offer. It is time for removal of the problem, and the problem is not Israelis who live peacefully and freely in a multicultural society.

Meanwhile

Meanwhile, I stayed one last night with my friends, although the others left Tuesday evening. By the time this posts I will be back home. My dog and I had a half-hour walk this morning, the first long walk since the Iran War began. She will be very glad to be home, as will I. We will be glad to see the cats, who have been surviving outside. Our normal lives will resume.

The immediate existential threat that a nuclear-armed Iran posed has been ended for the immediate future. We regret that lives needed to be ended, but while Iran deliberately targeted hospitals, residential, and educational centers, we targeted military targets and those who actively worked for our destruction: the nuclear engineers and those in government departments that worked to end the Jewish State. We pray for the Iranians who want to live in freedom, and we hope that they will be able to achieve freedom soon.

The cost to us to rebuild the destroyed buildings will be huge; the work will be done as quickly as humanly possible. The scientific and medical advances in process that were destroyed when the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot was hit will take many, many years to be rebuilt. In the process, though, new discoveries and inventions will certainly be made.

The human cost--the lives lost, the trauma that many people have suffered even though because of their resilience they may manage their lives well--will take longer to heal. We do not have enough social workers and other therapists for people to get quick service.

The soldiers who will return soon (hopefully!) from Gaza will need a lot of emotional support. They have seen shocking conditions such as terror tunnels beginning directly under baby cribs, baby mattresses stuffed with ammunition and missiles, and homes with signs of children's lives but no--absolutely no--toys, just perhaps a book or two whose pictures attest to the subject being glorification of self-immolation while killing Jews.

It will take time, but Israel will recover. Our economy is already recovering. People will be returning to jobs, businesses will be reopening after months and in some cases a year and a half of closure. Babies are being named Kfir and Ariel, after the Bibas boys murdered after having been taken hostage to Gaza at the ages of 9 months and 4 years.

Marriages are taking place. Many formerly nonreligious people have felt God's presence during these difficult days and have begun keeping some of the mitzvot such as lighting Sabbath candles and eating only kosher food. Friendships have been made through proximity in shelters,mvolunteer and charitable activities needed during wartime, and simply because trouble tends to draw people together.

Life goes on.

---

Beginning in July I will be posting just two regular articles a month--one story for children and one adult essay. I may well post additional articles as the situation or my thoughts warrant. But I need time for my own activities. I have begun two weekly classes--one to improve my Hebrew language skills and one studying the Prophets. I also want time for sewing, quilting, and spending more time with friends.

I look forward to hearing from any of you with comments, questions, or suggestions for topics that you'd like to learn more about. Meanwhile, thanks to all of you who have not only read but shared my work. I greatly appreciate it. And especially thanks for your emotional support during this difficult time.