100 Days from Jerusalem – See South and North

100 Days

Shabbat Simhat Torah morning when Hamas started a war that they called the Al-Quds Flood.

Thousands of terrorists invaded southern Israel, murdering and rampaging while raining rockets down on us in Jerusalem and throughout much of Israel.

This 100 Days photo essay is a brief review to give you a glimpse into Israel today.

The sun has risen every day since October 7. Those who were awake at 7:10 am today caught sight of a rainbow stretched over the Jerusalem streets.

The Israeli flags and banners “united we will win,” large and small, abound on the Jerusalem streets.

The graves of fallen soldiers in the Har Herzl Military Cemetery, near the new memorial hall, used to be all the same, row after row of identical graves.

But not now. On one of the too many new gravesites of the hundreds of fallen soldiers since October 7, there is a birthday balloon, Yehonatan died on November 10, 2023, days before his 22nd birthday. Photos, candles, flags, and other momentoes also cover many of the new graves.

Workers are clearing new areas for more graves.

At the same time, we were at Har Herzl, there was a 30-day memorial service for one soldier and a funeral for another, which drew a large crowd. As with most people in Israel, we knew friends and families at both of the sad events.

On one positive note, two women were giving out bottles of water to support the mourners as they left.

One way of supporting the families from the south who survived October 7 and cannot go home is through therapy performances for their children. This one was at the Ramada Hotel where hundreds of evacuees have been staying.

A few days, a few weeks, but months in a hotel unable to go home?

Will those murdered on October 7 be forgotten? Jacqui Vital, mother of Adi Vital Kaploun hy”d, is one of many parents who are speaking to solidarity groups to share and keep their memories alive.

So after almost 100 days, it was time to leave the Jerusalem streets, and head south to see, along with so many other groups to witness the destruction denied by so many outside of Israel.

The entrance to Kfar Aza is testimony to what was a beautiful agricultural kibbutz.

Until Hamas terrorists broke through the fences on the morning of October 7.

Murdering, burning, and destroying not only buildings but hundreds, thousands, of lives.

Especially hard hit were the young members of the community, only in their 20s, who were tortured and murdered in their homes.

If you look through the trees, you can see Gaza, only a short distance away.

Yes, it is hard to imagine the destruction by Hamas that morning.

No matter what the UN or IJC say, this was a genocidal attack.

Today we have not only Holocaust deniers, but October 7 deniers.

The next stop was the site of the Re’im Nova Festival where a “Bring Them Home Now” display was at the entrance. Notice that all the signs are in English to try and wake up world’s attention to the very real humanitarian crisis and war crimes.

Pictures have been posted of those murdered on the morning of October 7 at the music festival.

With special attention to those people still missing and held as hostages in Gaza.

Their fate is unknown, as they are held in the deepest terror tunnels as human shields for Hamas leaders.

We also visited Sderot where a new mural has risen over the site of the destroyed police station. I had visited several times on previous media trips south, but that is another story.

Members of our group helped the owner of this sukkah take it down, 96 days after the holiday.

Sderot is a beautiful city with a population of 30,000 people.

It has grown over the years, even under rocket fire from Gaza less than a mile away.

The Sderot Yeshiva roof was reinforced to make the entire study hall a sheltered safe room, so the young men not on active army service came back recently to study, plus former students have come back to support their Yeshiva. But first, they began by finishing up their interrupted Simhat Torah dancing.

On Wednesday night in Jerusalem at the Kotel, Western Wall, 50,000 people gathered to pray for the safety of the hostages and soldiers.

We however were near the Gaza border where volunteers prepared a BBQ, one of thousands in support soldiers in the field.

On Thursday morning we left the Jerusalem streets for Tel Aviv.

Tel Aviv is where many of the hostage families have come to organize and support each other.

One initiative was writing a new Torah Scroll for the return of hostages.

The public square renamed Kikar Hachatufim, Hostage Square – is filled with projects.

And nearby, one can find almost anything needed by the families and their supporters.

On the Jerusalem streets, the new garbage trucks

or the rain might have been a topic for this past week.

However, after 100 Days, the fate of the hostages is on everyone’s mind.

Tel Aviv and Jerusalem Under Attack

Oh, Jerusalem!

Jerusalem, the center of the world.

Jerusalem, Israel, the center of world attention.

Thanks to rockets from Gaza, more people heard of Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day, this year – which was interrupted as multiple incoming rocket sirens blasted warning over the Holy City.

But I was in Tel Aviv near a quiet park this Yom Yerushalayim

where the flowers were blooming.

The Tel Aviv food delivery men rode bikes, not motorcycles.

The bus stop images and ads were not the same in Tel Aviv,

even the street libraries look different to those in Jerusalem.

But then…

The Tel Aviv street cafes filled the night before with diners enjoying the pleasant evening weather, under threat of rocket fire, were deserted on what should have been a busy night.

My pleasant loft rental had no bomb shelter, so this was the safest spot to take pillows and blankets for two nights of sirens and loud booms.

However, a favorite sight in Tel Aviv was the new shuk, as three window washers were at work cleaning the large panes of glass even as rockets were being aimed from Gaza.

Back in Jerusalem, after Hamas and PIJ fired over 4,000 rockets and internet sources stirred up masses, there were reports of riots on the Temple Mount. “The hudna (cease-fire) is only temporary and conditional,” was shouted over social media “and we are raising our head in this city and saying to everyone: you must always protect our holy places and our mosque.”

Finally, on Friday afternoon, I had a chance to go see what was really happening in the Old City of Jerusalem.

It was quiet. A few yeshiva students were arriving, no one else.

Security near the Jaffa Gate entrance to the Muslim Quarter and Arab shuk, was not as I expected – at times no one appeared to be watching.

An Arab woman was shopping as usual in Mamilla Mall.

The Jewish Quarter was very quiet, way too quiet.

It was not a good day for this vendor with his table set on the steps down to the Kotel, Western Wall, where the elevator construction has begun.

The Friday afternoon at the Kotel crowds were missing.

The newly resurfaced plaza area empty except for two security officers.

Corona divisions have been removed, so there was plenty of room in the men’s section, on the sunny, but not too hot afternoon.

Have we ever seen so few women at the Kotel on a Friday afternoon?

The remains of the tree set on fire by Muslim firecrackers was still visible

But a sorrier sight was the empty roads below at the gates of the Old City.

The Armenian way so often bustling with a stream of cars, had no traffic.

One vendor was open, but there was no business from passing tourists.

Reports of rioters and trouble, and the Old City streets were empty.

The safety door of this Armenian convent building is a physical reminder that Jerusalem has had many attackers over the millennia.

Like the dragons’ teeth used decades ago for security in previous eras.

The Walls of the Old City were built to keep invaders out of Jerusalem.

So folks, on Friday afternoon, I could not find those riots which scared people away. Israeli security was out and around, but appeared relaxed.

In these upside down times, it is hard to know what to believe or think.

Of over 4,000 rockets from Gaza aimed at Israel, hundreds landed in Gaza.

How many caused damage and death to their own we will never know.

You will see the sad emotional photos of cement terror tunnels and military buildings destroyed in Gaza by big bad Israel.

But also know the Gaza that you don’t see that my friend shares on Twitter.

The latest “mini-war” is over. Though does anyone assume there won’t be another one in the future as Hamas rearms with the humanitarian materials once again sent to rebuild?

Hamas spokesperson Bassem Naim claimed to Sky News that international law does not apply to them – they can fire rockets from civilian areas & target Israeli civilians.

In the past 15 years, we have had Summer Rains, Cast Lead, Pillar of Defense, Protective Edge, Black Belt and Guardian of the Walls. What name will the computer generate next time? (They do sound better in Hebrew.)

Meanwhile, back in Jerusalem, with corona slowly becoming a memory, let’s hope the Israel Festival is the first of many Jerusalem events to return.

Time to go back to complaining that Jerusalem is one big construction site.

Which streets will be closed next, after they finish King David Street?

Oh and will there be a new government or 5th election?

The only thing that seems certain now – President Reuven Rivlin’s term is over very soon. Either Yitzhak Herzog or Miriam Perez are in the running for the position to be voted on by the Israeli Knesset.

Stay well out there.

Hope to see you all soon on the Jerusalem streets.

Israel Under Fire – Again

The eerie ambulance sirens outside my window sound like old World War II movies set in Europe. But they are real, not video or fiction.

Here in Jerusalem, it is quiet. Perhaps too quiet for a Saturday night.

However, over 278 rockets were fired over Shabbat from Gaza into Israeli population centers. It is important to remember – at least 40 fell short, hitting Gazans. From the 2,900 rockets fired at Israel this past week, 450 fell in Gaza. They are killing their own. Also, the Israeli Electric Company will not be able to restore power to Gaza, because it is too dangerous now. Gazan rockets caused damage to their electricity supply.

Caterpillar Park in Sderot Israel for protection of children from rockets

In 2008, a cement caterpillar was built for the safety of children in Sderot. Frequent rockets from Gaza had made playing outside dangerous, now they had a place to shelter near their swings in the park.

I wrote about a visit south after attacks from Gaza three years ago.

Kibbutz Alumim bomb shelters near factory

Two years ago Kibbutz Alumim was under attack from Gaza. Their bomb shelters were placed closer to the factory entrance.

Sderot school with bomb shelters on field where children play

New schools built in the southern Israeli communities have multiple bomb shelters inside and on the grounds for children to seek a safe space.

Since 2012 I have been posting about raining rockets from Gaza.

Trips south to see bombed-out buildings much too frequent.

In 2012, seeing the Iron Dome at work for the first time was memorable,

but the new photos circulating of the iron dome at work are amazing.

At midnight May 16, 2021, a new barrage of rockets from Gaza was aimed at Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Tel Aviv, this was after multiple rockets during the days prior, day and night.

Sunday the IDF issued a statement: In response to continuous rocket fire at Israeli territory, over the last 24 hours, IAF fighter jets and aircraft struck over 90 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip.

What is important to remember, there is no equivalency between the terrorists in Gaza aiming thousands of rockets at civilian populations from in civilian locations to cause as much harm, even to their own when those rockets fall short and kill Gazans, to the Israeli precision strikes at terror structures and proclaimed terror leaders.

Here is the hospital shelter we had to go to in Tel Aviv, including patients fresh from surgery who had to get out of their beds, during a siren alert.

Where will this end? No one knows. Israel is trying to destroy the underground network and infrastructure of the terrorists. If Hamas stops the rocket and missile fire from Gaza – it’s over – at least for this time.

I have been on the road when a supposed cease fire was declared in the past, and no surprise, more rockets were fired.

Rockets from Gaza have and continue to kill Israelis in their homes. The damage to families running to shelter night after night is hard to calculate. But with every rocket or missile, there is injury, if not physical, emotional and psychological.

The Shavuot holiday begins soon, and I will leave you with a photo of some of the flowers I saw in Tel Aviv. Time is short, so I will save the photos of the outdoor cafes filled with diners one night – and empty the next.

At least the pizza delivery guys were busy as people stayed in off the streets.

And to end with a tradition, this “Hatikvah” was at the conclusion of a ceremony at Yad Vashem, “The Hope” – for better times ahead.

חג שמח

Happy and safe holiday for all.