The View from London to Eilat -sorry so long but there’s a lot happening.
Britain has become virtually unrecognisable and the change which was probably just bubbling underground, is now confronting all of us. It was highlighted this week when a London theatre, The Apollo on Shaftesbury Avenue, declined ,just 5 hours before the event to host Douglas Murray, a journalist and author, due to Pro-Palestinian pressure.
It is understood that the staff received death threats and there were anti Israel protests outside the theatre. This was a fund raising event for The Technion in Haifa, (one of the most respected universities in the world) . The University wants to continue its critical research programs , but is severely effected by the ongoing war. Douglas Murray bravely speaks out against the rampant anti-semitism that has swept the UK since October 7th.
Fear and intimidation are king. The Metropolitan Police are cowering in face of Islamists and left wing protestors who are burying freedom of speech by violent protest. . “The Show Must Goes On”, now only applies if the theatre or the ushers or the outside pressure groups support the content.
It’s not a Police State as the Police are helpless but a state run and dictated to by thugs, who are disrupting the freedoms that our ancestors fought so hard to protect. Common sense and courage have both turned off the lights of freedom on their way out.
Israel is, mostly single handedly, trying to destroy a death cult whose only aims and focus is the killing of Jews and the destruction of the Jewish State. During this critical time, the West and especially the UK seem to have forgotten the nearly 3,000 who perished in 9/11, the 2005 London bombings that took the lives of 39 in the underground and 13 on a bus in Tavistock Square, and all the terrible terrorist attacks such as the Paris supermarket and Charlie Hebdo . The Lockerbie air bombing which killed 270 people on British soil does not even register in the memory of those now supporting Islamic terrorism openly and without consequences in the streets of London.
Hamas’ great supporters The Houthi are sentencing homosexuals to death as London is drenched with Hamas supporters, even including Gays for Palestine !
The media continues in its anti Israel stance, portraying the Gazan victims as victims of Israeli aggression, and failing to mention that Hamas are holding their own civilians as human shields. Very little is mentioned of the plight of the hostages who have now entered their 4th month in captivity. In fact, the West only seems to focus on them as a road to a ceasefire- that aside they are mostly forgotten or worse still denied by those ripping down posters around the capital.
Putin’s aggression towards Ukraine that has killed an estimated 500,000 fades into the background when Israel can be vilified for defending her citizens. Israel is certainly held to an entirely different standard to other countries especially by the UN.
There is no quarter given to the fact that Israel neither started or wanted this war and that a ceasefire is possible in hours if Hamas surrenders their weapons and releases the hostages. We could all support a ceasefire on those terms. Every day the war continues innocents lives are being lost and children, as always in war will bear the scars for life.
It is reported one senior Hamas terrorist is advising his comrades to surrender or face certain death.
The IDF estimate that they have now neutralised, wounded or captured over 20,000 Hamas terrorists, but suspect there could be up to another 20,000 on the loose in Gaza. 50 Hamas terrorists were arrested Wednesday in Gaza and perhaps they will yield useful information once questioned in custody.
Hundreds of aid trucks are entering Gaza despite protests in Israel, but the aid is still being mostly managed and appropriated by Hamas. Egypt are now actively supplying the water.
The huge labyrinth of underground tunnels are being systematically destroyed. Cages that were used to house hostages have been discovered along with millions of shekels stolen from the aid money.
Khan Yunis, the headquarters of Hamas is virtually under the control of the IDF and it is thought the Gaza Hamas Leader, Yahya Sinwar, a convicted murderer and self proclaimed terrorist, is still hiding out in a tunnel.
Sinwar was released from an Israeli prison together with another 1,026 convicted prisoners as part of the Gilad Shalit deal in 2011. While the whole of Israel was overjoyed at the release of this young soldier from a 5 year captivity, it just demonstrates the danger of releasing dedicated terrorists who are then free to commit more heinous crimes. Many of those released have gone on to plan and execute terror attacks.
It is reported by Arab media that the IDF are moving into Rafah, which is Hamas’ last stronghold. Egypt is fearful that the Gazans may breach their border and they do not intend to give the civilians refuge, let alone citizenship and rights which could put an end to their on going plight as hereditary refugees, notably (due to their special status promoted by UNWRA). They are the only people in the world who pass their refugee status onto each generation despite many holding citizenship and permanent residency of other countries.
A totally unrealistic proposed deal by Hamas to release the hostages over 135 days, has not been agreed by Israel as the demands could open the way to another October 7th, which they have pledged to carry out. The war cabinet have concluded a continued military strategy is more likely to free the hostages.
No one can be sure how to move forward as these are unprecedented times and Hamas are an enemy without any regard for human life. The IDF have announced that they believe 32 of the 136 hostages have already perished and have informed the families.
125 days of anguish and sorrow have passed since Hamas opened the gates to Hell, and it is far from over. 227 soldiers have fallen in Gaza.
Both Hezbollah and the Houthi in Yemen continue to show their support for Hamas by firing rockets into Israel. The Houthi are attacking ships in the Red Sea.
The northern border is still unsafe for residents to return home with 20 plus rockets fired at the IDF radar base tonight. The IDF have warned Hezbollah that hundreds of jets are ready to strike.
An officer has been seriously wounded from anti tank missiles fired from Lebanon and a senior Hezbollah officer has been killed by an Israeli strike on a vehicle in South Lebanon. 5 IDF soldiers have fallen in the north and 3 in the West Bank since October 7th.
Syria is accusing Israel of an air strike on the Homs area killing and injuring a number of civilians. Iranian backed militia are operating in large areas of Syria. The IDF has not commented.
No reports yet are in regarding allied operations in the Red Sea tonight, but we can hear heavy activity overhead with jets above us . US ships are coming under repeated attack.
In preparation for a longer war the IDF has increased the conscription times and ages for both regular soldiers and reservists. A huge burden is being placed on our young people, but clearly without Israel, Jews will not be safe anywhere in the world. There is no future if we do not defeat these evil forces. A huge debt of gratitude is owed to these young boys and girls who are in the front line fighting to stop the western world being overtaken by Islamists and hopefully freeing the Gazans from the grip of Hamas.
In the words of Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, “The hate that begins with Jews never ends with Jews. Antisemitism is the world’s most reliable early warning sign of a major threat to freedom, humanity and the dignity of difference. It matters to all of us. Which is why we must fight it together.”
Shabbat Shalom
Regards
Carolyne Davis
Carolyne has also sent us a heartwarming video:-
These guys came from Malawi to replace the Thai workers that left,and they are working in Zikim,Malawi supports Israel and its their version of the song Come Home