There isn’t too much to celebrate in Israel right now with the news that four bodies were recovered. in northern Gaza. The families of Ron Benjamin, Shani Louk, Amit Buskila and Itzhak Gelenrenter have lost all hope of their loved ones returning home alive, but have at last been able to lay them to rest. 128 hostages still remain unaccounted for, with no news of their condition.
While Jews do not rejoice in the death of their enemies, (today we can leave that to the Iranians on the streets of Iran), we can, however, certainly welcome some “divine intervention”, with the news that the Iranian President’s helicopter fell from the sky. Known as the Butcher of Tehran he was on board together with the Iranian Foreign Minister and other delegates. No one in Israel will be shedding a tear. Even the most sceptical and non believers cannot totally dismiss “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you”.
Talking of those who curse us, the ICC prosecutor’s application for arrest warrants against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on charges against humanity is in the words of the President of the USA “outrageous” ! To lump the leaders of Israel together with the leaders of Hamas is total madness but then we must examine who is the prosecutor : Karim Kahn, a British born Muslim, the son of a Pakistani and a member of an Ahmadiyya community, an Islamic messianic movement. It starts to make sense ! Israel can in no way have any fair judgments when those who are charged to judge are already declared Islamists.
Despite the fact that Iran is wreaking havoc on the world, supporting terrorism internationally and has set the Middle East on fire, the UN Security Council held a minutes silence in honour of the mass murderers, It really is a world turned on its head right now, when mass murderers who are committed to repeat the atrocities of October 7th can even be mentioned in the same breath as the democratically elected leaders of Israel who are fighting a war for the very survival of the Jewish State. The legitimacy of all UN organisation should be carefully questioned.
On the back drop of all this sirens continue to blare with non stop fire on the northern border. Hezbollah are keeping up the pressure just enough to force Israel to give full attention but without tipping into a full blown war, but we are very close to tipping into a full scale war. Drones have been launched from Syria and the IDF have shot them down.
During the last two weeks in Gaza, the IDF have successfully evacuated nearly one million people from Rafah , and have discovered 50 new tunnels. One particularly large tunnel led from Rafah into Egypt and shines an uncomfortable light onto Egypts stand against the IDF entering Rafah. Israel has exposed Egypt’s failure to police that border and stem the flow of weapons into Gaza, which was their commitment when Israel left Gaza in 2005.
Fierce fighting is reported from the Jabalyia camp, where Hamas and PIJ have been regrouping and firing heavy barrages from behind human shields. Over 200 armed terrorists are reported eliminated.
Weapons storage facilities in UNWRA premises have been discovered . In the last few days the IDF have successfully struck over 80 terror targets.
The Houthi have attacked another oil tanker in the Red Sea in the last few days and vowed to continue targeting ships bound for Israel. The port in Eilat is mostly now empty of car imports, while previously there were hundreds if not thousands of cars that entered via Eilat.
In an unusual move , the IDF carried out an air strike in Jenin, a real hotspot for terrorists, killing several terrorists who were gathered in one room together.
Visiting Tel Aviv we noticed it is as busy as usual and certainly busier around the train stations, as there are hundreds and hundreds of young soldiers either returning to base or going home for a rest. The shopping mall was teeming with soldiers grabbing a fast snack with guns resting across their bodies. The Prom or the Tyelet as we know it, was much quieter due to the lack of tourists, but as the sun went down the locals appeared in their jogging gear and the beaches were full of beach volley ball and young lovers just sitting and chatting . The buzz of helicopters could be heard as they circled back and forth above the water.
The atmosphere is mostly subdued without the usual loud music and people are being extra kind to each other, as we are all aware that so many young soldiers have been called to duty and are risking their lives so we can walk safely on the Tyelet, and sleep soundly in our beds most nights.
We saw for the first time the new light railway that connects Tel Aviv and Jaffa to Bat Yam and Peta Tikva. It is quite an achievement and is as modern transport as any Asian country. Tel Aviv has fast become one of the most vibrant and expensive cities in the world. Stunning high rise glass buildings, museums, restaurants and beautiful beaches sit side by side with the old and it makes for a fascinating and exciting mix where East meets West.
In the centre we did not feel unsafe, but were conscious that the situation on the northern border and in Gaza is very different. While we are free, many thousands of soldiers are away from their families and the hostages are not yet freed after 226 days .
The airport was much less busy with so many flights cancelled and Israelis are watching the massive anti semitic marches around the world and are choosing to stay home. Many people expressed concern for our safety in London, but its mostly fine, although we have been notified of a planned anti Israel demonstration on Thursday against the showing of the SuperNova film which is being screened at the Phoenix Theatre East Finchley.
Kind Regards
Carolyne Davis