A Holy Fight?

A few years ago, I took a visitor on a tour of the Old City. When we approached the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, I knew my time was up. I finally had to explain that I don't go in churches. I would wait outside while they enjoyed the opportunity to worship at such an important site. To understand the next part, you have to know that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is either in or very close to the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem and so, after I'd been sitting there a short while, an Israeli police officer came over and asked why I was there. I explained.

I guess he felt that he should "watch" me or perhaps he felt that he could watch everyone else from a position right near me. In any event, for the next 30 minutes or so, he stood nearby and after a few minutes, we began to talk. I asked him if he went in the church or only patrolled outside. His answer was that there are regular fights inside and so he goes in several times per day.

"Who's fighting?" I asked.

"Who's not?" he answered.

Apparently, there are disagreements if one group stays too long or is too large, or moves to slowly. He looked resigned to the concept that this would happen all the time and so today's news item brought back the police officer's words...

Fight breaks out at Church of Holy Sepulcher
Published: 11.09.08, 12:08

A fight broke out between Greek Orthodox worshippers and Armenian worshippers during preparations for Inventio Crucis at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in eastern Jerusalem. A police force separated between the two sides and detained two worshippers for questioning.

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Yes, I Can...for Gilad Shalit

Barack Obama ran for president on the slogan, "Yes, I Can." I personally didn't support him and don't really understand these one syllable concepts, but I'm willing to borrow it for now.

There is something you can do - right now...for Gilad Shalit. We can't swing nations to care. We can't get the Israeli government to do all in its power (see below on that one), but what you can do...right now - is open a prayer book or Bible and say Psalm 142. (Click here for Psalm 142 in Hebrew and English).

My idea to return Gilad Shalit:

Very simple. Gilad Shalit is our son, our child. He belongs with Israel, with his family. We must do all we can to save our child, our children. If you have extra to give, Judaism instructs you to give charity. But if you have but one piece of bread, there is no commandment to give charity and let your family starve. First, you see to your own and you pray that you have enough to give others afterwards.

Israel is a central location for all manner of medical care. We have operated on thousands of Palestinian children to save their lives or better the quality of those lives. We have operated on children (and adults) from Egypt, Jordan, even Iraq and Iran.

Our own child is suffering. We have no obligation to help others until we first see to our own. Our government should send the following note to all Arab leaders:

Dear Arab leader,

For many years, quietly and without credit (and often without payment) we have treated your young. Our doctors and nurses have worked tirelessly to help, to save, to improve. We did this because it was the right thing to do, the human and humane thing to do.

With great regret, until our son is returned home, healthy and sound, we will no longer be able to take care of your children...until you return our child to us. When Gilad Shalit comes home...we will once again open our hospitals to care for your children. Until then, we recommend you find another country willing to care (often for free), willing to give the highest quality health care, with top equipment and caring doctors and nurses.

Send Gilad home and your children...and ours won't suffer.

Now, all we need is an Israeli leader brave enough to send this message.

For now, what you can do, until that brave leader steps forward, is say a prayer for Gilad.

The Ultimate Spin

Spinning a story is a political challenge for many, and few excel at spinning better than Hamas and our other enemies. Today's news provides a perfect example. A tunnel was being dug close to the security fence between Israel and Gaza. According to Israeli military intelligence, which is notoriously accurate (as opposed to much of what Hamas' leadership says), the tunnel was built with its exit inside the Abu Hamam family home, to run under our security fence. It's goal, says our army, was to be used as a passage way through which to enter Israel, capture one of our soldiers, and escape back to Gaza - another Gilad Shalit.

Israel destroyed the tunnel. And here comes the spin:

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri claimed Tuesday night that Israel's raid into Gaza proves that Israel no longer wants to maintain the lower level of direct attacks begun in June. Abu Zuhri called the Israeli destruction of the tunnel "aggression... a major violation of the ... agreement..." He threatened that if Israel conducts more such raids Hamas would bring the combat to more of Israel than merely within rocket range of Gaza.

The IDF spokewoman's office stressed that the incident was just a pinpoint operation to stop an immediate threat, and that it was not intended to bring about an end to the relative calm. (Israel National News)

So there you have it - the intention to break the "relative calm" - was not the digging of a tunnel to kidnap one of our soldiers, but rather our nerve in destroying it. And the response from Gaza:

At least seven rockets and 16 mortar shells landed near kibbutzim (agricultural collectives) in the western Negev on Wednesday morning. No injuries have been reported at this time. The Magen David Adom (MDA) ambulance service has gone on alert in the region.

Four IDF soldiers were wounded in a mortar shell attack in Gaza, IDF spokesmen said Wednesday morning. Three of the soldiers were moderately wounded, meaning doctors see no imminent threat to their lives, but one or more of their limbs or major organs are at risk. The fourth soldier was lightly wounded.