Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Disappearance Act

We are sorry that the KICblog has not been updated during this week's huge developments in the Israeli political system and the terror attacks by Iranian and Syrian-backed Hezbollah in the North. Michael is currently dealing with a family issue that has arisen unexpectedly. He hopes to be back and KICing in the coming days.

In the meantime, we invite you to type your comments (by clicking below) and let us know your thoughts on Sharon's moves, the future of the Likud and the situation in the North. When you can't get KICed, KIC yourself a little!

Regards - the KICteam

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Nervously Bordering on Reality

Various politicians and commentators have been scraping their fingernails down the blackboard in an expression of frustration over the 'Let My Gazans Free' agreement which was conjured up during late-night Condi sessions earlier this week.

From some parts of the security-focused Israeli public and even coming out of Israel's security agencies we have witnessed serious concern and skepticism. Even if Defence Minister Mofaz and PM Sharon have always spoken of strictly maintaining the security of the State in any agreement, there are signs that serious risks (in addition to Disengagement) are being taken now for what is coined 'the hope of holding up Abbas and jumping on the optimism train' which apparently and miraculously appeared after Israel's departure from Gaza.

In fact, the rocket fire from Gaza, terror attacks and sick Palestinian child abuse since Disengagement do little for the confidence of the risk-taker. Many in the Likud, including Yuval Steinitz (who heads the Foreign Relations and Defence Committee) are unhappy with the consequences that are likely to flow from Israel's accession to the latest agreement.

So what's the problem? Well, from an era when Israel rejected any idea of a foreign force providing for Israel's security in place of Israel herself, we arrive at a new day, where the openings of a Gazan seaport, the Rafah (southern Gaza) border crossings and Gazan road access across Israel to the West Bank, all rely heavily on the goodwill of the Palestinians and unarmed European monitors. Sadly, the goodwill of these parties to Israel can be collected in one hand... and it hurts the hand to hold it. Suddenly, Israel will be begging foreigners to stop the passage of suspicious or terror-linked individuals and goods.

Frankly, the nice European chaps will have no motivation, foresight nor courage to stand in the way of a Palestinian madmen or even the poor, weak Palestinian woman on her way to Soroka Hospital for Israeli treatment. As for the Palestinians and the Egyptians, the weeks (now months) of serious Al Qaeda weapon and personnel smuggling into Gaza is the best example yet of how little we have to look forward to.

Now let's assume that Sharon, Mofaz and co are not actually spies and buddies of Osama. Seeing as that is a good assumption, there must therefore be good reasons why these military-come-diplomatic men have let Condi reach the in-goal. (If she can make football analogies, so can I!)

Here's my thinking on it. I might be wrong (and feel free to tell me) but here goes...

When it comes to the crunch, we have begun to set our final borders and when you do that you are forced to face reality. Right now, we are bordering on reality. It might be a reality that many Israelis resent or wish to change but nonetheless it is current reality.

The reality is that Disengagement (agree with or not) has been and gone... and it is done. With that should come the understanding that having given the Palestinians some land for themselves, they must be allowed to use it. Sure, I am not in favor of the ridicuously pessimistic and unhelpful "Gaza is the World's Biggest Prison" slogan sponsored by Btzelem, but at the same time we must accept that when you give a nation autonomy, you must in fact allow that autonomy to prosper.

This means that having made the decision to disengage and in light of the fact that most Israelis (even if hesitantly) agree to a 2-state solution, there is going to come a time when we can no longer fully or even partially control the lives, politics and trade of the other state - the Palestinian state. The dream held by Rabin, by Sharon and by us all that Palestine would be a demilitarized State, is close to finished. That's not necessarily a good thing but represents the reality.

There will not be peace when we control their economy and their borders and therefore in giving them full access to sea, land and air, their society, their military capability and their international trade will develop as they see fit. Anyway, terrorists have always found a way to smuggle weapons and to kill scores of Israelis even without possessing a right to be a militarized state. (The utopian hope is that should poverty decrease, so will terror).

In line with this, we have a geographic nightmare whereby between Gaza and parts of the West Bank (which will probably constitute Palestine) lies an annoying little country called Israel :)
With that comes the reality that peace will never come while Gazans and West Bank Palestinians can not travel freely between the two. Reality bites when you realize that with that right fulfilled comes the transport of Gaza-based terror operations to Palestinian villages overlooking Netanya, Tel Aviv and the like.

Folks, the man who is elected Israeli Prime Minister in February or March will have his chance to finalize the borders of the state - through agreement or unilaterally. The sad tragic truth and reality is that whatever borders are drawn, the Palestinians will neither be satisfied enough nor sensible enough to avoid missing another opportunity to miss an opportunity.

Therefore, we are bordering on an internationally-backed reality that hurts and that encourages further risks for the sake of peace. Peace is the ultimate goal and it is worth taking some risk to improve the lives of both peoples. The only drawback is that we've been saying the same thing for 57 years and reality has kept creeping up on borders and slapping us in the face.

We are indeed brave, courageous and generous peace-loving suckers for punishment.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Jerusalem Seminar Series: Israeli Political System

With the labor pains (no pun intended!) of Israeli elections upon us, those in Israel might be interested to attend a FREE seminar series on the Israeli Political System. First of four seminars began last night (Tuesday) at 730pm.

(UPDATE: If you missed it last night, contact Reuven for details of the other 3 sessions in the series).

Last night, Reuven Grossman discussed "Legislative & Executive: Knesset, Prime Minister, Multi-Party System".
The series is held in English and takes place at YAKAR - 10 Halamed Hei, Katamon, Jerusalem. For details - 0525790958

(Make sure to let them know that we KICed you in their direction - and while you're at it, why not add a link to the KICblog from your own blog or website - thanks!)

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Hard to Catch One's Breath

It has been said that in Israel, life doesn't pass by, it just goes straight through you. It goes through, you live it but you don't quite have time to swallow it all. As a taxi driver said to be last evening - "Here in Israel, we breathe but we don't really live". Let's take a deep breath and get in over our heads.

Elections are on the way - so the headlines scream in harmony with new tough guy Amir Peretz and older tough guy Yosef (Tommy) Lapid as they agree to try to bring Sharon and the Likud to early elections. I was in the elevator with Mr Lapid and his entourage yesterday at the Knesset. From the look on his face (as if I'd know!), I'm not too sure that sooner is better as far as elections and Shinui is concerned. Many of its supporters are a little perturbed by the lack of shinui (change) in the religious status quo that was the basis of Shinui's election platform and subsequent 2003 success. Recently they have sat in the opposition and did so through Disengagement. The timing of their resignation from the government coalition did in fact raise a few Disengagement eyebrows.

The Knesset was a beehive of activity yesterday and flags and red carpets were being unrolled for the Rabin special session. The significance of the Rabin week of rememberance hasn't been lost on Amir Peretz and he has made several remarks about his commitment to the Rabin legacy and Oslo. It's all going to be very interesting to see whether voters are willing to back a man who does promise social and economic equality but couples this with a direct flight back to Oslo.

Many might have liked PM Rabin, but many also despised his policies on Arafat and co. As beautifully put by Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin yesterday, there was a great deal more to Rabin than Oslo and we should base the Rabin legacy on the man himself and his horrific murder and not his policies with which many then and many now still vehemently disagree. In Rivlin's view, (a very wise view in my opinion), all of us have a right to mourn him and remember him without feeling alienated because we maintain the fight against his peace and security policies. Sometimes it hurts to hear these things but as I see it, they must be said. Sharon agrees.

Clinton and Rice (here for the Rabin occasions) have kept traffic in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv securely watched, stopped and bumper-to-bumper. Rice has also applied severe pressure on Israel to withdraw its security and surveillance demands on crossing points on the Gaza-Egypt border. We have seen what can happen there (and what can be smuggled in) should Israel not maintain an overall supervisory role. With Al-Qaeda now appearing out of every hole and cranny, Israel's concerns appear justified even in light of Palestinian "this humiliates us and imprisons us" claims. In a world brimful with terror, which sadly includes Palestinian society, it is interesting indeed to see what agreements have now been reached (and what pressure has successfully been applied once again). As of a few minutes ago, the Palestinians will now control a border and though there are some joint surveillance conditions, one gets the distinct feeling that Israel has succumbed to the need for the US and Israel to be seen to be strengthening Mahmoud Abbas before elections. Even in these few minutes after the announcement, security sceptics are plentiful and frankly it's never been good news for Abbas when he receives public Israel-US backslapping.

In a lead up to the "International Terror" video conference that I am hosting this afternoon, I, like most, have decided that terror logic becomes more difficult to understand each day. Wanting to create a nuclear meltdown in Sydney I can understand (but obviously condemn). Targetting Palestinian, Jordanian and Saudi intelligence officials in Amman is beyond my comprehension. I mean, I know that many Moslems classify other Moslems as infidels (along with the rest of us), yet if, as Islamic terrorists claim, Israel's treatment of Mr and Mrs Palestine is the cuase of all hate and terror, then why go out and kill the 'victims' themselves?

It's all lost on me and no doubt Al-Qaeda won't take long to surprise and confuse us again. Ahhh, finally something as irrational and unreadable as Israeli politics...

Sunday, November 13, 2005

Things That Go Bang In The Night

They say dreams last just a few seconds but feel much longer. Shimon Peres must be begging to know how long this nightmare is going to go on.

Just when you thought he couldn't lose (but wondered as I did why he's bothering to compete again), he lost again for the seemingly infinite time in his career. Sad really that the man who did give us a great deal will leave behind him a strong stench of popularity loss and failure. Shame really that such a well-respected statesman will be remembered most fondly as a loser. As Peres' daughter said on Israeli radio the morning after, "you always call me when he loses but never when he achieves or contributes greatly to Israel". She also expressed that "while I am fully with my father on his דרך (path), it appears that the public is not fully".

The question is why.

The answer is not too clear. It's not as simple as "Israelis can't forgive him for Oslo and the terror it has brought". If that was the case, why did the Labor party choose a man who appears to represent a stance even more to the left than that of the great Peres? In all likelihood, Peretz will not gain extra election votes by prancing around in Oslo shoes and suits. This is not 1995 and it is not August 2000. The electorate wants peace and quiet and it wants to help the Palestinians but not at all costs and not without security.

So why did it all go bang that night then? I noted in my pre-vote posting, that Laborites are fed up with being a mistress to the Likud. They are now ready to fight and to be an active opposition until its return to power. Peres represented a stable buddy system for Sharon policies and staying buddies did nothing for Labor. And then there's the age factor? Peres as Prime Ministerial candidate at age 83? Was he expecting to hold down one of the most mentally and physically challenging jobs therefore till age 87? It was just a damn shame that he had to be humiliated like this. His arm-in-arm with Bill Clinton at the Rabin concert last night just didn't exude the magic it might once have done.

Amir Peretz on the other hand may have been able to pull the country to a standstill over union issues, but he is said to lack the Peres-Sharon diplomatic, defence and foreign affairs expertise. His experience politically is thin.

As far as his win goes though, I'm glad. I am not normally a Labor supporter but I'm truly pleased to see that Peretz has been able to win a campaign that based itself very much on social issues. I do not agree with him that settlements cause poverty elsewhere (that is a bit too simplistic) but it is about time (!!!) that the poverty and inequality in this country was at the forefront of Israeli politics. For too long, terror and conflict has suffocated any faint hope of putting time, money and effort into repairing education, health services, employment conditions and the gap between rich and poor.
With this approach Mr Peretz may well attract support from unlikely corners. It is a change of direction that has also arisen in the Mafdal (National Religious Party) and it is recognition that there is more to Israel than Palestinians.

The Labor bang in the night might have shocked Shimon and the rest of us, but feel for the Jordanians who are not quite sure what struck them. I am hosting a video conference on International Terrorism on Tuesday where a US school and a Maale Adumim School will attack the issues together. This ruthless act in Jordan will add even greater interest to the topic.

There just seems to be no logic in the operations of this theory called Al-Qaeda. Attacking Arab brethren, killing Moslems at a wedding that includes Palestinians (who they claim to support!), Jordanians, Iraqis and foreigners. It all points to an inevitable increase in international terror in the coming months. It's the greatest indication yet that all states must commit to fighting it now and without fear.

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Two Die Hards

They are not going down without a fight and they refuse to bow out waving the white flag. The two old wise men of Israeli politics face one more fierce battle each - and whatever happens it probably will not be their last.

Today, Labor party members select a leader to take them into the next election campaign. With the unlikely Binyamin Ben-Eliezer refusing to pull out of the race, we watch with interest as that man Shimon Peres tries to win something - at last. After watching Ehud Barak and Amram Mitzna get bulldozed by Sharon and the Likud, the 82-year old eldest statesman is desperate for one more chance at winning an election. The polls show he might well get that chance, though turn out (as at 4pm) is only about 25% and that is said to favor Amir Peretz who for years has headed the battle for employee and union rights in Israel.

There is a little bit riding on this Labor election. Peres has shown to be quite content to sit in the seats of power even if under the controlling eye of the Likud. He keeps his Volvo (as do his Labor ministerial friends) but they keep a watchful eye on proceedings and have some power to control policy. Today's suggestion that Peres might pull Labor from the coalition sounds very much like inner-party campaigning more than anything of substance.

With their continuation in the Government after Disengagement, there has come some criticism from those like Amir Peretz who claim that Labor has simply become a mistress to the Likud. Peretz believes that Labor should be in the opposition and behave as such. They should not be helping the Likud stay in power but challenging from the opposite side of the Knesset debating chamber. Good point that but a little project called Disengagement has held priority till now and Labor ministers can not be too upset with the ever-developing change in Sharon's attitude to occupation.

But stop for a second. Let's face facts. Peres believes he has the team to win the next election. He might well have the team but frankly I don't think he has the electorate nor the environment to make it a reality.

The Israeli electorate has swung to the right over the five years of Palestinian violence and recent polls see no indications of optimism for quieter times ahead. Disengagement, as I have said previously, is not an indication of a sudden swing to the left. Gaza is a very different deal than the West Bank, Jerusalem and the like and this would be reflected in future election results, negotiations or unilateral decisions made by Israel. Equally, there is only a strengthening of terror activity in the Palestinian Authority areas - today an admission that shoulder launched missiles have arrived with the potential to strike Israeli aircraft - military and civil.

What's my point? Well, why does Mr. Peres keep on keeping on? Why go through the heartache again? Can anyone really see a Labor victory on the horizon? Is Peres simply hanging on to his dream of a new Middle East? Does he really believe that a Likud split would leave the way open for a Labor revival?
At 82, he's contributed greatly and continuously. Why not bow out with a little honor? At least a significant segment of the country do not trust him and the odds are not in his favor. Haven't you had enough already? Isn't it time for a change? Why not hand the reins over to the younger Laborites?

... ah ha! And there might lie the reason why Peres and good buddy Sharon (in his late 70s) fight on and on and on. Who exactly are the younger folk waiting in line? There does appear to be a massive gaping hole in Israel's political leadership stocks. Who would you recommend?

Since his failure to hold a majority in the Knesset over ministerial appointments on Monday night, the media, commentators and spokespersons have been rolling out every rumor, every theory and every prediction for what the future holds in the Likud. Will Sharon call elections? Will he split and establish a new centrist party? Will he retire to his ranch?

Today's Labor results will probably help Sharon make a few decisions. An Amir Peretz-led coalition party will do nothing for keeping the government together and Sharon is getting tired (politically and physically they say) of the struggle for survival. Still, Arik is determined to be the man who draws Israel's final borders.
He is a master tactician but the strategy might well have been lost on too many of those around him.

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Rabin - Leave The Man To Rest!


Through his murder, Yitzchak Rabin z"l has become the greatest, most admired of Israel's old battler men. Not admired by all might I add. Many who have suffered as result of the terrorism since Oslo believe that he and friend Shimon brought with them the tradition of capitulation, of giving and not receiving.

We have frankly been up to our eyeballs in Rabin this week. It would not be a bad thing if the focus was right. Bill and Hillary arrive in the coming days, as will other dignatories as Israel officially marks ten years since the horrific act that still has everyone guessing, dreaming up conspiracies and the like. The security failures have been debated again this year - take a look at the frightening video on this site. It's in Hebrew but you'll understand.

More than the security peculiarities, each Rabin Memorial Day greets us with the left, right, center, stupid and ridiculous trying to blame the other for the murder and everything that has gone wrong in their lives since. In my opinion, Rabin belonged to all Israelis and simply because one (or a few) religious right-wing Jews wanted to get rid of him does not immediately place all religious or all right-wing or any Jew for that matter outside a society who wish to remember the man he was and what he contributed to his country.

Sadly though, we talk alot and debate even more. What frustrates me more than anything is the endless publishing of opinion pieces that delve into "what we have learnt in the last 10 years", "whether Israelis have taken the message of the murder with them" and so on and so forth. Frankly I'm fed up with the analysis. Find something else to write about or better still - do something about it!

The Israeli media is so skilled and experienced in winding up the crowd for a good fist fight. What I have learnt in the last 10 years is that segments of Israeli society get their kicks out of using Rabin's death as a means of alienating others and as a means of creating even more walls across Israeli society.

Others are making moves to break down barriers. Rabin would have liked us to be saying and doing the things that are now appearing. Recently, a famous Religious-Zionist Rabbi (who I will not name because I did not hear him say it first hand), made the observation that many non-religious and left-wing Israelis could not identify with Gush Katif settlers and neither can they identify with those on the West Bank. The Rabbi feels this is due very much to the fact that the Religious-Zionist population has built many yishuvim for religious people only. The ultra-Orthodox do the same. His opinion is that the dati-leumi crowd must begin to reintegrate fully (not just in the workplace) and once again become the bridge between the secular and the religious like they once were. If we live different worlds, miles apart, how can we expect our brothers and sisters to understand our faith, our communities, our needs and our ideals?

I am in total agreement with him and hence my excitement at spending some Shabbatot in Tzur Hadassa where a new Ashkenazi community has been established in peace with neighbors who are mostly traditional or secular. Here, Israelis and olim are stepping outside their comfort zone. The work of Rabbi Levi Cooper and the community members has been exciting to see, a pleasure to experience and a taste of what could arise across the Land of Israel.

Of course it might be more comfortable at first to live with homogenous neighbors who think like us. But at the end of the day, this does very little for Jewish unity and for showing others the value of a Jewish, Zionist or Torah way of life. Secular Israelis should consider evaluating how they build their environment too.

Additionally, as traditional societal bridge-builder, we have the National Religious Party (HaMafdal) on the way to allowing non-religious Israelis to become members of the party and even to stand as MKs. It is a risk and a shaking of Mafdal foundations and one that will make many feel uncomfortable. Nonetheless it is a brave move which focuses on life beyond settlement and seeks to gather wider support for important Mafdal policies especially in the welfare and education spheres.

Yes we have much work to do but friends, it should be done without Rabin. We can always learn from him and his murder but we should let him rest now. Enough of hurtful analysis! He would not have wanted us to shoot him and each other in the back every time we mark November 4th. Rather, he would want us to put down the pen and pick up the hand of another Israeli - to walk forward and to build onwards, upwards and together.

Oh la la!

What's blue and white and red all over? An Israeli after a touch too much charif on the shwarma? Or maybe, the French after 11 nights of rioting across 15 cities?
Red in the face with exasperation, embarrassment and frustration. I mean, we the French were all so nice. We and the rest of Europe with our borderless existence and our happy-go-lucky immigration policies. How could this all have gone so wrong? Hmmm, ask Tony Blair, he'll explain it all!

Another French Revolution to match the real one? Maybe not. Another wake up call to Europe. Maybe. Poverty and inequality are always claimed to be the sparks for such violence. Regardless of sparks and from where they arrive, nothing can excuse barbaric behavior - not in terms of homicide bombers in Israel, massacres in Dafur, terror in the UK or in USA and not even in terms of wild destruction, petrol bombing and gunfire on the streets of France.

Other Europeans states have already started to crack down on their open immigration policies - slowly. French Jews have been afraid of the French Moslem explosion for years and have recently been buying up 'rescue real estate' in Israel.
Look, don't get me wrong, I am no white supremacist or anti-Moslem. Quite the contrary. Yet I am a big believer in 'when in Rome'... and this means that regardless of your personal religious beliefs, one must commit loyally to the state in which one dwells. Jews are taught as such worldwide and prayers are said for the local government in every synagogue.
When individual Jews have betrayed that understanding, they have faced the fullness of the law.

We have lived honestly and calmly in our adopted homelands and contributed equally to them. Jews have been proud to be Americans, British and New Zealand patriotic, full-blown citizens. Only persecution and the miraculous return of the Jewish homeland to our hands has encouraged us to move out.

I do not dislike Moslems or Islam. Still, is it just a coincidence that so many of today's world conflicts involve Moslem fighters? It does not matter whether or not it is the execution of a Moslem plan to take over the world or rather an illustration of young Moslems' frustration. It might be a mix of the two or one taking advantage of the other. Regardless, unless its leaders enjoy Islam's increasingly negative public image, the Moslem world would do well to take stock of itself and begin to redirect the obvious overflow of Moslem emotion, frustration, fundamentalism (or whatever it in fact is) towards more beneficial and honest endeavors.

At least one of yesterday's Israeli dailies screamed out "French Intifada" as its main headline. It's not at all surprising that there is more than a little Israeli interest in the situation, especially as France has been a great critic of Israel's handling of Palestinian violence. Warnings, advice and a sense of irony fill the Israeli street too.

We should not get too smug about it all though. We have proven to be no experts in quelling riots either - not without having to injure and kill. With shots fired at police overnight and a 12th night awaiting, the French may be about to embark on an uneasy educational Israel experience. Let's hope that the red of the French flag does not come only to symbolize spilt blood.

A little KICprediction (which I make with trepidation) - with riot encouragement spreading across websites and blogs, would anyone else be so chutzpahdik to predict that other Moslems in Europe might soon also give in to the urge for a good night out?

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Home and Away

Home advantage is a huge factor in any arena. The crowd, stadium familiarity and so on. Ask the Kiwi cricket team - they can tell you what a hoodoo it can put on your play.

Now ask Ariel Sharon how things are going on the home front. No matter how many innings he has played and how many times he has walked out onto the pitch, there is currently no real advantage for him to play at home in Israel. In honesty, he probably, for the first time in decades, would rather be strolling down the corridors of the United Nations. Yes indeed, this government's form overseas is comfortable for the fans and in stark contrast to the lowly performances on home soil.

If Israel was an international sports team on tour, they would be quite enjoying the fixtures of late. Following on from a well-received ground (maybe heart) breaking Sharon speech from the UN pulpit, we have watched Israeli representatives rise to leadership roles in UN organizations. Iran has been widely condemned for its world map reconstruction addiction, Syria continues to spank itself repeatedly even in the the face of a unanimous (thought slightly toothless) UN Security Council resolution and today the word on the street is that an official UN Holocaust Day is set to be placed in stone.

All in all then, a grand way to spend the last rays of summer for Sharon - basking in the slip-ups of Israel's neighbors and bathing in the delights of what appears to be some healthy diplomatic spin-offs from disengagement. Sure, not all of these things are thanks in any part to Israel, but nonetheless they do strengthen the sense that changes in the world are set to continue.

Back home then though... and the last rays burn and Sharon is close to drowning in his own bath water. (Keep in mind that we have said that before and yet he's always found an emergency snorkel to get some extra air into his long-lasting political lungs). Still, the challenges are great and they go well beyond the efforts of Palestinians to get Israeli streets back on CNN Breaking News.

Unable to get his own Likud MKs to turn up for drinkies at the start of the winter Knesset session, Sharon has now postponed the Knesset vote that is supposed to approve 2 new Ministers and Olmert as Finance Minister. This Prime Minister who we are told has large support nationwide appears unable to pass important laws through the Knesset. In any normal democracy (oxymoron?) and such being the case, one would have to put a shekel on elections climbing over the horizon much sooner than we would have hoped.

Friends, it's no secret that there's something wrong with the electoral system that causes this instability. Five (maybe six) Prime Ministers and five (maybe six) elections in ten years. What does that tell you? Too many parties? Too lower threshold for a party's entry to the Knesset? Yes of course but also some quite incredibly controversial dilemmas that Israeli leaders (more than others) are faced with every morning. The challenge is to balance the desires of as many of the factions as possible. It might well be that Sharon has come to a dead end in that respect - even more so within his own party... (but the fat lady is nowhere in sight so don't put a shekel on anything yet!)

Still home is where the heart is so it's only right to end with a few positives. First, what a nice initiative - a virtual Ulpan class is set to hit our living rooms shortly. Nice! Not a moment too soon either.

And lastly, a heart-breaking, heart-warming story of ultimate belief, courage and commitment to life here in the Jewish homeland. David Hatuel, whose 4 children and pregnant were murdered by Palestinians has found the strength to move on - away from tragedy and home to new love where his lost loved ones will remain with him in spirit.
What an example for all of us. Makes you think twice about ever opening one's mouth to complain or bemoan the difficulties of life in Israel.
Mazal Tov!