Worldwide Call To Prayer

http://www.tfila.org.il/

Rabbi Yona Metzger, Chief Rabbi of Israel is calling on all Jews in the diaspora to pray "for the well-being of our soldiers and their success" this Tuesday at 19:00 hours/7 pm Israeli time (12 noon EST). Go to the site and sign up to show your support. As of this posting, 55,293 Jews from 159 countries have joined in the prayer chain.

This is the teshuva we need, people.

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

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Photo Finish

EU Referendum blog posts an excellent analysis of the [staged propaganda] photographs taken by Al-Reuters yesterday at Qana. I especially love their description of the "Lebanese civilian rescue worker":

Note the "rescue worker" in the foreground, complete with olive green military-style helmet and fluorescent jacket, with what appears to be a flack jacket underneath. His glasses, "designer stubble", blue tee-shirt and jeans make him quite a distinctive figure. Note also, he has a radio in his jacker pocket and he has bare hands, things which becomes relevant later.

Check out the whole thing. Be mad.

I posted the link to this story last night, but it bears repeating: These are the Pictures that Damn Hizbollah an Australian reporter's photographs, smuggled out of Lebanon, showing very clearly how much Hizbollah cares about the Lebanese people.

A stream of images, obtained exclusively by the News Ltd, depicts how the extremists are using high-density residential areas as launch pads for rockets and heavy calibre weapons.

Dressed in civilian clothing so they can quickly melt back into suburbia, the fighters carrying automatic assault rifles ride in on trucks laden with cannons.

The photographs from the Christian area of Wadi Chahrour in the east of Beirut were snapped by a visiting journalist caught in the midst of the war, then smuggled out by a friend.

IsraPundit: Photos Reveal the Lie of Qana, they’re Milking It (click for links to further articles):

Israel is not responsible for the tragic loss of life at Qana.

First of all is the 8 hour time gap from when the IAF bombed the building, to the time it collapsed.

Next, is a very curious photo in the NY Times. You’ll notice that the ceiling is completely intact, which doesn’t seem to fit with the rubble below it, nor with the body.

There’s a brilliant photo investigation showing how the bodies of the children were recycled for photo ops during more than a 12 hour period.

Now, can I just say that these morons are really giving up their gaming strategy here? Haven't they ever heard of "photographic evidence"? Nothing like leaving your prints at the scene of the crime. Oh, wait, they don't care; they're proud to commit murder.

I guess this goes to show you that I was wrong: Allah isn't a racist god. He doesn't care who you murder, as long as, in the end, everyone dies.

P.S. That ceasefire lasted really long now, didn't it? (hahahahahaha.)

The amount of confusion going on in this war is hilarious. The Israeli government issues mixed messages about cease-fires and negotiations, Condi Rice is racking up frequent flyer miles and living off caffiene pills and speed, the best the world body politic can offer are French troops, the international media is running around like a dog chasing its tail, and the analysts in the MSM and the blog world are at a complete loss for a concrete solution.

Your average citizen, in Israel and abroad, is doing one of three things: speaking out in favor of Israel (the majority of the Jews), speaking out against Israel (the minority of the goys & a few Jews), or burying their head in the sand (the majority of the goys & some Jews) with some oblique statement like, "I just want there to be peace in the Middle East," or "Why can't we all just get along," or "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem." (The last one really gets me. All those Christians who claim a love for Israel need to be told about what's going on in Biblical terms, i.e. "This is the town where Jesus grew up," and all they can think to do is pull one tiny verse from scripture and "pray for peace" because Jesus was big on the whole "turning the other cheek" thing. What a joke. Your Messiah was a Jewish guy, right? The son of the G-d who talked about ridding the land of the enemy a lot in that "Old Testament" right? Wow, you really need to get a grip on your faith. Even some Jewish people who don't believe that Yeshua is the Messiah will grant Him the status of rebel-rouser, at least. Christians just make Him out to be a big ol' hippie.)

In other words: mass confusion. I love it. That just means that when HaShem acts to save Israel, Israel will know that it was "I [HaShem], and not an angel; I, and not a seraph; I and not a messenger will execute judgement," and be the salvation of Am Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael, the land where HaShem walks among His people.

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Qana, The "Ceasefire" and The Blogosphere to the Rescue

Qana means that Israel has agreed to hault IAF strikes for 48 hours, with conditions. If Israel is attacked, they'll start bombing again. If Israel finds a target that is life-threatening, they will bomb it. If Israel solves the Qana investigation before the 48 hours are over, the bombing will continue.

The blogosphere has already reported on sufficient evidence to acquit Israel of any alleged crimes. A quick rundown of relevant posts:

Via IsraelMatzav~

Qana building collapsed eight hours after strike

Perspective on Qana

Via Israpundit~

What Happened at Qana?

Qana, Setting the Record Straight

Via Israeli Bloggers~

The Mysterious Gap in Time @ An Unsealed Room

Hizballah Hides Behind Civilians @ Jewlicious-- tons of blogs are linking to this story, a collection of photos taken of Hizballah in Lebanon and smuggled out, proving that they use human shields to hide some pretty big stuff. Full Story Here.

More to come...

Updates

Varifrank has great commentary on the double standards I talked about in my previous post.

I'd love to say that I have some sort of unique insight to bring into this entire affair. Is the temporary cease-fire another careful move by Israel? Maybe. Does it give Hizbollah time to regroup? I'd say yes, but those idiots operate according to chaos to begin with. The most it'll give them time to do is organize more car swarms and marches of protest in Beirut, the supposed "ghost town of Lebanon."

Over at Lazer Beams Rabbi Lazer Brody comments:

"The scariest part of this war is that Hashem is letting Olmert and Peretz go it on their own. For that reason, everything they do is an utter failure and backfire. One asks, why are the Israeli men and women on the street called to pay the price of such unfortunate leadership? Two reasons: First, they elected them; second, they still hope to win the war by military means and are not answering the call for tshuva."

The need for teshuva is real. I'm not talking the whole "I'm going to start eating kosher" or "I really am going to be nicer to people" kind of teshuva, I'm talking real, honest-to-Adonai, ego-deflating teshuva here. It's great that you don't want to sink your teeth into a pork chop anymore; does that mean you want to develop a real, one-on-one relationship with HaShem like King David, or you just don't feel like risking trichinosis anymore?

HaShem puts leaders on their thrones and removes them in accordance with His will. Can I say He isn't working through Olmert and Peretz for the sake of His reputation and His love for Israel? No. What I can say is that HaShem CAN work through each and every one of us if we invite Him to do so. He CAN work through us as a nation if we invite Him to do so. Teshuva isn't just dumping out your guilt before G-d; it's inviting Him to play a part in your life and the life of your nation. This is the kind of teshuva we need if we're going to survive. We're already off to a great start-- we're rallying behind each other and, for once, the minyan isn't arguing-- the minyan is standing strong together! We're showing the world that we can support ourselves physically, emotionally, and financially-- now, let's show them how we support each other spiritually, by coming together as a nation before HaShem.

Come, let us return to Adonai;
for he has torn, and he will heal us;
he has struck, and he will bind our wounds.
After two days, he will revive us;
on the third day, he will raise us up;
and we will live in his presence.
Let us know, let us strive to know Adonai.
That he will come is as certain as morning;
he will come to us like the rain,
like the spring rains that water the earth.
"Efrayim, what should I do to you?
Y'hudah, what should I do to you?
For your 'faithful love' is like a morning cloud,
like dew that disappears quickly.
This is why I have cut them to pieces by the prophets,
slaughtered them with the words from my mouth--
the judgement on you shines out like light.
For what I desire is mercy, not sacrifices,
knowledge of G-d more than burnt offerings."
Hosea 6:1-6

This is the teshuva we need to perform-- teshuva from the HEART! HaShem does not speak only anger through the prophet-- He also speaks of His love for us:

"My people are hanging in suspense
about returning to me;
and through they call them upwards,
nobody makes a move.
Efrayim, how can I give you up,
or surrender you, Israel?
How could I treat you like Admah
or make you like Tzvoyim?
My heart recoils at the idea,
as compassion warms within me.
I will not give vent to the fierceness of my rage,
I will not return to destroy Efrayim;
for I am G-d, not a human being,
the Holy One among you;
so I will not come in fury.
They will go after Adonai,
who will roar like a lion;
for he will roar, and the children will come
trembling from the west.
They will tremble like a bird as they come from Egypt,
like a dove as they come from the land of Ashur;
and I will resettle them in their own houses,
says Adonai."
Hosea 11:7-11

Breathe in the hope, Am Yisrael! Bow before HaShem with a humbled heart, and watch as His salvation takes place before your eyes!

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Lebanon

Qana

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HaShem

Perspective

One Jerusalem.com Israel's Blog Magazine is reporting that an IAF strike on the Lebanese town of Qana could wind up being the turning point in the war. Apparently, a basement shelter "filled" with "refugees, mainly women and children," was struck by an Israeli bomb. 60 people are reported killed and injured. How did those mature, suffering Lebanese women and children react to the bombing?

They surrounded UN headquarters, vandalized the place, and started waving Hizbollah flags at every TV cameraman and photographer (probably while doing that erradic tongue-wailing thing that most Muslims do after they vow to kill the infidels and before they charge forward with their shivs).

Yeah, I feel real sorry for these people.

Look, I know, I'm suppose to feel bad that "innocent" civilians were killed, that women and children lost their lives. (Do muslims have fanatic PTA moms who go around screaming, "BUT WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN?!!" too?) Yeah, that stinks. Boo hoo.

Israeli women and children are living in bomb shelters and hospitals, too.

I'm supposed to feel so bad for these Lebanese people that I'm supposed to demand that Israel stop a war that Hizbollah started so the UN can bring in "humanitarian aid" to "cure the humanitarian crisis."

No one has suggested that Hizbollah stop rocketing for 72 hours so we can get aid into the north, and cure the humanitarian crisis in Israel. But I guess that's because, according to the UN Human Rights Council, Jews aren't humans.

But let's pretend for a moment that Jews and Lebanese are equal, shall we? Okay, now, let's compare the reactions of the world body (meaning: the media, foreign countries, the UN, and basically anyone BUT Israel) to the "Humanitarian Crisis Unfolding in the Middle East" (I swear, I should write news headlines):

Lebanon-- Thousands fled to Syria. Anyone with a foreign passport got flown out. The ones still in the country are receiving aid from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Iran, the UN, the EU, and America. Oh, and Hizbollah, who reportedly has a great socio-economic infrastructure. They have to get into some bomb shelters when sirens go off. The rest of the time they spend crusing around in their Mercedes-Benzes, looking for international news cameras to pose in front of.

Israel-- Thousands are living in refugee camps on the beaches further south, or in the homes of strangers. No reports have been made about anyone with dual citizenship fleeing the country. In fact, 240 new olim from America arrived one week into the fighting. They are receiving aid from fellow Jews in Israel and abroad. They mostly live in bomb shelters, as evidenced by the fact that when foreign news reporters are on the streets of Israeli towns in the north, the streets are usually vacant. The Israelis getting media attention are the bloggers covering the war; these bloggers are the only chance Israel has of getting a fair shake from the foreign Al-media.

Wow, if we actually do the proper journalistic thing and give you both sides of the story, the wailing and gnashing of teeth over the "humanitarian crisis" in Lebanon seems a tad, well, overdone doesn't it?

So, getting back to my original question: Do I feel bad for those "innocent women and children" who were killed in a bomb shelter in Lebanon today?

No.

But you have to feel bad for them, you're a Jew! Where's your ancestral guilt, man?

Being Jewish allows me to see the morality in the situation. Morally, death is a sad, sad thing. But the commandment reads, "Thou shalt not murder" not, "thou shalt not kill." Murdering and killing are two different things. Innocent Israelis have been murdered for years by Hizbollah's suicide-bomber recruits and rocket launches. Now, in a justified fight back, the Israeli Army happens to be killing some Lebanese civilians along with official Hizbollah terrorists. Too bad. They should've read the repeated fliers sent to them by Israel, telling them to get out of the way.

(Another side-note: When does Hizbollah drop fliers telling Israeli civilians to get out of the way of the rockets? Oh, wait, they don't, because they aren't just fighting a military war, they're fighting a war for Allah. Yeah, now who's the racist god?)

Still, though, women and children. It's not their fault they're in this thing.

They've spent well over six years giving and receiving aid and comfort from Hizbollah. Their men elected Hizbollah into parliament. They clearly continue to side with Hizbollah now, as evidenced by the picture of Nasrallah hanging in every Lebanese home across the south. Am I supposed to feel bad for someone who chose this kind of life for themself? "Aw, you elected Nasrallah and now you have to live in a bomb shelter, awwww, poor thing." Please. Everyone makes choices; the Lebanese made theirs, and now they may have to die for it. Think of it this way: maybe that'll make their racist god happy.

So, will this be the turning point of the war? Ha! Not likely. So far, this war has produced more confusion within the world body than ever before. Israel isn't likely to let up and concede to world opinion now, anymore than they have been over the past 20-odd days of fighting. Israel is in this until the finish; even if the government reaches a point where they want to end it, the civilian population knows that unless Hizbollah is wiped off the map, Israel will never be safe. So, you know what? Screw what the world thinks. There's a reason our Bible is filled with stories of individuals standing up for what is right and saving our nation in the process: when it comes to standing for the truth, you've got to be willing to stand alone.

**UPDATE**
Varifrank has an excellent analysis of Israeli propaganda tactics. It's a good report, a hopeful report, and one that rings right with my spirit... Baruch haShem, may it be so.

And another thought occurred to me. Recall yesterday's post mentioned the insane Hizbollah cleric telling the ticking time bombs via Al-Manar that Adonai is "a racist god" and that the Jews are commanded to kill the Lebanese in Torah. What does that mean to us? It means that if this war was a poker game, Hizbollah just flashed their ace in the hole. They can get away with a certain amount of religious bilge, but if they want the favor of the world body, they can't just go around calling this a holy war from the Jewish side as well as their own; the secular world body really will start to view them as nothing more than religious nutbags. There are only two reasons this cleric would even think to bring the Jews into the spiritual element of the battle:

1. They think they're winning so they can start calling the shots.

2. They're confused as hell and aren't sure what to do next, so they decide to see if this will provoke Israel to use full force and charge forward. Of course, this assumption is backed up by the thought-process of #1.

You don't show your cards before the other player has called. It's just not wise gaming (or war) strategy. In the end, I believe it is further evidence that Varifrank's analysis is correct: Israel is working a careful war of words that, so far, has Hizbollah not knowing their tuchuses from a hole in the ground. This also happens to be a classic Biblical battle tactic, commonly referred to as "putting enemies in derision."

"Strike them with terror, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men."
Psalm 9:20


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Kol Tuv News & Views

Je ne seis whaaa?

YNet Reports that "France and the Lebanese army will take part in the multinational peacekeeping force expected to take position along the southern Lebanese border, it was revealed following a meeting between US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem." Can I make a vichy joke now? Pleeeeze?

Am Yisrael Chai!

Eretz Nehederet did a great sketch this weekend mocking Nasrallah. From what I've gathered, Eretz Nehederet (This Wonderful Country) is the Saturday Night Live of Israeli TV. For secular Israelis, the after-dinner hour on Friday night is spent watching this sketch-comedy show that debuted in the early 1970s (around the time TV broadcasting became a regular, full-time thing in Israel) and has continued through until today. My Hebrew is rusty and mostly religious, so I can't translate the dialogue, but the language wasn't a barrier in this instance. If anything, the sentiments expressed were pretty universal.

Yalla Ya Nasrallah, Your Mom's a...

Amos at Kishkushim has great commentary on the shooting at the Seattle JCC. Orthodox Anarchist also provides some thoughtworthy insight. I first commented on the story via Jewlicious and, while my comment could probably fall under the category "Zionist Agression" I frankly don't care. I'm angry. It takes a lot for a Jew to get angry, and it takes a lot of anger for a Jew to react, but when we finally reach our breaking point, you'd better watch out, because you deserve whatever retribution you're going to get. That's the benefit of being a moral people; the "slow to anger" trait gives us plenty of time to both judge our decisions and think of really nasty, harsh ways to beat our enemies to a pulp.

UN-likely, UN-necessary

Which brings me to the greatest observance I made over Shabbat: The world body is scared sh*tless of Israel at this moment. After two weeks of racking up frequent flyer miles, the best thing Condi can come up with is a bunch of Frenchies who will cut and run the minute a terrorist threatens their cheese supply?

A 72-hour ceasefire? That beats all. They really thought they'd get Israel to agree to stop bombing for 72 hours. I wonder, did the Nazis try to get Patton to stop advancing for 72 hours-- to take a minibreak for the sake of the humanitarian crisis in Berlin? HA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! "Yeah, I know this is war, but it's the weekend! Gah! Come on, let's drop the artillery rounds and go to the beach. It'll be there when we get back."

The only reason the world body even thought to suggest such a stupid thing is because they know the Islamic world is going to blow-- fast. We've already had a shooting in Seattle. What next? As long as Israel keeps killing terrorists (which they should) these western nations-- England, America, France, etc.-- know that their countries face being blown to pieces by Muslim fanatics who have been allowed to immigrate en masse, build up mosques and communities unchecked, earn citizenship, passports, concealed weapons permits (that's right, the guy in Seattle with a supposed "bipolar disorder" had a permit to carry CONCEALED), driving and pilots licenses out the wazoo, and train and arm themselves to the hilt, all in preparation for this one divine moment when their Sheik says it's time to wrap up those genitals and head for the virgin paradise in the sky.

"I suppose you know this isn't going to be pleasant for either of us, especially for you."

This should be nothing new to the blogosphere (or anyone with a brain) because we've been talking about these kinds of security and immigration issues for years. Well, guess what world? Now it's here. Now the battle is really in your own front yard, so you'd better take some lessons from Israel but quick and deal with it, before some Muslim nutcase with a gun and a grudge deals with you.

Rebuking the Bad Reports

You know, I'm getting really bored with declarations from every political pundit on the planet, whether they're on TV or on the Internet, proclaiming that Israel isn't winning and can't win this thing. Quite frankly, if you really pay attention to the numbers, the Israeli army is doing a fantastic job of beating the crap out of Hezbollah given their policy of using "limited" power/force. Quite frankly, the Israeli people are unified against the enemy; unity in the minyan-- do you understand how rarely that happens? Quite frankly, the Jewish community looks out for their own; Israelis in the south are opening their homes to refugees from the north, and diaspora Jews are raising millions of dollars in aid for the IDF and the people effected by the fighting. Quite frankly, we're hearing more calls for teshuva, prayer, the reciting of Tehillim, and the study of Torah now than ever before. And, above all, WE HAVE A G-D, THE ONLY G-D, ON OUR SIDE. And He's scaring the crap out of our enemies. IMRA reports:

Hizballah's television station Al-Manar launched an unusually
anti-Semitic attack on Israel [on Saturday], when a featured commentator
claimed that Jews were instructed to kill women and children.

"What does their Torah say: it says kill all men, women and children and
even animals," said the Hizballah commentator, Ghassan Matar, identified as
a former member of the Lebanese parliament.

"That is what their Israeli Zionist god, their racist god ['YHVH'] orders
them," sneered Matar, the gray-haired commentator, gesturing broadly with
his hands.

...Hizballah and its television station Al-Manar are well-known for extreme
messages and anti-Jewish themes including the broadcasting of programs
based on the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion"-a paradigmic anti-Semitic
tract first developed by the Russian Czars and then distributed by the
Soviets.

However, today's effusion seemed to be indicative of some of the tension
felt by Hizballah personnel in recent days-perhaps because of rising
casualties-which has produced more vitriolic attacks on Judaism, America ,
and "moderate" Arab states, as well as the usual assaults on "the Zionist
Enemy."

Read the whole thing.

Don't you see? Israel isn't losing! Israel isn't even winning. ISRAEL HAS ALREADY WON! Anything else is just propaganda. So, to parody Dr. Leary, turn off and tune out the media and drop in on HaShem, because He's the only one who really knows what's going on right now, and His report is always good for those who love Him. And don't forget how The Book ends...

**SPOILER ALERT -- JUMP DOWN!**

**

**

WE WIN!!!!

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Jewish
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Eternal Life

For the past six months, I've been watching my grandfather die.

He is an old man. Before he even went into the nursing home, he knew his time was limited. I asked him once, "Are you afraid to die?" His response was a matter-of-fact "No." Thinking back to it now, it was one of the most lighthearted answers he had given to any question I'd ever asked him.

The other day my mother went to the home, to consult with the hospice worker who had been called in to assess my grandfather's condition. (Hospice is only called in when it is determined that a person has anywhere from one day to six months at most to live.) While she was waiting to speak to the social worker, she visited with my grandfather. After a week of being in a near-comatose state, he had miraculously revived himself the day before and asked my grandmother if she thought they were fighting a losing battle. My grandfather's tough like that, and it's been this way for months, now; he'll be totally out of it for a week, and we'll think that's it, only to have him gather his remaining strength to suprise us with a day or two of sunshine before the clouds set in again. My mother caught him on day two of the sunshine, before the next set of storm clouds blew in the following day.

"I don't think I'll be around much longer," my grandfather remarked as they sat there, waiting. "I think I'm being called home."

"The amazing thing about my father is, he's not afraid," my mother reflected later. "I know he's old, and it isn't a shocking scenario, but still-- most people get scared or lose faith. He's just confident."

HaShem puts a lesson in every single one of your life experiences. Of course, it’s up to you to recognize and understand this, and look for that lesson each time you’re faced with a situation, good or bad. Lately I’ve been trying to reconcile why HaShem has chosen to take my grandfather while Israel, my nation, goes into war. Somehow it seems like it’s just too much grief to bear. On the one hand, I have an old man who has gone from mentor, to friend, to trusted confidant over the course of my life, who is one of the few people with whom I can speak openly and honestly, who is one of the few people I can respect and admire, and he is dying. He is old, and it is his time, but losing a friend is never easy. On the other hand, I have tens of thousands of young men and women, whom I have never met, with whom I have very little in common, yet who are my family; through blood, through faith, through identity I call them my own and love them as my own, and respect and admire them for fighting valiantly for our identity and rights as a people. They are teenagers, twenty-somethings, thirty-somethings risking death and dying for my faith, my identity, my rights. They are young, and it is not their time, and losing mishpocha is never easy.

What is the lesson HaShem has meant for me in all of this? What lesson can I learn, what vision can I draw and run with for this appointed time? The one thing I keep returning to is my grandfather’s confidence in the face of death.

We are the people of the Book of Life. Tens of thousands of soldiers are being called up to face nothing short of a demonic enemy—our men and women must know, must understand, must trust with unshaken confidence that resides in the core of their soul that we have LIFE. The Zahal is going in to face an enemy that has already signed their own death warrant with Sheol. The Zahal is going in to face this truth as the army of the people to whom the greatest gift has been given: the gift of eternal life.

Israel is watching as her first casualties of battle are being brought home and laid to rest. Teenagers with guns are facing the reality that they, too, may be coming home in a pine box. This is a cold, cruel reality, but there is no permanency to it. Our bodies may die, but our souls live on forever. As the prophet speaks:

“Yet we have this assurance:
Those who belong to God will live;
their bodies will rise again!
Those who sleep in the earth
will rise up and sing for joy!
For God's light of life will fall like dew
on his people in the place of the dead!”
Isaiah 26:19

We already have seen proof of this in the modern history of Israel. Our nation has been resurrected from death into life as a great army by the hand of Adonai, who first spoke of it through the prophet Ezekiel: We were brought back from the nations, slain and in despair, and given the breath of life, to arise as a vast army! Truly, our nation has witnessed this resurrection power in the past 58 years alone! We are living because of the miracles performed in the midst of our grandfathers!

As we face battle, we must face it with confidence that "death" is not in the vocabulary of our G-d. We must face our enemy knowing that HaShem, our G-d, is the G-d of eternity. We must face this battle, not with fresh faces naieve to the realities of life, but with the battle-hardened wisdom of those who have claimed victories before us. We must have the confidence of our grandfathers, and to do this, we must abide by the trust that comes from knowing HaShem as deeply and personally as did Dovid HaMelek, the greatest warrior of Israel. We must have that personal relationship with Adonai as we go forth into this battle, as individuals and as a nation. As the prophet instructs, He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure. (Isaiah 33:6)

This is the verse I pray over you, members of the IDF, this Shabbat:

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will direct your paths.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

Shabbat Shalom. May you have peace as you prepare for battle.

Israel
HaShem
Tanak
Zahal
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Israel Defense Force

The Heroes of the Zahal

Zahal Realities from the Blogosphere:

Allison at an Unsealed Room reports Every War Has Its Heroes:

It's only the day after he was killed and a legend is already growing around the heroism of Major Ro'i Klein, the Golani commander who died in the ambush and fierce battle that took place in Bint Jbeil that took the lives of nine soldiers.

Several members of his battalion confirm the story -- a grenade was lobbed in the midst of the unit under his command. Klein, who was 31 years old, married with two children, made a quick decision and jumped, throwing his body onto the grenade, losing his life, and saving the lives of all of his soldiers.

The word "hero" is sometimes used too lightly, but I think this qualifies.

StillRuleAll at Jumping on the Bandwagon gives a heartfelt account of attending My Friend's Funeral

...Then the father spoke. "I spoke to Amichai last week, and I asked him if he was afraid. He said the only thing he was afraid of was not being the best officer he could be, and letting his soldiers down. He never thought of himself, only of other." The father went on and said, "my son died protecting this country. And while I'm heartbroken, I know he died for a good cause, a cause he and we believe in. Defending Israel. And this war must go on. We can't quit until we've won. And I thank you, all you soldiers out there watching out for us, I thank you and I praise you."...

Israel at Level Ground gives great insight into Beit Kobi: Home for Immigrant IDF Soldiers and an American-born, Israeli musician and IDF artilleryman on the Northern Border whose using his talent to support a good cause:

...By “selling” a downloadable audio album with Elie’s music and conversation clips, we will direct the proceeds to assist the people who need it the most; residents of the north and our weary soldiers, while promoting the career of one of “our own” dedicated IDF soldiers in the process.

Your $10 payment entitles you to download a zipped audio file that includes 5 songs from IDF soldier/musician Elie Deutsch's album-in-progress. The file also includes clips from conversations recorded by Elie and his army friends, who are currently fighting in an artillery unit on the Northern Front...

Orthodox Anarchists puts the call up of reserves into perspective: 30,000 reservists = Possibly all of my male friends under 30. Religious, secular, left-wing, right-wing, apolitical. They all go.

On the very day I call to you for help,
my enemies will retreat.
This I know: God is on my side.

O God, I praise your word.
Yes, LORD, I praise your word.

I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
What can mere mortals do to me?

I will fulfill my vows to you, O God,
and offer a sacrifice of thanks for your help.

Psalm 56:9-12

Israel
HaShem
Tehillim
Judaism
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Israel Defense ForcesZahalwar

Trust in HaShem-- Prophecy Coming to Pass

TRUST IN HASHEM, NOT IN THE WORDS OF MEN!

What does this sound like?

"Destruction is certain for you Assyrians, who have destroyed everything around you but have never felt destruction yourselves. You expect others to respect their promises to you, while you betray your promises to them. Now you, too, will be betrayed and destroyed!

But L-RD, be merciful to us, for we have waited for you. Be our strength each day and our salvation in times of trouble. The enemy runs at the sound of your voice. When you stand up, the nations flee!

Just as locusts strip the fields and vines, so Jerusalem will strip the fallen army of Assyria! Though the L-RD is very great and lives in heaven, he will make Jerusalem his home of justice and righteousness. In that day he will be your sure foundation, providing a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the L-RD is the key to this treasure.

But now your ambassadors weep in bitter disappointment, for Assyria has refused their petition for peace. Your roads are deserted; no one travels them anymore. The Assyrians have broken their peace pact and care nothing for the promises they made before witnesses. They have no respect for anyone. All the land of Israel is in trouble. Lebanon has been destroyed. The plain of Sharon is now a wilderness. Bashan and Carmel have been plundered. But the L-RD says: "I will stand up and show my power and might. You Assyrians will gain nothing by all your efforts. Your own breath will turn to fire and kill you. Your people will be burned up completely, like thorns cut down and tossed in a fire.

Listen to what I have done, you nations far away! And you that are near, acknowledge my might!" The sinners in Jerusalem shake with fear. "Which one of us," they cry, "can live here in the presence of this all-consuming fire?" The ones who can live here are those who are honest and fair, who reject making a profit by fraud, who stay far away from bribes, who refuse to listen to those who plot murder, who shut their eyes to all enticement to do wrong. These are the ones who will dwell on high. The rocks of the mountains will be their fortress of safety. Food will be supplied to them, and they will have water in abundance. Your eyes will see the king in all his splendor, and you will see a land that stretches into the distance.

You will think back to this time of terror when the Assyrian officers outside your walls counted your towers and estimated how much plunder they would get from your fallen city. But soon they will all be gone. These fierce, violent people with a strange, unknown language will disappear. Instead, you will see Zion as a place of worship and celebration. You will see Jerusalem, a city quiet and secure.

The L-RD will be our Mighty One. He will be like a wide river of protection that no enemy can cross. For the L-RD is our judge, our lawgiver, and our king. He will care for us and save us. The enemies' sails hang loose on broken masts with useless tackle. Their treasure will be divided by the people of G-d. Even the lame will win their share! The people of Israel will no longer say, "We are sick and helpless," for the L-RD will forgive their sins."

Isaiah 33

Related Note: Check out Rafi G's post at Life in Israel. Very amazing stuff-- we are ushering in zman Moshiach!!

Israel
Tanak
HaShem
Judaism
prophecy
Lebanon
Syria

Rise Up, Gideon!

TRUST IN HASHEM, NOT THE WORDS OF MEN!

***This post is under constant update. Scroll down for new stuff.***
***Have you done your teshuva today?***

Carl in Jerusalem reports via JPost:

The JPost is reporting that most of the 'security cabinet' is opposed to an expanded ground operation, which the IDF has requested. This is not good. The government is 'center-left' and as a result, most of the 'security cabinet' is center-left to left. Furthermore, not all of the members of the 'security cabinet' have experience in military matters. Watching them override the army's recommendations is not comforting. Also, in light of Hezbullah's weapons deployment in the Bekaa Valley, it seems unlikely that Israel can vanquish Hezbullah without a ground operation there. A ground operation may also be necessary in Tyre in order to put a stop to Katyusha rockets raining down on Haifa.

All in all, the 'security cabinet' decision shows a lack of intestinal fortitude (I would have left the decision in the army's hands) and possibly the beginning of the end of Israel's new-found deterrence capability of the last two weeks.

THIS IS SCARY STUFF. VICTORY IS TAKING A BACK-SEAT TO POLITICS. ISRAEL WILL NOT SURVIVE IF SHE STAYS THIS COURSE! NOW IS THE TIME FOR THE IDF TO BE THAT ARMY OF STIFF-NECKED, PROUD JEWS WHO REFUSE TO TAKE ORDERS THEY KNOW ARE HARMFUL TO THE COUNTRY. NOW IS THE TIME TO BE LIKE GIDEON, TO BE THE ONE WHO LISTENS TO HASHEM, NOT THE DISPARAGING VOICES AROUND THEM! NOW IS THE TIME TO BE LIKE YHOSHUA, TO RISE UP AND PROCLAIM, "AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSEHOLD, WE WILL SERVE ADONAI" NOT THE POLITICIANS IN ISRAEL OR ABROAD! RISE UP, IDF! YOUR G-D IS WITH YOU, AND HE CAN AND WILL PERFORM MIRACLES IN YOUR MIDST IF ONLY YOU PUT YOUR TRUST IN HIM WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART, SOUL, AND STRENGTH! PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, TRUST IN YOUR G-D!!!!

"Behold, I have put before you life or death, blessing or curse, therefore CHOOSE LIFE SO THAT YOU MAY LIVE!!! ...On this depends the length of time you will live in the land Adonai swore he would give to your ancestors Avraham, Yitz'chak and Ya'akov." (D'varim 30:19-20; emphasis mine)

Rabbi Lazer Brody calls for teshuva:

Each one of us will soon see how a soldier's success or failure on the battlefield was dependant on the people that soldier fought for. We are responsible for his success and safety. That means that we can't sit at home, eat potato kugel on Shabbos, give a few token dollars to the emergency fund, and say, "What, me worry?" Hashem demands tshuva from each of us, whether we're in Tzfat or in Dallas and Los Angeles. Our tshuva could save the life of a courageous Golani guy who's in a firefight with the Hizbolla this very second. Let's get moving! Each of us knows what he or she has to do.

And provides news to motivate us:

There's no one to depend on but Hashem. Tshuva and prayer are the order of the day. For those who are still asleep, Israel is fighting for its very survival. The Egyptian, Syrian, and Iranian armies are on highest level alert. Hear O Israel, wake up!

Israpundit posts the words of Israeli Army Captain Uri Lavie, spoken to his troops before going into Lebanon [via Ha'aretz]:

This is our time to rise to the challenge, put on the helmets and the bullet proof vests and make sure that the northern border is secure.

We shall fulfill any mission in a most effective manner, in face of any challenge.

If we shall not fulfill our mission we shall forfeit the right to exist.

We shall not lose this war, which we did not start.

Our duty is to serve as a defense force of the Jewish People, and to secure the peace of mind of the civilians in northern Israel.

If we shall not do it, no one will do it in our place.

For two thousand years we waited for the establishment of the Jewish State, and we are not going to roll back because a bunch of terrorists assume that they can scare us.

He who cannot defend Liberty does not deserve Liberty.

If we will not be able to fight until our last drop of blood, in order to secure the Liberty of our People on its own soil, our People will not enjoy Liberty.

There is time to talk and there is time to act. At this time, when missiles and Katyushas afflict the North all the way to Haifa, in addition to the two kidnapped soldiers, the ten soldiers killed and the dozens injured, it is time to fight and not to talk. We are the force, which has been chosen to fight, and we shall perform in the most effective manner.

I will be the first one to enter the battle and the last one to come out, and will do everything in my power to get you out alive and well. On Friday, with G-D’s help, we will rejoin with our families. However, I cannot do it alone. Once we cross the northern border, you should exercise full alert and full responsibility toward your fellow soldier.

KEEP THE IDF SPIRIT GOING STRONG:

Stillruleall at Jumping on the Bandwagon eulogizes a friend and fellow soldier, Amichai. Baruch Dayin Ha'Emet.

IsraLuv at Sabra at Heart posts a video with pride in support of the IDF:



Rock of Galilee gives us the IDF opinion on the most recent Security Cabinet ruling:

I spoke with a soldier yesterday and he feels that there was a media bias against the ground offensive from the beginning. The media was against sending in ground troops and that was how they slanted their stories. Once we were in Lebanon already they made it seem like we had already won, to get the public against the idea of staying there. I don't know what their agenda is here, but the only way to win a war (as everyone knows) is to send in ground troops. Without that we'll start getting shellacked again in another 6 months.

If the government would support our troops the way the people support the troops, this would be a much happier country.

GO, IDF, GO! Don't listen to the will of men; trust in the promises of HaShem!!!

DEBKA's analysis of the IDF ground ops in Lebanon prove that hitting the UN "observation post" was a very good thing, indeed:

The holier-than-thou tone of outrage taken by Annan is surprising when it generally known that many UN missions are exploited as the cover for foreign agents, often hostile, to carry out spying operations in war zones. The inadvertent Israeli air strike revealed the fact that the UN force in Lebanon includes Chinese observers. One was killed along with an Austrian, a Canadian and a Finn. The presence of Chinese observers keeping an eye on the combat in South Lebanon has never before been reported.

Our intelligence experts compare the incident to the inadvertent US bombardment which destroyed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in 1998, killing a number of Chinese “diplomats.” It was discovered that from that building the Chinese had operated sophisticated surveillance to track the performance of American warplanes, missiles and smart bombs.

GO, IDF, GO! TRUST IN HASHEM, NOT THE WORDS OF MEN!

Israpundit ponders the will of the Zahal and suggests (if not demands) that supporters of Israel call for the formation of a new government in Israel IMMEDIATELY.

Israel National News Reports: Cabinet Update: Okay To Call Up Three Reserve Divisions Although the Security Cabinet has yet to okay more ground operations, they have called up more troops to relieve the ones currently fighting in the north. May HaShem use this call up according to His will, and may He continue to war in the heavenlies on behalf of His land and His people!

HaShem

Israel

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Why We Fight

IsraLuv writes:

14 soldiers killed today....May Hashem have mercy on their souls.

May their families be comforted amoungst the mourners of Zion in Jerusalem.

my soul is crying.

Our history, from the Tanak:

All of them together plotted to come and fight against Yerushalayim and thus throw us into confusion. However, we prayed to our G-d and, because of them, organized a watch against them day and night.

Y'hudah was saying, "The strength of the people who carry loads away is starting to fail, and there is so much rubble that we can't build the wall."

Our enemies were saying, "They won't know or see anything, until we have already infiltrated them and begun killing them and stopping the work." And even the Judeans living near them came and must have said to us ten times, "From every place you must come back to us."

So in the lower parts of the space behind the wall, I stationed men according to their families, with their swords, spears and bows. After inspecting them, I stood up and addressed the nobles, leaders and the rest of the people: "Don't be afraid of them! Remember Adonai, who is great and fearful; and fight for your brothers, sons, daughters, wives and homes." When our enemies heard that the plot was known to us, and G-d had foiled their plans, we all returned to the wall, everyone to his work.

From then on, half of my men would do the work; and half of them held the spears, shields, bows and armor; while the leaders stood guard behind the entire house of Y'hudah, as they continued building the wall. Those who carried loads held their loads with one hand and carried a weapon in the other. As for the construction-workers, each one had his sword sheathed at his side; that is how they built. The man to sound the alarm on the shofar stayed with me.

I said to the nobles, the leaders and the rest of the people, "This is a great work, and it is spread out; we are separated on the wall, one far from another. But wherever you are, when you hear the sound of the shofar, come to that place, to us. Our God will fight for us!" Nehimiah 4:8-20

Our battle has never been easy. We have always faced enemies from without and fear from within. But now is not the time to be afraid! Now is the time to take hold of HaShem's promises and rejoice in our victory that is close at hand! It is He who promises to give us the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness! (Isaiah 61:3) We cannot allow ourselves to listen to the whims, wishes, failures, and lies of others. We must push forward with the fight, praying as we go and trusting that HaShem has already claimed our victory. We cannot stand down. We cannot give in. We must fight and WE WILL WIN!

Stand on guard, people of Israel. Be the watchmen on the wall, keeping your eyes and ears open, ready to take on the lies of the enemy the way our soldiers are taking on the fight in the fields. Keep your eye on them, but do not let their vision consume you. Rather, let your vision be that of Adonai Tzvaot in the Heavenlies, battling on your behalf, and remember: IF WE FEAR HASHEM AND HIS ARMIES, WE NEED FEAR NOTHING!

Fight, Israel! Fight for your fathers, brothers, sons, daughters, wives, and homes! Fight for Israel! Fight for Yerushalayim!

Israel war HaShem

"If You Fear Me and My Armies, You Need Fear Nothing"

Thousands at Western Wall Prayers [Israel National News]

(Check out the Kotel live at AISH.)

Prayer Rally at Tomb of Baba Sali Set For 6 PM [Israel National News]

Organizers Expect Monthly Encirclement of Temple Mount to be Largest Ever [Israel National News]

IsraLuv posts the same video I caught on YouTube yesterday: Israeli Soldiers praying Tefilat HaDerech in a tank before charging into battle. I would've posted it yesterday, but my Hebrew is rudimentary and there was no way I could fully understand, let alone translate what they were praying. Todah rabbah, IsraLuv.



Translation:

May it be Your will, Eternal One, our God and the God of our ancestors, that You lead us toward peace, emplace our footsteps towards peace, guide us toward peace, and make us reach our desired destination for life, gladness, and peace. May You rescue us from the hand of every foe, ambush, bandits and wild animals along the way, and from all manner of punishments that assemble to come to Earth. May You send blessing in our every handiwork, and grant us peace, kindness, and mercy in your eyes and in the eyes of all who see us. May You hear the sound of our supplication, because You are the God who hears prayer and supplications. Blessed are You, Eternal One, who hears prayer.

Amein.

Remember, Israel: The battle is not yours, but God's. Therefore, Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered; let those who hate him flee from his presence. Baruch haShem!

Israel war HaShem

Israel, Northern Armies & More

Gov’t to Consider European Force for South Lebanon [Israel National News]

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told visiting German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeyer that Israel would consider positioning a European force with fighting experience on its border with Lebanon.

According to TV news, Germany, France, Italy, and India have already volunteered troops for this tour de force. Now, pragmatically speaking, doesn't this sound an awful lot like acharit-hayamim happenings? I know, I said this before, but doesn't this sort of smack of the "armies of the north" prophecies? In any case, Olmert is nuts if he allows armed fascists-- er, I mean, the sons and grandsons of fascists-- into Israel. NUTS.

Israel Matzav warns Jews abroad to keep their eyes peeled, after the Shin Bet issued a warning to all Israeli installations abroad to be alert for the waking of Hizbollah sleeper cells. As Carl in Jerusalem notes, this isn't just about Israel, it's about the Jews. I was reading today that the Orthodox Rebbes teach that when Israel is at war, every Jew is at war. The principle stands, especially when it comes to terror cells. Gates of Vienna has reported extensively on the terrorist training camp (I mean, Muslim Day Camp hidden in the back woods of Virginia), Jamaat al-Fuqra. Ricky Sperry at The Sperry Files has recently published a book, Infiltration detailing the gross amount of control Muslim Arabia has over our government. The idea that Hizbollah is in America, watching and waiting, is not merely a conspiracy theory-- it's a plain truth. Jewish Americans beware: They will be out to get us, first and foremost.

Judging by the way Professor Eugene Narrett sets it up and Felix Quigley analyzes it, it will be grass-roots activism, civil disobedience, and militia-making that will save the masses both in Israel and around the world from complete destruction. I'd like to add one further, overarching observation to the mix: For the people of Israel and the innocent masses of gentiles around the world to be saved from the hands of terrorists and the world governments who use human beings as weapons of mass destruction, ISRAEL MUST LOOK TO HER G-D FOR SALVATION. All the grass-roots militias in the world won't mean a thing if Israel does not seek salvation from HaShem. As King David, the leader of a rebel militia once wrote, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we praise the name of Adonai Our G-d." (Psalm 20:7)

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Observations from the News

IDF Calls Up Unit for Setting Up Military Government [Israel National News]

The IDF commander did not specifically say that Israel intended to set up a military government in southern Lebanon. “We always need to be prepared for the full length of the operation and the full extend of its objectives,” Adam explained.

This report rings of the same tone used in the "Lebanon did not comply with UN Resolution 1559" that we keep hearing over and over again: Israel is starting to use the classic Arab terrorist tactic of doublespeak to respond to the media. I love it. "No, of course we aren't 'occupying' anything-- we're performing a 'limited incursion' in order to roust out terrorists, duh!" Seriously, how many times have you been to see an Israeli speaker, only to have the speech interrupted by some Arab lunatic (or his whitebread homey) screaming his head off about random UN resolutions that Israel supposedly "violated"? Good, we're finally using their own words against them and making them play the guessing game.

U.N. Observer Hit in Hizbullah-IDF Crossfire [Israel National News]

Okay, seriously, what is this? A tennis match? What the hell are "observers" doing there, anyway, counting who fires what, when? Moron. He/She deserved to be pinged in the head with a volley or two. One less person to help Kofi run his sex slave rings.

Syria Official: ´We Are Ready to Help Solve Crisis´ [Israel National News]

"Syria is ready for dialogue with the United States based on respect and mutual interest."

All this while Debka reports that Syria's calling up her Iranian proxy-army. What was that I just said about Arab doublespeak?

One disturbing trend I'm noticing more and more: negative reports coming out about Israeli odds in battle and morale on the ground, compounded by endless MSM/blogger analysis that remains stuck in the thoughts of men and not of Adonai. I'm not brainless; I know that not every Jew believes in G-d, and even those that do wouldn't know how to pray if they were given a Siddur and told to read pages 4-10. My argument is this: for too long, in fact, for our entire modern history (and the majority of our ancient history in the land as well) we have mired ourselves in the thoughts and wishes of the nations who conspire against us.

Our purpose in life isn't to be like everyone else! Our purpose in life isn't to make everyone else happy! Our purpose in life is to be G-dly and to make Him happy!. Until we realize this and start operating from HaShem's perspective, not a human perspective, we run the risk of losing, compromising, and continuing the chain of suffering and surrender that has led us to the point we're at now.

Stop thinking from a human perspective, Israel! Start thinking from HaShem's perspective! How do you think Dovid haMelek became the great King that he was-- by foregoing HaShem and joining the ranks of the gentiles when he faced guaranteed defeat? NO! By rising above his human perspective and striving to see things through the eyes of His G-d, by being a "man after G-d's own heart"! This is how our greatest king achieved his victory then, and this is how we will achieve our victory today! START THINKING THROUGH G-D'S PERSPECTIVE BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!

Every negative report I read or hear I take as a positive sign that HaShem will save Israel. Why? What is the test of truth? The world will not believe it, the world that has constantly sought our destruction will not believe the truth.

This is the truth: "ADONAI-Tzva'ot says, 'The fast days of the fourth [Tammuz], fifth [Av], seventh and tenth months are to become times of joy, gladness and cheer for the house of Y'hudah. Therefore, love truth and peace.'" - Zechariah 8:19 [emphasis mine]

"As for me, ADONAI, let my prayer to you come at an acceptable time; In your great grace, God, answer me with the truth of your salvation." Psalm 69:13 Baruch haShem, may it be so for all of Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael forever and ever, amein.

Stop thinking from a human perspective, people of Israel, and start thinking along the lines of HaShem!

Israel Jew Judaism war Lebanon

Our Hope & HaShem's Glory

We're in Lebanon. We aren't occupying Lebanon or anything, it's more like we needed a place to party for a few hours, so we busted through Farmer Jones's fence, parked our beat-up Chevy Malibus, hauled out the 'shine and started throwin' the cow patties. Just in case you're still not clear on the subject, WE'RE LEAVING AS SOON AS WE FINISH TIPPING THE COWS, mmmkay?

Seriously, I have never heard more ridiculous news reporting in my life. Only today did one Fox n' Friends host say, "Well, I guess we can finally call this a war now, right?" Where the hell have you been for the past two weeks?

I couldn't blog today. I decided that Shabbos meant resting my eyes, so the computer would have to wait until sundown. My internet provider complied by sending a weak signal. Lying in bed, contemplating having to make yet ANOTHER service call tomorrow morning, I recalled that the last time this happened, a massive thunderstorm reset the modem. So, I decided to take a cue from HaShem and induce my own power failure/restart. It worked. Baruch haShem, may we take all our cues from Him.

As I walked past the fiction section in Barnes & Noble, a two-volume Herman Wouk set caught my eye: The Hope and The Glory. The first is a fictionalized account of Israel from the War of Independence to the Six Day War. The second goes from the Six Day War to the present. I've already dug into the first chapter of The Hope and am taking great joy in the fact that we, a ragtag army of Hebrew-speaking natives, Yiddish-speaking Holocaust survivors, and new and eager Zionists with no military training, slapdash weapons, and rotten communications equipment were able to defeat the combined armies of the British-armed Arab world in 1948-49. If we could do all of that then, how much easier will it be now, with the army HaShem has blessed us with! We must continue to put our trust in Him who gives us our future and hope. HaShem WILL save us.

Friday night I caught a documentary on "The Bible Code II". Having gotten halfway through the book before deciding the author was going off the deep end, I thought I'd check it out to see if I missed anything. I'm a pragmatist when it comes to these things. I believe in the current viability of prophecy-- that HaShem still speaks to us today through the Tanak He wrote thousands of years ago. Could there be a code embedded into the Torah? Sure. Have some of the codes been proven truths before? Yes. But my pragmatism remains for the same reason I'm weary of false prophets; plenty of people can claim to know the truth, but in the end it is HaShem who has the final say.

Nevertheless, one item struck me in particular when I was catching up on the news just now. It was reported in the documentary that one Bible code deciphered indicated that chemical weapons were transported from Iraq, through Syria, into the Bekka Valley in Lebanon in 2003. According to a post on Israpundit, Joseph Farah reports:

The British intelligence service MI6 has established that Hezbollah is poised to launch a new “rain of terror” on Israel with rockets equipped with “dirty bomb” nose cones, reports Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin.

“The nose cones will contain spent nuclear rods from Iran’s nuclear programme. The rods are wrapped with conventional explosives. The dirty bombs are primarily intended to create increased panic across an already nervous population in northern Israel,” claimed a senior intelligence officer in London.

Meantime, Mossad undercover agents are desperately trying to locate where the “dirty bomb” arsenal is located. It is believed to be in the Bekaa Valley.

True or not, the similarities are too close for comfort. Are they operating on Bible Code intelligence here? A former Intelligence Cheif interviewed acknowledged that the Bible Code was one source for information. In any case, the message here is clear: LISTEN TO YOUR TORAH. Only HaShem knows the end from the beginning, but the secrets He has to share are in the book that He gave to US.

We've already got a list of Righteous Gentiles going in the Media War: Jennifer Griffin, Shepard Smith, Mike Tobin, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter. Listen to these reporters and writers who are, respectively, giving Israel a fair shake and coming out in favor of her actions and radically against those of Lebanon, er, Hizbollah.

Iran and Syria are stepping up war preparations as America rushes bombs to the Israeli military. Baruch HaShem. Why? Because the terror needs to end. If that means a full-scale war in the region, then let's do it. We've conquered a multiplicity of Arab forces before-- with Adonai on our side, WE HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR! And this time, we won't give our victory over to the nations; we will give the Glory to HaShem!

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This Says it All...With a Laugh

Via Jacob Shwirtz-The Journal who writes:

Ring Around the Rosy

Haven't played in years but somehow its all part of the Zionist Conspiracy, as brought to us by Harry, Dan and Mike, my fellow Israel-based bloggers. Like I always say, the best comedy in Israel comes from Americans. Enjoy.

Well, you are talking about the Jews with the best comic ancestry-- Jack Benny, George Burns, Mel Brooks (and everyone else who wrote a movie or a TV show in the 20th century). These guys are definitely the cool group. Enjoy.



(If that doesn't work, click here.)

Shabbat Shalom, Yisrael. Maybe that's not the most appropriate greeting at this hour, but the sentiment stands. May HaShem bless our troops with strength, and go out before them, removing our enemies from their sight.

Israel Jew Judaism Zionism Zionist Conspiracy

Scriptural Confirmation-- the Yhoshua Generation

To dive into a little geula talk for a moment, I'd like to comment on popular talk among Modern Orthodox/Biblical Zionist circles regarding the Spies with the bad report.

Of course, we're all familiar with the Torah history of the 12 spies who were sent out by Moshe to reconnoiter the land of Israel. They came back carrying one massive bunch of grapes and bragged about how wonderful the land was before a minyan of them declared in fear that there was no way we, the Israelites, could take on the tribes living in our G-d given territory. Yhoshua and Kalev remained faithful to the vision G-d had given the people of Israel, but the majority prevailed, therefore the two tore their shirts in mourning for Zion. Because of their unfaithfulness, that generation died in the desert. Forty years later, Yhoshua and Kalev, the two faithful to HaShem, led a new generation of Israelites in to conquer the land.

The modern analogy is this: The conquers of 1967 were the spies with the bad report, in that they were able, through the power of HaShem, to gain so much territory and claim victory over a huge collection of Arab forces in a matter of days, only to hand the victory back to their enemies out of fear.

It is almost forty years later and a new generation of Israelis are again facing seemingly insurmountable odds. Will this generation learn from the mistakes of their fathers and face these challenges with full faith in HaShem and trust in the promises of His Word? Baruch haShem, may it be so.

In light of increasing ground battles and landed invasions into Southern Lebanon, these are the verses that echo in my prayers for our Zahal, our people, and our land at this hour. I include them here that they may be a source of strength in our community.

Yhoshua 23:5-10:

ADONAI your God will thrust them out ahead of you and drive them out of your sight, so that you will possess their land, as ADONAI your God told you. "Therefore be very firm about keeping and doing everything written in the book of the Torah of Moshe and not turning aside from it either to the right or to the left. Then you won't become like those nations remaining among you. Don't even mention the name of their gods, let alone have people swear by them, serve them or worship them; but cling to ADONAI your God, as you have done to this day. This is why ADONAI has driven out great, strong nations ahead of you; and it explains why no one has prevailed against you to this day, why one man of you has chased a thousand - it is because ADONAI your God has fought on your behalf, as he said to you.

HaShem, G-d of Avraham, Yitzach, and Yakkov, in Your Infinite Mercy, Your Love for Israel, and for the sake of Your Good Name, send your Heavenly Armies out before your people, to conquer our enemies and drive them out of our sight, that we may give the glory to You for the miracles you have performed in our midst.

UPDATE

Over at This Normal Life, Israeli blogger Brian Blum writes:

Religious pundits have already begun to speak of this being eventually labeled the "War of the Three Weeks." The war in the north opened on the fast of the 17th of Tammuz, the beginning of the three-week period of mourning leading up to Tisha b'Av — the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av. That day has been traditionally one for remembering great destructions in Jewish history — from the first and second temples to the Holocaust — and is commemorated through fasting and prayer.

If this war were to end — successfully — in a matter of weeks, Tisha B'Av could be transformed from a day of sadness to one of jubilation. The converse — another Jewish tragedy to add to an already long list — is unthinkable.

No fear, Israel. Keep looking to HaShem for our salvation!

Israel Lebanon Hezbollah Judaism Jewish

Media & News Links

Technical difficulties have screwed with my ability to do blog-postings for the past 24 hours or so. Please forgive. Suffice to say that I wish I had 23 tons of explosives to drop on this computer right now.

Media:

Rafi G. gives us a Lebanese TV satire of Hizbullah. It's weird. It isn't quite a satire, although imitating a cleric is probably grounds for losing some appendage over there. It's actually a little creepy, but worth the watch.

IsraLuv gives us links to a website with Israeli war pictures from the front.

Jewlicious informs us via Flash that it's not a war until it has a flash game. Have fun dropping pigs on Nasrallah.

News:

Hashmonean is kicking butt with commentary on the political dealings of the day, Hizbollah, and more. For a Quick n' Dirty lesson on the history and politics of the battle, check it out.

Israpundit has a post on the gross atrocities committed in the name of Allah across the border.

More to come as technology permits....

Israel Lebanon

This is an Israeli Artist/They're Running Scared

The Jerusalem Post has an article on Israeli musician David Broza who is busy scheduling his own tour of the North in an attempt to comfort and support the Israeli people who are under constant rocket barrage. Literally, he's calling up places and scheduling unplugged performances in bomb shelters.

David Broza rocks.

Live from an Israeli Bunker blogs:

Information is coming in that Hezbollah is firing on Lebanese citizens who are trying to flee their towns after being warned by the IDF to leave the area. They want to go, and Hezbollah is now literally using them as a human shield. Some of them have actually been calling friends and family here stating this!

Right now our army is fighting on the border-- the rockets aimed at Israel are becoming less and less accurate, and Hizbollah is shooting civilians trying to flee. They're scared. Bad.

Good, they should be.

Live also reports:

As I started writing this post I saw Haifa on TV and a siren in the background while at the same time hearing that some of the trucks providing weapons have managed to slip thru from Syria and are somewhat close to our border.

Israel Lebanon Hezbollah Syria

Call to Prayer & Torah Study

Now this is what I'm talking about:


National Council of Young Israel, Young Israel Council of Rabbis, Orthodox Union and Rabbinical Council of America call for a

Israel Solidarity Night of Prayer and Torah Study

Do your part to help Israel through prayer and learning in your synagogue, raising our voices in unison across North America!

Wednesday, July 19,
9:00 pm E.D.T. (6:00 pm Pacific)

Call your local Orthodox synagogue for details.


And I'd just like to add that you don't have to identify yourself as an Orthodox Jew in order to pray and study Torah for Israel. All you need to do is approach HaShem with an honest and humbled heart, begging for His mercy and reminding Him of His love for us, His people Israel. Now is not the time to let denominational differences hold us back from uniting in support for each other! Now is the time to set aside differences and unite in the name of ISRAEL!

If My people, who are called by My Name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
II Chronicles 7:14

Yarmulke tip: Daled Amos

And, PS, Carl, if you're out there reading this, you just got propz from MARK LEVIN on WABC!!!! Mazel Tov!!!

Israel Judaism Jew Torah Tehillim

Afternoon Links

I learned from one Israeli blog today that the same Hebrew slang for "Great, Awesome," haval al ha'zman is literally translated as, "a waste of time."

For more Hebrew slang, go here.

Over at Step by Step we learn that an army of female suicide bombers marched today in Gaza.

Adloyada gives the most recent and prolific example of foreign media bias occuring in Israel and pressing forth through the wires.

This morning I was watching the news and thinking, "Yeah, yeah, but what does Tzippi Livni think?" Apparently, I'm not the only one who digs the IFM.

The religious community is gearing up for geula.

Interesting American reactions are noted at the the Muqata.

A first for the New York Slimes: They publish an Israeli who is proud of their country's actions.

IMRA has an updated list of Pro Israel Rallies taking place across the United States.

The latest rage that's so hot it's even hit the MSM is the new Live from an Israeli Bunker.

Carl in Jerusalem links to well reasoned Egyptian observations of both sides of the war. He also has a great pic of Israeli Soldiers praying in action.

Israel

American Perspective on Israel

It's a WAR

The American media continues to be insanely biased in its coverage of this current WAR (that's right, WAR, not "escalating MidEast conflict") going on between Israel and Hizbollah.

For instance, they can't even point out that it's a war between Israel and HIZBOLLAH, not the state of Lebanon. Not that Lebanon really exists. In all their little editorial info sheets on "key players and key weapons" they have yet to divulge the fact that Lebanon used to be a great democracy until Syria invaded and took control of their government. (Shhh....we don't want to encourage another "escalation" in this "escalating conflict.")

Sign This Voucher for Proof of Payment

American news can't get over the fact that the American government is trying to get Americans out of Lebanon. They can't. NOT ONE WORD has been mentioned about foreigners leaving Israel at the height of their tourist season. But there's at least five channels worth of news coverage on the 1500/5000/15000/25000 Americans who want to get out of Lebanon. (No, they can't agree on a number, but one newscaster did state that the majority of these "Americans" had dual citizenship and therefore most would elect to stay in the country.)

According to the news, the State Department has asked all Americans in Lebanon to register with them-- ONLINE. Seriously; FOX News interviewed an American Priest who explained that the State Dept. gives you a phone number to call, and when you call it, you get an automated message telling you to register with them online. (Ah, the efficiency of bureaucracy.) You tell me how badly Beirut and the rest of Lebanon has been bombed if the Americans there, some tourists with no real connections or ability to speak the language, can get to a freaking computer to register online with the State Department. You tell me how bad the situation is in Beirut when a bunch of these Americans can get on a phone to a newscaster here in America to say things like, "Yes, the United States is charging me, and I'm sending the bill to Israel," like some incredibly wise and informed smartass whose vacation in terrorland was interrupted by a conflict that is, most likely, going to save her life and the lives of her snotty kids.

What a joke.

The best part is the fact that the United States is making these Americans sign vouchers stating that they'll pay America back for their trip out of the country. Hear that, America? This is your tax dollars at work! ...What was that about the national debt and bankruptcy again?

I got my news from Al

Meanwhile, you're going to hear plenty of "reports" of Lebanese "casualities" as reported by Al-Arabic news sources, but you aren't hearing squat about Israeli casualties and wounded. (Does that indicate that Al-Arabic news sources are, perhaps, BIASED in their coverage?) In fact, you aren't hearing squat about Israel. I suppose that's because each news bureau followed the same hiring criteria as American Intelligence did after 9/11-- only hire people who speak Farsi, and NO JEWS.

The Be-All, End-All that is the UN

News reporters are repeating the Israeli cease-fire demands for Hizbollah to be disarmed over and over again, as if that means anything. "If Hizbollah disarms, this will all be overwith," is the general consensus of the day. They don't bother telling you that for Hizbollah to disarm, the governments of Syria and Iran will have to be destroyed. That language presents far too harsh a reality for public broadcast.

The reality is, that unless Israel destroys Hizbollah in Lebanon, Hamas and the PLO in Gaza and the West Bank, and crushes Damascus and Tehran, this war will never be over. It may slip back into "war of attrition" status, but it won't end until these regimes are wiped off the face of the earth.

There is no such thing as an accurate American perspective

Americans can't for the life of them understand what is really going on in Israel, for a number of reasons:

1. Most of them live with their heads so far up their bums that the only thing they're experts on is what they had for dinner the night before. As vituperative as that comment may be, it is a mere observation of what has been placed before me. Yes, there are Americans out there who make it a point to be informed about a situation before they start rattling off opinions, but the majority, like most human beings the world over, hear one bit of news and feel qualified to give expert commentary on the situation.

2. The fact of the matter is that most Americans do not know anything about Israel past the fact that it was where Jesus lived 2,000 years ago. The reason the MSM keeps referencing Israeli towns by their relationship to Jesus is because the MSM HASN'T done their job when it comes to reporting about Israel. Ever since the expulsion from Gush Katif in 2005, there's been nothing short of a stranglehold on any news about Israel in the American press. When one Fox News host commented in utter confusion, "I can't believe this happened, everything was fine there," she was giving voice to the thought in most American heads-- BECAUSE THE NEWS MEDIA HAS NOT DONE THEIR JOB IN KEEPING AMERICA INFORMED.

3. Most Americans are pro-Israel to begin with. When they hear of the country being attacked, especially by a terrorist entity, they're going to be pro-Israel even moreso. Hence the amazing attendance at the WE STAND WITH ISRAEL rally at the UN yesterday. This doesn't mean they understand what is going on; it means they understand that when a nation is under attack from a terrorist entity, that nation has the right to defend itself. As far as understanding the links in the chain, who the players are, where their power comes from, and why governments think the way they do, Americans are largely in the dark, which leads me to #4...

4. Most Americans really think Bush is pro-Israel. So do many Israelis, who hang their hopes on the sheer thread of American backing they're receiving in this battle. I won't deny that the majority of Congress have given strong pro-Israel statements-- because it is an ELECTION YEAR and they don't want to make all those constituents who fit into #3 angry before they go to the polls. Most Americans don't understand the underpinnings behind Bush, the radical anti-Israel nature of the socialist State Department, and the overwhelming power organizations like the anti-Israel Council on Foreign Relations wield over American foreign policy. Hence, they think that Bush commenting off the record that, "Syria needs to stop this sh*t" is some really strong statement in Israel's favor. As the old saying goes, don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see.

5. I've said this before, but it bears repeating: the majority of American supporters of Israel are Evangelical Christians who read Genesis 12:3, listen to Bush say "Israel has a right to defend herself," send some money to a charity shipping Jews back to Israel, and think that they're doing their part. These are all very nice things, but they simply aren't enough. A large part of my argumentation on this issue is fueled by my beliefs as a Messianic Jew, and therefore, they deserve another place for discussion at a later date. Suffice to say, you can not think that any amount of money you give is going to excuse your ignorance of the realities of what Israel is going through. Moreover, your prayers are lovely and a blessing to HaShem, but how can you pray effectively when you still view Israel as "the land where Jesus walked" instead of a living, breathing reality fighting for life? Americans need to STOP approaching Israel from a third-person perspective, and start approaching Israel from the first-person, best friend and only real ally perspective she has worked hard for and certainly deserves.

6. Most young Americans today (by "young" I mean people under 40) have college educations, which means that most young Americans today have been indoctrinated with the classic hatred of Israel found within the Academy's Ivy covered walls. These people carry an ignorant prejudice against Israel that rests itself on the laurels of the likes of Mearsheimer & Walt and their socialist ilk who have been bent on destroying Israel and the Jewish people from the beginning. Hence the proliferation of leftist organizations of a variety of colors, all sharing the same baseless hatred for Israel. Don't try to talk to your average 20-something about what's going on in Israel right now unless you enjoy listening to the propaganda loop.

7. Americans are given news from an "American" perspective, which means that they are not only grossly uninformed about Israel, they are also only being told how this "effects" Americans. What's the number one effect on Americans? A hike in gas prices. Any time there's a hike in the cost of anything, Americans flip out. Who are they flipping out on? Follow the chain of thought:

Israel starting bombing Lebanon ...afterhezbollahkidnapped2soldiersandkilled8inacross-borderraid, therefore...

25,000 Americans have to evacuate Lebanon because of Israeli bombing, and, by the way...

Gas prices are soaring because of the latest crisis in the Middle East.

Gee, who do you think they're gonna hate, Ama-dinnerjacket in Iran whose playing the ponies with the price of oil in the stock market, or the Israelis trying to save their lives? It's all in perspective, and American news has NONE.

8. Most Americans do not understand that when we, the nation of Israel, pray, HaShem hears our cries and grants us victory for the sake of His good name. This goes hand-in-hand with viewing Israel as "Jesus's land" instead of a viable, living, breathing entity that views the Bible not as fable or legend, but as history and truth. To most Americans, "the Hebrews" are an ancient people depicted in Bible comic strips you get on Sunday morning-- not the ancestors of a living nation. The idea that we pray, recite Tehillim, and do so both as individuals and as a group, is merely "cute" to most Americans who believe in "peace through superior fire power." Granted, Israel has the greatest fighting force in the world, but to Americans, Israel is still too tiny to effectively defend itself against the big guns like Iran. Israel, however, knows better: not only do we have the best military in the world, the only G-d is on our side.

9. Americans will never comprehend why Israel must be so firm in defending herself because Americans do not know what it is to live in a country the size of ONE American state, that is SURROUNDED by LARGE nations bent on her destruction. Americans, with all their land, their oceans, and their peaceful, non-threatening neighbors, will never comprehend what it really means to be within inches of losing your life on a daily basis.

All of this being said, there are plenty of Americans out there who support Israel, many of whom read this blog. Take this report as a critical analysis of what is really going on in America-- and act on it!

For my Israeli readers, I'm not saying this to disappoint you in any way-- I want you to be informed about what's really going on here in America. You've got a lot of support, blind support, but support nonetheless that will, for the most part, remain unwavering. Most of all, I comment on these things here so that, if you are watching American news, you won't get downhearted at the biased reporting-- even though you're probably used to it by now. There are plenty of us who can see the truth past the treif-- and WE STAND WITH YOU!

I am a Zionist Entity Who Supports Israel

Even though I'm not in Israel, I am experiencing a boost in blog traffic due to current events. Of course, a boost in blog traffic means two things: people out there want to be informed from a variety of perspectives (good) and people out there want to propagandize their point of view by leaving as many "anonymous" anti-Israel comments as possible.

And welcome to the reason I monitor comments on this blog.

I think it's awesome that there are so many bloggers who don't monitor comments (I can't think of one Israeli blogger who does-- that's how insanely careful Israeli Jews are about being fair and balanced) and encourage open conversation and dialogue. Why don't I? Because that's not my purpose.

Sure, sometimes I will post a comment referring to me as "The Zionist Entity" or the like, if I feel it's a point worth addressing. However, most of the time, these "anonymous" comments involve pre-scripted propaganda points that "anonymous" has copied off of Kos or some other socialist website (far be it for them to think like individuals-- not only is that a scary thought, it also goes against their political ethos). I do not publish billboard comments. If you want me to publish your billboard comment, you're going to rent space from me like any other advertiser pushing a product. Too bad for you that I've divested from anyone who is anti-Israel.

Publishing anti-Israel commentary contradicts the purpose of this blog. I am here to give unwavering support for Israel, to be that shomer on the wall who will not slumber nor sleep until Jerusalem's righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a burning torch. You can contradict me if you like, but you won't win, not here nor anywhere else, for that matter. If that gets you so angry that you could just bite your pillow, then start your own blog where you can throw your kiniption fits to your heart's content-- I don't waste my time with losers.

Links:

Life of Rubin has a great list of links to his posts giving info on Live TV coverage from Israel online, songs to download, news, and more.

Daled Amos continues to post ways you can help Israel at this hour.

JBlogosphere has a list of links to those LiveBlogging the War

West Bank Mama (who is LiveBlogging) has a link to a map detailing areas of rocket strikes into Israel Take a look and get a grip on what's going on.

Of course, keep checking the links listed in the sidebar, especially the one to ISRAELIS BLOGGING IN ENGLISH! Be informed from a first-person perspective!

Israel Lebanon Hezbollah Bush Middle East