Kassams in the Negev—again: Looks like Iran is starting its “Hey! Look at that guy!” strategy to help its client, Syria, survive. Hamas is firing rockets and mortars again, after a month and a half of peace. Gee. Whatever could be the reason?
Yep, Iran and Hezbullah are shooting Syrian civilians: More and more stories like this are coming out. Suddenly, in an army that bans beards, bearded soldiers are firing on civilians. Also speaking bad Arabic and good Farsi. Gee. Whoever could that be? And oh yeah—they were the ones behind the border incursions into Israel. Color me shocked, shocked to hear that those demonstrations weren’t spontaneous.
And the Hamas-Fatah split grows wider: Hamas says Fatah can’t name the prime minister. Awesome! Actually, it’s just revealing the terrorists behind the curtain. Good, good, and good. In the book, the Wizard was a bad man (not a mischievous one as seen in the movie), who made a deal with a witch to steal the throne of Oz by kidnapping and hiding the royal heir. So kind of Hamas to reveal the Palestinians’ machinations before September. Maybe that’s why Abbas is suddenly saying he might sit down and talk with the Israelis instead of calling for a state.
The flotilla will be televised: Major media reporters are going to be on the boats. I sure hope the IDF is working hard to find ways to stop the flotilla without having to use force, because the media is going to slam Israel no matter what. Please don’t give them film to show over and over again on the 24 hour news channels!
Thought I’d add this here. I don’t know if you’ll see it Meryl but I figured it’s better then nothing. This is from me, and NOT a repost from another person. I’m not good at this, but I’ll write what I’ve felt for the last several hours. Sorry:
I met a person today that I NEVER thought I’d meet in person. I met him on June 22, 2011 at exactly 4:04pm eastern. I work in a gun store in MI and as I walked towards our wall of holsters I met him and asked if he needed help.
He was buying a holster for his gun and I tried to find something for him. His eyes were red, and his skin was mottled and aged. He spoke with a lite german accent and seemed the kindest person I’ve ever seen.
I met a man today… that did something no man should ever have to do. He watched his sisters die. He watched as 9 members of his family were led away to be killed. He watched thousands die. He watched en entire generation perish and can still SMILE.
I saw it on his left arm. A bold large series of numbers, with what looked like an upside down stretched triangle under it.
Immediately I touched it, I stopped thinking of personal space or being polite, I touched it. Then immediately apologized. He didn’t mind, even started to smile.
“No. I’m sorry that the world let that happen.” Then I looked at his face, I had tears in my eyes, honestly I have them now. “I’m sorry that the world is bent on letting it happen again. I’m sorry.” There was nothing else I could say. Then something you taught me came to mind. “Am Yisrael Chai”. He stopped a a few seconds and then asked me if I was Jewish and I told him no which seemed to catch him off guard a bit.
I met a man today that watched his world collapse in Auschwitz, then found redemption in General George Patten at another camp when he was liberated. Delirious with typhoid he was brought back from the brink.
And he can SMILE. I thought of my whining, and complaining. About how I wasn’t getting the pay I want. Or that I lost my house and have to live with family. I met a man that lost EVERYTHING. And he can still smile.
“I can’t forget it. I can’t ever forgive it. But I have to live my life.”…
66 years he told me. It’s been 66 years. I guessed when asked, that he was 84, he told me he was 82. I’ve met WWI vets, WWII vets, Vietnam vets. And two men whom earned the Congressional Metal of Honor. I’m felt awe, fear, shock, respect and sense of meeting someone that stood as something I could NEVER be.
I’ve never felt it all at once.
I met a man today that put my life in proper context. I met a man today that I feel I owe more then to my own family.
I’m not a Jew. But NEVER again. I told him that as we parted.
And I mean it. I’ve always meant it. But now… It’s something else something deeper.
I met a man today, and I’ll never forget him. I never asked his name. But I’ll never forget those numbers.
Deny the Holocaust in front of me, and it’ll be the last time you lie around your teeth.
Meryl I’m sorry. I know the world is coming full circle, and hating Jews is becoming the norm again. But I won’t let it happen here. I can’t afford to fly to Israel to protect it. But I’ll die before I allow it to spread here.
I may not be much. But I will not sit by as people are rounded up and branded. I’m sorry. As much a a member of humanity can be. Meryl. I might not be able to stop it.
But I’ll put up a hell of a fight. Not for me. For the man that was unarmed and watched as his family was murdered in front of him, and even now arms himself at 82 to make sure he doesn’t have to watch again.
Am Yisrael Chai.
Thank you, long_rifle. That was beautiful… actually made me cry.
My kids are probably the last generation to see people with numbers on their arms. They’ve seen a few at our synagogue, including a woman who was only 17 when her family was taken to Auschwitz from Salonika, Greece. Her whole family – parents, 8 brothers and sisters – were killed immediately, but she was put to work. She had been sterilized and couldn’t have any children of her own, but she adopted everyone she met.
Thank you again for understanding, and taking a stand.
–Laura