Once again Israel is under attack on many fronts as hundreds of missiles are launched each day at Israeli cities and towns by terrorists from Gaza (and today from Lebanon and Syria too), while internally, intense riots, destruction and assaults and lynches have taken place. To top it all off, so many in the media either misunderstand the situation or deliberately adjust the facts and reality and come down hard and negatively on Israel.
I have been in touch with many relatives and friends in Israel this week and have had;
- A first cousin who is a medic who was attacked with boulders and rocks while driving a Magen David Adom ambulance in the Israeli city of Lod near Ben Gurion airport.
- Cousins who had to temporarily move out of their neighborhood in Jerusalem due to intense rioting and attacks.
- Cousins who have had to run to stairwells and bomb shelters with toddlers in the middle of the night in the Tel Aviv area.
- Cousins in Beer Sheva who have turned their Bomb Shelter Safe room into a bedroom, family room and kitchen for them and their four little children due to the frequency of the rocket attacks.
- An uncle who is in a wheelchair and over eighty years old who has had to rush to the Bomb Shelter multiple times this week in the middle of the night.
Watching people who are so close to us and millions of our brethren hunkering down every day, along with the casualties of the daily attacks in Israel has been extremely disconcerting and upsetting.
I turned on a media outlet when I was driving one day and couldn’t believe what I was hearing as they reported from what seemed like an alternative reality of facts and incidents, and I quickly shut it off as it was too upsetting to hear such stuff.
No one wants to see any innocent person get hurt or killed whether they are a Jew or Arab and we hope and pray that this violence will come to an end very soon.
The Realities
It is important to remember that there is not a country in the world that has to deal with such a complex challenges and yet deals with it in such a humane and caring way to prevent loss of innocent lives. (See what British General Richard Kemp, the former NATO commander in Afghanistan has to say about this).
Israel has restraint that no one else would have or would be expected to have when faced with this level of violence.
Israel bowed to world pressure and gave away land to bring peace but instead has only received war after war as a result, and has only gotten beaten up even further in the court of world opinion and media.
So what can we do about this?
Well there are both physical and spiritual things that we can do to show support and help make a difference.
- In the Jewish tradition, prayer is a cornerstone of our faith and especially important in a time of crisis. Take a moment to say a Psalm, light Shabbat Candles or put on Tefillin and pray for peace and an end to the violence.
- Add in good deeds & Mitzvahs. Although it may seem to have no direct physical connection, it is an important Jewish belief and approach that we respond to negativity and evil, with increasing acts of goodness, kindness and charity, and thus do our part to make the world better and brighter wherever we are and yes, it will help bring blessings of peace to our brethren in the Holy Land.
- Reach out to friends and family members who may be dealing with this hardship and terror and let them know that you are thinking of them.
- Talk to your children who are hearing about this in school and college and help them understand the realities.
- Do what you can to educate yourself with the facts from reputable Israeli sources and when possible help educate and explain to others, Israel’s moral high ground.
- Reach out to your legislators and encourage them to continue to support Israel’s right to self-defense.
Yesterday, I went to a big store in the Boston area and I saw one of the people who works there who I say hello to and pass pleasantries with each time I go shopping there. Being that I knew he is from Egypt, I went over to him and said that I am praying for peace in the Middle East and in Israel and that together we can make a better world. He responded in appreciation and started telling me how bad he feels for what is going on in Israel and for what the Jewish people are going through.
It was a small moment of truth and connection and a taste of the reality of hope, connection, peace and unity that can connect us all together and enable us to focus on a higher ideal and goal
May we merit to experience the day when violence and hatred will wind down and cease to exist and instead we will see the fulfillment of the verses of the prophets that state and envision a world when “the swords will be made into plowshares” and “nation shall not lift up a sword against another nation” “and all nations of the world will serve G-d together”.
In the meantime, let us stand by our brothers and sisters and do our part to help them through this ordeal, while we pray and hope for a better and more peaceful world.
Wishing everyone a peaceful and good Shabbos & Shabbat Shalom
Yisroel