Day 2 - Ashkelon, Kibbutz Erez and Tel Aviv.

 

Today was an early rise at the hotel, with Israeli breakfast... mmmm..... Israeli breakfast.

  

Jerusalem is relatively quiet these days, with no tourists to speak of.  I went out to buy a paper at 6:30 a.m. and the streets were empty - and the paper wasn't out in the stores yet.  Go figure!

After breakfast, we were off to Ashkelon.  

   

Ashkelon is one of the fastest growing cities in Israel.  Once a sleepy beachside town, it is soon to cross the 200,000 residents mark.  

 

 trains and cranes being built everywhere.

This is all the more remarkable, as it is the so very close to Gaza and was the recipient of hundreds of missile warnings a day as Hamas continued to rain terror indiscriminately at the civilian population in the last three weeks.  There is no military base or airfield in or near Ashkelon: just Israelis living in their homes ever since the 1949 armistice lines.  

We visited with Duvid, a pioneer settler of Jewish Ashkelon and a veteran of 5 wars.   He was born in 1936 in Tel Aviv, and moved to Ashkelon as bus driver after the war for independence in 1949.  His 80 year old neighbor's home across the street, and 4 other homes in his neighborhood, were all directly hit by Hamas missiles in the recent fighting.

  

   

His life was saved only because he had built in his home a "safe room" or bomb shelter to hide in when they heard the air-raid warning sirens.  He had 30 seconds to get to the room.  Imagine if you had children, or elderly or bed-ridden family.  What choice would you have to make in those 30 seconds?  The whole neighborhood was in the crosshairs of people with missile launchers as the homes played a deadly game of Russian roulette.

Down the street we met with a woman whose home took a direct hit with her son in it.  Shocked and with ear damage from the concussion, he miraculously survived.  Imagine running to your front door and trying to open it, only to have it blocked by debris and rubble of what used to be everything you owned.

 

Removing the rubble of her home.

I recognize and empathize with the people of Gaza who suffered from Israel's retaliations and strikes against Hamas' ability to make war.  War is terrible and civilian lives lost are terrible.  But it all started when Hamas launched rockets, and it all ended when Hamas stopped firing rockets.

So how do Israelis live, so near the border with Gaza?  The truth is, they bond resiliently. And they are cared for and supported by all of us.  

There is of course also the Iron Dome.

Scattered about, these anti-missile missiles proved to be 90% effective in stopping the over 4000 missiles shot by Hamas at Israeli towns during the past 3 weeks.  Sadly that means 400+ missiles could not be stopped.  Imagine Toronto doing that to Buffalo, or Tijuana doing that to San Diego.  This is no different.

But the second secret lies not only in Ashkelon, but even closer to Gaza in a Kibbutz called Erez, and many others like it.  

    

The top of the picture in the distance is Gaza.  The trees and homes on the bottom are in the Kibbutz.  Here they have just 8 seconds' warning to get to a bomb shelter.  What would you do with your kids in 8 seconds?

Yet dozens of new families have signed up to live here, in what is a truly close and idyllic setting.  They have agriculture, gardens, schools and nature all around them.  And if there isn't a war, it is a paradise.  Why do you live here, I asked one mom.  She answered, "to show them that we can live here peacefully."

And of course, their hospitality was delicious.

Kibbutz Erez, Ashkelon, Tel Aviv.  

These are not places that are in dispute, unless you think that the entire State of Israel should not exist. 

 When Hamas grabbed the Sheikh Jarah and Temple Mount conflicts out of the hands of the East Jerusalem protesters by shooting missiles, they moved from "protesting occupation and annexation" to "military attacks on all of Israel."  

Every voice for Palestinian independence and social justice in their name must make a choice:  Are you seeking to destroy Israel, or are you seeking a peaceful Palestinian state next to Israel?  You really do have to understand that difference, or you understand nothing of the conflict, its potential solution, and the concept of human rights in the region. Hamas is not your brother/sister in your pursuit of justice.

  Gaza, right behind me.

So let's be clear, as we continue to identify the four very different Palestinian groups in and around Israel:

1. There are many Israeli Arab Palestinians living within the pre-1967 borders of Israel.  They are full citizens, equal to any Jewish citizen.  Ashkelon is in this category.  Anyone who has a problem with Ashkelon being a part of Israel is simply historically wrong as a point of justice.  They support the violent and murderous attacks against the 8 million Israelis - both Arab and Jewish - who live peaceful daily lives in the State of Israel.  
2. There are many Arab Palestinians living in "East Jerusalem" or "Greater Jerusalem."  Israel has formally annexed those areas, and most Palestinians refute the legality of that action.  While the vast majority of Israelis disagree, that is a legitimate political dispute, and must be accounted for in any final peace agreement.  But with annexation Israel has offered, and most Palestinians have refused Israeli citizenship. Most chose "permanent resident status" instead, which allows them all rights and services of the government, except the right to vote in Israel's elections.  As a result, they live without equal rights.  The "Sheikh Jarah" neighborhood falls into this category.  This is a primary point of conflict, which has continued to mystify would-be peacemakers for decades.  But there are no barriers or roadblocks in East Jerusalem.  Residents move freely in and out of the rest of Israel and can pursue a living openly.  
3. Most Palestinians live in the West Bank - the land administered by Jordan from 1948 to 1967, meant to be turned over to the Palestinian Authority as areas "A, B, or C" in the Oslo accords by Israel.  There they have self-autonomy for internal governance, but limits on travel, building, or military development. Israel has not annexed this area, but has significant towns and cities (like Ma'alei Adumim and Gush Etzion) developed around much of the West Bank, separate from and generally not interacting with the Palestinian towns, villages and cities such Ramallah, Nablus, Jericho and Hebron).  The Palestinian Authority rules these areas without elections.  Peace offers for "land swaps" often try to add up the land in these settlements, and add that much land back to the proposed Palestinian state to avoid "population transfers" like what happened in Pakistan/India and elsewhere.  These offers have been historically supported by the US and rejected by the Palestinians.  "Settlements" are in this area, not "Israel proper."
4. Then there are the Palestinians in Gaza.  This population has increased 5x+ since 1949, and the territory does not support the population of almost 2,000,000 people economically.  The majority of this population are descendants of Palestinian refugees from 1949.  Due to security concerns, Israel and Egypt keep the border crossing closed except for humanitarian needs.  Hamas rules this area without elections.

.... Once we finished at Kibbutz Erez, it was back to Tel Aviv.  Our meeting with a Kenesset member was cancelled because of a crisis (when isn't there a crisis here?), so we took a tour of the completely re-done Museum "Anu" - formerly known as Beit HaTefutzot, or "The Diaspora Museum."  This museum, very tech savy and interactive, tells the story of Jewish history outside the Land of Israel.  Since that is several thousand years, it is understandably shallow, but generally well-done.  Highly recommended.

And finally... back to Jerusalem after a late dinner (sorry, no pictures) and off to bed.  Why or why didn't I bring my swimsuit this time?

Emergency Israel Mission Day 1, June 7, 2021

 What a journey home to Israel after 4 long years.  Israel has knocked down COVID and has only about 200 cases in the entire country.  They are open everywhere, kids are in school, and the mask mandate is almost gone!  Here's what we needed to do:

1) Get permission to enter Israel - fill out a form

2) Get Permission to enter quarantine in Israel - fill out a form

3)  Be fully vaccinated - upload your proof, sign a form online

4) Get a PCR test within 72 hours of getting on the plane.  Bring the test result.

5) Make an appointment for a PCR  test at Ben Gurion, and pay $25 after filling out the form.

6) Bring copies of all forms, COVID card, tests, passport and proof of where you will stay during quarantine (not allowed out of your room there).

7) Land in Israel. Take a PCR test.  Take a serology blood draw.

8) Wait in quarantine until receiving a negative PCR result and a positive serology result.

That's it.  Then you are in!  Whew!  The good news is that I now know that I am vaccinated, not covid positive, and have the antibodies.  Anything to keep Israel safe!

Now on to the itinerary!

We landed at 9:35 p.m., and for once I was able to sleep on the plane!  Our first stop was Ben Gurion airport, where we had to pass customs control and take a very thorough PCR test (both cheeks, both nostrils!).

 

Have you ever seen the entry hall so empty?? Average Israeli's were gawking at us as we made our way out of the airport and onto our tourbus.... as if to say, "look!  the tourists are back!  the tourists are back!"  Well, it is a working trip, but they aren't wrong.  Ironically a young Haredi couple stopped and took our picture.  

Next stop, Serology Testing.

So, if you know Israel it is based on family systems.  People know eachother, or know someone who knows you, and so on.  Through a federation connection to the husband of a person, we wound up welcomed at a private home turned into flebotomy clinique!  25 blood draws later, our specimins were being scootered directly to the hospital lab and processed while we headed to the "quarantine" in a private dining room!  Again, Israel every step was thrilled to see us and also had no other travellers to dote over.  It was a nice combination.

Is this your last experience of a blood draw at Quest Diagnostics??

Welcome to Mevasseret Tzion, a beautiful little town just outside of Jersualem.

      

Thankfully, all 25 travelers passed the antibodies test, and we were released from quarantine officially.  Next stop, a meeting with Kenesset Member (Likkud) Avi Ditrich.

  

This was a tough one for me, as MK Ditrich is an old school Likkudnik to be sure.  He is a former everything and anything in the Israeli security system, from Gaza to the Shin Beit.  He has 50 years service to the country, and has no hint of illusions or hope for anything but the security that Israel can achieve on its own by force of will and talent.  That is to say, there was nothing in the presentation except a completely accurate description of what happened in the past month, and - regarding Hamas - the past 30 years.  I am still a 2 state solution person, as are a majority of Israelis - but the question remains who will represent Israel and the Palestinians in that process.  The status quo is powerful, and serves the needs of Hamas, the PA and the outgoing Israeli government.  That is why it is entrenched.  

What will the new government bring?  Probably nothing big.  Peace process people know that Bennet will not give land for peace.  Settlers on the right know that Lapid and the others on the left will not allow further annexation or building.  Raam, the Arab party in the government, will focus on Arab citizens of Israel - after all, why should they suffer just because the PA and Hamas continue to perpetuate the system?

We heard a very credible, very knowledgeable person today - with whom I have little or nothing in common.  But that's what Israel and democracy are - people who share a love of the same land, and disagree about how to best guarantee its future.

So, on the way out, I took another picture:

Classic.

Next Stop:  The national police training academy in Beit Shemesh, to been with the #2 police officer of the country and to learn about the history of policing in Israel.  

  

20% of Israel is Arab, and 6% of the Israeli police force is Arab.  The recent war resulted in unheard of civil-conflict in the streets of mixed cities.  Attempted lynchings, shootings, arson, destruction, violence, between Arab and Jewish citizens.  This was a game changer, with people on both sides being arrested and pursued by the police to restore order.  We will be in the mixed towns of Lod and Abu Gosh on Wednesday, and I need to hear from the people who live there.  How can we, within Israel, pursue a mixed society.

1. This is what so many in America today do not understand.  There are 4 separate theaters to this current situation, and they are very different.
2. There is the "Palestinian Conflict" with its elements of "occupation" in the West Bank.  Their government is the Palestinian Authority.  They are not citizens of Israel.  They are controlled externally by the Israeli military.
3. There is East Jerusalem, which is a series of neighborhoods that are a part Israel, since being annexed by the government of Israel many years ago.  There, Palestinians have the right to accept Israeli citizenship, or just legal residency if they wish.  They have no travel restrictions, work restrictions, etc.  Israel is open to them.  Sheikh Jarah, for example, is one of those neighborhoods.  Here is a map from the British in 1947, showing Sheikh Jarah neighborhood, with police patrol lines showing how Jewish and Arab homes lived side-by-side.  After 1948, the Jordanians made it an Arab only neighborhood.    There are Israeli Arabs, mostly moslem, who live elsewhere within the State of Israel proper.  They are full citizens etc., who live without restrictions.  However, never having been a part of a coalition government before, they were often left underfunded or to themselves for political and economic control or investment.  Now that Raam has joined the government, a first, there is a $16 billion allocation to Arab Israeli towns, infrastructure, schools and more.  This is the face of peace - until the violence last month.  Can Raam bring Arab Israelis into full equality?  I believe the answer is yes, and I believe we must welcome this.  Peace must be rewarded.
4. Finally, there is Gaza.  Israel has nothing to do with Gaza, except that Israel controls the border into Israel.  Egypt doesn't want Gaza and the Palestinian Authority doesn't want Hamas - who rules in Gaza.  Personally I would declare Gaza a micro-state and free it from everyone, opening up international investment.  But that's just me.  As long as Hamas  wants to use Gaza as a launching pad for attacks on Israeli civilians, it will remain a terrible human disaster.  Note:  the week before Hamas launched rockets, there were no Palestinian deaths by Israel in Gaza.  The same is true the week after they stopped.  Be honest - really.  And in the Palestinian Authority during that time?  In the West Bank? Nothing but quiet.  Israel is NOT set out to bomb and kill Palestinians.  If there is no war, perhaps peace can find a way.

Leaving Beit Shemesh, we returned to Jerusalem, passing along the Sheikh Jarah and other East Jerusalem neighborhoods on the way to dinner and the western wall.

  

Dinner included a briefing from Gil Hoffman - check out my RabbiRobert Tobin Facebook page for a picture and reflections and a LIVE recording I made at the western wall.

Dinner at Touro:

  

Leaving the restaurant:

And of course, we finished at the Western Wall, were prayer are heard most clearly.

Tomorrow:  Ashkelon, Sederot, and more.