Just a few quick items today:
Additional portions of the clip that we posted yesterday of the children who survived Kibbutz Beeri. If you didn’t see that clip, you might want to give it a watch quick first.
Some shots I took in Givatayim, just outside Tel Aviv yesterday, while walking with our grandson (whose father—our son—is called up), who needs lots of grandparent time. The shots of these store windows give you a sense of the sentiment here.
A very sweet video of what happens with a few trucks of soldiers are brought out of Gaza and back into Israel.
The clips above, additional clips to the longer segment we ran of this interview with the children who survived Be’eri, needs no real introduction. The questions I asked yesterday, directed at myself me and not at anyone else, strike me as no less germane here.
Note that while some want to return to their Kibbutz, others are more afraid. They also have something to say to the Prime Minister.
In fifteen years, this generation of children will be a political force in Israel. How will they see our world?
We took our grandson to buy rain boots yesterday in Givatayim, just outside Tel Aviv, where they live. Looking at windows on the 10 minute walk was fascinating. I took a few quick shots, because they give a sense of the sentiment here.
TOP LEFT: Gush Katif Achshav. Gush Katif was the Hebrew name for the Jewish area of settlement in Gaza before the 2025 Disengagement.
We’ll come back to the issue of Gush Katif next week … because, as it should surprise no one, there are already calls to reestablish what was destroyed in 2005, now that getting of out Gaza back then seems to many to have been a huge mistake.
TOP RIGHT: The white print at the bottom of the window says “30 children are now being help in captivity. Bring them home. Now.” And there are thirty dolls on the little crate, one for each stolen child. Note the black tape that’s been put over the mouth or eyes of each of the dolls.
BOTTOM RIGHT: The store owner, Eyal, put up a sign, taped to the inside. “I’ve been called up to Reserve Duty.” The still be closed for the foreseeable futue, Eyal.”
BOTTON LIFE: People put three pictures of Eyal in his battle yea, plus there are handwritten notes, added to the outside of the windows reading “Be strong! Come home safely” or “Be careful and take care of yourself.” Or “Thank you Eyal, God will watch over you and bring you and everyone else home safely.” To which someone scribbled above that, “Where was God the day of the massacre?”
There’s a conversation Jews have had before.
Now for the next set of photos, below:
TOP LEFT: English sign is obvious. Hebrew under the flag says “United on the Home Front, Victorious on the Battle Front.”
TOP RIGHT: “Bring them home NOW!”
BOTTOM LEFT: The necklace that the salesman at the shoe store was wearing. The “vanquish” T-shirt is obvious. The fake dog tag says, on the top half, אסור לעצור, “We must not stop” [until we destroy Hamas]. This was a secular guy in a town that tends left. And notice how the word אסור assur (“forbidden” or “we must not”) is spelled.
It’s not אסור, but א7.10, using the date of the massacre instead of the Hebrew letters.
BOTTOM RIGHT: A handwritten sign that says “battery transistor radios have arrived.” Why would one want such a thing in 2023? Because if Hezbollah gets into this, with their pinpoint rockets that can accurately hit any spot in Israel, they will likely go for our power plants. The start-up nation is gearing up for no electricity in some places.
We didn’t buy a transistor radio. Many years ago, my dad bought us a windup transistor radio that doesn’t need batteries. All you do is wind it up. We put it in our safe room in the book, but frankly, thought it was ridiculous. We no longer do.
And now, a video of what happens when a group of soldiers gets swapped out of Gaza. What do they do as soon as they get back into Israel? Food and phones.
Why phones?
Because they’re strictly forbidden from taking phones into Gaza (or any other combat area). Phones can be tracked for location. They can be listened to (even if they’re off, believe it or not). They are distracting. So for all the days that they’re in, they’re totally out of touch with everyone.
We have a family member who hasn’t been able to call his wife and kids in weeks, already.
A TRULY WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN THESE TURBULENT TIMES:
As explained above, Shalem College is making use of its financial infrastructure to help the Hamal (which we covered in a previous post) collect funds, and to get 100% of the funds to the Hamal immediately. To support the Hamal, use the link immediately below. There is a place on the web page to note that you want your contribution to be directed to the war effort.
If you’re just joining us, Israel from the Inside typically posts a written column on Mondays and a podcast on Wednesdays. That is obviously irrelevant for the time being.
We’ve delayed all the podcasts that were ready to go, because the people whose stories they tell deserve to tell them when we all have the bandwidth to hear. Hopefully, that will return some day.
In the interim, we’ll post as possible. Here in Israel, there are non-stop funerals to go to, shiva homes to visit, grandchildren to help care for while sons and daughters are in the army, so we’ll see.
Schedules are the least of our worries.
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Our Threads feed is danielgordis. We’ll start to use it more shortly.
"Probably for the rest of my life, I won't sleep alone." More sections of yesterday's interview with the children of Be'eri.