26/11/2023
26th November, 2023
Another week has gone by. It is hard to believe that it is almost 50 days since that dark Saturday in October. We have settled into a “war routine” and I would like to bring you up to date and possibly share several insights from my end.
Today marks the third day of the 4-day truce deal. So far Hamas has released 26 Israeli citizens including children, women and the elderly. The release of the hostages has not gone without incident and on day 2 Hamas made the release some 7 hours after the agreed time. Only after the intervention of Egypt and Qatar did the release take place.
As of this moment we are a couple of hours away from the start of today’s release but there are already signs that Hamas will be using their delay tactics once again.
On a personal note, I live some 60 km (37 miles) from Gaza. We frequently hear the sounds of aircraft overhead. Where I live we have not had many sirens, but when we do we have 90 seconds to reach a shelter or a safe room. Several minutes later life goes on and we fall back into the war routine.
Israel is a small country both in size and population. As time goes on, we learn the stories of people all around us, affected by the events. A young woman, a close friend of my daughter, was at the peace party and was rescued by her boyfriend who courageously fought many terrorists. He was eventually murdered.
A soldier from an elite unity in the army who played tennis for 4 years with my son was killed.
I have many friends and family whose children are soldiers or in the reserves and are now fighting in Gaza. It all feels close and we have all been impacted, It is not theoretical, it is personal.
Like so many on the home front, and currently not working I have continued to volunteer. Driving around the country to help deliver parcels or people. Working in agriculture. Of all the volunteering, there is something therapeutic about working in agriculture. Being outdoors, working physically, touching the ground. A feeling of being rooted. Many farmers have lost all their workers (foreign workers returned home, Westbank Arabs are currently mostly not entering Israel, Jewish workers are called up), as a result volunteers are doing the work.
I volunteer once a week in the Gaza envelope. This week I harvested cherry tomatoes and last week I harvested egg plant. It is this surreal surrounding some 5 km or 3 miles from Gaza, knowingly being so close but also knowing that the crops have to be harvested. While harvesting the cherry tomatoes, I also chatted with some of the other volunteers. A couple of students from Beer Sheva, a 78 year old couple from the center of the country and workers from a hi-tec company from the north.
The farmers are grateful for our work and our contributions are not insignificant, but being unfamiliar with the work, our efficiency could certainly be improved upon.
Last Saturday I joined an 8 mile march from the outskirts of Jerusalem to the office of the prime minister. This march was in support of the all the families whose loved ones are being held hostage in Gaza, there were some 25000 participants. The energy and the emotion was strong and the least that I could do to support the families.
Hopefully by the time of my next post there will be many more Israeli hostages freed.
I have started to do zoom sessions. Talking about what is going on in Israel right now and teaching some of the history.
If you are interested, please contact me at [email protected] or PM me.
