Tag: Hostages

#BringThemHomeNow

 

 

 

Bring Them Home Now

We are anxiously hoping the current negotiations for the return of some kidnapped hostages will bring our people home soon.

It is a deal with the devil, but you do what you must do.

However, the devil is in the details, and the details are troubling.

We have been unable to get “proof of life” for all held captive. Why is this the case?  Is Hamas not in control of all the hostages? If true, it does not bode well for those remaining in captivity.

Why has the Red Cross been unable to check on the welfare of the hostages?  This, too, is an ominous sign that Hamas may not be in control and our people are not being treated humanely.

Why are the negotiations 3 to 1?  For every Israeli returned, three people are returned to Hamas.  This seems an admission, particularly by Hamas, that both sides value Israeli human life more than Palestinians’.

These issues are distressing, But the answers to these questions offer insights into how things will progress after this deal is concluded.

Let us bring home those we can and work to bring the rest back as quickly as possible.

 

Bring them Home

Every day the hostages remain captive is another day of anguish.

BRING THEM HOME NOW!

The families of the hostages have created the

Hostages and Missing Families Forum

They are selling pendants on chains.  The proceeds go to support the families.

 

 

These pictures are linked to the site.  Support them and display your allegiance.

Bring them Home Now!

#BringThemHome

 

 

 

Leaving Israel

On our last night in Tel Aviv, we had a wonderful dinner and began reflecting on what we saw and what it meant. As we stepped toward our bus, the sirens went off. And we swiftly moved to the shelters.

Israelis now measure distance in the time it takes a rocket from Gaza to reach a destination. On this trip, our distance was between 20 and 90 seconds. Tel Aviv is 90 seconds away.    But as I looked southward, I saw the flash of the Iron Dome taking out a rocket. I didn’t wait to see a second one. We were fine. But to say the least, it is an odd experience. I guess this is something that Israelis never get fully used to but learn to live with.

We entered Ben Gurion airport and were escorted to a particular security check-in. This esteemed bunch of American Rabbis were to be treated as VIPS. And the sirens went off. And swiftly, we went into the shelters, just like everyone else. The moment passed, and we all emerged, but Ben Gurion didn’t return to normal. Security and travelers engaged in the typical dance that is done at departure. But this time, it seemed different.   I felt discomfort. The airport routine wasn’t quite the same. The dance was off by a beat. The process seemed longer, as though the thorough checking still needed double-checking. The ramp leading to the departure area was lined with pictures of hostages, just like the ramp on the arrival side. The message was to remember the hostages from the first moment you entered Israel and as the last thing as you left.

The airport was empty; El Al and Emirates were flying. One or two other airlines were on the board, but the major carriers were not listed, and half of the departure floor was empty.

We left a different place than the one I remembered from previous travels, and yet the emotional and spiritual connection remain strong, perhaps stronger.