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report by ilana wilensik, executive director, philadelphia chapter, ajc

report by ilana wilensik, executive director, philadelphia chapter, ajc

Tuesday 18 July 06

I am in Israel for the first time. Yesterday when I arrived after an all-night flight, I was too exhausted to let it sink in. This morning when I walked to the hotel restaurant and saw the city of Jerusalem, the many men with black hats and long beards, and the sound of Hebrew being spoken, I understood where I was. I am in Israel. And it feels so good.

After what I was told was a “real Israeli breakfast,” a buffet piled high with cereals, eggs, pastries, salads, fish, halvah, breads, muffins, muesli, porridge, and too many things to mention, our first session began. 35 people are here from around the US, Poland, and Greece. I feel such pride being a part of this delegation. We are called the undaunted. Others, including some Israelis, according to those who are here, call us crazy for coming at this time. But being here, I understand the need, and more important, the desire to be here at this time.

Our first presenter was Eran Lerman, the director of AJC’s Jerusalem office. As with all of the speakers, the subject was what is happening in Lebanon and at the border. In a nutshell, Eran said:

  • The real strategic surprise is that the internal Israeli dynamic was misread by Hezbollah. The thought was that Israel was a weak society, since “Jews want to live and we love death, “according to Hamas. However, “democratic societies have one big commonality: we are eggs. We look soft and runny until we’re boiled, and Israel is boiling.”
  • Israel’s sovereignty was challenged.
  • Regarding the thought that there is a disproportionate use of force: that idea belongs in a “non-war” situation, and this is a war, even if it is not the formal definition of what is happening.
  • Hezbollah underestimated the will of the Israeli society and commitment of Israeli leadership.
  • When Israel and Jews are united, the message is heard - the G8 message is clear and supportive.
  • Israel is willing to go forward to a two-state solution and willing to draw lines - but if violated, Israel is willing to fight it out. To do that, we need what is happening in the North, and “it can’t happen with a pillowfight.”
  • For six years, Israel has allowed Hezbollah to grow to the point to which they became a brazen threat, putting the entire Northern Israel under that threat. But “a threat realized is easier than one hanging over our heads.”

Following Eran was General (retired) Yaacov Amidror:

  • What is happening now is one of the most important events of the last ten years and is an indication of the momentum of worldwide radical Islam. This is the bigger picture. “If Israel succeeds in stopping this momentum, it will affect the relationship between the Western system and radical Islam. It is now or never, the last chance for democracy to stop this wave. If it is not stopped in Lebanon, it will never be stopped.”
  • Israel cannot be prisoners of this threat. For 6 years, there have been minor problems. Now, it’s easy to explain this war - this is the last chance to stop radical Islam.
  • Hezbollah is an extension of Iran, who has provided money, training, 80 - 90% of weapons; 10% from Syria, given as a gift to Hezbollah.
  • If the war isn’t stopped now, it is the beginning of the end of moderate middle east regimes.
  • If the US does not succeed in Iraq, the Lebanese will immediately be in Iraq.
  • For Syria, Hezbollah is the last stronghold they have in Lebanon.
  • Lebanon has a fragile democracy right now. If the US interest is to have a democratic system, Hezbollah must be dismantled now.
  • Hezbollah is a “state within the state of Lebanon.” The citizens of Lebanon must decide who to support.
  • What can we as Americans do? We need to convince the international community to convince Lebanon that they have much to lose by helping Hezbollah and much to gain by dismantling them. The Lebanese need the international community.
  • If Hezbollah is dismantled:
    • Israel become secure in the north and there will be no more rockets hitting targets in Lebanon
    • The Lebanese will have a better economy and democracy.
    • The international community will be in a better position to deal with the nuclear threat of Iran.
  • We need to give Israel time to accomplish their mission, and help the Lebanese dismantle Hezbollah.
  • Israel needs political and moral hope.
  • The military situation is a race between Hezbollah launches and the Israeli air force and special forces. The main efforts of the air force are to reduce Hezbollah’s capability of launching rockets, and to hit Hezbollah targets. The rocket launches need to be taken out.
  • It is the wish of the Israeli army to reduce the capability of Hezbollah without destroying Lebanon; the way to do that is to bomb road and bridges that erve as a way for Syria to bring in new weapons systems to Lebanon.
  • There will be no cease fire until at least:
    • The captured soldiers are released.
    • The Lebanon army can be used as a buffer in Southern Lebanon.
    • Hezbollah is dismantled on the ground.
  • Hezbollah has a strong core of fulltime fighters - 2000 to 3000 people.

from Benny Dagan, Minister Counselor for Middle Eastern Affairs at the Embassy of Israel in Washington D.C.:

  • On the ground, Hezbollah and Nasrallah are still strong militarily and still determined.
  • Most of the arsenal has not been affected, and rocket launching will continue.
  • More than 10,000 rockets were acquired, supported by Iran and Syria, and they will continue to send more equipment.
  • International mandates and a stronger presence are needed.
  • The understanding in Europe is that this war is bigger than Hezbollah and Israel. Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia are talking publicly against Hezbollah.
  • Weakening Hezbollah will weaken Iran.
  • Hezbollah will not disappear altogether, but if there is constant pressure on them and their influence is limited, they will be marginalized.
  • How does the US presence in Iraq influence Iran?
    • Our situation in Iran is seen as a weakness, and it emboldens Iran in terms of aspirations.
    • Iran doesn’t feel real pressure regarding their nuclear program, andbelieves there will not be enough pressure, so they are playing their cards freely. “This is an opportunity for Iran to enhance their position.”

Following the morning session, we boarded a bus heading to Sderot, a town damaged by Qassam rockets as recently as last weekend. En route, we stopped at a summer camp in Nitzarim, which boasts the best beach in Israel. The camp was set up in less than 36 hours, and is taking in free of charge any family from the North who wants to come. The camp provides food, entertainment, and housing. Some of the pictures attached are of that camp, teeming with children and adults who came to escape the tensions of their daily lives. Everywhere we went, people asked us why we were there, and thanked us when we told them we were there to show our support for them.
They were truly affected by our being there.

Although there is much more to tell, it is now nearly 1 AM and tomorrow comes early here with a full day ahead. I will finish today’s story and include more pictures tomorrow evening. In the morning, I am visiting the Western Wall - obviously for the first time. Since our schedule is packed from morning til night, I won’t have any opportunity to see the sights of Jerusalem; however, I cannot miss seeing the Western Wall. If you would like me to say a prayer at the wall for you or place your prayer in the wall, please let me know. I will check my email in the morning and will write down your requests.

Until tomorrow, laila tov.

Ilana
Wednesday 19 July 2006

If yesterday was a day of facts that fed our minds, today was the day that truly touched our hearts.

For me, the day started at the Western Wall, where, rest assured, I said prayers for all of you who sent me requests, and I “fed” the wall with prayers of my own. What an amazing experience. At 7:30 in the morning, the area was teeming with people, families, children.men on one side of the wall, and women on the other. On “my” side, women stood by the wall weeping, banging their head against the wall, whispering softly, swaying as they “davened” on this hallowed ground. As I’ve said so many times since arriving, I could have stayed all day. Driving through the old city of Jerusalem, I could almost see a time when there were no such things as cell phones, personal computers, electric cash registers, and grocery stores. Was it an easier time? I don’t know. But it certainly felt more peaceful to me. It was rather strange, though, to be at the wall in my American clothes, clearly from a foreign place, surrounded by “traditional” Jewish women wearing the clothes of the wife of an orthodox man. It was the first time that I wondered if I was Jewish enough to be there, if you can understand, NOT weeping or swaying or pounding the wall. It felt like I walked into another century, and it was quite surreal. And moving. And amazing.

We then began our journey North to Haifa.and I do not use the word “journey” lightly. We traveled route 6, the only toll road in Israel, apparently controversial in its construction. You will see a photograph of fake sheep - an effort to calm the criticism of the road by making it more “artistic” and beautiful.

As we near the end of Route 6, so to be crossing a road that comes from Jenin, we were stopped by a line of cars and trucks stopped by a police checkpoint. Although we didn’t know it then, nor for the hour plus that we spent wandering the street with others who were stopped, apparently there was a specific alert of a suicide bomber en route to Haifa from Jenin, and the road was closed as he was eventually caught. Jenin is approximately 15 kilometers from where we were stopped.

Although we were stopped for more than a hour, I was struck by the calm of the people obviously detained and late for their destinations. There was no beeping, cursing, yelling.we were all just there sharing a moment of an Israel reality. Nobody was scared, including me.

Eran Lerman shared the fact that “we are entering the battle zone,” and told us what to do in case of the siren alerting us to an incoming rocket sounded. There had already been one rocket that had hit an abandoned home in Haifa, but it had been quiet since. (It was then around noon). He pointed out, too, the improvised landing strip to our left, built so that “planes can refuel prior to returning to Lebanon without having to go far.”

It was a harsh reality next to the beautiful Mediterranean and the empty beaches and palm trees along the otherwise brown terrain by the road.

When we were finally allowed to pass, we rode by Maxine’s Restaurant, the chosen site of a female suicide bomber from Jenin, killing 21 workers, 5 members of the owner’s family, and 16 diners. Within two weeks, the restaurant was back up and running.

Our first stop in Haifa was the Rambam Health Care Campus, where we were met by the director of Social Services. Besides telling us, in her wonderful broken English that we were “mostly” welcome (instead of “most” welcome, which is clearly what she meant), she said to us “We need your heart, you brave people. I want to hug all of you.” US brave people? I wanted to tell her that using the word “brave” for us was so undeserved. I was surrounded by bravery - the people who live and work there everyday of their lives, and not those of us with a return flight to our relatively safe neighborhoods.

Rambam Health Care Campus is the only major hospital for the 2 million people of the north. As the chief of surgery told us, “We are at war at home. We are the backbone of this community. They rely on us. We have treated 60 patient, victims of rocket attacks so far, and more casualties just landed minutes ago.” He told us, as so many others had before, that “your presence here is extremely important. Please know that you are in a safe place - the middle of this hospital and low to the ground.” We were then shown some slides, one of which is attached. It is a picture of one of the soldiers in the two hummers that were attacked by Hezbollah during which 3 soldiers died, 2 were abducted, 3 were treated and released from the hospital, and 2, the “boy” pictured one of them, were severely hurt. We later went to his room where his father, in tears, his mother, obviously hurting, and his girlfriend were standing by his bed as he struggled to share with us his story. He is going to be fine - physically, at least. But it was the reality of what we had been only hearing about while home, and it was a sobering picture.

A group of us also visited three victims of a rocket strike of a home not far from the hospital. One of the victims’ sisters hugged me and kept saying “thank you, thank you for being here.” If she had her way, I believe that she would still be hugging me and saying thank you.

I was moved by them all, but most by a 90 year old man who, with tears in his eyes, told me that his children are in Canada. When I took his hand, he started to cry. I didn’t want to leave. He was so sad and so alone, and I just wanted to tell him that everything would be alright. But it never will be for him. Although I was told by the nurse that when he is released that the hospital would make sure that he had somewhere to go where he would not be alone, I couldn’t help but be haunted all day - and still now - by his tear-filled eyes. The two of us holding hands and crying must have been a sight, but for me, he was the only one in the room.

His name is Klemper Moshie, and he is in room 10 at the Rambam Health Care Campus, 8 Ha’Aliyah Street, Haifa 35254, Israel. If you are so moved, would you email Dr. Beyar at r_beyar@rambam.health.gov.il, tell him that you heard from somebody who was on the AJC mission to whom he spoke today. Remind Dr. Beyar that we visited Mr. Moshie’s room and ask him to convey to Mr. Moshie that he is in your prayers? It will only take a moment, but it might give this sad man some hope that he is not a forgotten victim in this terrible but necessary war.

Following our visits, we were supposed to travel further north to meet with families of fallen soldiers, and the parents of Gilad Shalit, the first abducted soldier. But the war had other plans for us, and with the news of heavy fighting near where we would be going, we could not. And the war came even closer to us while in the hospital when we heard the sound of sirens signaling incoming rockets. Crowds of people came in from outside and stood around in the food court of the hospital, eating, waiting, and watching wide-screen tv footage of the latest news. Everybody seemed calm, including those of us in our delegation. When the sirens ceased, people started moving toward the door, and life outside the hospital resumed.

I have much more to write about today, but I am once again too exhausted at this late hour (2 AM here in Israel) to continue. Unfortunately, I am flying home tomorrow night around midnight, and may not be able to finish my journal to you until I return. But I assure you I will finish the story…

As you may or may not know, AJC has started an Israel Emergency Fund, with the funds collected going to help rebuild some of the areas that we have visited here. I am asking that you donate what you can to help the people that we have met. It is a way that you can make a critical difference in a country resolved to do it on its own.

Until the next time…laila tov.

Ilana

Wednesday 19 July 2006
Haifa/Following our visit to Rambam Health Care Campus

After the sirens signaling incoming rockets ceased, people who entered the hospital to seek shelter returned to their lives while our group gathered to re-evaluate our schedule for the day. The plans to visit Gilad Shalit’s parents were scrapped, but we were still scheduled to meet with the Mayor of Haifa later in the afternoon. It is a helpless feeling to see so much going on around us while we are paralyzed by life circumstances. So some of us donated blood at a makeshift sight that is available for people to give as they wish, while others of us visited more victims of the rocket attacks.

Our next stop was a briefing by the Mayor of Haifa, Yona Yahav. As the bus traveled through deserted streets, Eran Lerman said, “Proud Haifa. It is difficult for me to accept. This is not the Haifa I know.” His sadness was palpable.

Once in with the mayor, we were told what to do if sirens sound - “go to the corridor leading to my office and don’t panic.” Further, we were told that if the rockets are coming to stand behind walls, since rockets can penetrate doors, windows and shutters, but not walls.

Again, I was struck by how calm and even funny the mayor was at a time when his city was virtually under siege. But then I understood the need for this leader to portray that to the residents who looked to him to lead.

His briefing included the following:

  • There is a total backing of Prime Minister Olmert and the “smashing down of the infrastructure of Lebanon.” Primer Minister Olmert, to whom the Mayor introduced his future wife, is “very stubborn and tough. Nobody should question him.”
  • This is the 8th day of rockets hitting Haifa. 35 rockets, 8 dead, 20 wounded.
  • The missiles are originated from Syria and contain 1000s of small bullets that disperse when the rocket explodes. If a person is standing in the vicinity of the rocket, there is no chance for survival. The 8 people killed were mutilated so badly by the rockets that they could not be identified for more than 3 days.
  • Economy has stopped in this “active city.”
  • Illustrating his humor, the mayor said, “Jews are always moaning that nothing is good enough. But we would not have achieved what we have if we didn’t have ‘Jewish Mothers.’
  • Israel is the home of Jews from 104 countries speaking 78 languages.

Following the Mayor, we heard from Haifa’s Chief of Police:

  • “Our duty is to first get to the site of the rockets and give the fastest service to other people involved.” The chief handles all of the activities in the area, including all emergency services, ambulances, and any army involvement.
  • There is a four-pronged response to a rocket attack:
    • Save lives
    • Coordinate activities
    • Prevent more activity or injuries
    • Bring life back to normal as soon as is possible.

We are “very experienced with this.”

  • When a house was hit in the city, within 5 hours the streets wereclean and life around the house was back to “normal.”

At this very second, the “incoming rockets” siren went off, and we were ushered into the hallway near the Mayor’s office, 35 of us, the Mayor, the Chief of Police, and security guards. Once again, the Mayor showed his calm in times of stress when he said, “if anyone stays here for more than a half hour, you’re paying taxes.” We all laughed, and were calm. I kept expecting to hear the sound of an explosion, but luckily, we did not. After about 15 minutes, we were again seated listening to the police chief.Haifa, we were told, is 10% Arabs, the 2nd biggest concentration in Israel. There is a good and peaceful relationship between Jews and Arabs, and has been for the last 100 years. There is no tension, no demonstrations. However, Haifa’s neighbors do not have that kind of relationship with their Jewish/Arab populations. When asked why, the mayor said, “We are lucky. We have no holy places and have had no biblical visitors, so there’s nothing to
fight over.”

The question was asked of the Police Chief how terrorists are caught so quickly. He told us that intelligence and information is shared very quickly among organizations and operations are coordinated to allow quick capture.

After meeting with the Mayor and Police Chief, it was time to go to dinner at a local hotel. Just as we were sitting down to dinner, our third siren of the day went off, followed shortly afterward by the sound of an explosion. We were led to a bomb shelter in the sub-basement of the hotel where once again I was struck by the calm of all who gathered there. Later we found out that there were no casualties and that the rocket had struck a field, burning the vegetation there.

The ride home on the bus was very quiet, with most people asleep after a stressful, eventful, amazing day. I felt such peace being in Israel at this time, even though there was chaos all around us. It’s hard to believe that Israel was fighting a war. Little did I know that it would get even worse, as I sit on my couch watching the escalation in the beautiful city in which I had spent this day.

Thursday 20 July 2006
This day ends with my boarding a plane for home. But there was much to learn between now and then.

Our first meeting was with the Deputy Director General for Public Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Gideon Meir, who talked about the importance of public diplomacy, a term to replace the former Hasbarah.

  • Public diplomacy is a matter of national security - that’s how important it is.
  • Yet here is only $8.5 million budgeted for Public Relations.
  • We need to convince fellow Jews and Israelis that the foreign ministry is “not doing such a bad job.”
  • What is our goal? It is to “take government policy, wrap it and send it out to the world.”
  • This involves crafting messages differently depending on the country and culture to which it is going.
  • It is very important that all of the official spokespeople for Israel are fluent in English.
  • Modern public relations is picture-driven, NOT argument-driven

When asked what we can do, we were told, “bring opinion-makers, not necessarily Jewish, to Israel.”

Next on the agenda was Isaac Herzog, Minister of Tourism. It was ironic and meaningful to me and others that he was speaking about the situation of war in Israel while families seen just outside the window of the room in which we were sitting were obviously enjoying their vacations, sunbathing and splashing in the hotel’s swimming pool.

Mr. Herzog said the following:

  • People need to see that the economy and services are being sustained, even after 1900 bombs, missiles, and shells falling on Israel over the last few days.
  • More than a million people are living in bomb shelters.
  • This has been a record year in tourism - 2.5 million tourists in Israel this year. Pre-conflict there was 100% occupancy in accommodations. There are some cancellations now, but not many.
  • Except for the north, things are very stable; some are changing where they’re going in Israel, but they are still going here in Israel.
  • The north is facing major pressure - the hotels are empty, shops are closed down, and people are being laid off.
  • The travel warning is only limited to the Galilee, Haifa, and Tiberius areas only. He fought to NOT have a travel warning for all of Israel.
  • We are the first solidarity mission to Israel! Once again, we were told, “the fact that you are here gives us a lot of support.”

Uri Labrani, “troubleshooter” for Israel in many places, including Iran, Lebanon, and Ethiopia, followed Mr. Herzog with this to say:

  • “I want to persuade you that what is happening is part of a much larger conflict in which US is the main issue.”
  • “Today is a practical example of what’s at stake - what is happening here is being orchestrated in Tehran. We have to be cognizant that what is happening will affect the future of the Middle East with US as the main player.”
  • “We have to look at Syria and Tehran, not just Lebanon.
  • “Many believe that Ahmadinejad is a clown, but we must take him seriously, and what he says he believes comes straight from Allah whispering in his ear. According to Ahmadinejad, ‘I felt a halo around my head, and the man whispering in my ear what to say and how to say it.’” Ahmadinejad believes he represent Islam.
  • Where does this hate come from? It is being taught in the schools. American is the incarnation of evil. Jihad and martyrdom should be practiced in present times.
  • This is more than military. This is a global challenge.
  • We need to know that this battle is OUR battle.
  • The moral support we are getting now is great, but it will peter out with the pictures of destruction of Lebanon, creating a new trend in public opinion.
  • Nasrallah wants to capture the minds and loyalty of the Palestinians.
  • The issue is not whether Iran will get nuclear weapons - the issue is whose hand is on the button.
  • America needs to develop a cohesive, solid policy on Iran.
  • If there is no regime change in Iran, then the US is doomed to failure in Iraq. Iran is in Iraq, and will take over when they want to.

Our next stop was the office of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, where, surrounded by television cameras and reporters, we heard her say the following:

  • There is no conflict between Israel and Lebanon. The conflict is between Israel and Hezbollah.
  • Israel and the international community share the same goals and same understanding of what must be done.
  • Our threat is also by Nasrallah, who is in an extreme position to prevent Israel and moderates to achieve peace.
  • The measures being taken are an answer to a threat, and NOT an answer to a single incident.
  • Three goals:
    • Take Hezbollah out of the southern part of Lebanon and force the Lebanese government to follow the UN resolution 5059.
    • Dismantle Hezbollah as a militia.
    • Prevent reemergence of Hezbollah in the future.
  • Strengthen Lebanese army with international forces? It’s tempting, but past experience shows that it doesn’t work.
  • It’s too early to say what Israel’s policy is going to be “the day after.”
  • “One thing should be made clear: It is tempting for the international community to call for a cease fire. We cannot afford that right now. It would be a Hezbollah victory. The next day they will get weapons and support from Syria and Iran. Israel needs time to complete our mission.”
  • Hezbollah is using the people who believe in them. Weapons being hidden in apartments, which gives Israel only one choice. But communities are warned on TV, radio, and with fliers to leave the area.
  • She is working with foreign ministers from other countries to help their citizens out of Lebanon. This day, citizens from Canada, Australia, Finland, France and the US are leaving.
  • Blaming Israel is a “Pavlonian response.”
  • “We must take into account the opinion of international leaders and public opinion.”
  • The situation in the south with Hamas is more complicated than in the north. The goals are not clear. Where we do not have a conflict with the Lebanese, we do have a conflict with the Palestinians. There is no easy answer, but we must continue to delegitimize the Hamas government.
  • A two-state solution is still important to Israel, but disengagement can continue only if Israel remains secure.

From Amira Dotan, a Knesset member who held the highest rank possible for a woman in the IDF, now head of the Foreign Defense committee.

  • “We are the good guys,” she said.
  • The terror within Israel continues.
  • We are at the junction of a change, not only in Israel, but at something that will be a part of being Jews worldwide.
  • She is proud to see how strong the Israel population is.
  • The strength of the armed forces is very good but limited. They need to find a way to deal with the next catastrophe that is here (Iran nuclear threat).
  • What now? “You are part of the answer. Your brain is a Jewish brain. Your heart is a Jewish heart.”
  • The IDF continues to be a very moral defense force - value of life is very high.
  • How much can we fight? Israel is trying to flourish. “After 58 years, we’re tired.”
  • We prepare for bad things, but we don’t know what awful things can happen.
  • We need innovative thinking, and we need to put our limited budget where that thinking is.
  • The message is clear: after an unprovoked attack from Hezbollah in the now-unoccupied country of Lebanon, we are doing all we can to minimize damage. Israel is fighting for all of us.

Our last speaker was Uzi Arad, Founding Head of the Institute for Policy and Strategy at the Lauder School of Government and an advisor to the Foreign Relations Committee. He is also the sponsor of the Herzliyah conference on Israel’s strength and security. He showed a different perspective on the conflict.

He spoke about a correlation between a means and an end. We must have the wisdom to know what not to do. “Good managers know to do first things first and second things not at all.”

Other points:

  • Israel was thrust into a war psychologically unprepared. Within hours, the air force responded in full force.
  • The strategic objective is to bring such force to bear that the
  • Lebanese would implement its sovereign authority to limit Hezbollah’s power and disarm them. It is a tall order for the Lebanese.
  • What is plan “B?” There is none. There is no political process planned to finish was cannot be done militarily. The military should work in synch with the political process. Things could have been done better on the political side. Policy is lagging behind.
  • We must have an interest in a cease fire due to diminishing returns and more losses each day.
  • We need an international process at which we are only assisting that would get us closer to our goals: Hezbollah ceasing to be a terror force, further from the Lebanon/Israel border, with their weapons destroyed.
  • Condaleezza Rice should be prepared to talk policy.
  • Israel’s mistake was creating an artificial emergency - withdrawing from Gaza.

Our mission ended with David Harris noting two things that struck him this past week. I believe they were shared by all of us:

  • The tenacity of the citizens of Israel with war thrust upon them - the “simple courage” of those who choose to live here
  • The appreciated role of US as Israel’s most loyal friend - something that results from our roles in American life.

I am now home, and have thought about very little except for my trip this past week. I’m also a bit melancholy - due in no small part to my being simply exhausted. But everything I’m doing now, from mundane chores like doing laundry to meeting friends at a concert on the night I arrived from Israel, I can’t help but see the faces of those who are holding on day to day hoping that a rocket, launched in their general direction but with no selected target, won’t find them. I still feel the hugs of those so grateful that we were there, and Klemper’s hand in mine at Rambam Hospital recuperating from a rocket attack and so lonely for his children 1000s of miles away.

If I had to summarize my trip, I would do so with the following points:

  • Israelis are a strong people, closely united toward the goal of lasting peace.
  • Israel is out to de-fang Hezbollah while doing the least damage possible to Lebanon.
  • It’s now or never to stop the threat of radical Islamists. This war is not Israel’s alone. It is a war for the very survival of our western way of life.

Another solidarity mission is being planned for later in the summer. I hope to be fortunate enough to travel again to Israel. I hope you, too, will strongly consider this life-changing journey.

I look forward to seeing you at the Israel Solidarity rally tomorrow (Monday) at noon at Love Park in Philly.

Until then,

Ilana