Who are the Israelis?

[Hollie]

Attacking soldiers then whining after suffering the repercussions: It’s the Palestinian way

Israel stealing more land.

Israel recovering land from illegal Arab settlers.

 

[rylah]

Parent's reaction when Jewish and Arab children meet

That's a misleading headline.

However despite the agenda of the movie to demonize Jews,
it actually proves the simple truth and wisdom of the Jewish grandmother - it was 'a sting'.

Because instead of showing kids from regular Arab and Jewish families, they mainly focus on this one traumatized Jewish family, and one that neither represents a typical Arab one. While entirely omitting the normal shared daily life of Arab and Jewish kids, hanging around when they study for a degree or work together as employees or business partners.

Of course, the most apparent questions left unaddressed:

• Despite everything, what Samir's Jewish mother knows, that prevents her from moving with her Arab father for all these years? What is usually the fate of those Jewish women who do?

• And mainly, why hide the normal Arab reaction?

 

[rylah]

Mirit Greenberg, former miss Israel, just recently battled cancer.

Yesterday she received a surprise from her husband - a canopy and a vow renewal ceremony, in the Judean desert, that made everyone shed a tear.

NEWSRAEL

 

[rylah]

 

[rylah]

 

[rylah]

Narkis - Im Nin’alu

Narkis Reuven-Nagar, born August 8, 1981, better known by the stage name "Narkis",
is an Israeli singer and songwriter.

Narkis grew up in a home she defines as a "traditional religious" in Netzer Hazani in Gush Katif, until the disengagement in the summer of 2005. She attended Givat Washington High School and later served in the IDF as a combat supporter in a communications corps company in the Givati Brigade.

After the disengagement of Gush Katif, Narkis moved to Tel Aviv, studied acting at SLA - the theater arts studio founded by Yoram Levinstein and led a secular lifestyle. During this time she worked on an album in English. In 2008 she recorded the album, but eventually decided to shelve it.

After making trips to Brazil and India, she abandoned her secular lifestyle, did Teshuvah and moved to Sefad. For a time she stopped playing and did not listen to music at all. According to her, following her Teshuvah, she asked for and received the blessing of her Rabbi,
Rabbi in one of the closed Hasidic courts in Sefad to perform.

 

[rylah]

"You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (Psalm 16:11)

Photo by Eyal Asaf, Makhtesh Ramon, Road 40.

NEWSRAEL

 

[rylah]

Thousands at Western Wall for traditional Passover priestly blessing ceremony

In stark contrast to last year, when only a symbolic 10 people were permitted to participate, rolled back virus restrictions allow masses to reach Old City site

www.timesofisrael.com

 

[rylah]

MK Betzalel Smotrich: "Israel will return to Gaza.
It's not a question of if, but when"

סמוטריץ' "ישראל תחזור לעזה. זו לא שאלה של אם, אלא מתי"

רגע לפני הבחירות, ראש מפלגת הציונות הדתית, בצלאל סמוטריץ', מסביר את הפרידה מבנט וסוגר איתו חשבון, יוצא נגד תגובות הימין לאיחוד עם בן גביר, ומסמן יעדים לממשלה הבאה

www.maariv.co.il

 

[rylah]

Yesterday (Tuesday), 'Im Tirtzu' activists took advantage of the Election Day and helped restore the portion of the ancient 3,200-year-old Biblical site of Joshua's alter in Samaria, that was destroyed by the Palestinian government last month.

IM TIRTZU

 

[rylah]

10,000 Jews came today to Joshua's ancient altar

Children and adults visited Mount Ebal in Samaria today (Monday), and also visited the altar of Joshua Ben-Nun, which was vandalized last month by the Palestinian Authority.

As reminder, a Palestinian contractor smashed the stones of the place and the documentation of the incident caused a stir in Israel and around the world. The Samaria Regional Council promoted the restoration of the place and today for the first time held a huge event at the place in the presence of thousands of people.

"We invite the general public to come and enjoy the national parks, heritage sites, wineries and nature sites, enjoy a breathtaking view, Samaria is open to everyone 25 minutes drive from Tel Aviv," says Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council.

Referring to the thousands who came to the first festival on Mount Ebal and the altar of Joshua, Dagan said: "They are destroying and we are building, they are trying to erase history and we are restoring and preserving the world history and historical sites of the Jewish people, the thousands who come today prove He will have a glorious future for all his land. "

Tonight and tomorrow, the festivals and celebrations at nature and heritage sites throughout Samaria are expected to continue. Among other things, free abseiling over Har Bracha, star gazing and an overnight parking lot in Elon Moreh, spring celebrations in northern Samaria and the Samaria track competition will be held this Friday in memory of Esther Horgan.

https://www.inn.co.il/news/472303

 

[rylah]

Shim'on Sibony sings from the Hagadah...

"In haste we went out of Egypt..."

 

[rylah]

A Jew from Judea meets a Samaritan from Samaria

(Comment)

Very interesting to see how Samaritans manage their publicity as a community,
I think one has to 'read between the lines' to understand the current trend.

Are the likes of Sulha and The Home just the first signs
of a growing alternative grassroots movement in Judea Samaria?

 

[rylah]

Second intermediate day of Passover at the Temple Mount:
overall of 574 Jews ascended the mountain today

Students For The Temple Mount

 

[rylah]

For the first time in years, official Minhah prayer was held at the Temple Mount

Today we were privileged to offer a Minhah prayer in Minyan together on the Temple Mount. A full prayer in the Minyan with a public messenger returning to the Shatz. Prayer according all its details and grammar, including for the first time in our lives we answered to the public messenger "Blessed be the glory of His majesty from the world to the world" for all the blessings of the 'Amidah, exciting.

In all the decades I have ascended the Temple Mount, I didn't merit to pray Minyan openly. The policemen looked at us and knowingly allowed full prayer. Including those who blessed the sick.

All the state's arguments in the 54 years of the appeals to the High Court against formalizing prayer at the Temple Mount for Jews , were rolled to the winds, in the face of a quorum of Jews praying openly and peacefully, including the special blessings that can only be said on the Temple Mount.

This is the most significant advance in the rights of the Jews at the Temple Mount since the destruction of the Second Temple. It is not possible to withdraw from this. The Temple Mount is in our hands!

All respect to the joint Temple Mount headquarters and the police who enable the upheaval of Jewish prayer in Minyan and proudly in the open at Temple Mount. You have bypassed the State Attorney's Office and the High Court in a big way.

Att. Avi'ad Visuli

 

[rylah]

Keren Peles with 'Eden Darsu, Doron Talmon, Nasrin Bracha Kadri and Neta Barzilai

"... Nothing happened I just woke up late
A twisted world, the heart straight up raised its hands
Even when I dreamed of flying and climbed the mountain
Every time someone closed the skies

Between the big waves and the tornado that is now
The silence already hurt my lips

Fears this is not the way to live
If there is no smoke
Only time burns..."

 

[rylah]

Thousands visit the Cave of the Patriarchs

Hall of Isaac and Rebecca opens to Jews in honor of the Passover holiday. 'There's room for everyone at the Cave of the Patriarchs,' Kiryat Arba-Hebron leader says.

www.israelnationalnews.com

New hiking trail to be dedicated in the Binyamin Region

Trail to be dedicated in memory of family killed in tragic car crash en route to family outing.

www.israelnationalnews.com

Heavy traffic jams have been reported across Israel today,... | NEWSRAEL

Heavy traffic jams have been reported across Israel today, due to the Holiday of Passover. ״This amount of traffic has yet to be seen here״, said...

www.newsrael.com

 

[Mindful]

 

[rylah]

15 Ways In Which Today's Miracles Are Greater Than The Exodus
Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu |Tchelet Girls School | Nissan 5771

There's an obligation to tell every Seder night, not only the miracles done to our forefathers, but also to us. The we say "Blessed are You HaShem that redeemed us and redeemed our ancestors". Meaning what we went out of Egypt, each in his exile. We say 'Who did to us and our acestors", so I've gathered a list of 15 things in which is the redemption in our days, meaning all that happels the gathering of the exiles in our days, building of the land and more, is more than what was in the exodus from Egypt. That's what the verse says: "and it shall no longer be said, "As the Lord lives, Who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt; But, "As the Lord lives, Who brought up the children of Israel from the northland and from all the lands where He had driven them," and I will restore them to their land that I gave to their forefathers." (Yirmiyah 16:14-15). The Gemara says it's not that the exodus will be forgotten, it's that it secondary to what's happening in our days. So how is that secondary, meaning it has to be more. People say 'but we don't see miracles here!'. So that You can see the miracles with Your own eyes we'll talk about that.

It's important to remember to talk about these 15 things, that are more a miracle than in getting out of Egypt. And then if anyone writes of it a song, of course we'll 'make a new song of it', please remember we're only applying what's written in the Gemara, that enslavement of empires will be the main, and the exodus secondary. Meaning that what we have today, that we freed from the rule of empires, that's the main, and what was during exodus is less than what's happening in our days.

1. Ya'avetz writes in introduction to the prayer book 'Beit Ya'akov' some 300 years ago: "Who as a blind that doesn't see, there's no nation persecuted as ours, and all the ancient nations lost their memory, and us holding to G-d all of us live. A hand of circumstance did that? Live my soul, for through looking in these wonders, exalted for me more than any miracles and wonders that HaShem did to our ancestors in Egypt". Translation: Except for Haman and Hitler, in every generation there stood to annihilate us. Right? Every generation, blood libels, pogroms, looting, expulsion what wasn't there? Meaning a Holocaust. We have to understand, we should have assimilated among nations, the fact of our existence itself, as in the times of Assyria. There's no Assyria, the world power where is Assyria, anyone heard? Phoenicians, Sparta? 'Am Israel lives. Every generation they tried, Stalin died on that exact day he tried, on the day of Purim that year. So is Ahmadinejad, or when I was a boy Nasser used to declare proudly 'we'll throw the Jews into the sea', or during war of Independence, the head of the Arab league declared annihilation. That's a miracle, we don't notice this 'cause we got used, but it's a wonder, much greater than getting out of Egypt, when You look at the moment You don't see, but when You look from distance You see it.

2. Aside from attempting to destroy us, tried to convert us, since Antiochus, not to keep Shabat, against circumcision, right? And whoever disobeys murdered. People are supposed to fear, so with Romans, Christians, crusades, inquisition, how many families burnt alive? The nation could've been broken from that. In Europe and Russia You couldn't get a job without converting, and many unfortunately did, but the nation remained, even though they'd throw people to labor in Siberia for performing circumcision, they tried everything to erase our Jewish identity for 1900 years, but actually not a single letter was erased from Torah and the words of our sages, it's amazing, more than splitting the sea.

3. Ibn 'Ezra - why didn't Israel fight the Egyptians, they were 600,000 men and Egyptians were 600 chariots. And the answers he says :"the Egyptians were masters of Israel, and that generation learned from childhood to suffer the burden of Egypt and its spirit is low. How could they fight their masters, and Israel were inconfident and not learned in war". Meaning a low spirit, and that's clear, 210 years of slavery, only after 40 years do they manage overcome their low spirit and enter the land of Israel, fight and conquer it, before that feared the giants. And really after 1900 years of exile we should've been much lower, and indeed that's what happened in Holocaust, and we shouldn't blame ourselves but its what happened. And despite that, just in 2 years we turned around to be as lions. This turn, in the exodus it took 40 years, here it took 2 years. Just 2 years from Holocaust to raise and fight Arabs in Sefad, in Jerusalem with almost nothing but courage. How did we turn from the most low spirited nation into lions?

4. During Yehoshua's wars we conquered with 600,000 warriors, all above 20. In 1948 how many were we? In all the country, men, women and children. we were 650,000. How many among them warriors? Nothing, and against us, even beside the local residents who alone were more than 600,000, against us stood millions. How did we win 1 against 100, 5 against 10,000? During the Yehoshu'a conquest we weren't few against many, but in our conquest of '48 we were few against many.

5. It's written that Israel went out armed out of Egypt, they took weapons. When we fought in 48 we stood unarmed. The elders of Sefad tell me about this, they fought without guns, at best pistols per a station and counting each bullet. We had no armed vehicles like Arabs, and the ammunition against them as Arabs did. We didn't have a single plane like Egyptians were bombing us, only in the middle of the war we managed to get several used ones to build something from parts.

6. During exodus Israel went out with great riches, and it's written that the loot from the sea was greater than that of Egypt. We went out in great money and gold. It gives You confidence, it allows You acquire what's needed to fight, it's a weapon in itself. When we came in 48, we have to understand, anyone who had money abroad came poor. I can tell You a whole hour. but in short, when Jews left Iraq, it was known, smart people, owners of shops and houses, people with everything they've got, any Jew who boarded a plane to Israel, was checked, had he a ring it was taken, money in the pocket taken, nothing. Boarded the plane with nothing, left all the property. If a person sold a house and had money it was taken. Nothing, all Jews of Iraq left without a penny, including the wealthy people. Same in Egypt, Tunis, Morocco, not to mention Europe. And despite that, the Israeli Shekel is considered one of the most stable currencies in the world, more than the Rubel, more than the Dollar, Yen or Euro, it's a strong currency. The Israeli economy considered one of strongest, even now during corona, the entire world went down 6%, Israel went up 2%, that's it.

7. During exodus Israel went out against their will, and Israel complained about that to Mosheh all the time, even before the sea split, immediately after the 10 plaques. They used to complain to Mosheh how they preferred slavery and the vegetables of Egypt over dying in the desert. On the other hand, every one who came to Israel now, came according to will, no one was forced. Every Jew in the land of Israel immigrated out of will. Fact, what can You do. And this what's greater today than exodus, it's a turnaround. Because it turns to be a thing already carved in us, not external to us. Giving of Torah was external to us, forced as a mountain above our heads, exodus was external to us, in the spirit we really wanted to stay in Egypt. Entering the land half forced half willingly, Mosheh Rabbenu constantly facing the nation, not a simple process at all, eventually it happened. But all the process of immigrating to Israel and building it, simply came willingly. To explain how willingly? Those who immigrated, part of them were secular, not even because it's a commandment, because they wanted. Just that Torah turned to be so integral to us, written in us, part of our being. It motivates us, and it's much wondrous than what was in Egypt.

8. During exodus, only a fifth of Israel went out. Only one in five went out, 80% stayed there, 20% went out. And of course those who stayed assimilated. What's the percentage of Bnei Israel that went out of exile today? The demographic data says that 47% are here, in a moment passing 50%, and 53% are still in exile, while each year they join more and more. Meaning then just 20% went out, today we double them and more, isn't that more of a miracle? Not at first sight.

9. A leader - during exodus we had a leader, Mosheh is a leader with power. He grew in pharaoh's house, not in vain. So was Esther. for 5 years she learned how to be a leader in Xerox's house, the manners, politics, how to be a queen. He learned in pharaoh's house how to be a leader. And during the exodus we had an ultimate leader for 40 years leading in all situations. Standing against the pharaoh and winning him, he's a leader, no more a leader than him. Also a leader with very high spiritual abilities. What leader did we have now? Khm khm...correct khm khm...Herzel who was a leader for 4 years? Weizman? Ben Gurion who correct, was a leader, for a short period, but we're in a process that already lasts 140 years, from the first Aliyah till today, we didn't have no leader, who is that one leader to say ' this is a leader behind this process of Israel returning to its land'? Someone to point to and say he lead the process? The process started long before Herzel, and on the opposite when there was a great leader like the Vilna Gaon, Ba'al Shem Tov,Or HaHayyim,Rabbi Nahman, it didn't succeed. It all came without leadership, the ingathering of exiles came without a leadership. Be it the Aliyah of Vilna Gaon students, it's the students, be it the 1st, 2nd or 3rd Aliyah, there was no one like Mosheh leading everyone. It's something coming literally from our dna. Isn't that miraculous to pay attention to this?

10. When we went out of Egypt there were 7 nations to fight in the land, today there were maybe 600-700,000 Arabs overall, why? Because for 1900 years the land was abandoned, exactly how Ramban describes in his commentary on Torah. When Ramban reaches the land of Israel 800 years ago, he sees an abandoned country, everything empty. And it's wondrous, it's not that it wasn't attempted to be settled, they tried to settle it but didn't succeed, who didn't try, Mamluks, Crusaders, Brits nothing. Not only that, it was all swamps and malaria, exactly as the verse says, specifically not to let anyone settle the land, so that it's ready for You. Which is exactly what You see in the UN partition plan, all the malaria ridden areas given to Jews, there the Jews settled specifically there. And slowly they based themselves and in 48 got rid of the Arabs. But to base themselves in position of power they needed partners, who were the partners? The mosquito, exactly as Torah says

11. During the Yehoshu'a Bin Nun conquests only one nation ran away, the Girgashi, the rest of the 7 nations stayed and fought us. And it wasn't an easy war. In our days, most of the Arabs just escaped. How did they run away, it's an understated wonder. In Sefad, at the beginning of Iyar months we woke up it was silence, we didn't understand. We thought a trap, went up to the roofs and saw all Arabs of Sefad run away. All the fighting, and I've asked many commanders who themselves still can't understand the magnitude, not like that And they ran away from Jerusalem, Haifa, also Tel-Aviv, they ran from every place. And not just ran away but left everything, hot meals on fire, coffee ready in the finjans, everything.There're all kinds of legends, even one that they feared an atomic bomb, but it's all nonsense. And that's exactly according to the verse. 500,000 Arabs ran away, and they say 80% didn't even see a single Jew. They also say there's a story about Arab leaders telling them to leave not to get in line of fire when they destroy us, to run away and return in a week- complete idiocy, but historic fact.

12. Which nation helped us during exodus? 'Amon helped? Moav helped? Edom helped? Didn't even let pass. Sihon said we're with You? 'Og? Who did? No one was with us during exodus. What happend here? They voted for us. Balfour declaration, not that we were some sort of empire, we were spread around the world. The biggest empire declares the land of Israel is yours. Then San Remo, more nations make a decision to approve and sign it into law. And we're not a strong nation, nothing, the number of Jews in the land of Israel only 54,000 at most at the time. In 47, two thirds of UN vote in favor of establishing Israel. And as Balfour said,when laying the cornerstone of the Hebrew univ., that he didn't do it for us, rather for the world. That the blessing comes from there, the university, but also the Mount of Zion. Meaning the blessing of technological and also spiritual wisdom from Jerusalem, so said Balfour.

*But why did he say it? What great invention was invented by Jews at the time?
Many inventions, but there's one which I didn't know about. There was a Jew called Hankin, born in Russia, a very talented physician. The Russians conditioned his employment on conversion to Christianity, he refused and was expelled. During the time there were two pandemics ruining the world, cholera and malaria. He went to Geneva and they refused to support him. Then he tried in Britain, which governed India, where the pandemic was high, and they agreed to send him there, so he actually found the cure, but only on paper, and they didn't give him any tools. Thus he had to produce it himself, tested it on himself, and gathered all the staff on his own after confirming it worked on him. So he vaccinated tens of thousands in India, and succeeded very much. Where's cholera today? Then the governor of Bombay asked him to deal with malaria, and he succeeded finding a vaccine for malaria as well, just in 3 months. But of course, great love of Israel, instead of Nobel prize or two, he was accused of hurting people. Returned to Britain, the scientists fought for him and the govt eventually agreed to return him to India, where he entirely treated the pandemic. Every city should've had a street named after him, every history class should teach about him. Why not? I don't know...think for Yourselves, great love of Israel. So that's what Balfour saw, such a nation with all that passion and intent, without a state or any tools, succeed fighting two diseases that killed maybe a billion people, and instead they expel and spit at them. Give them a state, will be a blessing to humanity, and so indeed a blessing to humanity.

13. Writes Maharatz Hayout, by the way who is Maharatz Hayout? The grand grand grand father of todays first judge of the High Court, Esther Hayout, yes, yes, of her husband. Maharatz Hayout says 200 years ago:" they want to make a people and nation from separate individuals, who lived among various nations and civilizations. There's no possibility in nature, to complete their ingatheing to be one nation". Meaning that he sees a miracle greater than all the miracles done in Egypt, is that You take people from 102 countries, all corners of world, Sephardic and Ashkenazi, Ethiopian, Russian, Polish, Hassidim and Mitnagdim, Yemenites and who not, and You manage to turn them into one people. He says it's more than all the miracles of Egypt.

14. Just to exemplify and expand , when we went out of Egypt we went out of one country. When Dvorah and Barak fight Sisra, what's the main theme of her song? Where are everyone, only half the nation fights? Shimshon fights the Plishtim, tribe of Yehudah gives him in. I'm fighting for You and You give me in? Then they split and it ended the kingdom, despite getting out of one single country we didn't mange to fight shoulder to shoulder. Now, despite all our arguments,yes only Bibi, only not Bibi, we fight in the same tank, in the same unit. Right, left, here, there all in one place. Isn't that a miracle?

15. Ya'arot Dvash says, in the exodus there were open miracles. When did HaShem do open miracles? When we were strong or weak? When Israel are skipping both articles, questioning whether maybe HaShem and Ba'al, either or both gods, prophet Elyahu makes them miracles. When Israel go out of 49 gates of impurity in Egypt, HaShem makes them open miracles, because they don't have the spiritual ability to see HaShem without that. But in the days of Mordechai and Esther, they've gone through a process of enforcement, the miracle goes trough Mordechai and Esther. There're no sort of sea splitting, or rocks falling from the skies, nothing supernatural. Natural miracles are much greater, they're made to a nation much more mature, through them. Not "HaShem will fight for You and You will be silent", that is for weak people. People like king David, the miracle happens through him. As Rambam writes, in the days of Mashiah there won't be supernatural wonders, everything will pass through us. It will be a miracle, but like the miracle of Purim. That's the miracle, that the miracle itself works through You. That's why it's said that Purim will never disappear, because what's revealed through You, happens every day. If You're capable of seeing the miracle in nature, then every day the sun rises, not only when "sun in Giv'on stand still". If You can see the miracle in nature, then You notice the sea everyday, You don't need for HaShem to come and split the sea for You, so that You declare 'HaShem is G-d'. Both Ya'arot Dvash and Rambam say, that if You look, but You have to examine, You will see much greater miracles, revealing naturally.

 

[rylah]

Sagiv Cohen -The Song of the Sea

"On that day HaShem saved Yisrael from the hand of the Egyptians, and Yisrael saw the Egyptians dying on the seashore. And Ysrael saw the great hand, which HaShem did to the Egyptians, and the people feared HaShem, and they believed in HaShem and in Mosheh,
His servant."

- Shemot 14:30-31