# 444 – Our Today

Our Today

Aviva has a cold. We checked for Covid, and the test was negative.

Yet one more factor to bring us down.

As expected, as feared, the numbers of fallen soldiers rise. In N. Gaza, it was, until last night, 14.

But, since and including October 7, the number was 331.

Our daughters and their daughters came back last night from a week in London.

For obvious, but perhaps silly reasons, I did not want to shout the fact out loud. London, my London, is no longer the London I love. How can it be when, our lovely granddaughters are constantly advised to keep their Hebrew voices down.

Perhaps it was my imagination, but the hugs last night were stronger than usual.

2 digressions:

1. Amidst the hugs, I turned, moved, and tripped over Naya’s foot – and fell embarrassingly. The hugs were immediately transformed into helping arms. “I’m alright. I’m alright”, I pretended, pride destroyed.

2. We split. Eliana’s family in their car and on the way to their home: a moshav only 10 mins from the airport. Shira and Maya were with me. Kfir needed, of course, to stay home with their 6 year-old, Andy. As we were exiting the airport, already 11pm, a call from Eliana.

1. Some decent person had called her; had found Maya’s phone on the floor of the plane. We had to turn back and wait for Mr. Samaritan to come out. It was midnight by the time I got home.

I was back in hospital this morning for a routine treatment. It is very strange to sit and watch life going on here, albeit quieter, calmer, less confrontational. It’s as if we know that that lady over there is an Arab, but she’s also an Israeli, she’s our neighbour, we trust her – she trusts us. It’s surreal.

Has anti-Semitism grown in 80 years, or did the lack of technology in the 1930’s hide the fact that nothing’s changed? Either way, the World should be ashamed of itself. And when attacking us, who are they supporting? A philosophy, a regime, under which none of the anti-Semites would ever want to live. They’re such gullible idiots.

I just mentioned the 1930’s. Someone was not happy about the title of yesterday’s Letter: “Worse than Hitler”. Upon reflection, I agree with him. This is absolutely not the time to make such references, such comparisons, such judgements. If I touched a hurtful nerve, I apologise.

We in Israel are living in muted fear of the many horrible ways this war could expand. Hamas is already in our face. Even now, they are sending more rockets into Israel.

On all news reports, we see the devastation in Gaza – and it is real – and it is tragic. But still they fire rockets. I’m being cruelly flippant when I recommend them for First Prize in the ‘Suicide Bomber Pageant’. And millions are still willing to ignore their horror, still willing to ignore our now-so-naive attempts to live side by side with them, and wave flags in support of them. And the flag-waving is already being superceded by a much uglier show of hate.

Now reports of more rockets from the North. What are Hezbollah playing at? Are they such Iranian puppets, like Hamas, that they want blood just for the sake of seeing blood?

A few days ago, I mentioned the interview by Piers Morgan of Cenk Uyger, the Turkish-American Californian who claims he’s a Dem. candidate for the Presidency. I told you that he’s such an aggressive anti-Israel speaker, that I decided to write to him and offer to ‘debate with him’, but in writing. A level playing field.

I received no response, but I shall go ahead with my written words. In the meantime, I watched him ‘talk’ with Dennis Prager, whom he had invited onto his The Young Turks channel.(Do you know about this channel? Very popular and….what else can I say….absolute extreme, dangerous rubbish! Hmmm, that should cover it). Well, Dennis Prager is a conservative talk-show host, and runs the PragerU, a quasi non-profit university that, in this case, is a strong supporter of Israel.

You don’t have to run off and watch the ‘discussion’, but it yet again shows the difference between decent, educated discourse and…aggressive propagandism.

This is what Israel is up against, and this is why I write every day. Israel, i.e. the Jewish people, are in great danger. Do I need to repeat that?

Why? Why is this happening to us? I’ll make this a little more personal, dramatic…Why is this happening to me and my family? You know me. Do I deserve this?

While I was writing this, I was informed that a monthly event I was occasionally involved in had been understandably cancelled. The organiser, a friend, gave the obvious reasons: now is not the time. I was going to call him; offer to meet. (He is a recipient of this Letter; he can verify this story). But, by coincidence, he jumped the queue…he sent me an email, attaching a letter from a friend, an Anglo-Saxon dentist living here. I am going to attach the letter, but warn you: THIS IS NOT EASY READING!

This is a part:

As he finished the sentence Gustavo leaned back in his chair, mouth open, his face ashen. It seemed to help him a little that he had confided in me, and passed on this information which he cannot pass on to his wife and family.

Whatever gruesome facts or scenes you may have come across in the last 3 weeks, and I personally have tried to avoid them as much as possible, the torture and murder that Hamas carried out on that day is still largely kept secret by the Israeli authorities, in order not to demoralise the population any further. When the war is over, the extent of Hamas wickedness will be revealed to whoever really cares.

But that really is the point. Who cares?

I contacted my friend, talked about whether such a letter can be sent with my Letter. He replied that I certainly had that gentleman’s permission. I decided to write to that gentleman. First, he reminded me that we knew each other fairly well. He had been more than a willing purchaser of whatever stuff I was selling, but remembered my glass collecting, and my actor Dad.

Is this such a small world? Or are there just so few of us Jews?.

Stephen