As I continued walking, I heard eight more of these indescribable explosions. Upon the completion of my walk, there had been 15 explosions in all. I was gone from my apartment for 25 minutes total. Although I do not need a reminder, they signal the reality of this moment in my life: I am living in a war zone. How do I describe this moment that is new and indescribable? I don't and I can't. I can only tell what is happening. I walk on, holding fast to the faith that is seated in my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I do not live in fear. God is protecting me and He is protecting Israel.
Between July 7th-July 24th, over 2,350 rockets have been fired into Israel from palestinian terrorists in Gaza.
The link below shows the Iron Dome intercepting two rockets that are flying toward homes in Israel. As you play this video, I ask you to turn the volume all the way up on whatever technology you are using at this moment. Please imagine this sound; outside your home, blaring into your bedroom, while you're driving to work, while you're reading a little one a story, or in the middle of the night.
I was running to the bomb shelter during this sound.
Inside the bomb shelter
This land, Israel, and its people are burdened and heavy with the attacks and the fierce condemnation that is being spoken against them. They keep going in life, but there is a dark, heavy cloud that overshadows the nation. The cloud pierces the hearts of those that call Israel home. I have never really experienced anything like this, but the whole nation is like a big family. I do not know how to describe it, but they are. The Jewish people know loss and hatred. As a people, the remnant of the Holocaust is still an ever-present memory. I do not know what it feels like to live with that memory, but I do see the people. They are a people that had to walk on a broken road for freedom. They walked on that broken road together. That made them strong and like a family. But this great strength doesn't make the situation right.
Because they are like family, they are very humane. They do not want to hurt the innocent, but they also do not want terrorism to run free. This is especially true of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). They are not proud, arrogant, or happy about innocent civilians getting hurt or killed. They are not applauding this. On the contrary, it is very sad to see a child or humans life end. There is not rejoicing for the loss of lives. This is the truth. I see it.
Yesterday, I came across this:
This is why the people are burdened. This why their hearts are heavy. Falsities are spoken, or in this case, drawn, without any shred of true knowledge. I only add this to shed light on manipulative propaganda. I do not agree with any part of it.
Not be forgotten, false and manipulative propaganda
was also circulated during World War II.
This poster was made by Hans Schweitzer in 1943.
was also circulated during World War II.
This poster was made by Hans Schweitzer in 1943.
The translation reads: He is to blame for the war!
In my writings, I wish I could remove all that may seem politically implied. I just see what is happening firsthand and not through the media. I am not trying to be cruel. I just see what is happening firsthand and not through the media. I am not trying to be one-sided. I just see what is happening firsthand and not through the media. I'm just a human in a war zone. Taking all potentially implied politics out of it, here's my view: I don't want anyone innocent to get hurt, no matter what "side" they're on.
Every human life matters.
The following is just a scenario, but please try to understand why I am writing it. I would like you to imagine this picture for a moment. I would like you to imagine the largest city in relation to where you, personally, are living. In this large city there are terrorists who have been allowed to live there. They want to take your city and your personal home that is rightfully yours. They began to launch rockets at your city. They want it, so they're going to try to take it by fear, power, and force. Your city doesn't want to hurt anyone or even fight, but they have to defend themselves and their homes. Your city gets helps from all the other cities around you. They are very strong and very good at protecting. They defend and protect you and your home, your family, your children, your land, your friends, your loved ones, and your neighbors. The terrorists in the large city launch from and hide rockets in schools, churches, and hospitals. They do this while their children and people are there. The terrorists keep on launching rockets and have even been digging tunnels underground to get into your neighborhood. They want to get to your neighborhood to attack you in your own backyard. They are ruthless and will do anything to have your home and city. Your city has stop the attack. Your city keeps defending themselves and tries everything to do only that: defend and not harm. They don't want to harm, but they have to stop the attack.
Pretty soon, other big cities and countries see what is happening to your own city. But, they don't see what you see. In fact, they can't believe that you are defending yourself and the land that you own. These other big cities and countries shame you for wanting to protect your home, the land that is rightfully yours, your next door neighbor, your own children, your spouse, your best friend, your mother and father, and your loved ones. They even seem blinded to the terrorists actions and tell you that you want to fight and hurt the people in that large city. The media even gets involved and begins to say that you are the bad ones for defending yourselves, when your city didn't want to have to fight or hurt anyone in the first place.
I know that not everyone is blinded by the media,
but I've seen enough to know that some are.
but I've seen enough to know that some are.
Again, I don't wish to ensue any political debate.
I am just a human in a war zone.
I just see what is happening firsthand.
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A few days ago, a rocket fell and hit in a neighborhood.
No one was killed or hurt.
This happened less than three miles from where I live.
I heard and felt the rocket hit.
Three miles is not very far.
Three miles.
Three miles is not very far.
Three miles.
Above photo: AP Photo/Ariel Schalit
The below article is from United With Israel.
It is written by Aryeh Savir, Tazpit News Agency
Sunday, July 27th, 2014
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IDF Mission Prevents Massive Hamas Genocide in Israel
Hamas was preparing a murderous massive assault on Israeli civilians during the upcoming Jewish New Year. The current IDF military operation saved the Jewish state.
The terror organization aimed to seize kibbutzim and other communities while killing and kidnapping Israeli civilians. In total, thousands of Hamas terrorists would have been swarming across Israel, wearing IDF uniforms, which would have further complicated an Israeli response. Reports further indicate that Hezbollah may have planned to join the attack as well, opening another front in the north.
The source stressed that the current unplanned war with Hamas inadvertently thwarted a catastrophic event of an apocalyptic magnitude such as the Yom Kippur War, which would have ‘brought the State of Israel to its knees.’ The destruction of these tunnels takes away from Hamas a strategic weapon it has been working on and investing in heavily for years, according to the source. Each tunnel has arteries, veins and offshoots of offshoots designed in intricate and complex arrangements. As one Israeli spokesman said, “There are two Gaza's – one above ground and one below ground: an underground terrorist city.”
A senior Israeli defense official said the Israeli military had considerable prior knowledge of Hamas weaponry and tunnels, but was still “surprised” by the extent of it. He added that the network had not been detected by aerial surveillance because Hamas had solved the most obvious problem: how to hide the piles of sand removed from the tunnels. This, he said, was painstakingly taken away, a few bags at a time, and stored out of sight in buildings and underneath greenhouses.
The official said Hamas had diverted huge quantities of cement, imported for civilian construction, into the building of concrete-block walls and roofs for the tunnels. As an example, he cited a 1.7-kilometer tunnel discovered in February 2013 that Israeli engineers estimated would have required 500 tons of concrete, “enough to build a three-story hospital.”
Israel has discovered 31 tunnels so far and has destroyed several of them by employing bulldozers, explosive and other methods. IDF excavation of the tunnels has resulted in the seizure of tons of Hamas supplies as well as the discovery of plans for future operations.
Israeli soldiers have already frustrated several surprise assaults by Hamas through tunnels from Gaza into southern Israel. On July 21, ten Hamas terrorists emerged from a tunnel. They were immediately spotted and eliminated, but the clash cost the lives of two IDF soldiers.
Speaking with Tazpit News Agency, Minister Ya’acov Perry, a member of the Israeli Security Cabinet, commended the IDF for its outstanding achievements. “The IDF is working to uncover a network of underground tunnels that could have created unbearable terrorist attacks,” he said. He further commended the IDF’s prior intelligence, which enabled these achievements. “I am sure that Israeli technology (I like to call this technology "God". Added by Sara), which has provided us with the Iron Dome, will provide us with a solution for the terror tunnels as well.”
Writing for Gatestone, Lawrence Franklin says that the construction of network of tunnels used hundreds of tons of concrete that might otherwise have been used by the Palestinians for building homes, shopping malls, parks, schools, hospitals and libraries.
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**Photos: IDF
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