Personal thoughts on current events, cultural events, Israel, Judaism, Jewish/Israel innovations and life from a Jewish perspective - read into that what you may.

Monday, August 22, 2005

Our Government Has Created Jewish Refugees! Where Are Cries of Injustice???

I know of two yishuvim from Gush Katif who have no where to sleep tonight!!

Netzer Hazani

Netzer Hazani people have been kicked out of the youth hostel in Hispin because of reservations. Some families have moved into the Hispin Yeshiva dormintory, but two buses of them are on the way to Kissufim right now and then on the way to set up a tent city in Tel Aviv because they have no where to sleep tonight!!

Their leadership has tried negotiating with Maaleh Hachamish and with the Olive Tree Hotel in Yerushalayim, but they can't come to an agreement without the government,who would pay - but the government is not cooperating - so they are homeless tonight - and this is until Sep. 1st, because the government is only supposed to pay until Sept. 1st! The government didn't even pay for their stay in Hispin, that was complementary of the Youth Hostel!!!

Paet Sadeh

Paet Sadeh residents signed agreements with Minhelet Selah/government a year and a half ago on an agreement to get housing. Their houses are still not ready so they were put up in a hotel in Yam Hamelach. This morning they were kicked out of the Hotel because of reservations. They have no where to sleep tonight either!!

So what are you doing about the fact that our own government has created homeless refugees?

Are you still paying your taxes? Are you still going to your government paid jobs? Are you still going to miluim? Are you still carrying around your teudat zehut?

Where are the cries and acts of injustice that our OWN Jewish government has created homeless refugees?

Who has connections with the Joint Distribution Comittee to get them to act on behalf of our fellow Jewish refugees in Israel?

Please call me now!!!
052-4519609

Avi
"Expelled by Jews from Netzer Hazani"
The expulsion from Gush Katif was one of the saddest days of my life.

I watched families packing up their houses crying. I watched families using sledge hammers to do as much damage to their homes as possible - some to get out their anger and frustration at the immoral situation and some so as not to leave anything for the Arabs!

I even watched people light their houses on fire!!

Some of the saddest events were watching children - 12/13 year olds - pleading with the soldiers not to expel them from their homes. Screaming at them that they are about to ruin their lives. Running from soldier to soldier aksing them "You don't have the courage to disobey an immoral order?"

Then their was the resident who was a high ranking officer from an elite unit - screaming at the soliders telling them that he taught the ethics courses to officers in the army and he knows that what they are about to do is totally against the ethical code of the army, but yet they follow the unethical orders like robots! What happened to implementing the lesson of knowing when to say NO to unethical orders?! This high ranking oficer then tore kriah on his army uniform right before the soldiers.

The expereince of watching Jews being expelled from their homes by fellow Jews was one of the saddest days of my life.

Avi Abelow
"Expelled from Netzer Hazani by Fellow Jews"

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Coming to Gush Katif Clarification

I want to clarify the following message to everybody:

The key is not necessarily getting into Gush Katif or even making it to Kissufim.

Rather the key is packing up with the determination of not returning home until the plan is cancelled. Drive towards Kissufim and get as far as you can and then stop! With hundreds or thousands of others you then create a balagan wherever you are. That balagan is critical, regardless if it is 100 meters away from Kissufim or 4 kilometers away.

The critical mass, wherever you end up, causes a balagan that takes troops away from dealing with the expulsion.

I heard that thousands tried to drive to Kissufim last night, but they all were stopped and turned around. Don't turn around, set up camp where you are stopped and stay there. That creates a balagan. The police force you to move? Then create a balagan and the next place that you can.

Nobody wants to go alone "without" masses being with them - so make phone calls and get organized with friends and drive together as a small mass. THen hook up with other cars on their way as well.

I have also heard that groups leave every few hours from Ofakim and Netivot. Go join them, you won't be alone.

It is all about determination and mesirut nefesh. Just don't turn around to go come!!

It is not easy and not everybody can do it, but the struggle today is not just about Gush Katif, it is about our homes as well, and I do believe that if it was our homes in Gush Etzion that we were about to be expelled from, we would not be going to work today, tomorrow or the next day.

Something to think about.

The message is create the balagan as far as you get. Every balagan in a different place strains the army, which could create a chain effect of making it impossible to do what they have to do to expel us.

Whatever miracle people are waiting for depends on that chain effect, but if "little balagans" are not happening, then no chain effect will happen and no miracle that people are praying for.

Without your determination and mesirut nefesh, instead of Jews continuing to live in Gush Katif you will just read about our heroic last stand in Gush Katif as a part of the history books.

It all depends on us.

I don't know when next I will be near a computer, so until then...

Chazak Vematz and remember:

"DETERMINATION, DETERMINATION, DETERMINATION"!!!

Avi from Netzer Hazani
A Presonal Pea from Gush Katif - COME NOW!!!

You must understand. The people of Gush Katif are very strong. Don't believe what you hear/see in the media. There has been no violence and a majority of families in Gush Katif are still in there homes.

The people of Gusk Katif are encouraged and empowered by all the people who have joined them from the rest of the country and they are encouraged and empowered when they hear that more people are trying to come jointhem!

You must understand, here in Gush Katif we are doing everything we can, everything!!!

But we can't win this struggle alone - the rest depends on all of you.

The soldiers don't want to expel us! They don't!!

Everytime soldiers are brought to the settlements - people run out to talk to them - telling them about the immorality of the plan, the immorality of expeling fellow Jews from their homes, the immorality of giving a prize to those same terrorists who are our real enemies, and asking them what they would tell their children/grandchildren one day regarding their participation in this expulsion.

Do you know the result? The soldiers and officers cry! They cry together with the residents! They all cry like children!!!

THE SOLDIERS DONT WANT TO DO THIS!!

A Letter was sent from 5 Magadim in the army to the Ramatcal saying that they fear half of the soldiers in the expulsion forces will either not participate at the last minute or help the settlers!

Help us help the soldiers!

- Come down to Kissufim
- Try to get in to Gush Katif
- Block the roads so that the buses of soldiers can't get through

Do know the secret on getting into Gush Katif?
Determination, Determination, Determination!!!

Drive with the expectation of not returning home! Pack with the expectation that you are not retunring home!! I promise you that you will end up entering Gush Katif! maybe not immeidately, maybe not after one day or two days, but you will enter. Being at Kissufim is also a big nuisance to the army.

Do anything, but don't stay at home, don't go to work!!

Everyday people here ask - "so are thousands coming to kissufim yet?" and the past two days the answer has been NO!!

Do you how demoralizing it for all of us here, who know we are doing all that we can to stop the immoral expulsoin plan, to know that our fellow citizens who are also needed down here are not coming??? That they are going on with their normal lives, just a little sadder???!!!

For all of us who are here, our consciences will be clear - we know we did all in our power to stop this immoral expulsion plan?

What about your conscience? What will you tell your children and grandchildren?

We know that everyone is doing something, but everyone must gain the confidence to do even more and come down here and not return home until this plan is canceled.

As we tell the press everyday - we know the army will end up doing what it has to do, our job here in Gush Katif is not to do everything to stop the plan from happening, we don't have the`power to do that.

Our job here in Gush Katif is to make it as hard as possible for them to do what they have to do and to delay their plans!! Every minute that we delay their plans is another minute for all the protests and balagans you are doing outside to create the dynamic to stop the plan.

BUT, if you are not protesting or creating a balagan outside, then our struggle in Gush Katif won't make a difference!!!

We believe that Am Yisrael still has the power to stop this plan, but you must come down here in the thousands to create the necessary balagan for us all to succeed!! You must join us!

By the way, in one on one conversations with top officers here in Gush Katif - they ALL admit that we will be back "occupying" Gaza in the near future. They are only following orders, even though they know the plan is extremely dangerous.

Avi from Netzer Hazani

Monday, August 15, 2005

Gush Katif Press Release from netzer Hazani

The people that are living here are very moral people. The Israel Defense Forces is a very moral army, they educate their forces to the highest levels of morality. We are really one with the soldiers of the IDF. The thing that stands between us is this terrible immoral expulsion plan. We have an obligation to do everything we can to prevent the IDF from handing out the expulsion notices. This plan is immoral and unethical because you can't throw out 9,000 people from their homes without any valid reason. The last thime this happened was in Soviet RUSSIA. You can not allow terror to run wild and on top of that give it a prize!

Today the army twice appeared at the gates of our town and each time we told the army officers the above message. They looked at the fathers, mothers and children dancing in front of the locked gates of our town and began to understand why this plan is so immoral. As a result, the buses of soldiers turned around both times without entering the town and without handing out the expulsion notices.

Thursday, August 11, 2005

Gush Katif Under Siege - Live Report

Hello all,

I finally succeeded! I sneaked into Gush Katif on Tuesday afternoon and I have settled in the moshav of Netzer Chazani and helping out the community here plan and organize for the upcoming events. I'm here with over 400 other families (with children of all ages) and singles who have joined Netzer Chazani from other parts of Israel. The atmesphere is wonderful. Teenagers from the outside are running childrens activities every morning for all the children (from the moshav and from the outside), people are working in the hothouses and everyone is doing something to help prepare for next week.

There is so much to say, to explain to you what is going on here, but I don' t have time now. You will have to wait.

Just so you know, we (outsiders) have more than doubled the population of the yishuv and they are all mostly staying here to the end, regardless of all the threats by the government that they will lose 25% of their compensation if they don't leave by the 17th. In general the population of the Gush has more than doubled all from "illegals" like me who have sneaked in to GK. Everyone has their own unique unbelievable story about how they snuck in. Buy the book that will be put you with all the stories. i'm sure one will be written!


We are about to go through one of the most traumatic weeks for the Jewish people, how ironic that it coincides with (Tisha Ba'av)! There is much preparation that we are doing, but our government is stopping at nothing to expel us. It will be the first time that a Jewish government turns off electricity and water to Jewish settlements - just like the Romans did to us.

Please read the message below written by a person who was one of the origonal founding members of Netzer Chazani, here since the days all that was here were sand dunes.

Please help as much as you can. Thank you.

Until the next update from Gush Katif!
Avi

DEAR FRIENDS,

Did you know that Gush Katif is being placed under siege? Starting now, the army is stopping food from entering Gush Katif. There is already a shortage of baby-food, diapers, food & basic staples. The army isn't letting things enter and the supermarket shelves are emptying. We have been warned that any minute the supply of Gas and Water may stop.There will be opportunities during the next three days to bring in supplies. We need your help NOW.

We have been promised by our brethren that in our time of need they will stand by us. The Jews in Israel are fulfilling "Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Lazeh" in the highest sense by uniting behind the residence of Gush Katif. Many have left their homes and places of work to help in Gush Katif. Join. Please be a part of the unification of our people in Gush Katif. Any donation is appreciated. (ALthough we need food for Thousands of people, even $5 can buy a lot of bread) Just click on the link https://www.group.co.il/donation/katifund/CreditInput.asp?lang=2

Your caring gives us strength.

Anita Tucker
atucker@isdn.net.il

Important: Please write in the "Notes Section" at the bottom of the donation-form the word NOW so that your donation will be processed immediately for these emergency supplies.

Anita Tucker is from Brooklyn and her Husband is from Cleveland. They have been living in Gush Katif for 29 Years. She has Children and Grandchildren that were born there, and prays every day to see Great-grandchildren born there. She is a farmer who grows insect-free produce and her children who live in Gush Katif are farmers as well.

Sunday, August 07, 2005

My Struggle against the Jewish White Paper of 2005!

Gush Katif has been totally sealed off to all Jews ecept if they live in Gush Katif - and even they have horrible stories of how they are being treated by the authorities today.

IN my eyes, what is going on today is the Jewish White Paper of 2005.

As in teh days of the British White Paper where heroic Jews tried day and night to sneak into Israel illegaly, so too today thousands of Jews, day and night are trying to sneak into Gush Katif illegaly!

Friends and relatives think I'm crazy trying to sneak into Gush Katif, for a couple of reasons:
1. I have a life with responsabilities (job, wife and children)
2. Me being in Gush Katif won't change anything

First I will answer those claims and then I will tell you the highlights about my recent trials when trying to sneak into Gush Katif last week ( I didn't succeed yet!)

First of all, in my opinion, life is worthless i you do not live according to your values and beliefs. A job and responsabilities to family are only worth something to me if the life that I lead is one that I lead by example
- as an example for myself to not only preach values of Am Yisrael and Eretz YIsrael, but live them!
- as an example for my wife and children that the values that I preach I live by as well
- as an example to my co-workers, that the values they know I stand for, I actually practice and defend!

By me not leaving my job to join the active struggle against the expulsion plan, I would be showing to all of the above (including myslef) that living ideals is different than preaching them. That is not what Judasim is about and that is not what I'm about - so I have joined the active struggle. One day when my children and grandchildren ask "What did you do to stop the expulsion plan?" I can be proud when I answer them with a detailed description of what I did.

Today is no normal event. This is historic. I can't live my regular life (waking up in the morning, going to work, returning home, goind to sleep etc.) when ten thousands of Jews are about to be expeled from their homes. Forget about the fact that there is no good reason to expel them and that the government is corrupt, the justice system is political and unjust etc. Put those "little facts" on the side.

I can't go on with my daily life as ten thousand Jews are about to be expeled from their homes.

The question is not - why am I doing what I'm doing?
The question is - How can you go on with your daily life?

As for point number two - that my presence in Gush Katif won't change anything - I have this to say:
1. First and foremost the people in Gush Katif are going through a traumatic experience that should never befall any of us. The most important thing we could do for them is give them chizuk and let them know they are not alone. I can't tell you how happy the Gush Katif people are when they hear that people are trying to get through the siege and the roadblocks wanting to join them. It gives them so much chizuk. One of the most important things we can do on the "inside" is continue to give them chizuk and try to help them as much as possible, in every possible way.

2. Some of the highest ranking officers of the army have themselves admitted that if tens of thousands of people stand against them in Gush Katif when they come in to expel them - the army will not be able to perform its duty to expel and would have to return to the government to reconsider its decision. The army is designed to fight armies, with weapons and manpower, it is not designed to stand against tens of thousands of civilians to uproot them!

Today, the day Netanyahu resigned, it has been recorded that soldiers throughout Israel were applauding. Why? Because they think this is the beginning of the cancellation of the decree and they don't want to do it!!!

Thousands of soldiers don't want to follow their orders to expel fellow Jews!

Imaging if tens of thousands of Jews were in Gush Katif on the day when these soldiers came in to expel them? The would stand still and they wouldn't be able to expel.

My next posting will list my James Bond type story in trying to sneak into Gush Katif to fight the Jewish White Paper of 2005

Avi
Why the Israeli soldiers should refuse all orders connected to the Expulsion Plan and preparation for that plan:

1. It does not take a smart person to obey an order it takes a smart person to disobey an order!

2. The people remembered on the special avenue for righteous gentiles at Yad Vashem are remembered because they refused orders

3. What will they tell their children and grandchildren when they asked what they did to stop the expulsion of Jews from Gaza and the Northern Shomron

Written by a proud Jew who served in the Israeli army and serves, year after year, in the reserves. Today is a day of shame for the Israeli army. I look forward to the day when all the soldiers who refused all expulsion related orders are reinstated tp their ranks and positions. Please G-D that day will come soon.

Avi