For the benefit of readers outside Israel, I’ll share the anecdotes that aren’t likely to make it into the mainstream news overseas. There’s more to this war than just explosions.
Solidarity
The silver lining on the terrible conflicts and wars here is the solidarity and spirit that you see emanating from people. Last night on the news, there was a segment with the proprieter of a small hotel in the north of the country who was offering free respite vacations to people from the south in rocket range, no charge. In general, families in the north who were the recipients of generosity in the past - from people willing to host them in the Center and South of the country are reciprocating.
Sportsmanship
Soccer and basketball teams in other parts of the country are offering their fields and homes to their counterparts in the south so they can continue to practice and compete. On the radio, the African-American star foreign player for Ashkelon’s professional basketball team, a guy named Steve Burtt, said that his family hadn’t wanted him to fly back to Israel after the Christmas holidays. But he came back anyway. He said, “The fans in Ashkelon support me and stand by me, I decided I had to support them, and stand by them.”
Good for you, Steve.
Comedy
The brave comics of Israel’s Saturday Night Live, a show called Eretz Nehederet, dared to go on the air last night and attempt satire while the missiles were falling. And they managed to be hilarious – and only slightly tasteless. To demonstrate the wartime solidarity, they had Bibi Netanyahu and Tsippi Livni in army uniforms recreating the romantic final scene of “An Officer and the Gentleman” declaring that this was no time for politics. But then of course, they couldn’t hold themselves back and the insults started flying: “If I weren’t rising above politics, I’d be calling you a conceited, incompetent….”
They made fun of Israeli TV’s gung-ho military reporter Roni Daniel, showing him reporting dressed as Rambo, calling out the number of those killed on either side as if they were sports scores.
The whole show was framed by a typical Israeli family watching the events on television, and finally having to leave their living room when a siren sounded warning they needed to be in the bomb shelter in 45 seconds. They rushed around the room grabbing their most treasured possessions – including their flat-screen TV, which they ripped out of the wall – and then the room was deserted.
As the show ended and the credits rolled, the father of the family re-entered the house at the last minute for something they had forgotten – their kid. Oops.
Technology
They were calling the Second Lebanon War the first war to be blogged. This Gaza operation is the first to be Twittered.
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21 Comments
1. Instapundit » Blog Archive:[...] FROM ISRAEL: The Stories You Won’t See on CNN. [...]
Dec 31, 2008 - 5:24 am 2. DoubleTapper:All we did was try to clean up the mess we made in 2005 when we left Hamas in charge of Gaza.
Dec 31, 2008 - 7:11 am 3. tim maguire:And yet some people have the ignorance to do this
How can we let this pass?
DoubleTapper
DoubleTapper@gmail.com
DoubleTapper, blogging on
Guns Politics Defense from Israel
It’s always great to see a people pulling together in hard times.
I can’t help a certain snark–“The fans in Ashkelon support me and stand by me, I decided I had to support them, and stand by them.”
No wonder he couldn’t make it in the NBA.
Dec 31, 2008 - 7:41 am 4. castocreations:It’s wonderful that the country is pulling together. I pray that the politicians don’t pull back but continue until Hamas is smashed. There is no other way for the people of Israeli to be safe (or safer).
Dec 31, 2008 - 10:33 am 5. bev:Hello. I’m writing fom the US, specifically Los Angeles Ca. I hope Israel continues to destroy Hamas and does not back down to international pressure. Goodluck.
Dec 31, 2008 - 1:29 pm 6. Howdy:I hope it is SUNNY and 8,000,000 degrees when them Rag Heads wake up in Palestine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hammas is a bunch of sissies that would’nt blow themselves up even if they could!!
Dec 31, 2008 - 2:53 pm 7. bhrio:Where to start? There is so much tilted journalism now that it is left up to the blogger and twitters to point out the obvious . Case in point a Reuters photo of small Palestinian girl being buried( her sister died too.). Israel has been notifying civilians when an area is to be bombed. I have to ask why are the young girls dead. Because of the Muslim worlds lack of value for its daughters? Could this young girl be a pawn or a photo op for Hamas? I hope Israel can take off the gloves and reduce their enemies supply of indiscriminate bombs that they continue to lob at Israel everyday. Hamas is a terrorist organization. The folks voted them in and now must reap the whirlwind.
Dec 31, 2008 - 3:40 pm 8. Ed:I pray for Israel…I support the Jewish nation (and the country)
Dec 31, 2008 - 5:15 pm 9. obama hater:I wish Israel the best in 2009. I wish them the courage to stand up to Barack Hussein Clinton Obama’s pressure and demands for them to negotiate with these sh*theads.
Am Yisroel Chai.
Dec 31, 2008 - 5:54 pm 10. Chris:Greeting from the USA, I too hope Israel is able to destroy Hamas, it is so wonderful seeing a country take a stand and do what is right, considering the sad state the great USA finds itself in today with a useless puppet President-Elect. God bless, and stay safe.
Dec 31, 2008 - 6:56 pm 11. Alexander:I’m an American who supports Israel, please, please, please, tear those filthy Hamas vermin; and ALL their supporters and apologists, a NEW one! DON’T back down to the internationalists!
Dec 31, 2008 - 6:59 pm 12. Jim:I’m glad that Israeli comedians can continue to make people laugh! Can they also perform medical precedures on hundreds of injured civilians in Gaza? Sure, Hamas is a terrorist organization. But you’d have to be brainwashed to believe that Israel isn’t terrorizing Palestinian civilians as well — though much more effectively.
Israel dropped TONS of bombs on Palestine. You want to know why these stories aren’t on CNN? Because no one cares about some stupid tv show or a professional basketball player’s travel plans when people are DYING all around. How do you sleep?
I’ll say it again: Hamas sucks. I certainly wish the Palestinians would have elected some other leaders. And we all know what a corrupt devil Arafat was. But at this point, its hard for this 20 year old Jew to continue supporting Israel either. And I’m the future.
Dec 31, 2008 - 7:44 pm 13. antijim:Dear Jim,
Buy a clue. This is a war not a gang fight. If a firecracker went off next door you would probably wet your pants. Hammas is in charge and they cant deny they know exactly what was happening when their cohorts were firing rockets into Israel.
Dont line up to be first to buy tickets for the cattle cars.
Jan 1, 2009 - 3:32 am 14. DN:The Israelis have alreday learned that lesson.
Me, in Israel, see this quite simple: Hamas is a legitimate representative of Gazans, chosen by majority in lawful elections and representing them. The terrorist war they wage is therefore the choice of all Gazans, and their common responsibility.
They were offered truce, but, as their representative said, “(Israelis) offered calm for calm, and this is unacceptable.”
They have freedom of choice, they chose war, they’ll get it.
I already received an e-mail from my superintendant reminding to all of us how children should behave during rocket attack (unfortunately, our air shelter is a little bit too far), and I have no moral problems with bombed mosques etc. And if IDF would just fire missiles at random houses in Gaza, I would find it only proportional.
Jan 1, 2009 - 3:32 am 15. dave:God bless Israel. I started to give up hope for their leadership, but obviously they know what they’re doing. As for the comedians, what are they suppose to do,go out in the streets and play soldier? We Americans would do the same thing. Life goes on. While I’m at it, God Bless the Indians too, for standing up to their terrorist problem, and as much as I disike China,at least they’re doing something about the pirates that not even we have been willing to take care of. I never heard any bitching from our media all those times innocent Israeli kids were MURDERED by those butchers! They need to be stopped. And God bless Micael Savage!
Jan 1, 2009 - 9:35 am 16. Eric:Death to terrorists, smash Hamas, keep smashing them and when youre done, smash them some more! Destroy those vermin because it is the only choice Israel has if it wants to survive. I remember these bastards celebrating in the streets after my buildings went down in NYC and as far as Im concerned !#$&&* the Palestinians and !@#$%& their seperate homeland.. So sorry for the collateral damage buts thats what the murdering vermin voted for. They made their bed so let Israel make them sleep in it!!
Jan 1, 2009 - 9:47 am 17. Kevin:Death to the Hamas
Jan 1, 2009 - 10:58 am 18. Paul Eummelen:When Israel starts bombing don’t stop let them have it again and again.
It is horrible how little support Israel gets in the media and how the media doesn’t report the truth to the population at large.
Jan 1, 2009 - 4:36 pm 19. Brent:I agree with Eric and many others, the Gazan’s made there decision now you have to live it, give them Hell Israel and don’t quit till nothing moves!! Then maybe we can have some real peace!!! Go IDF!!!
Jan 1, 2009 - 6:16 pm 20. Charles:My friend, the only way the USA’s relationship with
Jan 1, 2009 - 8:03 pm 21. Nebraska, USA:Israel could EVER be broken, is if an Anti-God nut
job was President. USA exists because of God as a
means to help Israel(Gods Chosen). If that happens
then God have mercy, because his wrath upon our
country and Israels enemies will not be kind. He has
basically said as much.
Who was Obama talking about when he was complaing about people “clinging to their God and their guns”? Islamic terrorists? I read one terrorist over there would resist til the last dorp of blood. My vote is for carpet bombing! Go IDF!!!
Jan 2, 2009 - 11:27 am