@dietwaldclaus @PYMundGenealogy Appreciate your nominations, but fyi, I am neither american nor Nazi nor genocide Promoter. Will unfollow everyone who follows you, including OP @PYMundGenealogy .
@nat_twts@DBashIdeas@LakeShowYo So why not be empathetic about Uighurs, Armenians, Syrians, Ukrainians, Rohinga. That's what we don't understand. When you never comment and you suddenly do - it makes you wonder.
The secret to the successful operation in Rafah was that the IDF had enough intel on where the hostages were located to enter when they knew the terrorists were not holding their arms. That allowed the rescue team the precious time needed to get the hostages out alive. The forces were holding for two hours for the right moment to break in.
The Shabak knew which apartment the hostages were being held in, on the second floor of a Rafah building. The forces stealthily set up explosives near the door and detonated them at the right moment.
After entering the building and locating the hostages, the special forces took them out to the balcony and defended them from the terrorists. The terrorists in the apartments were soon killed. Massive fire was encountered as Hamas realized what was happening.
The forces took the hostages down from the terrace to the ground. One of the hostages was barefoot, so he was carried by special forces. They evacuated the two quickly to a rendezvous point where a helicopter awaited, surrounded by armored forces. Meanwhile, the air force covered the attack with massive bombings, which did not allow Hamas to get close to the hostages and the meeting point.
Everything went according to plan.
The cooperation of the Air Force, the Yamam National Counter-Terrorism Unit, Shabak, and military intelligence on this was impeccable. Heroes all.
A personal note: Four months ago today, at about 5pm, I finally left the house. The sirens had abated, the dog needed to walk.
As I walked down Tel Aviv's Dizengof Street a religious girl I knew called out from a window, "Saul, come up, what's going on?" Four religious roommates had been secluded in their apartment, playing Monopoly and eating snacks, not wanting to go far from the safe room because of the regular sirens. Insulated from the internet, they had no idea what was happening.
I sat and told them: "Thousands of terrorists entered Israel at 6am and control of large parts of southern Israel. Officially, 20 people have been killed, but I have seen videos with hundreds of bodies, and it is still continuing, the IDF doesn't have control. Gaza TV has satellite trucks inside Kibbutzim. From what I have seen myself, it will be a miracle if the death toll is less that 1,000. This is the worst day in the history of Israel."
It was only as I said those words out loud, and noted their shocked, silent disbelief, that the reality I had just spoken sunk in for me. I told them, "Israel will never be the same" and left.
As I walked home I saw steely-eyed heroes in extemporized uniforms kissing their tearful loved ones goodbye, jamming equipment into their cars and heading south towards the blood soaked-chaos, knowing some would never return. I realized then that Israel would never be the same but that it would come out stronger
Any flabby complacency and indulgent divisiveness that Israel has built up over its 75-year climb from an impoverished refugee backwater, to one of the richest counties in the world, was swept away in 12 hours. It took a bloodbath to unite Israel and educate everyone under 70 what it means to be a Jew in a world of monsters.
Until the last 10 year-old dies, well into the 22nd century, the message, "Unite or die", will be recalled.
So many “firsts” that Omri is missing since Hamas kidnapped him. Please, my girls need their father back. I need my husband back.
Bring Omri home. Bring them all home.
"Last seen October 7"
I will never get used to this message on Omri's WhatsApp, the day our conversation froze.
Today is day 124, and I look back at a picture he sent of Roni a year ago today. Like any mother I ask "isn't she cold?" and he says "no".
Omri, are you cold? When will we see you again? The girls and I can't wait for you to come home.