What’s happening in Israel today? See this week’s daily ‘The Israel Brief’ broadcasts on LOTL YouTube by seasoned TV & radio broadcaster, Rolene Marks familiar to Chai FM listeners in South Africaand millions of American listeners to the News/Talk/Sports radio station WINA broadcasting out of Charlottesville, Virginia. You can subscribe to LOTL news from Israel and enjoy at a time of your convenience.
Atoning for slavery of yesterday, what of slavery today?
By David E. Kaplan
Stop Slavery. A protest rally in London raises awareness for the fight against human trafficking and slavery.
If past slavery was “inexcusable” – as guilty banks and companies today are admitting – what of present slavery? There are currently 167 countries that still practice slavery, affecting approximately46 million people of which almost three quarters are women and girls.
Say No More. Taking action against online antisemitism.
Sometimes the loudest protests – are silent.Hundreds of thousands of people around the world participated in the #nosafespaceforjewhate campaign to raise awareness and put an end to online antisemitism. Will Twitter and other social media outlets finally take action against online hate?
Appealing for Healing. Christians in South Africa coming out in support of Chief Justice, Mogoeng Mogoeng.
Does Israel have pressing problems to resolve? Yes, it does. Does South Africa have major issues that demand resolution? Yes, it does. But this should not undermine either country’s existence or warrant their destruction argues the writer, a Christian activist and radio personality in support of his Chief Justice’s position on Israel.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs
It would appear Twitter has an antisemitism problem – and also a penchant for double standards. The social media platform has become a cesspit of antisemitic hatred. In just 280 characters, users are able to communicate some of the most vile invective, conspiracy theories and caricatures. Many of the “twits” who tweet, invariably hide behind avatars or their twitter handles, failing to provide proper profile pictures and names. Cowards.
Over the last few weeks, Twitter has given a tailwind to a new breed of hater – the celebrity. Not content to sit in their mansions and virtue signal on issues ranging from the environment to social justice, it seems that quite a few have decided to parlay their “talent” to Twitter and other social media. Rapper Ice Cube, comedienne Chelsea Handler, football player Desaun Jackson, former America’s Got Talent host Nick Cannon, and even Madonna (is she still relevant?) have espoused anti-Semitic rhetoric. Some like Nick Cannon, Desaun Jackson and more recently, Ice Cube, have apologized and offered to engage and learn about Judaism. But there are others who have not.
Enter British rapper, Wiley. Born Richard Kylea Cowie Jr, the rapper went on a tirade against Jews that included accusations that would not have been out of place had Nazi propaganda chief, Joseph Goebbels written them himself. In a rant lasting nearly 24 hours, the hate included comments like “Israel is ours,” you cannot “challenge the Jewish community” without losing your job, the Jews were equivalent to the Ku Klux Klan, and that he was “not antisemitic, I am anti-slippery people.”
“I don’t care about Hitler, I care about black people,” he commented, adding of Jews, “Do you know what these people do to the world?”
This raised the ire of many, not just the Jewish community. It also brought to light the horrific abuse that Jews are facing online. In the last two weeks, Twitter has faced a barrage of criticism – first for allowing white supremacists to persist with the hashtag #JewishPrivilege and the second, controversy over the symbol of the Jewish people, the Star of David. The extraordinary activist, Hen Mazzig, led a campaign to take back the hashtag and soon Jews were sharing their agonizing stories of experiencing antisemitism. We then turned it on its head and started celebrating the things we feel makes us proud to be Jewish. This was followed in quick succession by the banning of the Star of David as a “hateful image”. After a massive outcry, Twitter apologized and rectified but the Wiley tweets were just the straw that finally broke the proverbial camel’s back.
“Antisemitic? Are u stupid? Do you know what these people do to the world?” British rapper Wiley wrote.
After Wiley’s tirade, Twitter was inundated with complaints and calls to shut his account down. Wiley was banned from Twitter (as well as Instagram and Facebook) for a week. This was not suitable punishment – just a mere slap on the wrist.
This prompted Jewish organisations that were joined of prominent figures and organisations in the United Kingdom and around the world to boycott Twitter and Instagram for 48 hours starting on Monday morning in response to antisemitism on the social media platforms.
Those taking part in the 48-hour Twitter boycott include MPs David Lammy and Rosena Allin-Khan, singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, actor Jason Isaacs, broadcasters Rachel Riley and Maajid Nawaz, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, and entrepreneur Lord Sugar. (REUTERS/GETTY IMAGES/BBC)
The boycott was promoted under the hashtag #NoSafeSpaceForJewHate, which participants shared on their social media pages along with an image that called out Twitter’s “inaction on anti-Jewish racism”. Israelis, Americans, Australians and many others took a stand against online hate. What was particularly heartening was to see allies from the Muslim and black communities joining their Jewish brothers and sisters. Lawmakers, celebrities and more also went Twitter radio silent.
The expectation was not to shut down Twitter but to raise awareness and the alarm against growing online Jew hatred. And so far it has succeeded with that mission – and also sent a clear message that when it comes to antisemitism, Jews will no longer be passive. We will shout as loud as we can or sometimes resort to silence – which can be deafening. Sometimes the silent protests achieve the loudest results. Wiley has now been permanently banned from Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Jews should not have to resort to protests to raise the alarm against antisemitism. One hopes that Twitter will wake up and realise that they cannot have a double standard either.
The social media platform announced yesterday they had withdrawn a video retweeted by US President Donald Trump in which doctors made allegedly false claims about the coronavirus pandemic, after Facebook took similar action.
“Tweets with the video are in violation of our COVID-19 misinformation policy. We are taking action in line with our policy,” a Twitter spokesperson says, declining to give details on how many people had watched the video.
Like or loathe President Trump, it appears that when the US President tweets, he is sanctioned almost immediately but arch antisemites like Nation of Islam leader, Louis Farrakhan and the Iranian Ayatollah Al Khamenei who have tweeted appalling hatred that has included calls for Israel to be eradicated or referred to Jews as “cancers” are allowed.
Words have meaning and consequences. Over the last few years, Jews have been the victims of violence and in a number of cases; hate crime murders. The message was clear – there can be no safe space for Jew hate, no matter how famous you are. We hope that Twitter received the message. Loud and clear.
Feature picture: The Twitter logo superimposed on antisemitic tweets (photo credit: SCREENSHOT/JTA)
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs.
The Israel Brief -27 July 2020 – Is travel to Israel about to open? Tension in the north. 48 hour Twitter silence.
The Israel Brief -28 July 2020 – Tension in the north. COVID updates. Democrats make favourable decision for Israel.
The Israel Brief -29 July 2020 – Israel to open skies? Protests in Israel. Twitter campaign update.
The Israel Brief -30 July 2020 – Will a budget pass before deadline? Mass protests expected. UN to fight anti-Semitism.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs.
While atoning for ties to slavery of centuries ago, what of slavery today?
By David E. Kaplan
It is most admirable that two major British companies – Lloyd’s of London and Greene King – have acknowledged their historic ties to the slave trade and felt the need to atone for past sins by pledging to financially support black and minority ethnic communities. “Mea Culpa” is resonating across the UK for crimes committed centuries ago, led by the world’s oldest insurance company and the UK’s largest pub retailer and brewer, who are taking steps to make their businesses “more racially inclusive”.
Deposing Edward. British protesters push a statue of 17th-century slave trader Edward Colston into Bristol’s harbor. (Photo by Giulia Spadafora / NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Jostling in the queue to the public confessional, were two other major British banks, Barclays and the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) which also issued statements acknowledging their roles in the slave trade and committing to do more to foster a fully inclusive environment.
Until recently most proud of its impressive trading history over three centuries, this month, however, Lloyds suddenly revealed there “are some aspects of our history that we are not proud of.” In particular, “we are sorry for the role played by the Lloyd’s market in the eighteenth and nineteenth century slave trade. This was an appalling and shameful period of English history, as well as our own, and we condemn the indefensible wrongdoing that occurred.”
More Slaves Today. A protest rally in London raises awareness for the fight against human trafficking and slavery. (Credit: John)
Not to be outdone, Greene King’s CEO, Nick Mackenzie, expressed that “It is inexcusable that one of our founders profited from slavery and argued against its abolition in the 1800s.”
While it is true that this past conduct is “inexcusable”, all the hype would sound far more credible if the accusation of “INEXCUSABLE” was directed not at long dead practitioners of slavery but those live ones today who are ‘slaving’ away as if nothing has changed.
Research reveals that there are currently 167 countries that still practice slavery, affecting approximately46 million people.
Leading this notorious list is India which has the highest number of slaves in the world – higher than the population of The Netherlands – at 18.4 million slaves. To understand how it is possible, a former slave ‘Mala’ reveals in a recent article in The World that she was just 18 when her boyfriend, Rohit, convinced her to leave their little village in northeastern India for a city where they could “be anonymous” and “live freely together”.
Mala neglected to question her ‘boyfriend’ about where they would live or how they would survive. All she knew was that she wanted to leave her parochial world with the man she believed she loved.
“We left in the dead of the night. I had packed some clothes, but that was it. One of his friends was waiting a little outside the village in a van. We got in and drove for maybe five hours before we stopped. I did not know the name of the place, but I thought we would leave there after a short break.”
Mala would soon realise she had been duped!
“I saw a lady giving a big bunch of money to Rohit,” she said. “He told me he was going out for half an hour, and after that I did not see him again.”
Just over a year ago, Mala was discovered at a brothel when it was raided by the police. Mala was with 45 other girls, including eight minors, who said they were either brought to brothels under false pretenses, or kidnapped and trafficked and then forced into sex work. Like Mala, many had fallen for boys who turned out to be recruiters.
Human Cargo. A depiction of slaves from Africa bound for the plantations of America.
So if the Western narrative of slavery in the 19th century was mostly about working in plantations in the Americas, modern slavery encompasses forced child labour, forced marriage, commercial sexual exploitation, bonded labour, and forced recruitment into non-state armed groups.
China has the second-highest number of slaves at 3.4 million, which is less than a quarter of India’s.
Other countries that have significantly high slave populations are Russia, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Egypt, Myanmar, Iran, Turkey and Sudan.
Human Property. Enslaved Africans were hired, sold and bought like cattle, regardless of their age, sex or marital status.
Below is a table the six countries with the highest slave populations in the world:
India(18.4 million)
China (3.4 million)
Pakistan(2.1 million)
Bangladesh (1.5 million)
Uzbekistan (1.2 million)
North Korea (1.1 million)
So while slavery may have been long and officially abolished, there are still many millions who are born into it or brought into slavery at a young age; and therefore do not know or recall anything different. Mauritania is a country in which the practice of buying and selling slaves has continued since the 13th century, with those enslaved serving families as livestock herders, agricultural workers, and domestic servants for generations, with little to no freedom of movement. This continues despite the fact that slavery was abolished.
In 2006, Selek’ha Mint Ahmed Lebeid, who like her mother was born into slavery in Mauritania, wrote about her experiences:
“I was taken from my mother when I was two years old by my master … he inherited us from his father … I was a slave with these people, like my mother, like my cousins. We suffered a lot. When I was very small, I looked after the goats, and from the age of about seven, I looked after the master’s children and did the household chores – cooking, collecting water, and washing clothes. When I was ten years old I was given to a Marabout [a holy man], who in turn gave me to his daughter as a marriage gift, to be her slave. I was never paid, but I had to do everything, and if I did not do things right, I was beaten and insulted. My life was like this until I was twenty years old. They kept watch over me and never let me go far from home. But I felt my situation was wrong. I saw how others lived.”
In 1994, Mende Nazer was captured as a child following a militia raid on her village in Sudan. She was beaten and sexually abused, eventually sold into domestic slavery to a family in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum. As a young adult, she was transferred to the family of a diplomat in the UK, eventually escaping in 2002.
“Some people say I was treated like an animal,” reflected Nazer, “But I tell them: no, I wasn’t. Because an animal – like a cat or a dog – gets stroked, and love and affection. I had none of that.”
From Slave to Salvation. Mende Nazir’s childhood was cut short at the age of twelve when the Mujahidin rode into her village in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan. Abducted and sold to an Arab woman in Khartoum, Mende was kept as a domestic slave for seven years without any pay or a single day off. Passed on like a parcel by her master to a relative in London, Mende eventually managed to escape to freedom.
Forced Labour
The picture is no less bleak when it comes to other forms of “EXPLOITATION” – a synonym for modern day slavery. The widespread practice of “forced labour” in well over 100 countries ensnares over 25 million people.
How does it work?
In order to support their families, many travel to more developed country believing they will secure decent employment, only to then find themselves forced into labour with no support mechanism and little or no knowledge of the local language. Typically, they are deprived of their identity documents by their traffickers, which limits their ability to escape and ensures control of their person through the threat of exposure to the authorities as “illegal” immigrants.
Slavery Today. A 2019 Geneva-based International Labour Organization (ILO) exhaustive study of modern day slavery, concluded there are over 40 million people who are victims of slavery, including 25 million in forced labour and 15 million in forced marriages with at least 71% of them comprising women and girls.
What follows is a life of work for little or no pay and for long hours, in agriculture, factories, construction, restaurants, and even forced criminal activity, such as cannabis farming. One such was ‘Minh’, a Vietnamese national, who was 16 when he was kidnapped, raped and trafficked and then locked up and forced to grow cannabis.
Forced to work as a slave – but not in the Middle East, Gulf or Asia but in a pastoral corner of Chesterfield in the United Kingdom!
Following a tip off, when the police raided the two-floor house, they found a fully-functioning cannabis farm, complete with dozens of fully-grown plants, thousands of pounds worth of lights and equipment, and one terrified Vietnamese boy – Minh.
Not his real name, Minh is one of the hundreds of children trafficked from Vietnam every year and forced to work in hidden farms across the UK – small cogs in the vast criminal machine that supplies Britain’s £2.6bn cannabis black market. Children such as Minh are lucrative possession for those who run cannabis farms. These people are cheap, expendable, and easy to control and intimidate.
Child Labour. Largely believed today as a scourge of the past, slavery is alive and well today under the new name of ‘human trafficking’
They are SLAVES!
Smuggled overland from Vietnam to the UK, they are then trapped in a form of modern slavery that is now widespread across Britain, yet seemingly below the media’s attention or public interest.
A 2018 UK Government Annual Report on Modern Slavery, estimated that around 13,000 individuals were trapped in some form of enslavement across the UK, and Vietnamese people make up the third-largest group of victims with more than half of them under the age of eighteen.
Of the 40 million people estimated to be trapped in modern slavery worldwide:
1 in 4 of them are children.
Almost three quarters (71%) are women and girls.
Over 10,000 were identified as potential victims by the authorities in the UK in 2019.
So while there is abounding enthusiasm at present for the toppling of statues of those characters in history for participating in past slavery, how about that same level of enthusiasm for the toppling of those live despicable people who are TODAY responsible for enslaving millions of people?
The crack of the whip still prevails!
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs.
The recent political uproar in South Africa triggered by its Chief Justice’s position on Israel has left many with unanswered questions, especially those less informed regarding the creation and existence of the state of Israel. While issues of law and religion are vying for prominence in this complex debate, I stand firmly in the camp that accepts the premise that modern-day Israel was born out of the Zionist dream of Jews returning to their biblical or ancestral homeland. I am proud – not embarrassed by this position
While scholars, politicians and jurists will persist in their arguments of separating religious and political Zionism in their attempts to try and undermine the legal basis of the Jewish state’s existence, the one fact that is irrefutable – irrespective of one’s politics or religion – is that Israel is a reality recognised as such within the community of nations. That Israel’s existence is further supported by Christian belief does not undermine or discredit our Christian position on the issue or reflect negatively on Israel.
Rebirth of a Nation. The international community says YES to the establishment of the State of Israel with the UN proclamation of the independence of the State of Israel in New York, 1947. (Copyright: GPO)
So why the unfair crazed assault on our esteemed and proudly Christian Chief Justice?
Many of us Christians in South Africa proudly join with Chief JusticeMogoeng Mogoeng in his opinion that Israel is the realisation of biblical prophecy. Our Christian position is in no way contrary to Israel’s existence. On the contrary – it reinforces it; hence the title of my article – ‘Christianity is intertwined with Zionism’.
For those less informed on Israel’s founding, let us remember that the former Soviet Union was the first country to recognise Israel on the 17 May 1948. This was followed by Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Ireland and YES – South Africa! The United States extended de jure recognition after Israel’s first election on 31 January 1949.
The biblical texts envisaged the return of the exiles back to Israel in the end of times through prophets like Isaiah, Joel, Zachariah and Ezekiel who warned that nations shall rise against Israel. Do we want South Africa to be amongst those nations foretold in the Bible that “shall rise against Israel”?
Christian Concern. During the Israel-Gaza War in 2014, over 12,000 South Africans, mostly Christians from all across the country, gathered in Johannesburg calling on Hamas to stop firing its rockets at Israel and strive for peace and security for both the people of Israel and of Gaza.
If we deny Israel as Christians then we are denying the ‘Will of the Father’ and the truth of the very scriptures we believe in.
Recently, the church has been pushed into political correctness on their position on Israel due to increasing global rejection of the state of Israel accusing it of being “a colonial settler state”.
Does Israel have outstanding issues to resolve? Yes, it does. Does South Africa have enormous existential issues that demand resolution? Yes, it does.
But this should not undermine our respective countries existence or warrant our destruction!
What the enemies of Israel want, and those attacking the Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng is that Israel should be characterised like the discredited statues in the US and UK in the hope that it too will topple, tumble, disappear or fall into the sea!
It will not happen.
Beliefs Under Attack. The South African Branch of The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem organised a petition against the statements by ANC spokesperson, Pule Mabe and other organisations attacking Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng.
It suits those attacking Christian support for Israel by resorting to such statements that “the bible is a fallacy or a book of fairytale stories.” When they can devise a position in Christian scriptures to attack Israel, then the Bible is not “a fallacy or a book of fairytale stories.”
Sadly, what past wars between the Arab world and Israel achieved; was to divide the world into two camps.
It is unfair and malicious to attack Christians for their love for Israel. Would fellow Muslims, unhappy with certain policies in Saudi Arabia, try undermining that county’s existence and advocate for boycotts? Would they dare suggest to BOYCOTT the Hajj – the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca? Of course not and should not.
Our love of Israel has nothing to do with its government or its military but rather a spiritual obligation to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Christian criticism of Israel is vital to improve and develop the only democracy in the Middle East to become the beckon of social justice for the preservation and advancement of Judeo-Christian values.
Recent attacks and condemnations against Israel are deeply rooted in antisemitism irrespective of human rights accusations based on the fact that Israel is the only country in the world with more than 200 condemnations at the United Nations, compared to such countries with grievous human rights abusers like China, Burma, Libya, North Korea, South Sudan, Iran, Syria, Turkey and many others. Most of them are notable for their antipathy to Israel and rush to condemn Israel at global forums.
If we are selective in our activism for ‘Human Rights’ then our activism becomes corrupted to satisfy particular political agendas.
We should continue to push and help constructively in the mediation between Israel and the Palestinians to try achieving a lasting peaceful resolution for all the people in this region.
To this end, however, Christians should never be blackmailed to support narratives which are in contradiction of their biblical scriptures.
Zionism was born out of the desire of exiles to return to their homeland which coincides with biblical prophecies as reflected in Mathew (5:9):
“Blessed are the Peacemakers, For They Will be Called Children of God.”
Hence, I am firmly of the belief that Zionism is intertwined with Christianity.
Following this reasoning, it is not possible for any Christian to deny the existence of Israel and not support its development as a nation commissioned by God and ultimately to serve as a banner for the Almighty’s faithfulness and love of all nations. Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng was bold in taking the stance for his belief against political correctness hence we fully support and echo his sentiments which are universal and in accordance with biblical truth.
An Appeal to Heal. Christians across South Africa are coming out in support of their country’s Chief Justice, Mogoeng Mogoeng’s balanced position to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
About the writer:
Bafana Modise, is Radio Personality, Public Speaker, Leadership Coach, Christian Activist and Voice-Over Artist who serves as Education Coordinator at South African Friends of Israel.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs
What’s happening in Israel today? See this week’s daily ‘The Israel Brief’ broadcasts on LOTL YouTube by seasoned TV & radio broadcaster, Rolene Marks familiar to Chai FM listeners in South Africaand millions of American listeners to the News/Talk/Sports radio station WINA broadcasting out of Charlottesville, Virginia. You can subscribe to LOTL news from Israel and enjoy at a time of your convenience.
Descendants of victims and perpetrators team up to unravel the truth of who murdered the Jews of Lithuania
By David. E. Kaplan
Truth be Told. Ostracized for her honesty, Rūta Vanagaitė with co-author, Nazi hunter, Efraim Zuroff.
Murder Most Foul! But who did the killings of 90% of Lithuania’s Jewish community? Many in Lithuania, from its government down, would like to blame it all on ‘the usual suspects’ – the Nazis! NOT TRUE reveals intrepid investigators Nazi hunter Efraim Zuroff and Lithuanian writer Rūta Vanagaitė in a revealing exposé of the nature and scope of Lithuanian complicity in the Holocaust.
Another Side to Israel-Syria Relations. Lt Col (Res) Eyal Dror proudly displays a picture of an Israeli flag drawn for him by a young Syrian girl (To Abu-Ya’akub from Wiham).
It took an army to save Syrian civilians – Israel’s army! Between 2016-2018, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) embarked on Operation Good Neighbour, a humanitarian mission that saved thousands of Syrian civilians experiencing injuries and trauma during the ongoing civil war. Lay of the Land travelled to the Golan Heights to meet Lt Col (Res) Eyal Dror, who commanded the special unit charged with carrying out over 700 lifesaving missions.
Lessons learned during COVID is that Preventive Care in the ‘best of times’ can reduce health risks in the ‘worst of times’
By Lionel H. Phillips D.O.
Breath of Fresh Air. Vital information for healthier living.
We all breathe without giving it a thought, and all too often, choose the wrong option – breathing through the mouth instead of the nose. Be guided by International Fitness & Health Instructor Lionel Phillips on how to go about breathing through the nose and discover the many important health benefits to be had from correct consistent nose breathing.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs
Imagine for a moment, what it would feel like for a small child to taste ice cream for the first time, to feel the soft, comforting hug of a giant teddy bear. Imagine as a parent, being able to sit and enjoy a quiet cup of coffee while your child plays safely. These are small, everyday gestures that we take for granted but for those many thousands affected by civil war in Syria, they are miracles.
Civil war broke out in Syria in 2001, affecting millions of civilians. This is a war that still continues. My Lay of the Land colleague, Yair Chelouche, and I recently had the pleasure of travelling to the Golan Heights (responsibly masked of course!) to meet with Lt Col (Res) Eyal Dror, commander of the “Good Neighbor” directorate, under the IDF’s Northern Command.
Close Encounters. Lt Col (Res) Dror and Lay of the Land’s Rolene Marks at a lookout point with Syria mere metres behind them.
We meet Lt Col (Res) Dror at a lookout point that gives us a clear view of Syria, the surrounding hills and the old city of Quneitra. The landscape is dotted with apple orchards and cherry trees and seems peaceful. Deceptively peaceful.
Golan Heights. Deceptively peaceful landscape
To understand the tremendous security threat that Israel faces on the border, we have to look at the topography of the landscape. From our vantage point, just 500m from the border with Syria, we gain a better understanding just how close terror groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS are to Israel. The ever present threat posed by Iran and its proxy, Hezbollah is not too far away and the IDF need to be ever vigilant.
We also cannot forget that there is still an ongoing civil war in Syria.
The impact of civil war on a civilian population is tragic beyond belief. Civilians are not only caught in the crossfire but are often used as pawns between warring factions, women raped and children severely traumatized. Information about what was happening to Syria’s civilians reached the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) and Lt Col (Res)
Safe and Secure. Away from the Syrian civil war, this young Syrian child clutches his teddy bear while receiving treatment inside an Israeli hospital.
Dror, who had previously served in coordination and liaison units with the Palestinians, was approached to form a unit that would carry out an extremely important mission – helping to save the lives of Syrian civilians by enabling them to receive medical and humanitarian care in Israel.
The result was “Operation Good Neighbor”, which started in 2016 and was forced to come to an end in 2018, following the return of the Assad government’s control of southern Syria along the border with Israel.
Over 700 missions were carried out and nearly 5000 civilians brought into Israel. A field clinic was also set up with the aid of a Christian organisation near the border and this allowed for the treatment of 8000 Syrians. The IDF also opened up a maternity ward next to the field clinc and one of the greatest achievement of “Operation Good Neighbor”, was welcoming 1000 babies into the world!
“First of all, I always remember that my mission is to create security – to create good neighbourly relations on both sides of the border. We do this, perhaps, in the noblest way possible,” says Lt Col (Res) Dror commander of the “Good Neighbor” Administration. “It is a great privilege for me to command a unit whose mission it is, in this place and at this time. We have been given the opportunity to influence reality, and with a lot of will and good people – I believe we will continue to do the best we can.”
Help on the Heights. A Syrian child plays inside an Israeli hospital as part of the IDF’s ‘Operation Good Neighbor’ project, which helped thousands of Syrians before Syrian dictator Bashar Assad regained control of the area bordering the Golan Heights. (Israel Defense Forces)
Looking out at the ruins of the old city of Quneitra and surrounding landscape, I tried to imagine what it must have been like for the brave soldiers of the IDF, who endured immensely difficult and dangerous conditions, to rescue these equally courageous civilians. I imagined heavy fire exchanges between Assad’s forces and rebels, frightened civilians and extremely alert IDF soldiers, with an ever present awareness that they were helping to rescue civilians from an enemy country and that very territory was fraught with terror entities. The IDF soldiers knew that they were carrying out a sacred mission, in line with the ethos and moral code of the army – the sanctity of protecting civilian life.
“Aid operations take place almost every night, at high intensity and in all weather,” says the commander of the 77th Battalion, Lt Col (Res) Shaul Israeli, whose battalion performs operational employment on the Syrian border. “Sometimes it is about transferring food to children, sometimes with medicines and sometimes also real medical equipment. The most exciting action of all is the transfer of children to medical care in the country – patients, the disabled and those who do not have access to appropriate medical care in Syria, find in us light and hope for a better life for them.”
Israel To The Rescue. It is estimated that Israel through ‘Operation Good Neighbor’ provided Syrians with 1,700 tons of food, 1.1 million liters of fuel, 26,000 cases of medical supplies, 20 generators, 40 vehicles, 630 tents, 8,200 boxes of diapers, 49,000 cases of baby food, and 700,000 lbs of clothing. (Israel Defense Forces)
From our vantage point, we can see the enormous United Nations compound, where peacekeeping forces are stationed. I asked Lt Col (Res) Dror if the UN or any other counterparts like the EU (European Union) had any part to play in “Operation Good Neighbor”. He explicitly replied that they did not. It would appear that neither major international body (who are often prone to great criticism of Israel) was interested in helping in any way. The IDF was also responsible for the rescue of 400 Syrian civilians who were members of the ‘White Helmets’, a civil defense volunteer organization and their families.
But this mission was all about the civilians. The individual stories grip your heart. Listening to Lt Col (Res) Dror, the tears welled in my eyes.
What is important to understand, is that this wasn’t simply a case of bringing people in, patching up their wounds and then sending them home. It was not a “band aid” approach.
Many civilians required long term care and were dispatched to various hospitals.
Saving Syrians. Israeli soldiers carried injured and ill Syrians to be treated in Israeli hospitals in the northern Israeli cities of Nehariya, Tiberias and Safed, though Lt Col (Res) Dror explains that hospitals all across the country participated too, welcoming Syrian citizens for life-saving care.
“Imagine what it was like to come to a country that you are taught is the devil and receive care from an Arab doctor or a Druze nurse, speaking to you in Arabic. Those making it possible were Israeli soldiers in uniform. They see that Israel is made up lots of different people”, says Dror. I asked him if the IDF was ever acknowledged and his reply was that they didn’t need it but having received the smiles, the pictures drawn for them by children and just the knowledge that generations of Syrians will grow up with a positive understanding of Israel was thanks enough.
Rescuing Rescue Workers. IDF soldiers offering water to Syrian rescue workers ‘White Helmets’ and their families whom Israel transported from Syria into Jordan, as they fled the Assad regime on July 22, 2018. (Israel Defense Forces)
Lt Col (Res) Dror, recalls how he asked one little boy what he wanted to be when he grew up. His question was met with silence. To this sweet little boy, who had seen his closest friend killed, the idea of reaching adulthood, let alone contemplating a career was something he could not fathom. After a while he remarked that he could now have hope that at least maybe he could grow up to reach adulthood.
The gift of hope is priceless!
The soldiers who served on this mission have a lifetime of memories from the individual stories of the people they helped.
Lt Col (Res) Dror is visibly moved when he shares two stories. A little girl was brought into Israel, her leg completely crushed. In such cases, she would have had her leg amputated and sent back to where she came from. Doctors who treated her however, decided that she would stay in Israel for several months for rehabilitation after being fitted with an expensive Ilizarov external fixator, the cost covered by Israel. The IDF and her team of doctors and caregivers made sure that she would have everything she needed to improve her quality of life.
Lifesaver. How many Syrian babies will grow up to be adults thanks to the Israeli army that saved them from diseases and injuries?
Lt Col (Res) Dror shares a lovely picture of an Israeli flag. This story is very special to him. Another little girl was safely brought in for medical care. Suffering severely from diabetes, doctors remarked that if she had not been brought to them for care and treatment, she would have been dead within hours. Her palate had virtually disintegrated as a result of her illness. Doctors and surgeons treated her, reconstructed her mouth and sent her home with a year’s supply of insulin and medicine. Medicine for diabetes is hard to find in Syria and is prohibitively expensive.
Another Side to Israel-Syria Relations. Lt Col (Res) Eyal Dror proudly displays a picture of an Israeli flag drawn for him by a young Syrian girl (To Abu-Ya’akub from Wiham).
The stories are endless and so moving. Children were able to play for the first time without fear, taste the simple pleasure of ice cream while their parents can enjoy moments of respite from war. It is hard to imagine the courage that it took for these
Thanks to Israel. A letter from a southern Syrian civil defense group thanking the IDF for its ‘Operation Good Neighbor’ project, which helped thousands of Syrians. (Israel Defense Forces)
civilians to risk their lives to receive care from an army and country that they once perceived as the ultimate enemy. It is even harder to imagine their life under constant threat of war. For the soldiers of the IDF who participated in “Operation Good Neighbor”, the ultimate ‘Thank You’ was evident in the hope that they helped instill, the improvement in the health and quality of life for thousands, and the massive barrier of distrust and hate that came crumbling down under the force of humanity and care.
The IDF proved that in a time of strife, you can still love thy neighbour.
Warning: This video clip might contain imagery not suitable for sensitive viewers
Operation Good Neighbor is a mission of compassion for those in need and of hope for a better, more secure border between Israel and Syria. Over the past six years, we’ve seen war destroy the lives of Syrian civilians. We couldn’t stand by and watch. While carrying out Operation Good Neighbor, we’ve had the honour of meeting our neighbours and hearing their stories. #OperationGoodNeighbor#IDFOperations
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs
The Israel Brief -20 July 2020 – Israel’s infections slightly down but anger rising. Malka Leifer update. UAE heads to Mars.
The Israel Brief -21 July 2020 – Confusion around restrictions. The Netherlands admits to funding terror. Hungarian visit.
The Israel Brief -22 July 2020 – Topless protesters? Abbas says he is ready to negotiate. Twitter calls Star of David “hateful image”.
The Israel Brief -23 July 2020 – Is Israel headed to a 4th election? IDF bolsters northern command. Spain adopts IHRA.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs
A descendant of victims of the Holocaust and a descendent of its perpetrators team up to unravel the truth of who murdered the Jews of Lithuania
By David. E. Kaplan
Consider the following:
Of the 220,000 Jews that lived in Lithuania when the Nazis invaded on June 22, 1941, 90% would be killed over the ensuing three years – not in gas chambers – but by “personal murder” – by shooting. And yet, there were less than 1000 Germans in Lithuania during the Nazi occupation!
So who did so much of the killing or more specifically:
What was the extent of Lithuanian participation in the Holocaust?
It is this much avoided and deflected question that set off two intrepid investigators – Dr.Efraim Zuroff, the Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) Chief Nazi Hunter and Director of the SWC’s Israel office andone of Lithuania’s most influential and popular writers and a descendent of Lithuanian persecutors of Jews, Rūta Vanagaité, on a journey of discovery.
The result is their groundbreaking publication:
OUR PEOPLE
Discovering Lithuania’s Hidden Holocaust
This compelling ‘book of revelations’ traces the truth about the Holocaust in Lithuania focusing on the role played by ordinary Lithuanians and exposes the efforts of past and current governments to hide crimes of murder perpetrated by Lithuanians on their fellow citizens. It is the first documented history of Lithuanian complicity in the Holocaust based solely on Lithuanian sources.
Our People. This compelling book traces the quest for the truth about the Holocaust in Lithuania.
It focuses on a number of contentious issues, notably:
What was the extent of Lithuanian collaboration? Just how many Lithuanians participated in the execution of Jews?
Were there murderous attacks against Jews before the Nazis arrived?
The efforts by Lithuanians to create a false symmetry between communist and Nazi crimes. There are constantly attempts to glorify those who fought against the Soviets after 1944, despite the fact that these people had participated in the genocide of the Jews
Tellers of the Truth. Shunned by many in her family and ostracized in her country where the book has been withdrawn from Lithuanian bookstores, Rūta Vanagaitė (right) with co-author, Nazi hunter, Efraim Zuroff at a public address of their book – ‘Our People – Discovering Lithuanian’s Hidden Holocaust’.
The urgent need to unveil this dark past was all too evident earlier this year in January 2020, when over 200 Israelis, mostly of Lithuanian descent including this writer, braved the freezing cold and rain to protest outside the Lithuanian Embassy in Tel Aviv. The reason for the protest – to register opposition to a proposed parliamentary resolution declaring:
“Lithuania has no responsibility for the murders and extermination of Lithuanian Jews during the Second World War because it was occupied by Soviets and then by Nazi Germany.”
The proposed resolution was to absolve Lithuania and Lithuanians of involvement in the Holocaust for the murder of 95% of Jewish citizens because it was occupied successively by Russia and Germany. Should not a nation’s law be there to reveal the truth, not hide it?
Truth be Told. Nazi hunter, Efraim Zuroff (left) with Lay Of The land’s David Kaplan (third left) and fellow protestors outside the Lithuanian Embassy on January 24 2020. The banner is addressed to Lithuanian parliament member Gumuliauskas and reads: “No law will wipe away the blood of Jews”
With the message of this protest outside the Lithuanian Embassy being “No One Saved Their Lives, Lets Save The Truth”, the book by Rūta Vanagaité and Efraim Zuroff – one of the speakers at the Tel Aviv protest – could not come soon enough!
Frustrated with the passage of time of “fewer suspects to bring to justice, the focus,” says Zuroff, “is shifting from prosecution to education.” In other words from the courtroom to the classroom. The monumental material presented by these two brave Holocaust detectives will hopefully impact – if too late for a court of law, at least in the court of public opinion.
Banning the Truth. Credited with breaking taboos in Lithuanian society about collaboration during World War II, Rūta Vanagaitépresents the book ‘Our People’ with co-author top Nazi hunter Efraim Zuroff, February 17, 2016. The Lithuanian publisher has since recalled books. (AFP/Petras Malukas)_
Holocaust Travelogue
The book is unusual in many respects. Firstly, it is the product of a ‘partnership’ rather than a “collaboration – a word that does not contextually resonate well with me,” quipped Zuroff – between the descendants of victims and collaborators. The two investigative writers visited over a period of 40 intense days, dozens of mass murder sites in Lithuania and Belarus, where they interviewed witnesses still living “right next these sites.”
Murder on their Mind. A group of Jews facing execution in the forests of Siauliai, Lithuania, 26-29.06.1941. Even before the Germans arrived at the major Jewish settlements, murderous riots perpetrated by the Lithuanians broke out against the Jews and at the encouragement of the Germans, the riots continued and thousands of Jews were murdered.
Exchanges between the cowriters interspersed throughout the book reveal the depth of their motivation in embarking on their journey. In one, Zuroff says, “You can cry from today till doomsday, but it does not change the facts… You know why everyone in Lithuania hates me? Because they know that I am right,” to which Vanagaite responds, “So let me see if you are right or not. Let me face this truth. Let us face it together.”
In this way, the descendant of victims and the descendant of victimizers undertake a joint “journey with the enemy,” in a quest to unearth the unvarnished truth about Lithuania’s Holocaust.
It is also the first book to bring verbatim quotes from those who participated in the shootings – those who actually pulled the triggers! Having personally visited many of these sites in Lithuania, I recall at the time, noting the close proximity of the mass grave pits to the villages, what the residents must have thought as they watched their neighbours marched out of town followed shortly by the thunderous sounds of gunfire?
As Zuroff notes:
“There were killing sites where there had been only Lithuanians; other sites where the only Germans present were those photographing the shooting, and then there were locations where Nazis from Germany and Austria together with Lithuanians carried out the mass executions.”
To understand the mindset of these “ordinary” Lithuanians who pulled the triggers, this 1998 interview of a 28-year-old volunteer to the Lithuanian 12th Battalion that was transported to Belarus in a unit assigned to kill Jews is most revealing. His participation in the slaughter of at least 15,424 in 15 different locations around the country, mostly occurred before the notorious 1942 Wannsee Conference called to coordinate the implementation of the “Final Solution of the Jewish Question.”
Killings in Kovno. Crowds gather to view the aftermath of a massacre at Lietukis Garage, where pro-German Lithuanian nationalists killed more than 50 Jewish men. The victims were beaten, hosed, and then murdered with iron bars. Kovno, Lithuania, June 27, 1941.(Dokumentationsarchiv des Oesterreichischen Widerstande)
He describes the procedure:
“The local police went through apartments and collected Jews, then herded them onto the square.” The Germans kept back anyone likely to be useful to them, and the rest were marched by the Lithuanian unit, in a column four people wide, to pits already dug beyond the city limits.
“They were herded into the pit, laid on the ground, and then we shot them.”
Having slaughtered one batch, they forced the next group to lie down on top of the corpses before firing on them, then the next.
“The small children were carried; the others were led. We murdered them all.”
As to the question of the role of the Germans, this soldier replied:
“The Germans shot rarely; mostly they used to shoot photographs.”
This type of testimony reinforced by photographs, reveal that in most cases the massacres were carried out by Lithuanians. At times, no Germans were even present!
Equally fascinating was the soldiers reply to the question whether he ever asked himself why these Jews were being shot?
“I don’t blame anyone anymore, only God…… for allowing the murder of innocent people. And that’s how I thought about it then as well.”
In other words, God was responsible!
What made this book all the more compelling and authentic was that Zuroff’s partner was a descendant of “the very people we were investigating.”
Cruel Complicity. A Lithuanian militia in 1941 leads a group of Jews to the site of their execution, at Ponary, near present-day Vilnius, Lithuania.
It is important to understand how this unusual partnership arose:
“The first time I met Rūta Vanagaité,” says Zuroff, “was in 2015. She had a grant to teach non-Jewish Lithuanian students about Judaism and Jewish history. What had motivated her was the discovery shortly before that two of her relatives had been complicit in the Holocaust and she was looking for a way to shed light on her own families dark past – in a way to atone for their sins.”
Growing up in Lithuania, she told Zuroff that she knew nothing about Jews, which prompted her to start a program called “Being a Jew”. She received a grant from the EU (European Union), to run the programme and to expand it beyond Lithuania to include Slovakia, Romania and the Czech Republic. As part of the grant, the EU obligated her to run a conference on Holocaust education. “However, she had no idea who to invite as she had never dealt with the subject before, so she approached some people in Lithuania who had been dealing with this issue and they said you can invite anyone except two people.”
One of those they all warned her against – was the Nazi hunter Efraim Zuroff!
“All Rūta had to hear was whom NOT to invite and she, of course, invited us both.”
A month before the conference, which Zuroff was unable to attend, he needed to visit Lithuania and curious to meet Rūta, he communicated with her and she invited him to speak. This came as a huge surprise. “I had not been invited to speak in Lithuania for 25 years where I am persona non grata there – not officially but in effect. Anyway, we met, and she told me about her relatives that had participated in persecuting Jews. I was in shock. I had visited Lithuania dozens of times over the years in my efforts to prosecute Nazi Lithuanian collaborators and no-one had ever told me that their families had been involved. Given the huge number of Lithuanian collaborators, I’m sure I must have met people who families were involved but they never said a word.”
Here for the first time, Zuroff met someone who not only admitted; but felt the need to do something about it.
Realizing what they were up against, literally a wall resisting the truth, “we realised that it may be better if the message came rather from Rūta than me. After all, she was Lithuanian, not Jewish with no axe to grind. Me on the other hand, I am a Jew from Jerusalem; with a Brooklyn accent; and a very hated figure in Lithuania. It was a no-brainer, and this is why our book now published in six languages, on the Lithuanian edition – my name does NOT appear.”
Not that made any difference. While Our People became a best-seller in Lithuania, it has now been removed from its bookstores.
Future Impact
To the question whether other descendants of perpetrators would be encouraged by the book to follow the example of Rūta, Zuroff replies that “It’s not only what the descendants of perpetrators will do but more a question of what Lithuanian society will do! We hope that the book will create a veritable revolution in terms of Lithuanians understanding what happened and coming to terms with the truth.”
And there has been some encouraging signs. “Soon after the book was published, a dedication ceremony to the martyrs of the Holocaust in Moletai in north eastern Lithuania where in the past 50 people would attend, over 3000 people showed up to march from at the site of the former synagogue destroyed by the Nazis to the site of the mass murder outside the town.”
On the other hand, Lithuania’s most popular writer is paying a price.
Rūta Vanagaité has been harshly treated. During her research, she questioned an initiative in 2018 to honour one of Lithuanian’s post-WWII anti-Soviet fighters. “She had read his file in the KGB archives and knew his past during the Nazi occupation was questionable.”
The response was swift and vengeful.
“Her publisher severed relations with her, removed all her books from bookstores, and they are now stored in a garage in Vilna,” relates Zuroff.
“Originally they said they were going to turn her books into toilet paper, but she sued to get the books back, but no bookstore in Lithuania is prepared to stock them.” Clearly, this harassment has backing from above. “The father of Lithuanian independence, Vytautas Landsbergis wrote an op-ed in the country’s most influential and popular website, basically telling Rūta that now that she has betrayed her country, why does she not go commit suicide. That was sufficient to convince her that it was time to leave Lithuania and today lives much of her time in Israel.”
Holocaust Distortion
Why this book is so important for the future is articulated best by the writers themselves:
“If there is anything that has been learned from the events of the past almost three decades….. when it comes to facing the Holocaust in post-Communist Eastern Europe, lip service is the dominant currency. In that respect, Lithuania is not only an excellent example, but is in fact, the leader of the efforts to elude an honest confrontation with Holocaust history, and in the process rob the Shoah of its justified status as a unique case of genocide. This process is known as Holocaust distortion, not to be confused with the far-better known phenomenon of Holocaust denial. Yet it is those efforts, which have intensified over the past fifteen years; especially since the Baltics were accepted as full members in both the European Union and NATO, which currently pose a particularly dangerous threat to the future of Shoah memory and education, and make this book of unique significance, way beyond Lithuania’s borders.”
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs
The severe conditions of COVID-19 that we are living through have made one fact painfully clear – Preventive Care in the ‘best of times’ can reduce health risks in the ‘worst of times’
By Lionel H. Phillips D.O.
Now is the time to be proactive and embrace the power of preventive care. In the same vein of prevention, it is also important to stay as active as possible.
American pharmacologist and 1998 Nobel Laureate in Physiology, Prof. Louis J. Ignarro, describes one of the body’s many natural defenses against pathogens:
“Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. It’s not just something you do in yoga class – breathing this way actually provides a powerful medical benefit that can help the body fight viral infections.”
I have requested that health Ministries make a point of questioning each and every COVID-19 virus sufferer, as to whether they are nose or mouth breathers.
I am convinced that a larger percent are mouth breathers.
Nose breathing – as opposed to mouth breathing, increases circulation, blood oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, slows the breathing rate and improves overall lung volumes. Diaphragmatic Breathing – When you inhale, your diaphragm contracts (tightens) and moves downward, extending the area. This creates more space in your chest cavity allowing the lungs to expand. The diaphragm muscle not only separates the upper from the lower organs, it also acts as a massager tool to both areas. Your nose cleans the air you breathe – The nose helps clean the air. On the surface of the nasal tissues, particularly the turbinates, are cells with small hair-like appendages called cilia that trap much of the bad stuff. Writes Prof. Louis J. Ignarro, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Molecular & Medical Pharmacology, UCLA School of Medicine, in an article dated 19th June 2020:
“Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. It’s not just something you do in yoga class – breathing this way actually provides a powerful medical benefit that can help the body fight viral infections. The reason is that your nasal cavities produce the molecule nitric oxide, which chemists abbreviate NO, that increases blood flow through the lungs and boosts oxygen levels in the blood. Breathing in through the nose delivers NO (nitric oxide) directly into the lungs, where it helps fight coronavirus infection by blocking the replication of the coronavirus in the lungs”.
It would be surely advantageous for the Health Ministries to take note of the experience and views of Prof. Ignarro.
Air temperature – In the same way as our throat and lungs do not like dirty air, they do not like air that is too cold or too hot. The passing of the air through the nose allows the air to become more like our body temperature, which is better tolerated by the tissues.
Your Respiratory System
We all know that breathing is a vital necessity, that we do without giving it a thought. In addition, we have been given two options – to breathe through the nose or mouth. We breathe to supply our body with oxygen as we breathe in – inhale, whilst we get rid of Carbon Dioxide plus other elements when we exhale. The Oxygen that we inhale either through the nose or the mouth, will enter your lungs. The diagram illustrates the route. The oxygen inhaled will enter your Pharynx, pass through the Trachea and then enter your Lungs. Research shows that Nose breathing is the correct and most optimal way to breathe. Not only are our bodies designed for nose breathing based on the specific apparatus and the mechanisms by which we inhale and exhale through nose breathing, but there are numerous important health benefits to be had from correct consistent nose breathing. The converse is also true, because mouth breathing bypasses important filtering stages in the breathing process and this method of breathing may lead to many health problems, not the least of which may include snoring and sleep apnea. Our lungs are full of tunnels that end in tiny air sacks called alveoli. This is where the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place. The oxygen then passes into your blood, which supplies the oxygenated blood to every part of your body.
Diaphragmatic Breathing – The In’s and Out’s
The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle at the base of the lungs that separates the thoracic (chest) from the abdominal cavities. It is the principal muscle of respiration, though you may not be aware of it. When you inhale, through the nose your diaphragm contracts (tightens) and moves downward extending the abdominal area. This creates more space in your chest cavity allowing the lungs to expand. When you exhale, the opposite happens — your diaphragm relaxes and moves upward in the chest cavity, providing a great massage for both upper and lower organs. All of us are born with the ingrained knowledge of how to fully engage the diaphragm to take deep, refreshing breaths. As we get older however, we get out of the habit. Everything from the stresses of everyday life to common poor postural habits, results in shallower, less satisfying “chest breathing.”
Nasal breathing – as opposed to mouth breathing – increases circulation, blood oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, slows the breathing rate and improves overall lung volumes. The internal nose not only provides around 90% of the respiratory system air-conditioning requirement, but also recovers around 33% of exhaled heat and moisture. Your nose cleans the air you breathe. The air we breathe has all kinds of stuff in it – from oxygen and nitrogen to dust, pollution, allergens, smoke, bacteria, viruses, small bugs and countless other things. The nose helps clean that air. On the surface of the nasal tissues, particularly the turbinates, are cells with small hair-like appendages called cilia that trap much of the bad stuff. Once captured, the bad stuff sits in the mucous and is gradually pushed into the throat, where it is swallowed. Our stomachs tolerate bad stuff much better than our lungs. This is lessened by blowing your nose when it feels blocked, rather than waiting until it is swallowed. In your Lungs there are sacs called Alveoli. Blood vessels cover the alveolus that connect to a system of veins and arteries that move blood through your body. The oxygen then spreads into the blood vessels so that the heart can pump it to different parts of your body. The sense of smell is not only for pleasure; it is necessary for safety. We need our smell to detect smoke, spoiled food and toxic gases. People who have lost their sense of smell need to have alarms for these gases and they must be careful with what they eat. Our nose regulates the temperature. Just like our throat and lungs do not like dirty air, they do not like air that is too cold or too hot. The passing of the air through the nose allows the air to become more like the body temperature, which is better tolerated by the tissues. Warming cool air is more common than cooling warm air. That is because we spend more time in environments below body temperature than above it. A clear manifestation of the warming and humidifying effect is the runny nose we get in cold weather, which is related to condensation of the moisture in the nose. Smell plays a key role in taste. We have four primary tastes – bitter, sour, sweet and salty. All of the refinements in taste are in fact related to smell. That is why people feel that food is tasteless when their ability to smell is decreased.
Diaphragmatic breathing technique – How to get started
Lie on your back on a flat surface or in bed, with your knees and head supported with pillows as shown in the diagram. Place one hand on your upper chest and the other just below your rib cage. This will allow you to feel the movement of your diaphragm as you breathe in and out. Breathe in slowly through your nose so that your abdominal section moves out against your hand. The hand on your chest should remain as still as possible. Tighten your abdominal muscles, letting them fall inward as you exhale through pursed lips. The hand on your upper chest must remain as still as possible. When you first learn the diaphragmatic breathing technique, it may be easier for you to follow the instructions lying down, as shown above. As you gain more practice, you can try the diaphragmatic breathing technique while sitting in a chair. To perform this exercise while sitting in a chair: Sit comfortably, with your knees bent and your shoulders, head and neck relaxed. The rest of the breathing process is identical as when lying down. Note: You may notice an increased effort will be needed to use the diaphragm correctly. At first, you will probably get tired while doing this exercise. But keep at it, because with continued practice, diaphragmatic breathing will become easy and automatic. Correct Nose Breathing has a positive effect on every system in the body. Mouth breathing will have a negative effect.
How often should I practice this exercise?
At first, practice this exercise for a few minutes about 2 – 3 times per day. Gradually increase the amount of time you spend doing this exercise, and perhaps even increase the effort of the exercise by placing a book on your abdomen if lying down.
A change from an ingrained habit of mouth breathing to nose breathing is extremely difficult for many. Please do not give up too easily. In addition, it is understandable that the elderly often find mouth breathing easier for them. Even in their situation, I would encourage them to have patience. You may find children and grandchildren easier to convince before the mouth breathing becomes ingrained.
As for the COVID-19 Virus, allow me to share a thought on the assumption that you have read through the above information on the Respiratory system. During this time, nose breathing becomes even more important and relevant. Nose breathing can reduce dust, pollution, allergens, smoke, bacteria and viruses from entering the lungs. As usual, I welcome your views and comments on the above. Shoot straight from the hip. May you and yours keep safe and healthy.
About the Author:
Lionel Phillips is a Doctor of Osteopathy (1975), an International Fitness & Health Instructor, Consultant and Lecturer. He has researched and designed ‘The Needs & Functions of the Human Body’ as an educational subject for inclusion in all School Curriculums World-Wide.
A past Federation Member and Israel Liaison Representative of IHRSA (International, Health & Racquet Sportsclub Association) and member of their worldwide “Panel of Experts”, Phillips is a recipient of the “Prime Ministers Award of Merit” (PM Menachem Begin).
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs
Bafana Modise, is Radio Personality, Public Speaker, Leadership Coach, Christian Activist and Voice-Over Artist who serves as Education Coordinator at South African Friends of Israel.
breathe to supply our body with oxygen as we breathe in – inhale, whilst we get rid of Carbon Dioxide plus other elements when we exhale. The Oxygen that we inhale either through the nose or the mouth, will enter your lungs. The diagram illustrates the route. The oxygen inhaled will enter your Pharynx, pass through the Trachea and then enter your Lungs. Research shows that Nose breathing is the correct and most optimal way to breathe. Not only are our bodies designed for nose breathing based on the specific apparatus and the mechanisms by which we inhale and exhale through nose breathing, but there are numerous important health benefits to be had from correct consistent nose breathing. The converse is also true, because mouth breathing bypasses important filtering stages in the breathing process and this method of breathing may lead to many health problems, not the least of which may include snoring and sleep apnea. Our lungs are full of tunnels that end in tiny air sacks called alveoli. This is where the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place. The oxygen then passes into your blood, which supplies the oxygenated blood to every part of your body.
The internal nose not only provides around 90% of the respiratory system air-conditioning requirement, but also recovers around 33% of exhaled heat and moisture. Your nose cleans the air you breathe. The air we breathe has all kinds of stuff in it – from oxygen and nitrogen to dust, pollution, allergens, smoke, bacteria, viruses, small bugs and countless other things. The nose helps clean 
that air. On the surface of the nasal tissues, particularly the turbinates, are cells with small hair-like appendages called cilia that trap much of the bad stuff. Once captured, the bad stuff sits in the mucous and is gradually pushed into the throat, where it is swallowed. Our stomachs tolerate bad stuff much better than our lungs. This is lessened by blowing your nose when it feels blocked, rather than waiting until it is swallowed. In your Lungs there are sacs called Alveoli. Blood vessels cover the alveolus that connect to a system of veins and arteries that move blood through your body. The oxygen then spreads into the blood vessels so that the heart can pump it to different parts of your body. The sense of smell is not only for pleasure; it is necessary for safety. We need our smell to detect smoke, spoiled food and toxic gases. People who have lost their sense of smell need to have alarms for these gases and they must be careful with what they eat. Our nose regulates the temperature. Just like our throat and lungs do not like dirty air, they do not like air that is too cold or too hot. The passing of the air through the nose allows the air to become more like the body temperature, which is better tolerated by the tissues. Warming cool air is more common than cooling warm air. That is because we spend more time in environments below body temperature than above it. A clear manifestation of the warming and humidifying effect is the runny nose we get in cold weather, which is related to condensation of the moisture in the nose. Smell plays a key role in taste. We have four primary tastes – bitter, sour, sweet and salty. All of the refinements in taste are in fact related to smell. That is why people feel that food is tasteless when their ability to smell is decreased.
Lionel Phillips is a Doctor of Osteopathy (1975), an International Fitness & Health Instructor, Consultant and Lecturer. He has researched and designed ‘The Needs & Functions of the Human Body’ as an educational subject for inclusion in all School Curriculums World-Wide.