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GOODBYE TO ISRAEL’S “MR. TENNIS”
A tribute to the passing of tennis icon and Israel Prize recipient – Dr. Ian Froman. By David E. Kaplan
Love, Set and…Oh, what a Match. Lovebirds, Ruth and Ian Froman at a 2015 event honouring Ian’s contribution to Israeli society and tennis in Israel. A dentist by profession, his destiny was to open less mouths and more hearts.
Small in size but big in stature, the Gulf kingdom’s influence is raising serious concerns. By Allan Wolman
All about Image. Why would a Middle Eastern emirate with fewer than 3 million people and little soccer tradition want to host the sport’s biggest event? What interested Qatar was not reaching out to the world of football but using football to reach out to the world.
IT IS UNFAIR TO COMPARE ANIMALS IN THE WILD TO THE ‘WILD ANIMALS’ THAT RAMPAGED ISRAEL
They came, murdered, pillaged, raped, butchered, incinerated and then paraded with pride their dastardly deeds as trophies
Murderous Mindset. The mindset of the Gazans who invaded Israel on October 7, defies for this writer the common online comparison to “behaving like animals” and is an insult to animals.
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 (0&EO).
The Israel Brief – 09 September 2024 –They fought back. Hostages fought their captors and more on The Israel Brief.
The Israel Brief – 10 September 2024 – South Africa asks for evidence extension at ICJ. Why? This and more on The Israel Brief.
The Israel Brief – 11 September 2024 – Inside the “Tunnel of Horror” and headlines on The Israel Brief.
The Israel Brief – 12 September 2024 – Military experts weigh in on how Israel is prosecuting the war on The Israel Brief.
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 (0&EO).
A tribute to the passing of tennis icon and Israel Prize recipient – Dr. Ian Froman.
By David E. Kaplan
When it comes to immigrants having enriched Israel, South Africans have been amongst the ‘top seeds’ and when you add the contribution in the field of sport and tennis, few more so than Dr. Ian Froman, who passed away at the age of 87 on September 9, 2024.
It is no surprise that “Mr. Tennis” as he was affectionately known, was a recipient of Israel’s most prestigious civilian award – the Israel Prize. Over the years I have had the privilege to interview Ian for a number of publications both in Israel and South Africa.
On hearing of his passing, I thought back to a sweltering hot summer’s night in 2015, when a special gala event in his honour was held on the commercial rooftop of a high-rise in Herzliya Petuach.
From the stars in the night sky above to the stars below of Israeli tennis, there was Amos Mansdorf, Gilad Bloom and Shlomo Glickstein, as well as video-clips and photos that included Ilie Năstase, Jimmy Connors, Brad Gilbert and Tomas Muster, all taken with Ian over many years at his proud “offspring” – the Israel Tennis Center in Ramat Hasharon. From those around the world who were unable to attend, there were audio-visual messages giving Ian what they described as “a big hug.”
I thought at the time of the Beatles number, “All you need is love” as there was a lot of it about. There was the love of Ian for tennis and the State of Israel and there was the reciprocal love of the Israel tennis world and the State of Israel for Ian.
Ian’s journey, more like an adventure, began with love.
Ian in action. Early days of tennis in Israel, Ian found it more difficult finding a court to play than finding his form.
OPEN COURT’SHIP
Representing South Africa in tennis at the 1963 Maccabi Games having competed and getting to the 3rd round in the men’s singles at Wimbledon in 1955 going down to eventual finalist Kurt Nielsen, this young graduate in dentistry “fell in love with Israel” and “I made the decision to makeAliyah (immigration to Israel).” Only snag was when he returned to Johannesburg after the Maccabi Games, he also fell in love with a young girl named Ruth. After courting Ruth for a few weeks, he was now faced with a dilemma – it’s either Ruth or Israel. “I doubted Ruth would ever come live in Israel and so I stopped asking her out. What was the point …. why pursue that which you know has no long-term future.” Still, Ian could not shake Ruth from his mind and so called her again to ask her out but this time it was she who turned him down. Explains Ruth:
“I wanted to live in Israel and thought why pursue a romance with a dentist who obviously wanted to stay and practice in Joburg!”
The Magic of the Maccabiah. The 1961 South African Maccabi tennis team with Ian Froman (six from the left).
This bizarre situation of each not knowing what the other was truly thinking was only later resolved when Ian accepted a chance invitation to a function at Ruth’s parent’s home and an intimate chat over cocktails, revealed they loved Israel as much as each other, so much so that later that same evening, they announced their engagement. Shortly thereafter, the newlyweds – or in tennis parlance, ‘Doubles Partners’ – moved to Israel and so began their journey into the history books. Ian never went on to practice dentistry and instead proceeded to change the face of tennis in Israel.
It did not happen overnight!
INSPIRATIONAL IAN
After arriving in Israel in 1964, “I thought I would slot into the local game, only to discover that tennis in those days was something out of the Jurassic age. I used to run around like a madman just to find a courts to train. There were no facilities and we often used to furtively sneak onto private courts to practice. Apart from private courts, it seemed to me that the only privileged people playing tennis were tourists at beach hotels.” This motivated Ian, who together with Freddie Krivine, Joseph Shane, Harold Landesberg, Rubin Josephs, and Dr. William Lippy began fundraising to launch tennis as a sport in Israel by building a national Israel tennis centre (ITC). This was achieved on an old strawberry patch in Ramat HaSharon donated to the ITC by the government, and on April 25, 1976, the late Leah Rabin, wife of the late Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzchak Rabin, cut the ribbon to the Center, and 250 children signed up to participate. Who in a sense also “signed up” was the Prime Minister, who for the rest of his life played frequently for well-deserved relaxation.
Turned on to Tennis. Two of Ian’s friends and converts to tennis, Leah and Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzchak Rabin.
The Israel Tennis Centers, under Froman’s inspirational direction and fundraising finesse, grew over the years from strength to strength, as tennis centers opened up from Kiryat Shmona in the North to Beersheba in the South. It was little wonder that this chapter in the history of tennis in Israel is referred to as the “Froman revolution”. In 1989, Froman received the Israel Prize, the country’s most prestigious civilian award.
This recognition was bestowed not so much for the Center’s contribution towards striving for excellence in the sport, but more for providing community enrichment programs and popularizing the sport across the socio-economic divide. The centres from inception, catered to children and families from all religions and ethnic groups – without prejudice.
“Tennis should not be an elitist game and we set out from the beginning to make it accessible to kids from outlying areas,” asserted Ian. “We included children from all backgrounds and religion, providing them with a lifetime sport in an educational environment.” The ITC proved an enriching sporting mechanism where Jews and Arabs could meet and play from a young age and foster better understanding.
Recognising the immense contribution beyond sport, State President Chaim Hertzog, said in presenting the Israel Prize to Ian:
“You have created a virtual social revolution throughout Israel.”
Inspirational Ian. Dr.Ian Froman, President of the Israel Tennis & Education Centers is awarded in 1989 the Israel Prize for “social impact” through sport by Israel’s State President, Chaim Herzog.
What the State President meant by a “social revolution” was best explained by the late Kollie Friedstein, another South African roped in by Froman, who would go on to serve as Executive Director of the ITC as well as Chairman of the Israel Tennis Association. Friedstein, who immigrated to Israel in 1942 from Johannesburg imbued by the ideology of his Zionist youth movement – HaShomer HaTzair and was one of the founders of Kibbutz Shoval in the Negev, disclosed to me in an interview that he was drawn to Froman’s concept, “not so much to produce future tennis champions, but of creating healthy environments across the country attracting kids who might otherwise be on the streets. I saw this as an expression of my Zionism.” Of course, the advantages of sport centers were not always immediately apparent to everyone at the time. During the opening ceremony of the Yaffo Tennis Center, Shlomo Lahat, the then mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo, was pelted with rotten tomatoes by local protestors. Established in an area known at the time for its crime, prostitution and drugs, residents had complained that they needed an upgrade in educational and cultural facilities, not tennis courts. Soon enough though, the Tennis Center became the pride of the town, and people were advertising their homes for sale as being “within walking distance of the Tennis Center.” Froman knew where he was heading with his vision.
Apart from being one of the largest social service organizations for children in Israel and the largest tennis programme for children in the world, the ITC over the years produced outstanding players who made their mark on the most prestigious courts around the world.
While its graduates have included greats like Sholmo Glickstein, Amos Mansdorf and Dudi Sela all top 30 ranked players, it was the double players of Andy Ram and Yoni Erlich who made history for Israel by winning Grand Slam titles. In 2006, Ram became the first Israeli tennis player to win a grand slam title when he captured the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon with his Russian partner, Vera Zvonareva. Then in 2008, with Erlich, the “Dynamo Duo” became the first Israeli doubles tennis team to win a Grand Slam tennis title in winning the Australian Open in Melbourne.
Former Israeli professional tennis player Gilad Bloom who reached a career-high world ranking of 61, posted on social media on hearing of Froman’s passing:
“At age 11, as a promising young player in Israel, Ian introduced me to Dick Savitt, a Jewish Wimbledon and Australian Open champion. Within a year, I became a world champion for my age group. Alongside my parents, Ian was one of the most important people in my life and influenced its course more than anyone else.”
Referring to the experiences he and other top players of his generation and those that came before and those that followed, Bloom says, “The confidence of Israel tennis players to compete at the highest level, would never have been possible without Ian Froman.” Rattling off the names of Israel’s tennis greats like Amos Mansdorf “the best player of my era,” Shahar Pe’er and Dudi Sela who all literally “grew up in the tennis centers Ian established,” he took a sport “that didn’t exist in Israel and brought it to the point where we had top-20 players and reached the Davis Cup semifinals.”
Fun under the Sun. Rival reactions on the faces of Ian Froman (left) and the British Ambassador to IsraelSimon McDonald (right) already on the phone following the winning point for the UK against Israel in the Davis Cup at Ramat HaSharon. (Photo: D.E. Kaplan)
And it was at the Davis Cup tournaments hosted in Israel that brought Israelis in their multitudes to the stadium in Ramat Hasharon. There was always a festive atmosphere with that head of white hair bobbing up all over the place as Ian was at home holding “court”.
Tennis Frenzy. Ian would gaze up with pride during a Davis Cup match at the packed Canada Stadium in Ramat HaSharon. It was testament of how far the sport had developed during the “Froman revolution”.(Photo: D.E. Kaplan)
CUP RUNNETH OVER
Covering the Davis Cup tournaments as a reporter, I recall, when Israel was up against countries like the UK, Chili, Austria or South Africa, one could be excused for thinking it was more like war than tennis – a far cry from the sedate ambience of a Wimbledon or Roland Garos. With drums beating and blearing horns, the crowd traditionally erupted with every point won and then descending into the depths of despair with every point lost. Usually there were selected tunes for either – “David Melech Yisrael” for points won, with the player’s name substituted for “David” and the Funeral March” for points lost. Always placing the weight of the nation on the shoulders of their Israeli competitors, the spectators forgot they were spectators and close calls were far too important a matter to be left to the likes of umpires, who battled to maintain decorum – generally an unknown phenomenon in Israel.
Such was the vibrant atmosphere at Ian’s creation.
On their Feet. Lively Israeli spectators at a Davis Cup match between Israel and Chili at the Israel Tennis Center Canada Stadium, Ramat HaSharon. (Photo: D.E. Kaplan).
TIME FOR TENNIS
“In life, everything is timing,” said Ian at an event honouring him in 2022. “When hitting the ball in tennis, you need to time it correctly. If you get married or go into business, timing is essential. For me, the timing was just right. It started just after the Yom Kippur War. Israel was pretty depressed. With the Russians and Ethiopians who came in afterwards, how would we help them integrate? ” These words resonated with this writer as I recall following the mass Russian immigration to Israel in the 1990s, the Tennis Centre in Ramat Hasharon together with the South African immigrant organization, TELFED, sponsored a project organising tennis lessons for Russian adults that were bussed to the Centre and received tennis instruction in Hebrew as well as Israeli folk dancing on an adjacent court. It was a project that gelled exactly with Ian’s philosophy of using the ITC as an instrument of integration into Israeli society. As he said, “The centres have been a way of bringing children together in Israel, which is a melting pot of people from all over the world, from different societies, different religions, different backgrounds and different finances.”
How right he was.
Community Participation. His presence unmistakable even though face partially obscured, Ian Froman (3rd from the left back row) with an inspired team of South African TELFED volunteers (including TELFED director, Sidney Shapiro Top left) at the Ramat HaSharon tennis stadium at the Davis Cup tournament between SA and Israel in 2001. Also present were ITC Tournament Director at the time, Danny Gelley (3rd left in thefront) and ITC Director, Janine Strauss (top row far right). (Photo: D.E. Kaplan)
FINAL SET
Listening to the fine tributes at Ian’s funeral at Kfar Vitkin from members of the family, friends and people from the world of Israeli tennis, I thought back to that event honouring Ian in 2015 when he said what I thought captured his journey best of all:
“I do not have to think back on life as a cup half empty or half full, for mine runneth over.”
Condolences to wife Ruth, children Yarona, Amira, Philip and their families.
*Feature picture: Love, Set and…Oh, what a Match. Lovebirds, Ruth and Ian Froman at a 2015 event honouring Ian’s contribution to Israeli society and tennis in Israel. (Photo: D. E. Kaplan)
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 (0&EO).
Small in size but big in stature, the Gulf kingdom’s influence is raising serious concerns.
By Allan Wolman
The State of Qatar is a sovereign and independent monarchy, ruled by the Al Thani family, headed by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, with a population of almost 3 million people of which an estimated 88% are expatriates, meaning that less than 400,000 are actual Qatari nationals. Situated on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula, Qatar has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, due to its vast reserves of natural gas and oil.
Despite its small size, it wields a disproportionate influence in world affairs, leveraging its wealth, strategic location, and diplomatic efforts to play a prominent role on the global stage. Through its enormous wealth, Qatar invests heavily abroad, in real estate, sports, media, and education, extending its influence way beyond its size and population. Al Jazeera, the state-funded news network, is one of the most influential media outlets in the Arab world and beyond, and plays a significant role in shaping public opinion to align with the Gulf kingdom’s worldview.
Media Menace. Partially funded by the Government of Qatar, the Al Jazeera news network hosts the most virile antisemitic, radical Islamic preachers who poison the minds of millions against Israel and the West. See here is the network’s headquarters in Doha, Qatar.(Photo: Imad Creidi/Reuters)
CHEQUEBOOK DIPLOMACY
Positioning itself as a ‘neutral mediator’ on international conflicts, Qatar has mediated several high-profile conflicts – notably Afghanistan, Sudan and Lebanon – that have brought it unparalleled attention. Driving a foreign policy that is independent albeit controversial, Qatar has maintained an important relationship with the United States (which has a significant military base in the Gulf state), while also cosying up to regional powers like Iran and Turkey. It may be worth noting that whilst acting as an ‘honest broker’ in talks between Hamas and Israel, Qatar hosts and finances Hamas, which must surely raise questions about the nation’s broader strategic goals and alignment, especially given the controversial nature of supporting a recognized terrorist group.
Tension and Ties. Navigating a complex relationship, USA planes navigate the Middle East thanks to the Al Udeid Air Base located in the desert southwest of Doha, Qatar, which hosts the largest U.S. military facility in the Middle East.
SPOILSPORT
Qatar’s investment in sport seems out of all proportion to its small size and population, which raises some serious questions after its hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with its investment in the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) football club and a reported $4 billion investment in Monumental Sports & Entertainment. The Gulf country is synonymous with “Sportswashing”, a new millennium term that best describes the camouflage practice of countries or their governments using sports to improve their public image tarnished by wrongdoing and in Qatar’s case, distracting from negative aspects of their abysmal human rights record. A prime example of Qatar’s sportswashing, was its controversial win to host the FIFA 2022 World Cup. This small, wealthy emirate on the Persian Gulf became the first Arab country to be awarded a summer soccer tournament in a country where daytime temperatures in those months often exceed 120 degrees. Is it any wonder it drew fierce criticism and deep suspicion and was seen by many as a way to provide a veneer to cover up disturbing hidden truth of the country’s maltreatment of its migrant workers, its restrictive laws on freedom of expression, and issues related to LGBTQ+. Included in its potent advocacy arsenal is its national airline, Qatar Airways which engages in numerous global high-profile sports sponsorships thus diverting the focus on its controversial policies. It would come as no surprize if a Qatar bid for the Olympics is not on the horizon in the near future.
All about Image. Why would a Middle Eastern emirate with fewer than 3 million people and little soccer tradition want to host the sport’s biggest event? (Photo: Hassan Ammar/AP)
COLLEGE CHAOS
Recent events on college campuses have underlined Qatari financing of several elite U.S. and other Western universities through its educational ‘initiatives’, particularly through the establishment of Education City in Doha, which hosts branch campuses of prestigious universities from around the world, primarily from the United States.
Qatar on Campus. Identifying US elite universities as centres of influence, Qatar has become the largest foreign donor to American academia in the two decades since the attack on the Twin Towers in 2001. Here is the result – anti-Israel protests at Harvard University. (Photo: Joseph Prezioso / AFP)
However, Qatar’s financial contributions to U.S. colleges must raise questions about its potential influence on political thought given the turmoil witnessed at major universities that receive Qatar funding. Following recent publication of reports on antisemitism in the US, critics have argued that Qatar’s financial entanglement in US higher education has strengthened antisemitism in colleges, demonstrably evidenced since the October 7 massacre in Israel. By lavishing billions on US higher education that includes the funding of endowment chairs, research centres, and specific programs that steer academic focus aligned with the interests of Qatar, the Gulf kingdom is fueling anti-Israel and anti-Jewish trends.
Paid to Protest. Who is paying for this pro-Hamas protest encampment on the campus of Columbia University in New York City, April 22, 2024. There has been an undeniable influx of money from overseas, notably Qatar, into the most prestigious universities in the United States. (Photo: Lev Radin/Shutterstock.)
Now with Qatar’s ties to US universities being increasingly scrutinized amid the rise in antisemitism, one does not have too much difficulty of where to look.
As the saying goes “money talks” so follow the money!
About the writer:
Allan Wolman in 1967 joined 1200 young South Africans to volunteer to work on agricultural settlements in Israel during the Six Day War. After spending a year in Israel, he returned to South Africa where he met and married Jocelyn Lipschitz and would run one of the oldest travel agencies in Johannesburg – Rosebank Travel. He would also literally ‘run’ three times in the “Comrades”, one of the most grueling marathons in the world as well as participate in the “Argus” (Cape Town’s famed international annual cycling race) an impressive eight times. Allan and Jocelyn immigrated to Israel in 2019.
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 (0&EO).
They came, murdered, pillaged, raped, butchered, incinerated and then paraded with pride their dastardly deeds as trophies
By Jonathan Feldstein
Recently, my social media has been overwhelmed with videos filmed by people on safari tours in Africa, capturing the moment when carnivorous animals attack, kill, and devour their prey. Clearly these videos of the wild enjoy a popularity but I could hot help comparing the savagery of what transpires not in Africa but on my soil – Israel – and not by animals but by people; more specifically our neighbors. Are there parallels when one species behaves savagely in accordance with nature to survive and the other seems to survive as a savage because that is today sadly their nature?
A hunt in the wild. ‘Feeding’ a public fascination, photos and video clips like these of a chetah about to pounce on a young fleeing springbok saturate the social media.
This week Israel is grieving. Not again, but still. Even more. This week marks 11 months since the inhumane Hamas massacre in Israel, murdering 1200 people in the most unspeakable ways, raping and sexually mutilating many, burning people alive, and executing parents in front of their children and children in front of their parents. The terrorists kidnapped more than 250 people from dozens of nations (of whom 101 remain in captivity in Gaza).
Last week, 48-72 hours before their potential rescue by the IDF operating in Rafah, Hamas terrorists executed six of the hostages, shooting them multiple times at close range. They even filmed their victims before, documenting their crime for all to witness. They brazenly released this footage one by one to take pride in their cruelty, and to increase the suffering of the families and indeed all Israelis.
Palestinian Parade. A bloody Israeli civilian taken hostage during the massacre on kibbutz Aza on October 7,2023 is paraded through the streets of Gaza. (Photo: AP file)
There has been no shortage of grief over 11 months, for the 1200 victims slaughtered on October 7, the 250 plus kidnapped, hundreds of soldiers killed in combat to defeat Hamas and rescue the hostages, and scores of civilians killed since as well. Tens of thousands of rockets, missiles, and drones are still being fired from Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, Iran, and even still from Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
On the Prowl. Walking around a residential neighborhood on a southern kibbutz, a Hamas terrorist seeks who next to murder, rape or kidnap.
In Judaism, 11 months marks the end of a stage of mourning, specifically for a parent. Hundreds of thousands or Israelis and others from dozens of nations are mourning still: a parent, grandparent, son or daughter, sister or brother, spouse or fiancé, cousin, uncle, or aunt, best friend, classmate, or neighbor. While grief and mourning are personally profound, the difference nationally is that our mourning and grief have not only not ended, but continued, deepened, and impacts us all. Every time the name of a soldier killed in battle is “cleared for publication,” when a child is killed by a terrorist rocket, or when the body of a hostage is recovered from a terror tunnel, we as a nation are deeply impacted.
Simply, there is no end in sight for the mourning. That was made evident this week as six more human beings who were executed, and whose bodies were recovered and returned home for burial.
Depths of Depravity. These six Israeli hostages – Ori Danino, Carmel Gat, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Alexander Lobanov and Almog Sarusi – heroically held out for 11months only to be brutally executed by Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
Of more than 100 hostages still held in captivity, more than 30 of the remaining hostages are known to be dead, their remains inhumanely held by Hamas terrorists, to inflict the maximal suffering and psychological trauma on all Israelis.
In addition to their cruelty which they engage in as if it is an act of worship, Hamas terrorists and their Iranian Islamic patrons celebrate the social divisions created in Israel by the steadfast pursuance of the dual goals of defeating Hamas and rescuing all the hostages. Some stand firm that all the hostages must be brought home at any cost, as if Hamas is actually interested in making such a deal, while others stand firm that Israel must continue to defeat Hamas in any way possible.
Barbarism in Bedrooms. Pillows covered in blood lie on the couch in a destroyed kibbutz home, following the deadly October 7 attack by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip. (Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
The divisions in Israeli society are depicted in many ways from regular social protests to public disagreements in the government. This week, in response to the execution of the hostages, a national strike took place across Israeli schools, malls, public transportation, the airport, municipalities and more. The pain is deep and how Israelis are approaching a solution has become divisive.
Palestinian Predetors. Following their rampage, terrorists walk away proudly from kibbutz Kfar Aza near the fence with the Gaza Strip.
All the while, the Islamic terrorists in Tehran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Hamas leaders in high rise luxury hotels in Qatar and underground tunnels in Gaza, celebrate and do everything possible to avoid releasing any hostages, dead or alive, as evidenced this week. Make no mistake, the Islamic terrorists want nothing to do with a ceasefire or releasing hostages for cruelty is their currency.
DEFINING DIFFERENCE
Back to the deluge on my social media of videos on Africa depicting lions, leopards, hyenas, crocodiles, and other predators out for the kill. Yes, they stalk far weaker species than themselves but they do so out of instinct, not to amuse but to survive. They do not set to intentionally inflict pain or misery but to seek food; it is the way of nature.
Since October 7, many have referred to Hamas and other Islamic terrorists as “animals”, but that is a misnomer, if ever there was one. The terrorists from Gaza are not animals; such name calling would be an insult to the animals I see on the social media. These erroneously-named Hamas “animals” massacred, raped, mutilated, incinerated, executed, and kidnapped not for survival, but to inflict hateful terror. They also relished in their killing orgy and then proudly paraded their ‘prey’ back in Gaza – those dead and barely alive – that others may share in their ‘booty’.
Preying on the Defenseless. Carting off their ‘booty’, Hamas terrorists return to their ‘lair’ – Gaza – with an elderly lady as a hostage from kibbutz Kfar Aza.
Unlike the animals in the wild I see on social media, the so-called ‘animals’ that went on a bloody rampage of murder and pillage on October 7 2023, may share the same DNA biologically with the human species but that is where it ends. This was not nature but nurture, their cruelty towards Jews and the sheer enjoyment and pleasure they derived from it, was something inbred, taught from their parents, grandparents, sons or daughters, sisters or brothers, spouse or fiancé, cousins, uncles, or aunts, best friends, classmates or neighbors. Evil is tragically inherent today in their culture and is compounded by the lack of self-realization and self-recognition of its consuming power.
For the survival of humanity and western civilization, Hamas and other Islamic terrorists are dangerous predators that need to be eliminated, not negotiated with.
About the writer:
Jonathan Feldstein - President of the US based non-profit Genesis123 Foundation whose mission is to build bridges between Jews and Christians – is a freelance writer whose articles appear in The Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, Townhall, NorthJersey.com, Algemeiner Jornal, The Jewish Press, major Christian websites and more.
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 (0&EO).
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OMG – IT’S HAPPENING ALL OVER AGAIN!
Is “Never Again” simply an elusive item on a Jewish wish list? By David E. Kaplan
British Betrayal. Think of It! Not often will a UK Chief Rabbi sternly criticize his government but that is exactly what Rabbi Efraim Mervis did, slamming it for denying Israel weapons while fighting a war of survival on seven fronts.
Israelis have been irrevocably changed by the events of 7 October By Rolene Marks
Deathly Debates. While debates ensue over what the “day after” will look like for Gazans, Israelis and Jews across the world are questioning the nature of their “day after” in the wake of the October 7 massacre and rampant global antisemitism.
It is one thing to know that the people on your border want to wipe you off the face of the earth, it’s another to allow them to have hope that one day they will succeed. by Forest Rain Marcia
Walking back the Past. “They came as a tidal wave of death….bringing the Holocaust into the present.” Reminiscent of the Shoah that was naively believed could “Never Again” happen, a pile of shoes, whose owners from Kibbutz Kfar Aza will never step into again.
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 (0&EO).
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 (0&EO).
Is “Never Again” simply an elusive item on a Jewish wish list?
By David E. Kaplan
How can it be in the third decade of the 21st century that 6 Jews – in the midst of negotiations – are summarily executed in cold blood. With bullets to the head , it could have just as well have been before a freshly dug-up pit instead of an underground tunnel, for the Gazan executioners were of that same murderous mindset. They may have not worn the same uniform of the Nazisbut they were certainly inuniform with that same malignant ideology.
The imagery of a past juxtaposed with the present is inescapable, a stark reminder of the Einsatzgruppen – the Nazi death squads that roamed Eastern Europe, perpetrating mass executions by shooting rounded-up defenseless Jews wherever they found them. The first Jews selected, dug the pits – for themselves and for the others to follow. It was a ‘temporary solution’ until the more sophisticated “Final Solution”.
Hamas’ Role Model. Execution of Jews by an Einsatzgruppen in Latvia, November 1941.
Hamas are the heirs of this legacy; but if the Nazis tried to cover their tracks, not Hamas that brazenly advertises to the world their murders as if proudly marketing a merchandise in the hope the fad of Jew hatred will catch on globally. It has!
Such is the security status today of Jews in the 21st century.
“How can it be?” is the question.
Easy.
No soon after the Hamas triggers were pulled ending the lives of Hersh Goldberg–Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino, Alex Lobanov, Carmel Gat and Almog Sarusi – the United Kingdom decides to suspend select arms exports to Israel.
Executed by Hamas. Thousands attend burial of dual US-Israeli citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin who became a symbol in the battle for the hostages, and was executed by his Hamas captors along with five others. Seen here is his mother, Rachel Goldberg-Polin eulogizing her son. (Yonatan Sindel/ Flash9)
No shame or embarrassment – none.
This diabolical decision made on the same day of the funerals of the abovenamed executed hostages, sent not a “mixed-message” signal as some have called it but a clear message to Hamas and their supporters that Briton “understands” – read sympathetic – to their position. The UK decision was applauded by these mass murderers and their fiendish affiliates and supporters.
However camouflaged with verbiage the British ‘explanation’, the UK’s new Labour government is evidently now more concerned with appeasing an ever-increasing numerically powerful and volatile Muslim community than with supporting an ally with supposedly shared values. This “ally” – being the irksome Jewish state – is looking increasingly expendable in the wake of the new Labour policy of expediency. As Labour Party member representing Birmingham Yardley Jess Phillips recently admitted at an event at the Kiln Theatre in North London:
“I was seen much quicker by a doctor in a crowded emergency room, at a National Health Service hospital because the medical professional was a Palestinian who noted that that I was a Labour MP who had voted in favor of a Gaza ceasefire.”
Morality “on Hold”. With Israel fighting an existential war on multiple fronts, UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy announced that 30 licences, including parts for fighter planes helicopters and drones, would be put on hold. (Image credit: Jack Guez / AFP via Getty Images)
Astute observation Jess in how to jump a queue – such is politics today in the UK.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy is fooling few with his lame justification for the freeze that it “is not a blanket ban” but only “a targeted measure” aimed at “preventing potential human rights violations.” In other words, why make such a fuss, it’s not so serious.
British Betrayal. While Israelis were burying their dead, the British foreign secretary David Lammy announced that his country is suspending 30 of 350 licenses for the export of arms to Israel, in order to prevent “possible violations of international humanitarian law.” It’s worth noting that according to the UK’s own official assessments, the IDF hasn’t broken any such laws.
That’ would be like Edward I in 1290, when expelling the entire Jewish population of England saying, “Don’t worry; it will be fine; the weather on the Continent is far more suitable for your lot.”
Mr. Foreign Secretary, your words are demeaning and offensive.
How dare you try sell it to us that the British ban is of little consequence – being only 30 of 350 arms export licenses!
In British parlance – “Tripe”. It’s super serious.
It was an official public posture amounting to siding with evil.
Reciprocal Backscratching. Labour MP Jess Phillips claimed she was seen faster in a crowded emergency room in the UK as her Palestinian doctor supported her ceasefire vote.
The reality on the ground is that Israel goes to extraordinary lengths to minimize civilian casualties, even as Hamas cynically uses Gaza’s civilian population as human shields. The Foreign Secretary knows this but felt he had to be seen doing something against Israel; show some support for those who are determined to bring about Israel’s demise in an existential war that also threatens Jews across the world.
Britain’s conduct is a slap in the face to Israel’s sovereign right to defend itself and to the IDF’s commitment to adhering to international law, and stands exposed as waffling during a war, for the UK is not responding to actual violations by Israel but – in their words – “at preventingpotential human rights violations.”
How would Britain have reacted if in the 1940s, if the US suspended some of its vital convoys across the Atlantic under a US concern articulated by President Roosevelt that he wanted to prevent “potential human rights violations” of Germans.
They would have heard in Washinton, Churchill bellowing from across the channel.
It is not only Israel, but Jews everywhere are feeling betrayed by the UK.
It is very rare that the UK’s Chief Rabbi takes issue with a British government in power but this is what happened when the Commonwealth’s Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, denounced the decision by the British government to suspend 30 out of some 350 arms export licenses to Israel.
In a statement on X, Sir Mirvis said that it “beggars belief” that such a decision was made:
“…at a time when Israel is fighting a war for its very survival on seven fronts forced upon it on the 7th October, and at the very moment when six hostages murdered in cold blood by cruel terrorists were being buried by their families.”
Foreign Secretary v Chief Rabbi. Britain’s chief rabbi Ephraim Mirvis slams government’s decision to suspend arms licenses to Israel, accusing the decision of feeding into “the falsehood that Israel is in breach of International Humanitarian Law, when in fact it is going to extraordinary lengths to uphold it.” (Photo: Toby Melville/Reuters)
FROM UK TO UN
In the wake of Hamas’ execution of the 6 Jews, the UN’s behaviour is no less appalling even if no longer startling. Commenting on the execution of the six Gaza hostages, United Nations Special Rapporteur, Francesca Albanese, expressed that all hostages, both “Israeli and Palestinian,” should be freed.
“Free the hostages, both Israeli and Palestinians,” she posted on X, formerly Twitter.
What “hostages” does Israel have, Francesca?
The UN’s representative is equating Israelis kidnapped during a massacre with Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails for acts of violent terrorism. The Palestinians incarcerated in Israeli jails made an active choice to commit a crime, while the only “crime” committed by the Israeli and other foreign hostages was that they were Jewish or were in Israel.
The UN’s Albanese’s characterization is deliberate as it is dangerous – designed to further marginalize Israel and undermine its legitimacy, contributing to global antisemitism.
And no castigation from the UN Secretary General for he invariably shares this mindset of false equivalency between Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. He could say something. He chooses not to.
With such global leadership only eight decades from the Shoah, is “Never Again” to be really “Never Attainable”?
It is one thing to know that the people on your border want to wipe you off the face of the earth, it’s another to allow them to have hope that one day they will succeed.
Ours is the most moral army in the world. The people of Israel like that. We want to be moral and good. We don’t like the idea of fighting or killing.
The IDF is the Israel Defense Force (not the Israel Attack Force) for good reason. We have no desire to attack anyone. The mission of our military is to defend the Nation of Israel – our State and our People. To protect our homeland so that Jewish people everywhere know that in a world that is dangerous for Jews, there is one place on earth where Jews can defend themselves and are not left to the mercy of others.
The IDF is supposed to fulfill the promise of “Never Again”.
The Last Supper. Soldiers weep in the wreckage of a home at Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where leftover wine and challah from a holiday meal are still on the table, four days after the October 7 massacre. (Photo by Ziv Koren/Polaris Images)
The problem is that the world, including many Jews, have not learned the lessons of the Holocaust. Lessons, sharp and clear (though different for Jews and non-Jews) have been diluted and universalized to the point of being meaningless.
The Hamas massacre of October 7th, 2023 is a harsh reminder.
This isn’t a general issue. It’s a particular issue. This is about me, my family, my friends and my home. And Never Again is NOW.
For Jews, the promise “Never Again” means that we will never again place our safety in the hands of others, no matter how civilized they seem. “Never Again” will we wait for other people to rescue us. It is up to us to be powerful enough to defend ourselves.
For non-Jews, “Never Again” was supposed to be a promise to never again remain silent while Jews are being abused, tortured, and slaughtered. To not remain silent when they see evil occurring. To never again, turn away and pretend they don’t see what is happening – no matter how frightened they are of the people committing the atrocities.
Because there will always be someone eager to commit horrendous acts against Jews.
And what happened?
Jews built the State of Israel, powerful enough to defend herself from invading armies, prevent enemy states from building nuclear bombs, and even fly across the globe to rescue Jews, targeted for being Jewish. And then we allowed ourselves to be convinced to hand our security over to other people and let monsters live on our doorstep.
Over and over, we were attacked, innocent people brutally murdered, our country bombarded with missiles and the “civilized” nations of the world told us to stand down, that the “stronger side” can swallow abuse for peace. That the monsters on our doorstep were our chance to live in peace.
And we, because we want peace and hate war, because we want to live in a kind world, decided to believe them.
The problem is that this decision was immoral.
It is one thing to be proud of succeeding in eliminating murderous terrorists without hurting bystanders because that is more moral than carpet bombing. It is another thing to know that the people on your border want to wipe you off the face of the earth and allow them to have hope that one day they will succeed.
We knew the problem existed. We watched it grow. We suffered the results of it when it was still small. Worst of all, we listened when we were told “The world is condemning you. Don’t retaliate. Lick your wounds and pretend it never happened.” We wanted to be loved.
The Hamas Charter states that it will eliminate the Jewish State through jihad. On October 7th, Hamas showed the world what that jihad looks like – they came with go-pro cameras and proudly filmed their actions for posterity.
Well-trained Hamas commando units broke through our borders under the cover of a missile bombardment. That opened the way for swarms of regular Gazans, eager to join in.
Death on Display. On a murderous rampage, Hamas killers kidnapping the body of Shani Louk, which on a video later circulated, showed her body being paraded through the streets of Gaza in the back of this same pickup truck. (Photo: AP Photo/Ali Mahmud)
Crimes against humanity is too mild and technical a term to describe the atrocities they committed.
They slaughtered men, women, and children and chopped their heads off.
They entered homes, tortured the parents in front of their children; children in front of their parents, gouging out eyes and chopping off fingers – all while eating the family’s food and laughing. They gang-raped girls and then ripped their limbs off. They ripped open a pregnant woman’s stomach and stabbed the baby. They tied children together and burned them alive. They did more and worse. It is not possible to detail all the horrors.
And then they stole money from the wallets of the people they murdered, looted their homes, taking everything from TVs to tractors, identity cards, and passports.
And then they took as many hostages as they could get their hands on – including babies and elderly people, entire families, and dead bodies.
They came with maps and details about homes, how many people in each family, whether there was a dog or not – all spelled out by individual Gazans who Israelis had employed for years, doing construction work and odd jobs in their communities.
They didn’t come as an army trying to conquer an enemy state, soldiers fighting against soldiers. They came as a tidal wave of death, to exterminate everything living in its path and before doing so – humiliate and create as much suffering as possible.
They know that we love life and hold it sacred. They know that we honor the dead, putting supreme importance on respectful burial. This is why they hurt us where it would be most painful.
They violated the sanctity of our homes, showing that Jews are not safe anywhere.
They violated our past, terrorizing Holocaust survivors and bringing the Holocaust into the present with fire and sending Jews into hiding where they had to hold their hands over the mouths of babies, praying that they wouldn’t make a sound so the monsters wouldn’t find them.
They committed mass rapes of women, grandmothers, and children as more than a by-product of vicious bloodlust – in the context of people who come from an “honor culture”, this is the deepest violation, the theft of our honor, a display of utter disgust and domination, “dirtying” our beloved, grinding them into the earth – and mocking our men who were not able to save them.
UnBearable. Remaining on the floor of a home in Kibbutz Kissufim is a child’s ‘orphaned’ teddy bear; its young owner murdered by killers from Gaza. (photo credit: Erik Marmor/Flash90
Dismembering bodies, scattering them, and burning people is not just a matter of gruesome cruelty. The terrorists were given deliberate instructions to commit these acts by people who understand how serious Jews are about respecting our dead and bringing them to a proper burial.
They know us well and they deliberately used everything we care about most to hurt us.
And after all this, around the world, we are seeing people marching in the streets, chanting their support for the Hamas Massacre. Jews are being marked in “civilized” countries. Homes marked with Stars of David, businesses smashed, and students humiliated and abused because they are Jews.
“Never Again” is NOW.
For years we have said that had Israel existed, the Holocaust would never have happened. Now it is time to make sure that is true. That is what the IDF is for.
Happening Again. Reminiscent of the “Never Again” Holocaust, “Pile of Shoes, Kibbutz Kfar Aza, 2023”. (Photo by Rabbi Daniel Bouskila)
The IDF must fulfill the promise of “Never Again”. This is not about revenge (though well warranted). This is about the survival of Jews everywhere.
It is necessary to crush Hamas so thoroughly and completely that all enemies of Israel will learn that there is no impunity and no safe haven for those who dream of our extermination.
And that, unfortunately, is just the beginning because they are just one of the monsters on our doorstep. We are surrounded (and they are within our borders) and they are watching us, without utterly crushing them, Israel will not survive.
Without Israel, no Jew, anywhere on earth, will ever be safe again.
Fulfilling the promise of “Never Again” doesn’t look nice on TV. Already the “civilized” nations are telling us to wait, delay, and consider the humanitarian needs of Gazans. It is crucial to retain our morality and fulfill our obligations –
Being merciful to the cruel ultimately makes you cruel to the merciful.
Allowing our enemies to have hope that they can succeed in wiping us off the face of the earth is immoral. We allowed this evil to grow too large. It must be stopped now, no matter how bad the process looks, no matter what our “friends” say.
“Never Again” is the moral obligation of the IDF.
The obligation of decent individuals everywhere is to make sure everyone else knows this.
About the writer:
Forest Rain Marcia is an American-born Israeli who lives in northern Israel. She’s a branding expert and storyteller. Her passion is giving voice to the stories of Israel illuminating its profound events, cherished values, and exemplary role models that transcend borders, casting Israel as an eternal wellspring of inspiration and strength for a global audience.
Forest Rain made Aliyah at the age of thirteen. After her IDF service, she co-developed and co-directed a project to aid victims of terrorism and war. These activities gave her extensive first-hand experience with the emotional and psychological processes of civilians, soldiers, and their families, wounded and/or bereaved and traumatized by terrorism and war (grief, guilt, PTSD, etc). Throughout the years, she has continued to voice the stories, pain, and strength of traumatized Israelis to motivate others to provide support and counter the hate that threatens Jews in Israel, around the world, and Western civilization itself through the understanding that what begins with the Jews never ends with Jews.
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 (0&EO).
Israelis have been irrevocably changed by the events of 7 October
By Rolene Marks
We are almost at the one-year anniversary since the Hamas invasion of 7 October. One year. How does one capture a year of trauma, loss, agony, miracles, triumphs, tragedies, anger, sorrow and just about every other emotion you can think of. It does not matter how many days have passed since that Black Sabbath, for Israelis, every day is 7 October.
It has been almost a year of profound devastation – but also of exceptional resilience and heroism. Israelis have always been a plucky, “chutzpanit” and innovative but since 7 October, a new Israeli has been born.
We will never be those people who went to sleep on 6 October, filled with joyous anticipation of the next day when we would celebrate the Jewish holy festival of Simcha Torah. How could we ever be the same? We have been birthed anew – irrevocably changed.
Processing and Persevering. Daniel Weiss sings next to the destroyed home of his murdered parents Judith and Shmulik Weiss (Credit: Noam Dvir)
In our grief, we each adopted a personal mission. Through our pain, we have each found a purpose. On 7 October, we experienced the worst of humanity. On 8 October, the best of Israel and the Jewish people trudged through their pain, shock and grief and rose to meet the challenges. We are trauma bonded forever – but we are turning our pain into purpose and power.
The new Israeli is forged with a backbone of steel, even tougher than those of our predecessors. We have to be. The 7 October massacre was a brutal wake-up call that if we thought for one second, we could be complacent or let our guard down – think again.
For many Israelis, the rampant antisemitism that we see on campuses and in protests in cities around the world has woken us up to the imperative of the State of Israel and that Jew hatred is not an abstract concept. The genie is not just out of the bottle, it is running like a screaming maniac down the streets and on the campuses, on social media and across industries and careers. Our reaction has been to not cower – but to face it head on with pride, dignity and action. Israeli’s do not fit into any particular box of definitions and this confuses the paradigm. Israelis, no matter their age or background, religious or secular, left or right leaning, are patriotic. We are proud of our flag; we are proud to serve and we are proud of our national identity and history. This is an inconvenient truth for many of our detractors.
Prior to 7 October, many of us pondered this generation of Tik-Tok obsessed, social media addicts and wondered what would happen if they were challenged in any way. Would they stand up? Would they be worthy?
This generation of Israelis are worthy. They are the reservists who did not wait to be called up by the IDF to defend Israel in the wake of the Hamas attack who rushed to their bases or caught planes from the four corners of the world to fight. They fight with honour and with pride. While many of their compatriots around the world are looking for the nearest “safe space” on campus – they are busy fighting a brutal enemy that threatens our western values and liberties. We need to be worthy of them and make sure that they receive our full support. They certainly have our gratitude.
Our young people have known pain and heartbreak that their peers around the world have never encountered. Many of them have lost friends and peers fighting for their country or during the massacre.
Israelis have learnt the hard way over the last year that not only are we judged by a different standard for the way we are prosecuting a war we did not start, we are judged for daring to have the audacity to defend ourselves. We have learnt that those who hate Israel will attach any dehumanizing and demeaning label they possibly can to demonize the Jewish state. We have heard them all – Apartheid state, colonisers and genocidal killers. We have learnt that despite our earnest attempts to communicate the facts, they vanish into the abyss. I believe the silent majority stands with Israel but are too afraid to be vocal because of the violence and intimidation shown by the “opposition”.
Resilience and Rebirth. The Be’eri Printing Press factory at Kibbutz Be’eri reopens a week after the massacre carried out by Hamas.
Many are debating what the “day after” looks like for Gaza. We know we need to have a plan because we will not allow for any scenario that creates a sequel to 7 October. The new Israeli, birthed in the baptism of fire and murder continues to hope for peace but will fight with all our might no matter what because we are fighting for our very existence. The new Israel carries not only the Farhud, Shoah and the expulsions on our shoulders and in our souls; we carry the Kibbutzim, Nova family and every innocent who was taken from us that black day.
We are also wondering what “the day after” looks like for us as Jews and Israelis, demonized and dehumanized by so many around the world. How do we send our children to university? How do we travel safely and without harassment? How do we reconnect, if ever, with those we believed were friends but were conspicuous by their silence? How do we walk the streets of major cities around the world knowing they were the weekly venues for chants for our destruction?
I will tell you how. We do it with pride and strength because we know that the same DNA that carries trauma also carries that will to survive, that tenacity to thrive and build, that stubborn burst of the light of home that no hate can extinguish.
The last year has birthed a new Israeli, a new Jew, a new Israeli. We are different but stronger, prouder, fearless, forged in steel like a sword – and the sword is as strong as iron.
Am Yisrael Chai!
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 (0&EO).
