For almost three weeks recently, we visited our daughter every day at Hadassah Ein Kerem in Jerusalem – she underwent a series of operations and procedures and thankfully, is now on the slow road to recovery. The medical care has been truly outstanding for which we have a lot to be grateful. What especially stands out is the professionalism of the staff, many of whom – possibly even the majority amongst the nursing staff, are Israeli Arabs. But there is something more: over and above their expertise, the genuine concern exhibited, the friendliness and compassion which you can’t fake, the authenticity of feeling, all played an essential part in the recuperation, recovery and well- being of our daughter.
Unity in Diversity. Hadassah Medical Center workers hold signs emphasizing cooperation.
Of course, there are always issues and I’m not going to sugar coat this – hospitals are after all stressful, frenetic places and emotions are on display – and one sees the best and the worst excesses of human behavior.
But on the macro level, the tension-free mixed wards, relaxed lounge areas and eating places – which will never make the headlines because this is truly good news, somehow seem to belie the reality of our fragile and at times hanging- by-a- thread country outside the walls of the hospital. Which begs the question:
How do we take the reality of what goes on behind the doors of the hospital: an oasis and haven of relative calm and a slice of normality, and transplant it lock, stock and barrel to our real world. What are the ingredients, the secret sauce for success? How do we mirror image and clone a relatively peaceful institution and make the centre hold in our immediate outside world where “anarchy is loosed upon the world” (Yeats).
Holding on Together. Jews and Arabs traveling on the Light Rail through French Hill in Jerusalem, one of the most integrated and diverse areas in Israel “where people live, work, shop, and eat together ….a model of co-existence.”
Sadly, I cannot prescribe a remedy or template for success or for that matter, something earth shatteringly profound but the regrettable observation that failing the emergence of a once-in-a-lifetime larger than life Mandela type leader, we are sometimes left subjected to spineless pygmy politicians of all stripes and sizes. Them as well as a media and their proxies: arrogant, know-it-all talking heads and so-called experts on all sides of the spectrum who cannot be trusted nor seemingly deliver. Consequently, the pathways to a new and more optimistic future have to be bottom-up driven, that it is ultimately “we, the people”, who have to painstakingly and modestly find the way to change our current harsh reality and that yes, there are role models for success. Take my neighborhood for instance, French Hill in Jerusalem, possibly one of the most integrated and diverse in Israel where people live, work, shop, and eat together and is, to all intents and purposes, a model of co-existence – with no authoritarian dictates on how and where we should live our lives. Or take our apartment block where religious Jews and Muslims live side by side together with Christians and secular and traditional Jews.
This harmony and goodwill was especially pronounced when Iran forced us all several times into our communal shelter. In other words, changing our reality is doable! And we can especially take comfort – and inspiration from the fact that Israeli society, the people: amcha, post October 7th, in the face of an absent, reckless and negligent government, rallied together with our unbelievably dedicated brave and courageous soldiers and pilots – and a President whose middle name is Empathy, and came to the heroic rescue and rebuilding of our fractured, traumatized country and people.
Young Boys, Old City. Three boys, one Jewish, one Muslim and one Christian, all bearing the name of Abraham, at the Dome of the Rock and the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, 2000. How connected are they today as adults?
Maybe and of course, this is a long and unrealistic shot (but please, indulge my fantasy – we can “perchance to dream”, can’t we?) we should, following on reflections of our daughter’s hospital experience, entrust our future into the capable hands of the helping professions who get it, who understand human weakness and frailty, who selflessly provide not only the generous and gentle heart – and a broad shoulder to lean on but who help us navigate the depths of pain, suffering and anxiety, and also strive to find the blueprint that makes us whole and brings out the very best in us.
Witness the rapport between the Muslim woman who manages the endo-chemistry laboratory and her Jewish staff member Limor Avraham, the warm connection between the Muslim internal medicine day hospital manager and a Jewish ultra-Orthodox volunteer, and the collaboration between each of the very diverse teams of Jewish, Christian and Arab intensive care nurses, x-ray technicians and kitchen staff. Listen to Hadassah’s staff members sing about their commitment to opening their hearts and working together to save lives, “Together All the Way. Together, There Is No Other Way.”
About the writer:
Solly Kaplinski, former Headmaster of Herzlia High School in Cape Town, also headed up Jewish Day Schools in Toronto and Vancouver. His Aliyah professionally has been bookended by working at Yad Vashem in the International Relations Department and at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) where he served for 17 years as the Executive Director of Overseas Joint Ventures. He is also the author of a novella, A world of Pains: A Redemptive Parable? He lives in Jerusalem with his wife, Arleen, and their 3 daughters, their spouses and an egalitarian minyan of grandchildren, all living in 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 (0&EO).
A Gen Z perspective on Gay Rights in the Middle East
By Blessing Mathabela
Pinkwashing critiques are loud, but in the Middle East, Israel’s queer rights progress is speaking louder! “Pinkwashing” is a term that often comes up when discussing Israel’s LGBTQ+ rights record. Critics argue that Israel uses its progressive stance on queer issues to deflect attention from its treatment of Palestinians. While this critique potentially holds some truth, it overlooks an important reality: in the broader Middle East, where queer rights are virtually non-existent, Israel’s progress in this area stands out. That doesn’t mean Israel is perfect, but it’s not pinkwashing to recognise the strides it has made towards the advancement of queer rights.
Critics of Israel’s pinkwashing are quick to point fingers, but where are the solutions for the LGBTQ+ people suffering in countries where simply existing as queer is a criminal act?
Homosexuality and Hypocrisy. In the Palestinian territories, homosexuality is considered a taboo subject with LGBTQ people experiencing persecution and violence, while in neighbouring Israel, LGBTQI individuals enjoy a high degree of rights and freedoms incomparable anywhere else in the Middle East. Same-sex relationships in Israel have been legal since 1988.
LGBTQ+ RIGHTS IN ISRAEL
Israel, for all its faults, is more progressive when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights than many of its neighbours. In Israel, LGBTQI individuals enjoy a higher degree of rights and freedoms compared to many countries in the Middle East. Same-sex relationships have been legal since 1988, and the country boasts a robust legal framework for LGBTQI individuals, including protections against workplace discrimination. Israel also has a thriving LGBTQI community, with Tel Aviv widely regarded as one of the most LGBTQI-friendly cities in the world. The city hosts one of the largest Pride events in the region, attracting both local and international visitors. In addition, LGBTQI Israelis have the right to adopt children, access IVF treatments, and even serve openly in the military. However, while progress has been made, challenges remain, especially within conservative religious Orthodox Jewish communities which maintain traditional views on gender and sexuality. Arab communities in Israel, particularly Palestinian Arabs, also tend to hold conservative views on LGBTQ+ issues, influenced by traditional cultural and religious norms. Many Arab citizens of Israel are Muslim or Christian, and in these communities, homosexuality is often seen as taboo due to conservative interpretations of Islam and Christianity. As a result, LGBTQ+ individuals in these communities often face significant social stigma, familial rejection, and discrimination. While Israel provides legal protections for LGBTQ+ people, including in its civil courts, the cultural acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals is still limited within many Arab communities, leading to challenges for queer Palestinians in living openly.
LGBTQ+ RIGHTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
In most Middle Eastern countries, LGBTQ+ individuals face extreme persecution. In Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, same-sex relationships are punishable by imprisonment, torture, and sometimes even execution. In these countries, being queer is not just illegal – it’s life-threatening. Israel may have a complicated history with its treatment of Palestinians, but when it comes to queer rights, it’s miles ahead of its neighbours. There is no denying that Israel’s queer community has more legal rights and visibility than queer people in countries like Saudi Arabia, where LGBTQ+ people face extreme danger just for existing. Yet, the conversation around pinkwashing too often ignores this harsh reality for millions of queer people across the region.
How Queer! Totally incoherent are the Queers for Palestine at anti-Israel rallies. Ostracized and persecuted in Palestine as in most Arab counties throughout the Middle East, is it any wonder that their slogans have been widely satirized with variations like “Chickens for KFC” or “Blacks for the KKK”.
PALESTINIAN LGBTQ+: CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE
It’s crucial to remember that queer Palestinians are not exempt from the oppression faced by LGBTQ+ in the broader Middle East. In Palestinian territories, homosexuality remains illegal, and LGBTQ+ individuals often face rejection from their families and communities. The situation is further complicated by the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, where queer Palestinians are caught between the struggle for liberation and the struggle for their own rights within their communities.
For Palestinian queers, the pinkwashing debate can feel like another form of erasure. While their struggle is often overshadowed by the political conflict, queer Palestinians are doubly oppressed: both by the larger societal and political systems around them, and by the discriminatory attitudes towards queerness within their own communities. This isn’t just about Israel – it’s about the broader regional context where queer people, regardless of nationality, are facing unimaginable hardships.
CRITICISING PINKWASHING WITHOUT SOLUTIONS
Critics of pinkwashing often focus on Israel’s use of LGBTQ+ rights to distract from its treatment of Palestinians, but they rarely offer concrete solutions to improve the lives of queer people in the Middle East. Yes, Israel’s policies towards Palestinians need attention, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore the suffering of queer people in countries where being LGBTQ+ can result in imprisonment, violence, or worse.
Accusations of pink-washing are easy to make, but they fail to address the real problem: queer people in the Middle East are living under constant threat. So, while critics focus on the political strategy behind Israel’s queer-friendly policies, they miss the larger issue—how do we protect queer people in the region? Without offering actionable ideas to improve the situation, these criticisms are just noise.
Crazy Crowd. One of the many memes that the “Queers for Palestine” spawned highlighting just how incompatible the values of the Western left are with the Islamic right they so readily champion. (Source: X)
THE BIGGER PICTURE: REAL CHANGE, NOT DISTRACTION
While pinkwashing may be a valid critique, we need to keep it in perspective. The real issue is that queer people in the Middle East – whether Israeli or Palestinian – are facing violence and oppression. It’s time to stop letting the debate distract from the larger issue at hand. Instead of engaging in finger-pointing, let’s focus on what needs to change: the way queer people are treated in countries where their existence is criminalised.
If critics want to challenge Israel’s use of LGBTQ+ rights for political purposes, they need to come up with real solutions for the queer people who are suffering right now. It’s not enough to call out one country’s strategy without addressing the systematic abuse queer people face throughout the region.
Hang ’Em High. Hamas and Hezbollah’s major sponsor, Iran, has executed between 4,000 to 6,000 gay, lesbian, and bi people since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, many of them in public like this hanging from a crane. (Source: The Algemeiner)
As a South African, I recognise the value of a constitution that explicitly protects the rights of the LGBTQI+ community. In a country where equality is hard-won and deeply ingrained in our laws, it’s a privilege to live in a space that doesn’t treat sexual discrimination as an afterthought. This is something we should not take for granted, especially when so many Queer people worldwide are still fighting for their basic rights. From my perspective, I can appreciate Israel’s progress on queer rights, given the harsh realities faced by the LGBTQI+ community in Palestine and the other neighbouring countries. We must ensure that our advocacy is not limited to criticism alone but translates into meaningful action to protect the LGBTQI+ community everywhere.
Until the fight for global queer rights is truly universal, Israel’s steps forward in this area deserve recognition.
Israel’s 9/11 | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)
About the writer:
Blessing Mathabela is a passionate gender justice advocate and a third-year B.Ed student majoring in English and Social Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). With a strong commitment to creating inclusive and equitable spaces, Blessing has held leadership roles as the Deputy Chairperson of the School of Education and as a Secretary on the All-Residences Sub-Council. She has also volunteered at the Gender Equity Office at Wits, where she worked to amplify marginalised voices and challenge systemic injustice. A dedicated feminist, Blessing is driven by her mission to empower others and advocate for social change both on and off campus.
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).
My October 8th epiphany and impacting on Israel’s Future
By Jonathan Feldstein
A year ago, I had no idea how bad things were, or were going to be immediately after the Hamas massacre. I had no idea my son was in one of the communities along the Gaza border, fighting terrorists who were still trying to kill Israelis. Later he described that as being more frightening than fighting in Gaza itself.
A year ago, I continued with a previously scheduled meeting with friends from a major ministry in Jerusalem. I invited them to my home as if business as usual, even though we knew it was not. We were going to discuss collaborating on projects to bless Israel anyway. Our lives had changed, Israel had changed, though we had no idea how much so.
Maybe it was providential. As a result of our meeting, the Israel Emergency Campaign was born. We established the pillars of where our efforts would go:
civilian security
soldiers’ social welfare, evacuating civilians in danger
supporting at-risk youth in the Gaza border.
The last of these was, and remains, one of the most important, and hardest. These children witnessed horrors nobody should ever have to see, much less in their young lives, and certainly for those coming from broken homes whose parents could not help them the way they deserved and needed.
It was the hardest to advocate for because it was the least tangible, hardest to quantify, measure, or see (and feel) immediate results. Because of that, it is one of the most important, because it requires a long-term investment, the results of which may not be fully realized for a decade.
We committed to raise funds and invest in these children’s future, empowering them, strengthening them. Partnering with the largest social service agency in the Gaza border working among this at-risk population, we committed to provide therapies and skills needed to overcome everything that they were going through. At the time, all the families had to be evacuated for months, so initial services were provided in hotels and cities to which they had been relocated.
It was hard to “sell” this, and still is, because there were, and still are, many more urgent needs: things that are visible, tangible, and immediately compelling. There are things the immediacy of which that are hard to say no to. The Israel Emergency Campaign has done so much to respond to all these needs – and we still are doing that.
A year ago, we realized that if we didn’t step up for these at-risk, broken children, perhaps nobody might. We needed to invest for their future, because their future is a key to the foundation of a strong future for all of Israel. It means that they will be able to overcome their challenges, not be defined by them, and become productive members of society rather than perpetual victims. They will be able to become loving parents themselves, giving their children more than they got. That is priceless.
Our partners understand that together, we can change the term “at-risk youth” to “children of promise.”
Vast resources are needed for programs including counseling and all kinds of therapies, as well as resilience training for adults to be able to provide for the children, even while in the midst of trauma themselves. No parent, even the best parent, comes equipped with skills to cope with these levels of trauma themselves, and protect their kids at the same time, keeping them safe, especially with rockets flying and terrorists roaming the streets.
There are also needs to fund the new resilience center, something that is more urgent than ever, to keep the children safe physically, while nurtured emotionally and spiritually. During the war, the new building took a direct hit by a Hamas rocket. Thank God nobody was hurt. To keep all the children safe, under this specially designed roof that can resist a direct hit from a rocket, we need to provide all the furnishings. These include appliances in which the children’s one hot meal of the day is lovingly cooked, furniture, computer stations to do homework, counseling rooms, and even bomb shelters.
The beautiful thing about this endeavor is that it is a collective where everyone and anyone can play an invaluable part. Every church, every synagogue, every individual can commit to something small, and together we can do something massive. It’s literally making the biggest impact with the greatest integrity. Together, we will invest in the future for those children whose parents can’t help them, or who are orphans, one that will give them the foundation to build a bright future for themselves, and one day, for their own children.
Seeing the dividends of this investment is a generation away. It’s not the same as providing thousands of warm winter jackets and hand warmers to reservist soldiers, something that will be needed again as winter arrives. It has not met with the immediate gratification of scores of Israeli families among the tens of thousands who are still evacuated from their communities, and the smiles of happy children, and respite for their parents. It is no less critical, maybe even more so.
Part of my epiphany is the miraculousness of this very project. A year ago, Israel experienced the most severe attack and largest number of people killed on one day, ever, in all of its wars. Israelis are still in the midst of the loss and grief, experiencing trauma, and displaying the consequences of this. This very campaign is an expression of the resilience that Israel is known for. From terrorist attacks and massacres in the 1920s, through the brutal wars in which Israel has lost more than 30,000, Israel has always bounced back – built, grown, and invested for the long term. That is part of the miracle of Israel now, and the imperative to invest in these, the weakest among Israelis unable to do for themselves – our brothers.
From day one, a year ago, we knew this was urgent and critical. It is part of the history of Israel, and its future. Please join us today to make all the tomorrows a blessing.
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).
First to engage, first to fall – he saved the lives of his colleagues.
By Rolene Marks
*Photos courtesy of the Harush family and Israel Police.
“If I had just a tiny bit of information about what was to come, I would never have let him go,” said Hodaya Harush in memory and tribute to her late husband, Eliyahu. Hodaya is an extraordinary woman, a mother of three, who is Haredi and serves in the Israeli Police as an investigator at the Netivot police station. Eliyahu Harush was the first officer to fall on 7 October in Sderot during the “Battle of Sderot Police Station” that would become one of the seminal moments of that ‘Black Saturday’ – a symbol of the heroism of Israel’s police who fought valiantly against a ruthless enemy who threatened the civilians of their town.
A few nights before the seventh, Hodaya had a dream. She dreamt that she was standing with Eliyahu’s shift commander and she was crying. Hodaya tried to erase the dream from her mind but the events of the days to come would reopen that memory.
Eliyahu dropped Hodaya and their three girls off at her father’s house in Petach Tikvah on the Thursday before he started his shift at the police station. He was going to collect them after Shabbat ended. They communicated via What’s App for the next two days and one of the last messages Hodaya received from Eliyahu was a sticker with the message:
“Keep an eye out for children who don’t have family”.
Her final words to him were “Chag Sameach”.
Saturday morning started with sirens and rocket fire. Hodaya gathered her children and joined the rest of the extended family in the mamad (shelter). Hodaya like most Israelis, is used to rocket fire and sirens and tried to settle the children back to sleep. Her brother-in-law, who was also a police officer, received a message from his patrol unit and was called away. Hodaya understood that something big had happened. Although she had never broken Shabbat, Hodaya opened her phone and saw the messages coming in. The news came in that Sderot Police Station had been taken over by Hamas terrorists. Hodaya had seen a picture of the white pick-up trucks with mounted guns on the back that is synonymous with Hamas that day. Hodaya tried to call Eliyahu. She sent messages. She tried another police officer, Mor Shakuri, but there was no answer from either of them. Shakuri was already dead, killed, as was her father Roni that day, when terrorists opened fire on a car he was in with two other officers.
Hodaya’s daughter Lia, just 5-years-old at the time, told her that she had a dream. Lia dreamt her father had been killed. Hodaya felt that the dots were starting to connect. The day passed without any word from Eliyahu – or his whereabouts. Hodaya started to call anyone she could to try find out what happened to Eliyahu. She called hospitals, other police officers and friends. Her heart could not reconcile what she knew logically – something was wrong. She had seen that the district commander had given the order to demolish the police station and was frantic he may still be inside.
“On that Saturday, I didn’t know exactly what was happening,and that uncertainty is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone. His father and I ran backwards and forwards from the balcony looking for a sign of a patrol car but none came. It was like a movie. His sister said that maybe he’s hiding and without knowing, I told her: I know that Eliyahu is the first to go out to defend and protect his comrades and the citizens,” says Hodaya. “He is the first to save lives,” she continues.
At 1h36 in the morning, police officers finally arrived and told her that Eliyahu had been killed. Hodaya’s first question was if the police had the body – and if it was whole. They confirmed he had been killed at the front of the police station. Hodaya broke down, devastated. At 26, she was now a widow with three small children. She had to find her strength for them. Two weeks later, she returned to work.
“Even before they buried my Eliyahu, they came to me from the National Police Academy; I was still in training. They came to me from the academy and said to me: Listen, if you don’t want to continue with the course, just tell us.” Hodaya answered with an emphatic no.
“The first thing I said to them, without hesitation, was that it was Eliyahu who sent my resume, I told them: this is Eliyahu’s will. Eliyahu made sure that I joined the Israel Police and I am going to do everything possible to serve as a police officer,” says Hodaya.
Hodaya wrote her eulogy before she knew what happened that morning. She spoke of how he fought in Hashem’s name with bravery and determination to save lives. At the funeral, two officers told her that because of Eliyahu, they were alive. He had saved their lives.
It was at the Shiva where Hodaya would find out what happened that morning. A police officer told her the events as they unfolded:
Eliyahu was on shift with another officer, Sharon, when they received a call that there was an infiltration at nearby Zikim beach. Rockets were raining down on the south and other parts of the country. He told the officer to gear up – full gear, rifles, vest – everything. They were unaware that Hamas terrorists were already in Sderot. As Sharon exited the building, a pick-up truck arrived and opened fire. Sharon managed to get to a nearby shelter where he stayed for five and a half hours. Eliyahu ran out, drawing the fire to him as other officers ran to the roof where they were eventually saved. Eliyahu was the first to engage with the terrorists and the first to fall. He saved the lives of his colleagues who managed to get to safety.
Hodaya has started a campaign to dedicate a Sefer Torah in Eliyahu z”l’s name:
Ten police officers fell in the Battle of Sderot, 59 on 7 October and 66 since 7 October.
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 Sudan slips towards a disaster of historic proportions there is minimal media coverage and global concern!
By Allan Wolman
First published in the Daily Friend, an online newspaper of South Africa’s Institute of Race Relations
The BBC recently featured on both their radio and TV platforms – “Sudan the Forgotten War” – highlighting a conflict that has been raging for over a year.
In April this year, Paris hosted the International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and neighbouring countries, drawing attention to the ongoing crisis. The conflict in Sudan, rooted in tensions between Arab herders and non-Arab farmers over land, resources, and political power, has led to over 2 million refugees fleeing to neighbouring countries.
How Sudan has become the world’s ‘forgotten war’ | BBC News
The conference condemned the violence, including ethnic attacks, indiscriminate bombings, and gender-based violence, particularly against women and children, describing the situation as the worst child displacement crisis globally, highlighting that the war in Sudan has triggered the world’s most severe humanitarian crisis this year. The head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees(UNHCR) for the region reported shocking accounts of widespread rape and sexual violence.
Competing with Gaza. Sir William Patey, former British Ambassador to Sudan told Sky News there appears to be no end in sight to the conflict. What’s more, he warned that efforts of coming to some kind of resolution with international partners are difficult as attention is focused on Ukraine and Gaza.
UN Women – charged with advocating for the rights of women and girls, and focusing on a number of issues, including violence against women and violence against LGBT people – responded to the Sudanese conflict in stark contrast to their silence on the gender-based and sexual violations faced by Israeli women victims on 7 October. The organisation issued a statement titled “A Year of Suffering for Sudanese Women and Girls,” calling on the international community to ensure that the conflict in Sudan does not become a neglected crisis.
Sudanese women and girls face heightened risks of gender-based violence, with widespread and increasing reports of sexual exploitation, abuse, and trafficking.
Again, UN Women “stands with the people of Sudan during this difficult time” yet remains mum on the plight of Israeli hostages, some of whom may be about to give birth after being raped and sexually assaulted almost nine months ago.
Millions in Sudan face disaster as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group that has been fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), are accused of using food access as a weapon in the ongoing war. It’s worth noting that within days of accusing Israel of genocide in the International Court of Justice, President Ramaphosa proudly hosted the mass murderer, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (aka Hemedti leader of RSF), at his Pretoria residence.
Sudan: The ‘forgotten war’ where mediation efforts have failed’
FICKLE FAMINE FOCUS
Sudan is facing a potential famine worse than any the world witnessed in Ethiopia 40 years ago, according to the UN. Aid deliveries continue to be blocked by the warring armies, though arms supply to both sides flow in.
With much of the world’s attention focused on Gaza, Sudan, already the worst humanitarian crisis globally, is slipping towards a disaster of historic proportions, with minimal media coverage and global concern. A UN humanitarian appeal for the country has received only 16% of the funds it needs.
Save Sudan. Despite a UN humanitarian appeal for the country, it has received only 16% of the funds it needs.
The UNHCR, together with the Egyptian government, estimates that more than 500,000 people have fled from Sudan to Egypt since hostilities began, and are in need of international support.
In response, the UNHCR and other NGOs, in collaboration with the Egyptian government, are working to support those fleeing Sudan. The UNHCR is coordinating a response to address the needs of those crossing into Egypt. Egypt, being a signatory to International Refugee Conventions and Protocols, is fulfilling these obligations and providing life-saving assistance for those fleeing the war on its southern border, as it did by hosting its brother Arab refugees fleeing the carnage of the Syrian civil war.
Concern diverted elsewhere. “All the hallmarks of ethnic cleansing”, but too few care!
The question therefore must be asked why Egypt refuses to extend the same humanitarian relief to its north-eastern neighbours – the Gazans – who share a common language, religion, and culture.
Historically, this territory was part of a larger cultural and political entity under Egyptian influence, yet today, the border is strictly reinforced and sealed, preventing any refugees from crossing into Egypt. Again, this crisis is being ignored by the media.
Egypt’s decision to seal its border with Gaza is largely driven by concerns over Hamas’s strong ties with the Muslim Brotherhood. President Sisi and the military view the Muslim Brotherhood as an Islamist organization with a fundamentally different ideology from their secular nationalist stance.
Gazans Unwelcome. While Egypt welcomes those fleeing Sudan on its southern border, no such hospitality for Gazans on its north-western border and to ensure “no entry”, builds a new miles-wide buffer zone and border wall along its border with Gaza. (satellite image from Maxar Technologies)
They fear that the Brotherhood could gain power and potentially alter the secular nature of the Egyptian state. This fear has led to strict measures, including the closure of the Gaza border, to prevent any potential influence or power consolidation by the Brotherhood.
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).
Pet lovers treat their dogs and cats like children, siblings or grandchildren. No doubt that most dog and cat owners think of their pets as family. It is also not surprising to learn that in 2024, 2 out of 3 households in America own a pet, while in Israel it is estimated at 1 out 3 families. If furry friends are part of the family, they surely deserve to join its members on a vacation in hotels. However, this family desire is tricky and certainly challenging. While some hotels warmly welcome pets, others have strict rules against dogs and cats accompanying guests.
The primary reasons behind world hotels implementing ‘No Pets Allowed’ policies are to maintain cleanliness and hygiene standards. Pets shedding fur, leaving behind odors, or even causing damage to furniture or carpets can create an unpleasant environment for other guests. Hence, hotels – always considering what is in the best interests of its guests – will take into account that some guests may have allergies or sensitivities to pet dander or fur and that could potentially trigger allergic reactions.
Pet policies ensures that hotel managements can provide peace of mind to its guests.
Minimizing noise disturbances for their guests is yet another reason. There is always a possibility of barking or other noises that could disturb guests in neighboring rooms. Hotels have a responsibility to ensure the safety and comfort of all their guests. This includes considering those who may have fears or phobias related to animals. Even if a pet is typically well-behaved, unfamiliar surroundings and the presence of other guests could potentially trigger anxiety or aggression.
But sometimes – usually in times of crisis – even hard and fast rules may be broken. When the war in Gaza broke out following the October 7th massacre, hotels in Israel faced an unexpected challenge. More than a quarter of a million Israelis were evacuated from their homes on the southern and northern fronts. They found shelter in hotels in safe areas across the country. While most left everything behind, that which they could not leave behind were their beloved pets!
Home Alone. On a devastated kibbutz in the south following the massacre, where is this cat’s family?
“They are family,” was the common sentiment expressed.
Not only did they want to take them along – but needed to take them in this time of existential crisis. Pets provide huge emotional support. However, not all these evacuees were allowed to bring their pets – dogs or cats – to hotels that were providing a safe haven. In response, the Lawyers’ Forum for the Protection of Animals in Israel (ILFAP) appealed to numerous government ministries requesting that the government address this issue as a matter of urgency and show sensitivity to the plight and misery of the evacuees with their pets. The petition presented the case that there was a symbiotic relationship between owners and their pets who desperately needed each other and should not be separated in times of dire crisis. The petition argued that a refusal to accept pets caused “real harm” to both owner and animal and that it amounted “a violation of the Animal Cruelty Law.” They argued further that evacuated pets should be treated under the same law that was established for the more familiar and universallyrespected, “guide dogs.”
Dani Shahar, General Director of the Ministry of Tourism, supported the petition and appealed to the hoteliers in an emotionally crafted letter to allow pets to live with their evacuated families. He added in his appeal that:
“Past experience elsewhere in the world has shown that evacuees accompanied by their pets not only has proven best for public and animal well-being but supports national resilience.”
The result was that the majority of the hoteliers indeed ignored their standard pet policies and allowed “furry family members” onto their properties.
Evacuees from the North. Seniors play a game in a hotel lobby in Tiberias on June 21, 2024, where hundreds of Israelis have been housed after their displacement from their homes near the border with Lebanon. (Photo: Sharon Aronowicz/AFP)
When asked in a recent podcast what was the weirdest thing he had to handle during the Gaza war, Lior Raviv, Managing Director of Isrotel, revealed:
“There are endless cases, but what stands out is that it is the first time in the company’s history we have hosted hundreds of dogs. Suddenly we have a new type of guest that we didn’t know. We even opened a kind of a dog care department.”
Is the war inspiring a rise of pet-friendly hotels?
Clearly the impact of the war included impacting on people mindsets. “Once the war started and we hosted evacuees, we accepted their pets without hesitation, as we believe they are part of the organic family,” expressed David Tucker, the General Manager of Ramada by Wyndham Jerusalem Hotels and the voluntary chairman of the Jerusalem Hotel Association. He explained:
“It wasn’t at all easy to face pets in the hotel facilities, but we understood that it is part of a major crisis. We made sure that dogs must be on a leash at all times; barking dogs are never left alone, and entrance to restaurants of pets was forbidden. But once the war is over and hotels in Jerusalem will return to routine, I am sure there will be a return to previous policies of no pets.”
Atlas Allows. Furry friends are part of the family even in Israel’s Atlas hotels. (Photo: Roy Mizrachi)
Itamar Elitzur, Head of the Eilat Hotels Association, explains that accepting pets in hotels during the war was a challenge but one certain hotels were willing to accept “because of the situation and the emergency.” He cited instances where dogs were left for hours alone in guestrooms causing disturbances and cases of other guests experiencing fear from these pets.” Ilitzur believes that once “Israel returns to normality,” so hotels will return to it standard policy of not allowing pets. “I am not aware so far of a single hotel that changed its official pet guidelines.”
Isrotel with its 23 hotels, Managing Director Raviv points out that “We will certainly return to our previous policy of no pets.”
“Is it because of the operational challenges you experienced during the war?” I ask.
The main reason, asserts Raviv is the “hotel guests in Israel are less fond of vacationing with dogs. In the USA, due to the vast distances and hence people go on vacations for longer periods, there is a more of an openness and acceptance of travelers being accompanied by their pets.” Raviv cites as an example, the US state of Florida where “the hotel business model there is suitable to accommodate this reality. In Israel where vacations are short, pet owners prefer to find suitable short-term pet solutions at home.”
Positive views in favor of pets regarding the future are also being heard. Atlas Hotels is an Israeli brand with 16 urban properties. It is a family business of co-founder Danny Lipman and his sons Yaron and Lior, who nowadays carry the torch. Atlas is exceptionally pet friendly and one may well ask, “How come?”
Happy with the Accommodation. American traveler Ruby Phillips always picks pet-friendly hotels for her Pippin and Umi husky dogs. (Photo: Ruby Phillips)
“It all started with our other co-founder Leslie Adler who arrived daily to work with his labrador named Trixie,” reveals Vice president Yaron Lipman. “Most hoteliers adopt a conservative approach towards pets; however, we do not see any obstacles. I can safely say that in most cases, dogs are better than human beings. We have no problem hosting guests with pets and we even supply beds and snacks for the animals. We hosted thousands of pets over the years and the problems were negligible. I am optimistic. During the war, hotels hosted evacuees with pets and they noticed that the problems were minor. Regardless of traditionally being against hosting pets, this experience of the war may prove positive and more hotels will accept the challenge in the future.”
In the US during the crisis of Covid-19, pet friendly hospitality also made headlines. Booking.com reported at the time of the pandemic “the pet-friendly filter was the third most-used filter in the hotel facilities section, behind swimming pools and parking.”
Feeling quite at Home. A dog with guests at Atlas Backstage hotel in Tel Aviv. (Photo: Eran Levi)
“While in the US the trend of pet-friendly hotels continues to grow, the supply of such hotels in Israel remains limited”, says Eran Ketter (PhD),the Head of the Department of Tourism and Hotel Management at Kinneret College. “Presenting a pet-friendly offering is an effective way for accommodation venues to create market differentiation, enhance customers’ loyalty, and increase revenues. However, what works well in the US does not necessarily work well in Israel. Most hotel rooms here are in large buildings that don’t have the facilities to host pets, unlike cabins and lodges in the US. Israeli clientele is not renown for following regulations, and having pets in local hotels might increase the level of chaos, which is already quite high. Israelis are much more open than Americans to leaving their pets with family/friends or having a dog-sitter coming into their homes, leading to a lower level of demand. Lastly, many hotels in Israel, especially in a leisure destination like Eilat, already enjoy high occupancy rates, and don’t need to make the extra effort in hosting pets.”
Missing Home. Children evacuated on Oct. 7 staying in a Dead Sea hotel. (Photo: Oren Ben Hakoon)
I prodded Ketter to envision a possible future of pet-friendly hotels in the wake of an end-of-war scenario in Israel. He responds smiling:
“Perhaps this is a trend waiting to happen, and when enough hotels will follow a pet-friendly path, a threshold may well be reached in the Israeli market and the demand will follow.”
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 visit by two Israeli tourists to Germany’s Black Forest revealed more surprises than could ever have expected
By Motti Verses
A few years ago, before Covid, my longtime friend, a PR expert and writer, Itzhak Rabihiya, shared with me a story of one of his very special clients. A group of Christians from Germany, had brought in 2019 to Jerusalem a 120-kg gilded golden menorah. Modeled after the menorah depicted on the Arch of Titus in Rome, the replica of the Temple candelabra measured 150 cm. The Germans raised €120,000 with private donations to fund the initiative and at the time explained their motivation:
“The church never returned the holy candelabra back to the Jewish people and we want to make amends. By our bringing of this iconic and historically so symbolic menorah, we are conveying a public message towards the Jewish people and asking for forgiveness. It’s our way of returning after 2000 years, the menorah from Rome to Jerusalem.”
Enlightening Relations. Prior to Covid, a 120-kg. gilded menorah, a replica of the Temple candelabra was brought from Germany to Israel in 2019. (Photo courtesy ‘Christians For Israel- Germany’)
I must say that this surprising initiative – which they termed “The Menorah Project” – was hard for me to fully comprehend. Anyway, over the years, the story turned into a fuzzy memory until a week ago, when Rabihiya and myself participated in a media trip that included visiting tourist attractions in Germany’s Black Forest. “You’re not going to believe this,” said Rabihiya. “You remember thoseChristian Germans and the menorah project from a few years back, well; they heard we were in their neighborhood and have invited us to visit.” Intrigued, we accepted the invitation and made the necessary arrangements.
Deep in the Schwarzwald, Germany’s Black Forest is a picturesque region with enchanting attractions. Known for its dense, evergreen forests and picturesque villages, it is often associated with the Brothers Grimm fairy tales and the cuckoo clocks.
It was a late afternoon and we programmed our vehicle’s GPS to the town of Altensteig. Certainly not a destination for the average tourist but to us visiting Israelis, it would prove an experience that I will always cherish! We planned to meet a woman, Delly Hezel, the power-house behind the Christian Germans group, supporting Israel. The forest suddenly thinned out when the small town came into sight. Our destination was a quiet street in a modest neighborhood. Delly opened the front door of her apartment and welcomed us in with a wide smile. Inside the living room, her decorations blew my mind.
Stunning Surprise. Standing in the kitchen in front of the large poster of the Jewish prayer ‘Shema Yisrael’, (l-r) Itzhak Rabihiya, Delly Hezel and the writer in the apartment in Altensteig in Germany’s Black Forest. (Photo courtesy Motti Verses)
Illuminating Encounter. The gigantic board of ‘Shema Israel’ in Delly Hezel apartment in Altensteig with seven stick candelabra in front. (Photo courtesy Motti Verses)
There were flags of Israel hanging on the windows; pictures and sculptures of Jewish menorahs, a gigantic board of ‘Shema Israel’, copious souvenirs from Israel and wherever I looked, symbols of Judaism. Her welcome and warmth was so touching especially during these turbulent times of rising global antisemitism and to discover such a heartfelt connection in the heart of Germany’s Black Forest, was so overwhelmingly.
Friend and Family. Delly Hezel, a powerful force behind the Christian Germans group supporting Israel says: “I have been coming to Israel regularly for over 15 years. My friends no longer see me as just a friend, but as part of their family. We experience joy and sorrow together, and it is especially in times of need that we stick together the most.” (website: www.csi-aktuell.de)
Who are they – these surprise supporters of Israel tucked away in Germany’s Black Forest? Founded 26 years ago at the time when Israel celebrated its 50th Independence Day, ‘Christians for Israel – Germany’ initiates projects for Israel, raising 1 million Euro every year. However, since the October 7th massacre, the involvement has intensified. Many protests and gatherings in support of Israel have been held in Berlin as well as in their region. A website “Israel at war” that shows ways to support Israel was created and survivors of the massacre were hosted by the group in the Black Forest to help with their recovery process. Delly has visited Israel seven times since the war started to show support. Additional organization members joined, embracing the motto:
‘Be present MORE in Israel, NOT less’
Partnering with the Jewish National Fund (JNF), Keren Hayesod and the Jewish Agency, since the massacre, ‘Christians for Israel-Germany’ have raised over 600.000 Euro in support of Israel.
Christians for Israel-Germany
A short time after our arrival, Markus Neumann,the organization’s energetic deputy, joined us, and told us to climb into the waiting vehicles as we were being hosted for dinner in Bondorf, a small pastoral village, a half-an-hour drive east of Altensteig. The host was Luca Hezel, Delly’s son, head of ‘Christians for Israel- Germany’.
Climbing the stairs to the penthouse apartment, leaving our shoes outside, we were warmly greeted by Luca, his wife Sonja and their two small blonde children Avi and Noa. For a brief moment, I thought Sonja and Luca were the busy ones in the kitchen. During the drive, I had imagined a dish of Bratwurst, a type of German sausage made from pork, beef, or veal. That culinary imagery faded rather quickly when I saw who was really busy in the kitchen! To our complete surprise, it were two Israelis, Avishay Argentaro from Kfar Aza, the kibbutz near Gaza that had been turned into a site of carnage on October 7, and his friend Zadok Aktzin from Ben Shemen, a moshav in central Israel.
Argentaro’s story left us breathless.
Sizzling Shakshuka. Avishay Argentaro from Kibbutz Kfar Aza prepares the dinner in Bondorf. The pan on the right is sizzling with Shakshuka. (Photo courtesy Motti Verses)
He related how on October 7, he together with his wife and their two children, they survived nearly 22 hours of terror. During these torturous hours, they hid in the dark, heard terrorists shooting around them and received messages of cries for help from their friends and neighbors. A few weeks later, Argentaro – who previously had participated in the ‘Chef Games’ television program – decided to embark on a culinary venture where he visits homes, cooks for the residents and talks about life on his kibbutz, where he has lived all his life.
Quite amazingly, long before the massacre of October 7, 2023, Argentaro and the ‘Christians for Israel-Germany’ had built up an endearing and enduring relationship for “Already some 12 years.” Now however, it was Argentaro first time in Germany and after our unexpected evening, he was set to culinary engage with local German communities in the Black Forest by cooking dinners and speaking about life in Israel.
Taste of Israel. Our Israeli dinner in the Black Forest included homemade Hummus, Shakshuka, baked cauliflower, Israeli salads and other familiar dishes enjoyed daily in Israel. (Photo courtesy Motti Verses)
“The diners will enjoy my gastronomy, but I will also tell them my story of October 7th and what Israel has been going through since,” he said. Argentaro’s dinner in the Black Forest started with the Birkat Hamazon (‘grace’) and all the participants followed with “Amen”. The meal included homemade Hummus, Shakshuka, baked cauliflower, Israeli salads and other familiar dishes we enjoy daily in Israel. It was certainly an evening to remember.
“It will be a sign on your hand” Exodus 13:9. ‘Christians For Israel-Germany’ have produced two bracelets that expresses “Our solidarity with the Jewish people and Israel in this time of distress! They should also help to remind us of two commandments of the hour: “Never again is now!” and “Germany on Israel’s side!“
Delly’s admiration of Judaism and the people of Israel is remarkable. I wanted to understand why, with so much passion for the Israel and Judaism, she doesn’t convert. She explained:
“I believe in Hashem, Abraham, Izik and Jacob and also in Jesus. But not as a God like Christianity is believing. I believe Jesus was a Rabbi with followers. For me he is the Messiah and when he comes, we can ask him if it is his first visit or his second. This is the only difference we have.”
Blue and White in Black Forest. Abundant Israeli flags at a German rally for Israel in the Black Forest. (Photo courtesy ‘Christians For Israel-Germany’)
The Black Forest may well be an area full of surprises for tourists but for us two visiting Israelis, our experience with the wonderful people of Christians for Israel-Germany was something I can only describe in biblical parlance – It was a ‘Revelation’!
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).
If Africa is inept at solving problems on its doorsteps, how does that make it adept at solving the problems of others a continent away? Go figure!
By Kenneth Mokgatlhe
It has become clearer to me over the years that governments from my African continent display little respect for the lives of their fellow black people. In many of these mismanaged failing states, vast populations across the African continent live in extreme poverty, remain unprotected from diseases, have little to no access to adequate health services as well as hygienic water sources and seem cursed in having uncaring leaderships as defenseless citizens are slaughtered like chickens.
While sickening, it has struck me as particularly strange how some of these incompetent governments would go and meddle in the Israel-Palestine conflict while neglecting the welfare of their own people.
South Africa, which dragged the State of Israel, into the UN’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the most unequal country in the world. Around 75 to 85 people are violently murdered daily and most victims are black. South Africa has the highest unemployment rate of 33% in the world, and most of those young people are black. According to the World Bank in 2020, 50.5% of the population lived in poverty while 25 percent (almost 14 million people) was experiencing food poverty.
South Africa has major domestic problems that pose internal national security threats. This is a ticking time-bomb that could explode at any moment. It should be a given that the newly elected incoming government should prioritise the plight of its destitute black people in South Africa before interfering in affairs a continent away that are of no strategic benefit to the larger population of the country.
A country’s foreign policy should be an assertion of its national self-interest to the benefit of its domestic situation. A sober person should ask how many millions the ICJ case cost the South African government, how it served the nation domestically, and what effect the exercise had on bringing an end to the war between Israel and Hamas.
State of Hunger in DCR. Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is Africa’s second largest country, with great mineral and natural resources, yet for decades, the country has suffered constant conflict, epidemics, undernutrition, and food insecurity. One in four people in DRC are experiencing a food crisis.
To make matters worse, we have a continental body, the African Union (AU), headquartered in Ethiopia, which has no regard for Africa and its people. We have a bloody war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which according to the Council on Foreign Relations has claimed the lives of over six million black people since 1996. Daily, black people continue to kill each other in the eastern DRC, but the AU appears unwilling to make a clarion call to end the bloodshed.
No Peace, No Security.31 African heads of state attended the founding conference of the OAU in May 1963. Sixty years later, its successor organization, the African Union (AU), has repeatedly come under fire for failing to achieve that objective. (Photo: picture-alliance/dpa).
The 2020-2023 war between Eritrea and Ethiopia claimed more than 700,000 lives, and has resulted in continued war crimes in the North of Ethiopia. Here again, the AU (and the UN) has not taken action. Maybe this is because this war did not trend in the mainstream media. The AU should be the ‘voice of the powerless’ on the continent but has emerged as a ‘paper tiger’ and seek to speak on their behalf – however it is becoming irrelevant to many Africans because it does not advance their interests.
‘Famous’ for Failure. Human rights Mozambican activist and chairman of his country’s Center for Democracy and Development, Adriano Nuvunga, expresses his disappointed with the AU for failing to fulfill its chief objective of ensuring peace and security on the continent. (Photo: Sitói Lutxeque/DW)
In the words of Mozambican Human rights activist Adriano Nuvunga:
“Today, the African Union is an organization that primarily represents the interests of the powerful. It is toothless and ineffective, and it repeatedly proves itself incapable of ensuring prosperity, security, and peace for all Africans.”
I am dragging the toothless AU into this discussion because the Chairperson of the AU Commission, former Chad prime minister, Moussa Faki Mahamat, constantly uses all available platforms to condemn Israel.
My question:
When is he going to prioritise the welfare of black people on his own continent?
Mismanagement and Misdirection. Rather that seriously dealing with conflicts in Africa, AU prefers to focus on the conflict between Israel and Gaza following the massacre in Israel on October 7.
However, if he is so passionate about international human rights, why does Mahamat ignore what his horrifying playing out in Haiti where fellow black people (descendants of Africa sharing our heritage) are slaughtering each other? Why is he so obsessed about Israel when many black people are dying in their thousands in the Caribbean? What is extra special about Israel that diverts his attention from any concern to the lives of the descendants of Africa?
Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, are African lives so cheap to you?
According to media reports, about 15,000 Sudanese who are also African have been killed while more than 30,000 have been badly injured since the start of the civil war in 2023, but there is absolutely nothing that the AU has done to quell the volatile situation in Sudan. The World Food Programme (WFP) has recently alerted the world that Sudan is now facing unprecedented levels of starvation. We should be asking if “starvation has been used as a weapon of war?”
Struggling to Survive. Sadio Abdi Rahman Ahmed, 50, stands with three of her six children near their tent at a camp in Baidoa, Somalia. (Lynsey Addario/National Geographic)
Africa needs to defend and protect the lives of Africans in the continent. We have enough problems in the mother continent that should be preoccupying our minds rather than finding ourselves trapped in conflicts elsewhere in the world. African countries need to unite and cooperate in combating wars, violent murders, terrorism, poverty, inequalities, water insecurity, human and drug trafficking, and unemployment among the youth and women.
I am reminded of the spirit of awakening across Africa in the early 1960’s, captured in the words of Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah at the Organization of African Unity founding on May 25, 1963:
“We must now unite or perish”
There is little evidence by the policies presently pursued that we are adhering to that spirit.
About the writer:
Kenneth Mokgatlhe is pursuing a Master of Arts in African Studies, African Sustainable Communities program, at Ben Gurion University of the Negev. He is a political writer, analyst, and researcher.
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).
These past 7 months have demonstrated that Israelis are extraordinary in so many ways.
By Rolene Marks
It has been over 7 months of agony. It feels like years. I do not remember life before 7 October – I do not think most people do either. There is 7/10 – and life before that, which is blurred and fuzzy. We are not the same people who went to sleep on 6 October. We never will be again. How could we be?
This year, the national holidays in Israel have a distinctly different tone. They are sacred days, filled with sorrow – and dread. Yom Hashoa (Holocaust Memorial Day) in the shadow of 7/10 was extremely poignant and difficult. The images of our brothers and sisters burnt to ash or herded onto the back of trucks and taken away as well as the raw, unbridled hatred that fueled the attack was reminiscent of the experiences of our ancestors – and family.
On 7 October, Hamas intended to terrorise. And they did. The trauma we have is so deep; it is at a cellular level. They came into the one safe haven of the Jewish people, our collective home and into our individual homes as families, and raped, mutilated, tortured, burnt, murdered and kidnapped. We thought it could never happen again – but it did. We are so deep in our collective trauma that we have not even begun to emerge into post trauma but no sooner had the news broken, Israelis began to flex our well-toned resilience muscle. War and trauma are not new to Israelis or the Jewish people, but this time it was different. The level of depravity was beyond our comprehension – and many of us feel that we have been transported back in time, to the pogroms and persecution of our grandparents and great-grandparents.
We are now approaching two Days of Awe – Yom Hazikaron, Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror – and Yom Ha’atzmaut, Independence Day. The two days take place one after the other so that we never forget the price we paid for what we have – a Jewish state. This year it is all the more emotional and heightened as we are fighting a war for our very survival – while antisemitism soars to astronomical levels.
Hamas made no distinction between any of us – left or right, religious or secular, Muslim, Christian, Jew, and foreign national – everyone was a target. Our answer to that, despite our differences, is to come together as a nation and focus on what is most important – supporting our bereaved families and families of hostages, demanding the immediate return of our hostages, ensuring the world does not forget what happened on 7/10 and standing behind our army.
In our grief, we each adopted a personal mission. Through our pain, we have each found a purpose and this article is my personal love letter to every single one of my exceptional fellow citizens and women. 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.
These Days of Awe, I want to express my profound love for my fellow citizens.
To the men, women and canines on air, sea, land, tunnels and airwaves, who are fighting not just for our survival, but for our very existence, there are not enough words to thank you. You are the best of us. You are our husbands and wives, sons and daughters, lovers, colleagues, friends and you are not just fighting for us, you are the vanguard in the clash between good and evil. We are proud of you, we stand by you and we know without any doubt that you adhere to the strictest moral and ethical code as you fight a monstrous entity that does not respect the laws of armed conflict, but instead uses their civilians as human shields. You can hold your head up high.
To our warriors, human and canine, who paid the ultimate price for our safety, your names will go down in the annals of our history, and we will honour you eternally. We will wrap our arms around your families. May your memories forever be blessed.
The 7th of October was the darkest day in Israel’s history, but it was also a day that ordinary people became superheroes. There were parents who drove down south to rescue their children in the carnage, risking their lives and saving many. Noam Tibon, a retired IDF General, and his wife got into their car and headed straight to Nahal Oz to help rescue his son and his family, trapped in their safe room. Tibon and his wife would not only rescue injured soldiers, shepherding them to safety, but Noam engaged in combat with terrorists before managing to free his family. Civilians like Yusuf Marhat, a Bedouin bus driver who transported revelers to the Nova festival and then drove towards the carnage to rescue as many as possible. He saved many lives that dark day. Aner Shapira was amongst a group of people hiding in a shelter when Hamas opened fire on them and threw grenades in. Video footage shows Shapira throwing at least 7 grenades out before he was eventually killed. His best friend Hersch Goldberg Polin was taken as a hostage and remains in captivity. These are just a few of the many who drew superhuman strength to save as many lives as they could.
To every first responder who ran into the danger, we salute you. It was the call centre operators who took those first calls from terrified kibbutz residents. I keep thinking of the operator who took the distressed call of Avigail Idan’s siblings, who saw their parents murdered and did not know where their baby sister was. The siblings hid in a cupboard where their mother Smadar had safely hidden them before she was murdered. The operator told them to hide there “till the good people come”. Images of Jewish children hiding in cupboards from killers takes us back to that darkest time in our history. The remarkable first responders from Magen David Adom, firefighters, United Hatzalah, Zaka, IDF soldiers, doctors, nurses, police and all who ran into the gates of hell went above and beyond the call of duty. They were nothing less than magnificent.
The attacks of October 7 left many orphans. Statistics estimate 119 children who lost either one or more parents. Breastfeeding mothers rushed to donate their breast milk so that our smallest and most vulnerable treasures would receive sustenance. This is love in a profound time of sorrow.
The Beautiful Israel. Young kids making sandwiches for soldiers who may be their fathers or mothers defending their country in the north and the south.
To the volunteers, near and far, who are diligently picking fruit and vegetables, thank you! You are helping to feed a country who faces the real threat of a lack of food security. Many of the agricultural workers who came from Thailand, Nepal and other countries returned to their countries in the wake of 7/10, leaving farms without labourers. Israelis sprang into action, making sure cows were milked, fruit, vegetable picked, and that the farms that form the country’s food belt have continued to function. Volunteers have been streaming in around from around the world to help – including a team of cowboys from the USA. It has been an incredible show of love and solidarity.
Stepping up to the Plate. Braving warm smiles on faces traumatized by national tragedy, Israelis preparing food for their soldiers.
To my colleagues who are journalists or are in the field of public diplomacy – we are tasked with bearing witness, recording history and testimony and sharing it with the world. It has been at times, an agonizing task. We have had to see the images and footage from the atrocities that are unfathomable in their cruelty. We have had to see them again and again in order to ensure the story is told, the atrocities not denied or forgotten. It takes a massive toll. We will continue to speak.
To the lawyers who are defending Israel in the international courts against libelous accusations of genocide – some heroes really do wear capes. In this case, robes. You are our legal heroes in your robes, presenting Israel’s case with alacrity, dignity and forensic detail, compiling case after case that easily disproves the accusation of genocide. You have had to pore over the evidence of a true genocide, the atrocities of 7 October, in all of its savage imagery. This is unbearable but proves without a doubt who the perpetrators are – Hamas.
To my sisters, the Zionesses roaring on behalf of our mothers, sisters and daughters who no longer have a voice, who were raped and tortured and then violated again by feminists and women’s organisations who not only denied the violence they endured, but built a wall of silence. We, the women of Israel, will tear down that wall by speaking up. We will not be silenced.
Country United. As they say an army marches on its stomach, it didn’t take long for Israel’s restaurants to get into the kitchen to feed their heroes. Within days of the war began following the massacre of October 7, even Israel’s top restaurants rallied to provide food for the soldiers.
Someone once said that an army marches on its stomach. The IDF must be the most well-fed army in in the world. Israelis and volunteers from abroad have been packing food parcels, donating, hosting barbeques on the border and ensuring that the army that defends its nation, eats well. Restaurant owners have koshered their restaurants to ensure that all food meets religious requirement and no soldiers is excluded from enjoying a delicious meal. Druze women and restaurant owners have closed their restaurants to the public and are catering solely to soldiers. When they open to the public again, we will support them in our masses.
What’s Cooking? In wartime Israel, everyone does their part – even if that means cooking dinner in a parking garage. Seen here at the Keshet school in Jerusalem’s Katamon neighborhood, are student volunteers in their school’s parking garage, which also is functioning as a makeshift kitchen feeding as many as 300 people per day.(Photo by Neil Weinberg)
To the hostages – our brothers and sisters held in torturous conditions, and those who have been released – no amount of words do justice to explain your courage and your dignity. Former hostages who have bravely shared about their horrific experience have done so with the greatest dignity and continue to fight for the 132 that remain captive. The stories are shattering – torture, starvation, systematic sexual abuse and more accounts that speak of unfathomable trauma. We will not stop until every single one of you is back.
The people who have vowed to rebuild their devastated communities and kibbutzim, you are the beacon of hope, of resilience. You remind us of what we have, what we cherish and what our commitment is.
Seniors in the ‘Service’. Volunteers sort donated resources for Israelis displaced by the October 7 attacks and Israel-Hamas war. (Photo: Foni Mesika)
Young people who have risen to the challenge. You are more than our greatest hope, you have more than proven our future is radiantly bright – you light the way. You have shown up in our darkest moment in the most magnificent way and while we look around the world at the chaos on campuses and in marches, alarmed at how the young and more often than not, gullible have been radicalized, we do not fear for the future of Israel. You are our future. You are the generation that will go down in the annals of history as one of our greatest. I believe that.
To you who has gone above and beyond and who I may not have mentioned, thank you. To every single one of us, navigating our own trauma and pain, but showing up, every single day, there is no greater love than the love we have for each other.
Every single one of us. 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).
A brave act by one young wife and mother ensures that another remains a wife and a mother.
By Lennie Lurie
We read in the Hebrew Bible, Leviticus 19:18:
“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord”.
The latter Commandment is a core principle of Judaism that relates to the law concerning ethical relationships.
The Talmudic sage, Rabbi Akiva, declared that this verse: “You shall love thy neighbor as thyself”, contains the great principle of the Law (“Kelal gadol ba-Torah“) and stands as the central commandment of the Torah as it emboldens individuals to treat each other as equals. “Thy neighbor” does not refer exclusively to the Israelite neighbor but as we read in Leviticus 19:34, it is extended to “the stranger that dwells with you ….and thou shalt love him as thyself”.
The word “love” can be exhibited in many forms. Some Jewish sources have emphasized the importance of self-sacrifice in regards to putting our needs second to another’s. Confounding interpretation, Rabbi Akiva’s teaching of “Your own life takes precedence to that of another” contradicts his own principle of loving thy neighbor as thyself. However, we can accept the universal spirit of this command as expressed by another Talmudic sage, Rabbi Hillel, in responding to the heathen who requested him to tell the Law while standing before him on one foot:
“What is hateful to thee, thou shalt not do unto thy neighbor. This is the whole of the Law, the rest is only commentary”
However, the 20th-century Jewish theologian, Will Herberg, argued that “justice” is at the heart of the Jewish notion of love, and the foundation for Jewish law:
“The ultimate criterion of justice, as of everything else in human life, is the divine imperative – the law of love …. Justice is the institutionalization of love in society …. This law of love requires that every man be treated as a Thou, a person, an end in himself, never merely as a thing or a means to another’s end. When this demand is translated into laws and institutions under the conditions of human life in history, justice arises”.
A contemporary, Rabbi Jill Jacobs, has interpreted love as a motivation for giving to others. As a way to extend one’s hand to the community, one can give Tzedakah, or charity, which comes from the word Tzedek meaning justice. As an obligation, one must give to the poor “as a means of restoring justice to the world…not as an altruistic or voluntary gesture.” A way to outwardly and tangibly exhibit love is by giving. By giving to the community, one can demonstrate love outwardly while also embracing it inwardly.
Love has also been expressed as being the selflessness of mankind (Rabbi Louis Jacobs, Greater Love Hath No Man). Humans have the capacity to self-sacrifice in the interest of others, as every life is valuable and unique. When one risks his or her own life to save another, it is seen as an act of piety and an act of love and justice which “advocates the most excessive altruism…”
I wish to relate a real-life incident which embodies self-sacrifice in the interest of others, exemplifying all the human goodness in fulfilling the commandment:
“Thou shall love your neighbor as thyself”
Ma’ayan is no ordinary Israeli woman. The Hebrew name Ma’ayan translates as “a spring or fountain” and Ma’ayan literally bubbles with energy, love and goodwill. She was raised in the rural village of Kiryat Tiv’on, located about 20 km east of Haifa in the north of Israel. She matriculated from the local high school and undertook her mandatory 20 months military service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). She completed an Officer’s Course and was awarded the distinction as a Soldier of Excellence.
Ma’ayan as a First Lieutenant in the Israel Defense Force (IDF)
Following her service in the IDF, Ma’ayan studied and graduated with a B.A. degree in Psychology at the University of Haifa, worked for a while in the Ministry of Health in Haifa finally gravitating to the hi-tech industry. She also gravitated to Guy in the hi-tech industry. The couple got married, settled on moshav S’de Yehoshua, about 15 km from Kiryat Tivon and have three kids – an 11-year son called Omer, and two daughters: Yuval aged 9 years and Ofri aged 5.
And then, in May, 2023, Ma’ayan informed her husband Guy that she wanted to donate a kidney to a seriously ill person who needed desperately a kidney transplant in order prolong his/her life. Guy was momentarily shocked at this decision and tried to understand the motivation for this extraordinary and seemingly dangerous undertaking. Ma’ayan had no reason at all other than her desire to extend the life of a very ill person. She admitted that she had undergone lengthy periods of introspection and had felt that her decision was the right one. She had read that the operation itself, though serious, was not life threatening and that the donor, then with only one kidney, could be expected to lead a normal, natural and lengthy life. Guy felt the conviction of his wife’s feelings and promptly reassured her of his full support, cooperation and everything else Ma’ayan needed to implement this altruistic act of “loving thy neighbor as thyself”.
Ma’ayan, Guy and their three children
Ma’ayan had numerous meetings with doctors and medical personnel and undertook extensive medical checks at the Beilinson – Rabin Medical Centre in Petach Tikvah. She was interviewed by psychologists to ensure that her motivation was entirely altruistic and that she was aware that her donated kidney could be given to any person who was in need of same.
On that unique occasion, just prior to the dual kidney operations, two youngish and attractive women faced each other for the first time: one was the kidney donor, Ma’ayan and the other was Efrat, the kidney recipient. Each woman knew that they would be forever “united” in that most beautiful and perfect of altruistic human acts: a kidney transplant!
Efrat was born with a genetic kidney impairment which only exacerbated with the passing of years. At some stage she had to have one kidney removed which created additional health complications. After her marriage, she was unable to fall pregnant. The young couple then decided to have a surrogate mother give birth to their child. Suitable arrangements were made with a professional organization specializing in this complex procedure. The couple travelled to Georgia where a local woman was impregnated with their embryo. In due course, twins – a son and a daughter – were born and the delighted and proud parents returned to Israel to raise their two children.
Sadly, Efrat’s remaining single kidney failed to function normally and it had to be surgically removed. This resulted in her undergoing the very arduous and exhausting process of dialysis, three times a week. She was unable to drink any liquids or digest foods / fruit containing liquids which imposed dietetic complications.
One can only assume that at this critical stage, Efrat must have realized that her life was lacking all quality and meaning. The dialysis process is soul destroying and leaves the patient with no hope for any permanent cure. The only possible and effective remedy is a kidney transplant. Other than that, the patient must anticipate the very worst …
So Efrat was placed on the list of potential kidney transplants. She must have been fully aware that with each passing day without receiving a kidney transplant, that inevitability of death was being brought closer and closer.
A miracle then took place when that courageous, kindhearted and compassionate Ma’ayan stepped into the picture – and Efrat smiled for the first time ….
Ma’ayan and Efrat meeting for the first time at the hospital
A video clip movie was made of the actual scene whereby the kidney donor and the kidney recipient met each other for the first time in the hospital, each woman knowing that they will be forever “united” in that most beautiful and loving altruistic human act: a kidney transplant!
At first, we see in the video clip, the women who are facing each other are stationary but their lips are moving. We can naturally assume that they are greeting each other. After this very brief interlude, they each take a step or two forward and fall into each other’s arms, embracing like lovers! But much more than that: there is something in their hugging that seems to indicate an intensity of feeling, a unique bond sharing that will unite them and their families for all their lives.
No Hollywood director could produce a similar scene with such an emotional impact on the viewer who knows the background of that meeting! One didn’t have to hear the silent wording of the two women in the video clip to comprehend what was being said: words of passionate gratitude and appreciation, contrasting with words of pleasure and fulfilment. The wording was very secondary to the physical embrace which communicated everything that can be portrayed in that almost miraculous act of extending and giving new life to a much-endangered young mother with twins.
The actual kidney transplant was performed in sequence: the removal of the kidney from the donor to the immediate implant into the body of the recipient.
The kidney transplant operations were a complete success. Ma’ayan has made a wonderful recovery; returning home to her family and later resuming her work in Tel Aviv. Efrat now lives a full and normal life and together with her husband, take an active role in raising their 6-year-old son and daughter.
There is that well-known and used Yiddish expression: “Der Rabbi zocht!” (“The Rabbi says!”) What the Rabbi says, the congregant undertakes without question or delay. Believe it or not, but those amazing Rabbis of the extreme orthodox community in Jerusalem have told their congregants to donate their kidneys to those ill persons (irrespective if they are Jew or Gentile, religious or secular) who are waiting for a suitable donor to get a new kidney and thus have their lives saved.
The Beilinson – Rabin Medical Center in Petach Tikvah where the kidney transplant was performed on the 14th September, 2023.
These days, the largest sector in Israel that are kidney donors, are those religious Jews in Jerusalem who have taken that Biblical command: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” in its most literal sense, sharing their body organs with strangers to save human lives!
Let us turn to those two wonderful women and to all the courageous, compassionate and neighbor-loving organ donors in Israel and recite to them from the Book of Numbers, Chapter 6, verses: 24-26:
“May the Almighty bless you and keep you; may the Almighty make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; may the Almighty turn his face toward you and give you peace”.
Please forgive me but I forgot to state in the aforementioned story that Ma’ayan is my elder daughter! And I am an exceptionally proud father of a kidney donor who has fulfilled the commandment:
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself”
About the writer:
A B.Sc. graduate in Economics and Geology from the University of Cape Town (UCT), Lennie may be the only volunteer from abroad who was granted permission to leave his group on kibbutz during the 1967 Six Day War to rejoin his paratroop brigade that he had served with years before following his matriculation in Cape Town. In Israel, Lennie has worked as an Export Manager for some of the country’s major food manufacturers and chemical companies as well as an independent consultant in Export Marketing guiding many small Israeli businesses to sell their products and services in the world-wide market. As a result of a work accident in 1995, Lennie made a career change and became an independent English teacher working mainly with hi-tech companies and associated with universities and colleges in the north 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 (0&EO).
