Leah

New Blog

2009-06-10T01:27:00.001+03:00

I have created a blog to discuss this topic and take it off of this one. The address of this new blog is http://whoisleahfriedman.blogspot.com/ Please fee free to visit this blog and comment as you see fit.

The Truth And Nothing But The Truth

2009-06-07T19:04:00.005+03:00

As I am sure many of you, that have recently come to the blog, have seen there are some strange things afoot. My name is Cary and I have been an Administrator of this blog since January 2009 (if I recall correctly). This administrative access was given to me by Leah Friedman. Leah and I, since October 2008, have been involved in an "online relationship". Over the past 6 months I have had many doubts and questions as to the identity of Leah and Mish, whose blog can be found at http://mishweiss.blogspot.com As of Friday I removed all other administrators to this blog to conserve the content held within it the attempt to find out if what has been told to me, and to all of you, is the truth.

Leah as been portrayed as a young girl suffering from heart complications as a result of contracting Kawasaki's Disease at a young age. She has been said to have gone through many open heart surgeries, commas, and paralysis resulting from these.

Mish has been portrayed as a woman whom has served as an IDF sniper, who has developed Leukemia and has been, since June 2008, undergoing treatment for this in a hospital in Israel, many times on the verge of death.

This is about finding out the truth, this is not about revenge. We have all been told, by this person, or persons, that these people are suffering from debilitating diseases and conditions. If this is the truth, then so be it, but if this is all a made up lie then this person, or persons, have made a mockery of basic human sympathy and emotions and have fabricated tragic stories for their own amusement. This, and Mish's blog, are not portrayed as Fiction, but rather true life. They are not portrayed as entertainment, but as the real life events of people suffering. This may not be legal crime but is surely a moral one.

What I am attempting to do is clarify that what has been told to all of us is the truth. There will be no "personal" information posted about any individual on this blog. Some people should take note, that posting personal information about an individual, in a public forum, is a crime and will be pursued as such to the fullest extent of the law. This also includes information posted within this blog, and anywhere else on the internet. Any information that is provide to me will be kept confidential.

With all this being said, if you have met Leah, Mish, Marc, Uri, Mason, or Tommy in person please use the comment system to post this information. Again, no information that is provided to me within the comments of this blog that is, of a personal nature, will be posted in an open forum. This is about confirming that the stories that we have been told are the truth, not about putting the anyones lives in danger.

Incredible

2009-06-03T19:58:00.000+03:00

Israeli Woman Fails At Committing Suicide Using A Train - (May 31, 2009) an Israeli woman was captured on camera while trying to, apparently, commit suicide on a train's railroad, resulting in her ALMOST getting ran over when the train passes exactly above her. Talk about miracles!

Michael "Mickey" Ross

2009-06-01T05:44:00.001+03:00

Writer, producer, who loved speaking Yiddish, has died. he was 89.
Born Isidore Rovinsky in 1919 in New York City, he grew up speaking Yiddish.
After his wife passed in 2000, he decided to give most of his fortune away to Jewish causes.
Ross donated $4 million to UCLA to establish an academic chair in Yiddish language and culture. He gave an additional $10 million to his alma mater, the City College of New York, to create Jewish studies programs and establish another Yiddish chair.
Ross, who lived in W Hollywood, died Tuesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles of complications from a stroke and heart attack.
Ross wrote and produced; All in the Family, The Jefferson's and Three's Company.

Secret of Inspiration - Shavuot

2009-05-28T15:50:00.000+03:00

Status Report

2009-05-26T17:19:00.003+03:00

Recovery from my stroke has been intermittent. Speech returned rather quickly, although some language skills are still lacking, I'm more dyslexic now and when I am tired can type mirror image backwards, I'll have to add that little skill to my resume.

Walking has been a lot more difficult, physical therapy brutal to the point of tears.
But it's finally beginning to pay off, yesterday I took 12 steps unaided. I had to stop half way and catch my breath, but I made it, only to collapse in a heap.

Heart valves mitral and aortic are working fine. I have more energy than I have in over a year. Seizure free for 2 and a half weeks now, knock wood. So, I guess pain does equal gain.

Baruch Hashem

Memorial Day USA

2009-05-24T05:01:00.001+03:00

Taps - Major General Daniel Butterfield

Day is done...
Gone the sun
From the lake...
From the hills...
From the sky.
All is well...
Safely rest
God is nigh.

Fading light....
Dims the sight
And a star....
Gems the sky....
Gleaming bright
From afar....
Drawing nigh
Falls the night.

Fernando Knopf

2009-05-20T13:42:00.000+03:00

Fernando Knopf and the Israel Salsa Band
Fernando Knopf was born in Argentina. The well known Composer and Performer immigrated to Israel in 1996. Although he is an Israeli Citizen, he considers himself to be a worldly citizen. His amusement has captivated souls from different corners of the world. His music proposal and awareness has satisfied the most demanding audiences and has convinced the most selective ears with his sophisticated and sabroso rhythm.

The Island on Bird Street

2009-05-17T16:25:00.002+03:00

Future Weapons Israel

2009-05-16T17:06:00.001+03:00

It Will Take Us 11 Days "To Wipe Israel Out Of Existence" :

2009-05-14T04:11:00.001+03:00

LBC TV (Lebanon) -
May 3, 2009 - 00:02:13 : General Commander of the Iranian Army Ataollah Salehi: It Will Take Us 11 Days "to Wipe Israel Out of Existence"

Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence (Live In Israel 10/05/2009)

2009-05-13T02:49:00.002+03:00

2009-05-11T17:53:00.001+03:00

The song is about violence against women. The women is hoping that the man will beat her up on her body and not her face so others won't see her wounds. She is covering her face and open wounds from previous attacks. She is asking battered women to fight their aggressors in any way they can: laugh, yell, hurt him, scream, roar like a lion, don't keep quiet, don't give in to violence ever again.

See the light

2009-05-09T05:22:00.002+03:00

אפרת גוש - לראות את האור
Efrat Gush - see the light

DEFIANCE COMPLETE MOVIE

2009-05-09T02:45:00.000+03:00

DEFIANCE COMPLETE MOVIE - FULL-LENGTH (runtime - 2 hours and 16 minutes) - Four Jewish brothers living in Nazi occupied Poland escape into the forest where they join up with Russian resistance fighters in battling the Nazis. Throughout the war they built a village in the forest and saved the lives of more then 1200 other Jews. Based on a true story.

The Jews Took No One's Land

2009-05-07T22:52:00.000+03:00

The Jews Took No One's Land - This video shows the truth about the Israeli 'occupation' and the 1948 war. Watch it. Know it. Understand it. The facts are clear.

Never Again

2009-05-06T07:55:00.000+03:00

Shavor Lev Broken Heart

Shavor Lev (Broken Heart) - Watch the best video clips here

Brief History of The Arab-Israeli Conflict in the Middle East (1920-2009) - A factual and brief overview of nearly a century-long conflict

2009-05-05T21:36:00.002+03:00

Home!

2009-05-04T05:15:00.002+03:00

I moved back to my apartment today. Feels so good to be able to do things for myself again!
Thank you everyone for the prayers and emails. I'm feeling really good again, finally!

Gilad ben Aviva

2009-05-02T06:34:00.000+03:00

Shalit activists protest outside Barak's home

Reservists relay letter to defense minister saying, 'It's time for you to act; Gilad's fate is a reflection of Israeli society's moral resilience'

Some 100 people, among them IDF reservists and soldiers in compulsory duty gathered outside Defense Minister Ehud Barak's Tel Aviv home on Friday and called on the government to work towards securing Gilad Shalit's release.

Gilad Shalit was captured by Palestinian terrorists on June 25, 2006 during a cross-border raid on an IDF base near Gaza

From YNew

Photo: Sandy Teperson

Please keep Gilad ben Aviva in your prayers, on your blogs and in the news.

Remembrance Day

2009-04-29T04:33:00.001+03:00

Yom HaZikaron Footage and Tribute - the Israeli Commemoration Day of the 22,750 fallen soldiers of the wars since the 1948 founding of the modern state of Israel.

Background to Operation Cast Lead

2009-04-28T20:20:00.002+03:00

Hamas Terrorist Tactics in the Gaza Strip - This video explains the background to operation Cast Lead, specifically the terrorist tactics that Hamas employs. It shows how Hamas smuggles in weaponry in order to arm itself and how it employs the civilian population and infastructure in order to carry out terrorist attacks against Israel. Hamas' use of human shields during operation Cast Lead caused many civilian casualties.

"Triumph of the Return"

2009-04-28T20:19:00.002+03:00

On September 4, 2003, in a large ceremony, the Israeli Air Force flew three f-15 jets over the Auschwitz concentration camp in a show of the Jewish people's continued strength and triumph over past adversities.

During the Holocaust (1939-1945) 6 million Jews were murdered at the hands of the Nazis and their collaborators. Millions of Jews and other victims of the Nazis were imprisoned, enslaved and murdered at Auschwitz and her sister camps.

This visit was a testament to the world that the saying "never again" is not just a slogan.
Many of the participants were the children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors.

Credit:
http://idfspokesperson.com

Monday 10:13PM

2009-04-27T22:12:00.002+03:00

Thank you everyone for the prayers and emails.

I'm HOME!!! Arrived back at my Dad's house (not able to stay in my flat alone yet)

this afternoon, Herzliya never looked so good!

I will post more as soon as I recoup some energy.

Leah Mia Pia

2009-04-26T03:10:00.002+03:00

Princess is doing so well Marc tells me she will be discharged either late Sunday or early Monday! Thank you ALL for your prayers, greatly appreciated!

Moshav Band, Heart is Open

Little Princess

2009-04-24T13:37:00.002+03:00

Leah is doing so well the doctor is calling her "Miracle" instead of "Kitten".

Today she is undergoing medication changes, there have been some issues with irregular heart beats. They had her standing up yesterday and taking a few assisted steps (Leah is still not able to walk alone). I spoke to her on the phone a few minutes ago and she sounds good. If all goes as well as expected she may be discharged on Monday. Thank G_d.

Thank you for the many prayers and comments to both blogs.

Gut Shabbes!

Leah

2009-04-23T15:55:00.002+03:00

Leah had a minor set back last night, a seizure caused some bleeding.
This afternoon she seems to be resting comfortably. Today was the first time I have actually seen her since the surgery, always difficult to see someone you care about in pain. :(

Unlike previous surgeries she was awake and semi-coherent. Asking to call Cary and wanting something to drink. Doctor feels she will remain in Intensive Care at least another day. The surgery was successful and doctors say Leah will be better for it.

Thank you for the prayers and comments.

Princess

2009-04-22T18:55:00.002+03:00

Just got an update from Uri

Leah is now completely off the assisted breathing machine.
Although still in critical care, doing very well. There are a few issues with irregular beats, when she moves too much or gets excited (Cary) :) her heart speeds up and skips, so far they are asymptomatic and are being watched. Leah has an implanted defibrillator should they develop into anything serious.

After Leah's last surgery there were mental issues, "who am I where am I", this time she seems fine. Although was a little confused asking for Cary and even had a nurse search the hospital for him. If Leah continues to improve she will be removed off the critical list tonight.

Thank you for your prayers this was truly a miracle, Leah was gravely ill and not expected to survive when she entered that operating room.

Leah

2009-04-21T18:10:00.005+03:00

Marc posting

As most of you know Leah went into the hospital for somewhat routine tests, anyone who knows Leah also knows nothing is routine for her. What began as a minimally invasive repair of leaky valve has turned into a major ordeal to stop bleeding into her pericardium. This was an emergency procedure, her heart was in a continuous life threatening rhythm, she's been in the operating room for almost 2 hours (6:19PM) As we receive info I will update this post.

Please pray for Leah Meira bat Rina

Update:
Leah is out of surgery and the bleeding has stopped. She is on a ventilator and the next 24 hours crucial. Thank you for your prayers and support. I'm going to be updating both blogs tonight and tomorrow. Mish is having her central line removed and moved her fever is dangerously high. We're all pretty frazzled.

Update 11PM
Leah is semi awake her Dad shared that she responds when he talks to her.

Update 3:23AM

Uri posting
Leah is asking for Cary, I try texting him for her.
Blood pressure and heart rate are a little elevated.

Yaakov Hollaender

2009-04-21T01:43:00.002+03:00

The remarkable testimony of Yaakov Hollaender - who survived no less than 12 death camps.

In 1947, Janek arrived at Kibbutz Mishmar
Hasharon. After fighting with the Palmach’s Harel
Brigade, he helped found Kibbutz Tse’elim in the
Negev, along with other former children from
Selvino. Today Ya’akov Janek is a well-known
composer, musical arranger and choir conductor.
In 1955, Janek married Devorah. They have
two children and one granddaughter

One Lonely Night - Is Internet Dating Kosher?

2009-04-18T19:52:00.000+03:00

For Joe, How we met

2009-04-17T17:25:00.002+03:00

Marc and Avi are from Detroit, they came to Israel together to join the IDF, where they met Mishy.
I met Marc at Shul, he introduced me to Mish. As I have shared before she didn't like me much. I believe she called me a "bouncy little twit" The first time I dared to hug her she stood stiff with her arms at her sides, I called her a b*tch. I was the trouble maker, I came to Israel naive and determined to make a difference, I was all into politics, against the disengagement, I got us arrested twice.
It was during one of the arrests that I got the nick name "Princess" I was lying on the ground trying to block a bulldozer when the charming officer jerked me up. Avi came to my defense and told the cop I was "precious cargo" and to take it easy on me, to which he replied "come on Princess" from then on I was Princess. My political activism was cut short by open heart surgeries and eventually the stroke. Mish calls those my "Angela Davis" days.
The five of us Uri, Marc, Avi, Mish and I became very close, we're all quite different but that never mattered. I believe Avi's death, my surgeries and now Mish's leukemia was the reason G-d put us together. An Orthodox Jew, A vegan, A gay, a die hard Detroit Redwings fan, and me. Absolutely nothing in common but love and respect.

Ballad For the Modern Girl- The Ziv Kessel Project

2009-04-17T06:33:00.001+03:00

2009-04-16T06:14:00.001+03:00

Jews teach their children to love - but the Islamic Arab world teach their children to hate (source: MEMRI). This video is truly shocking and exhibits the Nazi-like child propaganda that led to the death of millions of Jews in the Holocaust.

Ahmed & Salim Episode 6

2009-04-15T17:33:00.001+03:00

Ahmed & Salim Episode 5

2009-04-15T17:32:00.000+03:00

Being Jewish in Iran

2009-04-15T06:12:00.002+03:00

The Idan Raichel Project "If You Go"

2009-04-15T06:11:00.000+03:00

Hamas Terrorists Attempt to Plant Explosives Along Security Fence in Gaza

2009-04-13T00:16:00.000+03:00

- Video shot by IDF field security cameras along with voice recording show how the IDF foiled an attempt by Hamas terrorists to plant explosive devices along the security fence in central Gaza. The IDF identified the men as armed and confirmed their efforts to plant explosive devices before coordinating with the air force and neutralizing the threat. The video also shows the various guns and munitions that the terrorists were carrying on them at the time of their attack. It is important to note that this event occured in the exact same place where two previously another explosive device was planted which caused the death of an IDF NCO.

My First Easter Eggs

2009-04-11T15:23:00.000+03:00

Thank you Cary, love you too!

Teenage Bedouin Girl Shoots At Israeli Border Guards.

2009-04-10T17:43:00.000+03:00

A teenage girl opened fire Saturday afternoon on Border Guard officers stationed at the Shoket Junction in southern Israel.

At around 2 pm the assailant, later identified as 16-year-old Awad al-Navari from the Bedouin village of Hura, arrived at the entrance to the base and began to fire a handgun. The guard at the entrance averted her arm, and she fired into the air before taking cover near the guard's post. A Border Guard officer who arrived at the scene shot and killed her, according to police.

Police said the attack was nationalistically-motivated, adding that officers were searching her home for any evidence that may shed light on the incident.

Commander of the Negev District Police, Deputy Inspector General Yossi Frienti, told Ynet that after the gunwoman fired the soldier guarding the entrance to the base asked her in Arabic to lower her weapon, promising that no harm would come to her, but she did not heed the warning.

"She fired a number of shots at the guard and then took cover near the post. The Border Guard officer who arrived on the scene fired at the terrorist. On her back was a large bag and she continued to crawl towards the entrance," he said.

Sappers used a robot to detect any explosives on the gunwoman's body, finding none, while Police Commissioner Dudi Cohen was alerted to the scene.

Frienti added that police set up roadblocks throughout the surrounding area and that sappers had gone through the woman's belongings. "We didn't find an explosive device," he said. He added that the officers had worked efficiently.

An initial investigation into the case revealed that the woman had fired 4-5 bullets from an FN-type handgun. The guard stationed at the entrance to the base was still delivering his testimony.

Ophir Yevarkan, the officer who shot the terrorist dead told Ynet "during the shift we received a report of a female terrorist firing towards the base. I made my way to the scene of the attack and neutralized her.

The officer said he spotted the woman at a corner of the fence surrounding the base. "She didn't speak to us but we tried to persuade her to stop firing," he said, "the guard at the entrance to the base asked that she put the gun down, but she didn't respond."

Police Commissioner Cohen praised the officers' conduct, and called on the public to remain alert "so that we may have a peaceful holiday."

He said there were no specific warnings regarding possible attempts to carry out terror attacks over the Pesach holiday.

The security establishment is looking into the possibility that the terrorist was sent by Islamic Jihad's leadership in the West Bank city of Hebron.

Earlier Saturday, IDF soldiers clashed with several Palestinian gunmen while patrolling along the northern Gaza Strip security fence.

The incident, which took place near kibbutz Kfar Aza, saw Golani Brigade troops cross over the fence in pursuit of the gunmen. The fire exchange which ensued left two militants dead injured. A subsequent canvass by the soldiers found an explosive device on the premises.

Palestinian sources confirmed the incident, further reporting that the gunmen were attempting to fend off the IDF force, which they claim attempted to venture deep into the Strip.

Another report alleged that the gunfight began after the Palestinians opened fire and attempted to use an explosive device on the soldiers.

Palestinian health official Dr. Moaiya Hassanain later said that three men were injured in the incident.

The Palestinians also claimed that the Israeli military was preventing them from extracting the bodies. The gunmen's affiliation remains unclear at this time.

Chag Kasher V'Sameach!

2009-04-09T05:01:00.001+03:00

Rugrats Passover

2009-04-08T00:27:00.000+03:00

The top-rated episode of Nickelodeon’s top-rated series is now on video and shown here in full-length! It’s Angelica as Pharoah, Tommy as Moses and the babies as the Hebrews in a “Rugrats Passover”. For everyone from ages 2-99. Kids, teens and adults.

A Night At The Theatre...Hamas Style.

2009-04-06T13:57:00.002+03:00

This little 'skit' was performed at the Islamic University in Gaza on Friday night and broadcast on Hamas television.

IDF Prayer

2009-04-04T17:39:00.001+03:00

IDF Prayer video - including awesome footage of Jewish soldiers connecting to Hashem prior to battle for the homeland - includes captioned text of the prayer for soldiers.

Picture worth a thousand words...

2009-04-03T15:41:00.000+03:00

thank you Jered

Israel Lost Loved Ones To Terror

2009-04-03T03:41:00.000+03:00

In Memory For Israel Lost Loved Ones to Terror - Video Dedicated To the Victims and their family's - Lest we should forget! From our heart to Israel. Collage video of images and footages of the human terror toll and its tragic suffering and pain.

Terror Attack

2009-04-03T00:17:00.004+03:00

A young Jewish teenager was slaughtered by an axe-wielding arab who entered the idyllic Israeli community of Bat Ayin on Thursday, April 2nd, 2009. A younger friend (Yair ben Michal) had his skull fractured in the attack - the arab fled to an adjoining village after being confronted by a Jewish resident who saved the life of the younger Jewish child. The name of the 13 year old boy brutally murdered this morning by an arab terrorist in the village of Bat Ayin was released to the public. Shlomo Nativ, of blessed memory, was be buried today at 5pm. The funeral took place at the Gush Etzion Cemetary. The murdered youth was the son of Haim and Revital Nativ, one of the original settlers who founded Bat Ayin, a community of secular-cum-religious Jews. Among the residents of Bat Ayin are followers of the Breslav Chassidic group and many Chabad devotees. Revital Nativ moved to Bat Ayin from Kibbutz Hatzor, and her husband is a long-time teacher. He runs a women's religious seminary in Jerusalem that has published children's books.

Oren Lavie

2009-04-01T16:37:00.001+03:00

Oren Lavie has no illusions that four and half million people are going to buy his debut album The Opposite Side of the Sea. But what does he know?

The Tel Aviv-born singer/songwriter also didn't expect the inventive stop motion-style video for the album's first single, "Her Morning Elegance," to become a viral sensation. Since its release in January, it received over - you guessed it - four and a half million hits on YouTube.

Her Morning Elegance / Oren Lavie

Oren Lavie music on iTunes-

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISH

2009-04-01T07:12:00.002+03:00

Love, Marc and Uri

Moshav - the Only One

2009-03-31T18:57:00.001+03:00

Everything is split in two
every place leads back to you
the only one
the only one
love and live and searching for
what's behind every door
the only one
the only one
and I see the wide silver moon and the slow setting sun
I can see the flower in bloom and the finger on the trigger of the gun

everything is split in two
every place leads back to you
the only one
the only one
love and live and searching for
what's behind every door
the only one
the only one
and I see the roads I can choose and a million different views
I can see the forest with all he trees and the changing of all the seasons

Echad, Echad, U'Shmo Echad, The Only One, The Only One
Echad, Echad, U'Shmo Echad, The Only One, The Only One
Echad, Echad, U'Shmo Echad, The Only One, The Only One
Echad, Echad, U'Shmo Echad, The Only One, The Only One
-------
And I feel two hands upon the face of the whole human race
where I dream that all thoughts they blend where I stop and where you begin

Echad, Echad, U'Shmo Echad, The Only One, The Only One
Echad, Echad, U'Shmo Echad, The Only One, The Only One
Echad, Echad, U'Shmo Echad, The Only One, The Only One
Echad, Echad, U'Shmo Echad, The Only One, The Only One

Pea Pals - Love With A Vengeance

2009-03-30T15:18:00.003+03:00

For Cary, I love you

Bibi Netanyahu at 28

2009-03-29T21:36:00.000+03:00

Someone unearthed a tape of Binyamin Netanyahu as a witness in a mock trial in 1978 in which he discusses whether there should be a 'Palestinian' reichlet.

IDF, Israeli version of Remember Me

2009-03-28T17:16:00.002+03:00

Israeli Weapons of the Future - The Elbit defense manufacturer had their trade show, revealing their latest weapons and the technology for the future of warfare. As seen on Arutz Sheva. IsraelNationalNews.com

IDF

2009-03-27T17:06:00.000+03:00

This is the true picture of the Israeli Army that I wanted to show. Despite the global hatred of the IDF, the Israeli forces are the first on the scene all over the globe during times of natural disasters or terrorists atrocities.

Idan Raichel's

2009-03-26T15:02:00.002+02:00

Bo'ee (Come With Me)

Idan Raichel's beautiful love song

Translated lyrics

Come.

Give me your hand and we'll walk

Don't ask me where.

Don't ask me about happiness.

Maybe it will come.

When it comes,

It will come down on us like rain.

Come.

We'll hug, and we'll walk.

Don't ask me when.

Don't ask me about home.

Don't ask me for more time.

Time doesn't wait, doesn't stop, doesn't stay.

Do you remember when you used to bring me flowers time after time

When we used to play like children

When you used to miss me

I missed you

When we used to hold eachother

we used to enjoy everyday we had together

I hated to be apart from you

But now when its all over

what will be

The last flight of Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz

2009-03-25T04:49:00.002+02:00

The last flight of Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz
"official departing visitation"

IDF

Dan Halutz דן חלוץ‎ (born August 7, 1948 in Tel Aviv, Israel) is an Israeli Air Force Lt. General and former Israeli Air Force commander. Halutz was appointed as Chief of Staff (Hebrew: רמטכ"ל‎) of the Israel Defense Forces on June 1, 2005. On January 17, 2007 he announced his resignation. He has a degree in economics. He was born to a Mizrahi Jewish family, who bore heritage in Iran and Iraq.

Halutz joined the Israeli Air Force (IAF) in 1966 and graduated from combat flight school in 1968. In 1969 he joined the first F-4 Phantom squadron of the IAF. During the War of Attrition Halutz carried out 40 operational flights.

After the war he left the IDF in order to study, but returned to active duty when the Yom Kippur War started in 1973. During the Yom Kippur War Halutz carried out over 43 operational flights in which he shot down 3 enemy planes in dogfights.

In 1978 he left the IDF again and served 4 years as a reserve pilot but returned to the service in 1982 when he was also trained to pilot the new F-16 jet fighter. In 1984 he commanded a Phantom squadron. In 1986 he was appointed to head the IAI Lavi jet project. After the project was canceled due to American pressure, Halutz was appointed as commander of Hatzor airbase in 1991.

In 1993 he was promoted to Brigadier General and appointed as head of air group. In 1995 he was appointed as the head of air force headquarters.

In 1998 he was promoted to Major General and in 1999 he was appointed as the head of the Operations Wing in the IDF General Staff.

In 2000 Halutz was appointed as the Israeli Air Force commander. He led the IAF during the Al-Aqsa Intifada, during which he was recognized by experts and subordinates as an innovative and a charismatic leader. Halutz's main reforms in the Air Force were the tightening of cooperation with the ground forces and the
Shin Bet, the massive employment of UAV drones, the upgrading of precision strike capabilities in helicopter gunships and jets and the sharp decrease of accidents and aerial failures. During Halutz's time, only a small number of accidents occurred, none of them lethal. Moreover, he held a record of a straight 2.5 years with a clean slate of no accidents at all. During his term, the IAF took part in several 'targeted killing' operations of Palestinian leaders.

In 2004 he was appointed as Deputy Chief of Staff.

On February 23, 2005, Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz announced that Halutz would be the next IDF Chief of Staff.

On June 1, 2005, Halutz was officially appointed as the eighteenth Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces and was awarded the rank of Rav-Aluf (Lieutenant General). It is the second time in the history of the Israel Defense Forces that a former IAF commander became the head of the entire military. General Chaim Laskov was the first.

On January 17, 2007 Halutz resigned from office, following a critical report from former chief of Staff Dan Shomron. Halutz stated that he made the decision "based on deep-rooted values, those of strong ethics, loyalty to the organization and integrity."

"I served the army responsibly for over four decades, and this responsibility continued in the last few months. It is this responsibility that led me to announce my resignation."

Gilad Shalit

2009-03-24T14:53:00.002+02:00

Gilad Shalit already 1000 days in captivity Shalit was born on 28 August 1986 in Nahariya, Israel, and was raised from the age of two in Mitzpe Hila in the western Galilee. He graduated with distinction from Manor Kabri High School. Shalit began military service in the Israel Defense Forces in July 2005, and despite a low medical profile, he preferred to serve in a combat unit, following his elder brother Yoel into the armored corps. He holds dual Israeli and French citizenship.

Israel mall bomb stopped

2009-03-24T05:10:00.001+02:00

Mar. 22 - Israeli bomb disposal experts defused a suspected car-bomb left at a shopping mall in Haifa. Palestinian militants are suspected of planting the device. A small explosion alerted police ...

Nefesh B'Nefesh Rabbi Yehoshua Fass

2009-03-23T15:27:00.000+02:00

Nefesh B'Nefesh (NBN) founder Rabbi Yehoshua Fass has brought to life a new wave of aliyah helping many thousands return home to Israel. Here is a video profile from Aish HaTorah about this modern-day aliyah hero. Learn how he was inspired to start NBN - when his cousin was murdered in a terror attack in Israel. A real story of light from darkness and making a difference.

Leah

2009-03-22T18:24:00.000+02:00

Please pray for Leah Meira bat Rina. She's having a very difficult time.

1000 DAYS!

2009-03-22T15:17:00.002+02:00

Noam Shalit promises Gilad fight isn't over yet

Hundreds somberly mark soldier's 1,000th days in captivity as family disassembles protest tent outside PM Olmert's residence. Novelist Meir Shalev slams prime minister over 'a thousand days of empty promises'

It was not how they wanted to leave the capital. One thousand days after he was taken captive, Gilad Shalit's family packed up the protest tent erected outside the home of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem.

But though they return to their home in Mitzpe Hila empty handed, Noam and Aviva Shalit vowed the fight for their son's freedom was far from over.

Addressing the hundreds that gathered for the low key ceremony marking the grave milestone, he said:
It is not over my dear Gilad. We, along with all of you, will keep going until you come home."

He called on the government to do everything possible in its remaining two weeks in office to secure Gilad's release.

"It's been a thousand days and nights since you were kidnapped by Hamas to Gaza, both we and you have been living in a nightmare, uncertain about your fate. A thousand days now that the State of Israel and its leaders, who sent you on your mission, have failed to find any solution that would bring you home, we are not even close.

"We came here exactly two weeks ago to demand of the prime minister to carry out the necessary moves to bring Gilad home without delay, before the end of your term, Ehud Olmert. The Israeli government you lead, as you like to say, sent Gilad on a mission he didn't come back from, and it is your duty to bring him back to the IDF, to his home, and to his family.

full story at YNet news

Miryam Elisheva Bat Rachel

2009-03-20T18:35:00.002+02:00

Asking for prayer for Mish please. She's having a really difficult time.

Thank you everyone for your comments and cards on Uncle Patrick.

Posting may slack off a wee bit as we spend as much time as possible with Mish.

Gut Shabbos

Moshav Band

2009-03-18T15:38:00.000+02:00

The Heritage TV presents The Moshav Band - The Heritage TV MySpace Friends hour presents the Moshav Band - a band born out of Moshav Modi'in formed by the great Rebbe Shlomo Carlebach A'H.

Moshav Band Knitting Factory 6/21/07 When I'm Gone

An amazing short film about the Israeli army

2009-03-17T15:01:00.000+02:00

An amazing short film about the Israeli army, opening with rare archive footage and beautiful soundtrack.

The Merkava מרכבה

"Chariot" is the main battle tank of the Israel Defense Forces. Since the early 1980s, four main versions have been deployed. The "Merkava" name was derived from the IDF's development program name.

This platform is optimized for crew survival and rapid battle damage repair. With the use of spaced-armor techniques and quick-replacement modular designs, the design team was able to incorporate the composite armor, a derivative of rolled homogeneous armor (RHA) and Chobham armor. Additionally, the space between the inner and outer hulls is filled with diesel fuel — an economical storage method and a means of defeating HEAT rounds.

Following the model of contemporary self-propelled howitzers, the turret assembly is located nearer the rear than in most main battle tanks. This gives the crew additional protection against a frontal attack by putting the engine between them and the front of the tank. This arrangement also creates an otherwise unused space in the rear of the tank that allows increased storage capacity, as well as a rear entrance to the main crew cabinet allowing easy access even under enemy fire. This allows the tank to be used as a platform for medical disembarkation, a forward command and control station, and an armored personnel carrier. The rear entrance's clamshell-style doors provide overhead protection when off- and on-loading cargo and personnel.

Uncle Patrick

2009-03-16T18:57:00.000+02:00

My uncle died last night, sitting at his desk in our warehouse, a desk he sat at for almost 40 years.
Three weeks ago he suffered a mild heart attack, Uncle Patty was a young "Harley" riding 73. The doctors did angioplasty and pronounced him fit to return to work. He went to the office yesterday to catch up before he began work today; when he didn't come home my Aunt went to check and found him dead.
Uncle Patty was my adopted Grandfather, it was Patty who taught me how to ride a bike between the pallets of beer, Patty who bandaged my skinned knees, or removed splinters from playing on the docks. And when I misbehaved it was Uncle who always took my side against Da. "Alan, leave the wee child be"
Tomorrow is St Patrick's Day, and on a St Patty's day 9 years ago, Uncle Patty taught me to dance an Irish Jig.
I will always remember the stories of leprechauns, and the other tales I learned chin in hands at his desk. I will miss him something awful.

I love you Uncle Patrick.

Flogging Molly - If I Ever Leave This World Alive

Gilad Schalit

2009-03-16T14:46:00.000+02:00

Gilad Schalit 982

What does Gilad Schalit have to do with you?
By DAVID BREAKSTONE

"Israeli or Jew?" I enquire of the soldiers sitting in front of me. "Which label better characterizes you?" The overwhelmingly majority say the first - every one of the hundreds of times I have asked this question as a reserve soldier under the command of the IDF's chief education officer.

"And to the extent that you feel the latter also applies to you, what are the three most important things one need do to be a good Jew?" Here, too, the response is remarkably consistent: live in Israel, speak Hebrew, serve in the army. "Oh," I respond innocently enough, "like the Druse." "Yeah, sort of, no, not exactly..." they stutter in rejoinder.

"Another question," I continue. "A few years from now you're on a Hebrew University scholarship committee. You have one grant yet to allocate. There are two remaining candidates. The first is a young woman from Cleveland, a teacher in a Jewish day school who writes in her application that she believes it's important to spend some time in Jerusalem if she's to convey to her students the meaning of the centrality of Israel in Jewish life. The second is a young Druse. He's just completed his army service, and wants to make a career of teaching in his village, raising another generation of citizens loyal to Israel. Who gets the scholarship?"

The answer, again, is all but unanimous. "The Druse," they say, explaining that he's fulfilled his obligation to the state, that what we need most are loyal citizens prepared to go into the army, that Hebrew University is an Israeli institution..."

"Hold on," I interrupt. "Hebrew University's fund-raisers are always touting it as being the university of the Jewish people, and the scholarship money was probably collected from donors abroad." I don't succeed in convincing them.

"Okay," I acquiesce. "The Druse gets the scholarship. But the Jewish woman manages to get financial help from elsewhere and ends up here, too. Toward the end of her year of studies, she comes to you and says she has a problem. She had every intention of going back to the States, but things have become more complicated. During the term she fell in love with a fellow student who has now asked her to stay here and marry him. What should she do?"

"Stay, of course," they tell me.

"Oh, I forgot to mention one thing," I interject. "The person she fell in love with? He's the Druse you gave the scholarship to."

Silence. "What's the problem?" I ask.

"She's Jewish," responds one of the soldiers. "It's not right for her to marry someone who isn't. She should forget about him and go back to America." The others nod their agreement.

"Hold on," I challenge them. "You just told me that the main thing is to have loyal citizens here in Israel, and that the most important expressions of being a good Jew are living here, speaking Hebrew and serving in the army. No one said anything about marrying someone Jewish."

"But this is different," they object, and start arguing with me. As the session continues, I ask them about changing the flag of Israel and the national anthem so that all of Israel's citizens might feel comfortable with them. They reject the proposal out of hand. I suggest that we make Sunday rather than Shabbat our day of rest, so as to be in line with the rest of the world. That is totally unacceptable as well. Finally, I ask them if they feel they are serving in the army of the State of Israel or that of the Jewish people. By this time they have become a bit more wary of my questions and more cautious in responding, but still the clear majority say that the job of the IDF is protecting the people living here.

"And how many of you would volunteer for a dangerous military mission to rescue Jews in distress somewhere else in the world?" They all raise their hands, and I rest my case.

KOL YISRAEL areivim zeh b'zeh. All Jews are responsible for one another, and the sense of mutual accountability transcends national boundaries. Back in July, popular musician Aviv Gefen wrote in a song to Gilad Schalit, "your heart beats incessantly in our heart... you are, in the end, the child of us all." He is also the soldier of us all, and the efforts of Zionist federations and Jewish organizations around the world over the past 30 months make it clear that the "all" in Gefen's lyrics has been internalized by Jews everywhere. The hundreds of rallies, marches and letter-writing campaigns initiated by Jews of the Diaspora to expedite the return of one of our captives give expression to the fundamental value entrenched in our tradition that we must go to every length to redeem hostages. But they haven't done the job.

Now, as the prospect of Gilad spending his 1,000th day in captivity looms, the Schalit family has moved into a tent pitched opposite Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's home to press him to do everything possible to effect Gilad's return before he leaves office. They are being visited by an endless stream of people. You can visit them as well, in a virtual tent that has been set up alongside their own, letting Gilad's parents know they are not alone. Your moral support may be registered through the Facebook group BringHomeGiladSchalit, or at www.doingzionism.org.

What does Gilad Schalit have to do with you? Nothing more than a willingness to put his life on the line not only for the State of Israel, but for the well-being of Jews everywhere. When he gets back home, he should know that that readiness was appreciated.

IMAGINE A MUSIC VIDEO

2009-03-15T18:19:00.000+02:00

IMAGINE A MUSIC VIDEO teaching kids that bombs are more precious than children. After a five-year-old finds out that her mother wore a bomb belt to a suicide terror attack, she sings: "Now I know what was more precious than us." This is just one example of the wide range of hateful and abusive messages on Hamas TV. Children are taught to value violence, hatred and Islamic supremacy, and that seeking Martyrdom for Allah is the highest value. This is a five-minute compilation of representative segments from Hamas TV that document this indoctrination of children. (source: PMW)

Amsterdam Ann Frank

2009-03-14T13:29:00.001+02:00

Dutch judge orders teens to visit Anne Frank House

Four teens who shouted anti-Semitic slurs at Jews during rally ordered by court to visit Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, hand in a report about their visit

A Dutch judge has ordered four teenagers to visit the Anne Frank House museum after finding them guilty of discrimination for insulting Jews at a rally.

The boys, aged 14 to 17, must turn in a report to the Hague Police Judge about their visit the canal house in Amsterdam where Anne Frank and her family hid from Nazi occupiers during World War II.

The four boys were convicted Friday for insulting Jews who were protesting Israel's military attack on Gaza. Prosecutors say two boys held a banner with a swastika superimposed on the Star of David, and two shouted "Hamas, Hamas, all Jews to the gas."

The judge also convicted and fined three adults for shouting anti-Semitic slogans at the January 18 rally in The Hague.
from YNET

The Anne Frank House is a museum where visitors are given the opportunity to personally envision what happened on this very spot.

The former hiding place, where Anne Frank wrote her diary, is now a well-known museum. The museum tells the history of the eight people in hiding and those who helped them during the war. Anne Frank's diary is among the original objects on display. The rooms of the Secret Annex have been maintained in their authentic state thanks to conscientious preservation activities. The rooms in the Secret Annex are empty, because the furniture was carted away directly after the arrest. Salvaged documents and objects belonging to the eight people in hiding are now displayed in the Secret Annex.

Reservists join protests as calls for Schalit deal pick up

2009-03-14T13:23:00.003+02:00

Protests and demonstrations urging expediency in negotiations for the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Schalit continued to gain momentum on Saturday, as a group of reservists launched a petition-signing campaign on to help push the matter.

The soldiers are demanding from the government that a decision to bring Schalit back to Israel be made this week. They are expected to present the petition to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday.

On Friday, demonstrators surrounding the protest tent in Jerusalem where the Schalit family has been staying since the beginning of last week blocked
the access road to the Prime Minister's Residence.

from JPost

The demonstrators yelled slogans such as "Olmert, you made a promise- now keep it!" and "We want him home, we want him now." Many carried banners and some used whistles, hoping the sounds will reach the prime minister's living room.

Interview with Father of Captured Israeli Soldier

2009-03-13T10:08:00.000+02:00

On March 9 - the 987th day that their son, Gildad, is in the hands of his Hamas captors - Noam and Avivia Shalit moved into a protest tent adjacent to the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. They are calling upon Olmert - who is now in his final days of office before a new government assumes power - to bring home their son.
A brief Q&A with Noam Shalit.

In Gilad Shalit family's protest tent

Gaza-Sderot film nominated for Emmy

2009-03-12T14:58:00.000+02:00

Internet documentary displays lives of residents living on both sides of Gaza conflict.
The internet documentary "Gaza-Sderot. Life in Spite of Everything" has been nominated for an International Emmy in the category of digital media. The joint French, Israeli, and Palestinian production will compete with other projects produced by al-Jazeera, BBC, and the Discovery Channel.
The series, documenting the lives of residents of Gaza and Sderot, became available online in October 2008. In two-minute films, creators from both sides attempted to display the difficult living conditions faced by the residents under rocket and air strike threats.
The short films, accompanying six main figures from each of the two areas, are currently being aired by the European ARTE television network's internet site.

YNet

IDF Army in Gaza Strip 2009 [Exclusive Photos]

2009-03-12T14:43:00.000+02:00

United Hatzalah

2009-03-11T15:04:00.002+02:00

United Hatzalah Response to Tractor Terror on Jaffa Street, Jerusalem - United Hatzalah EMT communications recorded during the actual attack. English text is provided. Photos of the scene of the carnage with voiceover from medic who was on scene. Concludes with tribute to Jeff Aeder, Larry Weiner and Elliot Weiner of Chicago who donated ambucycles in memory of the 3 victims.

The Jerusalem bulldozer attack occurred on July 2, 2008, when an Arab resident of east Jerusalem identified as Hussam Taysir Duwait (also referred to as Hussam Duwiyat, Hossam Dawyyat, or erroneously as Jabr Duwait, attacked several cars on Jaffa Road in Jerusalem, Israel using a front-end loader (erroneously referred to as a bulldozer in the media, killing three people and wounding at least thirty other pedestrians, before being shot to death. A motive for the attack could not immediately be determined, but police at the scene referred to the incident as a terrorist attack. Three copycat attacks have occurred since then.

This attack marks the second incident in 2008 in which an Arab from east Jerusalem using his Israeli ID Card (allowing for freedom of movement and travel throughout Israel) commited a violent act in west Jerusalem the first being the Mercaz HaRav massacre in early March 2008.

Modern Story of Purim Reality

2009-03-10T22:29:00.002+02:00

Video Short and Modern Story of Purim Reality - powerful and short video presentation of the story of Purim in modern reality - if you ever asked: 'What does Purim have to do with today?' - watch this video!

Muslims Demonstrate In Support Of US And Israel

Some 300 Muslims demonstrated in support of the United States and Israel last Thursday night in Tel-Aviv.

These Muslims are refugees from Darfur who managed to escape being shot by Egyptian troops in Sinai and made their way into Israel where they have been resettled.

The refugees were celebrating the indictment of Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court.

Anti-Israel Riot Sweden

2009-03-10T05:48:00.000+02:00

Raw video: Riots in Malmo, Sweden - The Israeli Davis Cup team is playing Sweden this weekend in a match that is being held in a closed arena (no fans) in Malmo, Sweden. As you may recall, Malmo is a city that has become largely Muslim and it has been the site of anti-Israel riots in the past. Consider why the Swedish Tennis Federation would have chosen to hold the match in Malmo and not in another city. The fact that the match is closed has not stopped 'protesters' from gathering outside it. Here's raw video from the protest. (hat tip: israelmatzav.com)

Sad moment in Sweden

Tennis player Andy Ram dismayed by violent anti-Israel demonstrations during tennis contest

Andy Ram
Published: 03.08.09, 15:37 / Israel Opinion

In almost every respect, the events of the past week in Sweden are a sad moment for Tennis, for sports in general, and certainly for Israel. Never in my career as an athlete have I encountered such hatred and such blend of sports and politics.

Up until the last moment, the protestors attempted to prompt the cancelation of the David Cup match between Israel and Sweden. After we already landed here, their leader met with Swedish team captain Mats Wilander and asked him to call off the contest.

The Swedish players actually understand us and are quite embarrassed by what is happening, yet these events have completely changed my perception of Sweden, and it is doubtful whether I’ll want to come back here ever again.

The feelings within the Israel team are very grim. All the innocence that prompted us to play tennis has disappeared, and this match, which was supposed to be a beautiful moment of sports, has become completely worthless. Nothing here is reminiscent of the Davis Cup; what we have is a war atmosphere, tension, and the feeling that something very bad may happen at any moment.

I have never seen the kind of security that we are receiving here; not even in Dubai, where I played a few weeks ago. At any given moment, we are surrounded by police vehicles, undercover police officers, and anti-terror forces. Every morning, they take us from the hotel to the stadium via another route, through an underground parking lot, with part of the ride being undertaken in armored vehicles.

Proud to be Israeli

The venue of the contest, which was supposed to be filled to capacity with fans, is almost completely empty because of fears of riots. Several rings of fences have been erected around it to keep everyone away. The fences are surrounded by thousands of police officers, who on Saturday had to battle thousands of rioting protesters who were hurling all sorts of objects, shattering shop windows, and attempting to get closer to the venue.

Since we landed here, almost a week ago, we left the hotel only three times; we ate at a restaurant twice, and went to see some tourist site. Even then we were surrounded by a crazy security presence. We spend the rest of the time at the hotel or on the court and make sure to be very cautious.

In recent years, the strength of our team has been its tight-knit spirit, and events such as the ones in Sweden boost our motivation. During such days, we are even prouder to be Israeli, and we shall do everything to restore our honor, which they try to trample here. In this respect, the best service we can do for ourselves and for the country is to win, and I believe we can do it.

IDF - 3 Doors Down - Citizen/Soldier - Israeli Army Tribute!

2009-03-08T23:34:00.001+02:00

Purim in Sderot

2009-03-08T16:29:00.000+02:00

Kid Goes Dressed As Member Of Al-Qassam Brigades To Purim Costume Party In Sderot.

A kid wearing a balaclava and carrying a toy rocket on his shoulders attended the party in Sderot.

It was'nt to try and scare the other kids there,it was just his way of showing that the rockets fired from Gaza will not stop them enjoying themsleves.

Don't Give up - Moshav Band Live in Israel

2009-03-07T20:02:00.000+02:00

Thank you Jered

Personal Post

2009-03-06T21:18:00.001+02:00

Personal Post
I am almost two months post surgery.
I wanted to thank everyone for their comments and prayers for myself and more importantly for Mish
I always knew you were all very special. I have been blessed with an awesome group of family and friends.
To those who inquired of my progress, slow, but moving in the right direction.
I am still wheel chair limited and speech is nothing but hilarious, ask Cary how I almost said twitter today, I laughed so hard it hurt.
The stuttering is bad and my vocabulary selection limited to a very few words. Physical therapy 4 days a week at a local rehab center.
My seizures are now under control for the most part, although when I get too tired I have issues with peti mal. My new heart valve is working really well and my defibrillator has not gone off in over two weeks, thank G-d. I have a lot of hard work ahead of me and once more school is put on hold.

Thanks to Elisheva for helping me with this post.

B'Ahavah, Leah

Surveillance video captures moments terrorist rams police car

2009-03-06T15:37:00.000+02:00

March 05/09:05/03/2008 Jerusalem. East Jerusalem resident drove a bulldozer into the police car in order to kill 2 cops. The terrorist was killed by police officers and armed citizen.

Bulldozer Attack In Jerusalem

2009-03-05T20:59:00.000+02:00

Digger Attack in Jerusalem Aftermath Liveleak Live - Current Event

(Raw video, additional footage).The driver of a construction vehicle in West Jerusalem has been shot dead by police after he rammed a police car.

Israeli police say they are treating it as a terrorist attack. It echoes two such incidents in July 2008 involving Palestinian construction workers.

Witnesses described the front-end loader speeding along a West Jerusalem road dragging the police More.. car.

Tensions are currently very high between Israelis and Palestinians after Israel's military offensive in Gaza.

A taxi driver told Israeli radio: "I saw the police car fly into the air. He flipped it over twice, then continued dragging it toward a bus that was stuck in traffic."

He said he had fired four shots at the driver, "then a policeman came with his M-16 [automatic rifle] and finished him off".

The driver - who has not been identified - was taken to hospital by ambulance and was declared dead on arrival.

The incident happened in Malha on the main Begin Highway which connects north and south Jerusalem.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility and police said the man was not carrying identification.

Earlier attacks

In July last year, a Palestinian killed three Israelis and wounded 45 more when he rammed the front-end loader he was driving into buses and cars in Jaffa Street, before being shot dead.

Three weeks later 16 people were wounded in a similar incident, and the attacker also killed.

In September, a Palestinian driver rammed his car into a crowd of Israeli soldiers, wounding 19 people. He too was shot dead, although relatives denied it had been a deliberate attack.

Suicide bomb attacks in Jerusalem by militants from the West Bank have been greatly reduced after reaching a peak in the early 2000s.

Recent attacks appear to have been launched mostly by individuals from mainly-Arab East Jerusalem.

Earlier on Thursday Israeli warplanes bombed the Gaza Strip, killing two militants, bringing to four the number killed by Israel in less than 24 hours.

Bulldozer Attack In Jerusalem

Jerusalem: Bulldozer plows into police vehicle; terrorist killed

2009-03-05T15:27:00.001+02:00

Ronen Medzini YNet news

Tractor overturns police squad car on Menachem Begin Boulevard in the capital; misses nearby bus. Two officers injured, neutralize attacker

A tractor plowed into a police squad car on Menachem Begin Boulevard in Jerusalem on Thursday. The driver was apparently also trying to hit a bus parked nearby, but missed. The bus was empty at the time.

Two police officers were in the car when it was hit and both sustained mild injuries. Other police officers patrolling nearby shot the terrorist.

Magen David Adom emergency services were immediately dispatched to the area. The paramedics treated both the injured officers and the tractor driver, who reportedly sustained severe injuries.

One of the police officers and the terrorist were taken to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem. The other police officer was taken to the capital's Shaare Zedek Medical Center. The tractor driver was later pronounced dead

According to the initial police investigation, the tractor driver "hammered into the police car, flipping it over and dragging it on the road. A second, Jerusalem Police tourism unit squad car was alerted to the attack and the officer and volunteer in it stepped out of the vehicle, the officer fired several shots at the terrorist and neutralized him.

"A second police officer who arrived at the scene, as well as the volunteer and a taxi driver who pulled over, all fired at the terrorist as well. The driver was critically injured, taken off the tractor and rushed to a nearby hospital, where he later died of his wounds."

Jerusalem District Police Commander Nissan Shaham added that the driver "had an open Quran in the tractor" at the time of the attack.

Three schoolgirls who witnessed the events were treated for shock. "This was nothing short of a miracle," Haim Weingarten of Zaka (Disaster Victim Identification), told Ynet. "The terrorist was apparently aiming for the bus, but a power pole that had fallen on the road stopped it."

"I was about 100 yard away from (the attack) and I could see this tractor run amuck. It looked like to also hit a bus that was in the intersection. Then it seemed to turn and go after the police car," eyewitness Sunny Benyamini told Ynet

"I saw the (police) car go backwards and forwards and then the policemen shot at the tractor. It came to a stop and many people around it jumped on it and overpowered the driver," he said.

MDA Director-General Eli Bin confirmed that "two police officers were treated at the scene and rushed to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem. The terrorist was neutralized within minutes. The security forces and the emergency teams operated in an exemplary fashion," he added.

Thursday's tractor attack is the third of its kind in the capital: July of 2008 saw two such attacks – the first resulting in three people dead and 30 injured and the second resulting in 18 people injured. In both cases, the assailant was a resident of east Jerusalem.

photos by: Gil Yohanan

Idan Raichel Project

2009-03-05T06:08:00.001+02:00

who is it that calls to you tonight, listen
who sings aloud under your window
who stakes his soul just for you to be happy
who'll lend his hand to build you a home
who'll lay his life down under your footsteps
who like the earth at your feet shall live on
who'll love you better than all of your lovers
who'll save you from the rage of the storm
out of the depths

Idan Raichel Project - "Mi Ma'amakim" (Out of the Depths)

The Idan Raichel Project is a remarkable Israeli-Ethiopian collaborative that has become the biggest commercial success on the Israeli music scene in recent years.

Seventy Two Virgins

2009-03-05T03:57:00.000+02:00

Seventy Two Virgins - Do terrorists really believe in the 72 virgins? Watch Pierre Rehov's interviews from Gaza, the West Bank and Israeli jails. Be very afraid!

Gaza : Hamas Gunmen Booby Trapped Their Own Homes.

2009-03-05T03:51:00.004+02:00

Short segment from an Al-Jazeera interview with Hamas gunmen who made a pact during the recent conflict, explain how they booby trapped their own homes,with their families inside them too,to kill IDF soldiers during their ground assault.

The streets of Tel Aviv.

2009-03-04T05:52:00.000+02:00

Jewish Leaders Blast Clinton Over Israel Criticism

2009-03-03T05:51:00.000+02:00

In a swift about face from her views as New York's senator, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is now hammering Israel over its treatment of Palestinians in Gaza.

As First Lady, Clinton raised eyebrows when she kissed Suha Arafat.

Since she was then seeking a Senate seat the resulting brouhaha caused her to "re-think" her positions.

"I'm a very strong supporter of Israel," Clinton More..said back in February 2000.

On Thursday, as Secretary of State she had yet another about face in the form of angry messages demanding Israel speed up aid to Gaza. Jewish leaders are furious.

"I am very surprised, frankly, at this statement from the United States government and from the secretary of state," said Mortimer Zuckerman, publisher of the New York Daily News and member of the NYC Jewish Community Relations Council.

"I liked her a lot more as a senator from New York," Assemblyman Dov Hikind, D-Brooklyn, said. "Now, I wonder as I used to wonder who the real Hillary Clinton is."

Clinton's decision to hammer Israel comes as the Clintons and President Barack Obama are planning to give the Palestinians $900 million toward the rebuilding of Gaza in the wake of the Israeli offensive that was sparked by Hamas rocket fire.

"We are working across the government to see what our approach will be," Clinton said.

Doron Almog

2009-03-02T07:05:00.000+02:00

Doron Almog Life Interview - Doron Almog is a man who has excelled in his military career, but it was in his personal life that he would find his greatest challenge yet. Retired Major General Almog sits down with Leadel to tell us the heartwarming story of his late son Eran, who at an early age was diagnosed with severe autism and mental retardation. Bio: Doron Almog has a storied place in Israeli military history. Doron was the first para-reconnaissance commander to land on the runway in Entebbe, the famed rescue operation of mythical proportions. Almog would rise through the ranks to become a Major General and head of the Southern Command in the Israel Defense Forces.

For Mishy

2009-03-02T06:06:00.002+02:00

Ray of Hope

A duet of Andrea Bocelli and Liel kolet, from a live performance of "Believe" peace concert

Qassam Rockets Continue to hit Negev

2009-03-01T07:10:00.001+02:00

Palestinians fired two advanced Qassam rockets at Ashkelon on Saturday morning, in an attack that saw one projectile tear through an empty school, destroy classrooms, and spray shrapnel in all directions.

Damaged areas in the school included some that had been deemed safe zones by the Home Front Command.

Two people living near the school were lightly wounded and eight were treated for shock.

The second rocket hit an open area in the city, causing no injuries or damage.

From YNet
Experts: Grads in Ashkelon were advanced
Grad rocket that penetrated school's fortification was of a type rarely fired, with vast potential for damage. In all seven rockets fired into Israel from Gaza Saturday

Gilad Shalit.

2009-03-01T07:03:00.001+02:00

This video was released by the Israeli Consulate in New York. The children are reading a story that was written by Gilad Shalit, a soldier who has been held by Hamas since his kidnap in 2006. Written when he was eleven, the story is a tale of a fish and a shark making friends. There's an obvious comparison to be drawn with the Israel-Palestine conflict.

It's 1938 and Iran is Germany

2009-02-28T07:09:00.000+02:00

It's 1938 and Iran is Germany - The likely new PM of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu speaks in no uncertain terms about the existential threat facing Israel in our time - as Iran is rapidly developing nuclear weapons and promising a Holocaust on the approximately '6 million' Jews in modern Israel.

Jonas Salk And Polio, It's Not Spanish For Chicken

2009-02-27T11:19:00.003+02:00

Jonas Salk was born on October 28th, 1914, in New York City. His parents were Russian-Jewish immigrants who had fled the old country for a new life in the United States. Salk was a brilliant student at a young age. When he was 15, he graduated from high school, and intended to go on to become a lawyer. Somewhere along the way, Salk changed his mind and decided to use his intellectual talents to pursue medicine instead. And it's lucky for the world that he did!

Salk enrolled in the medical school of New York University. He began his research on the flu virus, accumulating knowledge that would lead to his discover of the polio vaccine. In 1947, Salk went to the University of Pittsburgh Medical School on an invitation. It was there that he began his work on the polio vaccine. At the height of polio season, the summer of 1950, Salk was working away in his laboratory to prevent further spread of the crippling disease. His work paid off when, in 1955, the news was made public that Salk had discovered a vaccine for polio.

Salk, though he was hailed as a miracle worker and a national hero, remained shy of the public eye. He declined to apply for a patent for the vaccine, saying that he was more concerned with people having access to it than the money it would bring him. After working on the vaccine for eight years, Salk made the vaccine available to the public. He later founded the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California, allowing others to perform their research.

Salk was only 45 when he discovered the polio vaccine. His next project, one that lasted up until his death in 1995, was to find a cure for AIDS. Salk died of heart failure on June 23rd, 1995, at the age of 80. His contributions to the world of science and health are still utilized today, and his generosity of spirit lives on.

Bumper-sticker racism?

2009-02-26T16:12:00.001+02:00

A Jerusalem court has convicted an Israeli right-wing activist for incitement to racism for driving a car through the West Bank with a bumper sticker that read "No Arabs - no terror attacks," court documents released Wednesday show.

The slogan, which was coined by right-wing activists at the start of the latest round of Palestinian violence, was deemed racist by former attorney-general Elyakim Rubinstein in 2002.
The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court found Neria Ofan, 37, of the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar, guilty of incitement to racism for driving through the West Bank with the bumper sticker on his car in 2004.
"The call 'No Arabs - no terror' is tainted with racism because it connects the entire Arab population, without any differentiation among its members, and the execution of heinous terror acts," Judge Shulamit Dotan wrote in her February 18 ruling. "It thus shows hostility and enmity toward an entire populace, only because of its national-ethnic origin."
"The slogan also suggests a solution to the 'problem' in the form of collective punishment of the Arab population by making it disappear, either by expulsion of by other means, which the reader need only imagine, as long as the country remains 'clean' of Arabs."
Ofen said Wednesday that the ruling was both "a bit illogical" and "a selective enforcement of the law.
Israeli far-right activist Itamar Ben-Gvir accused the police and the courts of a double standard when it came to freedom of speech.
"We see that when the Arabs chant 'Death to the Jews' as they did recently in Umm el-Fahm, neither the police nor the State Ben-Gvir opined that the slogan in question did not constitute a direct call to violence.
Hebrew University law Professor Barak Medina said Wednesday that there was no uniform approach in such cases, which, he said, were often influenced by both the public mood and the sensitivity of the period in question Office do anything," he said.

from Jerusalem Post

הדג נחש שירת הסטיקר
The popular Israeli sticker song.
Released in 2003 and written by David Grossman who is a popular Israeli novelist.

There are English subtitles for those of you who can't understand Hebrew and would like to know what's they're saying.

The Lost Children of Berlin

2009-02-25T03:11:00.000+02:00

Liel

2009-02-25T02:29:00.002+02:00

Usual day at the office.

2009-02-24T04:59:00.001+02:00

Leah

2009-02-24T04:38:00.002+02:00

Some of you have noticed that Leah has been posting.
I apologize for not keeping everyone updated on her progress.
She's attending a rehab center 4 days a week. Speech is still very limited, 5 or 6 words and a lot of stuttering. There is some feeling in her left leg and their hoping to have her walking in a few weeks. She gets confused sometimes, but has made remarkable improvement. Her new heart valve is working well, seizures are still an issue.
Thank you for your continued prayers.

Mish

rabbi yisrael meir lau

2009-02-23T05:41:00.004+02:00

One of the great Jewish and human stories of our time is the survival of Rabbi Yisrael Lau from the burning hell of the Holocaust to become the Chief Rabbi of the modern State of Israel.