The day Gilad Shalit was kidnapped by Hamas on June 25, 2006 was a day that changed the lives of the Shalit family forever. Noam, Aviva, and Gilad's two siblings were thrust into the position that the Arad family (captured Israeli airman, Ron Arad) has occupied since 1986, a terrible and unholy position of having to deal with the prospect that you may never see your loved one or their remains ever again. 

It was a terrible time for Israel; emboldened by Hamas's successful kidnapping of Shalit, Hizbollah attempted to and successfully kidnapped two more Israeli soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev on July 12, 2006, sparking the Second Lebanon War.

The Goldwasser and Regev families now joined the Arad's and Shalit's in this most terrible of positions. For two years the refrain was "Free Goldwasser, Shalit, and Regev!" in Israel and in the Diaspora. In 2008, the Goldwasser and Regev families were finally treated to closure with the prisoner swap with Hizbollah, including notorious terrorist and murderer Samir Kuntar, for the bodies of Ehud and Eldad (Hizbollah Prisoner Swap). 

Since the last prisoner swap, the refrain of the Shalit family and their supporters has become !גלעד עדיין חי ("Gilad still lives!") and the banner of the movement to free Gilad has put his picture, side-by-side with Ron Arad.

This June, the Shalit family embarked on a 12 day march from their home in Northern Israel in Mitzpe Hila, not far from where I am living in Akko, to outside the Prime Minister's home in Jerusalem where the marchers intend to stay until Shalit is released.  

On the second day of the March, they arrived in Akko where I joined the march for a few kilometers. The familiar yellow ribbons of the movement were all over the place. Both young and old were a part of the March. From my vantage point towards the back, there were hundreds, if not thousands of marchers snaking through the coastal road along the bay from Akko to Haifa. It was an incredible, powerful, and moving sight to see; more than anything, life, and not death, matters to Israeli's. (See my photos here)

The March reached Jerusalem on July 8th with over 15,000 marchers in tow. Over the 12-day period, I was one of the 120,000 that joined the march, for freedom for Gilad. Yet, the marchers were met by a counter march in Jerusalem, of people calling for the government to hold firm and not give-in to the terrorists of Hamas. These protestors carried Red ribbons, signifying all the future blood that would be spilt if Bibi Netanyahu agreed to Hamas's demands. This has put the government in the precarious position of "Damned if you do, damned if you don't." To be honest, I do understand both sides as I walked in the march supporting freedom for Gilad, but not at any cost. As much as it pains me, the numbers do not lie: some 45 percent of prisoners released in the past have returned to terrorism and murder (See here) and the numbers are even higher for Hamas affiliated prisoners. 

As if to prove my point that Israeli's want more than anything, life over death, Bibi offered to exchange 1,000 prisoners for Gilad Shalit. If Hamas truly cared about the prisoner's well-being, they would have accepted that offer or the countless ones already brokered. However, Hamas refused the latest offer because it's not the amount of prisoners they want, it is who they release (and release freely to the West Bank instead of to Gaza), not how many they release. Thanks to the Goldwasser and Regev body exchange for prisoners, Hamas can demand all the "arch-terrorists" (the most terrible masterminds of terror attacks in Israel's Prisons today) that they want since Israel released Samir Kuntar, arguably the most vile and ruthless prisoner held in Israel (2003, column written by the mother and wife of the victims, Smadar Haran Kaiser)

And yet, my heart is with the Shalit family and most of all, Gilad. But this is the kind of decision which no one should ever have to make; the decision to release murderers and terrorists for someone whose only sign of life in over a year was the video released last year on October 2nd (see here). 

Gilad still lives! just as much as the memories of the victims of terror still linger and live. Har Herzl in Jerusalem will continue to testify to their memory, just as much as Yad Vashem or the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC testifies to the memories of the victims of HaShoah. No family should ever have to go through this; neither should any family live with the realization that the reason that their sons and daughters, their husbands and wives, and their family and friends are no longer with them today is about to go free in order to save the life or rescue the body of one Israeli. 

Yalla v'l'hit from Akko.

Michael Waas

On Friday, June 11th, at 1:30 in the afternoon, my flight landed at Ben-Gurion airport to begin my 10-week adventure in Israel. Unlike my first trip to Israel in January of 2009, I did not arrive in an Israel at war; however, I did arrive in an Israel facing more outrageous and subversive attempts to delegitimize the state than ever before. I won't rehash the events of the Flotilla but it is clear that according to Maritime Law (The San Remo Manual), which the UN helped create, Israel was clearly within their legal rights to self-defense to board and inspect the "humanitarian aid" that the flotilla was bringing. 

An important distinction must be made now about the Flotilla: Say what you want about the Free Gaza movement, but their intentions were clearly not to provoke armed conflict, whereas the IHH (The Turkish Organization that partnered with Free Gaza) was clearly preparing to provoke armed conflict in order to embarrass Israel. It is a truly crazy world in which a known Terrorist group (See links here to Hamas and Hizbollah) is treated as Peace Activists! In fact many of the members affiliated with the IHH portion of the Flotilla aboard the Mavi Marmara wrote their wills declaring their pledges to martyrdom in the name of Allah against the "Evil Zionist Occupiers!"  It is absurd that the world fell for their ruse. And certainly in Israel, there is an air of resignation and of despair over both the way the IDF botched the raid by sending their sons to be lynched by the "peace activists" of the IHH and how the world responded to it. There is even a feeling that war with Hizbollah is inevitable within a year...my cousin told me that while he was on reserve duty in the North recently, his unit saw across the boarder a Hizbollah camp and a UN car parked right under the flag of Hizbollah. The UN is supposed to be enforcing a demilitarized zone in the south of Lebanon to prevent groups like Hizbollah from establishing bases and camps like this. 

However, life still goes on in Israel regardless of it all. Life in Old Akko has been wonderful so far. I am living in the Ayalim student dorms in the Old City of Akko, with the most gorgeous views in the world. Before I go on, here is a little bit about what Ayalim is: 

Ayalim Association was founded in 2002, in order to strengthen the exciting communities in the Negev and Galilee regions. The goal of the Association is to revive a Zionist model of community building in Eretz Israel, led by young Israeli man and women. The organization nurtures values such as Zionism, young entrepreneurship and the bonds between man and land and between individual and society.

All this is achieved through the foundation of student and entrepreneur villages which serve as pillars of social outreach and the creation of new communities. The objective is to make these villages into bases for acquaintance with the region and it's potential. The villages combine housing and social making intended to advance the society and education in the Negev and Galilee.

In return for the scholarship and discounted housing in the villages each student works app. 500 annual hours with children from development towns and participates in the special projects of the Association - such as building gardens in development towns, renovations in local schools, clubs, neighborhoods, etc. This activity is driven by the understanding that the project's success lies in correct combination of the individual needs and national objectives. 

At present, the Association lists 500 students, living in eleven student and entrepreneur villages across the Negev and Galilee. The students in these villages, such as Ashalim, the urban and rural villages in Dimona, Yachini, the villages in Beer-Sheva , Neve-Or, Menachamia, Akko and Kiryat Shmona are already generating a tangible change in the Israeli periphery in particular and in the future of the State of Israel in general. These volunteer students work with more than 20,000 kids who enjoy activities, academic support and social help.

Ayalim in Akko

Akko, also known as Acre, is a city situated in the western Galilee region, at the northern extremity of the Haifa bay. Akko has a unique demographic balance and history of co-existence; 30% of the city's 48,500 residents are Arab Israelis. Akko's Old City has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Ayalim Akko was founded in 2007 to help bring entrepreneurs and investors to this beautiful historic city. The object is to populate the Old City of Akko with students, by renovating abandoned buildings in the area. We believe the presence of students will promote values of community work and Jewish-Arab coexistence.

The mostly Israeli-Arab residents of the Old City are very friendly and hospitable. Life is not without its problems in Akko as it is one of the poorest cities in the country but life goes on. The smells of the Shuk and the tastes of the Humus, Falafel, and Shwarma are exquisite and are certainly some of the highlights of my stay so far. As far as my work in Akko, so far I've done some work on conserving the old door of the future building of the International Conservation Center. It certainly was tough work! I joined the project on the second of three days of work. By the end of the three days, we made it through possibly 12 distinct layers of paint and we still did not finish all of the work.

As part of the program with the International Conservation Center, I am working with 9 other interns;  our ages range from 20 to 30 and we all hail from different places around the world including Argentina, Portugal, Poland, Hawai'i, California, Maryland, and Israel. Not all of us are Jewish; in fact, one of the fellow interns is an Israeli Arab named Muhammed. In addition to receiving training in aspects of conservation, documentation, and archaeology, we are supposed to pursue independent research. I have chosen to work on the extant remains of the Dar-al-Omar wall of Akko. This is the wall where Ahmad Jezzar al-Pasha stopped Napoleon's March through Palestine, changing the course of world history forever. It is a remarkably small wall; only 3 feet across. Remarkably, it withstood the might of the much more powerful and explosive artillery of Napoleon. This work is something that has not been done before and the goal is for me to publish this with the ICC, thus resulting in my first "official" publication!

by Rabbi Howard A. Simon

       The State of Israel has endured months of chastisement, verbal abuse and rallys aimed at challenging her right to exist.  These actions all stem from the flotilla incident that forced Israel to blockade the area, as she is entitled to do under international law, and stopped the ships violating these waters.  What the world chooses to ignore is the purpose of this flotilla, organized by Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups, was to cause an international incident that would lead countries to verbally assault Israel. 

Unfortunately, the world has focused its attention on this single incident.  And, unfortunately, many Jews have made "the flotilla" the major source of concern regarding Israel and the Middle East.

       What ever so many people and nations have forgotten is that the real concern in the Middle East is Israel's right to exist as a free, independent, democratic country that wants only to live in peace and harmony with her neighbors.  Our concern, now and in the future, must be the acceptance of Israel's right to exist acknowledged by every country in the world.

       Israel's right to be means, first and foremost, she has the right to be a Jewish state living in her land.  Israel has the right to be free, to be treated fairly and honestly by every country in the world.  Israel has the right not to be treated as a pariah in the world.  Most important of all, Israel has the right to live in peace.

      When you and I speak about Israel with our friends, family and neighbors these are the facts we must emphasize.  Israel continues to extend the hand of friendship to the Palestinians on the West Bank.  The leaders of the West Bank and Israel are committed to a two state solution to their problems.  Were it not for the influence of Hamas in Gaza and Hizbullah in Lebanon this goal could have been attained years ago.  Let us never forget it is Hamas and Hizbullah that reject peace with Israel and work day in and day out to undermine any and all peace efforts.  Israel wants peace, has labored tirelessly for this goal since 1948.  Our people are committed to the ideals of peaceful coexistence.  Do not let anti-Israel rhetoric sway your realization of this fact.  Do not let lies and false charges against our people influence your thinking about Israel.  Make no mistake of it, Israel wants peace, wants to live as a free, independent nation, wants to build the Middle East into an area of strength, growth and understanding. 

These are the ideals we must stand up for and speak out about on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Israel, and we need to do so now.

Is Israel held to a higher standard? Click HERE

"Once again, Israel faces hypocrisy and a biased rush to judgment.  I’m afraid this isn’t the first time.

Last year, Israel acted to stop Hamas from firing thousands of rockets into Israel’s towns and cities.  Hamas was firing on our civilians while hiding behind civilians.  And Israel went to unprecedented lengths to avoid Palestinian civilian casualties.  Yet it was Israel, and not Hamas, that was accused by the UN of war crimes.

Now regrettably, the same thing appears to be happening now.

But here are the facts.  Hamas is smuggling thousands of Iranian rockets, missiles and other weaponry – smuggling it into Gaza in order to fire on Israel’s cities.  These missiles can reach Ashdod and Beer Sheva – these are major Israeli cities. And I regret to say that some of them can reach now Tel Aviv, and very soon, the outskirts of Jerusalem.  From the information we have, the planned shipments include weapons that can reach farther, even farther and deeper into Israel.

Under international law, and under common sense and common decency, Israel has every right to interdict this weaponry and to inspect the ships that might be transporting them.

This is not a theoretical challenge or a theoretical threat.  We have already interdicted vessels bound for Hezbollah, and for Hamas from Iran, containing hundreds of tons of weapons.  In one ship, the Francop, we found hundreds of tons of war materiel and weapons destined for Hezbollah.  In another celebrated case, the Karine A, dozens of tons of weapons were destined for Hamas by Iran via a shipment to Gaza.  Israel simply cannot permit the free flow of weapons and war materials to Hamas from the sea.

I will go further than that.  Israel cannot permit Iran to establish a Mediterranean port a few dozen kilometers from Tel Aviv and from Jerusalem.  And I would go beyond that too.  I say to the responsible leaders of all the nations: The international community cannot afford an Iranian port in the Mediterranean.  Fifteen years ago I cautioned about an Iranian development that has come to pass – people now recognize that danger.  Today I warn of this impending willingness to enable Iran to establish a naval port right next to Israel, right next to Europe.  The same countries that are criticizing us today should know that they will be targeted tomorrow.

For this and for many other reasons, we have a right to inspect cargo heading into Gaza.

And here’s our policy. It's very simple:  Humanitarian and other goods can go in and weapons and war materiel cannot. And we do let civilian goods into Gaza.  There is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza.  Each week, an average of ten thousand tons of goods enter Gaza.  There's no shortage of food. There's no shortage of medicine.  There's no shortage of other goods.

On this occasion too, we made several offers – offers to deliver the goods on board the flotilla to Gaza after a security inspection.  Egypt made similar offers.   And these offers were rejected time and again.

So our naval personnel had no choice but to board these vessels.  Now, on five of the vessels, our seamen were not met by any serious violence and as a result, there were no serious injuries aboard those ships.  But on the largest ship, something very different happened.

Our naval personnel, just as they landed on the ship – you can see this in the videos – the first soldier – they were met with a vicious mob. They were stabbed, they were clubbed, they were fired upon.  I talked to some of these soldiers.  One was shot in the stomach, one was shot in the knee. They were going to be killed and they had to act in self-defense.

It is very clear to us that the attackers had prepared their violent action in advance.  They were members of an extremist group that has supported international terrorist organizations and today support the terrorist organization called Hamas.  They brought with them in advance knives, steel rods, other weapons.  They chanted battle cries against the Jews.  You can hear this on the tapes that have been released.

This was not a love boat.  This was a hate boat.  These weren't pacifists.  These weren't peace activists.  These were violent supporters of terrorism.

I think that the evidence that the lives of the Israeli seamen were in danger is crystal clear. If you're a fair-minded observer and you look at those videos, you know this simple truth.  But I regret to say that for many in the international community, no evidence is needed.  Israel is guilty until proven guilty.

Once again, Israel is told that it has a right to defend itself but is condemned every time it exercises that right. Now you know that a right that you cannot exercise is meaningless.  And you know that the way we exercise it – under these conditions of duress, under the rocketing of our cities, under the impending killing of our soldiers – you know that we exercise it in a way that is commensurate with any international standard.  I have spoken to leading leaders of the world, and I say the same thing today to the international community: What would you do?  How would you stop thousands of rockets that are destined to attack your cities, your civilians, your children? How would your soldiers behave under similar circumstances?  I think in your hearts, you all know the truth. 

Israel regrets the loss of life.   But we will never apologize for defending ourselves.  Israel has every right to prevent deadly weapons from entering into hostile territory.  And Israeli soldiers have every right to defend their lives and their country.

This may sound like an impossible plea, or an impossible request, or an impossible demand, but I make it anyway: Israel should not be held to a double standard.  The Jewish state has a right to defend itself just like any other state.

Thank you."

* * *

Read more about the Gaza flotilla via the Heller Israel Advocacy page

By Michael Waas, New College

A few weeks ago at New College, there was a meeting held about how to encourage anti-Israel activism on campus through the Divestment from Israel movement. Before I continue, a little history about the modern divestment movement:

The modern DFI movement began in earnest 2002 during the Second Intifada. It began with all intents and purposes at Harvard and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) with a high profile petition on these campus to divest from Israel. The DFI movement has its roots in the original Arab-League Boycott of Israel. This antecedent movement is unabashedly anti-semitic and racist, having started with a de facto boycott as early as 1922 against Jewish interests, not Israeli interests, 26 years prior to the establishment of the State of Israel. The Arab League Council formally instated a boycott on December 2, 1945: "Jewish products and manufactured goods shall be considered undesirable to the Arab countries". That, might I remind you, is a little less than 3 years before the establishment of the State of Israel and 22 years before the "occupation" began following the 6-Day War in 1967.

 

Above: Companies known to do business in Israel

 
The Arab-League Boycott and the modern DFI are not one in the same; however, they share the same ideological roots of racism and anti-Semitism towards anyone from Israel. During the initial years of the Arab-League Boycott, all products, whether made by Jew or Arab were boycotted. The same holds true today for the modern DFI movement. The Divestment movement presents itself as only going after companies such as Caterpillar that sell bulldozers to the Israeli government. That's all fine and good and the Israeli government deserves its fair share of critiquing policies such as the demolition of Palestinian Arab homes and of Olive Groves but this is actually only a minor part of the movement. In fact, it promotes boycotting Israeli academia, Israeli products, and it promotes most of all, the idea that Israel is an apartheid society.

 

Boycotting Israeli academia and Israeli products hurts all people who call Israel home. One of the most famous cases is of the Jaffa Oranges. The Jaffa Orange takes its name from the old port city of Jaffa where it was first developed. It is arguable that the Jaffa Orange is the symbol of the "Israeli Occupation" as it is almost always, the first product from Israel that is attacked and demonized. But these fruits are grown by Israelis from all walks of life, a fact that is glossed over when boycotting the oranges. It hurts all people in the region to boycott the products of Israel. In fact, it is outright hypocritical to boycott Israel while taking advantage of technologies Israel has innovated and produced such as the chips that power cell phones, text messaging (and Instant Messaging online), and life-saving medical technologies like the ingestable camera, which allows doctors to examine your internal organs non-invasively. These products are just a few of the technologies that Israelis have innovated and produced. And these technologies are used by people who boycott Israel, proving a lot of the hypocrisy inherent in the DFI movement.

By Michael Waas, New College

Why has President Obama turned a mistake by the Israeli government into the biggest diplomatic riff in years between our country and Israel? Certainly, the announcement of 1600 new apartment units in Ramat Shlomo in Northern Jerusalem was ill-timed during the visit of Vice President Joe Biden but Bibi Netanyahu apologized for it as did many others in the Israeli Government. Why wasn't the PA scolded at all for scheduling the announcement of a naming ceremony for a plaza after vicious terrorist Dahlia Mughrabi during Joe Biden's visit?

• Ramat Shlomo is located on land won back from the Jordanians, who had occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank following 1948, during the 6-Day War in 1967.

• The neighborhood is located in the Northeastern section of the New City of Jerusalem, just beyond the old Green Line.

• The population is almost entirely Haredi Jews, numbering 18,000.

• The neighborhood is entirely recent and is located on land that is considered entirely off limits in Peace Negotiation. It is not located in the long standing Arab Neighborhoods just to the east of the Old City of Jerusalem. That land IS disputed and will likely be a part of a final land swap if a Peace Deal is ever struck.

So with this information in mind, why then has Obama turned a simple mistake that has been apologized for in to the biggest tensions with Israel in years? Certainly, it does not serve America's strategic interests as Israel is their most dependable and greatest ally in the region. By all accounts it appears to be a continuation of Obama's foreign policy of "engagement" with the Arab world, at the expense of Israel. And yet, Obama is also engaging the same dictators and autocrats who keep their people under draconian conditions where there is no freedom of expression, no freedom of press. These are the same people glorifying and immortalizing terrible and vicious murderers like Dahlia Mughrabi. These are the same people who blame Israel for all their country's problems in order to divert their people's attention away from the real causes of their misery, their own governing elite.

In reality, by turning Jerusalem into a settlement, Obama has set back any semblance of "peace negotiations" several years. Instead of demanding accountability from the PA, Obama demands Israel cede more and more. When will the West realize that ceding territory does not work? And why does the West demand that Israel split their city? The same argument could be applied to Hebron in the West Bank that the Arab world does to Jerusalem. Or does no one remember the ancient Jewish community that existed for thousands of years in Hebron and then was wiped out for all intents and purposes during the Hebron Massacre of 1929?

I recently read an analysis of Jerusalem by Professor Juan Cole. Besides presenting some basic, unassailable facts about Jerusalem such as its origins, its antiquity and that Semitic populations (both Jewish and Arab) have been living there for thousands of years, he proceeds to twist the facts to present why East Jerusalem is not part of Israel, nor that Jews have any claim to it. His first point about "occupying powers under international law cannot change the complex of a city" can be just as easily applied to the Jordanians who destroyed the Jewish neighborhoods, forbade Jews from entering the Old City, and even settled Arabs there who had not lived anywhere near Jerusalem prior to 1948. The second point that bothers me intensely is his implication that Diasporic Jews, because they did not convert to Islam or Christianity, do not have any legitimate claim to our ancient homeland of Israel and to Jerusalem. That is highly offensive and quite frankly, wrong. Professor Cole presents a lot of good factual evidence, but he suffers from picking and choosing the evidence that suits him best as well as employing his own rhetoric in an attempt to deconstruct that of Bibi Netanyahu. His usage of Shlomo Sand as a source is weak at best, especially since he primarily refer's to Professor Sand's extremely controversial book "The Invention of the Jewish People." Like most critiques of the region, it suffers from oversimplification in an effort to present the facts on the ground in a manner that is pleasing to their viewpoint.

Through oversimplification, it disregards facts on both sides. It is startling to me the lack of a memory of the World about Israel. The history of the Hebron and Hadassah massacres sicken me just as much as the Sabra and Shatila Massacres. All I ask is that the same level of accountability that the West and Obama demand of Israel right now, they demand of the PA. Yet, I am doubtful of that occurring without major changes; it may be too late to demand accountability from the PA anymore after turning Jerusalem into a settlement. I still will hope that one day, peace will reign in Israel and that the Palestinian Arabs will find peace and security from the oppression that they encounter from groups like Hamas and Fatah.

Yalla v'lhit

By Michael Waas, New College

Dan Senor, co-author of Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle, came to speak at the Federation's campus last Tuesday evening, March 2nd. His book, which he co-wrote with his brother-in-law Saul Singer, is an investigation into the "what" and "how" of Israel's economic success in spite of all the factors against it.

His lecture built upon the ideas of the "what" and the "how" of Israel's economic miracle. According to Senor, the what includes venture capital, economic opportunities and the subsequent large representation on the NASDAQ. The most telling statistic that Senor related was that between 2000 and 2006, the amount of foreign venture capital more than doubled in spite of the Second Intifada, the global tech bubble burst, the 2005 disengagement from Gaza, capped off by the 2006 Lebanon war where Katyusha rockets were falling over many Israeli cities in the north. One would think that with all the bad press during this period, most notably in the form of Pallywood, foreign investors would be pulling out as soon as possible from the Israeli market. By further raising the investments in Israel, the venture capitalists at large reinforced their faith in Israeli businesses to succeed even when faced with shutdowns due to IDF reserve duty and attack on their facilities.

This leads into Dan Senor's second point concerning the "how." The how, according to Senor, consists of the start-ups in Israel, no fear of risk in Israeli culture, and that Israelis have been taught that it's okay to fail, as long as one learns and continues looking for innovation and opportunity. It is remarkable that in Israel a culture of not being afraid exists. Not only is it apparent in Israeli business, it is downright defiant in the face of Islamofascist aggression.

Some of the key factors leading to the success of Israeli entrepreneurs are intricately linked with the mandatory service in the IDF. In the IDF, the hierarchy is more horizontal than it is vertical. Junior officers can override their superiors if they feel that their superior does not have the right course of action. Not only that, but Israelis are taught to be a jack-of-all-trades, master of none in the IDF. Improvising is key in a military where seconds can be the difference between a suicide bombing in the heart of Tel Aviv or the successful removal of the terrorist. Another key factor of IDF service is the networks created by the military units. Serving with the same unit for the entirety of one's mandatory service and subsequent reserve duty builds lifelong relationships with people you may not otherwise meet. For example, a secular, rich Ashkenazi Jew from Herzliya may end up in the same unit as a poor, recent emigrant from Ethiopia. It  is these kinds of relationships that service in the IDF fosters and it extends to the business world.

In Israel today, Senor brought up two very interesting developments in his lecture. 1) Israel has the highest percentage of civilian research and design firms in the entire world. Companies like Google and Intel depend on a great deal from their Israeli R & D's. 2) Bibi Netanyahu is trying to grow labor participation among the Haredim and the Arab Israeli population. If Bibi is able to accomplish this goal, it would be a boon for the economy of Israel and add further dimensions to an already vibrant and innovative business culture. Unfortunately, if he is not able to make any serious headway, it could pose a threat to the Israeli economy down the line. But, according to Senor, it is already in the process of changing and there is hope.

Senor finished up his lecture on a very poignant note. There is a very serious campaign of delegitimization going on right now against Israel, most notably by those who compare Israel to apartheid South Africa. By just using the word apartheid, its visceral effects prohibit the reader or listener from forming any sort of objective view point. It is why books like Start-up Nation are so important. They are on the front line of the battle against delegitimization. That is not to say Israel does not have any problems, but every country in the world has its problems and Israel is certainly an open book. Movies like "Waltz with Bashir" are a testament to this fact.

But I am here today to join in this battle against delegitimization. I am here to combat misrepresentations of Israel and to foster dialogue about the real issues in Israel. I am here to write about the country of my brother-in-law, of my cousins, of my ancestral home.

Who am I? My name is Michael Waas. I am originally from Miami, FL and have been a Zionist my entire life. My family has a long history of pro-Israel activity. My great-grandmother's cousin, Avraham Cohen, was instrumental in bringing Zionism to Larissa, Volos, and Trikala in Greece. Today, my entire family is very involved in pro-Israel activities in South Florida and Washington D.C. and throughout the world. My mother's cousin, Benoit Wesly, was named recently to the post of honorary consul for the State of Israel in the Netherlands. My own cousin, Matthew Waas, has volunteered in Israel several times and was asked to speak at the B’nai B’rith Europe Young Adult Forum in Rome in 2008 about his volunteer experiences. Certainly, Zionism is a legacy in my family that I have embraced. In addition to writing for the Jewish Federation, I am the Israel Information Officer at the New College Hillel. As a final note, I would like to thank the Federation and Jessica Katz for giving me the opportunity to contribute to combating anti-Israel sentiment and for allowing me to write about a place I feel very passionate about.

Yalla v'l'hit!

Comments by Roz Goldberg

There are two keys to solving the mysteries that underlie this complex psychological thriller—thus enabling the viewer to put the pieces together so the film makes sense:   First, the content of the mystical tale that Galia is told when she goes to the ZAKA Rescue Organization for information about the bombing; and second, the conversation between Galia and Boaz in the second-to last scene (before the wedding gown scene.)

Let’s take the last of these first:  We see Galia riding on a bus; she and Boaz get off at the same stop, and Boaz says: “I’m Boaz, the paramedic, and I think we’re going to the same place.  You’re Galia, right?  I can’t come to the wedding, so Oren invited me to come by—said it was very important to him.” So they walk together—BUT, they are clearly strangers—not pretending to be strangers.  How can that be, you may wonder, after the love scenes we have just witnessed.  Good question.

Then, when Oren steps out of the room, Boaz aska Galia:  “How did you know that there would be a second explosion on the bus?”  “When I pulled you out, you were finished.  Then, when you woke up, 7 minutes later, you told me to get Oren out of the bus.  You told me something was about to explode in the bus—and as soon as I got him out, something exploded.  How did you know?”

We are then shown a flashback where Galia whispers something to Boaz the second she recovers consciousness after being clinically dead for 7 minutes, and Boaz runs into the burning bus and brings Oren out, just as the bus explodes a second time behind him.

Galia says:  “I don’t know”.  But by that time, we, the audience, do know how she knew the bus was going to explode a second time: 

The only possible answer to Boaz’s question is that while she was clinically dead, Galia was given the chance to see what her future would be like if her soul returned to her body—which brings us to the second key, the mystical tale, which I will repeat below:

The Mystical Tale: When Galia goes to ZAKA for information about the bombing, trying to find out the name of the man who saved her life, the man at ZAKA says:  “We even prepared a body bag for you.  You were clinically dead for 7 minutes, but the paramedic wouldn’t let you go.  Apparently, you weren’t ready.”  And Galia asks:  “What does that mean?”

“They say that when some souls rise to Heaven, they are not ready, they’re not complete—and our Creator gives these souls a chance to observe the life they’ll live if they choose to return.”

Galia asks:  “Why live if you know your future?”

The man replies:  “NO. A SOUL WHICH CHOOSES TO RETURN, ONLY WHEN THE SOUL AND THE BODY REUNITE, DOES THE SOUL REALIZE EVERYTHING IT HAS EXPERIENCED.  AT THAT UNIQUE MOMENT, THE SOUL CAN PERHAPS CHANGE ITS DESTINY.”  Ironically, Galia scoffs at this tale, if you recall.
     
For the purpose of the film, if we accept the mystical tale as true, then all but the last two scenes of the film represent the future that Galia observes during her “seven minutes in Heaven” before her soul and body re-unite.  Given the knowledge of the future that she has thus observed, she is able to change her destiny, in that “unique moment” of reuniting her soul and her body. She tells Boaz the bus is going to explode again because, in her vision of the future, Ronen had told her about the second explosion; by telling Boaz about the second explosion when she comes to, she chooses to change the future and save Oren’s life.

(Early in the film, as you may recall, the second person Galia speaks with is Ronen, the Red Magen David employee who no longer works for the agency.  It is he who tells her: “I looked at Oren through the window and he looked pretty good, considering the circumstances.  But then there was a second explosion that threw shrapnel all over, and one piece caught Oren in the head.  I did get him out after that, but we lost him.  You were rescued early on by a paramedic who doesn’t work there anymore.”)

Incidentally, I spoke with a Kaballah scholar to find out whether such a mystical tale exists in Jewish mysticism; the answer is “no.” 

Another point: in that same next to last scene, when Boaz is telling Galia what happened when she regained consciousness, he says: “You also whispered something in my ear:  You said “I love you”.  You probably thought I was Oren.  Then you said you were sorry.” 

Galia says:  “I don’t know why.” But a few minutes later she gives him the butterfly necklace, and says very tenderly, ..."Thank you" --and, in the next scene, she certainly does not look happy in her wedding gown.  Why?

There are several ways to interpret that.  Being a romantic, I believe the answer is this:   Even at the precise moment when she chooses to save Oren’s life, Galia knows that, if she doesn’t change the future, she and Boaz will share a great love. That’s why she tells him that she loves him and that she is sorry—sorry that they cannot pursue the great love they have found together.  In other words, whether she saves Oren because she knows it is the right thing to do, or because she feels responsible for his being on the bus in the first place, she can’t let Oren die, even though she is by that time-- in the future—much more in love with Boaz than with Oren. I believe that this is why she looks so unhappy in her wedding dress.  Does she go downstairs to marry Oren? Or does she tell him that she can’t go through with it?  That, I do not know.

For the record, the only time that Galia and Boaz met previously in real time was one year before, at a Purim party.  In the next to last scene, Boaz says: “Glad to see you two are ok.”  Galia says:  You probably have thousands like us—survivors that you have saved.”   Then she asks him: “Have we met before, besides the bombing? “  And Boaz says: “Yes, at the Purim party one year ago; I was Dracula. I had a little too much to drink, and I behaved badly.” They laugh.

A few words about some technical aspects of the film:

A. Directing style:  Unlike many psychological thrillers, where the audience knows more than the characters—and we want to shout at the screen “Don’t trust that guy” or “It’s a trap; don’t go in the building!”, in “Seven Minutes”, we learn things as Galia does; Givon puts us into Galia’s head—we share her internal state of mind.  Here, as Galia peels the onion of her memories, we share that experience.  By the way, loss of memory surrounding a traumatic incident, such as a suicide bombing, is not unusual.

B. Meticulous Editing:  The editing is amazing, especially in the scene where she is on the bombed-out bus, envisioning what happened to her a year before.  The other passengers appear and disappear, and the scenes of past and present switch up and back as she envisions the events of that terrible morning.

C. Dynamic visual style:  While on the bombed-out bus, she envisions the fight she had with Oren before they leave to get on the bus before the bombing—did you notice she has no burns?  Oren is washing dishes.  They argue, and he says:  You haven’t accepted the fact that life is deficient.” He then follows her to apologize, getting on the bus with her; we see her sitting with Oren on the bus and watching people get on and off.  She notices the suicide bomber and makes a comment to Oren about him as he reaches inside his jacket to set off the bomb—then we see the explosion in slow motion—she is covered in blood.

One of the early shots of the bombed-out bus is through the broken glass of the bus window—with Boaz framed in the background.

At the ‘future” Purim party, the strobe lights create an eerie effect, and Galia envisions blood running down the faces of the party-goers.

Unclaimed property room:  The camera focuses on all the items that bus-bombing victims and survivors never came to claim.

Last, but not least, there really is a wreckyard near Jerusalem where bombed-out buses are placed; that’s what prompted Omri Givon to write the story in the first place.

Comments are welcome!

A summary from the original "Alice" ...

 "Let the jury consider their verdict," the King said, for about the twentieth time.

 “No, no!” said the Queen. "Sentence first — verdict afterwards."

 “Stuff and nonsense!” said Alice loudly. The idea of having the sentence first!

 “Hold your tongue!” said the Queen, turning purple. “I won't!” said Alice.

 “Off with her head!” the Queen shouted at the top of her voice.

Sound familiar?  What is the 2010 equivalent of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland?  Look no farther than the conspiracy-starved United Nations and Arab media.  Oh me…oh my…where do I start?  How about…

• The Gaza Fact Finding Mission Report (aka The Goldstone Report) Ignoring years of terror and thousands of missiles fired at innocent Israeli citizens by Hamas predating Israel’s self-defensive strike into Gaza, the report ignores Israel’s right to self-defense and her sense of morality and the value of life.  No right to self-defense or any defense for that matter!  Guilty as charged.  Off with her head!
• And how about reports out of England, Norway, the Ukraine, and the always open Arab media … that Jews are “harvesting” human organs in Haiti, the Gaza Strip, in America, in the Ukraine.  Google blood libel/harvesting organs and the Arab media.  Off with her head! 
• Or how about Israel Apartheid Week on college campuses.  Interesting … find a country in the Middle East – other than Israel - where there are women’s rights or gay rights or rights to freedom of speech or voting rights?  Or any human rights for that matter.  Off with her head!
• Oh yes … and per Iranian President Ahmadinejad …as stated in the hysterical … rather “historical” document, the Elders of the Protocols of Zion … there is an ongoing Jewish conspiracy to dominate the politics and the economy of the world through “private networks.”  Google the Elders of the Protocols of Zion and Arab media.  Off with her head!
• Did you know that Jews were responsible for 9/11.  Yes folks, it’s widely known that there were no Jewish deaths in the twin towers and Jews were warned in advance to stay away.  Google 9/11 and Arab media.  You’ll find these “theories” everywhere.  Off with her head.

So let’s get this straight: Israel can’t defend herself … Israel is guilty as charged (as is the vast Jewish conspiracy) to harvest organs, cause 9/11, deprive all mankind/womankind of their rights, conspire to take over the world’s economy and “political” infrastructure?  No folks this is not Ripley’s Believe It Or Not … and it is not the Dark Ages or the 1930’s or 1940’s either.  It’s quite “today.”

It’s a thrilling ride down this rabbit hole … the rabbit hole of the United Nations where these conspiracy “theories” are presented as fact at the General Assembly.  And it’s quite a thrilling ride into the Middle East “media.”

Let’s put the “drink me” bottle away.  It’s time to wake up!

- Howard Tevlowitz, Executive Director

* UPDATE: Read the article Let’s Have a Real Apartheid Education Week by Alan M. Dershowitz.