Israel
Not sheep to slaughter, lions protecting pride
BONITA LYNETTE
In her latest letter home from Tel Aviv this morning, BONITA LYNETTE tells her parents of the emotions Israelis are experiencing on a day-to-day basis. Bonita’s fist letter had over 1 000 reads in 24 hours, her prior one has been the top read of the week. Bonita submitted this letter last week Wednesday and, unfortunately, it fell through the cracks.
See links to all Boni’s letters below
Dearest Mom and Dad,
16th Day – War Zone/ Operation Protective Edge – 30 IDF heroes dead, 13 funerals yesterday, 28 tunnels been discovered and blown up, foreign airlines cancelled 80 flights into Israel – SO FAR. It’s a new day.
As I woke up this morning after not managing to fall asleep, I could hear the TV replaying Sean Carmeli’s funeral held yesterday. My heart filled with pride once again. Can you imagine that over 20,000 caring citizens of Israel turned up to the funeral of one of 3 lone soldiers that have been killed so far during this terrible war. Sean’s parents live in the USA and after expressing concern that there wouldn’t be people at his funeral and Sean, having been a huge fan of Maccabi Haifa, people turned up in droves. We are all mourning, crying and hurting for OUR SONS and even more so when a lone soldier has given his life for the State of Israel and the Jewish people.
At this very moment , Max Steinberg is getting the highest honour that Israel can give – buried on Mt Herzl – thirty thousand people attending – just to envelope the family with a hug, a kind word. Another one of our special boys gone along with Jordon Ben Simon, a third lone soldier killed in action, after leaving his family friends and life in France to serve for his country in the Israeli Army.
Gaza is not to blame
Trying to straighten out the issues in my mind. Gaza is not to blame. The citizens of Gaza, men, women and children are certainly not to blame. They are really innocent pawns in a tragic situation that we are all facing. Going over and over in my mind how much Israel continues to take them into account while trying to protect our own people. Four days of warning pamphlets were sent out in order to evacuate neighbourhoods before our air force went into action. Our people were there showing their citizens and guiding them for those that had nowhere to go. A field hospital was set up just outside of Gaza fully equipped with Israeli doctors, in order to treat those Gazan citizens who didn’t manage to escape.
Also amazing how, in trying to keep ourselves calm amongst all this chaos, trying by force to keep our daily routine, we have the news broadcasts droning in the background 24/7, and it just keeps forcing me back to the hard reality – a phone call to a client to talk about business forced me to hear his heartbroken choked up voice saying to me: “Can’t speak right now, my son is in Gaza and his officer was killed last night. We are at his funeral”!!!! A conversation with one of my colleagues who took a week’s holiday to Europe, booked months in advance and no return on the cancellation: “Stuck at the airport, can’t get home to the kids.”
Another client, ex South African who made Aliya 20 years ago to Netiv Ha’asara, a kibbutz on the Gazan border “Not a good time – sirens going, talk later” and looking at all day at the faces of all around me – the security guy at my office building, the women selling me milk in the supermarket, the guy sitting next to me on the train, the taxi driver – “Our sons in action in Gaza “. What are they thinking and feeling, how are they feeling , what are they going through, have their sons and daughters called home and when they call, does that give them any kind of relief – as every second of every day is dangerous.
And so, our reality today is that the tragedy continues, the red alert sirens continue , the death announcements continue, the terrorists, the danger, the draining rockets, the kidnapping, the fear continues as we ask ourselves “How many more Tunnels of Terror are out there???”
The only consoling thought I have in my mind right now is the knowledge that 70 years ago we were victims. Today our boys are fighting to protect the Jewish Nation. The boys that have died did not go as sheep to the slaughter but us lions protecting their pride. Never Again!!!
Am Israel Chai,
Yours forever, Bonita Lynette
More letters from Boni to her folks…
Choni
July 30, 2014 at 9:57 am
‘?????? Gaza is not to blame, the men woman and children are not to blame. They are innocent pawns.
Please clarify. Who the heck is to blame? Must be the Jews.
AMALEK IS GAZA. We all know who Amalek is, and what the duty is of tne nation of Israel.
‘
Cheryl Ziervogel
July 31, 2014 at 5:49 am
‘There has always been deep envy toward the Jewish Nation. And this act of warfare (cowardly act) is the result of deep- rooted envy. Rottenness to the bones. Israel will triumph over this evil. They are a blessed nation, and will be successful. Defense is never an easy task, especially if one has to avoid hurting the innocent. However, \”If you reward evil with good, the evil never goes away\”
Therefore, the only alternative Israel has, is to forcefully act to preserve that which is good.
Unfortunately, as is noted, the innocent suffer. Innocent Gaza residents, innocent Israeli residents all suffer. And once again, envy ( one of the great roots of all evil) is the sole destroyer.’