Balance at the Beeb

“We have and will continue to cover the human side of the conflict in Gaza extensively across our news services where we can place all of the issues in context in an objective and balanced way.”

You’ll be amazed to know that these are the words of the BBC director general, Mark Thompson.  He was explaining the Corporation’s decision not to broadcast a Disasters Emergency Committee appeal for Gaza.

He continues: “We could not broadcast a free-standing appeal, no matter how carefully constructed, without running the risk of reducing public confidence in the BBC's impartiality in its wider coverage of the story.”

I have been following the BBC’s coverage of the conflict between Hamas and Israel through the online diary of Jeremy Bowen, the BBC Middle East editor.

I read about Ahmed, whose house was reduced to rubble by the Israelis.

I read about 10-year-old Mona, whose parents were killed by the Israelis.

I read about Helmi al-Samouni, whose son Mohammed was killed by the Israelis.

Despite the balanced and impartial reporting that Thompson claims the BBC has, I didn’t read in Bowen’s diary about the Israelis killed by the Hamas terrorists in Gaza.

I didn’t read about the four young children now mourning for their mother, Irit Sheetrit, who was killed when a rocket exploded in the centre of Ashdod.

I didn’t read about Shuli Katz, who was killed when a rocket fell a few metres from where she was standing in Moshav Yesha, 9 miles east of the Gaza Strip.

I didn’t read about Beber Vaknin from Netivot, who was killed when a rocket fired from Gaza struck the building opposite his home.  His was hit by shrapnel which pierced his heart.

I’d love to know what Mark Thompson is watching when he claims the BBC is balanced.

Shabbat Shalom.

Crash

An army base in the north of Israel was the setting of volunteer work undertaken by young people from Britain.  I was there this week to visit them, and to see what they were doing to help the war effort.

Not long after starting the return journey to Jerusalem, a vehicle driving at high speed smashed into the back of my car, which was thrown across the motorway, flipping it over and leaving it crushed.

My head had been bashed against the window and the steering wheel, and I was left battered and bruised.

In the last eight years, 23 Israelis have been killed because of rocket fire from Gaza.  During the same time, hundreds of Israelis have died in car accidents.  The few seconds that brought me close to being part of that statistic were the most terrifying of my life.  The fact that I survived is nothing less than a miracle.

An ambulance rushed me to Laniado Hospital in Netanya.  Laniado was founded by Rabbi Yekutiel Halberstam, a chassidic rabbi who survived the Holocaust – although his wife and 11 children did not.

Having lived through one of the darkest periods of Jewish history, at a time when life was disregarded, Rabbi Halberstam vowed to build an institution that would value life.

Thanking Hashem during the good times isn’t hard.  Appreciating His miracles during the difficult times takes faith.  That’s why the verse in Psalms 92 speaks of telling of God’s kindness during the day, and of His faithfulness at night.  (Day and night are often used as metaphors for good and bad times.)

We are living through miraculous times, but during these difficult times for the Jewish people and for Israel, we need to have faith.  Terrorists are continuing to prevent the Israelis and Palestinians from living in peace.  But since 1948, we have had the miracle of the State of Israel, and that should be enough to restore our faith in the future of the country.

Shabbat Shalom.

Cease terror, not cease fire

On Sunday Trafalgar Square was packed with more than 15,000 people who wanted to show their support for peace in Israel and Gaza.

It was a day when all British Jewish should have joined together in a demonstration of solidarity, and unity against terror.

But at a time when the importance of good PR for Israel is at its highest, it is regrettable that the news of the rally was somewhat overshadowed by a letter published in The Observer which was signed by leading members of the British Jewish community.  It was a plea to the Government of Israel to call for an immediate ceasefire.

The letter, which was written by “passionate supporters of Israel”, included some valid points, and I share many of the views expressed in the letter.

But the letter came seven years too late.

Between January 2001 and December 2008, terrorists in Gaza launched 8,165 rockets and mortar attacks on civilian communities in southern Israel.  Where were these “passionate supporters of Israel” then?

In August 2005 Israel withdrew from Gaza to promote peace. The Israeli government evacuated all Jews from the Gaza communities they had built over the previous 30 years. The decision was divisive, but it was done for the sake of peace.

At the end of 2008, Israel decided that enough was enough.  Too many Israelis had been killed, injured, bereaved and hurt, and life under the constant threat of rocket attacks for the residents of the south of Israel became unbearable.

The letter urged a ceasefire.  But there was a ceasefire between 19 June and 19 December 2008.  The Hamas terrorists exploited this period to continue its war on Israel, firing 362 missiles and rockets into southern Israel.

Israel’s goal now is to create a new security environment in which the citizens of Israel and Gaza will no longer have to live in fear.  Israel and its defence forces should be encouraged in this endeavour by every supporter of Israel.

It’s time to cease terror, not cease fire.

Shabbat Shalom.

Sorrow and joy

It was impossible not to shed a tear as the Israeli flag-draped coffin of Staff Sgt. Dvir Emanuelof passed me, being carried by fellow soldiers to his final resting place at the Mount Herzl military cemetery on Sunday.

I was among hundreds of mourners at this funeral of the first Israeli soldier to be killed since the start of the ground offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

It was one of the most tragic scenes I have witnessed; the loss of life of someone defending his country from terrorists.

As we walked out of the cemetery someone asked me how I knew Dvir. I knew immediately how to answer: "We are all brothers." I was there to identify with my extended Israeli family.

During the burial service, Dvir's sister spoke through her tears of her last words with her brother: "Just yesterday we spoke on the phone. You said 'Shalom', and I told you not to say that. You said that you are going on this operation to return honour to the Jewish people. I am proud that I had a brother like you. I am happy that you came home for Shabbat when I saw you for the last time. I want another hug from you. I want to see you laugh again."

A few days beforehand, I was dancing at Ben Gurion airport, welcoming Israel's newest citizens who had decided to make the move from England. We were celebrating the beginning of their new lives in their Jewish homeland.

At times like these, when Israel witnesses so much bloodshed at the hands of its terrorist enemies, it is heart-warming to see that there are people choosing to reaffirm their commitment to the country in such a real and meaningful way.

It is now more important than ever to support Israel. Write to your MPs. Call up radio stations. Say Tehillim. Attend solidarity rallies. Join Facebook groups.

But even more than that, you can make a real statement of support of Israel by coming to live here.

Shabbat Shalom.

Pride in our State

Reports suggest that 95 percent of Jewish households across Israel last week were proudly displaying that famous symbol of Jewish independence, the menorah.

As Shabbat drew to an end, however, the news began filtering through of a major military push on the Gaza Strip by the Israel Defence Forces. Such news brings mixed emotions. Firstly, dread; dread of the loss of life of our soldiers, dread of loss of life of innocent Palestinians, and a dread of retaliation on the streets of Israel.

The next emotion I noted was a feeling of pride. Pride that Israel was acting to protect the citizens of the embattled south after more than 10,000 rockets since 2001, and pride that the Jewish state was capable of such a confident and competent act of defence in the face of ceaseless terrorist attacks from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

And the third emotion, a question: what will the world make of this? Will this campaign turn out to be a proud moment for Israel in the eyes of the world, like the military victory that the Chanukah story commemorates?

Israel isn't having the success on the front pages that it is on the ground - a preferable situation to the other way around - but we are far from losing it. Already the UN figures have contradicted the Hamas statements, and while our spokespeople have been concise, well-spoken and calm in the media spotlight, those defending the Palestinians are squirming and stuttering. The facts that we know to be true are being heard loud and clear.

Namely, Hamas can end the conflict by ceasing rocket attacks on Israel. Israel must act when nearly a million of its citizens, 15 percent of its population, live under the constant threat of rocket attacks. Israel is targeting Hamas and Hamas alone, as those responsible for the loss of the innocent civilian lives.

Let's all pray for a swift and successful campaign against Hamas, and show our support for Israel and its people. Because, like the menorah, we have many branches, but together we are a light unto the nations, and as a people, we remain proud.

Shabbat Shalom.

Lighting up Israel

“It’s 7.00. Chag Sameach, and here is the news…”  Even if the rest of the broadcast isn’t anything to celebrate, listening to the radio during Chanukah can still put you in the festive mood.

The country has been lit up by thousands of chanukiyot – and the nation has put on millions of calories thanks to the ever-increasing varieties of fried treats on offer.

In addition to the latkes, doughnuts and dreidels, various groups have attached added serious significance to Chanukah this year.

Many have been encouraged to think of the victims of Jewish tragedies while lighting the candles.  Although it must be emphasised that the Chanukah lights are not yahrzeit candles, and – according to Jewish law – must be used for no purpose other than publicising the miracle of Chanukah, the festival certainly is a time to think about those who are suffering.

The victims of the Mumbai massacre are in our thoughts, as is Gilad Schalit, who has been in captivity for over 900 days.  The idea is that the worldwide Jewish community will unite to show solidarity with their families.

On the first night of Chanukah, hundreds of students demonstrated outside the Prime Minister’s Office and lit a chanukiah for the kidnapped soldier.

During these winter nights, lighting the chanukiah can bring warmth to the cold, and bring light to the darkness.

May the light of our chanukiyot provide comfort to those who have been bereaved, and illuminate Gilad Schalit’s path home in time to celebrate the next festival together with his family.

Chanukah Sameach and Shabbat Shalom.

Taking in Tiberias

Located on the shores of Lake Kinneret, the city of Tiberias is a popular holiday destination.

It is also one of the four recognised Holy Cities in Israel – along with Jerusalem, Hebron and Safed.  It gained this status because of the influx of rabbis who established the city as a centre of Jewish learning in the 18th and 19th centuries.

I was in the area this week, and took the opportunity to visit the graves of some of Judaism’s greatest rabbinical leaders.

Rambam – Rabbi Moses ben Maimon – was one of them.  He is known as the greatest Jewish philosopher and codifier of Jewish law in history.  According to popular legend, before his death in Cairo, he had requested to be buried in the Land of Israel.

Because of his popularity, people everywhere wanted Rambam to be buried in their town, so it was decided that his coffin would be placed on a camel, and wherever it stopped would be his final resting place.  The camel supposedly walked to Tiberias.

His tombstone is engraved with the phrase: “From Moses (of the Torah) until Moses (Rambam) there arose none like Moses.”  Interestingly, the phrase also serves as the epitaph of Moses Isserles, another eminent rabbi, from Cracow, signifying the esteem in which he, too, was held.

The walkway to the tomb is symbolic – seven columns on either side are inscribed with the names of the 14 chapters of his famed codification of the Mishnah, and a stream of water flows along the sides. (Maimon, his father’s name, comes from the Hebrew word “mayim”, “water”.)  A large metal structure over the complex resembles a crown, indicating the great respect accorded to Rambam.

Israel is a beautiful country, and an obvious location for holidays.  But apart from the sun and the sand, there is an incredible amount of significant Jewish history to be found in every town and city.  By taking the time to visit these sites, your visit to Israel can only be enhanced.

Shabbat Shalom.