Letter from Jerusalem

Dear Gerry!

We hope this letter finds you well.

We are entering the High Holiday season in Israel under a shadow of a new threat: there is a growing concern that some incident at the northern border could flare up into a greater conflict. Hezbollah has around 100 000 rockets of different kinds with the launching capability of around 1000 rockets per day. Five thousand of these are long-range missiles can carry large warheads (up to 1 ton and more) and are equipped with precision guidance systems. Thousands of Hezbollah fighters have gained a lot of battle experience while fighting in Syria. According to one scenario Hezbollah plans to intrude into Israeli territory and seize some communities close to the border.

The government coalition is boiling over the budget and war costs. During the last years the defence budget was significantly cut, forcing the military to undertake only short-term plans, while training of reservists has been often cancelled. The nine Iron Dome batteries that Israel has today would not be enough to protect the civilians from Hezbollah’s rockets. The David’s Sling defence system, which is capable of intercepting long–range missiles will be operational only after one year, while each interception would cost $1 million!

Despite the general calm after the “end” of the Gaza conflict, the eastern part Jerusalem has continued to be restless since June. Light train that passes through an Arab neighbourhood in eastern Jerusalem, has been attacked over 100 times and one third of the train cars are out of order. Last week a family from Tel Aviv area that drove to Jerusalem to visit the Western Wall, was directed by their GPS through an Arab neighbourhood. They were attacked by a stone throwing mob and they escaped the lynch by a miracle. Last week an Arab teenager who had been wounded by police during one of the riots, died in the hospital and an angry mob attacked and torched the petrol station close to the neighbourhood where our oldest daughter  and her husband  used to live.

Please join us in prayers for Ohad Ben Yishai, a wounded soldier from Maria’s unit. He was seriously wounded by shrapnel in his head in Gaza, but his healing has been progressed miraculously. He has come out of coma and can eat. He still cannot walk nor talk, but his parents are very hopeful and positive.

With love,

George and Sarah