Scenes from an Intifada

The following arrived from Evan Pokroy a couple days ago, but I didn’t notice it until now. You won’t want to miss it.

I just wanted to share my feelings about what’s going on here in Israel right now.

I’ve lived here pretty much all of my adult life. I got married here, all my children have been born here, all of my professional life I’ve been here. I’ve lived through terror waves in the past, most notably the days of bus bombings in the mid 90s after the signing of the Oslo Accords. Back in those days, I actually took the bus to work almost every day in Jerusalem.

I’m not sure if it’s worse now, certainly the casualty count is much lower. It’s almost impossible to stop a bomber without prior knowledge and you certainly can’t do it with a pair of hand made nunchaku or an umbrella. But what we didn’t have back then is the 24/7 minute by minute information overload of Twitter/Facebook etc.

Every argument in the street is assumed to be the start of terror attack. A couple teenagers get in a fist fight by a gas station, the news feeds light up about a possible stabbing. Crazy things are happening here. Some of them are uplifting, how everyday citizens are looking out for each other and coming to each other’s aid. Many of the terror attempts have been stopped by passersby, either with real weapons or with contrived ones. We are a pack, not a herd as Instapundit likes to say. Sometimes this ends up as somewhat humorous. One attack was stopped when someone pulled out a pair of home made nunchaku and prevented a terrorist from stealing the gun of a soldier that had been stabbed. This morning a terrorist was subdued with an umbrella grabbed by an office worker who ran out to assist. A second terrorist was bludgeoned with a selfie-stick until a police officer was able to shoot him.

At the end of the day, though, it takes its toll. People don’t go out to the market, they don’t go to the mall, they avoid public places. Others feel the need for revenge, there have been several attacks on Arabs by Jews who are fed up with the situation.

I’m grateful that I own a handgun and have it on me whenever I walk out the door of my house. My wife owns one and my eldest son, who just finished the army is in the midst of getting his carry permit. We’re lucky that we have the means to defend ourselves. I find my friends are more comfortable sitting near me when we’re out, or are only willing to come to events if they know I will be there with my sidearm.

I have no illusions that most of the world cares about what is happening to the Jews in the Jewish state. When newspaper headlines talk about dead Palestinians without mentioning that they were shot while committing terror attacks only reinforces our feelings for international isolation and the knowledge that, like in years past, that the only people who will look out for the interests of the Jews is the Jews.

I will finish of with gratitude to the Lord for keeping me and mine safe from harm and asking all to, in the words of the Psalmist:

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and may those who love it be safe. (Psalms 122:6)