Calm in Beit Shemesh

בס"ד

Thank God, things are calm in Beit Shemesh. I may have heard a missile but there were no sirens that accompany enemy action.  For myself I did some errands, took a walk, did some socializing, and went  shopping. Many people were stocking up on food. The lines were somewhat long. The shelves were not as full as normal. More businesses are opening. The schools are still closed. People tend to be friendly. 

The Palestinians are continuing their missile attacks from Ashkelon, about 12 miles from Gaza, to Tel Aviv. The areas that border Gaza have had fatalities. There are conflicting reports as to whether Palestinian troops are still operating in the areas that they seized in their surprise attack. Documented Israeli fatalities now are numbered at around 900 and more are expected to emerge. There are also an estimated 100 captured Israelis in Gaza. Guerillas are still active, but not as effective as before. Arab cities like Shchem (Nablus) have been more restive. Preparations are being made for a major ground action in Gaza and there is talk about reestablishing military control of the enclave. Things are calmer now at least for the time being.

The war has not spread to Hezbollah and northern Israel nor has Iran gotten militarily involved. Both though have threatened action if Israeli action in Gaza threatens to be an expulsion. It seems to be that a sudden massive attack remains a real threat, especially in areas close to the Arabs. Thank God, Beit Shemesh is not one of them. Generally the Arabs have high morale and are effective. The Israelis are sluggish, confused, and inept. Consequently it is unclear whether there will be continued Arab violence, perhaps even escalating. Syria remains a major question mark.

In any event I’m basically cheerful. I’m not generally worried about my personal safety, nor the safety of my friends. It happens, though, that a girl I knew in USY, Nava Zlochever, lives on a kibbutz that had to be evacuated. I looked at the Facebook page of Meira Lustgarten nee Martha Serotkin and she’s safe. 

In my book there are social things that have improved. Other things are major bothers. I appreciate the letters of goodwill from my family and friends and hope that people will draw the appropriate conclusions.