Sheila Raviv: Israel THE DAY AFTER
Shabbat Shalom. Shabbat with a slight hope for shalom, slight but certainly more than for the last four Shabbatot. Passover and Easter have gone by, and now it’s the Armenian Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter. On Tuesday, Israel will have a different siren, the true wailing siren of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day.
What do I feel is happening now? I feel that two wars have been and still are taking place. One is painfully real, fought with missiles, military intelligence, and a regime in Iran that openly speaks of expanding its revolution and reshaping the region in accordance with its ideological vision — a vision that seeks dominance, influence, and ultimately the spread of its theocratic model far beyond its own borders.
The second war is quieter and far more insidious, played out over years in television studios, universities, and editorial pages, where half-truths replace reality and events are carefully reshaped until Iran is spoken of as though it were somehow prevailing. To accept this narrative requires ignoring what is plainly visible: a weakened military machine, a fractured command structure, and a regime struggling to maintain its grip. Successes are minimised, setbacks magnified, and each development reframed to fit conclusions formed long before the first missile was launched. It is a deeply sad reflection of our times that alongside the real war there is also a war against clarity and honesty, a politically driven narrative that too often casts Israel as the problem rather than recognising the nature of the threat it faces.
Iran is the winner for now. The received legitimisation; they are not politically or militarily weakened; the Houthis and Lebanon are still sending missiles; they remain with their uranium and to top it all, they have control of the Straits of Hormuz, using it as a toll road. Shipping will cost the Gulf States dearly and us too, and by us, I mean everyone, raising the cost of living and putting money into their coffers.
I can’t help thinking about the weakling leaders of the UK and France, Starmer and Macron, whining about Israel fighting Hezb-Allah without mentioning Hezb-Allah launching rockets and missiles every hour, destroying the north and I have only one thing to say to them, “If you aren’t in, stay out.”
Yaacov Katz wrote “Israel and the US have, at the most basic level, dramatically degraded Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure – missile stockpiles, production sites, launchers, naval assets, air defenses, scientists, commanders, and more. That is no small feat. But the real question is what comes next.
The next two weeks of negotiations will determine whether those military gains can be translated into political success – removal of the 460 kg of highly-enriched uranium, real limits on future missile development, and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. So is this the time to celebrate victory? No.
Is it time to mourn defeat? Also, no.” What Winston Churchill said in 1942 is true for us all now.
“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
What do I hope will emerge from this dreadful war, which has touched not only Israel but many of the Gulf states, the countries of the Abraham Accords, and those that border us? I hope that Israel will look beyond the immediate conflict and consider building relationships with a wider range of neighbours — not only strengthening ties with Abraham Accords partners, but also seeking meaningful agreements with Lebanon (not Hezb-Allah), Syria and the Palestinian Authority. Perhaps, out of this painful chapter, there may come an opportunity to shape a different future, one in which cooperation replaces hostility and our children, and theirs, can inherit a more stable and hopeful region. Perhaps the “Day After” will include teaching children of this region respect for the other. Perhaps Impact-se (www.impact-se.org ) will be able to complete its aim of teaching children to respect those different from themselves.
I just heard of a wonderful tradition in Jerusalem many years ago. Jewish and Muslim families exchanged food gifts on the last day of Passover. Muslim families sent Jewish friends a siniyah (a round copper bowl) filled with fresh bread, goat’s butter, and honey. Jewish families returned the bowl with matzot (unleavened bread) and homemade jam. Some say that this tradition of exchanging gifts on the last day of Passover has been preserved to this day. Perhaps, maybe, possibly, conceivably, if my last paragraph were to become reality, we can reinstate that tradition?
By the way, last word on Pesach – Lina Landau gave the best answer as to why it took 40 years to walk from Egypt to the Promised Land and it is “Because Moses, being a man, refused to stop and ask the way!”
Going back to traditions and Passover, Maimuna. What is Maimouna and what is its origin? The Maimouna Festival, a predominantly North African and Moroccan Jewish Festival, which falls on the last night of Passover and entails a great deal of sugar, honey, nuts, baking, costume and décor beyond belief. Tables are filled with symbolic foods and flowers, originally commemorating the anniversary of the death of Maimonides’ father, Maimon ben Joseph. Maimonides was one of the most prolific and influential Torah scholars of the Middle Ages, born in Cordoba. Homes open doors and are filled with guests, visitors, neighbours, celebrating in Moroccan dress and the end of eating Matzo! Women (yes, it is almost entirely a woman’s job, by choice) prepare weeks ahead and keep aside during Pesac,h then politicians of every origin visit the biggest tables! It is without doubt the most colourful festival but frustrating for people like me who are allergic to nuts and trying to keep their A1C down!
Yom HaShoah has taught the Jewish people painful and enduring lessons, yet at times it feels as though the wider world has learned very little. We recognise the warning signs of racism, the dangerous thinking behind eugenics, and the steady process by which Jews are once again singled out, bullied, and attacked in places where they once felt safe. What is particularly distressing is when influential cultural voices, especially in Hollywood, use their fame to promote simplistic and ill-informed narratives that inflame rather than enlighten. Influence carries responsibility, and Yom HaShoah reminds us that careless words and fashionable ideologies can have real and dangerous consequences.
For anyone who has not experienced Yom HaShoah in Israel, it is hard to convey its emotional power. When the siren begins its long, haunting wail, the entire country comes to a standstill; cars, buses, trains, pedestrians, all frozen in a moment that feels as though it carries the pain of generations, an echo of a time when humanity itself seemed to stop. When the siren fades, the question remains: have we truly learned? The language of hatred, the ease with which Jews are once again singled out, is deeply troubling. Yom HaShoah is not only about remembrance, but about responsibility to speak out, to stand firm, and to ensure that silence never again allows hatred to grow.
So here we are back to normal for the time being. After being very careful to limit our travels and check where there are shelters or roadside cover when driving anywhere, it feels strange to get in the car and just go wherever we want. Now that the missiles have, at least for the moment, fallen silent, spring in Israel is quietly doing what spring does best, inviting us back outside. March to May is a gorgeous time of the year, when the rains turn everything green and lush, wildflowers appear everywhere and nature reserves are again within reach. The Mevasseret nature trail down to the dam and reservoir opposite our home has come alive with wild cyclamen, lupins, and dozens of tiny, determined flowers pushing their way through the soil, a gentle reminder that life carries on regardless.
It feels like the perfect excuse to swap the pyjamas of the mamad for outdoor clothes and head out to places like the Deer Park in central Jerusalem where the Gazelles are now producing babies, the Botanical Gardens, always a favourite and for the more adventurous, Ein Gedi’s desert oasis, Ein Prat, the pools of Gan HaShlosha, the Haniya Spring in the Judean Mountains, or Einot Tzukim near the Dead Sea, the lowest nature reserve in the world. After weeks of sirens and uncertainty, a little fresh air, sunshine, and the quiet beauty of an Israeli spring may be exactly what we all need.
I’m thrilled to tell you that, finally and at last, I am going to visit Rachel and her family today! Of all the things I missed, that is number one. The climb over Nebe Samuel (I just found out that there is a wonderful trail with that glorious view over Jerusalem, right there opposite Samuel’s Tomb; down the other side of the hill, Ramallah on my right and Jerusalem on my left. If I’m lucky, the camels are out in the field before the traffic lights. I swear that from the top of the steep hill I can smell the wonderful aroma of baking Challah, or is it anticipation? Past the petrol station and its shops, both Israeli and Palestinian owned. I love to stop there and go into Nehama’s bakery where a multitude of people head for the freshly baked challot, burning hot from the oven,s and then treat the children with a falafel next door.
Tonight, I’ll light the Shabbat candles knowing that we can sit down and have a quiet Shabbat meal without fear of interruption from that horrible hatra’a. Tonight, it’s just us and tomorrow our lovely friends Nattie and Yoel Zonszein are coming for lunch. I’m so excited because we haven’t seen each other for at least a month because neither of us was willing to travel to or from Tel Aviv. I’m especially excited to show Nattie our veranda; she loves plants and things that grow, as do I. The little orange tree is smothered in fragrant blossom, the lime trees too, but they defy nature by carrying beautiful ripe green limes, small growing limes and blossom all at the same time and of course the grape hyacinth and ranunculus, calaniot.
I am very proud that Steve Ornstein has asked me to post on his beautiful website. Worth checking this out! https://israelseen.com/author/s-raviv/
You know how much I love music, especially words that have deep meaning. Well, this song has a few words but those words say it all. Song for Shabbat https://youtu.be/nWMmrVF0fy4?si=vIGjEzi9pPR1AsoX
If I were to choose someone who exemplifies the war since October 7th, 2023, it would not be a politician, not even the Chief of Staff; it would be Idan Amedi. His musical career was just taking off, but without a second thought, he joined his comrades in Gaza. He was badly injured, burned, lost his comrades, but came back to visit the families of those who lost their children, injured soldiers in the hospital, and so much more. He was known for the theme song of Fauda until then. Here it is. https://youtu.be/WqmtMDlo7Y0?si=neo3QMYemoKkAnDl
Koolulam decided to honour women. This war has shown us the power of women, not only in the shadows, supporting families, working, taking care of the home while their husbands fight for our existence. Israeli women fight, whether as soldiers, as paramedics in Magen David Adom, creating NGO’s to care for the families of fallen soldiers, and so very much more. Here, joined by Rita. https://youtu.be/pB8LhGTvI5c?si=nuiuz_v7v4Zn63Xk
Yom HaShoah, the commemoration of a time when the purpose was that Jews would be eradicated from this world, genocide, but here we are! Alive and kicking, literally kicking back. No matter how hard they try to wipe us out, we reappear, and this time with our own country.
Mustapha Ezzarghani, a Moroccan Moslem wrote – Zionism is not what you think it is. And the louder people shout about it, the less they seem to understand it. Zionism, at its core, is not a slogan, not a party, not a government, not a man. It is the belief that a people—after centuries of exile, humiliation, and erasure—have the right to return, to exist, and to shape their own destiny in their ancestral land. That is not extremism. That is dignity.
Shabbat Shalom, dear friends. Enjoy your weekend, enjoy your Shabbat and your Sabbath. With much love from the View on Our Veranda, that magical view of Jerusalem on the horizon. May we live in peace; we deserve it.
Sheila
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If the media does not inform us we must inform the media
My Website http://www.theviewfrommyveranda.info/
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