WHO-ARE-YA?!?

If you're looking for a relaxing, easy-read break from your Pesach (Passover) preparations, this won't be it. But if you'd like some points to ponder as we enter into the holiday of freedom and redemption, come along with me for the next few minutes... 

In my last post, I casually mentioned that the time it takes to drive from Afula to Jerusalem could probably be cut in half if not "for reasons I might go into another time". Well, that time is NOW. Less than two months ago, I would have explained the detour (see purple line in photo on left) as necessary to avoid cities like Jenin, Shechem (Nablus) and Ramallah, all "Palestinian" cities along the most direct route from Afula to Jerusalem (see purple line in photo on right).* One does not travel that road unless one must because, simply put, he might not make it out in one piece. *Click on maps for a closer view.

Hallel and Yagel Yaniv, Hy"d

But now there's a new kid on the block - Huwara. Huwara? Who-Are-Ya?!? I had never heard of the place until two young, handsome brothers were shot dead for doing nothing other than traveling the only route from their home town to Jerusalem. Gone from this world. Plucked from the prime of their lives. May G-d avenge their blood.

I thought: "Gee, maybe I should follow up on that blog post of mine and explain why we went miles out of our way to get from Afula to Jerusalem. But I didn't. Two weeks later, David Stern, an ex-U.S. Marine, driving that same road through Huwara, with his wife and two young children in the car, was shot multiple times.

David Stern and his bullet-ridden car

Miraculously, he and his family lived to tell the tale. "You have to write something", I told myself. I started to but couldn't find the words - just a picture in my mind of my recent dinner at a fine restaurant in Afula where Arab women in their colorful, stylish hijabs sat at tables near mine, savoring meals served by friendly Israeli waitresses. I wish I had taken a photo. How nice for them to be able to go out to eat in Israel proper without a care, without a worry that some Israeli is going to shoot them in the head... Is there any city or town in Israel that a "Palestinian" would be afraid to drive through because he might be killed just for being there? 

Elon and Uri, in hospital

Less than one week after David Stern's near-death, two more Israelis - this time, soldiers - were seriously wounded in a Huwara terrorist attack. (Read about it here.)

WHO are these HUWARAns? And why, when I googled "Huwara", what came up first was the report of a rampage by Israelis on their town??? One had to read well into the piece to find a short sentence about what prompted the rampage. Whoever posted this on Wikipedia gave the world a totally biased, insanely slanted, completely messed up account of what has been happening in the once sleepy "Palestinian" town of Huwara. And the Wikipedia post certainly didn't mention the candies that were distributed to and enjoyed by the local population after each attack. If they were shouting "Hooray for Huwara - we're finally on the map!" they were right. They now join Jenin, Shechem and Ramallah as a place an Israeli dare not drive through unless he must.

As you may have noticed, I put "Palestinian" in quotes throughout this post. Click here to read why. And even if, for most of my readers, I'm preaching to the choir, I think it is important that when we Remember Jerusalem and the circuitous route we sometimes have to take to get there, we remember WHO's WHO in the holy Land. WHO ARE THEY? WHO ARE WE? May we merit to be who we were meant to be and to live in peace where we were meant to live. 

And that is my Pre-Pesach-Procrastination for this year. May G-d send consolation to the Yaniv family, complete recoveries for David, Elon and Uri, and blessings to you and yours for a happy, healthy celebration of freedom filled with hope for the ultimate redemption.