One Israel Fund News
An Escalation of Violence in lsrael - What Can and Should Our Response Be?
An Escalation of Violence in lsrael - What Can and Should Our Response Be?
by
Scott M. Feltman
“What do you think of the Gilad Shalit ‘exchange’?”
A number of people have asked me what I feel about the 'exchange,' and the answer is I am conflicted. Personally, I feel genuine happiness for Gilad and his family at their reunion. What Jewish parent could feel otherwise? As an insider at One Israel Fund, I also have feelings of fear and trepidation since I have seen, firsthand, what happens when the Arabs feel they are winning the war politically or in the media.
Since the signing of the Oslo Accords, each time the Arabs felt they had the upper hand, their response has been an onslaught of terror against Israel and the West. Immediately after signing the Oslo Accords, Israel experienced a wave of suicide bombings and drive-by shootings. Upon rejecting a sweeping proposal by Ehud Barak in 2000 which offered the Arabs more than had ever previously been done, Arafat’s response was the launching of the Oslo War which saw thousands of Israelis murdered or forever maimed. Similarly, upon evacuating Lebanon in 2000 and Gaza in 2005, Israelis were bombarded with rocket attacks, which continue unabated to this day and which were the direct cause of two additional wars.
Whatever you personally think of the decision to release 1,027 prisoners for a single soldier, the important issue to understand is that once such a decision is made and carried out, our obligation, as a People, is to recognize that the “price tag” has opened the possibility of future threats. We must do whatever we can to prevent tragic outcomes in the future.
In addition to the impact of the hundreds of released terrorists we must brace to face, we find ourselves in a politically frightening situation. As the so called “Arab Spring” continues to develop and even more radical regimes take root throughout the region, terror attacks within Israel have risen steadily. Coupled with the Palestinian Arab bid for statehood recognition at the United Nations, it is no wonder that our enemies are feeling empowered. From the brazen cross-border attack in the south near Eilat this past summer to the murder of Akiva and Yonatan Palmer on Route 60 near Kiryat Arba to the daily rocket launchings from Gaza, to the continuous stonings and Molotov Cocktails hurled on the roads throughout Judea and Samaria, it is obvious there is a deliberate escalation of violence and terror coming from both Hamas and Fatah (the Palestinian Authority). Just over a week ago, a 17 year old boy was stabbed twice in Jerusalem and continues to fight for his life.
In anticipation of this inevitable escalation, a year ago, One Israel Fund created a new campaign - Operation: No More Jewish Victims, which is designed to raise funds for vitally needed security equipment which are lacking throughout the communities of Judea and Samaria. Having funds available to respond to threats gives us a chance to prevent such tragedies from ever occurring.
One of our most valuable security projects is the implementation of surveillance camera systems. Having proven their value time and time again, these cameras are a vital component in the fight against terrorist infiltrations.
Towards the end of 2010, a threat assessment was conducted throughout the Shomron. Though a system already existed in the community, given its great size and the fact that the residents are spread over a large land mass, there were at least two locations deemed to be vulnerable to attack since they were not covered by the existing system. And this assessment, performed by the security apparatus of the region, gave great cause for concern.
At the time, the perception of the general public outside Israel was that things were relatively “quiet” in Israel so raising significant funds for such a security project was a daunting task. Thankfully, last December, One Israel Fund donated the first of two planned camera systems.
In the midst of fulfilling the second system, the tragic events of Friday Night, March 11, 2011 occurred. Five members of the Fogel family were brutally murdered in their home when two terrorists entered Itamar through the fence not covered by the existing camera system. Had this camera been in place, we firmly believe most of us might have never heard of the Fogel family because the camera would have helped us avert the tragedy. In fact, the mayor of the Shomron said so himself.
In the aftermath of that horrific evening, One Israel Fund was able to raise the funds for the remainder of the project and the second camera was installed. Similar systems have also been installed in other communities deemed serious threats. Unfortunately it took a horrendous attack and murders to raise awareness to the importance and value of this project.
Over the past eight weeks, no fewer than four potential terror attacks were prevented thanks to these camera systems, the most recent having occurred on October 27th in Itamar when a man dressed as a religious Jew was spotted climbing up the hill, through the olive groves, towards the fence of the community. This time, the security chief was dispatched to assess the situation. After asking the individual some basic questions, he realized this was an Arab dressed up as a Jew. Upon realizing he had been exposed, the Arab fled towards the neighboring town of Awarta, the same village that the murderers of the Fogel Family resided. Shortly thereafter, he, along with a suspected accomplice, was later captured and brought in for interrogation by the IDF.
Today the stakes are much higher. The enemies of Israel are emboldened throughout the Middle East, nowhere more so than the Arabs of Hamas and Fatah. With a de-facto army trained by the United States, along with much more sophisticated weaponry, as well as the release of countless known terrorist leaders, this is, without a doubt, the greatest threat faced by the Jewish Communities of Judea and Samaria from its Arab neighbors in recent history.
Let us not wait until the next tragedy occurs when we already have the knowledge and power to prevent it. For more information about this life-saving initiative, please click on the link below or contact the One Israel Fund office at 516.239.9202.
by
Scott M. Feltman
“What do you think of the Gilad Shalit ‘exchange’?”
A number of people have asked me what I feel about the 'exchange,' and the answer is I am conflicted. Personally, I feel genuine happiness for Gilad and his family at their reunion. What Jewish parent could feel otherwise? As an insider at One Israel Fund, I also have feelings of fear and trepidation since I have seen, firsthand, what happens when the Arabs feel they are winning the war politically or in the media.
Since the signing of the Oslo Accords, each time the Arabs felt they had the upper hand, their response has been an onslaught of terror against Israel and the West. Immediately after signing the Oslo Accords, Israel experienced a wave of suicide bombings and drive-by shootings. Upon rejecting a sweeping proposal by Ehud Barak in 2000 which offered the Arabs more than had ever previously been done, Arafat’s response was the launching of the Oslo War which saw thousands of Israelis murdered or forever maimed. Similarly, upon evacuating Lebanon in 2000 and Gaza in 2005, Israelis were bombarded with rocket attacks, which continue unabated to this day and which were the direct cause of two additional wars.
Whatever you personally think of the decision to release 1,027 prisoners for a single soldier, the important issue to understand is that once such a decision is made and carried out, our obligation, as a People, is to recognize that the “price tag” has opened the possibility of future threats. We must do whatever we can to prevent tragic outcomes in the future.
In addition to the impact of the hundreds of released terrorists we must brace to face, we find ourselves in a politically frightening situation. As the so called “Arab Spring” continues to develop and even more radical regimes take root throughout the region, terror attacks within Israel have risen steadily. Coupled with the Palestinian Arab bid for statehood recognition at the United Nations, it is no wonder that our enemies are feeling empowered. From the brazen cross-border attack in the south near Eilat this past summer to the murder of Akiva and Yonatan Palmer on Route 60 near Kiryat Arba to the daily rocket launchings from Gaza, to the continuous stonings and Molotov Cocktails hurled on the roads throughout Judea and Samaria, it is obvious there is a deliberate escalation of violence and terror coming from both Hamas and Fatah (the Palestinian Authority). Just over a week ago, a 17 year old boy was stabbed twice in Jerusalem and continues to fight for his life.
In anticipation of this inevitable escalation, a year ago, One Israel Fund created a new campaign - Operation: No More Jewish Victims, which is designed to raise funds for vitally needed security equipment which are lacking throughout the communities of Judea and Samaria. Having funds available to respond to threats gives us a chance to prevent such tragedies from ever occurring.
One of our most valuable security projects is the implementation of surveillance camera systems. Having proven their value time and time again, these cameras are a vital component in the fight against terrorist infiltrations.
Towards the end of 2010, a threat assessment was conducted throughout the Shomron. Though a system already existed in the community, given its great size and the fact that the residents are spread over a large land mass, there were at least two locations deemed to be vulnerable to attack since they were not covered by the existing system. And this assessment, performed by the security apparatus of the region, gave great cause for concern.
At the time, the perception of the general public outside Israel was that things were relatively “quiet” in Israel so raising significant funds for such a security project was a daunting task. Thankfully, last December, One Israel Fund donated the first of two planned camera systems.
In the midst of fulfilling the second system, the tragic events of Friday Night, March 11, 2011 occurred. Five members of the Fogel family were brutally murdered in their home when two terrorists entered Itamar through the fence not covered by the existing camera system. Had this camera been in place, we firmly believe most of us might have never heard of the Fogel family because the camera would have helped us avert the tragedy. In fact, the mayor of the Shomron said so himself.
In the aftermath of that horrific evening, One Israel Fund was able to raise the funds for the remainder of the project and the second camera was installed. Similar systems have also been installed in other communities deemed serious threats. Unfortunately it took a horrendous attack and murders to raise awareness to the importance and value of this project.
Over the past eight weeks, no fewer than four potential terror attacks were prevented thanks to these camera systems, the most recent having occurred on October 27th in Itamar when a man dressed as a religious Jew was spotted climbing up the hill, through the olive groves, towards the fence of the community. This time, the security chief was dispatched to assess the situation. After asking the individual some basic questions, he realized this was an Arab dressed up as a Jew. Upon realizing he had been exposed, the Arab fled towards the neighboring town of Awarta, the same village that the murderers of the Fogel Family resided. Shortly thereafter, he, along with a suspected accomplice, was later captured and brought in for interrogation by the IDF.
Today the stakes are much higher. The enemies of Israel are emboldened throughout the Middle East, nowhere more so than the Arabs of Hamas and Fatah. With a de-facto army trained by the United States, along with much more sophisticated weaponry, as well as the release of countless known terrorist leaders, this is, without a doubt, the greatest threat faced by the Jewish Communities of Judea and Samaria from its Arab neighbors in recent history.
Let us not wait until the next tragedy occurs when we already have the knowledge and power to prevent it. For more information about this life-saving initiative, please click on the link below or contact the One Israel Fund office at 516.239.9202.