There have been several ships that were attacked in this area. None were sunk, but the damage was considerable. The attacks involved placing explosive charges on the hulls of the vessels. The charges could have come from frogmen, or from miniature submarines. Many commentators think the perpetrator was Iran. The Iranians may be responding to … More Pirate Submarines at the Straits of Hormuz?
Today is when Israel remembers the reunification of Jerusalem. The city had been divided between the Jordanians and the Israelis after the 1949 cease-fire agreements. I was in Jerusalem when it happened. I spent the period leading up to the outbreak of hostilities as a volunteer first aid instructor. I was then a student at … More Jerusalem Day
Right after our local elections ended, over a month ago, I warned that the hard business of forming a coalition was still ahead for Benyamin Netanyahu. Well. here we are now, and he still hasn’t managed to do it. There’s a good chance that he will not succeed in the next two days. The next … More Almost an “I Told You So”
In my last post I mentioned going to the World War Two victory commemoration programs. I went wearing a sort of uniform that included all my service awards and decorations. American uniforms are not often seen on the street in Jerusalem so a number of people asked to take a picture or to find out … More Trying to Make a Difference
Monday and Tuesday of this week were special days. Israel made them days of remembrance for the victory of the allies over Nazi Germany. in israel, the date follows the Russian custom of celebration on 9 May, but this year 9 My was Israel Independence day, so the V-E day programs were delayed. On … More Remembering WWII
Israel has been under attack from Gaza once again. Hundreds of rockets have been fired at Israeli cities and towns by Hamas and the Islamic Jihad terrorist groups. The casualty count is still low on both sides. Israeli, as of the time I’m’ writing this, is still blowing up empty buildings that the terrorist groups … More And Another Holiday is Also Over
The Jewish Passover Holiday is fast approaching. It’s an 8 day festival known particularly for the requirement that we eat unleavened bread (Matzot). My wife and I are going to spend our holiday with friends and family. For the first nights’ festive meal we will be with our older son and his family at a … More Time for a Holiday Break
The official results of the Israeli elections are now in. Benyamin Netanyahu’s Likud party won the most seats, but only just barely. What did happen is that the smaller parties that can form coalition government with the Likud party won enough seat for Netanyahu to comfortably for a coalition. The various smaller factions that will … More Horsetrader Time
This coming Tuesday is election day in Israel. Its a close contest between the two leading parties. Both are hovering, according to the pollsters, at around 30 seats each. Since they need a majority of the 120 seat Knesset that means a coalition with one or more smaller parties. Most of the smaller parties are … More Ready? Set? Vote!
Early this morning a rocket was launched from Hamas controlled Gaza. It hit a house in the village of Mishmeret north of Tel Aviv. 7 people were injured, 2 infants and a 12 year old were among them. This is “Breaking Newa”, so there may be errors of omission because many details have not yet … More Here We Go Again
Wetherhorn 