Iran is now using almost exclusively cluster bombs to target highly populated civilian areas in Israel. These bombs are causing serious injuries, if few deaths, among Israelis. And yet, not a word of protest anywhere. Considering that under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the laws of armed conflict using these bombs intentionally against civilians in densely populated areas where civilian harm is predictable, and failing to distinguish between military and civilian targets is a crime against humanity, the silence of the tutting humanitarians is odd, if predictable. This is why I have nothing but contempt for the public bodies in the international arena who are the so-called watch dogs of human rights. We only hear from them when Israel is to be condemned.

The two bombs that hit Israel’s south yesterday were the same type of ballistic missile. Yet the one in Dimona caused almost no serious injuries, while dozens were injured in varying degrees in Arad. Why is that, you might wonder? Well perhaps the following might explain it: The missile that hit Dimona found almost everyone in a bomb shelter. These people, despite considerable damage to their homes, emerged almost unscathed. In contrast, the missile that landed in Arad plunged into the center of twenty apartment buildings housing Gur Chassidim, who didn’t bother to take their children to the ample bomb shelters in each building, ignoring the ample warnings we all get in plenty of time. The result was pretty catastrophic, confirming once again that civilians in Israel who cooperate with Civil Defense procedures save themselves from harm. I wish, of course, a speedy recovery to all those injured, many of them children who are not to blame for their irresponsible parents. Nor are any of them to blame for the cowardly war criminals of Iran who aim their rockets at apartment houses.

Each bombing in Iran is music to my ears.

I am happy to say that Israel is doing an excellent job dismantling Hezbollah too, the latest being the demolition of bridges across the Litani River, which will hamper Hezbollah maneuvers to Israel’s border. Also being blown sky high are homes in southern Lebanese villages where Hezbollah hides its rockets and weapons. These villagers aren’t going to be allowed to come back. The days of the idiotic Four Mothers protests that got us into this situation, forcing the IDF out of Lebanon before we accomplished our goals and leaving the entire area prey to Hezbollah, are over. You wouldn’t find a single sane Israeli today that would agree with that kind of short-sighted, whining capitulation.

Even though my own area hasn’t had a rocket warning in days, and everything here is normal and quiet, the reports of so much destruction and so many casualties makes me feel that we really are in the middle of a war. Before it was like some vicious tennis game, with the rockets getting knocked out of the air before they landed. It is very painful to see so much destruction, injury and death, particularly as I have family all over Israel, and my personal safety isn’t comforting when I know they are running with their babies to shelters several times a day, or in the middle of the night.

But I am steadfast in believing that this is a very necessary war, whatever the cost. An attempt is being made to annihilate the Jewish nation, even as Jews all over the world are under attack. It is a great privilege to have the ability to hurt our enemies, something my parents’ generation didn’t have, and something the Jews of the diaspora don’t have. I just saw a video in which a Jewish woman in Great Britain from Manchester was at a demonstration in which she held a sign at how bored she was of feeling afraid all the time. Interviewed, this poor woman could hardly speak, tears rolling down her cheeks as she explained how afraid she is every day, every hour. How her son is afraid to go to synagogue. And how the police won’t help. She is so tired, she said weeping, of being afraid.

My heart went out to her.

I, sitting in the path of Iranian and Hezbollah rocket fire, don’t feel afraid at all for myself. Because my police will help me. My army and Air Force will help me. I don’t feel victimized. I feel empowered to finally have the ability to take arms against a sea of enemies without being held back by powers who don’t have my well-being as their first priority. For the first time I can remember, Israel has the full backing of the United States to kill our enemies without dotting every I and crossing every T. God bless President Trump!

I hope this lasts. Because according to MK Avigdor Leiberman, there is another war waiting in the wings when this one is over. This one against The Palestinian Authority, created by the infamous, wrong-headed Oslo Accords. According to Leiberman, the PA has three times the armed forces permitted by the Oslo Accords, and includes elite units that have trained in Pakistan and Turkey, and a collection of attack weapons and vehicles that are completely unnecessary for policing duties. Are they being readied for an October 7-style attack on Judea and Samaria and the center of the country? If they try it, they will be thrown out of the country and we will take over Judea and Samaria and they can add another Nukba to their litany of self-created woes. Maybe that is God’s plan. For Israel to be forced to take over the land given to her by God? In any case, I have no doubt the IDF and the Shabak know all about it and have no illusions. Just yesterday a Palestinian terrorist car-ramming attack near Homesh in Samaria killed 18-year-old Yehuda Shmuel Sherman.

The German Ambassador Steffen Seibert’s knee jerk reaction to this atrocity, while being careful to include a lament for “the violent settler rampage in Palestinian villages,” was too much for Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar: The ambassador “finds it very difficult to condemn attacks against Israelis without bringing up the Palestinians” and called his actions an “obsession” with settlers that prevents proper condemnation of anti-Israel terror.

Thank you, Foreign Minister Sa’ar!

So what is happening now, as we run from shelter to kitchen cleaning for the approaching Passover holiday? I think having Passover to think about is a great relief. Nothing focusses you more than a dirty refrigerator that has to be made spotless and filled with fresh, kosher for Passover foods. Because make no mistake about it. If we aren’t hospitalized or in a mental institution, there will be a Passover holiday; a seder; a meeting with family. And even if in the middle of reading the Haggadah we have to hide in the shelter, we’ll do it, wait the ten minutes if hopefully a rocket doesn’t land in our living room, and then continue to the festive meal, and the song about the kid and the angel of death. We’ll open our front doors and stand and say : “Pour Your wrath upon the oppressors of Your nation, who do not know You, and on the kingdoms that do not call Your name.” I did it after narrowly escaping a Hamas bombing at the Park Hotel in 2002. Went over to another hotel and said the entire Haggadah! It was a great comfort then, and will be a great comfort now.

Because I want to tell you something I realized about the Jewish people. You know when the Jews were in the desert in the middle of nowhere they were told to create a tabernacle. And even though they were homeless and wandering, they got together and wove the most beautiful fabrics in scarlet and sky blue wools, and made garments of fine linen, and beautiful, gold ornaments that dazzled the world for centuries: the Menorah, the ark of the covenant, the jewel encrusted breastplate of the high priest. All in the middle of the desert! When they didn’t have homes! And they still had to defeat their enemies! And they sometimes didn’t have water, or great food! Still, they didn’t do some slapdash job. No. They poured their love and creativity into the work and despite everything created something of matchless beauty. It’s in our DNA. Out of this horror, I have no doubt will come great new technologies, new ideas, art, music. Our enemies have NEVER been able to stop that.

And they won’t stop it now.

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