When drastic events happen so quickly, it is difficult, if not impossible, to find some emotional balance. But this is what we must do as citizens of the only Jewish state, our ancestral homeland. Yesterday, we burst with pride as thousands of Hezbollah terrorists were blown up by the same means of communication by which they have been coordinating our murders. We were exhilarated that our army was able to orchestrate what has been called “the greatest preemptive strike in modern history.”

Our euphoria didn’t last long, as we awoke to the tragic news of the loss of four precious soldiers, and the injury of five more in a house in Gaza which exploded while they were searching it for weapons. Most of the area in which the IDF was maneuvering has been conquered, except for pockets of resistance. This was one of them. And so we lost Capt. Daniel Maimon Toaf, Sgt. Agam Naim (the only woman so far to die in fighting in Gaza), Sgt. Amit Bachari, and Sgt. Dotan Shimon. In addition, a combat officer and two fighters were seriously injured, and two moderately wounded. Also, a combat officer in the Givati patrol was seriously injured in a battle in the southern Gaza Strip. We pray for the recovery of the wounded. And for those we lost, may their memory be a blessing.

Before we even had time to digest this, while people were openly wondering why the IDF didn’t immediately take advantage of the chaos in Lebanon, the walkie-talkies started exploding, giving us a lesson in strategy, and reminding us not to second guess our military. We know nothing.

The reports said the walkie-talkies were exploding in the hundreds with much greater violence and damage than yesterday’s beepers. Apartments were set on fire, motorcycles incinerated, and panicked Hezbollah terrorists running helter-skelter to save themselves all over Lebanon, where the local population is now avoiding them like lepers lest their presence bring death. I cannot imagine how demoralized these brilliant moves against our genocidal enemy has left them. Quite aside from the physical injuries suffered by thousands, there is this: As in the case of the Tower of Babel, those opposing God and His people can no longer communicate with each other. Except by carrier pigeon!

In the meanwhile, those opposing Hezbollah – and there are quite a few among the Arabs – are having a ball poking fun at them in their current misery. Please see the attached video.

Netanyahu has repeated: “I said we would return the residents of the North in safety to their homes, and that is exactly what we are going to do.”

Bless him, I believe him.

The Chief of Staff of the Northern Command: “We have many capabilities that we have not yet activated… At every stage, the next two stages are ready prepared and ready to come out strong.”

My goodness, if I were a Hezbollah operative reading that, I’d been absolutely terrified. What he’s basically saying is “you ain’t seen nothing yet.” I’m sure it’s true.

Defense Minister Gallant at the air force’s Ramat David base affirmed that Israel’s war is now shifting from Gaza to the North: “The center of gravity is moving northward through the diversion of resources and forces. We are opening a new phase in the war – it requires courage, determination and perseverance from us. It is very important to do things at this stage in close cooperation – between all organizations, at all levels.”

The UN Secretary General’s Office issued a statement saying it was forbidden to turn civilian phones into weapons. But these weren’t civilian phones, were they? UN vehicles are being pelted by furious Lebanese. Ha ha!

The shift in emotions in the Israeli public have been captured in popular music. In a wonderful article by Yoel Finkelman in the May 13 edition of Tradition Magazine, he compares the lyrics of the songs we’ve been singing as an indication of the country’s shifting mood.

At the beginning of the war, there was Harbu Darbu, a “self-confident, angry, aggressive, and violent (like much confrontational hip-hop), with crass lyrics and sexual innuendo (viewer discretion advised). It takes pride in an inevitable victory of the powerful Israel and its army over the frightened and weak Hamas.”

Then there was the band Hatikva’s soft, slow reggae-inspired “Nation of Superheroes, “celebrating the everyday heroism of Israeli soldiers, particularly the reservists. Omri Glickman, the band’s lead singer, walks slowly along the promenade in Tel Aviv, garnering hugs and acknowledgments from passersby. He simply lists by occupation typical Israelis who have given up their routines and day-to-day life to protect the country. They are superheroes, who together make up an entire nation of superheroes.”

And now there is “Another Day in Gaza”, written and performed by a rapper and active army reservist, Noam Tsuriely, while on leave from his unit. “Unlike the previous two songs, this one is voiced not by a civilian encouraging and thanking soldiers, but by a soldier, articulating his difficult and ambivalent feelings: the brotherhood of soldiers “I rely on myself, on the guy next to me… These are the guys who will be with me for the rest of my life…. If anybody from the squad would ask, I would donate at least two kidneys.” A trust and belief in God: “I rely on… God”… I pray that God should help.” There is also the fear and reality of death, the longing for the families back home, and a firm and clear commitment to fighting this war to the very end. The song ends “with a message we should all take to heart”:

“On the sixth of October [i.e., before the war]
This is my Nation
Tearing itself apart from the inside
We picked sides
Called each other traitors
The next morning they burnt Jews
[The day after] nobody asked if you had blocked Kaplan Street [in protest]
Nobody asked who you voted for
Each soul that ascended to heaven
Commanded us to increase love
To be worthy – to be worthy
Not this week, not this year,
To be worthy, for the rest of our lives”

---