The Carmel Calls to Me

Paul R. Stern
A Soldier's Mother
10 December '10

I've traveled the Beit Oren road many times. My parents "discovered it" and described its winding beauty. It isn't about speed on this road, but about scenery.

It winds up the mountain, turns, twists, and with each turn, there is...was...will be beauty. As soon as I heard about the fire, I thought of the road and the places I have passed there.

Beit Oren, the prison, the horses...I knew the places, the turns in the road. And when the fire was out, it called to me and so I stole a day. That's what I call it when I just need to go off and be away. I can't explain why I thought I might be alone there, to drive and to mourn, but I think, perhaps, that maybe I did.

And as we turned up the road, it was so clear, that other Israelis had heard the call of the Carmel. This road is usually close to deserted; the young and those in a rush prefer the coast road. Almost any road is faster.

And no one who took the road with us yesterday was in a rush.
They...like I...had come to see, to feel, to mourn. Many were on the sides taking pictures; staring off into the burned forests.

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Palestinian Leaders Yell Political Theatre at a Crowded Israeli Fire

Barry Rubin
The Rubin Report
09 December '10
Posted before Shabbat

Often, small details give a tremendous insight into political realities. Such an example is the remark made by a high-ranking Palestinian official about the tragic fire in northern Israel.

When the fire broke out, 40 Israeli prison guards were rushed to a prison to evacuate the prisoners there in order to save their lives. The bus was trapped in the flames and all of these men, plus the driver, died.

Later that day, Palestinian Authority (PA) Deputy Minister for Prisoners, Ziyad Abu Ein, accused Israel of planning to use the fire in order to kill Palestinians in jail. As broadcast on the PA television station he said:

"Yes, they created a lag and our [Palestinian] prisoners were endangered. Had there not been Israeli criminals or Jewish prisoners in this particular prison, it would have been even slower... but the presence of hundreds of Israeli prisoners in [Damon] prison spurred the…the evacuation of the prisoners. But still it was very slow."

This statement haunts me for two reasons. First, it is the perfect example of the fact that even today, 17 years after the Oslo agreement, no PA official—nor even any journalist or intellectual living under its rule—can ever publicly say anything positive or even empathetic about Israel.

(Read full article "Palestinian Leaders Yell Political Theatre ....." )

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Who Set the Fire and Why?

Moshe Feiglin
Manhigut Yehudit
28 Kislev, 5771 (Dec. 5, '10)

Translated from Ma'ariv's NRG website



This article is being written two hours before Shabbat (Miketz). The radio is incessantly reporting on the fire raging in the Carmel Mountains. The focus of the reports is twofold: The heartwarming response of the Israeli public to the victims of the fire, with families from around the country volunteering to open their homes to those people who have lost or had to leave theirs. The second focus is on finding the guilty party or parties. Who is guilty for the fact that Israel doesn't have amphibian planes? Whose fault is it that Israel doesn't have more fire fighters? Who is to blame for their lack of basic equipment? The finger-pointing is gathering steam. Just one question is not being asked: Maybe the guilty party is he who struck the match?

There is no question that Israel must better prepare itself for fires. Perhaps G-d is giving us a "fire drill" in advance of a strategic attack. Perhaps somebody will finally remove the dangerous chemicals being stored in Haifa Bay to storage areas far from population centers. Maybe Israel will finally buy amphibian planes, capable of filling huge amounts of sea water within minutes and releasing them on the flames before they get out of control. There are certainly many technical lessons to be learned and implemented from this Chanukah tragedy. But when all is said and done, we are looking for all those responsible everywhere but where they really are. The question is not, 'Why wasn't the fire extinguished sooner?' but rather, 'Who lit it?'

This time the fire started in the illegal Asufiya garbage dump?
Perhaps.
And no proof of arson has been found for the fires that broke out simultaneously in nearby Kiryat Bialik?
True.
And no perpetrators have been found for the fires that broke out at the same time in the south, even closing down some train service there?
Also true.

Nevertheless, it was clear to me – and to all the other people who are afraid to talk about this openly – that the huge blaze in the Carmel Mountains would kindle all sorts of other fires far away from the range of its sparks. It makes no difference if it started in a garbage dump or by arson. It makes no difference because we all know that most of the fires in Israel are caused by arson. Arson perpetrated by Arabs. Not by nut-jobs, not by criminals. Arson motivated by nationalism. Arson by Arab citizens of Israel.

Everyone is busy figuring out how many tons of fire extinguisher we have to keep in storage, but they are afraid to touch upon the real reason for the fires. Please allow me to address an issue that is extremely non-politically-correct: Who is setting these fires, and why?

(Read full article "Who Set the Fire and Why?")

Terra Incognita: Why Eli Yishai must not resign

His departure would add an injustice to the death and ruination the fire left behind. Leaving means walking out on responsibility, not owning up to it.

Seth J. Frantzman
Terra Incognita/JPost
07 December '10

Last week, after being shocked by initial reports that 40 had perished in a fire on the Carmel, I was glued to the news and Internet trying to find out about the great natural catastrophe.

Always in the back of my mind was the worrying sense that it would not take long for the recriminations and complaints to start circulating.

Sadly the prediction came true. Yossi Sarid, a former education minister and Meretz MK, was the first to chime in. He must have begun writing his op-ed soon after learning of the fire, because it was ready by the early morning of December 3. He titled his rant “Israel devours its own people – this time with fire” and explained to readers that “you don’t have to be a genius to predict horrible disasters... Israel is a stupid, lawbreaking state.”

He appears to have been the first wellknown person to point fingers at Interior Minister Eli Yishai. “I also wrote about the minister in charge, the interior minister who is in no hurry when everything goes up in flames. He relies on God, whose salvation is instantaneous, like the blink of an eye. The minister is ready to set Jerusalem on fire at any moment as well.”

As if taking their cue, the blamers began the mantra: Eli Yishai must be the fall guy.

(Read full story)

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My Children's Children's Children

Paula R. Stern
A Soldier's Mother
05 December '10

I had a thought today that made me very sad. In truth, I have always been one to fall apart after the crisis passes. I can't even begin to list the times I've handled something, only to sit down and fall apart when it was done or at least at a point that allowed me to release my emotions.

Moments after they announced today that all the large fires were out and that only smaller ones remained, I sat in my office and wanted to cry. Mostly it was relief, though there was great sadness...and such feelings of gratitude.

There are so many thanks to give out:

Thank you to the firefighters who came from so many lands - for Bulgaria and Greece and Jordan and Egypt. Thank you to France, Britain and Cyprus; and to Azerbaijan and Switzerland and Spain and Germany. Thank you to the Russians who came with such incredible resources and confidence. They knew from the start that we would conquer the fire.

Thank you to the Americans - the National Guard and the firefighters from New York. And Australia that is sending advisors and even the Palestinians and the Turks who sent firefighters (although they were quick to assure the world that this was in no way intended as a peace gesture...God forbid).

And thank you to our own firefighters who fought so hard and so long. There was a picture in the New York Times - I'm afraid to copy it for copyright reasons, but it was so special. It showed Israeli firefighters taking a break - about 20 of them, lying on the road in utter exhaustion. What was so special was that each was using another's leg as a pillow. "We did that," Elie said with a smile, "it's more comfortable."

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The Palestinians: What Is Really Destroying the Chance for Peace

Khaled Abu Toameh
Hudson New York
07 December '10

It is sad and abhorrant to see how many Arabs have rejoiced over the big forest fire in Northern Israel, calling it a "divine punishment" for Israelis and wishing that the blaze would spread to destroy all Jews.

The messages of hate are the result of decades of incitement against Israel and Jews in the Arab media and mosques throughout the Arab and Islamic world.

The comments serve as a reminder that many people in the Arab and Islamic countries still have not come to terms with Israel's right to exist in this part of the world. Even worse, many of the talkbacks show that many Arabs and Muslims would welcome another Holocaust.

These reactions were posted on Web sites of major Arab media outlets, such as the popular Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya TV networks, and the Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.

What is troubling is that these repugnant comments appeared on Web sites that are not necessarily associated with radical Islam.

Al-Arabiya and Asharq Al-Awsat are owned by members of the Saudi royal family, which, ironically, has been frequently targeted by Muslim fundamentalist groups like Al-Qaeda.

The overwhelming majority of talkbacks that appeared on the Web sites of these three powerful media organizations in the past few days showed how many Arabs and Muslim continue to dream about the destruction of Israel.

True, some readers and viewers did not join in the "celebration" of the fire that killed more than 40 people and destroyed hundreds of thousands of trees. Some even expressed sympathy with Israel, and some even criticized Arabs and Muslims who rejoiced over the fire.

But these "positive" comments reflected the opinion of a tiny minority. For example, out of 123 comments posted on one of the Web sites, less than 15 seemed to be rational.

(Read full article)

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Background: Widespread Arab Arson Underplayed By Media

Dr. Aaron Lerner
IMRA
5 December '10

While the main fire in the Carmel could very well turn out to be the result of teenagers who neglected to make sure that a fire they made was properly extinguished, this fire was followed by a series of fires intentionally set by Arab arsonists across the country.

This piece of information is not being censored by the Israeli media in the sense that it is broadcast for a second and gets a sentence or two in reports.

But what a JNF official termed “widespread arson terror” apparently doesn’t fit into the narrative that the Israeli media herd has locked into.

The narrative is:

15% grudgingly admitting that Netanyahu managed to bring in a lot of planes to put out the fire with coverage of their activity.

35% exploring when a committee of inquiry will be established that will call for Shas minister of interior Yishai’s head (with the unspoken agenda that it is hoped that removing Yishai will lead to Shas being replaced by Kadima in the coalition)

25% color stories about the fate of the people impacted by the fire damage (with absolutely no discussion of the question as to the underlying fairness that those who paid for insurance will apparently end up no better off than those who didn’t – with a clear message to the general public that they are idiots if they continue to pay for expensive earthquake insurance since if and when there is an earthquake they will be no better off than their neighbors who didn’t pay insurance all these years).

25% The funerals and follow up on people killed in the fires

The Arab arson terror is a problematic topic because it is a completely separate narrative.

It raises questions the media isn’t comfortable with about Arab-Jewish relations.

And it raises horrific questions about what we may face in terms of internal Arab caused chaos in the next war and what measures may be required to address it.

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Three meters between life and death

The harrowing account of a 'Yediot Aharonot' photographer who was caught in the Carmel blaze, and of the mother whose daughter he saved.

Jerusalem Post Staff
05 December '10

Three meters. That was the difference between life and death for Prisons Service trainees whose bus was engulfed by fire as it raced to help evacuate Damon Penitentiary inmates when the Carmel forest blaze erupted on Thursday.

Three meters, and the choices made in split seconds amid unimaginable horror.

On Army Radio on Sunday, Ruti Gondani, whose daughter Sigal was one of the handful of the officers on the bus to make it out alive, “met” over the airwaves with Roni Sofer, the Yediot Aharonot photographer who rescued her. And their conversation underlined what Ruti called Sigal’s “miraculous” escape, and the hair’s breadth that separated her daughter from the tragedy that befell almost 40 of her colleagues.

Sofer, who had been out taking photographs all that day, found himself in the Beit Oren area. Looking for fresh angles from which to photograph the spreading blaze, he inadvertently found himself driving into it.

As he drove forward, believing himself to be far from the fire’s focus, he said, his car was being followed by a vehicle from Beit Oren and then by the car driven by Lior Boker, a police officer who was soon to die in the blaze. After a journey of a few hundred meters, said Sofer, the prisons service bus also joined the convoy, followed in turn by the car of Haifa police chief Ahuva Tomer, who is now in critical condition in the hospital having been terribly burned in the blaze.

“The road was completely clear,” said Sofer, but then, seconds later, the winds changed, “and a wall of fire blocked the road… We all reversed.”

(Read full story)

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This is Terrorism

Paula R. Stern
A Soldier's Mother
05 December '10

Elie said those words in anger last night as we watched the flames consuming our land, our precious and beautiful land. Many decades ago, a representative of Burma came to Israel. Burma is, apparently, a land covered in trees. To find place for the growing population, they have an aggressive deforestation plan, to rid the land of the trees so that people can live.

The representative of Burma came and was so impressed by our wide open spaces with no trees, that he commented on how amazingly successful our deforestation plan was. In reality, according to history, our "deforestation" plan is thousands of years old, and never really ours. When the Romans came to our land more than 2,000 years ago, destroyed the Holy Temple and took many of our people into slavery, they salted the earth, to curse it and make it barren.

There are many statistics. If I were trying to be thorough, I would do research and point to sites to prove the numbers I say here - perhaps later I will add them. For now, I'll tell you that I remember hearing that only Israel, of all the nations in the world, has MORE trees today than 50 years ago. We have no deforestation plan. It is our love of the land that drives us, year after year, to plant new forests and trees, to care for them, to cherish them.

We have lost over 5 million trees. The tragedy of this knocks us to the ground. If you are not Israeli, I do not know if you can comprehend the incredible agony of the heart that we Israelis are feeling today. We take such pride in our forests, our trees. They are an expression of our love. It causes such pain to watch them burn, hour after hour, day after day, as the flames are fanned by the winds. I could say the same and more at the thought of the 42 people who have been killed in this fire, the wounded, the homeless. More than trees, these are people and yet both the people and the land break our hearts.

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Expressing gratitude

This is Israel’s hour of need and nations across the world did not disappoint.

Danny Ayalon
Op-Ed/JPost
04 December '10

Over these last few painful, shocking days, there has been a shining light through the dark, ashfilled skies elicited by the rampant fires that have destroyed large sections of Israel’s northern area and ended the lives of dozens of brave Israelis.

While the Jewish state has become synonymous with providing rapid humanitarian aid to international disaster areas, it is now Israel that requires help. The fires emanating from the Carmel forest quickly spread beyond any plausible expectation, overwhelming our forces battling the flames. Our national disaster, like many around the world, cried out for an international response. Whereas Israel would usually be the first to offer a helping hand in such an event, it was now our nation that required the hands of others.

For many years, Israel assisted nations and peoples in need during overwhelming disasters such as the earthquakes in Turkey, Haiti, Chile and El Salvador, starvation in Ethiopia, Hurricane Katrina in the US and the tsunami in 2004, to name just a few. Regardless of the nation, Israel was willing to immediately send aid. This was even true for nations affected by the tsunami that Israel had no diplomatic ties with.

This policy was first and foremost based on our deep-seated humanitarianism, ensconced in our Jewish values.

The source for our moral obligation was always tikkun olam, and our humanitarian assistance has always remained unconditional.

Now, in our hour of need, we see nations across the world offering and providing support, in an unequivocal show of gratitude for Israel’s past deeds.

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