Tykocin

I have just came back from a long weekend in Biebrza National Park, beautiful lowland at the east of Poland. There is also small and sleepy town near protected area called Tykocin with a long history and I would like to show you some of it and tell a bit about it.
The village was established sometime in XI century and originally it was just a small settlement but in XV century it was given the status of town and started its quick development. Having great protectors among wealthy gentry to whom it belonged (changing hands due to political issues) it developed well although with some hassle around middle XVII century (Swedish wars) and by the end of XVIII century when Poland lost her independance.

First Jewish families settled here in 1522 and the Jewish community was developing rapidly with the protection of Polish kings. By 1800 Jews constituted 70% of Tykocin's population and it was the second greatest and most important Jewish community after Cracow. As far as I know it was also always peacefully coexisting with non-Jewish neighbours.
Tykocin became Polish again after regaining independence (1918) and right before II WW it had population of 5,000 half of them Jewish.

During Shoah it lost all but 1 Jewish citizens and around 400-500 non-Jewish ones (taken to concentration camps by Germans) thus loosing nearly 70% of inhabitants and civic rights (it was village again after the war). Today it is sleepy little town trying to remember its history. The synagogue devastated by Nazis during occupation was one of the first in Poland to be renovated and here's how it looks now.

As you can see at some homes you can still see the reminders of old inhabitants (this star of David by the door) and (last picture) on the new B&B names are given in Hebrew as well as in Polish

Biased media reports

There is a long list of biased or untruthful media reports concerning Israeli-Hamas conflict in Gaza in European media.

It is truth that every foreign reporter in Gaza has its personal "guarding angel" (devil?) who takes care that they see what is meant for them to see. It is truth that those not complying with Hamas' instructions in media sometimes receive death threats (and occasionally speak about it, of course AFTER leaving Gaza but it is obvious). Still if one wants to be a reporter specially in tough places it requires some courage and moral compass and reporters are very keen on talking about their ethics code and being the forth power so it would have been nice to grow up to it - at least partly. 

In Europe just during the last month we have been dealing with:

• overusing the word "genocide" with regards to defensive actions taken by Israeli forces when in reality - depending on the source of information - 1,600 to 1,800 people in Gaza have been killed during over a month of open conflict and (according to Israeli sources) 750-1,000 of them being active Hamas terrorists. I will come back later to their identification as civilians/ terrorists but speaking purely about their number and comparing it with the number of victims in other ongoing conflicts (Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Southern Sudan or Nigeria to mention just a few, one European) the number of victims in Gaza is relatively small. And still there is no other conflict in connection with which the word "genocide" would have appeared so often if at all (even if, as with Iraqi ISIS it would have been based on facts),
•  reporting the number of victims in Gaza based on Hamas' word exclusively which mean that as victims of Israel the subsequent groups were included: people who deceased due to natural causes during the conflict, people who were hit by Hamas' rockets destined for Israel that didn't make it into Israeli territory, people who were prevented from escaping their homes by Hamas (after warnings from IDF) and made into victims (or martyrs as they put it), people shot by Hamas as suspected Israeli spies (read: those who opposed Hamas in any way including insisting on evacuation). It is rather hard to count these people as victims of Israel, on the contrary - excluding those deceased due to natural causes they are all victims of Hamas and whoever cares about them should blame Hamas,
• accepting that all those without uniforms and personal weapons are civilians. Well, I don't know about any terrorist organization using (especially extensively) uniforms, do you? And not having personal weapons on you does not mean you are not involved in terrorist activities like planning terror acts, launching rockets or constructing bombs. In fact the number of civilian victims remaining to high (as any and on any side is to high) is much smaller - the usage of pictures of victims of Syrian war or car accidents or even Fogel children (Jewish children murdered on purpose by Palestinian terrorist!!!) and introducing them under false names as victims of this conflict has been detected. They are easy to find out but apparently not many were willing to look for such frauds,
• purposeful misleading information (if you prefer straight talk: lying) in media like yesterday (Friday) when some media reported that the cease-fire has ended due to Israeli fire while in reality Hamas started launching rockets on Israel 3 hours before the cease-fire was over and Israel responded only after having 17 rockets launched into her territory,
• the difference in number of victims is nearly exclusively due to completely different approach to them on both sides. While Israel is the country which protects her citizens more than any other country I know of (shelters in the south for nearly everybody mean that e.g. when rocket directly hit a building in Israel yesterday there was only one person injured) Hamas uses (abuses!!!!) Palestinians to create their bodies as anti-Israeli weapon in media thus forcing people warned by IDF to evacuate not only to stay but even to climb onto the roofs on the building under fire. It is a crime against humanity. The crime for which Hamas is to blame and it should be said aloud!

 Here are some links to relevant materials by some courageous reporters (note: they are international):
Indian TV coverage about shooting rockets.
France24 report about launching rockets from the hotel with journalists and with UN flag over it.
Finish reported confirming Hamas using civilians as human shields.

Having seen so much of biased reporting in recent days I wholeheartedly invite you to join the FB event "enough is enough" against bad reporting. You may find it here.

Death tunnels

One of the most important objectives of Operation Protective Edge was (and still is) destroying of tunnels dug by Hamas into the Israeli territory.

I have already signaled in my last post that tunnels - dug constantly over the period of some years - have cost lives of at least 160 Gaza children (and many more civilians) - victims nobody in the West is crying over as few have heard about them and even fewer are willing to make the story public.

Time and again the world sees an article about not allowing building materials to Gaza. That is far from truth (although some restrictions apply) and I have written about it already here. But the materials reaching Gaza are used for purposes I presume have not much to do with intentions of most supporters (though some intend exactly this use). Here is the graphic show of the use I mean:

This is what brings woe on the inhabitants of Gaza. But what the use of so vast tunnel system? According to gathered information - gathered for a period of time - they were prepared to use as attack tunnels to infiltrate the Israeli territory for a sole purpose of killing and kidnapping Israeli citizens. In some of the tunnels weapons were found. In some Israeli army uniforms, motorcycles or even cages for the purpose of keeping hostages were located.

It is impossible to spot those tunnels from above, even less so to destroy them in this way. So far the only way there is  to learn about them is intelligence activities and searching on the ground. The only way to destroy them is by putting troops on the ground.

Some sources indicate that for this year's Rosh Hashana (Israeli New Year) which will take place on the 24th of September, the big offensive was being prepared by Hamas. The massive attacks, killings and abductions if succeeded could have taken as many lives as the attack on the WTC.

Some of the tunnels discovered were reaching 2 kilometers (1.4 mile) into the Israeli territory.  Some had their openings in kibbutzim nearby. Many had not only reinforced walls (with donated materials so needed in Gaza for civilian purposes) but also  phone lines and military equipment of different sorts (as stated above). Here how some of them looked:

Is there any wonder why Israel had to destroy them? Just imagine living with not only rockets falling but the threat of having your near and dear killed or kidnapped. What kind of state would allow it? Certainly one which cares not about its citizens (we all know USSR conducted "test" nuclear attack with the use of their own troops), but Israel is the kind of democracy that is protecting her citizens - the kind of democracy we would all love to live in and few of us has this opportunity.

I repeat what I said - it is horrible that people are being killed; it is horrible there is such a war but the culpable is but one - Hamas, and I ask you to put blame where it belongs.

Operation Protective Edge

So many times have I written about rockets indiscriminately shoot at Israeli territory by Hamas. But apart from this problem (and really, try to imagine your country - whichever it is - to not react to such a danger to its residents - it is not the only danger brought about by terrorists from Hamas, not by far. From Gaza into both Egypt and Israel leads a network of tunnels. Those leading from Egypt are used to smuggle in weaponry into Gaza, those leading into Israel, and there are many, have been prepared for the purpose of infiltrating Israel to murder or kidnap her inhabitants. The danger is so prevailing that despite the peace between Israel and Egypt being for years a cold one both countries cooperate in preventing building and destroying existing tunnels. The problem is - in most cases this can't be done without putting soldiers on ground in Gaza and as the situation regarding tunnels has evolved to an alarming level the action had to be taken (the openings of tunnels have been found in kibbutzim near Gaza evidently prepared for terrorist activities). Additionally it has to be realized that Hamas was using children to dig them and in this process   many of them had died.

Media have been informed about rocket fire that has damaged UN school (or rather UNRWA one). Not so many reported that there have been weaponry placed by Hamas in the school. UNRWA has apologized on its official site  which did not prevent some of its officials to condemn Israel for attacking school. The question is: is the school (closed for vacation anyway) that serves as ammunition compound and from the vicinity of which the aggressive fire is being shoot still a school or a military installation? What would you feel about it?

The hospital in Gaza has been damaged - but NOT by Israeli troops but by a misfired rocket fired by Hamas towards Israel that didn't make it to the Israeli territory. It has been confirmed but the reporters who did it received death threads from terrorists. Same goes for hitting the refugee camp.

Inhabitants of Gaza have been sent early warnings by IDF to be able to leave targeted territories but in many cases they have been physically forced by  Hamas terrorists to stay in place and act as a human shield. Tragic as it is Hamas is totalitarian power with as much regard towards its subjects as - say - Stalin in purges period when tens of thousands have been killed just to install terror in the remaining population. Yesterday Hamas has shoot 30 Palestinians under the assumption of spying for Israel. As this is absurd accusation in the situation we are dealing with they have been shot most probably for opposing Hamas (residents of Eastern Europe are familiar with practice of accusation for "spying for the USA" in early 50s - usually used to destroy potential political opponents).

Hamas has called upon Hezbollah to join in fighting against "this formation" (Israel).

The former President of Israel Simon Peres has declared that the best option would be reinstalling Fatah as the ruler in Gaza. As Abbas and his Fatah are anything but moderate as I have written here time and time again (although he is named so for an unknown reason). Therefore this shows all the murderous rage of Hamas's rule in Gaza.

Certainly there are more victims on Palestinian side (although it is hard to say how many exactly, internet users have already spotted the family perished in Syria some two years ago whose pictures are now shown as the pictures of Palestinian victims in Gaza). Still, what else is to be expected if one side to the conflict tries to protect her citizens as best as possible with the use of shelters and Iron Dome and constant preparedness whilst at the same time the other side uses its  people as human shields and propaganda weapon to show in the pictures?

I feel deep regret for victims of this conflict on BOTH sides, still it is unacceptable to blame Israel for defending herself. Israel does not fire rockets constantly and indiscriminately into Gaza. She does not kidnap or murder Arab civilians, neither does she wish them to perish - on the contrary, even at this very moment the power and water supplies are delivered although as I have written here they are not paid for. The blame for the victims of the current situation  and their suffering lies exclusively at Hamas's door.

How can one compare???!!!!

Do the synagogues in 1930s Germany

remind you the mosques in Israel?

Do the fate of Jews in pre - Holocaust years

remind you Israeli citizens who are Arabs?

Do Gaza in your eyes (with all its problems)

reminds you ghettos? (only in Warsaw one and during first 3 years over 100,000 people died of hunger)

Do Palestinian Authority (so often visited by tourists)

reminds you Holocaust?

If not how DARE you compare or let others compare one with the other on the very continent where it happened when people who have been through it are still alive?

Shooting in Brussels

It just happened. We still don't know many things. But tell me, if on Sabbath, in big European city, in the place important for Jews 3 get killed and one wounded in an antisemitic attack what time do you have in mind? Isn't it Germany between Hitler's coming into power and Kristallnacht or even beginning of war?
Not only! On 24th of May 2014, on the weekend of elections into European Parliament, in Brussels, in European Union which is supposed to be so tolerant and multicultural (but where the hatred towards vanishing Jewish minority reached the level not noted for the last 50 years) 3 people outside the Jewish Museum were shot, another one severely wounded and12 treated for shock.
In an antisemitic attack reminding the one in French school or the ones in Nazi Germany people were killed because they were (or were presumed to be, as the names of the victims are not known at the moment) Jewish!!!!! Th oldest hatred coming back to Europe with applause of some far-left politicians is here.
And, for everyone of us, decent people, it is absolutely necessary to fight it as we can, everywhere we can. Otherwise we are like those turning their eyes from burning synagogues in 1930s!

Sweden once again

And unfortunately again on antisemitism :(
This Monday 90-years-old president of Israel Shimon Peres was flying on official visit to Norway.
While on his route the plane's crew was informed that they are not allowed to enter Swedish air space. The formerly given permission was revoked without giving reasons.
The flight was rerouted via Denmark and arrived in Norway with delay.

President Peres is known for his seeking peaceful solutions for problems. He is Nobel Prize Winner and has opinion of willing to go into great efforts to give peace between Israel and PA. Yet obviously his plane couldn't pollute the pristine (and antisemitic) air of Sweden.

Chinese PM or Putin were recently warmly welcome in Sweden.

And just a reminder: in 2011, when even European countries joined Israel and the United States in a walk-out of the odious remarks at the U.N. by then-President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Sweden and Norway kept their seats.