October 1, 2006

As Yom Kippur approaches, and with it the time for deep reflection and turning to Heaven for forgiveness and redemption, I will provide here only a short posting. Deeply do I wish it could be more positive. May we all be written and sealed for a year of peace. May the Almighty protect us and help us to find the inner strength we need. May the Almighty bring an end to this time of wars and bring peace upon the land.

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The IDF has completed its pullout from Lebanon. I am disturbed for several reasons. One is because we said we wouldn’t pull out until UNIFIL took its responsibility more seriously. UNIFIL declined to respond to our concerns with regard to how they handle Hezbollah, and yet — under duress of whatever international pressure and implications that we are “causing trouble” — we are pulling out. Dearly do I wish the top brass would stop making empty threats. This does not serve us well.

But the more important issue is that we were right to express our concerns with regard to Hezbollah returning to our border and rearming. Our pulling out does not spell the end here. It is merely a hiatus before there is again a battle in this ongoing war. Right now Hezbollah is content to remain quiet, while regrouping and rearming, but prediction is that we will be at war with them within a year.

May we have a government in place that knows how to deal with the situation.

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Mashaal and Abbas never met in Qatar as they were supposed to do. Abbas demanded of Mashaal an apology for insults before meeting; as the apology was not forthcoming, that was that.

The intra-Palestinian tension is now heating up. There is presently violence — already there is a kidnapping and a death — and more is predicted. Reportedly, the PA security forces (Fatah headed) began rioting because of lack of pay since Hamas came to power; Hamas accused Abbas of causing this unrest on purpose (actually, the accusation was planning a coup against Hamas) and has sent out its armed forces.

We will see what this situation looks like in two days… Always, when they are on the edge of civil war, they pull back. But the more they are focused on violence and hatred directed at each other, the better for us.

I will try in days ahead to report on the situation of Kassams, terrorists being caught in PA areas, the possibility of another major IDF incursion into Gaza, and more.

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Things are looking more serious on the Syrian border. At present it is just bombast from Assad but there are experts starting to take seriously his call for possible war to take the Golan. I picked up something today about a call he made for Syrians to move into the Golan, utilizing the pretext of humanitarian need, emergencies, with which the International Red Cross would help. I don’t know if there is anything to this and will follow it.

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And so… I end as I began: May the Almighty protect us and help us to find the inner strength we need. May the Almighty bring an end to this time of wars and bring peace upon the land.

Please, wherever you are, pray for us here in Israel.

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see my website www.ArlenefromIsrael.info

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