Grapevine November 1, 2023: Power dressing

While clothes may not make the man, the impressions we give are often prompted by the way we dress. In one of the many proverbs acquired from Shakespearean plays, is one from Hamlet in which Polonius advises his son Laertes to dress well because “apparel oft proclaims the man.” This may explain why Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has traded in his business suits, white shirts, and blue or red ties for black pants and open-necked black shirts, even when meeting dignitaries from abroad who have flown into Israel to demonstrate solidarity.

But it isn’t Netanyahu alone. The war cabinet triumvirate, which includes Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and former defense minister and IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz, were identically attired in black at Saturday night’s press conference. The image was one of power dressing, though it’s not certain that this is the message that came across, considering that all three are balding with gray or white hair, lined faces and sagging flesh at the jawline.

■ SINCE SATURDAY night, Netanyahu has been subject to increased attacks by the media and from present and former colleagues, many of whom have called for him to resign.

Others who would like to see the end of the Netanyahu era nonetheless acknowledge that it is not wise for a prime minister to step down in wartime. Some of the accusations lobbed at Netanyahu are unjust. Other than members of the war cabinet, no one really knows anything about what is being discussed and decided. Among the families of the hostages, those who are guided more by logic than emotion know that with all the sympathy that Netanyahu has for them, he cannot risk giving them any information, for fear that whatever he tells them may be revealed in an electronic media interview and thereby endanger the implementation of a vital plan.

The secrecy surrounding the rescue of Ori Megidish is evidence of the importance of not revealing information until after a hostage is brought home – and even then to be circumspect about making details public.

As joyful a day as it was when Megidish was returned to the bosom of her family and friends, it was an extremely sad day for the family of Shani Louk, whose murder by Hamas was confirmed. Louk was a dual national who also had German citizenship. In a tweet on X, German Ambassador Steffen Seibert wrote that he had spoken to Shani Louk’s mother, Ricarda, who after weeks of uncertainty had been notified of her daughter’s death at the hands of Hamas terrorists. “I can only imagine the family’s pain,” he wrote. “All of us at the embassy had been hoping for Shani, and now we mourn with all those who loved her.”

Seibert had previously mourned Bar Tomer, another dual national who was murdered by Hamas, and attended the shiva at Kibbutz Ein Shemer.

Inasmuch as Israeli journalists have been much more cautious and patriotic in their Gaza-related reports than in the past, the same cannot be said for interviewers, who endlessly keep probing the hapless relatives of hostages who agree to interviews mainly because they want the public to remain conscious of the plight of their loved ones.

■ FORMER DIRECTOR of the Mossad Yossi Cohen and former director of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) Yaakov Peri, as well as former prisoner exchange negotiator Uri Slonim, have offered their services in helping in the effort to bring all the hostages back to Israel. It has also been reported that despite the animosity between them, Netanyahu held a meeting with former IDF chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi.

Shared collaborative experience

Altogether, there are 25 living present and former chiefs of staff and heads of the Mossad and the Shin Bet whose accumulated experience, knowledge and contacts could prove beneficial in both the attempt to bring home the hostages and the conduct of the war in general. Some have been politicians, and some still are. Two such people, Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot are members of the war cabinet. Avi Dichter is a minister in the government. Presumably, all would be willing to put their differences aside and come together as a think tank relating only to the two above-mentioned goals, and one of their number could report on a daily basis to Eisenkot, who in turn would bring their ideas to the war cabinet.

■ THE GREATEST tragedy in warfare is that neither side is willing to recognize the pain of the other. There are, of course, individual exceptions in which humanity and logic triumph over hatred and incitement.

“Hamas is willing to sacrifice all Gaza’s civilian population on the altar of its extremist ideology,” says Mark Regev, senior adviser to the prime minister.

This is an indirect acknowledgment that not all Gazans are evil. But, unfortunately, they live in a region governed by evil promoted and perpetrated by power hungry and corrupt individuals. Without Hamas, the Gazan population could flourish, and its children and other civilians would be safe, and would not have to fear Israeli air raids.

In an interview with Liza Rozovsky in Haaretz, Elena Hamida, a Ukrainian woman who is married to a Palestinian doctor with whom she lives in Gaza with their three grown children, says the Israeli military drops leaflets from helicopters urging civilians to flee to the south to Khan Yunis. But in the south leaflets were scattered with the message to flee to the north. Hamida ponders that perhaps the latter was psychological warfare by Hamas. At the end of the interview, she says: “I’m not a politician, and I don’t defend anybody. In the end, we’re the ones who suffer; and I think, for what? I have friends in Israel. We send regards and say ‘it’s scary for you, it’s scary for us. They bomb here; they shell there. Let’s remain human beings and stay in touch.’ I simply want to live normally.”

Similar sentiments have been expressed by Israelis who want to live in peace and friendship with neighbors across the border.

If Israel could make peace with Germany, Egypt, and Jordan, there is hope that it can make peace with Gaza – but only after Hamas is eradicated. The toughest battle will be to conquer mindsets on both sides. When you’ve grown up believing that everyone on the other side is your enemy and wants to kill you, it’s very hard to overcome such thoughts and to recognize that we are all just ordinary people. The best example is the Parents’ Circle Family Forum comprising Israelis and Palestinians who have lost family members due to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. On its website, in which it advocates dialogue, it also expresses its deep and heartfelt condemnation of the ongoing violence in the region and the grief and sorrow this brings to countless families.

■ OF THE many presidents, chancellors, prime ministers, foreign ministers and defense ministers who have come to Israel to convey their solidarity in the war against Hamas, nearly all have come from influential countries. Their meetings with President Isaac Herzog, Netanyahu, and families of the hostages, and their visits to Sderot and southern kibbutzim, have been well publicized in Israel and their home countries. Some of the phone calls that Herzog and Netanyahu have received from world leaders have also been publicized, but not the letters.

Among the letters sent to Herzog was one from President David Kabua of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, a group of coral atolls in the central Pacific, with a population of approximately 41,000. The republic, which has a permanent representative at the United Nations, consistently votes with Israel. Small as it is, the republic counts for something big. In his letter, Kabua wrote that he was appalled by the barbaric acts of Hamas, which he condemned in the most severe terms. “The unprovoked ferocious rampage is a direct attack on civilization,” he wrote, confirming his country’s recognition of Israel’s right to defend itself.

■ NOT ONLY do the words and deeds of members of the Netanyahu family provoke widespread criticism, but the same goes for many of their close associates. Tzipi Navon, the personal assistant to Sara Netanyahu, was last week given a disciplinary hearing in advance of her suspension by the Civil Service Commission. In a series of social media posts, Navon berated various political figures who have publicly found fault with what they consider the prime minister’s bungling of security issues. Using the most derogatory terminology, including words like “scum,” Navon verbally rushed to the defense of the prime minister and his wife. That loyalty may well be at the cost of her job. This was not her first offense. She acted similarly in 2019 and 2021, but the rebukes were obviously ineffective.

■ EVEN WHEN he does the right thing, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir causes concern. In the first week of the war, he mounted a campaign for 4,000 rifles to be distributed to civilians so that they could defend themselves and their families in the event of a terrorist attack. Few could argue with that.

Some of the victims of the massacre might have been saved had they held rifles in their hands. When an emergency shipment of 20,000 rifles was held up by customs, Ben-Gvir ordered their release, and then had himself photographed distributing rifles; and, being Ben-Gvir, he posted the photograph on social media. This generated consternation in American political and defense circles. Tensions subsided only when Israel assured the US that the rifles would be distributed solely to police and military personnel.

■ ASIDE FROM congregating at briefings to receive updates on the war, several ambassadors and diplomats of lower rank are volunteering in different ways to help the civilian population. Among them is British Ambassador Simon Walters, who this week joined staff and dozens of other volunteers at Asif Culinary Institute of Israel, which for the past three weeks has been functioning as a center for cooking, packing, and shipping food to families evacuated from their homes, to hospitals, and elsewhere.

In addition to performing an act of goodwill, the ambassador is now prepared to help in his own kitchen when diplomatic dinners are being prepared. It’s not included in his duties, but if kitchen staff are running late, he can always don an apron and roll up his sleeves.

After spending the day at Asif, Walters said that he was moved by the strength, unity, and generosity that he saw there and in Israel in general in recent weeks. “It was a refreshing moment of optimism in these difficult days. I hope that my small contribution will be able to help, even if a little bit, the families and citizens who are in such great difficulty.”

On a more official level he said: “I share with the grief of the citizens of Israel after the brutal terrorist attack by Hamas on the seventh of October. The British government will continue to work nonstop in order to bring all the hostages home safely.”

■ ON ANOTHER British issue, the Balfour Day dinner, which had been scheduled for November 9, even though Balfour Day is actually on November 2, has been postponed till next year. Hosted by the Israel, Britain and the Commonwealth Association, the dinner will hopefully be held on Thursday, February 1. Meanwhile, the IBCA annual general meeting and executive board elections will be held via Zoom at 7 p.m. on November 1. Chairwoman Brenda Katten and board member Anton Felton, a world expert on carpets, are standing for reelection. The board has a total of 12 members, some of whom were co-opted since the previous election, and therefore remain in office.

■ THE STATE ceremony marking the 28th anniversary of the assassination of prime minister Yitzhak Rabin was canceled due to the war. The Jewish calendar anniversary on Heshvan 12 was at the end of last week, and the Gregorian calendar anniversary will be at the end of this week.

What was not postponed was a memorial service for right-wing extremist Rabbi Meir Kahane, who was assassinated on November 5, 1990, while on a speaking tour of the United States.

The service in his memory will be held on Wednesday, November 1, at the Heichal Yaakov Synagogue in Givat Shaul, Jerusalem. Speakers will include Rabbi Dov Lior, Michael Ben Ari, and Baruch Marzel, who all worked closely with Kahane.

■ THE BIPARTISAN support of Israel by six former Australian prime ministers is not at all surprising. It comes against the backdrop of the failure by current Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to travel home via Israel following an official visit to the United States. All six signatories to the statement supporting Israel, John Howard, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull, and Scott Morrison have been to Israel several times, some while in office, some out of office or in other ministerial or parliamentary capacities, and all have in one way or another been honored by Israel and Australia’s Jewish community.

Before leaving for America, Albanese had been pressured by the political opposition as well as by Jewish community leaders to visit Israel, but announced that he had no plans at this time to visit the Middle East. He noted that he had held discussions with Israel’s Ambassador Amir Maimon and with leaders of the Palestinian and Jewish communities.

He was accompanied to the US by opposition leader Peter Dutton, who suggested they should stop in Tel Aviv, but Albanese declined.

■ IT’S COMMON knowledge that many religious young women who have the option of doing civilian national service instead of going to the army, opt for the IDF.

According to an article in Yediot Aharonot, since the outbreak of the war, there has been a surge of religious young women seeking to enlist, including some who have already completed their civilian national service and now want to serve in uniform.

Requests to join the IDF have come not only from women in the 17-20 age group, but also from those in their 30s who are already married with children. In all cases they feel that they must do more to contribute to the nation in the present crisis.

Aluma, the organization that mentors religious young women who want to serve in the IDF, has received scores of requests. Some of the would-be female soldiers go directly to recruitment centers, according to Aluma Executive Director Dr. Tammy Halamish Eisenmann, adding that more than 30 per cent of the applicants are graduates of national religious schools.

Similarly, as previously mentioned in this column, there has been a significant increase in the number of haredi young men who want to serve the nation by taking the same risks as their secular counterparts.

Even before the founding in 1999 of the Netzah Yehuda Battalion, a haredi combat battalion, there were soldiers who came from ultra-Orthodox communities.

One such soldier was Jerusalem-born, Los Angeles-based real estate tycoon David Hager, who comes from a long line of haredi rabbis and is the son of a Vizhnitz Hassid.

When it became known that Hager was about to join the IDF, many rabbis approached his father and warned that it would ruin his chances of finding a bride from a well-respected family. As it turned out, he is very happy with his American wife, who chose not to live in Israel. Thanks to her insistence on returning to LA, he became an extremely affluent businessman and philanthropist.

Now in his mid-sixties, Hager frequently returns to Israel, and has for more than 20 years encouraged ultra-Orthodox enlistment. He has donated millions of dollars to benefit ultra-Orthodox soldiers, particularly those serving in Netzah Yehuda, which has a civilian support organization, of which he is a board member.

During his current visit, in which he is also donating considerable funds toward helping civilian evacuees from the South, Hager took visiting Congressman Derrick Francis Van Orden, who is a retired US Navy SEAL, and the representative for Wisconsin’s third congressional district, to meet members of Netzah Yehuda.

■ IN THE darkness of war and its accompanying grief over losses of loved ones, the rays of light are in the births of babies and in the number of weddings that symbolize faith in the future, as the grooms in the overwhelming majority of cases are serving in the IDF.

Among the women who came to Jerusalem last month to give birth was Chaya Lebel of Ofakim, a mother of eight, whose newborn daughter now makes Lebel a mother of nine. All of the baby’s siblings were born in a hospital in the South, close to where the Lebel family lives. But due to the war’s effect on security, Chaya Lebel gave birth to her ninth baby at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem’s Ein Kerem.

On October 7, the Lebel family spent an hour and a half in their shelter while sirens sounded and there were heavy barrages of gunfire and rockets outside.

At that stage, they didn’t really know what was going on. Her husband and eldest son went to synagogue. When they returned, they said they had heard about terrorist infiltrations, and instructions to stay inside and close all doors and windows.

While soldiers patrolled outside their homes in search of roaming terrorists, the Lebel family and other residents of Ofakim celebrated Simchat Torah inside their homes with songs and dances to distract the children and continue their routine.

On Sunday morning, when the alerts about infiltrators continued to flow, and they learned of the massacre by Hamas and what was going on in Sderot, they realized that they had to get to a place where Chaya could safely give birth, and where her other children would not be alone. Public transportation had been shut down, so they packed very basic equipment and drove their car in two rounds to relatives in Jerusalem.

Three days later, Chaya went into labor, and her relatives advised her to go to Hadassah, where she says she immediately felt comfortable, even though she was in an unfamiliar place. Despite the complex situation, the staff was amazing, attentive, and warm to her and her husband, she said.

The Lebel baby was one of several who “migrated” to Hadassah from the South while still in the womb, and were therefore born in Jerusalem.

■ AACI’s emergency campaign is helping more than 10,000 traumatized residents of southern Israel who have temporarily relocated to the Dead Sea region from Sderot and kibbutzim near Gaza.

AACI (Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel) set up an urgently needed multigenerational activity center with a vast array of items valued at NIS 80,000. These include indoor and outdoor play equipment, ping-pong and foosball tables, beanbag chairs, activity tables, board games, puzzles, musical instruments, and arts and crafts supplies.

Two thousand five hundred children of all ages now have daily supervised activities, and 7,500 adults have movies, lectures, a coffee and snack station, and comfortable areas to sit and relax.

AACI will fund additional items and extracurricular activities, such as swimming lessons, tours, and bikes as needed, says AACI’s director of projects Elayna Weisel.

■ THERE IS a move afoot to involve residents of assisted-living facilities in volunteer activities on behalf of displaced civilian communities. An early bird in this respect is the Sweet Charity Committee, whose members are residents of Protea Hills, a prestigious retirement village on Moshav Shoresh. Together with the residents, Moshav Shoresh, and the Protea management, Sweet Charity is helping to make life a little sweeter for several families from Sderot.

The great joy, according to Sweet Charity member Judy Aronson, is to watch the children having fun in the swimming pool or enjoying ice cream. It’s a great way for both children and seniors to bridge the generation gap.

Correction: A previous version of this column included an account that could not be verified. It has been removed.