Yoel Knoll

First Thoughts on Unfolding Situation in Israel. I try to write for a public audience as soon as I gather my thoughts. I try not to write impulsively. Yesterday was a whirlwind from the sound of the first siren in the middle of the joyous dancing with the Torah at 810AM to my boys turning on their phones as they communicated with commanders and their soldiers to get ready to be called to duty to defend our country, to defend the values of life and liberty and to defend good people in Israel and the world over from Hamas/ISIS. The most important thing to say is that this is a battle between GOOD AND EVIL. Hamas terrorists who rape women and children, shoot elderly people in wheelchairs, mow down people at bus stops, take hostages, steal children and dehumanize them are animals. They are evil and they must be eradicated. There is no grace or sympathy for them. The Sages teach that he who is compassionate to cruel people ultimately becomes cruel to compasionate people. There should be no compassion for Hamas, those who elected them. There is no such thing as a silent bystander here. All of you know I am Shabbat observant. Yesterday was Shabbat and last day of the Holiday here In Israel. Yesterday was a shabbat and holiday like no other. We never turn on our phones on Sabbath or Holiday but those of us who could help and my soldier sons were peecking away on the phones, helping where we could. Many of my friends and colleagues went down south instictively to help rescue people. The CEO of the organization I chair (Shomer Hachadash), which is the largest civic organization in Israel dedicated to helping security forces, gathered up 150 jeeps and drivers with guns in 7 hours to go help down south. His founding partner is running a command center to figure out how to protect the farms in the south from terrorists and others setting fire to farms and looting. Other friends such as Erez Eshel have been down south in their own cars rescuing people to safety. Some of our entrepreneurs developed mobile apps to locate people. Roni Flamer of the Or Movement is managing a CRM system of all the choas and helping provide shelter in Beer Sheva for those fleeing terrorists and those that have been found. The organization Brothers in Arms have sent people south with weapons and Jeeps to get people out. As I have written many times: Israel is the most resilient and strongest civil society in the world. This is what gives life meaning. It tells you who Israel is. People committed to each other. We are our brothers' keeper. Do not let the headlines of the last 9 months fool you. We are here for each other despite differences. And, we are here on the frontlines for the rest of the world. For the United States, for the UK, for Greece and India and many other places where the forces of evil are rearing their ugly heads. And what we will show is that in this era of chaos, the most important factor in every country will not be government but civil society. I will have more to say on this in the future. The next few weeks are going to be critical. Critical for Israel and the world. We need your support. Support Israel on social media. If you want to give money (yes that is needed to for soldiers and others), DM me. This is not the time for geopolitics. That will come soon. This is the time to eradicate evil and destroy it so it does not rear its ugly head in Israel or anywhere else. The blow must be big and it must be lasting. This is a battle between righteous Israel and depraved cynical Hamas animals. Thank you to all the people who reached out privately. Please say a prayer for all of our boys, the wounded, the kidnapped, the missing, the people of Israel and everyone who believes in good and freedom. God Bless.