Gemini Girl

I need to write about this.

My soul is aching.

It’s aching and bleeding for a family that I have never met before.

I  have been living in Israel for 10 months now.

The first thing my American friends always ask me is about the terrorism.

Do I feel it?

Is it apparent?

Does it affect your day-to-day life?

The truth is, it doesn’t.

The only thing that’s often inconvenient is that you have to walk through metal detectors and have your bags checked when you go anywhere public: trains, malls, etc.

Besides for that… it doesn’t feel any different.

But sometimes, sometimes…

Sometimes you are reminded that it IS different.

That people hate you for being Jewish.

That people want to eradicate you.

This past Friday night, while I was dozing off on my couch, with my girls tucked into their beds, a family living 2 hours away from me was BUTCHERED.

The Fogel Family…

Udi & Ruth Fogel, 35.

Their 3 children:

 Yoav, 11

Elad, 3

Hadas, 3 months old.

A terrorist broke in through their window.

And killed the father Udi, while Hadas his 3 month old daughter was laying in his arms.

Ruth put up a struggle.

But she too was killed.

The terrorist then moved on to the bedroom where the 3-year-old, and 11-year-old was sleeping.

Stabbed them to death.

The only ray of light in this was that the terrorist didn’t notice the 2-year-old sleeping on the couch, or the  9-year-old asleep in an extra bedroom.

Ruth’s eldest daughter 12, came home to a locked house.

She knocked, but no one answered.

She called out to her brother, one of the few survivors, who came to open the door for her.

At that moment, she was no longer a child.

She is now forever broken.

She is now a surrogate mother to her two younger brothers.

A neighbor came and whisked them away.

But what was seen, can never be unseen.

***

The American media isn’t really talking about this.

I know that this news story coincided with the Japan tsunami and earthquake.

A nuclear explosion.

Thousands killed, so what’s 5 more?

But the difference is.. they were MURDERED.

BUTCHERED TO DEATH.

But that is NO EXCUSE to not report about this.

I had the unfortunate experience of clicking on a news link about the story and seeing pictures of their murdered bodies.

Usually, by Jewish law, you cannot publicize pictures of dead bodies.

But this time, they are making an exception.

They want the world to see what animals the terrorists are.

What I saw, can never be erased from my mind.

I have 3 year olds.

I can’t even begin to imagine.

Nor do I want to.

This family lived on the border, in a Jewish settlement not far from the Palestinians.

Many of the Palestinians want these settlements out.

They HATE the Jews residing there.

Usually, these Jewish families are religious.

They don’t harm anyone.

***

I can’t claim that I am expert on Israeli/ Palestinian relations.

I know that Palestinians often launch  missiles into Jewish territories, the Israeli army then retaliats with their own missiles, and people are killed.

The Palestinians then release pictures of dead bodies (women, children) to show what the “Israeli’s” did… the Israeli’s don’t show their casualties because it’s against Jewish law.

THIS ENTIRE SITUATION IS FUCKED UP.

A friend of mine at work, told me that when he was in the army a few years ago, he would patrol the border.

Often, the Palestinian terrorists would send out LITTLE CHILDREN with guns to shoot at the Israeli soldiers.

My friend didn’t know what to do.

I mean, what the fuck do you do?

Do you kill the child?

Will you allow yourself to be killed?

what kind of decision is that!!!?

***

I know there were protests about building a mosque near ground zero.

Personally, I have no problem with that.

Why would I?

If I were against that, it would be like I was saying that all Arabs and Muslims are bad horrible people.

But I know better.

I have some good friends who happen to be muslim.

Not all Arabs are Terrorists.

Terrorists don’t even deserve to be called animals.

They don’t care for their own lives, so why should they care about a 3 month old?

Who slashes a 3 month old in the throat??

What the hell is this world coming to?

I am so so saddened.

Palestinians gave out candy on the streets this past weekend to celebrate the murder.

They CELEBRATED.

I know that life goes on and people forget.

But those three surviving children will NEVER forget.

Their mommy and daddy wont be there for birthdays or holidays. They will never dance at their weddings. They will never get a hug from mommy or daddy ever again.

Please take a moment to watch and remember.. we cant turn a blind eye.

We just cant.