The recently released video clip of abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit reinvigorated rallies in support of a prisoner exchange and placed a major dilemma on the shoulders of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Instead of maintaining a refusal to trade over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for Shalit, Netanyahu faces renewed pressure to agree to an exchange because the video clearly shows Shalit alive and rehumanizes the abducted soldier who was previously viewed by many as a political prop.

Proponents of a prisoner exchange launched a new public relations campaign with the slogan “Bibi- you can do it, finish the job.” Many Israelis who previously opposed a prisoner swap on security grounds, now sympathize more with the soldier and his family. Previous hard-liners now see Shalit as a son of their country, a young man who simply wants to be with his family.

Hamas likely knew that releasing the tape to Israel would result in significant renewed interest from the population. Stalled negotiations led to multiple false “breakthroughs” and the citizens of Israel, who had not obtained signs of life from Shalit in years, remained jaded over the lack of progress. Now, Hamas officials publicly stated that they expect a final deal on Shalit within the coming weeks or, at most, the next few months. Meanwhile, Noam Shalit, the soldiers father, expressed a fear that the process would still drag on for years.

The reinvigoration of the pro-prisoner swap camp placed additional pressure on the Prime Minister’s Office to forge a deal with the terror group and bring Israel’s son home.

However, Netanyahu actually faces the same dilemma as he did last week. Does he exchange terrorists, with blood on their hands, for one Israeli soldier? Would agreeing to some of Hamas’ demands result in the abduction of additional soldiers by terror groups and therefore give Hamas dozens of Shalits? Does a prisoner swap set a precedent? The only difference between this week and last week is that the Israeli public now knows Shalit is alive and there may be more support for a prisoner exchange now than there ever has been.

Photo from Ynet.

The first exchange is complete. Israel swapped 19 female prisoners for a one-minute video of abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. The video, shot recently with Shalit holding the September 14 2009 issue of a Palestinian newspaper, shows Shalit in decent health and assuages concerns that the soldier died long ago.

Many analysts and officials contend that this preliminary exchange represents the first step in possibly securing the release of Shalit. Hamas has demanded the release of upwards of 1,000 Palestinian terrorists, a request that Israel repeatedly refused. However, the agreement for the tape’s release and ongoing negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Cairo could result in a subsequent compromise that includes Shalit returning to his family. See the video here or here or here .

The video clearly brings at least some happiness to the Israeli public, knowing that Shalit is in decent health and not in a body bag. However, the calculus of exchanging hundreds of terrorists for one soldier has not changed. Israeli officials contend that exchanging more than 1,000 prisoners for Shalit would simply place too big a risk on the State’s security. Many proponents of Shalit’s release advocate that Israel should give up almost anything in exchange for the soldier.

On the rarest of occasions does one event trigger the complete shutting-down of an entire country. Every once in awhile, members of a country observe a moment of silence, where a majority of the state’s citizens inject a one-minute pause into their daily routine. Such events also occur in Israel, particularly on Israeli Memorial Day and Holocaust Memorial Day, when cars pull over, buses stop running, and people in every city stop for the duration of one to two minutes while a siren wails in the background.

However, Yom Kippur is a completely different animal.

On Yom Kippur, the day of fasting where Jews atone for their sins, the entire State of Israel shuts down. Virtually no cars drive through the streets and absolutely no commercial stores and businesses open their doors. In fact, the main highway outside Tel Aviv, the most bustling city in Israel, appears completely deserted (as seen in the photograph above from Ynet). Even the radio and television stations in Israel cease broadcasting to help ensure that no distractions interfere with atonement. Only the most essential military, police, and medical crews work to prevent a catastrophe.

Children take advantage of the occasion to ride their bikes through the open streets without risking their lives by zig-zaging in between cars on the usually over-crowded city roads. Other Jews attend synagogue, with some taking the day-off to attend services the only time during the year.

However, Yom Kippur does not always retain its usual somber qualities. Last year, riots erupted in the northern-Israeli city of Akko, where religious Jews and Muslim Arabs generally live in harmony. Upon the entering of a vehicle into a religious Jewish area of Akko last year, observers of Yom Kippur regarded the incident as disrespectful. Subsequent clashes between the Jews and Arabs involved hundreds of demonstrators on both sides. In preparation for additional riots in or around Akko, the Israeli police imposed a vehicle closure on certain areas of the town and increased its presence in the city this year.

Aside from riots, the 1973 war in the Middle East began on Yom Kippur with Arab countries embarking on a massive surprise attack against the Jewish state. Many soldiers, on leave visiting their families for the holiday, witnessed uncharacteristic traffic on city streets and contacted their superiors for orders and information on the mobilization.

This year on Yom Kippur, Iranian officials announced the completion of war games that involved medium-range missiles capable of reaching Israel. The poorly-veiled threat comes in response to recent overtures from the Israeli military that signal preparations for a potential strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Jews around the world are preparing to atone for their sins during the festival of Yom Kippur, a 25-hour day of fasting filled with self-reflection and prayers for the strength to improve oneself in the coming year.

Yom Kippur is not about oppression like Passover or overcoming adversity like Hanukah. This festival is the one Jewish holiday focused on introspection and self improvement. The religion mandates that every Jew, and by extension the Jewish people and the Jewish state, must admit to wrong doings and subsequently pledge to change any undesirable behavior in the future.

Regardless of any accomplishments and good deeds by an individual or a state, avenues for improvement in the New Year exist.

For once, it is not about the Palestinians; it is not about the Arabs; it is not about double standards; it is not about anti-Semitism. For once, on this holiday, it is only about Israel and the Jews.

Within the country’s education system alone, many residents of Israel that theoretically have full citizenship rights receive substandard instruction compared to their white, Jewish peers. The state often spends more than double on Jewish Israeli schools than the schools attended by Israeli Arabs.

Even among Jews, educational disparities in the population often focus on irrelevant distinctions such as ethnic origin and skin color. For example, early this school year, some religious schools in the municipality of Petah Tikva refused to enroll Jewish Ethiopian children until the government embroiled itself in the controversy. While the eventual outcome of the incident concluded justly, the initial reaction from the religious establishment indicates the need for additional measures to remove discrimination from the educational system.

Equal protection under the law is a critical crux of any democracy. By fluctuating state services to citizens based on religion and race, Israeli policy stands at odds with the democratic value of equality.

As a democracy, Israel can do better.

Israeli officials defend the embargo on some humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip as necessary means to protect Negev towns from Hamas-sponsored terrorist attacks. As Muslims in Gaza attempted to celebrate the holy Eid al-Fatr feast last weekend, the Israeli military refused to permit the importation into the Gaza Strip of dates, sweets, and other seemingly harmless products.

While some of the banned goods represent potential tools that terrorists could utilize, a bulk of the products would simply add a little happiness to over one million people whose lives remain devoid of very much joy.

Even the flawed and anti-Israel Goldstone report on the Gaza war identifies avenues that need reevaluation by the military.

The vast majority of Israeli military personnel legitimately attempted to prevent unnecessary civilian casualties in aerial raids on the Gaza Strip. However, some soldiers exhibited no restraint and judgment during the attack and deliberately caused the deaths of innocent civilians.

The blockade and recent war on the Gaza Strip included many regrettable and disappointing actions towards the Palestinians living in the territory. Negligibly more consideration could improve Gazans’ lives without endangering citizens in the Negev.

As a humane society, Israel can do better.

In synagogues throughout the globe, rabbis read a passage from the book of Isaiah that emphasizes empathy and understanding with the underprivileged.

Regardless of the reason for economic disparity between Israelis and Palestinians, the fact remains that residents of the West Bank lack the same standard of living as their Jewish counterparts.

Unfortunately, the world’s newspapers print images of the West Bank’s religious Jewish settlers attacking, insulting, and disrespecting their Muslim neighbors. For example, a recent New York Times photograph depicted a young settler pouring wine on a religious Muslim woman, an action particularly offensive because Islam forbids the consumption of alcohol. An analogous incident against Jews would involve a devout Muslim spraying pigs’ blood on a Hasidic man, an act that would undoubtedly receive condemnation form the religious Jewish community.

Because actions similar to those of the youth remain increasingly routine, outrage regarding this one particular event only symbolizes a much broader phenomenon in the territories.

Instead of empathizing and treating Palestinians with respect, some members of Israeli society rebuke their religious duties and obligations to belittle and dehumanize their Arab counterparts.

As a Jewish state, Israel can do better.

Even though Israeli society embarked on multiple initiatives to further human rights, expressed empathy towards the disadvantaged, and promoted democratic reforms in the region, there is still substantial room for improvement.

Far too many Israelis, albeit a significant minority of the overall population, commit heinous crimes against their neighbors. Instead of unfettered outrage against these individuals, society often provides political cover for these atrocities.

Many anti-Israel advocates condemn a statement they attribute to Israeli hero and the first Prime Minister of Israel David Ben Gurion due to its alleged anti-Muslim sentiment. The quote, “it doesn’t matter what the ‘goyim’ [non-Jews] say; what matters is what the Jews do,” regardless of its veracity as an actual statement from Ben Gurion, remains apt this Yom Kippur when Israelis must consider how their actions alone can build a more just and compassionate society in the year to come.

Photo of protest from Ynet.

Photo of woman from here.

Photo of settler youth from the New York Times.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the Islamic holy month Ramadan when Muslims around the globe fast from dawn until dusk. In an effort to show respect for religious Muslims, IDF chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi and Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered soldiers to follow etiquette and refrain from eating, drinking, and smoking around Palestinians during the day. Muslims believe that God revealed the Koran to the Prophet Muhammed during this month.

The IDF also removed some restrictions on the West Bank during the month, including easing border restrictions to permit Arab-Israeli families who live on both sides of the separation wall to celebrate the holiday together. Moreover, to avoid any misunderstandings, the IDF notified its patrols that Palestinian children may be palling around with gun shaped toys and firecrackers during celebrations, particularly the Eid ul-Fitr feast that marks the end of the fasting period.

Photo taken from here.

After a day of police mobilization and an urgent military head-count, the alleged abduction of an IDF soldier proved false. Even though an eye witness said she saw a soldier forcefully taken in an automobile from central Israel and a terror group claimed responsibility for the incident, the IDF found no soldier unaccounted for. Upon receiving the report of the alleged abduction, Israeli police mobilized and imposed a series of checkpoints in central Israel in the event that a terror group managed to capture another Israeli soldier.

The Facts: Police security checks in central Israel are leading to severe traffic jams. The intensive police pressence focusses on Petah Tikva, the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem road, and Ben Gurion Airport. The checks, occuring since the afternoon, involve police searching each car and asking who is inside.

The Rumors: Some Israelis are saying that a terror group captured another Israeli soldier, particularly a female soldier in the Air Force.  They also claim that the police are only checking cars driving in the direction of the Gaza Strip from central Israel. Ma’an news reportedly received confirmation of the abduction from a terror group called the “Al-Quds Army.” The statement they obtained asserts that a soldier was successfully captured near the airport. Or perhaps, Israeli police received a security tip that a terrorist entered the country with a bomb.

Normal police checks involve searching vehicles heading toward central Israel, in case a terrorist entered the country from the Gaza Strip. In reference to rumors of security checks going the opposite direction, some Israelis are supporting the assertion of a kidnapped soldier.

Hamas captured IDF soldier Gilad Shilad over three years ago and recent reports indicated that Egypt-brokered negotiations could be leading to his release.

Hezbollah previously captured IDF soldiers, an event that led to the Second Lebanon War. Recently, Hezbollah and Israeli officials are exchange sharp threats against the other entity, a move that could signify increased border tensions and a potential escalation to conflict.

More details to clarify all the rumors will likely emerge later this evening.

The H1N1 virus doesn’t seem to be going away in Israel or in Palestinian controlled areas. The rate of infection in Israel has risen 3.6 percent in two weeks, infecting a total of 2,148 people in the entire country thus far.

In order to combat the spread of the illness, the rabbinate is taking measures into its own hands, starting with the mezuzah. Jews customarily affix the mezuzah, a small box with religious writings, on every doorway. Religious Jews then touch the mezuzah and kiss their hand according to the custom. A doctor at a major Israeli hospital (Assaf Harofeh Medical Center) issued an order to avoid touching the mezuzah upon entering rooms in order to combat the spead of the illness. One prominent rabbi instructed followers to heed the medical advice but to continue symbolically touching the mezuzah in the air. Israel’s Chief Sephardic Rabbi Shlomo Amar said:

“If a specific order is given in the matter, the mezuzah must be kissed from the air, to ensure that the custom is not forgotten.”

Another group of rabbis and mystics took a more lofty approach to ward off the illness. 50 religious leaders boarded an aircraft on Monday and circled Israel while blowing the shofar and reciting religious texts in an effort to halt the spread of H1N1. In support of the flight, one Rabbi said:

“The purpose of the flight was to stop the epidemic, thus preventing further deaths… We are certain that because of our prayers danger is already behind us.”

Because pigs are considered an unclean animal in Judaism, many religious individuals refuse to call the illness “swine flue” and opt for the the term H1N1 or “Mexican flu,” a reference to the origin of the illness.

Aside from the rabbinate’s initiatives, the Palestinian Authority is spearheading programs to stop the spread of the H1N1 flu in the West Bank, where three additional cases were reported earlier this week. Notably, the Palestinian Authority earmarked $8 million to purchase additional vaccines against the virus. The number of H1N1 cases in Islamic areas may rise next month during the fasting month of Ramadan as millions of Muslims travel to Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage. However, the number of travelers may decrease this year due to bans on the Hajj imposed by at least one country to prevent the spread of the illness.

Mezuzah photo taken from here.

Rabbi photo taken from the BBC.

There’s a joke in Israel that former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon wakes up from his coma. He asks the nurse to send him his number two, Ehud Olmert. “Unfortunately,” the nurse responds, “police suspect Olmert of accepting bribes.” “OK,” Sharon responds, “then send me President Moshe Katsav.” The nurse informs Sharon that Katzav resigned in disgrace because of accusations that he raped a subordinate. “Fine,” Sharon says, “then send me Finance Minister Abraham Hirchson.” The nurse, embarrassed, tells Sharon that the Finance Minister was found guilty to embezzlement as well. Demoralized, Sharon puts his head down on the pillow and says, “I’m going back to sleep.”

Well, it appears that another rung to that joke may be added as the police recommended to the attorney general to indict Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman over charges of embezzling 10 million shekels ($2.5 million) through dummy companies. The investigation into Lieberman spans a decade and could also include obstruction of justice charges due to claims that Lieberman intimidated witnesses.

Lieberman said that he would step down as Foreign Minister in the event of an indictment and eventually relinquish his position as the chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party that received the third-highest number of votes in the last election. Lieberman maintains his innocence and said that his political career will assuredly continue in spite of the investigation and imminent indictment.

Photo taken from IMEMC.

A shooting last night in Tel Aviv left two Israelis dead and approximately a dozen injured. A masked gunman entered a gay-lesbian support event for teens, began shooting indiscriminately, and fled the scene.

Even though police determined that the crime was anti-gay in nature, and not with nationalistic motives, the reaction to the event within Israel demonstrates the population’s immediate response to any potential terror attack.

The shooting occurred, according to witnesses, at approximately 10:40 p.m. on Rothschild street in the heart of Tel Aviv. By 11 p.m. media organizations began reporting the event on television, radio, and internet news sites. For example, Haaretz posted articles in both English and Hebrew, updating information every few minutes. The publication even sent out an advisory bulletin approximately an hour and a half following the shooting to inform the population of the event. Moreover, the telephone numbers of the hospital and the gay-lesbian support group were disseminated throughout the media in order to provide family members of potential victims an avenue to obtain information.

Alongside the media’s response, the police launched an immediate man-hunt to try and catch the suspect. Police officials, understanding the anti-gay sentiments of the attacker, requested the temporary closure of other gay and lesbian venues in the city.

Aside from the reaction of the media and police officials, even average citizens quickly mobilized. The gay community held an impromptu parade hours after the shooting in order to show solidarity. Moreover, minutes after the shooting before police ruled-out nationalist , I personally received phone calls and texts messages notifying me of the event, on the off-chance that I had not yet heard. One of the texts simply read, “F*ck. Rothschild. Check the news.” Further, Israelis began posting messages on Facebook to inform other Israelis of the event and express sympathies and sorrow.

The reaction of the Israeli population to last night’s attack represents a preview of the response to any nationalistic-related incident. In the event of a terror attack on a major Israeli city, the population would mobilize to disseminate information and show solidarity at an alarming speed.

Photo taken from Walla! news.