#and please go check out and help the palestinian families who sent me asks

[steampunk-ghostxx]

I don't check my inbox super often bc I typically don't get much in there, but heck I think I might need to start checking it a bit more 😅

[alexiroflife]

Palestine Go Fund Me Links

these are links that familias in Gaza have sent my way due to my growing audience. i will continue to add links to this list for those who can donate, and for others to share. i have tagged the following accounts below so that you can visit these blogs and learn their stories. i will link this post in my bio as well. please, please, please share to continue to support those suffering!

"Hello friends!

🍉I am Mahmoud Ayyad, a Palestinian from the besieged and destroyed Gaza 😭😭, coming from a family of young children, women and elderly ❤❤ who have been suffering😭😭 for 300 difficult days of an aggressive war. Our lives are harsh because we lack all the basic necessities of life. Everything has become scarce and difficult to obtain. There is no food, no water, no medicine.

So, I ask you to help me keep my family safe and alive, especially after we lost all our sources of livelihood.

Please do not leave my family to struggle and suffer these difficult days alone. You can support my campaign by donating whatever you can or by sharing my posts to reach others who can help us survive the war to safety and peace. You are helping the lives of many people with your small contribution. ❤❤🍉🍉

Every donation makes a difference in our very difficult lives. But this is a legitimate campaign and has been checked by 90-ghost" - @mahmoudayyad

"Hello my dears! I, Asmaa, ask you to support my campaign to help me reach my goal. 🙏 I am now in desperate need of your support to help me stay alive and safe. Gaza is a very dangerous place, both in terms of living standards and souls. I need your financial support so that I can get the basic needs of my family. Please help a family survive through your small donations or through your shares to others. And reblog. The campaign is going very slowly. 🙏🍉💔 This donation drive was verified by: @90-ghost" - @asmaamajed2

"Hello 🖐

I am aya living in North Gaza with my three children, and we are facing starvation in the northern region. We have moved more than 13 times trying to find a safe place, but there is no safety anywhere.

I am asking for your help to protect my children and get us out of this imminent danger😥.

Your donations and sharing of my story will greatly contribute to our survival.🙏🙏" - @ayaalanqarsblog

"Hi 👋

I am writing to u with a heart full of hope and faith , asking for your urgent help .

We are a family living in harsh and difficult conditions due to the war, suffering daily from fear and destruction. And Iam running a fundraising campaign to save them 🕊️.

Plz🙏 could u reblog the post about my campaign on my account!? Every share and reblog can make a difference in my family lives.I humbly request a donation of 5$ or more if you can my friend and if u can’t just support us enough for me.🌹

In conclusion, my family and I thank you foor yours kind attention to our message.❤️🌺 🍉" - @samerpal

"Hello, I am Bashaer from Gaza. my husband was muttered in the brutal war. When I was pregnant , after few months I was born my daughter in the war. She is 3 months old now, She become an orphan.

Can you help me ?🙏save my life and my family from the genocidal war and the threat of death that haunts us every minute? Let us survive to safety. If you are able, donate, publish the link, and share with friends

Please donate" - @bshaeromars-blog

"Hello, I hope you and your family are well. Can you please help me recycle the post on my account? 🌺 And help rescue my family from the war in Gaza? 🙏 Thank you." - @ahmed-mohammed1

Found via Tik tok:

[mx-piggy]

Another list of Palestinian users who have reached out to me via ask about their fundraisers. Will include some basic details. Campaigns that are drastically low on funds (i.e. below £1,000 or the equivalent) or have not received a donation in the past 24 hours have been highlighted in pink, but it is important to donate to continue to donate to campaigns when they still haven't met their goal. If you would like me to dedicate a post to just your campaign, let me know via direct message. Let me know of any mistakes in this post and I will be sure to correct them, or if any campaigns get vetted in the meantime, I will be sure to edit as needed. Please share this post and these users' campaigns. I have tagged them so that you can go to their accounts and reblog their posts. I still have many asks to get through, so I will be making more posts like this. please check out my previous post for other fundraisers in need of support.

@wejdan-32 | Wijdan and her three children, Hamza, Zakaria and Israa - unvetted

Wijdan is 43, Hamza is 16, Zakaria is 18 and Israa is 24. Wijdan's husband passed away eight years ago. The family has been displaced at least 12 times now. There have been no donations in four days!! €2,423/€20,000

[username unknown (account that sent the ask has since been deleted); let me know if you have it and I'll add it!] | The Abujarad Family - presumably vetted (again please confirm if you know)

The family consists of five people, including two children. Baligh, the father, who lost his life's work when our home was destroyed. He courageously ventures out daily to gather what little food and water he can find. Miral, the mother, who suffers from a debilitating sinus disease but still manages to care for her family. Malak and Mohammed, the family's children, who dream of becoming a nurse and a doctor. Their studies have been disrupted because of the war. Sanad and Haya, the other children in the family, also dream of becoming doctors. Dalal, the grandmother, who is beloved by her family. This fundraiser hasn't received any donations in a day!! kr367,312 SEK/kr600,000

@maherdahalan | Maher Dahalan, his wife Rawida Sawali, their infant son Mahmoud and Maher's elderly parents - vetted

Maher is 40 (forty). Rawida is recovering from a difficult caesarean section. This will be Mahmoud's first winter, and he has no winter clothes. The prices for baby products have gone up astronomically, which is a challenge for the family because the war has destroyed their source of income. €2,291/€30,000

@princessworlds-posts | Amira and her family - vetted

Amira is 23. Before the war robbed her of everything she worked so hard for, Amira was a university teaching assistant, pursuing a Masters degree and working as a programmer for a company. Her father died from Covid four years ago, which made Amira responsible for her family. Her mother suffers from high blood pressure and diabetes. €31,315/€39,000

@amirashawikh | Khaled Smeer and his family - vetted

Khaled managed a large mall in Gaza before the war and is an English translator. The family needs funds for evacuation, clothes and food. $1,668 AUD/$60,000

@nouraissue4 | Noura Ayman and her family - vetted

Noura is a medical lab specialist, and her husband Ibrahim shares her profession and studies. Noura underwent four heartbreaking attempts at IVF before being blessed with her beloved daughter Hanan. Ibrahim's father has kidney cancer and has thankfully escaped Gaza to be with Noura, Ibrahim and Hanan, who are stranded in Egypt with no source of income. Donations will help Noura to establish her own medical analysis laboratory so that she can complete her masters degree, cover her and her family's basic living expenses, and evacuate the members of her family still trapped in Gaza (I will list them below). Noura's father (85), who suffers from asthma. Noura's sister Doaa (18). Noura's brother Samed (15). Noura's mother is with Noura in Egypt (as they went to Egypt for urgent medical treatment for Noura's mother). The kids miss their mother. €2,034/€50,000

@aiamaher |  Aya Almajdoub and her family - unsure if vetted (finding mixed claims, but nothing that calls into question the fundraiser's legitimacy. Let me know where it is vetted and I will edit!)

This is a family of eight: Aya (27), her father Maher (60), her mother Maha (50), her husband (32), her son Bassam (3), her brother Mohammed (28), her sisters Amna (29) and Enas (22). Aya lost her home and her business as a result of the war. Without any income, the family is struggling to support itself. €3,667/€55,000

@hane12345 | Hani Hamid and his family - vetted

Hani has three children: Abdulla (12), Salm (10), and Saleh (7). His wife Nour is 33. Hani was shot in the knee, which has left him unable to walk and in desperate need of medical treatment. €1,228/€70,000

@hillesmahmoud | Mahmoud Helles and his family - vetted

Mahmoud has lived in Belgium for 7 years and hasn't seen his four children since 2015. The children aren't any older than 12. Mahmoud's wife has medical problems with regards to her kidneys, so her condition is deteriorating without access to the necessary treatment. The family has been displaced in the Gaza strip for more than five years. €25,738/€37,000

@asmaa-needs | The Awad family - vetted

The Awad family is as follows: Asmaa (37), her husband Majdi (37), Majdi's father Maher (62), Majdi's mother Honar (55), Menna (9), Malak (6), Mariam (2), Fayza (1). Asmaa suffers from various diseases, including diabetes, and high blood pressure. Her daughter Malak suffers from Epidemic hepatitis. Asmaa is in desperate need of insulin and heparin. Maher suffers from chronic hypertension and diabetes. He has previously undergone heart surgery and has had a foot problem since childhood. In his current condition, he cannot walk. €6,559/€20,000

@mohameddsaker | Mohammed Saqr Ayyad's family of 12 - vetted

The family of 12 was displaced from their home in North Gaza. Mohammed was enrolled Al-Quds Open University before the war but his laptop, library and university books were destroyed. They have lost family and friends as a result of the war. There have been no donations in three days, and the campaign is very low on funds!! €537/€30,000

@hadeelchilds | Hadeel Mikki and her family - vetted

Hadeel's family is as follows: her husband Waseem, her daughters Mira and Nadia, her mother Tahani and her two brothers. Hadeel, her mother and her two brothers are the only survivor of their side of the family. Hadeel's father-in-law tragically passed away because of the scarcity of medicine, much to the sadness of Waseem and the kids. Hadeel is an engineer. €17,895/€35,000

@collageadjacent (they're not the one benefitting from the funds but someone helping to spread the campaign) | Sama Hassouneh, her son Arkan and her daughter Noor - vetted

The children's father died as a result of the genocide. Israel's siege means that Sama can no longer support herself because she no longer has an income. $12,294 USD/$50,000

@osama-family | Osama Al-Anqar, his wife Rana Raed Al-Anqar and their little girl - vetted

Osama's brother Mahmoud, leaving behind his wife and children, was martyred in the bombing of the Baptist Hospital. Osama's brother Ahmed lost one of his legs in the same bombing. Osama's daughter suffers from extreme fear and panic and skin diseases due to the lack of water and cleanliness. £5,288/£50,000

@m-albalawi | Mahmoud AlBalawi and his family - vetted

Mahmoud has five siblings and five nieces and nephews. Mahmoud used to work as a graphic designer. Both Mahmoud's father and mother are suffering from chronic diseases (cartilage in the vertebrae, high blood pressure, diabetes, and his father has heart stents). €44,068/€85,000

@ibrahem-4 | Ibrahim and his family - vetted

Ibrahim's family is as follows: a mother (66), a father (66), two brothers (36 and 22), a sister, his sister's children (7 and 8). Ibrahim's oldest brother is a doctor, and Ibrahim was studying nursing before the war. €614/€30,000

@somaiahassansworld | Hassan and his family - vetted

Hassan's wife lost their child that she was carrying due to stress and malnutrition. Hassan and his wife got married four days before the war. This fundraiser hasn't received donations in 2 days!! €2,035/€50,000

@hosamhammad | Ibrahim and his family - unvetted as far as I can tell but seems legit (let me know if it has been vetted and I'll correct this!)

Ibrahim is 16 and has Down Syndrome. Here's an article written about him. Ibrahim's brother Amjad lives in Belgium and is organising the fundraiser on the behalf of his family to help them evacuate and cover any other necessary living costs. €141,997/€150,000

[magicwithineleteo]

because they would support it too.

because they are against oppression, ethnic cleansing, and genocide.

because elena knows how it feels to have her home being ripped away from her.

because you don’t have to be a muslim/arab to support palestine.

because there are many jews around the world who condemn the israeli government.

because it’s not anti semitic to be anti zionist.

because they need freedom.

from the river to the sea, palestine will be free.

so you might have a few questions, and i will be answering them here :)

how long did it take you?

- i made it in a span of 5 days. according to procreate, i spent 5 hours on it.

is this the wip you sent in the elena of avalor fandom discord server?

- yep! i had just done elena's dress then and i was really proud of it :)

did you draw the background?

- no i just used a picture i saved and lowered the opacity

now i know those weren't the questions you had in mind, so here are the REAL questions and my answers:

how did you get this idea?

- i had been watching one of rashida tlaib's speeches on the situation and i thought of this concept and immediately became obsessed with it.

why did you make it?

- because they deserve freedom from the oppression they have been facing since 1948. innocent civilians should not die everyday, families should not have to worry about dying in different rooms. couples should not have to worry about one of them dying before their wedding. children should not be used to the sounds of bombs. children do not deserve to have their parents taken from them. parents don't deserve their children being taken from them. no one deserves any of what they are facing. that is why i made it. and it is infuriating when people dismiss the palestinian struggles and/or normalize the violence in the middle east. it is not fair to them. include muslims and palestinians in your activism please.

is it antisemitic to be antizionist?

- no, it's not. i have a post where i reposted things about that. here it is ! there are unfortunately many people who have used the free palestine movement to throw out their antisemitism. let me assure you that the true community does not support anti semitism. we have been very careful to not be anti semitic, as we are NOT targetting all jews for this oppression. i do sincerely apologize on behalf of the ridiculous people who are anti semitic, however i can confidently say that i have not been anti semitic.

there are jews who support palestine's freedom?

- yes! yes there are! this instagram account, @/jewishvoiceforpeace is full of support for palestinians and have many examples of jews who support it, like this lovely woman . that is why i included rebecca in this drawing, because it's okay to be jewish and be antizionist. there are also palestinian jews (and christians) facing this same persecution all because they are palestinian.

was this post targetted at anyone?

- no. i made this because i had the idea and i wanted to share it w the world. i know it may cause some trouble, but i made this accepting that. i am not going to change my beliefs for anyone and no amount of convincing could change my mind.

what about israel's side?

- what ABOUT israel's side? they are the oppressors in this situation. no one ever considered the oppressors' sides in any previous genocides. so why are we starting to ask that now? when it's been clear who has been the oppressor and who isn't? the innocent civilians, the young kids who throw stones at the idf. they're the oppressors??? compared to the army, with many guns and weapons? tanks and bombs vs kites and flags…yeah, okay. not to mention how they constantly throw out people from their homes, families who have lived there for generations, aggressively remove children from their classrooms, as well as bomb hospitals and media stations, all under the guise of the incomparable threat of “hamas.” history has seen this before, namely the Holocaust; it is foolish and honestly reprehensible to ignore it when it is happening right in the open.

this is not a matter of politics, rather a matter of human rights and social justice.

i don't know what else to add, but i just wanted to say thank you if you made it this far. i appreciate it a lot. if you want to help out palestine, you can check out my pinned post as it has resources on there to help. i haven't updated it since may so some of the donation links may have already closed.

if you want to learn more about the situation, you can visit this website as it teaches the history very well and easily :)

thank you for reading, and i hope you are able to feel inner peace :)

from the river to the sea, palestine will be free.

[esthersnippe]

What it is like to be a level 6 security threat at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport

Ben Gurion has one of the most intense airport securities in the world. 

Forget the American TSA, or Cuba exit check—this is the most insane security checks in the world.

Now, I only found this out after going through it, and googling “What the fuck is up with Ben Gurion Airport’s security?” (I read one or two stories that were milder or on par than mine, and one or two that were much more intense.) 

Turns out that it actually a pretty well-known thing. 

Luckily, just by chance, I arrived at the airport 3 hours before my flight, and thank god— because the majority of that was going to be spent waiting, and being searched, waiting, and being questioned, and waiting to get through to my departure gate. (Plus a touch of feeling humiliated for good measure.) 

I arrived in the Arrivals Hall, and after a topsy-turvy wander about, I found the Departure Hall. 

I printed out my ticket and made my way to the carry-on security check.

There were three lines, I saw the one was moving at a decent pace. So I stood for a good 30 minutes only to get to the front, where the security agent asked me where my sticker was. 

I told her I had no idea what she was talking about. 

She told me I had to go back to the front of the Departures Hall and pass the first stage of security.

A little pissed at the confusing nature of this, I stalked out of the line, and searched for the “First Security Checkpoint”.

Finally, I found it (turns out there was a sign for “Security check for carryon-only passengers” that I had missed.) 

Security check for carryon-only passengers: Round One

There was no one in the line, so I automatically stood at the front of the line

 “Excuse ma’am, that is not the entrance.”

“Sorry?” 

“You have to go back and around to the entrance.” 

“I don’t understand what you are trying to tell me.” 

“You have to pass through that woman first,” 

He said this pointing to a woman 10-12 meters away. 

I rolled my eyes and walked to her. 

She glanced at my passport and ticket and waved me through. 

Security check for carryon-only passengers: Round Two

I went and stood back to where I had been standing a minute ago, and he waved me forward.  Three other people would make the same mistake of just rocking up to the front: he was just as short with all of them sending them to see the other lady first.

He asked me some of the standard fodder airport security questions like “Why are you travelling?” “How long did you stay?” “What do you do for work?” But then some stranger questions were mixed in.

“Do you speak Hebrew?”

“No.”

“None? Not even a few words?”

“No.”

“Not even a bit in school?”

Wtf.

“No.”

“Tell me what you were doing in Lebanon. Where did you go and who did you meet?”

I answered carefully and honestly.

“So, you were Couchsurfing. What were the first and last names of all your hosts?” “Did you meet their families?” “Friends?” “What do they do for work?” “He was in logistics? What kinds of things was he shipping?” “Did you have correspondence with them before you arrived in Beirut? “ “For how many weeks?” “Have you kept in contact with them while you were here?” “When was the last message you sent them?” “What was that message about?”

“Please tell me the first and last names of everyone you stayed with here in Israel.” “How long did you stay with each person?” “Where did they live?” “Did they give you any gifts?” “Are you still talking to them?” “Do you have a copy of the correspondence you had with them?”

He asked me if anyone had given me anything, or if I thought anyone might have put something in my bag, multiple times. I told him he was free to check—and he chuckled and said “That will happen later.” I immediately was filled with contempt for him.

Security check for carryon-only passengers: Round Three

He called his supervisor over, and they chatted for 3-4 minutes. He started to walk toward me, then turned around and walked back to her. Another 2-3 minute chat before he handed her my passport. She was a pleasant young woman who told me to stand in front of her on the other side of the desk. She asked me many of the same questions over again, repeating the question about whether I had been given anything twice.

Finally, she slapped a sticker on my passport. And I was told I could go. I waiting in the security line again for an additional 20 minutes.

Later, I would find out that the sticker was an assessment of my risk factor. 

1 and 2 are reserved for Israeli passport holders, 3 and 4 are seen as a mild risk, 5 is a high risk, and 6 is an extremely high risk.

When internationals fly alone out of Israel, they get a “6” or a “5”. This number is a sticker you get on your passport and bags that helps the Israeli airport security evaluate your level of Zionism. “1” is awesome, “6” is you’re fucked. 1 is reserved for white Jewish Israelis, 2 is for white Jewish non-Israelis and friendly internationals, 3 is a suspicious Israeli or international, 4 is sometimes given to non-white Israelis, 5 is for Arab Israelis or questionable internationals, and 6 is for Palestinians, Muslims, and hostile internationals. Hostile is defined as not Zionist or suspected of questioning Zionism. Anything above a 3 means interrogation. Of course these are my definitions based on the people I’ve talked to who’ve gotten one of the six. I don’t know what the official language they use says. -Lia Tarachansky (read her full article here.) 

Guess who got the sticker with the 6? 

Funny thing is that I didn’t feel hostile towards Israel in the slightest until this episode. 

You wait. And wait. And wait. 

When I finally got to the front of the carry on luggage and metal detector line, the security woman said: “You are in the wrong place. You need to go through the special security.” “What? Are you joking? I have literally been waiting for hour already to get through.” “Yes. Ok. Follow that woman there.” I followed her, and she took me to the packed line of about 40 people. “Are you kidding?” I have already been waiting an hour,” I huffed. But she didn’t reply, merely shooting a glance in my direction.

She led me to another two women, where I waited to have my name written on a clipboard. I asked what was going on, and she told me not to stress out, that someone would come for me soon. No one did. 

Streams of people went passed me in the line, and I had no idea what was going on.

And then you wait some more

“Come on. I have been waiting here for ages, can someone please explain what is going on?,” I complained 

“Yes, there are still 12 people ahead of you, but I will come to get you when it is time. That’s why you are standing here.” 

After a good 20 minutes, she told me to cut the line. The man who I was instructed to stand in front of got pissed, and tried to worm his way ahead of me. “Excuse me, sir. I was told to stand here.” I actually began to start feeling sick.

Finally, I got up to the front. Two security agents glanced at my passport, but no one talked to me. Finally, not seeing another option I just stuck my things into the X-ray scanner. A young security agent came up to me “Who are you with?”  “I don’t understand.” “Which agent are you with?” “What do you mean?” “You have to wait until one of the agents comes for you and your things.” He took my things out of the machine and put them back in front of me.  I stood there for 10 minutes, while people streamed past me.

I actually felt myself start to tremble with rage. This was absolutely ridiculous. I stopped one of the security agents and begged her to just explain to me what was going on. 

She brushed me off and told me I had to wait. 

Another 5 minutes, and 4 other people went ahead of me.

The Bag Check

Finally, a sour young women came up and without a greeting demanded I pack my things and follow her. We walked to another side of the security area. “Sit down over there.” She commanded.

She proceeded to empty every single thing out of my bag.

Every single thing out of my cosmetics bag. Every receipt. Flipped through all the pages of my books. Sent my laptop and iPhone away with another security agent. When she came across a pack of cigarettes, she demanded to know where my lighter was. “Probably in a pocket” I snapped back. 

“I don’t see it.” 

I was enraged, all my personal belonging, clothes, condoms, mascara, panties, books, and papers were spread out in front of her, and as if this wasn’t enough, she was now demanding a lighter. 

“Check my jacket” 

She pulled out all my bank and credit cards from my pockets, headphones, and opened up my lipgloss to check inside. 

Finally, she found it, and without a word, tossed it in the garbage.

Explosives Trace Detection (ETD) tests: Swabbing for drugs or bombs or who the fuck knows.

Then she started swabbing everything. 

Not a customary swipe—no, she swabbed every single piece of clothing, every pocket, every charger, my curling iron, my nightie. Checking each swab on her detector.

It took ages, and I felt a deep hate for her growing watching her finger and handle all my little things. 

“Follow me,” She said, “we need to do a body scan.” 

Another security agent came up, and they talked. 

Finally, she told me to take off my shoes. I guess just having my shoes taken was pretty lucky, in light of what I read online afterwards. 

In addition to being forced to undress for body searches, Arab passengers are often detained in secure rooms in the departure area at Ben Gudrion Airport before their flights and escorted on to planes by security staff in full view of other passengers. They may also have their hand luggage confiscated. -Jonathan Cook, “Israel's strip searches at airports 'illegal', Aljazeera

The body scan and multiple pat downs

 “Sit there and wait” she snapped—I was seriously losing my cool with this horrendous procedure and this woman in particular.

I waited another 10 minutes, barefoot, on the grungy security room floor. Feeling downright disgusted. 

“We need to scan you” she took me to a body scanner, where I was told to stand, “Open your legs wider.” she demanded, and I retorted “What the fuck. They are wider than the footprint-guides already.” I snapped. 

“Fine. Then lift up your arms and don’t put them down until I tell you to.” I stood there like a criminal getting a mug shot.

When I came out she patted down my arms and legs. 

Then we waited. She talked to someone on her radio, then told me I had to remove my necklace. 

I wanted to scream, but with dead eyes stared ahead as I carefully removed it. 

I went back into the machine and they scanned me a second time. 

When I came out, the colleague was back with my shoes, this time, she patted me down, spending extra time under my arms, on my back, and sleeves.

I went to grab my shoes, and the sour security agent said “Don’t touch those. Go back and sit down.”

I lost it with her tone, and said “You are acting in a disgusting way. I am just a traveller and don’t deserve to be treated like this.” 

She rolled her eyes at me and repeated that I needed to stay seated.

About 10 minutes later, the man came back with my laptop and mobile phone. They had an extensive conversation and she giggled. Oh. Hell. No. 

I was not going to sit there and watch this bullshit while they just made me wait.  I stood up and with contained rage “That’s enough. Are you done?” 

And she repeated that I was to sit down and wait. 

Losing all hope, I sat back down.

Finally, she said, “You can take your shoes.” 

I snatched them and pulled them on. I don’t even know how long I was sitting there because I didn’t have a mobile.

Finally, she had another quick word on her radio, and started to walk away. 

Over her shoulder, she said “We are done here. You can leave.” As I started to repack my bag, I thought “No we aren’t, you f*** b***.”

I asked to speak to the supervisor, and when she came she asked me specifically why I was upset, and what the security agent had done that was inappropriate. 

I explained about her tone, but more importantly that I felt I was being treated as a criminal which was unfounded and disgusting. 

All I had wanted to do was visit their nice country, and this had been such an awful experience that I wasn’t sure I would ever want to come back. 

She gave me an email address and asked me to share my experience. 

I thanked her, but felt tears burning in the back of my eyes. 

I felt so violated, so disrespected. I had done absolutely nothing wrong, and yet was being treated as if I was one second away from blowing up their whole damn airport. 

I grabbed my bag and left for my gate, promising myself I would never fly through Tel Aviv again.

Even hours after getting off the plane at my next destination, I still felt disgusted. Actually—I still do. It really changed my view of the Israeil state. 

My story here is not unique, many seasoned travellers have had similar accounts. I think it is important to share and read these, so that if you ever go to Israel, you know the risks. Read some of their stories and other articles here: 

What it means to go to Ben Gurion airport with an Arab friend

My Horrific Security Experience at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport (TLV)

Israel's strip searches at airports 'illegal'

Leaving Tel Aviv: My Experience Through Airport Security at Ben Gurion

Airport Security Woes – My Experience Leaving Israel

[nataliesnews]

Please use my Bezeqint address. I now send my letters on gmail as otherwise they do not reach those of you who use it. It is all weird but then computers and phones are. I will experiment in a future letter to see if my mail has gone back to normal but I want to be sure that this letter reaches you all because of the link. 20 years of occupation....I so well remember Abi Dis when they were building the wall and having to climb over the one exit left which was very dangerous. Women older than I at the time when the wall was just being built. Struggling and having to be held. And things have only got worse. Much worse. Settlements are being built all over the show and now more apartheid roads are being built to facilitate their travelling and to encourage new settlers who otherwise would be scared of  going to and fro.  This is long and I suggest you read little by little and see how things have not got any better in Israel and in fact worse.

  Digital exhibition: 20 years of MW activism Exhibition Curator | Alex Levac

https://www.haaretz.com/haaretz-labels/INTERACTIVE-1.10140478

 So yesterday I was again at Sheikh Jarrah and each time there seem to be fewer people. But what has happened lately is that the settlers are now coming out and becoming more militant. The police do nothing to keep the two groups separate and already yesterday a car of settlers coming out of what has now become a ghetto for the Palestinians and a hunting ground for the latter nearly knocked people over and then opened the door and spat directly at the demonstrators. Also tried to knock one over. But the police do nothing. On the contrary they demand the names of those shouting at them to do their job.

 There have been many arguments and once or twice nearly turned violent. I went up to one policeman who was photographing us and asked him why he was not also photographing the Haredim but of course got no answer.

  The absurdity of the situation with the police. I have written often of their attacks when they see the smallest Palestinian flags. Yesterday I saw Abu Humus (I sent a picture about two weeks ago of him on the ground holding the flag against his stomach so that it should not be taken away from him) standing next to the commander with his flag and talking to him. All was calm. No attack. So why? Are the police getting bored with their job. Truly there is little to the demonstrations now but the noise of the drums and “Down with the occupation.”

  But one of the photographers  sent me this picture. I wrote and asked him if next time he could not make me thinner and he wrote back to say “You are already perfect”    So my family, what do you have to say about that.

  Later yesterday I got a call from Dalia who was in Hadassah Emergency and went to sit with her but in the meantime I also had a party for Fay to celebrate her 80th. Irit and Yaakov of the bottles did it on their big stoep and Yaakov did all the cooking. They offered and are such great people. I thought at one stage that I would not be able to attend. I had gone to the toilet in the hospital and as I closed the door I saw that there was no inside handle on it and that I was stuck. I looked around  for a “help” button but the only one  I saw was high up out of my reach and had on it a tantalizing sign which said “pull me” but not being as lucky as Alice there was no string….and of course I did not have my phone with me. Added to which the toilet was blocked. I remembered that when I went in there had been a young man sitting further down in the corridor….which is a rather lonely corridor… What else? I started banging and yelling and praying that Dalia would see that I had not returned. Luckily he heard me after a while……I do know how to make a noise! But no good marks for Hadassah. I told the nurses but they did not seem very upset. Next time I go into a toilet I will check to see that there is a handle on the inside.

 The party was lovely…,.I took a lot of pictures for her and the one person I forgot to photograph was myself. Which usually happens to me. Irit and Yaakov in the kitchen and the birthday girl. I should have taken a photo of the three of them together but not being a professional I did not think of it. I left before the end as I was very tired…I had woken at five and walked and collected bottles and just after the the call to go to the hospital and I took a taxi straight from there to go and set things up so I hope someone else thought of it.

  And for those who know Chana Stein

   And Liora Achron

 NataliePlease use my Bezeqint address. I now send my letters on gmail as otherwise they do not reach those of you who use it. It is all weird but then computers and phones are. I will experiment in a future letter to see if my mail has gone back to normal but I want to be sure that this letter reaches you all because of the link. 20 years of occupation....I so well remember Abi Dis when they were building the wall and having to climb over the one exit left which was very dangerous. Women older than I at the time when the wall was just being built. Struggling and having to be held. And things have only got worse. Much worse. Settlements are being built all over the show and now more apartheid roads are being built to facilitate their travelling and to encourage new settlers who otherwise would be scared of  going to and fro.  This is long and I suggest you read little by little and see how things have not got any better in Israel and in fact worse.  Digital exhibition: 20 years of MW activism Exhibition Curator | Alex Levachttps://www.haaretz.com/haaretz-labels/INTERACTIVE-1.10140478  So yesterday I was again at Sheikh Jarrah and each time there seem to be fewer people. But what has happened lately is that the settlers are now coming out and becoming more militant. The police do nothing to keep the two groups separate and already yesterday a car of settlers coming out of what has now become a ghetto for the Palestinians and a hunting ground for the latter nearly knocked people over and then opened the door and spat directly at the demonstrators. Also tried to knock one over. But the police do nothing. On the contrary they demand the names of those shouting at them to do their job. There have been many arguments and once or twice nearly turned violent. I went up to one policeman who was photographing us and asked him why he was not also photographing the Haredim but of course got no answer. 

 The absurdity of the situation with the police. I have written often of their attacks when they see the smallest Palestinian flags. Yesterday I saw Abu Humus (I sent a picture about two weeks ago of him on the ground holding the flag against his stomach so that it should not be taken away from him) standing next to the commander with his flag and talking to him. All was calm. No attack. So why? Are the police getting bored with their job. Truly there is little to the demonstrations now but the noise of the drums and “Down with the occupation.”  

 But one of the photographers  sent me this picture. I wrote and asked him if next time he could not make me thinner and he wrote back to say “You are already perfect”    So my family, what do you have to say about that. 

 Later yesterday I got a call from Dalia who was in Hadassah Emergency and went to sit with her but in the meantime I also had a party for Fay to celebrate her 80th. Irit and Yaakov of the bottles did it on their big stoep and Yaakov did all the cooking. They offered and are such great people. I thought at one stage that I would not be able to attend. I had gone to the toilet in the hospital and as I closed the door I saw that there was no inside handle on it and that I was stuck. I looked around  for a “help” button but the only one I saw was high up out of my reach and had on it a tantalizing sign which said “pull me” but not being as lucky as Alice there was no string….and of course I did not have my phone with me. Added to which the toilet was blocked. I remembered that when I went in there had been a young man sitting further down in the corridor….which is a rather lonely corridor… What else? I started banging and yelling and praying that Dalia would see that I had not returned. Luckily he heard me after a while……I do know how to make a noise! But no good marks for Hadassah. I told the nurses but they did not seem very upset. Next time I go into a toilet I will check to see that there is a handle on the inside. The party was lovely…,.I took a lot of pictures for her and the one person I forgot to photograph was myself. Which usually happens to me. Irit and Yaakov in the kitchen and the birthday girl. I should have taken a photo of the three of them together but not being a professional I did not think of it. I left before the end as I was very tired…I had woken at five and walked and collected bottles and just after the the call to go to the hospital and I took a taxi straight from there to go and set things up so I hope someone else thought of it.   And for those who know Chana Stein    And Liora Achron Natalie

[cfijerusalem]

Watching Over Zion Report 16th August 2018 (5th Elul 5778)

The Word:

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Israel defend you; May He send you help from the sanctuary, and strengthen you out of Zion… May He grant you according to your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your purpose. We will rejoice in your salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.  Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy hill with the saving strength of His right hand. Some trust in chariots; some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They have bowed down and fallen; but we have risen and stand upright. Save, Lord! May the King answer us when we call. (Psalm 20)

POINTERS FOR PRAYER

As stated in the last report, regarding Israel and the Jewish people, God’s Word and promises to them do not change. The end result might not yet be visible, never-the-less, we can have 100% confidence that God is faithful and just and will fulfil all His promises to Israel through His eternal Word (Jeremiah 31:35,36).  This week we continue to report on the troubles in Gaza; we report from New Wine; we check out just why the Israeli Prime Minister got angry over Corbyn, and we bring encouragement from the words of the Vicar of Baghdad – Canon Andrew White – who knows the true meaning of ‘Faith under Fire’.  In the midst of the battle, we can still give thanks and praise to our God, for He is indeed faithful to all His promises, and to the fact that the Lord God, unlike man, does not change.

CFI UK has over the past two weeks been at the New Wine festival. Thank you for all who prayed for us over this two week period.I have included a short report below along with a LINK to a new video Matthew Soakell created at New Wine.Do pray that we would have good fruit from this festival.Please also pray for the One Festival at Lincoln that Julia and I will be at representing CFI at. This is another family based festival, but do lift before the LORD the youth of our Churches, that the fire of God would stir up their passion for the LORD, and that revelation would burn in their hearts regarding Israel.Pray that the many people we challenge at the One Festival would seek the truth regarding God's purposes for Israel, that they would read the literature we hand out regarding the Jewish nation and the CFI ministry, and that many of the youth leaders and Pastors would bring their youth based ministries in line with the Word of God, giving sound teaching on this whole issue.

Please continue to pray that we will reach many people of various ages through our Twitter and Facebook feeds, along with our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/cfiuk. Please pray that we will see an increase in support and will have fruit that will last.

BATTLING THROUGH THE TURMOIL

[Above photo: A monument showing the Land of Israel in the Palestinian Authority controlled city of Jenin. Photo Credit: Nasser Ishtayeh / Flash 90]

In the above Scripture of Psalm 20, we read, ‘May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Israel defend you; May He send you help from the sanctuary, and strengthen you out of Zion’.  Recently, my wife Julia sent me a short study via her Bible App on her phone with the following comments: “In the Jewish tradition, this psalm is part of the daily prayer service because it speaks to the various struggles that we grapple with daily. Its message is beautifully summed up in verse 7: ‘Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.’ No matter what battle we are fighting in life right now, and no matter how much things seem to be not in our favour, God can help us be victorious.”  The article continues, “This psalm, penned by King David, is reminiscent of his very first battle when he took on the giant Goliath. Everyone tried to talk him out of fighting the giant. David was just a boy, so small that the armor King Saul offered him only weighed him down, so he went into battle unprotected — in physical armor, that is. David came fully armored in the most impenetrable armor that exists – David came clothed in the name of God. He said to the giant Goliath, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty…” (1 Samuel 17:45). And with God’s help, David took that giant down.”

However, the article then goes on to tell of another story from Israel’s recent history. “In spring 2003, Israel was fighting a war against terrorism. The Israel Defense Forces were fairly successful, but a few battles were hard to win. One such fight took place in Jenin, a Palestinian stronghold. The Israeli fighters described an incident where the morale was very low. Many soldiers had already lost their lives, and as a last resort, an Israeli general had threatened over the loudspeaker to send in F-16 fighter jets. It was an empty threat that neither the soldiers nor the terrorists took seriously.  That is until a loud booming sound was heard moments later. At first the soldiers were confused, but then they realized the sound was thunder, even though it was spring and in Israel it never rains in the spring. The terrorists were not as wise. They immediately surrendered. When asked why, they said, “We heard the sound of fighter jets and knew we were defeated.” God’s thunder won the battle. A modern-day miracle!”

With many within the church seemingly appearing ignorant regarding God’s Word on Israel; and with some even opposing Israel and teaching ‘replacement or fulfilment theology’, the battle can be hard at times.  Add to that the issues that Israel have to deal with constantly with terrorism, and then the issues with anti-Semitism, such as we are seeing in the UK Labour Party, no wonder many are struggling with the battles we are fighting. And yet, with God on our side, surely we must be able to overcome any giant and adversity? No matter how big the obstacles seem, our God is bigger. No matter how mighty the enemy might seem, our God is even stronger.  Pray that in every situation, we would all be victorious.

ISRAEL’S CONTINUING BATTLE

Even though CFI were working at the New Wine Festival in Somerset this past two weeks, both our son Matthew and I were keeping the CFI Social Media up-to date various times each day.  Much of the news was concerning the constant rocket attacks Israel suffered from the terrorist group Hamas. On Wednesday evening of August 9, 2018, Israel was hit by over 150 rockets from Hamas in Gaza. One Israeli was killed and more than 19 injured as Hamas fired their rockets at Israeli civilian areas. This video was recorded by Yaron Bob in Sderot, Israel, showing the rockets being fired at children's playgrounds and schools: https://www.facebook.com/CFIUK/videos/1813013228746340/ . Naturally, the Israel Air Force retaliated by striking Hamas terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip. However, the BBC and other Western Media channels reported nothing until of course, Israel struck back at Hamas in Gaza. The BBC then made its headlines read, "Gaza air strikes ‘kill woman and child’."  So who was this alleged child that Israel killed, and what was the background?

As stated, the Gaza terrorists fired a barrage of rockets at Southern Israel Wednesday night/Thursday morning, and air raid sirens continued to sound in the South of Israel throughout the night with thousands of Jewish families having to sleep in bomb shelters and protected spaces.  Nineteen people were treated for injuries resulting from rocket attacks from Gaza against southern Israel including a 30-year-old Israeli woman who was seriously injured on Thursday morning when a rocket hit a building. Another Israeli was killed and thousands were treated for trauma and panic attacks, including two pregnant Jewish women who went into labour. Two homes in Sderot, Israel, were hit as well as a home in Ashkelon. Several cars were also damaged as was a factory in Sderot.  However, the news stories against Israel got worse as the week continued. And what was the truth regarding the news that the BBC headlines read when stating "Gaza air strikes ‘kill woman and child’?"  

The alleged child that was supposedly killed was actually nothing more than a random picture of a girl the Palestinians took from Instagram called Elle McBroom and she's alive and well and living in L.A. America! Her parents were pretty angry about this on twitter (@AustinMcbroom @CatherinePaiz) when they realised the Gaza Palestinians had used their daughters photo claiming it to be a Palestinian child killed by Israel! [One of the many sources here]. And even the BBC ran the headlines using this fake story! It’s incredible! For more on this, go to Honest Reporting here: http://honestreporting.com/a-night-of-rockets-and-headline-fails/.

Interestingly, with the above story in mind, Gaza ‘activist’ Ahmad Abu Rutema, spokesman for the so-called ‘March of Return’, the Hamas-led riots on Israel’s border, has conceded that Hamas has “lost the battle for public support,” and that “there is nothing wrong with a tactical withdrawal” when the path becomes too costly. Speaking at a meeting organized by Hamas, Abu Rutema said that “the images of torn limbs, wounded people, blood, and martyrs are very painful, and must drive us to reexamine all our tactics and to invent new ones,” the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) reported.  Now note exactly what the Gaza spokesman stated here. Ahmad Abu Rutema clearly stated that they need to “reexamine all our tactics and to invent new ones.”  Does this ‘inventing new ideas’ include stealing photos of American children from Instagram? It appears it does!  Since the so-called “March of Return” was launched by Hamas in March, there have been near-weekly, violent riots along the Israel-Gaza border organized by the terrorist group. The riots have given Palestinians cover to attack Israeli security forces with gunfire, grenades, Molotov cocktails, and efforts to illegally infiltrate into Israeli territory to carry out terrorist attacks. Hamas also forced women and children to the front line to use them as human shields. Needless to say, politicians will use these issues to promote their own causes, irrespective of the truth.

NETANYAHU CONDEMNS  CORBYN’S WREATH TO ‘MUNICH MASSACRE’

As you will no doubt have seen in the media, there has been further trouble this week for the UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn as photos and video reveal the Labour leader allegedly paying at tribute to Palestinian 'martyrs'.  According to various reports in the British media including the Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph and many others, Jeremy Corbyn was seen attending a tribute in 2014 of the terrorists linked to the Munich Massacre. Many reports stated that “Fresh evidence emerged with photographs showing Jeremy Corbyn seen holding a wreath at the tribute for Palestinian 'martyrs' of the Black September terrorists who killed 11 Israelis”. Corbyn denied he had laid the wreath to terrorists.

With his party engulfed in rows over anti-Semitism, the pictures gave Mr Corbyn fresh questions to answer about his alleged sympathy for Islamic extremists. Jennifer Gerber, director of Labour Friends of Israel stated, "It beggars belief that anyone would wish to honour the terrorists behind the brutal massacre of 11 Israeli athletes at Munich. However, it is sadly utterly unsurprising that Jeremy Corbyn appears to have done so. Others will rightly regard it is as totally sickening."  In other developments, a video surfaced showing the UK Labour party leader apparently making a direct comparison between the alleged Israeli "occupation" of Judea & Samaria and the Nazi occupation of Europe. A Labour ex-minister took out a full-page advert in a Jewish newspaper to lambast Mr Corbyn's response to the anti-Semitism crisis. Jim Murphy said it had been “intellectually arrogant, emotionally inept and politically maladroit”. The Board of Deputies of British Jews warned Mr Corbyn to 'come out of hiding' and said the anti-Semitism crisis would not go away. A full story with photos and video were published in the Daily Mail on Saturday August 11, 2018.  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has largely avoided publicly criticizing British Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn, let loose on Tuesday, saying Corbyn's participation in a ceremony commemorating the perpetrators of the Munich massacre deserved widespread condemnation.  This then led to Corbyn criticizing Netanyahu via Twitter. 

So why did Benjamin Netanyahu publically condemn Corbyn? Well one reason could be due to Yonatan Netanyahu, Benjamin’s brother, getting killed by Arab Terrorists when Yoni commanded the elite commando unit Sayeret Matkal during Operation Entebbe, an operation to rescue hostages held at Entebbe Airport in Uganda in 1976. The mission was successful, with 102 of the 106 hostages rescued, but Yoni Netanyahu was killed - the only IDF fatality during the operation.  Benjamin Netanyahu lambasted the UK Labour leader stating, “The laying of a wreath by Jeremy Corbyn on the graves of the terrorists who carried out the Munich massacre and the comparison he made between Israel and Nazis deserves unequivocal condemnation from everyone – from the left, the right and across the entire political spectrum.”  The Sun reported that Corbyn was said to be attending a service to commemorate Palestinian “martyrs” at a cemetery in Tunisia. Corbyn said he was at the cemetery to commemorate 47 Palestinians killed in a 1985 Israeli air strike on a Tunisian PLO base.  In addition, a video of a speech he gave in 2013 came to light where he compared Israel’s action on the West Bank to the Nazi occupation of Europe. “The West Bank [is] under occupation of the very sort that is recognizable by many people in Europe who suffered occupation during the Second World War, with the endless roadblocks, imprisonment, irrational behavior by the military and the police,” Corbyn said.

NEW WINE BRINGS ENCOURAGING WORDS FROM CANON ANDREW WHITE

It was good to be back at New Wine again last week, and this festival is a great way to enable Christians to get a better understanding of Israel. There is a report in Julia Soakell’s CFI Prayer Support Update on New Wine and Julia writes, “Although we had very few negative responses at all, it would be fair in summary to say, that we need to pray for those who avoided visiting the stand or who think Israel is completely irrelevant to their walk with the Lord and the Church and nation at all.  We chatted with some great pastors and leaders, and with possible church links… also as many commented on recent headlines about anti-Semitism, we were able to share about the need to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day and ask them to think about contacting us about ideas for their own locality/ church/ youth group etc.” 

Both Matthew Soakell and I kept the CFI Social Media up-to date various times each day, and Matthew also created a new short video, so do check out our highlights from New Wine, where once again CFI UK had a marketplace stand and engaged with thousands of festival visitors. This year was the last year New Wine will take place in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, so it was extra special to be a part of.  You can view the video here:

Do pass this on and please do comment on the video on YouTube.

For me personally, it was a great pleasure to have Canon Andrew White – the Vicar of Baghdad visit our stand, and for me to get the chance to listen to him speak at one of the meetings.  Andrew White is certainly a great advocate for Israel and is someone who knows the true meaning of ‘Faith under Fire’.  He started his seminar by stating, “I’ve been asked to come to New Wine for five years running, and I could never do it. One time I was coming and all my staff were blown up; another time they were all kidnapped; another time they [Islamic terrorists] blew up my church… and this time I’m here.”  He then went onto state, “I love Israel, I am a Christian Zionist, I am not an anti-Israel Palestinian supporter, but I do stand with the Palestinian Arabs”.  After 40 minutes he then gave an opportunity for the audience to ask questions, and I was able to ask him regarding how he coped with stress in the harrowing situations he experienced. Having survived a terrorist attack myself in Jerusalem, and been on the Gaza border during rocket attacks, I know what it’s like to suffer stress. Andrew’s answer brought tears to my eyes. He stated, “How do I cope under all the terrorist attacks and all the violence… I cope by one reason only, love, love, love (of which he used the Aramaic word). I’ve seen terrible things; there have been times when I just cried.”  He then shared his harrowing experiences of when ISIS threatened his people to deny Yeshua, and to confess their allegiance to Islam and Mohammad, but they would not deny Yeshua (Jesus) and so they killed the children. And yet his faith in his Messiah is how he copes.

Another person in the audience asked Andrew what the future was for him. Canon Andrew White answered, “The future for me, is, even though my body might be failing, I am just beginning. I know that the best is yet to come… we are going to do a lot in Israel, a huge amount, teaching the church to love Israel, teaching the church that Israel is a root of our Yeshua, of our Jesus. The church has done terrible things to Israel over the years, and one of my challenges now is to turn the church around…”  To buy a recording of the talk -Faith under Fire - by Andrew White go to Essential Christian at New Wine website. It’s only £3.99 and is available here: https://www.eden.co.uk/shop/search.php?q=NEWB10418 

David Soakell Media Correspondent Tweet me @David_Soakell

Sources: Unless stated, personal sources throughout Israel, the Israeli Embassy London, The Jerusalem Post, Israel National Radio & i24news.tv/en