Israel 29,

April 14, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

I was awoken at 1:30 in the morning by war noises. I later learned the following morning what had transpired that night. Iran, in a surprise attack known to all, in an unprecedented manner had attacked Israel. Iran sent over 300 drones, cruise missiles and rockets to attack us. The Iron Dome aided by GB, the USA and France had intercepted 99% of the missiles. Several of the missiles were allowed to fall on open ground where they would do no harm. Unfortunately, 1 Bedouin child was injured as the Bedouins live out in the open without shelters.

Most of the missiles were intercepted over water without reaching Israel. You must remember that when a missile is taken out by the Iron Dome, there is still fall out with shrapnel which can be dangerous. Israel proved to themselves and to the world that they are capable of defending themselves. The Iron dome does come at a cost as each counter missile is expensive. Although I heard the attack, the sirens in Tel Aviv did not go off and we did not have to take shelter. Jerusalem was targeted and the Iron Dome intercepted missiles over the Muslim, Dome on the Rock. Imagine if a rocket had hit the mosque. Iran would have blamed the Israelis for letting it happen!

Everyone in Canada had heard the news by late afternoon and had seen the images on tv. I received dozens of emails asking me if I was safe. I am safe and am writing this blog. It is nice to know that my friends and family worry about me! I also saw images of Iranians dancing in the street, celebrating their victory. If a country fires 300 missiles at a target and missed the target 99% of the time, causing no damage, how can this be declared a victory? They obviously have a different idea of what is a win.

All of a sudden the world is now on the side of Israel against Iran. The security council met to condemn the attack. Iran stated that this is the end and there would be no further attacks if Israel did not retaliate. Biden suggested that Israel ‘take a break’. What country in the world would allow herself to be attacked with 300 missiles without doing anything? Just like on Oct 7, the world will be with Israel for 3 days. Afterwards, if Israel retaliates, she once again will be the aggressor. Here in Israel, the cabinet as well as the person on the street is divided as to what action should be taken. I am a hawk. It would not be difficult to guess what I think should be done. These countries respect strength. Failure to act will be deemed as weakness and will invite further aggression by Iran and her proxies.

I took a late morning train to Jerusalem and met my trainers at MDA. I was given a brief course on how MDA works. I will be in an ACLS ambulance with a driver who is a senior ambulance tech and a junior tech who is well trained. The ambulances are superb. There are large medical bags which contain dozens of medications, most of which I have some knowledge of but am certainly not an expert with their use as I have not done emergency medicine for many years. O2 is available. IVs with multiple solutions are available. Bandages, splints, tourniquets etc. The patient can be bagged, intubated and shocked if necessary. A senior is available by radio. A modern EKG monitor which can monitor the pulse, blood pressure, O2 saturation and can be used to shock the patient if necessary. I was re-assured that the techs are very well trained.

Love,

Brian,

PS I promise there will be pictures later.

Israel 28,

April 13, 2024,

Hi Everyone.

Here is a late night update that I sent to some of my subscribers. We have heard through reliable resources that Iran is planning a secret attack on Israel. Flights have been cancelled. There is a reduced train schedule. I was told to stock up on water, chocolate bars and food just in case…. They forgot to mention wine. Let them come. We are ready for them.

Tomorrow, I will go to Jerusalem for an MDA training course. Afterwards, I will meet my cousin, David, who I have not seen in 52 years. He was 9 years old and was staying in Trout Lake where my grandmother, Lily, rented a summer house. David and I share the same grandparents on my father’s side. I came up north with my MGB and took Bubbie Lily and David to Ste Agathe to do some shopping. Lily used to take the grandchildren to her place for a week or 2 in the summer. The house is still standing. David impressed me as being a smart kid as he asked me numerous questions on the MGB, the motor, the stick shift etc.

Love,

Brian

Israel 27,

April 13, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

I have not written my blog for a few days, 1) because until yesterday, my life has been rather ‘routine’ for a while, and 2) I wanted to allow my readers to get caught up with my adventures.

My last day at Matzrap was somewhat memorable as we finished off the fruits of a weeks labour. We had placed 12 card board boxes on our work tables. We then filled the boxes with various medications and bandages. We then took 1 or 2 items from each box and placed them into plastic bags which one of us then sealed. 775 bags, not one more or one less. We then placed the 775 bags along with other bags diligently prepared by another group, into big 2’ by 3’ boxes and sealed them. What an accomplishment. Our labour was accompanied by selected 60s to 70s music tracks generously supplied by Spotify with a small ampli-speaker. I said good-bye to my new friends and finished the job off by challenging Israel ( pronounced Yisrawale ) to an arm wrestle. This was the 1st arm wrestle that I ever lost in my life as I usually only challenge people I know I can beat.

We took a bus back to Tel Aviv where I am staying at Maxim Hotel as usual. I have not been making much progress with my Hebrew as there are too many English speaking people here. The Israelis switch to English on my 3rd word. I went out and bought a Hebrew grammar book that may help me with my tenses. There are only 3 tenses in Hebrew and somehow I can’t manage to learn them.

2 evenings ago I walked through the Florentine neighbourhood. It is an older area that has not been gentrified yet but may be in the process of doing so soon. The streets are very narrow, many do not permit a car to drive through due to the width. There are electrical lines everywhere. The area is packed with inexpensive bars, cafes and restaurants. The area caters to students and young working people and everyone seems to be out enjoying themselves. I had already eaten or I would have joined them. I took many pictures. I usually don’t like graffiti, however the buildings are covered with some great art work. I will return another day to take pictures.

Last night I drove out to my cousin’s place in the south half way between Gaza and Beersheva. She took me for a drive in the area. She showed me many farms and kibbutzim that had been evacuated and where the people are still living elsewhere. 250,000 Israelis have had to be evacuated in the north and near Gaza and still can not return to their homes. This is never reported in the western press due to the anti-Zionist fervour that has infected the world. The Israeli PR has been a complete failure for 20 years. Farms are privately owned. In kibbutzim all of the land and produce are owned and distributed to the community. It is true communal living that was popular here beginning in the 1880s but slowly decreasing over the last 30 years for various reasons. In a moshav where my cousin lives, the land and homes are owned by individuals but the major equipment is owned by the community.

We drove to the school where she used to teach but which has been evacuated since Oct. 7. The school is a sprawling complex with multiple low rise buildings housing 1500 students. The school has been located elsewhere due to its proximity to Gaza. The school complex resembles a summer camp, much different from Monklands High which I went to in Montreal. We drove as close to Gaza as possible and still be safe (relatively I suppose). There was some gun fire noise in the background coming from Gaza. I could see Gaza with binoculars and took some pictures which are too distant to discern anything. Shari lives in a lovely house on the moshav. She also owns another property which she might be willing to sell to me if I was interested in having a country house in Israel……She and her husband have 4 lovely children who I met and had Shabat dinner with. I drove back to Tel Aviv late in the evening. The drive took me about 1.5 hours and is very pleasant. The country side here is semi arid with a lot of agriculture which can occur with micro irrigation which was developed in Israel. The Arab countries could learn a lot from Israel if they chose to study the system instead of only pulling oil from the ground.

The news from Canada is horrendous. People on the military bases come from all over the world. 30% are not Jewish but are very pro-Israel. It seems to be 1933 all over again with the world once again finding a scape goat. Everyone has heard about Trudeau. What a bad reputation he has given to our country. How much money did it take to pay him off for his duplicity. Toronto is vying for the number 1 position for number of pro-Palestinian rallies that have taken place. There have been over 300 since Oct 7. It took his father much less time to ‘read the riot act’ and disperse these hoodlums. They are all cowards. At 74 years of age, I am here defending my beliefs. How many have gone to Palestine to defend theirs? It is much too easy to demonstrate against 12 year old students, or elder synagogue goers. Why don’t they come here and fight for Palestine or demonstrate in Israel. Afraid?…

Tomorrow I go to Jerusalem to meet my MDA co-ordinators and will have a short training course. I will go by train and spend the rest of the day visiting Jerusalem, a city that is home to 3 religions. I always try to stay away from religious places as I harbour a distinct allergy to organized religion.

Love,

Brian

Last day at the base

Florentine

Shari’s school

Along the road in the moshav. The cactus is called a sabra which is the nickname for

native born Israelis. Prickly on the outside, soft and juicy on the inside. Apparently you

can eat them.

There were about 100 boats out racing today in 10-15 knots of breeze without me. ‘Here I am in Motown with the Memphis blues again.

Israel 26,

April 8, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

Today we had a phenomenon that I have never seen before in Israel. Pouring rain! It only lasted for 1 hour and didn’t affect me as I was working in a warehouse. My job with a team of 6 was to unpack medical supplies including medication and then repack it into specific pockets in medical bags carried by medics.

At the end of the morning, we had a talk by the CEO of Sar-El. She stressed the importance of the work that we are doing. Sar-El usually has 4000 volunteers per year. This year if the numbers continue, they may have 5 to 10 times more. Essentially we are replacing the soldiers who have been called away to the front. Because of the war, there is a higher demand for this type of equipment. Many volunteers came to Israel and do day labour on farms and come back to Tel Aviv at night. Others, help out in food and clothing distribution in various sites in Israel. Others help out in rebuilding what was destroyed by Hamas.

In the afternoon we were given a lecture by a General in Israeli Intelligence. There was a major fault in intelligence work which began a long time before Oct. 7. Apparently, this is being addressed so that it does not occur in the future. There is a museum located north of Tel Aviv dedicated to Israeli intelligence which I will visit. Someone asked him if the Mossad functions like in the Netflix series, Fauda. He said that somethings are accurate but in the end, Fauda is a movie for the public. It is very popular in America but nevertheless it is still a movie. He also showed us a short film on a children’s camp that was founded by Paul Newman several years ago.

I was invited for a Passover Seder with my cousins.

Love,

Brian

Israel 25,

April 7, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

I don’t have much to report today and this might be true for the rest of the week. We left Tel Aviv and were driven to Matztrap Base where I have been twice before. We were once again split up into groups and I will be working with Israel who is a very polite leader. After receiving our uniforms, I worked on preparing the medical back packs that will be used on the front. It is somewhat tedious but obviously very important work and much appreciated by the staff. We are 40 volunteers, some newbies and some veterans who I have worked with in the past.

Love,

Brian

Israel 24,

April 6, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

Today I woke up to sunny skies, 25C with a mild breeze. I wandered over to the marina to watch the boats go out. There were 12 to 15 knots and it looked like a great day to sail. There were about 15 dinghies out racing and a few keel boats. As usual, like everywhere, there are more boats in the harbour than out sailing. It is the same here in Israel, in Canada and in France. I spoke to the manager who gave me a fellow to call to see if I could race on someone’s boat.

When the war started, I made several applications to volunteer to serve in Israel. I sent a letter to the Minister of Health to work as a physician but there were too many applicants. The kibbutzim don’t take anyone over 35 except as a day labourer. I applied to MDA, the civil ambulance service but I was 131 on the list in Canada alone. I finally was accepted to work on a military base as an unskilled labourer doing various tasks. I have 1 more week to complete my contract with them.

Last week, I received an acceptance letter to work on an ambulance as a physician-ambulance technician. Finally I will get to do something in my field. I could not refuse. Next Sunday on my return from the army base I will go to Jerusalem for some basic training. I will then be placed on an ambulance in Tel Aviv. I changed my flight back to Montreal as I will be with MDA for 4 weeks. It will be shift work with certain days off. I am very excited to do this type of work. I have ACLS training as a ski patroller. I will exchange my IDF uniform for an ambulance tech uniform. Wow.

This evening I did something that I have never done before. I attended a mass demonstration. Every Saturday evening in Tel Aviv and in Jerusalem crowds gather to protest against BiBi. It is hard for me to estimate the size, but there were people as far as the eye could see. 50.000? 100,000 ? I don’t know. The crowd was very peaceful but very animated. There was only a hand full of police present as there is never any violence. Many people had Israeli flags and posters. They sang Hatikvah at the beginning. It was very moving. There were several speeches from a large platform that had been set up for the occasion. This is a weekly event. There were several large screens in various areas so that everyone could see. They also showed the demonstration in Jerusalem. People were chanting, singing, applauding and booing every time BiBi’s name was mentioned. It was like Purim with the graggers. The general theme was ‘elections now’!

As usual I am writing my blog in a restaurant on the beach, sipping a beer and watching the waves come in.

Love,

Brian

Israel 23,

April 5, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

After our mountain tour with the army, we were allowed 2 hours leave to walk around Eilat before returning to the base. The gate is closed and locked and you need permission to enter and leave the base especially in war time. After last night’s attack, they take no chances. Eilat has changed a lot since I came here in 1971 as well as 8 years ago. My memory of Eilat is a sleepy little village with no restaurants or cafes. I can’t remember if there were even hotels here. There was a youth hostel but I slept on the beach on and off for 3 months. I must have hitch hiked here from Tel Aviv at least half a dozen times. Hitch hiking and sleeping out in Israel and for most of Europe was tolerated and safe.

The beach is lined with 10 to 20 story luxury 5* hotels. There is a nice outdoor promenade here where you can buy the usual beach articles. The water is cool and refreshing so several of us went for an evening swim. I had my goggles so I was able to dive for some red rocks in 8 feet of water. Along the water are numerous cafes and restaurants. We split up into 2 groups, those who wanted to eat and drink and those who simply wanted to wander around. I chose the former group for my first falafel in Israel. The taste did not disappoint me.

Yesterday we boarded the bus and drove through the desert to Tel Aviv. It was boiling hot, at least in the high 30sC. I wandered around Tel Aviv in the afternoon and took a nice swim out to the breakwater. At supper all the other groups were anxious to hear about the attack in Eilat. Personally, I was not at all worried about our safety during the attack, as I felt that we were well protected in the shelter. The Army, Navy and Air Force were there to protect us and I felt that we were in good hands. Some of the others were less reassured than I was and In Tel Aviv, some of the other members of the group were very concerned for our safety.

Last evening I went out to eat with my French friends from Cassis. We sat out at a beach restaurant and enjoyed each other’s company while listening to the waves flap onto the beach. I must make a stop in Cassis on my next visit to France. Today, I slept in and then spent some time catching up on emails, reviewing my flight and doing my weekly washing. I try to swim or run everyday as I will be doing the World Championship Triathlon on the Canadian National Team, Age group 75-79, in Malaga in October. After all this manual labor at the bases, I think that I am in relatively good shape.

Love,

Brian

At the same time in Montreal……

Israel 22,

April 3, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

We woke up this morning to blue skies, sun and of course a warm temperature which would gradually increase over the day. After breakfast we were given our tasks for the day: cutting mangos, cutting tomatoes and washing the floor…. Afterwards we set the tables in the officers dining room with blue table clothes, dishes and cutlery. This took us most of the morning and early afternoon.

Our commanders told us to get ready at 4:30 for a special surprise. We met in front of the commissary office and walked over to the port. We were then given a tour of a PT boat. Unfortunately pictures were not allowed. 2 SUVs then picked us up and drove us through the desert, up and down some rocky hills until we got to a designated place. We then hiked up a few hundred meters to the top of a small mountain where we had a view of Eilat, the Red Sea and Jordan in the distance. The soldiers had prepared a picnic for us with watermelon, cookies, coffee and juices. The view was spectacular. We were then presented with our IDF certificates, tie pins and a framed picture of the whole group. Each of us was presented with our award separately, photos taken, cheers from the group and a heart warming thank-you to each of us by the commander. The IDF really appreciates the small contribution that each of us made by coming here and helping Israel.

3 of the guys had to leave early to catch an early morning plane back to the States for a wedding. They had told us that they were going into Eilat to purchase a few supplies such as can openers and knife sharpeners. We learned later, quietly, after they had left, that they had purchased 50,000 shekels ($18,000 American) of necessary items including cappuccino machines, piazza ovens, ice cream machines etc…What a nice gesture on their behalf.

Yesterday the Iranian Embassy in Syria was attacked and destroyed killing several high level Iranian commanders. The UN security will meet to condemn the attack as expected. The Israelis have not confirmed of denied the attack which is their usual position. Iran has said that they will retaliate in due time. The CIA has indicated to Israel that the attack will occur in 48 hours. An attack if it does occur with come via 1 of their proxies such as Hezbollah or Islamic Jihad. Let them come, we are ready for them.

Tomorrow we board the bus for the 4 hour journey through the desert.

Love,

Brian

Israel 21b

April 2, 2024,

Hi Everyone,

Eilat, boys night out and navy base bar-b-q.

Love,

Brian

Israel 21,

April 2, 2024

Hi Everyone,

After my last blog yesterday describing the drone attack, several of you kindly sent notes asking if I am ok and telling me to be safe. Yes, I am safe. As I am continuing to write my blog, I am still alive, in 1 piece and a have not been captured by the ‘evil forces’.

Yesterday was a completely new experience for most of us. We have 400 to 500 soldiers and sailors on the base. There are several ships in the port. We can see the mountains of Jordan in the distance as well as the city of Aqaba Jordon. The border lies somewhere in the middle of the gulf of Aqaba. In the distance we can see Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The sun rises in the morning over the Jordanian mountains which are a reddish colour. The gulf is 4-5 km across, a good swim and an arrest by the authorities if you dare to try.

Our job at the base is to provide the food for the IDF men and women. This means kitchen work of all types. There are 12 of us, all men from the States, Canada, Holland and France. They split us into small groups to perform our tasks. Very little training is involved but the chef wants perfection and occasionally corrects us if we make small errors. The chief chef is a great fellow. He is married, has 2 children and lives in a house off the base. He was in high tech before but did not like the job. He always wanted to be a chef so he studied and got this job. He explained to us that much of the young kitchen staff come from troubled backgrounds. Some had trouble adapting to regular army life. He takes them under his wing and teaches them kitchen work giving them some pride in themselves and their work. I think that they will turn out better with his coaching and his personalized care. It is not everyone who can do this.

Soldiers often ask us where we are from. They are all appreciative of the work that we do for Israel. 300,000 reservists were called up to help the regular army. This leaves the country with 300,000 less hands to do the regular army and civilian work. 100,000 Palestinians came from Gaza and the West Bank everyday to work in Israel. Since the war started, the border is closed. There is no construction going on. There is a major problem with food production, picking and planting fruit and vegetables. There are no tourists except the volunteer workers. The economy is going to be really in trouble. On the weekend there are over 100,000 Israeli demonstrators in a central plaza in Tel Aviv demanding the resignation of Bi-Bi and the immediate return of the hostages under any condition. I don’t know what will happen. I support Israel and continue doing my small job to help. `

Yesterday, I placed veal steaks on a platter and then dipped them in bread crumbs. We were 3 for this work, 1 dipped the steaks in oil and the other 2 dipped them in bread crumbs before placing them on a platter. This is rather specialized work and so each of us had a designated job. Not necessarily in order, we took the stems off tomatoes, put cucumbers into the cutting machine, sliced beets, cut oranges in small pieces, placed cinnamon buns on platters interspaced with croissants, dipped chicken legs in oil, prepared steaks with garlic, put carrots in the carrot cutting machine, opened fish packages and placed them on a platter…. Other tasks consisted of mixing the vegetables in a sauce to be poured onto the fish, mixing spaghetti with a long spatula, mixing and mashing potatoes…. I could go on but it might boring to describe everything.

Last evening we were invited down to the dock to see the ships. There are 2 or 3 PT boats, 1 destroyer and a bigger boat that might be a frigate. The destroyer put out to sea, led by a smaller PT or tug boat. A small Jordanian boat of the same size came out to the border line to patrol. There is no trouble between the 2 countries in spite of the war now. The enemy was probably trying to hit our ships with their drone but missed and hit a building 50 meters away and 100 meters from where we had taken shelter in the bomb shelter. We saw the hit on Twitter. We think that the drone came from Iraq or the Houthis.

After this we were given permission to go into Eilat, accompanied by our commanders. We were like a bunch of kids at summer camp that were getting an evening off. We walked into town, 20 minutes away, and picked out a nice restaurant overlooking the sea. We ordered refreshments and enjoyed the cool air while taking in the view of the Red Sea. A few of us took off our shoes and got our feet wet.

This morning we had flag raising with all the soldiers on the base. We all stood at attention, and then did ‘attention, at ease’, when ordered to do so. We then all saluted the flag at flag raising while singing Hatikvah. It is a moving, sad and uplifting experience all at the same time. Everyone knows in his/her heart why he/ she is here. Tonight we have a bar-b-q with the soldiers. We will eat the fish, steaks and vegetables that we prepared today.

Love,

Brian

Photos to come