2025-03 Israel

Israel 29,

April 19, 2025,

Hi Everyone,

This is my last evening in Israel and could well be my last entry for this trip. The manager of Maxim Hotel allowed me to have a late check out without paying for the night. That was very nice of him as I know him very well from this year and last year. I have a 6:00 am flight for Ben Gururion Airprort to Vienna with Austrian Airlines. I will try to get a few hours sleep from 10:00 pm to 2:00 am when I will drive to the airport to drop off my car.

If I am lucky they will allow me to stay in the fancy Dan Lounge at the airport for a few hours. My expensive Visa and Master Card credit cards sometimes allow me this privilege. This morning I met up with my cousin Erez and his running partner who I know from previous jogs. He was with his son so they were faster than me and went a head of us. Richard ran at my pace and we covered 9 km in 1:15 or so. We then went out for a 500m swim. The water was cool but great for swimming once you got past the 1st 10 strokes. We then met up with his wife at Golda’s a fabulous ice cream place for frozen yogurts. I hope that I ran and swam enough to work off the calories.

In the afternoon after packing, I went out onto the beach for my last sun tanning and swimming. I lie in the sun for 30 min and then go for a 15 min swim. I also picked up a few rocks on the beach for my kid’s and friend’s rock collection. I walked along the beach until I found the noisiest bar and restaurant. The music is deafening, a real party atmosphere which is just what I need for my last evening in Tel Aviv. I am treating myself to a white fish brochette and a beer while sitting on a high chair at a table over looking the beach. Why not, I guess that I have to celebrate a successful adventure in Israel.

Today Trump is meeting with Iran to discuss nuclear disarmament. In my opinion it is a waste of time as Iran will not budge. They may pretend that they will reduce their nuclear capabilities but their real goal is to develop a nuclear bomb which will make them the most powerful and dangerous Arab country in the Middle East. One way or another their nuclear capabilities must be destroyed. This would probably lead to a revolution in the country against the mullahs who run the country in a religious manner with an iron fist. I worked at a clinic in Toronto run by Iranian doctors. I had many Iranian patients both there and here in Montreal. They are a very well educated, soft spoken, good looking and kind people. An elderly patient is never allowed to come to the office alone. They are always accompanied by a child or grandchild to help with the translation if necessary. They always tell me that they came to Canada to escape the bad government there.

Many times I have tried to engage in a political conversation with Israelis. They are usually reluctant to give an opinion as to what the outcome of the conflict will be. They of course want peace but the question is always at what price. Before Oct 7, things were more or less stable. There had been progress with certain Arab countries with the Abraham Accords. There is 1 thing for certain however, they will never trust the Palestinian leadership as it stands today. Hamas must be destroyed or the ceasefire will only last for 3-5 years allowing them to rearm. Hamas was and I still believe is still supported by the majority of the population in Gaza. A few hundred people in Gaza demonstrating against Hamas does not mean that there is a lack of support for Hamas by the general population. I still vividly remember remember the short clip that can be seen on u-tube of the jeep carrying the German-Israeli girl and the mobs of people cheering as if murdering a poor girl is a great military victory. I still remember the fat Palestinian woman coming up to the jeep and spitting on the poor girl. Why did she do that? Does she not have a daughter herself? Would she like if someone did that to her daughter? Is she still spitting now. Look at the destruction that Hamas has caused to happen in Gaza. There is a famous quote ‘if the Arabs lay down their arms, there will be peace. If the Israelis lay down their arms, there will be no Israel. There will be peace only when the Arabs love their children more that they hate the Jews’.

As for me and my plans for the future, I will return to Canada to continue with my life there. I spent 2 months in Israel last year and 1 month this year. I received no monetary compensation for my efforts. I came here because I was, I am and I will always be a Zionist. I firmly believe that the Jews are a nation and as such have a right to a country. That country is Israel, 15 km wide, and without the desert is 10% smaller than Greater Montreal. Can’t the world accept this fact? In Canada we are facing an election next week in which the outcome is not obvious. 2 of the 3 leaders cannot be counted on to support Israel and hence the Jews in Canada. We have seen a rise in antisemitism in Canada that is unprecedented since WW2. And why? Are not the Jews good citizens in Canada? Do they not contribute to Canada to make the country better for everyone? I have always said, if you come to Canada to live, leave your prejudices and other baggage behind in your old country. Try to integrate and become a Canadian citizen with Canadian values. if not, why did you come here in the first place?

What are my plans for the future? I will come back to Israel next year that is a given. In what capacity will I come back? I am not sure. I will have to see how things develop here in Israel. I wrote my blog every day, spending 1.5 hours writing. The first part of my blot written last year has been made in to a book. I will add the next part on returning home and will include this months adventures. I have more experience but my feelings for Israel not changed. The proceeds of the book with be given to MDA.

Love

Brian

Tel Aviv Beach and restaurant 10:00 pm

Piano player at Maxim, She is in her 90s

2025-03 Israel

Israel 21,

April 10, 2025,

Hi Everyone,

I woke up to sunny skies but cool weather with a cool breeze. I am getting spoiled as 22C is somewhat chilly for swimming. I decided to do a museum today. I chose the Palmach museum. The Palmach was the precursor to the IDF which became organized when Israel became a state in 1948. I regrouped the Palmach, the original group, the Haganah, the Irgun and the Stern Gang. They did not get along as they had different views as to what Israel should look like.

The British were given the Palestine Mandate which was carved out of the Ottoman Empire which had been defeated in WW1. It was a difficult region to govern as the British had made 2 separate promesses to 2 separate peoples each of whom claimed the land. Eventually the British carved off Transjordan, changed the name to Jordon and gave it to a Hashemite king from Iraq. 80% of the population was Arab Palestinian and 20% Hashemite. This did not matter to the British who were only interested in an expedient solution. There was a lot of in fighting between the Arabs and the Jews. At the time only the Jews called themselves Palestinians. Golda Meir had a Palestinian passport. The Arabs revolted against the British and the revolt was put down in a violent manner. The Arabs did not want Jewish immigration so to please them, the British brought out a white paper limiting severely Jewish Immigration.

The Palmach was organized in 1941 to fight alongside the British against the Nazis. The Jewish Brigade was broken up after the war and was later reorganized into the Palmach. All of the above groups fought against the British to get them to leave Palestine. The Jews worked hard to bring clandestine ships to Palestine.Many were stopped and the Jews were brought to Cypress where they were interned for 3 years.

In 1947, the British were fed up with ruling the Palestine Mandate and gave the land back to the newly formed UN. The UN decided to split Cisjordan in two giving some land to the Jews and some land to the Arabs. The boundaries of the two newly formed areas was untenable. 85% or the land was Crown Land, 8% was owned by wealthy landlords in Damascus.

The question of the partage was put to a vote in the UN. The Arab countries voted against the decision. The vote went in favour of the Jews. The Arabs in the land began attacking the Jews to drive them out. The Jews had virtually no weapons except what they scrounged from the British. The British left the majority of the weapons with the Arabs. Ben Gurion declared the country as the State of Israel. 5 Arab countries attacks Israel including Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon. No one expected the Jewish state to survive. The war lasted almost 2 years. In the end, Israel gained more territory. 600,000 Arabs left and became refugees in the surrounding countries. Many left because they were afraid of what would happen to them in a Jewish state. The majority left because they were told by the Arab states to leave of their own accord and would be able to return when Israel was defeated. Israel won the war. The Arabs who stayed in Israel prospered and are now 20% of the Israeli population. Those that left were never absorbed into the neighboring Arab countries. They are still called refugees to this day, receiving 2 billion dollars a year from UNRWA.

Meanwhile, 800,000 Jewish were forced to leave Arab countries. Israel took them in as no other country wanted them. They received no compensation for the homes and business that they lost. Many lived in tents for 5 years until the new country was able to build homes for them. Israel doubled its population in 2 years. Israel is the only haven for Jewish people in the world. It must continue to exist. I am a Zionist, meaning that I believe that the Jewish people are a nation and as such have a right to a country. That country is Israel. If you remove the Negev which is desert and is really not livable, Greater Montreal is 10% larger that Israel!!

The Palmach Museum traces the history of the formation of the Palmach and the war which they fought against the 5 Arab countries. The Nakbah at the time referred to the fact that 5 Arab countries with well organized armies were not able to defeat a newly formed nation which had no central army. The was the catastrophe. Later, for the sake of propaganda the Nakbah, or catastrophe became to be used to illustrate the fate of the 600,000 Arabs to become refugees. There were 25 million refugees after WW2. All of these refugees either died, went back to their countries of origin, or were absorbed into the new countries where they were staying. Not so the Palestinian refugees. The Arab countries refused to absorb them and they are still called refugees to this day. The Gazans are the result of this forced migration and call themselves refugees. There are now 6 million Arabs who call themselves Palestinian refugees 80 years after a war. There is no other group in the world which has refugee status for 3 generations. There are 30,000 UNRWA workers in the Middle East with 16,000 in Gaza. Many of these people are Hamas and took part in the Oct. 7 massacre. It is about time that the gravy train stops.

In the afternoon I took a walk through Jaffa. This is the old part of Tel Aviv mostly inhabited by Arabs. Some of the area has been nicely renovated. There are endless streets with shops, restaurants and cafes. I walked along the old port eventually stopping for an ice cream at Golda’s. I am at my usual Thursday evening or Saturday haunt known as the laundromat. What fun.

Love,

Brian

The Palmach Museum

Jaffa

2025-03 Israel

Israel 15,

April 5, 2025,

Hi Everyone,

‘When this hole world starts getting me down, And people are just too much for me to face, I climb way up to the top of the stairs, And all my cares just drift right into space, On the roof,its peaceful as can be, And there the world can’t bother me.’

It’s Saturday morning, cool, sunny with blue skies and 18C. I am up on the terrace at my hotel over looking the beach. The sailboats are out but people are waiting for it to warm up before venturing into the water. The view here is sublime. I just had breakfast with 3 ladies from the States, Australia and Canada. I meet people from everywhere here. The words of the above song unfortunately ring clear to me today. The news from Canada is awful. At McGill, my alma mater and where I have a teaching position as Clinical Lecturer, the pro-Palestinian hoodlums are striking against classes for 3 days. They occupied buildings, broke windows and prevented legitimate students from attending classes. The police were called, made no arrests and didn’t use tear gas. Are the tariffs imposed on tear gas too high so there is a lack of it in Canada. Are the police still serving cappuchinos to the demonstrators? Can you still spit on a police man with impunity, an event that occurred in Toronto last year? Canada is the only country in the world where you can spit on a police man and be arrested. In every other country such as France, the USA or Saudi Arabia, you would be beaten into the ground so badly that there would be nothing left to arrest. I don’t recognize McGill anymore. In Toronto the demonstrators occupied Union Station and stopped transportation. Once again where are the police? Have they not heard of tear gas? Do they no longer use tasers to control violent protesters? You don’t have to taser a lot of them. Taser one and the other cowards will run away. These people are not French demonstrators from the 60s who knew how to dig up paving stones on the street and throw them at the cops. They are pro-Palestinians who are afraid of a good fight. If they really were tough and wanted to support the Palestinians, they would be in Gaza fighting

I blame the former Prime Minister, the mayor of Toronto, the mayor of Montreal and the Dean of McGill for letting this happen. This ‘protest’ should have been nipped in the bud 1 year ago when it first started. Instead it was allowed to occur resulting in an escalation in which saying ‘death to the Jews’ is a common occurrence and is no longer considered to be racist. Throwing paint or fire bombs at so called Jewish institutions is now considered to be one’s natural right to self expression. Is a bakery that sells bagel owned by citizens of Greek ancestry now considered to be a ‘Jewish Institution’ that must be stamped out. Last year I received a letter from the Dean of McGill saying that protest is a healthy reaction by students in a university setting. I warned him in a personal letter that of course was not answered, that violence will occur if nothing is done. Are they waiting for someone to be beaten up or killed for them to do something? Or will the reaction be ‘oh my, tut tut’. I received another letter from the same Dean on Holocaust Memorial Day saying that is a day of remembrance for the people that were killed in the Holocaust. So, to fight this racism, McGill has set up a committee to fight racism called the Committee to Fight Islamophobia and Antisemitism. Excuse me!! What does Islamophobia have to do with Holocaust Memorial day? Except for a few isolated incidents, where is there Islamophobia in Canada today? Islamophobia and Holocaust Memorial Day should not even be mentioned in the same sentence. As for the committee, why is Islamophobia and Antisemitism given equal footing in the name of the Committee. Islamophobia is obviously more important at McGill than Antisemitism or else the 2 words should have been placed in alphabetical order!!

Yesterday morning I met up with my cousin Richard and 3 of his friends in Richon le Tzion for a run on the beach. I told Richard that he could run at his pace and that I would catch up with him on his run back. He is a real gentleman and elected to run with me at my pace. We ran for 7.35 km which took about 1 hour. Of the 3 disciplines in a triathlon, running is my weakest. However, I can do 10 km if I pace myself. We ran on the beach without shoes mostly on the hard packed sand. There were some patches of shells on the beach so you had to be a little careful. Afterwards, we met up with his 3 friends at Golda’s where he treated me to an ice cream and a cappuccino. The portions of ice cream that they give you in a medium cup are enormous and delicious. I didn’t eat for the rest of the day. I hope that they invite me next week. Richard and I might do a long distance swim.

In the afternoon, I went out to the beach. After a hard week’s work on the IDF base topped off with Krav Maga, I think that I deserve a little R and R. As usual I swam out to the breakwater. There were big waves so I did some body surfing later in the afternoon. In the early evening I was back at my usual haunt, the laundromat, to do my weekly laundry. I am now quite good with the machines, knowing how to purchase soap with a coin, pay for the right machine with a credit card as they are numbered and starting the machine by pushing the start button. I even helped a newbie to get started with her machine.

Love,

Brian

My running team

My terrace and the view of the beach from the terrace

Never forget, Never forgive, Never again

2025-03 Israel

Israel 14,

April 3, 2025,

Hi Everyone,

We did a major cleanup last evening as it was our last night at the base. The planes were out all night and we could hear the bombing and shelling in Gaza. Hamas once again gave there nonsensical terms that they would give back some of the hostages if the Israelis withdraw completely, if they continue to remain in power and if some country rebuilds Gaza for them. They don’t seem to learn or even try to remember that it was they who started the war in the first place. 5000 Hamas came across the border, attacked a peaceful kibbutz as well as young people dancing at a music festival. They killed 1200 Israelis, wounded 2500, took 251 hostages and raped many women. Do they really believe that after 500 days that they can now go back to square one with no consequences? What other country in the world would accept this nonsense?

We were up early this morning for breakfast as we were taking the bus to Natanya for our Krav Maga session with the Grand Master. He is a heavy set 65 year old man who really knows his stuff. It is amazing how fast he can move if attacked from any angle. He emphasized how important it is to know one’s surroundings. A woman walking alone, carrying a purse, walking and talking at the same time on her cell phone is an easy target even if there are people around. Always be aware and constantly look around. In Krav Maga, speed is more important than strength. A small person reacting quickly can overcome a bigger, untrained assailant. A terrorist is a different story as he is often well trained to kill.

The Master would pick out one of us to demonstrate his craft. In practice you are supposed to pull your punches but it is not hard to accumulate a few bruises. Once he finished his demonstration, we would split up into pairs or groups of 3 to practice the movements. First we would do the movement in slow motion, gradually picking up speed both with the attack and with the defence. I think that we all learned quite a few defensive moves. Several of us said that they would try to continue practicing with a Krav Maga school on their return to their home country. There are half a dozen schools in Montreal, though not as many as karate or tae kwondo schools. I may or may not decide to continue in Montreal.

The class lasted a whole day at the Wingate Academy. We took the bus back to Tel Aviv and I checked into my usual Maxim Hotel. I then took the bus and train to the airport to get my car rental. I went out to eat at a great seafood restaurant with my friend from Grand Rapids Michigan.

Love,

Brian

Our shelter on the base. We have 45 seconds to get there

Brian

Modern Tel Aviv

Wingate Academy for the study of the science of athletics.

Dizengoff square (which is a circle) with pictures of the hostages and victims of Oct. 7

A great Tel Aviv restaurant

2025-03 Israel

Israel 11,

Mar. 31, 2025,

Hi Everyone,

We were up early this morning and had a change of pace. After breakfast and flag raising, our mahidrot asked for volunteers to paint. My hand and 2 other fellows hands shot up and all of a sudden I was a professional painter. We were driven off to a new place on base with several flat bed trailers which were in serious need of a paint job. We split into 2 groups, the red paint group and the yellow paint group. One fellow was in charge of scraping and dusting first. The red paint was very thick and specially made to go over rust and partially peeling paint. We worked for 2 hours, had a short coffee break and continued on to lunch. I tried to be careful about getting paint on myself. 1 of the fellows was less careful and spent some time at the wash basin with turpentine.

After lunch we had our Krav Maga session outside on the grass with a new instructor. We went over a few of the moves that we had learned from our previous session. We are now proficient at slow motion attack from behind, attack from the front or side with a head lock. All of the methods involve several quick moves to neutralize the attacker followed by punches, kicks and knee moves to disable the attacker. The fight is over in 5 seconds. Our instructor explained the 4 levels of defence, 1) don’t get into a situation where you will be compromised, 2) run away, 3) try to talk your way out including give him your money, 4) fight and in the situation there is no second chance. You must do what I described above.

The second part of the course was what to do if you are attacked by someone with a baseball bat or equivalent, a chain on another dangerous object. The natural defence is to back off. The real defence is to move in as close as possible to the attacker rendering his weapon useless. After that when you are as close as possible, you neutralize the attacker followed by quick blows to sensitive parts of his body and then recuperate his weapon and finish the job. For me personally, at my age, size and hair colour, I will try to stick to the first 3 levels of defence.

After the course, I waited an hour or two until it cooled off a little and then ran 6 km with one of my buddies. There was a slight breeze that made running more agreeable.

After supper we had a course on water supply in Israel. Israel is situated on a small piece of land, mostly desert and has a population of 9 million people. Some of the industry also requires a great deal of water. Israel has been at the forefront of water conservation. Some of the water comes from Sea of Galilee, some comes from the Jordon River. Unfortunately, the water from these 2 sources is 4% of what it used to be. There are some underground sources but Israel tries to preserve as much of this as possible. A large part of the water comes from 5 desalination plants which take water from the Mediterranean. 87% of water is recycled. These 2 sources are not used for drinking water. Israelis are also very careful of not wasting water such as not letting water just run when you are brushing your teeth.

One thing that the Israelis have not been up to par on is recycling. Right now they have other more important problems to deal with. Also most of the immigrants that Israel receives now come from countries that have no clue about recycling so the government must start from zero.

Tonight we are sitting outside on benches enjoying the night air. The conversation is varied as we come from many different backgrounds. Israel is once again on the offensive in order to get the hostages back. In the background we can hear the boom boom from bombing and shelling in Gaza.

Love,

Brian

2025-03 Israel

Israel 8,

Mar. 27, 2025,

Hi Everyone,

We were up bright and early this morning for our trip to Natanya where the Wingate Athletic Training Center is located. Students who come here for a 4 year course will graduate and go on to work and teach in the athletic field. It is also the home of Krav Maga Israel. Our instructor today was the head instructor and has the highest belt, 10th Dan rank. He is responsible for any innovations in the development of Krav Maga. The centre is beautiful and the athletic facilities are first class. There is also an iron dome rocket launcher on the campus.

Krav Maga is an Israeli self-defense method that was developed in Israel. It allows a person to defend him/herself against one or more attackers. It is not a sport in the true sense of the word. The attacker could be a person who wants to rob you or a terrorist. The former just wants to take your money. The latter wants to kill you and as many people as possible in a short period of time. He/she is often armed with a knife. The goal of Krav Maga is to teach you to defend yourself quickly in a close-contact situation. You must act immediately as there will be no second chance. The movements that you are taught allow you to disarm the aggressor in less than 1-2 seconds and then inflict damage on the aggressor so that he is down for the count in 2-3 seconds. Essentially, once you have moved quickly and aggressively, your aggressor will be neutralized. You are then in a position to hit with an open hand, punch, or kick your aggressor repeatedly until he cannot respond. He will not be able to attack you again. There was a way to neutralize more than one aggressor if necessary. The act is fast, furious, and mean, and the entire fight is over in 5 seconds at the most.

We started the session by introducing ourselves. We then paired off. I chose a bigger partner than my last one as I surmised that a person who wanted to attack me would be bigger. My partner was an American Army soldier with more notions than I had about self-defense. After a short warm-up session, our instructor showed us various attacks with the left and then the right hand. He showed us how to block the hand, move, and then hit the aggressor. He then demonstrated how to defend ourselves when attacked with a choke hold from the front, the back, and the sides. We practiced these moves until we had sore forearms. If he saw that we were not hitting hard enough, he came over to give us specific instructions. He asked me how old I was and addressed me as Doc afterward. He told us that an aggressor makes no distinction as to your age. Being older in our society does not give you a free pass. On the contrary, it could lead the aggressor to believe that you are an easy target. We asked him when he would think of stopping training. His response was that he would stop when they buried him.

We had lunch with the students. they all looked young and in very good shape. After lunch we were given 1 plastic knife per couple. He then showed us how to defend ourselves when attacked by an aggressor who is left handed or right handed and when the attack is from the front, from the side and from the back. The take away message was that you must practice the moves over and over again. Hopefully you will never be in a position to use them. Unfortunately that situation may come across once in a life time and could be the difference between life and death.

Love,

Brian

Iron dome rocket launcher on the right tilted at an angle.

2025-03 Israel

Israel 2,

Mar. 21, 2025,

Hi Everyone,

I spent the last 2 days packing and unpacking, trying to take the least amount of necessities. I have an IDF army uniform for 2 weeks and an MDA uniform for 2 weeks so I really don’t need a lot of clothes. Finally I reduced my life to what I could put into a carry on and something called a personal belongings sack. My clothes fit into the carry on and my medical supplies and electronics fit into the personal belongings sack. 55 years ago I travelled for 1 year with 7 lbs of luggage. I really think that my medical supplies weigh more than that and I consider myself to be in good shape. As for the electronics, you don’t realize how many wires, adapters and chargers that you need to carry when you are at home.

I arrived in Israel yesterday in the pouring rain, a phenomenon that is rare at this time of year. At the last moment before leaving Montreal I managed to throw a raincoat into my already bulging carry-on and it became of use to me on my first day here. Apparently, it has been 25C-30C all week but the temperature dropped just for me to make it easier for me to acclimatize. I managed to take the correct train to Tel Aviv without getting lost and then bought an Israeli bus-train card that you fill up with shekels to travel with. It is a good system. It’s hard to believe that 3 weeks ago I was skiing in -24C and in +15C last weekend.

I am staying at the Maxim Hotel which is where all the volunteers stay so it is easy to make friends here. I am across the road from the beach but the water is rough, cold and uninviting. The manager, came over to me right away and greeted me with an Israeli hug. I stayed here for 2 months last year. I met up with a few friends that I had known last year. People tend to come the same weeks from year to year as it probably fits in with their personal schedules. I went out to dinner with a Dutch friend that I knew from last year. We went out to an Italian style restaurant. As I have said before, if you are in a foreign country and are unsure of the food, you can always find a good Italian restaurant. The restaurants are great here and there is a lot of variety.

Today I went to Carmel market and met up with 2 Spanish ladies for lunch. They have lived in Venezuela, Spain, France, Spanish Morocco and Miami and speak several languages. In spite of what we hear in the news, they say that there is very little antisemitism in Spain except for the government which is left wing and therefore pro-Palestinian. On the other hand antisemitism is very prevalent in Holland except for the government which is right wing and pro-Israel. It is hard to decide which side we should dance with.

There has been isolated rocket fire from Hamas. They always seem to be running out of food, on the verge of a humanitarian crisis and starving because of the ‘genocide.’ They never seem to run out of rockets. The dichotomy is that in spite of their hardships, the population is increasing. The night before I came, the sirens went off in Tel Aviv and people had to rush to a shelter. The Houthis fired a missile at Tel Aviv that had to be taken out by the iron dome. Their missiles are dangerous as they are very big, long range and probably more accurate. I guess that they knew that I was coming and wanted to welcome me here. Last year the Houthis fired missiles, rockets and drones at me while I was in Eilat forcing me to take shelter in a converted sewer pipe. I am beginning to take this

The war ends when 1 side drops their weapons, gets on their knees, puts their hands over their heads and says don’t shoot. That has always been the rule of warfare. Cease fire only means, that the Israelis cease, and they reload and fire. That is what they have been doing for 80 years. We want the hostages home now. I don’t believe that there will be another cease fire until they hand over the hostages and Hamas relinquishes power.

Love ,

Brian

2025-03 Israel

Israel 1,

Oct. 19, 2025,

Hi Everyone,

I am in the airport waiting for my plane to take off. 1 year ago at the same time, I left for Israel. At the time, Israel was in the middle of a war. I volunteered to work on an IDF army base and on an MDA ambulance as a physician eventually staying for 2 months. I didn‘t know what to expect. Now I do. I loved the experience. At the time I knew that I would go back but I was not sure when. After watching the events of the past year, it became obvious to me that the ‘when’ was going to be ‘now’.

This time I volunteered to work on the IDF base for 2 weeks and then spend 2 weeks on an MDA ambulance as a paramedic rather than a physician. MDA is not officially taking foreign physicians now but with my contacts, I was able to secure a place on an ambulance.

I have written to all my friends and relatives in Israel and should be able to visit with all of them.

I had a busy year since returning from Israel in May. I spent 2 months renovating my 3 boats. I suppose that one could ask if I really need to own 3 boats. But that is another question and another discussion. I played 80 games of hockey. I raced my sailboat. I am on the Canadian National Triathlon Team Age Group 75-79 and did the World Championships for Canada in Torremolinos Spain. I did a motorcycle trip and visited my friends in France last fall. In the winter I skied 34 days, teaching skiing on Fridays and working with the Ski Patrol on Sundays. I wrote about all these adventures in my blog.

I will fly with Air Austria, landing in Vienna tomorrow and then on to Tel Aviv. I will be on the beach tomorrow afternoon. I have 2 days off in Tel Aviv staying at the same hotel as last year. Most of the volunteers stay at the hotel. It is very easy to meet people who come from all over the world. They all come from highly intellectual backgrounds so the discussions around the dinner table is always high level.

We had a cease-fire for a few weeks and everyone was hoping that it would hold. Hamas refuses to give up the hostages without being allowed to hold onto power. This is unacceptable to the Israelis and hence the bombing campaign started yesterday. J’entre dans la guelle du loup.

When I told people that I was return to Israel, I receive a very positive response. I sent out email invitations to friends and family and received over 50 emails of encouragement. I am happy.

I have lived my entire life in Canada and have never personally, until recently, experienced any act of antisemitism against me..
My great grandparents came here and made lives for themselves. My grand parents came here and made lives for themselves. My parents were born here. My father spent 6 years in the Canadian Army fighting for freedom and democracy. Of the 21 young fellows that my father trained with, 9 came home. My father was in a truck as a corporal and had 2 drivers. He lost 4 drivers.
I was born here. My children and grandchildren were born here.

The contribution to society by Jewish people can not be compared to any other race or nationality. Michael Dell is Jewish. A number of executives of Apple and Microsoft are Jewish. If the BDS movement wants to desist from Jewish companies, let them stop using computers. Waze is an Israeli GPS. Don’t use it to protest Israel and get lost. Nvidia makes games. Don’t play them. Many medications were developed in Israel. Don’t take them and use natural medicines. The USB is an Israeli invention. Just write on paper and mail letters. Don’t watch Hollywood movies because they are nothing but Jewish propaganda. Jews make up 0.2% of the world population and have received 22% on Nobel prizes. The list is endless.
I never thought that I would see what I am witnessing now. What kind of world am I leaving to my children?

If you had told me on October 6 that I would be going to war, I would have thought that you were crazy.
On Oct 7, I made the grave decision to go to war. I spent 4 weeks on an IDF base and 4 weeks on an MDA ambulance. I was bombed twice. I treated 100 cases, car accidents, motorcycle accidents, heart attacks, choking, and suicides. I was often 1km from Gaza. I trained 74 years for those 2 months.

People asked me if I was ever afraid. Never! If there is speed or danger, I get exhilarated. I once asked a young girl about the war. She replied, ‘We did not want or ask for the war. We have confidence in our army. We have confidence in ourselves. We are not afraid.’ After 3 weeks in Israel I adopted the same reasoning. Israel stands alone. They will never trust or allow any country to be responsible for their security. If you read my blog you may have noticed that at the beginning, I talked about the Israelis doing this or that. After 3 weeks I changed the noun, ’the Israelis’ to the pronoun “we”.

Will I return to Israel in the near future? That all depends if Hezbollah ‘invites’ me. I myself have decided on a ‘red line’ which if crossed, would force my hand for an immediate return. My finger is on the trigger. My contribution however small it was, was not negligible. I could leave for Israel with 7 days notice.

During the 8 weeks I renewed acquaintances with my 4 cousins and their families, one of whom came to Canada for a visit. It has not been easy for us in the diaspora. Although I have not personally experienced any direct antisemitism, I have observed anti Israel demonstrations on a weekly basis. I recently attended an Oct 7 memorial. There were 1000 students present in front of McGill. It was very sad. There were speeches and everyone sang Hatikva and Jerusalem (Yerushaliam). I also attended a memorial service in Hampstead Park. There were 4000 people present. One lady who had lost her son at the Nova festival spoke. Another young woman from the kibbutz that was attacked also spoke. It was very peaceful. At the same time, there was a pro-Palestinian march from Concordia University to McGill. They broke windows all along Sherbrooke Street. They climbed the Rodrick Gates at McGill, spray painted the buildings and broke windows. Finally the police were called and used tear to disperse the crowd. Good for them! Their old chant was ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’. Can any of them name, which river and which sea? The latest chant is ‘we don’t want 2 states, we go back to 48’. Do any of them know what was decided by the UN in 47?

I am 75 year of age. I will not live to see the end of this. My children will ask ‘how could you not see this coming?’ My grandchildren will say ‘why did you do nothing to prevent it?’ I have no answer for them.

I am in the 4th quarter of my 4th and final quarter of my life. The world is a lousy place. I am glad that I am leaving it soon. Hoping to hear from you.

Brian
brianmorrrismd@gmail.com

All

All my bags are packed
I’m ready to go
I’m standin’ here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin’
It’s early morn
The taxi’s waitin’
He’s blowin’ his horn
Already I’m so lonesome
I could die
So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you’ll wait for me
Hold me like you’ll never let me go
‘Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane
Don’t know when I’ll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

Love,

Brian