"When You will have prepared the slaughter
for the blaspheming foe,
Then I shall complete with a song of hymn
the dedication of the Altar."
(Words matter.)
I assume everyone has heard that ISRAEL IS ON FIRE in the Carmel Mountains. At least 42 are dead.
Some hold that this was arson, a terrorist attack.
According to an unconfirmed report on rotter.net, Radio Haifa reported that Arabs have been dancing in the streets of Furadis, just south of Haifa, in celebration of the deadly fire.
photo from sharon_bf at twitpic
Though video cannot possibly capture a fire of this magnitude, there are several attempts at WeJew.com ~ go to the Featured category and you'll find them at the top.
42 Dead in Fire, Most were on Prisons Service Bus
Dozens of security personnel, many from the Israel Prisons Service, perished in the fire that has been raging on the Carmel Mountain since Thursday morning. Twenty two people were confirmed dead by 7:00 PM Thursday and 14 more bodies were reported found shortly after 10:00 PM. The total number of dead originally estimated at 40, has been raised to 42.
36 of the victims were IPS cadets, most of them Druze, who were in their 20's. They were being transported on a bus after assisting in the evacuation of the Damon Prison. At a certain point the fire began spreading at great speed – covering a mile in five minutes, according to a firefighting officer – and the bus was caught in the flames with no chance of getting out.
More: 'My Cadets burned alive'
Members of Prison Service officers course almost all perished in Carmel fire disaster. Among few survivors: Three cadets who were late in catching bus; six mothers who stayed home; three who escaped fire
From the wire services, via Breitbart:
"The bus tried to turn around and some tried to get away but they were caught by the fire from two different directions," [police spokesman Micky] Rosenfeld told AFP, saying two police officers and third person were still missing.
"We still haven't searched areas like Beit Oren (kibbutz) which were very badly burned so we are not sure what we are going to find, and the toll may still rise," he said.
At the temporary command centre set up at Haifa University, convoys of fire engines were roaring in and out and police were struggling to direct traffic, all under a huge mushroom cloud of smoke, an AFP correspondent at the scene said.
"It looks like a nuclear explosion," observed one bystander....
.... There are only 1,500 firefighters operating across Israel, a number widely accepted as woefully inadequate for a country of 7.6 million people, prompting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to urgently appeal for international help.
Uncle Avigdor can always be counted on for a dose of painful truth:
Israel knew there was a shortage of firefighting planes, according to Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who added that the issue would be taken up by Friday morning's Cabinet meeting.
"There is no doubt we are dealing with a disaster the likes of which we have never known," Lieberman told Israel Radio. "The issue of firefighting planes was discussed a number of times… It's been spoken about but here nothing moves until a disaster occurs," he said.
See also BtB June 8, 2010:
Firefighters Needed on the Frontline of the Free World - in ISRAEL
.... Some 384 Firefighters are needed if we are to be able to fully reinforce the 24 front line Israeli crews now in theater....
The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports this statement from the Prime Minister, well worth reading:
"We are in a very harsh event. We have over 40 dead. People are missing; people are injured. Many of these people perished in admirable courage and sacrificed themselves in order to save others. I would like to note our participation in the families' grief and we send wishes for a rapid recovery for the wounded. We know that approximately 15,000 Israelis have been evacuated from their homes. We support them and we will take care of them. We will see to all the rebuilding, renovation and compensation as necessary in order to restore them to normal life. We will rehabilitate the Carmel with as national reconstruction plan.
I would like to praise the work being done in the field that is being carried out with exemplary cooperation.... I would also like to thank Israel's citizens who have shown patience and equanimity, and are heeding directions in an exemplary manner...
Our first goal is that there be no more loss of life. To this end, I gave instructions yesterday, which are being carried out, for evacuations whenever there is even the slightest concern that the fire might reach communities or neighborhoods. This is being carried out in an exemplary manner.
The second thing is to recognize the fact that our firefighting measures cannot provide an answer to forest fires of this magnitude, especially in the face of such winds. We do not have such equipment. Only airborne forces have such equipment and since yesterday we have been in contact with many foreign governments, in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry and Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman, in order to bring these forces to Israel.
At this stage, four aircraft have arrived from Greece. I would like to thank my friend and colleague, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, who responded immediately, and the mobilization here is exceptional, with all the crews and their logistical support.
I would also like to thank Cypriot President Demetris Christofias for dispatching a plane and a helicopter. The response was immediate, the aircraft are here.I would also like to thank UK Prime Minister David Cameron. Two British helicopters from Cyprus are here. All of these forces are helping us.
I would like to thank Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan [!], who offered and sent two planes, which are here; we welcome this.
I would like to thank Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov for sending 100 firefighters, who are here.
I would like to thank Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin who sent a very large Russian plane, perhaps the largest of its kind in the world, which is en route. It will be here this afternoon.
We have also received aid and very generous offers of assistance from Egypt, Azerbaijan, Spain, Croatia, France and Jordan. I think that this symbolizes the unprecedented response to my appeal, to our appeal, for international assistance. This is important to the State of Israel in every respect, especially that of putting out the fires.
We are also in contact with the US. We are checking into the possibility of bring more planes here, if it becomes necessary, and from Canada as well. We have already hired an American plane from a private company, a 'supertanker' that will arrive here tomorrow afternoon.We are in he midst of a disaster of international proportions and we must use all forces, first of all to extinguish the fire; that is the first goal.
We will also organize two things: First, at the Sunday Cabinet meeting, we will submit a national plan to deal with all of the needs of those who were injured and are in distress, and next week we will submit for Cabinet decision and implementation a plan to purchase aircraft."
So where was Waldo? In a creepy juxtaposition, we find Hussein Obama - surrounded by his court Jews - having a Chanukah "reception" at the White House.
I can't imagine that The Won could say anything that would appease me, but I found this bit of his speech to be a real kick in the stomach, given his support of a ban on Jewish construction in the Jewish state, including the capital city.
.... It’s a story of ancient Israel....
... a small band of believers, led by Judah Maccabee, rose up to take back their city and free their people. And when the Maccabees entered the temple, the oil that should have lasted for a single night ended up burning for eight.
That miracle gave hope to all those who had been struggling in despair. And in the 2,000 years since, in every corner of the world, the tiny candles of Hanukkah have reminded us of the importance of faith and perseverance. They have illuminated a path for us when the way forward was shrouded in darkness..... Let us ... think of those for whom these candles represent not just a triumph of the past, but also hope for the future -- the men, women and children of all faiths who still suffer under tyranny and oppression....
Meanwhile, of course, the Obama regime is shoving money as fast as it can into the coffers of the "Palestinian Authority" which then passes on a whopping 58 pct. to HAMAS in Gaza.
.... Abbas plans to define a PA state in Judea and Samaria as “Palestinian,” and has stated that no Jews will remain in any territory under PA control.
He expressed satisfaction with the Obama administration's stance on Israel, saying that the United States has come closer to supporting the PA position. The PA and the Arab world should continue to focus on de-legitimizing Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria and the Jewish nature of the state of Israel, instead of putting its efforts into terrorism, he said.
What could go wrong, my friends? Happy Chanukah?
Posted by: Mannie Sherberg | Friday, 03 December 2010 at 12:00 PM
Posted by: Olivia | Monday, 06 December 2010 at 05:05 PM
Posted by: Timberland Store | Monday, 21 November 2011 at 04:30 PM