# 441 – Our Hotels Are Full

Our Hotels are Full

The 50,000 rooms in Eilat are currently occupied by 60,000 guests. Evacuees.

Same story along the Dead Sea and into Jerusalem. The government has promised some compensation to the hotel industry. The hotel industry itself is ‘helping’ with the financing, although that’s a very touchy subject. Practically all hotels belong to international chains, and they must not be seen as ‘overstepping’ the ‘help-Israel’ divide.

The ‘London Blitz’ mentality has taken over the country. Thanks to Hamas, the country has come together. Or, let’s say, politics has taken a step backwards.

Unquestionably, the politicians who helped split this country down the middle know who they are, and know they will be in trouble. Ben Gvir, Smotrich, Deri and several other of the extremists will be out. That I can promise. Bibi should be out, but I have made it clear how little I trust democracy – anywhere!

And again, the question: “How can you justify the killing of thousands of innocent civilians?” or worse “..the disproportionate killing…?”. Of course, there is not only no good or right answer. There is no answer. The classic rhetorical question.

I would answer: “Please explain”.

I remember the Grisham book about the father who shoots a man for killing his son. He is eventually found innocent. Well, we are trying to shoot he who killed our 1,400 in the cruellest way; who took 240 hostages and is now playing with their lives. I’m sorry, World, you really do not know what it is like to walk in our shoes. We thought you knew, because we’ve been here before. But you’ve forgotten; some still deny the previous horror’s existence. I’ve already seen some who actually deny Oct 7; painting it with lies and excuses, with accusations of previous Jewish crimes.

I’ve often mentioned our fantastic friend, Manfred Goldberg, who has been spending much of his later life telling what happened to him, to his family, to his people, those 80 years ago. The World’s behaviour in the wake of Oct 7 means that we shall need more Manfreds, and even that may not be enough. Where did humanity go wrong?

In addition to the monumental mistakes made by Israeli military intelligence on Oct 7, Netanyahu is also accused of empowering Hamas over recent years, so that he has more excuse to move to the right and expand his plans for the settlements etc. I’m not the judge. Just by bringing the subject up, I’m playing with fire.

I still hang on to the hope that we shall get past this, as we have so many other crises. After this catastrophic war, we shall pick up the pieces, repair our families and our fences, remind the ‘modern Arab’ neighbours who the real enemies are, who we are, and how much we need each other. Our Palestinian cousins, at least the Israeli ones, will heave a sigh of relief and will also spit on the graves of Hamas.

I am ready for the reactions to the last paragraph. But we really do not have a choice. This is our home. They are our neighbours. We have never tried to be colonialists, like, in recent times the British, French, Belgian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch etc. etc. We really have tried to be a ‘Light unto all nations’. It is so sad that many have a problem accepting that.

Stephen