The devastating forest fire in northern Israel which killed 40 prison wardens who were traveling through the area on a bus has brought forth an encouraging international response. Ynet reports:
Israeli authorities are expecting to receive some 20 firefighting aircraft Thursday night from Greece, Cyprus Spain, Croatia, Azerbaijan and Russia to help in the effort to contain the northern blaze that claimed at least 40 lives.
And this:
Despite the great diplomatic tensions vis-à-vis Israel, Turkish officials announced that they too will be sending two firefighting airplanes.
It should be recalled that Israeli rescue teams are usually among the first to arrive in disaster areas - as they did, for example, following the terrible earthquake in Turkey in 1999. Notwithstanding the political calculations that invariably contribute to a decision to send humanitarian aid, it’s heartening to see similar urgency in responding to Israel during its hour of need.
Watch this report from Richard Landes on PJTV. (You can’t embed their material so click on the link.)
AJC, the advocacy organization which sponsors Z Word, has teamed up with leading Israeli humanitarian NGO IsraAID to send medical teams to Haiti. IsraAID’s staff are carrying medicines, hygiene kits and other much needed supplies with them. We’ve all seen the appalling toll from the earthquake - 50,000 dead and 3 million homeless by the current count - so please, give as generously as you can. You can make an online donation here.
It was, according to Radio Netherlands, “an abnormally harsh comment.” The New York Times said it was “unusually blunt.”
Continue reading ‘Gaza and the “Unusually Blunt” ICRC’
Check out this very interesting blog maintained by the Israeli Embassy in London. There will be those who will insist that the statistics are fabricated, but those with open minds should look at the data gathered here before jumping to the conclusion that the Gaza operation is a war against civilians.
