Two days ago we had the largest air-raid drill Israel has ever experienced.  From the Lebanon border to the Red Sea all towns and villages heard the sirens blast for a couple minutes.  They were very loud and many who didn’t know it was a drill panicked.  Joel told me that he was in the Marina when they went off and there were some Turkish Crew member who thought we were being attacked, they were truly frightened. 

The only reason I am telling you this a couple days late is I felt you might want to know that in the 59 years Israel has never had such an air-raid drill.  It was taken so serious that in many cities they even practiced how to attend to casualties in the event of a Biological or Chemical attack. 

You would think we were doing this mainly because of the Iranian nuclear threat, but that is not what I think.  I think it is because Hezbollah and Syria may be planning an attack and Israel knows that Syria has armed many of its long range missiles with chemical and possibly biological warheads.  They believe they have learnt from this failed war in Lebanon with a Terrorist Group Hezbollah that Israel can be beaten, they no longer see the IDF that defeated all the Arab armies in just 6 days, they see a weaken IDF and one with even weaker leadership in Olmert.

The situation in Gaza that could have been taken care of by the IDF in a matter of few weeks is now completely another story this government has simply refused to stop the shelling of Israeli Town in the western Negev.  Jews all over this country feel deserted by the Olmert government.  Not only did they lose the war this past summer but they are allowing our enemies to build up their forces for what promises to be a far more serious war with many more of us killed.  Add to that the fact that most of the Jews who were driven from their home by the Disengagement are still homeless and with out a way to support their families. 

What Sharon and Olmert have done to Israel can never be forgiven and why they are still in office is beyond me and why Israelis are not out in the streets protesting this corrupt government is also beyond rational thought.  The Winograd report is due out before Pessah (Passover) and it promises to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Amir Peretz and former Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Dan Halutz.  But no one I know believes Olmert will resign, it is just not in his agenda. He will have to be forced out of office, but how remains to be seen. There will be a lot of serious conversation around the Seder Tables this Pessah and much of it will not be about the deliverance from Egypt but the needed deliverance from this corrupt government before it is to late for Israel.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, for our son Joel and all the IDF soldiers.  Pray for this Ministry and your part in it.  Shalom, jerry golden