Yohay Elam

Today I’ve attended another demonstration against the war. I was taking a nap when my phone rang. The voice on the other side said: I understand that you are not at the demonstration. I asked him what demonstration he was talking about and when he told me the details I realized that it was near my house. Here are all the pictures.

So, there I was, amongst the red communist flags, the green-black-red Palestinian flags and other small groups. As in the previous demonstration 2 weeks ago, it was mostly the “usual suspects”, with Stalin’s image as well (got you on camera!), and hardly any mainstreamers.

At least there were more people than the last time. Maybe next Saturday, August 12th, there will be more people. It will be exactly one month since the war broke out.

I hope that the next demonstration will see more sights like the first photo and less like the second one.

Other than that, Tel Aviv is business as usual. I’ve been to 2 parties (or social get togethers) this weekend, involving different people. There was one conversation about someone called for reserve service. Except that, I haven’t participated or overheard a conversation about the war. Life goes on. Nasrallah threats don’t bother anybody…

I follow Ingrid and Mash in a ‘domino post’ calling to release the kidnapped Israeli soldiers. As an Israeli, its obvious that this is something I want, goes withot saying. I liked their initiative, and I follow.

Tonight on Larry King Live, Ehud Goldwasser’s father and wife appeared to plea for his safe return. Ehud Goldwasser is one of two Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah on July 12. It was the precipitating event of this spasm of violence.

Karnit Goldwasser, Ehud’s wife, made an emotional plea to the wives of Hezbollah for information about his health and safety. When Ehud’s father, Shlomo Goldwasser, spoke about his efforts to free his son, his voice trembled with the quiet anguish of a parent:

KARNIT GOLDWASSER, WIFE OF KIDNAPPED ISRAELI SOLDIER: First of all, I want to thank the people who brought us here to speak to you. I ask the wives of Hezbollah to help me to get a sign that Ehud and Dan are still alive and to know if something happened to them, if they are injured or not.

KING: Shlomo, you’ve heard nothing?

SHLOMO GOLDWASSER, FATHER OF KIDNAPPED ISRAELI SOLDIER: Nothing. It’s now the 23rd day since Ehud was kidnapped. We’ve heard nothing.

KING: Shlomo, what are you doing in the United States?

S. GOLDWASSER: You know, there is no school in the world to teach you what to do when your son is kidnapped. And I was thrown into this situation in the fraction of a second on the 12th of July. And judging what to do, what are the tools to bring him back, I found that there is not so many tools in my hand, and the only one that is in my hands, with the help of you, is the media. I am using it and I’m going everywhere, everywhere that I can raise my voice and have some people to hear me. And you’re doing a great job.

It seems to me that there has been too much death already in this war. Too many parents have lost their children. There has been enough death. Enough.

I still believe if both sides of this conflict could start to see each other as human beings, as mothers and fathers, as brothers and sisters, as sons and daughters, this madness that is destroying generations would come to an end. The beginning of the end can start here. It can start with the safe return of Ehud Goldwasser and his two brothers in arms.

I ask all bloggers who read this post, as a gesture of peace and good will, to repost this plea on your blogs. Ask the same of those who read your posts. Let this plea spread across the blogosphere. Perhaps this plea will be posted on the blogs of our Arab and Lebanese friends. Perhaps this plea will make a difference in saving at least one life.

Regardless of which side of the conflict you are on, let us come together on the shared belief in the sanctity of life. Arabs, Israelis, Lebanese, Palestinians, Americans, Jews, and Muslims will still have to live together after the guns fall silent.

This may seem like a naive plea while the bombs and missiles continue to take their deadly toll, but the bombs aren’t working too well – perhaps its time to find some humanity in this madness.