What's happening here in the staging area [area where soldiers prepare to enter Gaza] is beyond comprehension, not rationally, not emotionally and beggars the imagination. 

Almost every hour a car shows up overflowing with food, snacks, cold drinks, socks, underwear, undershirts, hygiene supplies, wipes, cigarettes, backgammon and more. They're coming from the North and the Center, from manufacturers, from companies and private businesses, from prisons, Chareidim and Settlers, from Tel Aviv and even Saviyon. 

This needs to be seen by a much wider audience than just Hebrew-speakers. It has totally left me stunned and with tears in my eyes.
With love to all, as well as prayers for a safe and healthy return of
all our soldiers, and a secure future for the State of Israel.

Analysis of the Situation: The State of Israel was facing an existential threat for the first time since the War of Independence.
By their deaths, the three youths saved the State of Israel.

(The authors are members of the board of the Religious Zionists of America. This is the eighth in a series. To view previous installments, please visit www.phillyreligiouszionists.org/lessons-from-the-gaza-war/.)

With Hamas reeling from Israel's military strikes, Secretary of State John Kerry is rushing to the Middle East--to try to get Israel to cease firing. 
Bad move. Rescuing Hamas should not be on America's agenda.
The vaguely pro-Israel rhetoric emanating from the White House in the first days of the war helped keep Congress and the American Jewish community from criticizing the Obama administration. But it did not reflect the administration's true feelings.
 

news source: Arutzsheva

Shocking testimony from hospitalized soldiers reveals extent of Hamas’ use of children as human shields.

Children in Gaza

news source: TheYeshivaWorld

(Monday, July 21st, 2014)

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Above Image: Yoni Oberstein with his mother,  Mrs. Faige Oberstein]

For budgetary and logistical reasons,  some of the brave soldiers of the IDF are lacking proper or optimal safety equipment. Sadly, the casualties are far too high already, and we want to do all that we can to provide protection that could avoid further loss of life R’L.

We have been in direct contact with Yoni, the son of Rabbi & Mrs. Oberstein of the Baltimore community, who is actively in service in Gaza. His answer to the offers for help from overseas  was clear, they need more bullet proof vests.

news source: Jerusalem Online

IDF spokesperson published the name of staff sergeant Evyatar Turjeman, 20 year old from Beit Shea’an, killed in a fight with militants in Gaza.

Staff sergeant Evyatar Turjeman

The authors are members of the board of the Religious Zionists of America. This is the seventh in a series. To view previous installments, please visit www.phillyreligiouszionists.org/lessons-from-the-gaza-war/.)

A simple cease-fire in Gaza would give Hamas time to re-arm and renew its terrorist activities.
The demilitarization of Gaza would put an end to Hamas's terrorist activities.
Which goal makes more sense?

I discovered that Jews are not bad,” says Ala Wahib, an operations officer at a key IDF training base, and the highest-ranked Muslim officers in the Israeli army.

“I am the operations officer at the IDF ground forces training base at Tze’elim,” Ala Wahib says at the start of our conversation, his eyes twinkling with excitement. “I am like the mother and father of that place,” he adds. “The only thing is that I don’t really have anyone to share it with, so I make sure to pat myself on the back every now and again, and say ‘dude, you’re awesome. Look how far you’ve come.’”

July 16th, 2014:

Our son Yoni , who lives in Israel and served in the IDF,called a little
while ago that he received a call and he is going to a meeting point and
then will be taken to Gaza. I asked him what his job is in the army and he
told me that his unit is in charge of making sure that no one is left
behind. Yonoson Dovid Ben Feiga besoch col hayalei tzvah Hagana L'Yisroel

Elchonon and Feigi Oberstein

Jewish Unity  Acheinu Kol Bais Yisrael (from the print WWW)

There is an anecdote from the early days of the Chasidic movement. The grandson of Rabbi Akiva Eiger was drawn to chasidus, and his family objected. Once, when he returned from a long stay in Kotzk, his father asked him what he had learned there. He answered “I learned that there is a Ribono Shel Olam (G-d).”

The father called in the maid and asked her if there was a G-d and she answered, “Of course.”

“You see,” the father said, “she didn’t go to Kotzk, and she knows, so what did you accomplish?”

The son answered,”Zi sogt, uber ich veis – She says, but I know.”

“The Power of His Mind, the Softness of His Heart”

It was the first day of shiva. Three local rabbis came in and asked us, “How did your father raise you? We need to hear as much as possible!” That question was repeated throughout the shiva, and I began to realize that the true question was, “What was it like to have a gadol for a father?”