From the Front Line in Haifa

 (From the front line in Haifa - thanks to Jeanine Hirschhorn)

Israel is under siege from her enemies.  Iran's 180 . . . or 200 . . . or 300 . . . or 500 depending on which reportage you indulge . . .missile barrage fell on central/southern/eastern Israel. Plenty of Pulizer-worthy images of interceptors  lighting up Israel's evening skies from Beersheva to Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and Iran missiles sailing over the Kotel and Al Aqsa.  Except for the north, no one was spared. Even the West Bank took a direct hit, killing one Palestinian in a village near Jericho.  An irony no medium outside of Israel will report.

While the rest of Israel was under siege from Iran's missiles, the North was outside of Iran's kill zone and quiet.  Well, except for the terrorists who've been lobbing rockets - whose explosions I sometimes hear and have to do the bomb shelter dash due to constant missiles all over the north/far north of Israel for the past 10 days. Directly after Iran's ballistic missile barrage, the terrorists lobbed a few rockets into a couple of border towns. Just so we wouldn't feel left out, I guess.  

Other terrorists (from Hebron) murdered 6 and 7 were wounded - or murdered 8 and 17 were wounded depending on which reportage you indulge - at a light-rail station near Yaffo.  Terrorists walked off the train and began shooting.  The terrorists were shot dead.  

IDF tanks continue to roll north on the road to Beirut. They've done it so many times, no doubt they didn't even bother to access Google Maps.  I had hoped they'd finally eliminate the above-mentioned terrorists who've been lobbing rockets all over the north.  But nope, they're still lobbing, last lob was at 08:54.

The Gaza battle continues, largely muted by newer battles and fronts.  The fate of Israel's 101 Hamas captives fades in the press of more existential demands. 

Some of the more responsible media are finally calling this war what it has been all along; not Israel versus "Palestine" or Gaza or even Hezbollah, but Israel versus Iran and Iran's pursuit via jihad for regional power and control. 

Rosh Hashana, which begins in  a few hours, is going to be a bust this year. All public Rosh Hashana celebrations are cancelled. So are Yom Kippur commemorations.  But one can hope for something that passes for a festive atmosphere for the week of Sukkot.  Maybe.