A suicide bomber appeared from a tunnel and in the ensuing melee, Hadar was seen dragged down into the abyss and two soldiers killed. His comrades desperately followed him down into the tunnel but came up only with a part of his shirt. The tunnel led to a mosque. No surprise there.
When I woke up this morning hearing that the truce was agreed to, it severely dampened my mood. Here we go again. We were going to tolerate the terror den on our door step - until the next round. I felt pain for the families who might feel their loved ones died in vain, as some of the parents whose sons fell in the first two"rounds" since we fled from terror in the disastrous 2005 "Disengagement" from Gaza have said..
The media was already pontificating about what kind of an agreement we would have with Hamas to ensure "as much quiet as possible for as long as possible".
Events occur so quickly and so unexpectedly here that one just senses that we can not really be in control. And so, once again God hardened the hearts of our enemies and they did the one thing that could possibly bring the Jews of Israel back to their senses - they abducted a soldier.
Gaza has always been home to barbaric peoples. King Saul fell on his sword so as to avoid falling into the hands of the Philistines, the sea-people who lived in Gaza during his reign and David's elegy for him keened - "Do not tell it in Gath...so the daughters of the Philistines will not rejoice..". Samson was blinded in Gaza.
We captured scores of theirs. They don't seem to be too concerned. We are not shooting off fire works to gloat over a prisoner.
This afternoon, as every Friday, the "Women in Black" staged their protest "against the occupation" at Jerusalem's Paris Square.
How shall I describe that experience. I can't. They are the home crowd rooting for the opposing team or, just maybe, the most foolish useful idiots in history. I do not think there is anything our enemies can do to change their mindset. Fascinating.
When he popularized hand shaking with our enemies, so as to get the Nobel Prize for Peace, he caused Israelis to lose all direction, except the one, that if followed, led out of their country. But that is fine with Peres. He sees Israel as another Singapore, just too far away to be part of his "New Middle East".. How big is Singapore any way?
Maybe just maybe, the abduction of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, engaged to be married in six weeks, please G-d, will bring us back to ourselves. Maybe this time.
May God help him and us.