When Waze Stops Working, You Know You Have Entered A War Zone
May 7, 2024 - Issue #50 - Updated May 8, 2024 with a correction
After spending a few days interviewing people in Tel Aviv for my forthcoming book about Israel’s struggles in the information space, I headed north. My first stop was a visit with Sheri Oz in Haifa. She is the author of the Israel Diaries Newsletter which I suggest you check out. From there, I journeyed on to Nahariya, a northern Israel city about six miles from the border with Lebanon.
Just as I entered Haifa, about twenty miles from Lebanon, Waze stopped working. It was a victim of Israel’s GPS jamming throughout the north, done in hopes of disrupting Hezbollah’s drone and rocket guidance systems. I don’t know if it confuses incoming missiles, but it confused me—making me yearn for a map as I meandered through Haifa’s convoluted roadwork, dependent on Sheri’s voice directions to find her home. And, as I later learned, GPS disruption impacts many businesses operating in the region that rely on customer navigation to find them or that provide delivery and taxi services that rely on GPS.
After a brief meet and greet, Sheri took me to a local café adjacent to the beach. It was idyllic, a clear local favorite, and peaceful. But the war did not leave us. From there, Sheri told me, locals could hear probably Iron Dome to take out a Hezbollah missile in the sky. And while there, I met two soldiers, both in civilian clothes, one with a toddler, and the other relaxing.
The father spoke about his job as sort of a psychologist/social worker for the IDF. He is attached to a combat unit that fights in Gaza. Today, he was comforting his child, but on most days, he eases the emotional pain of men at war. He said that the stories that will come out of what soldiers face in Gaza will far surpass the trauma fighters experienced during the 1967 and 1973 wars. That came as no surprise to me. These men and women must fight in tunnels and built-up areas, swivel 360 degrees to dodge ambushes and avoid hidden bombs, all while making life and death snap decisions that impact themselves and the lives of terrorists and civilians they encounter. In that type of threat environment, it is impossible to relax, nobody can be perfect, and especially because of what they must see and do, it must be a struggle to retain sanity and strength of purpose. But somehow, most manage. It should come as no surprise that the seemingly universal opinion of older generations in Israel is awe for the younger generation fighting this war.
The other soldier had a much different job. He is an “ambusher” that lays in wait along the Lebanese border, camouflaged and ready to stop terrorist intrusions. Why is he needed? Because there are some locations where technical surveillance does not work and others where Hezbollah has destroyed the means to do so. Imagine performing his duty—hidden in brush, silent, and still. For hours nothing happens—until maybe it does—then profound boredom must transform in an instant to savvy awareness.
Both men have tough, important jobs. Both men deal with their stresses while on duty and the memory of those stresses while off duty. Both men are integral parts of the defense of their nation. But that day, they were just guys at the beach having a beer and enjoying the antics of a child. Such is life in Israel.
That night, after finding my way to my hotel in Nahariya, I went to a friend’s home for Shabbat dinner. There I met two young men. One, nineteen years old, had proudly just completed his basic training. The other, seventeen, was itching to defend his country. But because he was still too young to go to war, he signed up to spend a year in the south in a civilian capacity to help rebuild the homes and facilities Hamas destroyed. It’s no wonder Israelis are proud of how their kids have risen to the challenge.
After dinner, our conversation turned to the situation in the north. The common feeling of citizens in the region is that Israel’s government has let them down and that they are the forgotten, poor sisters of the world. Nobody seems to care that they endure random volleys of missiles and drones for which there is no rhyme or reason as to when they will come but that are deadly for any they touch.
And they are frustrated because they see no end. Will there be a diplomatic solution? Perhaps. But they find it doubtful that it will be one that Hezbollah will honor or that anyone will effectively enforce. Will there be a larger war? Perhaps. But they are rightfully concerned as to how it will impact them. Uniformly they seem convinced that Israel has no plan as to what to do to end Hezbollah’s hold on the region and they are concerned that the international community only cares about avoiding a war, but not their right to live in peace and security. Just like in Gaza, many feel that the world only wants to see Israel achieve a truce, whatever its future cost, but not a victory that would put an end to the terror it faces every day.
The following day, I drove near the border in Western Galilee, but not within line of sight of it. That’s the game there. If you drive within line of sight of six miles or less, you could find yourself eating an anti-tank missile. I like pita and hummus better.
So frustrating, roads I know well are blocked off,
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Kibbutzim I cherish are ghost towns, and trails I fondly once walked are forbidden. If I feel that, imagine what the residents of the region feel. Suddenly, without warning, their land was taken from them. Their world has grown smaller. And there is no guarantee that things will not worsen. Hezbollah has plenty of rockets and drones capable of ranging farther afield. One couple I met that made Aliyah long ago and who have lived a few miles from Lebanon for forty years, are now thinking of leaving. Others who have been evacuated will soon face the choice as to where to enroll their children in school for the fall. If they are not back in their homes by summer, they will not have a choice. I am told they will then leave the north permanently. And the north will be left barren. This is a victory Israel cannot afford to bestow on Hezbollah.
On Sunday, I had planned after stopping at the Alma Research and Education Center, to drive through Kiryat Shmona and then up into the Golan Heights. For two days it had been peaceful—no rockets, no drones. Perhaps, I thought, Hezbollah had decided to refrain from anything significant until Hamas made a decision regarding the hostage deal. Fortunately, I got a late start. While I was still at the Alma Center, sixty rockets rained down precisely where I planned to go. Hezbollah fired many more the next two days. Nobody died, but the aim points straddled the road I had planned to take!
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So far, I know, this report has probably sounded rather dismal. But I had uplifting moments too. Saturday night in Nahariya, with Israeli patrol boats possibly equipped with Iron Dome offshore and the Rosh Hanikra ridgeline separating Israel from Lebanon clear as could be to the north, I strolled the concrete beach walk adjacent to the ocean. Hundreds, even thousands, were doing the same. Babies, old people, youngsters and teenagers—playing basketball, volleyball, hanging out and eating ice cream and other delights. It was invigorating to see people rejecting despair despite the danger. For that time, their joy was the umbrella that allowed hope of better to come flourish within me.
Sunday night into Monday morning was more of the same. From the evening of May 5 until sundown May 6, it was Yom Hashoah—Holocaust Remembrance Day—in Israel and around the world. Sunday night, I went to an English speaking service at a synagogue nearby to listen to a 96-year-old Holocaust survivor tell his story. But as interesting and energetic as he was, it was not he that moved me most. It was the presence of hundreds of young people, many from the United States, many of which had made Aliyah (become Israeli citizens). Amid the campus protests in the U.S. and worldwide, here were young people who had listened to their heart and voted with their feet. I couldn’t be prouder of them. Then, the Rabbi asked us to rise, and together as one we sang Hatikvah. Even now, as I write this, I feel a tear come to one eye. Being together, as one, I felt the hope for which Israel’s national anthem is named for and an overwhelming togetherness and belonging.
Bound already twice to the soul of Israel, through the singing of Hatikvah and the presence of so many young people, I did not expect it to happen thrice. But then, the Rabbi asked those that were willing to name a family member who had lost their lives in the darkness of Nazi Europe. Many yelled out names. So did I. Their names must never be forgotten, but as the Rabbi pointed out, if we don’t mention them, they will be. From now on, I will speak the names of my grandparents who died in the Holocaust every Pesach.
Then, Monday came. At 10:00 a.m. on every Yom Hashoah, a siren sounds for two minutes in Israel. For two minutes people stand at attention on the street. Cars stop and all passengers get out. It is something the nation experiences together. I went to Rabin Square in Tel Aviv to experience it.
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When the sirens went off, despite the blaring sound, it felt peaceful. And I felt all of us were one with a shared culture, a shared perspective, a shared history.
All that I have expressed, and more, describes Israel as I have seen it the past few days. It is a place of shared heritage, shared dangers, and shared achievements. It is a place to be cherished. It is a place that is strong, but endangered. It is a sanctuary for those imperiled. It is a vibrant democracy still in its infancy, struggling to find its footing and making plenty of mistakes as even mature democracies do, but surviving while being assailed on all sides. And it is a place of art and science and beauty.
And so, I stand with Israel through thick, and even more, through thin.
I held off issuing this newsletter in hopes of first gaining some clarity that I could share with you regarding the status of hostage negotiations with Hamas. Unfortunately, details that can be relied upon are scarce. Israel, rightfully so, started exerting pressure by initiating the process of evacuating Gazans from a small portion of Rafah and taking control of a portion of the Gaza side of the Philadelphia corridor that included the crossing point between Gaza and Egypt. This, along with Israel’s declared intention to start its Rafah operation appears to have produced movement of a kind from Hamas. Predictably, however, Hamas was cagey with what it announced, only saying it agreed to a deal but not making clear what it agreed to. However, it appears that what Hamas agreed to was not the deal offered to them by Israel and lauded by the United States. Instead, it is a new deal of their, and possibly Egypt’s, making. At this moment, I can’t predict what will happen, but Israel has sent a delegation to Cairo to partake in negotiations. But of one thing I am certain, it is only military pressure that has any chance of producing a hostage deal soon. We will see.
Two other notes:
Today, I went to the Nova Festival massacre site. More on that in the next newsletter. But suffice it say, the experience leaves me more certain than ever that Hamas must never again be a governing body or have military power.
I am speaking at a conference put on by the Alma Research and Education Center on May 9. The topic of the conference is Iran and the northern front. My ten minutes is about telling the story of Hezbollah to American audiences. Hopefully, I will say something that makes sense!
Institute for the Study of War Iran, Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah, etc. Update from May 6, 2024
The Coming Conflict with Hezbollah—Written by Seth G. Jones and others for the Center for Strategic & International Studies—March 21, 2024
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Rafah and Riyadh: Defeating Hamas is Essential for Normalization - Analysis—Seth Frantzman takes down Tom Friedman’s recent opinion article without naming him—written by Seth Frantzman for the Jerusalem Post—April 28, 2024
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Majority of Americans Think Israel Should Press on with Rafah )p., Finish War - Poll—Written by the Jerusalem Post Staff—April 30, 2024
The Out-of-Control Social Media App Spreading Antisemitism at Columbia—Written by Antonette Bowman for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies—April 29, 2024
![A person in scrubs walks outside of a concrete barrier near a large white building. An ambulance is parked as a person pushing a cart full of bags walks by. A person in scrubs walks outside of a concrete barrier near a large white building. An ambulance is parked as a person pushing a cart full of bags walks by.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc63fc576-d26a-47a1-9f8a-ccc00af7cf83_600x400.jpeg)
In Northern Israel, Clashes With Hezbollah Drive a Hospital Underground—Written by Johnatan Reiss for the New York Times—April 28, 2024
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Answering Tom Friedman’s Binary Options for the Middle East—Written by Dr. Eric Mandel for Mepin—May 1, 2024
Israel’s Urban Warfare Experience in Gaza can Benefit Allies—Written by Yaakov Lappin for Jewish News Syndicate—April 21, 2024
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Crush and Eliminate Hamas: Navigating Ties with Hezbollah, Iran, and Saudi Arabia - Analysis—Written by Jacob Nagel for the Jerusalem Post—April 28, 2024
‘Fire and blood’: The chilling reality facing Israel in a war with Hezbollah—Written by Yuval Azulay for Calcalist—February 9, 2024
Israel’s Struggle with Hezbollah—A War Without End is now available in eBook and hardback format on Amazon and IngramSpark. This compelling narrative explores Hezbollah’s origins and cancerous growth, traces Israel’s response, and reveals Israel’s present readiness to meet Hezbollah’s challenge.
Cliff Sobin
Important Link—Alma Research and Education Center: Understanding the Security Challenges on Israel’s Northern Border
I need to point out an error in the essay I just posted. Where I said that from where we were locals had seen an IDF jet take out a drone at sea, I misspoke. What I should have said is that from that vicinity, locals heard what might have been Iron Dome taking out something that was incoming. I apologize for my confusion.