Just as Zaki, Arafat, Nasrallah, and Ahmadinejad remind us every day, from the outset of our nationhood here in Israel four thousand years ago, throughout the centuries of our dispersion and to this day, our fate as a nation – both physically and spiritually – has always been tied directly to our control, or lack of control over Jerusalem. Jerusalem has always been our front line both physically and spiritually. Rabbi Akiva knew, as he gazed at the destroyed Temple from Mt. Scopus that one day our control over the city would be restored and so our national wellbeing would be renewed. This is why he laughed as he watched foxes entering and exiting the Holiest of Holies. Perhaps if he had known then that it would take nearly 2,000 years for that to happen, he would have joined his colleagues in their tears instead of shocking them with his laughter and gaiety. But still, today we know that Rabbi Akiva was right. Our return to Jerusalem did presage our national rebirth with the renewal of our sovereignty in 1948 and 1967.  – - Caroline Glick, June 1, 2009

In the area known today as the West Bank, Jews have built more than 120 thriving communities. Arab propagandists and Anti-Semites of all stripes describe them as settlements, implying temporariness – an easily removable obstacle to peace.

Ezra B. Ridgley spent more than two years documenting life in these very permanent villages, towns and cities, which second and third generation residents call home. He wants to share some of his observations and pictures with you so you too can discover the wonders of the reclaimed Jewish homeland in Judea and Samaria.

Ein Gedi (Hebrew: עין גדי‎, lit. Kid Spring, as in young goat; KJV Bible Engedi) is an oasis located west of the Dead Sea, near Masada and the Qumran caves in Judea, where an Arab shepherd boy discovered the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947. It is known for its caves, springs, and rich diversity of vegetation. Ein Gedi is mentioned several times in the Bible. It appears for the first time in Joshua 15:62 as the inheritance of the tribe of Judah in the desert. In the Song of Songs; “My beloved is unto me as a cluster of henna flowers in the vineyards of Ein Gedi” (1:14). According to Jewish tradition, David hid from Saul in the caves here; “And David went up from thence, and dwelt in the strongholds of Ein Gedi” (1 Samuel 24:1).

On the morning of June 5, 1967, I was manning my post on the Jordanian border. I did not know that just before dawn General Mordecai “Motti” Hod issued the order. General Motti Hod did not understand his Arab neighbors and underestimated the tenacity of Islam. He had no way of knowing how things will evolve. The magnificent victory did not bring “peace for ourselves, our children and future generations”.

Each generation of Jews has its tormentors. Each generation of Israelis has its wars. My father fought in the 1956 Sinai War. He was an experience soldier, having been trained by the Russian army defending Stalingrad during World War II. He just missed the War of Independence, arriving in Israel in late 1948. The Six Days War of 1967 was my war.

In a style reminiscent of the Third Reich, Obama celebrated his first 100 days in office. The media sycophants tripped over each other with accolades. The Leader graced his people with speeches and smiles. The alphabet networks called him the greatest president ever, the savior of the common people, just a regular guy who can eat hamburgers with the rest of us. Wow!