For close to 12 years, my life involved being at the helm of what we commonly call “breaking news,” which in essence means living the most horrible/tragic events of the Jewish People’s history.
Yes, there was an occasional good report, but by-and-large, by definition, “news” has come to spell tragedy, events that make us stop and take notice, events that provoke an upward Heavenly gaze, seeking assistance as we struggle to understand that which transpires around us.
Having been privileged to live in the Holy Land for almost 23 years, I have learned the meaning of living in the ‘eye of the storm,’ where seemingly mundane events are indeed at the core of world politics. Our tiny Holy Land remains at the epicenter of world focus, leaving us with the responsibility of being a light unto the nations. Sadly, we have failed too often.
Well, due to reasons that are not relevant to this forum, the day-to-day news events are now a thing of my past. I am no longer associated with Israel National News.com, AKA Arutz-7. No more beepers, no more round-the-clock ‘on-call’ and no more being the first to know. Been there – done that!! ENOUGH
Permit me a moment to boast, for reflecting back; it was I who launched Israel’s first English language electronic news from Israel – back on erev Pessach 1994. The first piece was labeled “Bread of Affliction,” following a murderous suicide bombing attack in Afula.
That once-a-week fax turned into the SNS Service, then to Shomron News Service, IINS (Israel Internet News Service), IsraelWire, and then, INN. There have been and still are many wonderful people, dedicated Jews whose concern for Am Yisrael supersedes all else. Financial backers, moral supporters, and those who guided me, teaching me the ins-and-outs of finding a story, confirming the facts, and getting out to the world with minimal delay.
Anyway, I will make a concerted effort to distance myself from the ‘hand-on-the-pulse’ news coverage [at least for the indefinite future], while maintaining a self-perceived knowledgebase of goings-on in Israel. I plan to use some of the time to enjoy life with my wife, Sharon, selfish as it may sound, and see the children a great deal more than the rigid news schedule permitted in the past. Yes, I am keenly aware that putting one’s head in the sand does not prevent events from taking place, but quite honestly, it is time for a long overdue break. It’s that simple.
If you are interested in joining his Yahoo newsgroup consisting of a periodic email expressing his views, political analysis, permitting him a forum to express some viewpoints, an area that was generally ‘off limits’ in the breaking news field, drop me a line.
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