safety

Exchange of missiles

It is May 4, 2019. I am at my desk. It’s early Saturday. I’m catching up on some work. Morning sound in the background. Israeli-style. Siren in the distance. Kind of a weird sound. The way chirping birds and wispy winds comprise morning sound elsewhere.

I didn’t really connect with the siren’s eeriness. Was too deep into Excel and emails. Then my daughter darted from her room. Smartphone in hand. (Do they sleep with these things?) “Don’t you hear it? There’s a siren. But my newsfeed says it’s elsewhere.”

“OK, let’s go to the protected room,” I said. Somewhat controlled. Somewhat alarmed.

We woke everyone up. My wife. My son and his girlfriend – banging on his bedroom door, “Move it!”

Last siren heard in Rehovot was during Protective Shield in 2014. My son just 16. And sleeping alone. So much has changed. And so much has stayed the same. This Gaza quagmire, to whit.

We congregated in our den-cum-protective room. Shut the re-enforced glass window – a heavy screech. Closed the too-heavy steel door – a loud bang. Turned on the TV – 90 missiles slamming into Israel’s south. Our hearts and mouths dropping. The bang of our Iron Dome hitting the missiles overhead. All clear. We can come out. Morning sound.

Singing about Bobby McGee, Janis Joplin crooned, “Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose.” And the Gazans have nothin’ to lose. They live in worse than miserable circumstances. Another war. Another round of missile exchanges. It really has no impact on their miserable living standards.

In Israel. We have too much to lose. The upcoming Eurovision – in two weeks – comes to mind. If we go to war now, or launch a massive retaliatory strike leading to counter-strikes, it risks the wonderful success of Israel hosting this international event. Ten thousand visitors. Ten million dollars in revenue. Excellent public relations. Fun. Lightness. Celebration. In Israel, it’s never a good time for war. Always something to lose.

But I think Janis was singing more about drugs, sex and rock ’n’ roll. Here in wonderful Israel the reality – like our morning sound – is a bit harsher.

Sunday, May 5

Morning

A restless night. Even for those lucky enough to live far from the Gaza periphery. Distance is so relative here in tiny Israel.

Woke up several times to check my smartphone – news updates. (Even we adults sleep with those things.) More than 300 missiles fired. One Israeli casualty after a missile struck his house.

Schools canceled within a 40-kilometre radius of Gaza. We live 45 kilometres away; missed the limit by five kilometres. Before Roni went to school, I grilled her on the basics of dodging missiles. She passed. Although there was some ambiguity about when to leave the protective room. “What if there’s no boom, Dad?” (i.e. The missile is shot out of the sky by the Iron Dome.) “Improvise, kid,” was my best answer.

Evening

Another 200 or so missiles fired at Israel today. They aimed for my place again. And missed. Bastards! Dor called me at work from our protected room. Roni texted me from school. Everyone OK. It’s hard being far away. Again, distance is relative.

A factory hit in Ashkelon. Two killed. WTF! And a moving car hit by an anti-tank missile. Driver killed. Again, WTF!

As I write this, lots of booms in the background. Wife and kids looking out the window. Watching the missiles. And the anti-missiles. A sound-and-light show. Happening in the neighbouring cities. Far away.

Some shock here. I must admit.

Monday, May 6

Ceasefire. Gaza has Ramadan. Israel has the Eurovision. A temporary respite for both sides.

We certainly wreaked havoc in Gaza. Two hundred and sixty high-value targets destroyed. But looking for something a bit more definite. Like victory in six days. Like a spectacular comeback. Like Entebbe. Like knocking through walls. Like encircling the Mukata. Of late, just too many broken ceasefires.

To paraphrase Golda Meir – until the Palestinian leadership loves their children more than they hate ours, only a decisive military victory will create peace and quiet. Or at least quiet.

Celebrating 71 on Thursday. Will raise our flag high and eat lots of hummus and kabab.

Regards from Israel, Bruce.

Bruce Brown, from Winnipeg, lives and works in Israel. His first Israeli home-front diary of life in times of national stress and war, “The draft: a dad reflects,” which was published in the Jewish Independent last year, placed first in the personal essay category of the 2019 American Jewish Press Association Simon Rockower Awards for excellence in Jewish journalism.

הקמפיין ששמו “תפס אותך”

משטרת ההיכרויות: טיפים למי שמחפשים אהבה ברשת כדי להתגונן בפני נוכלים. (צילום: vancouver.ca/police)

תופעת הנוכלים ברשת ידועה. ככל שעולה מספר המשתמשים בשירותי און ליין, בעיקר באתרי היכרויות ובאתרים החברתיים – כדי להכיר מישהו, כן גדל מספר הנוכלים שמנצלים את תמימותם וגונבים מהם מידע אישי וכסף, או מפעילים אלימות. השתכללות הטכנולוגיה מאפשרת לנוכלים להגיע בקלות יתר לקורבנות. לפיכך החליטה משטרת ונקובר בצעד יוצא דופן לצאת בקמפיין בטיחות שכולל טיפים והנחיות לתמימים שמחפשים אהבה ברשת, כדי להגן על עצמם בפני נוכלים מתוחכמים. “אתם יכולים לחשוב שמי שהיכרתם ברשת הוא בן הזוג האידיאלי שלכם, אך עליכם לזכור שהוא עדיין אנונימי עבורכם. קחו את הביטחון בידיכם כאשר אתם ברשת ותורידו משמעותית את הסיכויים להכיר מישהו שחפץ לנצל אתכם”, אומרים במשטרה. הקמפיין ששמו “תפס אותך” כולל אתר ברשת עם סרטון קצר שהופק על ידי מחלקת פשעי מין של המשטרה (שהועלה ביוטוב), וכן סיפורים אישיים של שמי שנפלו קורבנות בידי נוכלים.

המשטרה מציעה לאלה שמחפשים להכיר בן או בת זוג באמצעות אתרים ברשת להיזהר מאוד. להלן מספר צעדים שמומלץ לנקוט בהם כאמצעי ההתגוננות להקטין את האפשרות לפגוש מישהו מאוד שונה ואולי אף מסוכן “ממה שמכירים”: 1). פרסם מידע מינימלי בפרופיל שלך שנמצא באתר בו אתה משתמש. 2). העלה תמונה לפרופיל שאינך מתשמש בה בשום שירות אחר באון ליין, כדי למנוע מהנוכלים לחפש באמצעות אפליקציית תמונות של גוגל אינפורמציה חיוניות עליך, במקומות אחרים ברשת. 3). השתמש בכתובת אימייל יחודית לאתר ההכרויות שבו אתה מפרסם את הפרופיל שלך, שאינה קשורה לאימייל הרגיל שלך. 4). צלם את הפרופיל של מי שמתקשר אליך ועשה עליו חיפוש יסודי בגוגל. 5). השתדל לצלצל למי שיצר עימך קשר כאשר מספר הטלפון שלך חסום. 6). היפגש עם בן הזוג הפוטנציאלי במקום ציבורי ורחוק מאזור מגוריך. 7). ספר לחבר קרוב על המפגש הצפוי עם האלמוני הנ”ל ומסור לו את כל האינפורמציה הידועה לך עליו. 8). בדוק כל אינפורמציה שהדייט שלך מסר לך בפגישה באמצעות גוגל. 9). מומלץ להיפגש את הדייט שלך מספר פעמים נוספות במקומות ציבור בטרם עוברים לשלב הבא. 10). אם הדייט שלך מבקש ממך כסף צריכה להידלק מייד נורה אדומה אצלך ועליך להפסיק מיידית את הקשר עימו. 11). עליך לזכור שלמרות שאתה משלם דמי חבר לאתר זה לא אומר שהוא בטוח.

במשטרה אומרים שאין אפשרות להצביע איזה אתרים ברשת נחשבים לבטוחים יותר או פחות. זה ידוע להם שיש לא מעט נשים תמימות שהופכות להיות קורבנות של נוכלים מתוחכמים שפועלים ברשת, והן נמצאות בסיכון גבוה של פשעי מין, אלימות והונאה. הם מדגישים כי פשעים אלה קורים שלא באשמת הקורבנות. “זה לגיטמי מאוד לנסות ולהכיר בן זוג ברשת באמצעות אתרי הכרויות שונים, וזה מצער שהנוכלים משתמשים בפלטפורמות מצויינות עבורם כדי לבחור חפים מפשע ולפגוע בהם פיזית וכספית”.

במשטרת ונקובר מציינים כי הם בטוחים כי רבים ממקרי האלימות וההונאה ברשת לא מדווחים, וזו הסיבה העיקרית להשקת הקמפיין “תפס אותך” והעלאת הסרטון עם הטיפים והאזהרות כיצד להתגונן מנוכלים. “אנו מעוניינים שהקורבנות יפנו אלינו וידווחו לנו על מה שקרה להם. כך נוכל להקצות את המשאבים המתאימים כדי להגן על אחרים מלהפוך לקורבנות ברשת. איננו יכולים לעזור על מה שלא דווח לנו. זה אף פעם לא מאוחר לעשות זאת. אנא בואו וספרו לנו על מה שקרה לכם”, מוספים עוד במשטרה.

Stay safe on the move

(photo by Staff Sgt. Jim Araos)

More than 200 B.C. children were admitted to hospital last year with pedestrian, cycling or skateboard-related injuries and, of these, almost one-third had major injuries. With summer on the horizon, kids are back outside walking, biking, skating and having fun and it’s important to teach them to make good decisions that keep them safe and sound.

“This is the time of year where we begin to see more and more children in our emergency department with injuries related to bike, skateboard and scooter incidents – many of which are preventable,” said Lisa Romein, manager of B.C. Children’s Hospital trauma program. “As parents, we must educate ourselves and our children to be cautious but to have fun at the same time. We have the ability to prevent many of these injuries from ever happening and to help ensure the warmer months are memorable for all the right reasons.”

The B.C. Trauma Registry reports the following data for transport injuries in the province for kids ages 0-14 during 2015/16:

Biking: 117 hospitalizations, 23 of them had major injuries
Pedestrian: 57 hospitalizations, 33 of them had major injuries
Skateboard: 28 hospitalizations, 3 of them had major injuries

“Sometimes, the fear of injuries can make it hard for parents to let their children get outside and be active,” said Dr. Mariana Brussoni, investigator with the B.C. injury research and prevention unit at B.C. Children’s Hospital, and associate professor with the University of British Columbia department of pediatrics. “But the benefits of active transportation far outweigh the risks. Our research has shown that children with opportunities for active transport are physically active, gain independence and self-confidence, and build the skills they need to stay safe.”

Safe Kids Week, an annual public awareness campaign aimed at reducing preventable injuries in children, was marked across Canada June 5 to 11. This year’s focus was active transportation safety. According to Parachute Canada, a national charitable organization dedicated to preventing injuries and saving lives and the organizer of Safe Kids Week, preventable injuries are the number one killer of Canadian children; one child dies every nine hours in Canada from a preventable injury; and, each year, approximately 4,700 children in Canada are injured due to non-motorized wheeled activities, and another 2,400 children are injured as pedestrians.

To keep kids safe on their travels, here are some tips from Parachute Canada:

Teach kids at an early age to look left, right and left again when crossing the road.
Always cross the street at corners. Use traffic signals and crosswalks.
Walk on sidewalks or paths. No sidewalks? Then walk facing traffic as far away from vehicles as possible.
Phones down, heads up when walking. Teach kids to put phones, headphones and other devices down when crossing the street.
Be seen. Teach kids to be especially alert and visible to drivers when walking after dark. Brightly coloured clothing and reflective gear help increase visibility.
Wear the right helmet for the activity. Bike helmets can be used for in-line skating and scootering, but skateboarding helmets should be used for skateboarding and longboarding; they cover the back of the head better and can protect against more than one crash.
Be prepared. Bike safety training and knowing the rules of the road are important for the safety of riders.
Always bike ride on the right side of the road in the same direction as traffic to be more visible to drivers.
Teach kids on bikes to make sure drivers can see them at all times. Bright, reflective clothing and flashing lights and reflectors help increase visibility.
When skateboarding, scootering or in-line skating, wear wrist guards to help prevent broken bones, sprains and wrist and arm fractures.

Elbow pads and kneepads should also be worn for in-line skating.

For more safety information, visit parachutecanada.org/skw-resources.

Capester reports violations

Capester offers a platform that allows users to report parking violations by filming and submitting legally admissible videos anonymously. (screenshot)

A great idea for an app was born out of a maddening experience for Ohad Maislish, an Israeli who walked with crutches for years following a skydiving accident. When he arrived for Shabbat dinner at his brother’s house, the sole handicap spot was occupied by a car without the proper permit. Since parking inspectors don’t work on Friday nights, he had to go to a police station and file a report, wait for the case to be processed and face the possibility of testifying in court in front of the offender.

Why couldn’t he simply use his smartphone to document the incident? The police explained that because videos can be doctored, such evidence wouldn’t stand up in court. So, Maislish, who started work at Microsoft’s Haifa research and development centre at age 17, called upon his background in computer science – and some friends with digital security and legal expertise – to create Capester, a platform enabling users to report parking violations by filming and submitting legally admissible videos anonymously.

In October 2014, with seed investment from BRM Capital and OurCrowd First, the founders spent 18 months perfecting a mobile app that would meet the court’s standards, assuring that the videos cannot be fabricated or altered. They worked closely with lawyers, including digital evidence expert Haim Ravia, chair of the internet, cyber and copyright group of the Pearl Cohen law firm in Herzliya.

Capester authenticates the video and sends it to the relevant local authority, which then determines whether to ticket the vehicle owner.

“We approached municipalities and each one had its own general counsel examine our legal opinion before approving Capester,” Maislish told Israel21c.

The app is available for Android and iOS from Google Play and the App Store. For each properly documented violation video, Capester – which is based in Petah Tikva – makes a donation to Access Israel, a nonprofit organization promoting accessibility and improved quality of life for people with disabilities in Israel.

“As a private company, we can’t issue tickets but only provide a platform for supplying evidence,” Maislish stressed. “If you record a violation in India, for example, it has to be in a place where we have an agreement with the relevant authority.”

He is not ready to reveal details of future marketing plans. “We are constantly looking to expand our services,” he said.

Moving violations

In related news, two new apps also help Israeli motorists stay safer on the roads.

The National Road Safety Authority, the Israel Police Traffic Department and the nonprofit Nativ Batuach (Safe Lane) organization have partnered to create the Guardians of the Road program. Using an app developed for the project at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, approved volunteers continuously photograph the road and vehicles visible through their windshield. When they see a traffic violation, they prompt the system by voice to deliver a video report to a control centre in the National Road Safety Authority for further evaluation and possible action by the police.

As well, a private startup, Nexar, has launched what it calls the world’s first AI (artificial intelligence) dashcam app. Nexar employs machine vision and sensor fusion algorithms to leverage a smartphone’s sensors to analyze and understand the car’s surroundings and provide documentation in case of accidents. Using this vehicle-to-vehicle network, Nexar also can warn users in real time of dangerous situations beyond their line of sight, effectively giving drivers more time to react. Founded by Eran Shir and Bruno Fernandez-Ruiz in early 2015, the company raised $10 million from Aleph, Mosaic Ventures, True Ventures and Slow Ventures. It has offices in Tel Aviv, New York and San Francisco.

Israel21c is a nonprofit educational foundation with a mission to focus media and public attention on the 21st-century Israel that exists beyond the conflict. For more, or to donate, visit israel21c.org.

Focus on community safety

How safe is our community? That’s a question all of us ask from time to time, some of us on a daily basis as we come and go from our synagogue or community centre, or drop our kids off at school.

On April 4, dozens of members of the Jewish community across Canada participated in a webinar called Protecting Our People and Places: Redefining Risk, presented by insurance and risk management firm Arthur J. Gallagher Canada, which works internationally and has a significant presence in Canada. Speakers included Nir Maman, a krav maga expert with a background in security and policing in North America, Israel and elsewhere; Max Hazin of Northern Force Security; and Sam Feldman, Vishal Kundi, Justin Priestley and Paul Bassett of Arthur J. Gallagher. The webinar promoted the company’s insurance and risk management services, but also provided basic risk management information and a variety of community resources.

All of the speakers stressed that Canada is not immune to terrorist attacks and active shooter incidents of the kind seen in the United States and Israel. However, the webinar began with statistics that put the warnings into perspective: Between 2000 and 2006, Israel had suffered 27,905 terror attacks killing 1,116 Israelis and injuring 8,800; from September 2015 to the webinar date, 34 people have been killed in terror attacks and 400 injured.

Total casualties: 1,150 killed and 9,200 injured. Since 1973 until 2016, there have been 38 Islamic extremist terror attacks in the United States. Total casualties: 3,282 killed and 9,285 injured. Since December 1999, there have been four plots to carry out intended terror attacks in Canada and three perpetrated terror attacks. Total casualties: two killed and three injured.

Topics in the webinar included how to make a physical location an unattractive target to terrorists, how to create levels of resistance to a threat and how to handle an active shooter situation. Maman was critical of the security in place at most Jewish organizations as being more symbolic than effective, and stressed the need for training and education so as to empower people to protect and, if needed, defend themselves and their communities.

In his weekly email message on April 15, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver chief executive officer Ezra Shanken noted, “Over the past two years we have seen a rise in terrorist activity worldwide, some of which has targeted Jewish communities, such as in Paris and Copenhagen. While there has not been and is not currently an increased threat to our community, we should not assume that these types of events could never impact us.

“For many years, our Federation has taken a proactive approach to community safety and, in that vein, we have established the Community Security Committee, chaired by Bernard Pinsky, which is focused on identifying and assessing opportunities to enhance our collective safety. The committee will update the community about any security concerns, and will ensure community institutions have the appropriate protocols and technology in place to ensure maximum safety.”

Rabbi Dan Moskovitz of Temple Sholom told the Independent after the webinar that security is a way of life for modern Jewish communities, and will remain so for the foreseeable future. “This is just the way it is now,” he said. “In Europe, this type of security has long been the status quo. I remember one visit where you couldn’t enter a synagogue without someone in an orange jacket asking you what your bar mitzvah parashah was.

“Despite the lower risk level in Canada,” he continued, “cameras, security guards and security measures need to be in place both to deter attackers and to give people peace of mind. Many communities, like ours, have security committees, which receive training and actively protect the community. Many, some of whom have a background in the Israeli army or police training, see this as a sacred duty, as their calling in the community.”

For those who would like more information on safety protocols for the Jewish community, a number of useful resources can be found at chesedfund.com.

Matthew Gindin is a Vancouver freelance writer and journalist. He blogs on spirituality and social justice at seeking her voice (hashkata.com) and has been published in the Forward, Tikkun, Elephant Journal and elsewhere.