Just a few years ago, it was difficult, if not impossible, to get up-to-date first-hand accounts of events in Israel. Today, the Internet “blogosphere” is serving to keep the world abreast of Israel’s war against Hezbollah in an intimate, personal fashion that has never been seen before.
Instead of watching television or reading a newspaper, people can now read regularly updated reports from people who are living through the crisis.
These Web logs, or “blogs,” have the power to change the face of war from an official governmental affair to a reflection of the feelings of ordinary individuals.
Following are a few of the most interesting English-language blogs and sites:
Letter from Israel
http://dfrankfurter.livejournal.com/
Updated every few days, this blog offers a very personal account of events in Israel. Written by a self-described business consultant, corporate executive and writer, the blogger shares news as it relates to his life and the lives of those around him.
From Jerusalem with Love
http://mattlebovic.blogs.friendster.com/
Matt Lebovic, a student at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, fills his blog with news from his life. He tells of his experience staffing a birthright israel trip as war broke out in Israel, as well as reviewing the latest movie he saw.
Jerusalem Wanderings
http://jerusalemgypsy.blogspot.com/
Written by a woman living in Jerusalem, this blog offers views and opinions about life in Israel. The blogger writes about hosting people escaping the rockets in the northern part of Israel and life in general, including complaints about rude cab drivers.
Israeli Mom
http://israelimom.blogspot.com/
This blog was started recently by a woman who lives in “a small town in Israel, between Tel Aviv and Haifa,” to keep family and friends informed about the current situation in Israel and the welfare of the blogger’s family. The blog is filled with personal accounts of the war, including her young son’s questions about what rockets are, and the fact that she and her children miss her husband, who was mobilized and is now near the fighting.
An Unsealed Room
http://allisonkaplansommer.blogmosis.com/
Allison Kaplan Sommer, a journalist living in Ra’anana, comments on the news coverage of the situation in Israel, and also gives personal accounts of how the war is affecting her family.
Ynet
http://my.ynet.co.il/front/eng/
This Web site allows people to post messages, which can be viewed on the Web site and are also broadcast across Israel. Many messages simply express solidarity with Israel, but a few contain less civil sentiments
You Tube
http://www.youtube.com
You Tube is a video-hosting site that allows users to post their own footage of just about anything. A search for “Haifa” yielded results such as a 22-second video of a family congregated in a safe area, as air raid sirens signal a rocket attack on the city.
Chayyei Sarah
http://chayyeisarah.blogspot.com/
Describing herself as “an Orthodox Jewish 30-something” in Jerusalem, this blogger offers her detailed opinions on the current war. Her blog shows the complexity of life in Israel right now, attempting to balance life with war.
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