Gilad Shalit's 6th Birthday in Captivity

   Imagine being abducted by terrorists while defending your country. Imagine being separated from your family at the age of 19. Imagine being virtually cut off from the world for 5 long years. Imagine spending your birthday for 6 years with your terrorist abductors. Imagine being Gilad Shalit.

   Gilad was abducted on June 25, 2011 by the terrorist organization, Hamas.

   Millions of people care about Gilad Shalit and have been praying and working for years to obtain his release. Are you one of them? If you are not, now is a great time to get involved! We need your help!

   Please consider attending the Facebook event "Gilad Shalit's 6th Birthday in Captivity" https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=129565940473360 this Sunday and clicking the "like" button on the Facebook page "5 Million for the Release of Gilad Shalit" https://www.facebook.com/ReleaseGiladShalit. Both the page and the event were launched this week. Please help increase the number of attendees at the event this Sunday, August 28, 2011 and have the Facebook page go viral and reach 5 MILLION "LIKES."

   Thank you for caring about Gilad Shalit and working for his release!

   God bless you and Shalom,
   Nili

   I have been praying for Israel as they have suffered from multiple rocket attacks over the past few days. Here is an article about some of those killed in the attacks. It is an important reminder that each life that is lost is precious and memorable:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4111057,00.html#.Tk_aSJtDCW8.facebook

   On a different note, here is a very interesting blog post written by Ron Cantor, co-founder of Messiah's Mandate International. Mr. Cantor lives in Israel and gives a unique perspective on the massive protests that have been going on in Israel:
http://messiahsmandate.org/blog/295-massive-protests-in-israel-the-real-story.html

God Bless and Shalom,
Nili Smit

America's Hatikvah -- The Beginning

   Welcome to my blog! Thank you for taking the time to visit. I hope you get enjoyment, education and energy from what I post. I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you, hearing from you via your comments and learning from your experiences.

    America's Hatikvah (Hope) is a place to share with you my thoughts on America, Israel, and politics. I love this country, the United States of America, where I was born and have been raised. I love our close ally, Israel, who inspires me daily with her courage, strength and determination. I love politics, particularly conservative politics, because I believe that the future of our country depends on an informed and engaged citizenry. Most of all, I love G-d and people both of whom teach me every day that life is a gift - an adventure worth living!

    So what exactly is America's Hatikvah? What is our hope in these days of economic, political and social upheaval in the United States and around the world? I believe that the answer is found in America's founding documents. It is found in the writings of our Founding Fathers and Mothers. It is found in the buildings they built and in the institutions they created. Quite simply, America's Hope, our Hatikvah, is found in the Judeo-Christian Heritage our Founding Fathers bequeathed to us. Our Hatikvah is summed up in one word: G-d. Our nation was built on the belief that the greatest freedom of religion comes through the Judeo-Christian heritage, where man's free choice is given by G-d and should not be infringed upon by man. History shows us that this ideal has not always been achieved, but it is nevertheless an integral part of Judeo-Christian ethics. (You may notice that I left out the middle letter. I did this out of respect to my Jewish friends who strive not to use G-d's name in vain, and write it thus, to avoid doing so.)

   If you love America, love Israel, love politics, or love all three topics, I hope you will frequent my blog and share with me your thoughts on these fascinating topics. I want you to feel at home on my blog. Consider my blog a place to chat with friends about issues you care about with people who share your interests.

   G-d bless you and Shalom,
   Nili

(Note: I do not necessarily endorse "Act for Israel," but their video of Israel's National Anthem is excellent.)