The other day the children were our neighbors house playing dress-up, and another boy from up the block came in with a bandana around his head, hiding most of his face, but for his eyes. My neighbor Ron asked the boy, What are you dressed up as? A cowboy? A secret agent? The boy's father answered, A Palestinian militant.

The story would be laughable, except that the bandana-clad boy is the son of a Palestinian father. This father actually was proud that his son was wearing the costume of a fellow Palestinian who would routinely throw rocks at heavily armed Israeli soldiers so as to provoke a response. My neighbor, an affiliated Jew, almost, but didn't, go ballistic. We agreed that we would not bring our political views into our friendship, Ron said. The father then told his son to remove the bandana.

Times are tough in Israel, yet our support of Israel now, more so than ever in its history, must be unyielding. Traveling to Israel certainly is one option, but for those who are unable to or are unwilling to travel there, there are things that can be done here in the United States. Israel is fighting two battles: One on the ground, and the other in the newspapers and TV programs in the United States and the Western media.

When 10-month old Shalhevet Pas was murdered by a Palestinian sniper in her father's arms, the story was found on page 6 of the L.A. Times. When Arafat's Force 17 commando headquarters was blown up in retaliation, the story could be found on the front page of the L.A. Times. What the article on the front page failed to mention is that the Israelis warned the Palestinians hours beforehand, as they always do, that the retaliation was going to take place, and that they should clear the building so as to avoid casualties. The Palestinians immediately called the media, including CNN, so as to broadcast to the world the terrible atrocities that were being committed by the Israelis against their innocent people. What a joke. What a lie.

What kind of a nation sends its young child out in the street to throw rocks and stones at soldiers? What kind of a nation indoctrinates its children to hate Jews? What kind of a leader is Arafat when he tells his people that he will not be satisfied until the Palestinian flag flies on the roof of every church and every wall in the city of Jerusalem?

I will celebrate Israel's birthday this year with added gusto and fervor. I will thank God for the times that I have spent in that incredible country, and pray that I will be able to return again soon. I will ask God for the ability to work on Israel's behalf here in the United States, to write letters to the Bush Administration, and to notify the media when the coverage is slanted unfairly against Israel. I will join together with fellow Jews and non-Jews who care about Israel's survival in rallies on behalf of our kinsman.

I will do these things because I care now more than ever about Israels survival.

I invite you to join me.