Spread your wings, take a few minutes and fly...

Yesterday I spoke to a man called Dave Newman who works for the Young Lewisham Project (YLP) who are collecting unwanted bikes to fix up and send to Africa 

Dave got the idea after seeing a film called The Boy Who Flies which I just saw a clip of and had to share. Please spend a few minutes and watch it. Whilst paragliding is something on my bucket list and kite flying is joyful just look at the fun they all have cycling around. 

Dave is going to be working with Godfrey, the 'Boy Who Flies' having been so inspired by what he saw him do in the film. Whilst Godfrey pursues his flying dream, building The School of Dreams, he travels around the country by bike. Dave told me how vital bikes are in Malawi and how much of a difference they make. 

Working with 10-16 year old's Dave and his team are teaching youngsters how to fix bikes and he says when they get to go out on rides together the kids get a real sense of what they achieved as they're riding a bike they put together. 

I love my bike and think cycling is such a special and simple pleasure to have in your world. My friend Nick Gendler contacted me last week. We cycled from London to Amsterdam together in 2009 raising funds for World Jewish Relief(WJR). I loved it and will definitely do something similar again one day. Nick is off again cycling 100 miles from London to Surrey and wanted sponsorship which I gladly gave. Another friend and fellow broadcaster Amy Voce is doing a mammoth cycle challenge in the US to raise money for Prostate Cancer. 

Whilst these distances might seem too much for many to handle if you've never experienced the joy of getting on a bike and having the sun on your face and the wind through your hair, treat yourself and give it a go. 

I still know people who can't ride a bike and when see the joy on the face of the Malawian kids riding their bikes you know its something you too want to experience. 

On Ya Bike! Visit http://bikeability.dft.gov.uk/the-three-levels/cycling-skills-for-adults/

So much to say about Israel..

Today  a temporary ceasefire has been agreed between Hamas and Israel, which will hopefully bring some relief for the innocent people on both sides of this awful conflict. Everyday, social media is full of people's opinions of what is happening. Newspaper articles are shared with stats on the numbers of Palestinians lives lost as are videos of Israeli soldiers giving food to Palestinian children. There are twitter accounts of the number of rockets fired every hour from Gaza to Israel. I was astonished at the hatred I see for Israel on both Twitter and Facebook but that's my naivety as these platforms enable us to much more vocal.

As a Jew I've only been to Israel in the last six years due to my parents fear who wouldn't let me go as a youngster. It made me scared as there never seemed to be a safe time. I turned 30 and went for the first time and loved it.I instantly felt a strong connection for so many reasons - including being overwhelmed by the rich cultural history the country has from ALL its religions. I made a point of speaking to locals about what they wanted for the Israel and from Arab to Christian to Jew the comments were the same 'Peace'.

Normally I'd shy away from writing about this conflict feeling like my opinion might be ill informed, but I worry that so much is shared and people aren't really reading up on the facts from both sides. 

Radio debates I hear seem to focus on the fact that there hadn't been any loss of life in Israel which overnight has now changed. But still it's reported as 'only one'.  It seems the rain of rockets from Hamas and stories of Israeli citizens running to shelters at least eight times a day isn't enough to get any sympathy and is considered normal, a way of life for Israeli's. 

Watch this video is from the Israeli ambassador speaking to the UN last week to get an idea of daily life in Israel.

Unless there was more blood shed, the mainstream media will continue to report its constant outrage about the attacks on Gaza. I don't condone what is happening and wish it wasn't, but I believe Israel has every right to defend when attacked. What scares me more is the hatred and antisemitism towards Israel and to Jewish people.It makes me feel sick to the core. Attacks on synagogues in Paris and across Europe highlights how vulnerable we are as a people - all over the world. 

Yesterday I noticed a Jewish friend talking on Facebook about his support for the Palestinians and how he was signing an open letter for Palestinian Solidarity Campaign. His comments were met by his Israeli cousin, who was understandably mortified that his British cousin hadn't inquired how his family were. He then went to great lengths to give his view of Israeli life including his strong, mixed political views about decisions his country were making, both for and against the attacks. The pair exchanged blows for a while and whilst I'm yet to finish reading through I want to share a few points made by the Israeli guy which I think gets lost in most of the debate and articles I've read.  



"Hamas openly states its mission is to destroy Israel; nothing more and nothing less. The Gaza conflict is not a conflict about occupation or about territories, it is a conflict with an extreme terror organization that wants nothing less than the total destruction of any non-Islamic presence in the holy land"

My sister who has recently moved back to the UK from Germany and is being very vocal on her feelings towards the conflict. She told me yesterday of a comment she made on a pro-Israel site being challenged by someone she knew in Germany, asking her whether she really should be using Facebook to air her views.For a German to question her passion to protect her people seemed nothing short of ignorant and a terrifying reminder of how people forget the past. 

I know innocent people are being caught up in this truly awful situation and am more than saddened by the growing number of lives lost in Gaza. I wish there was a more peaceful stance being taken but the comments I read feel like personal attacks on Jews worldwide.  There is obviously so much to learn in order to reach a peaceful outcome including both sides listening to each other rather than attacking. Nothing will be change however if Israel turns on its own, watch what happened to an American Jew showing his support for the Palestinians. 

I'm auditioning for the 'unexpected item in the bagging area' gig! #voiceover

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