title: A View from the Mountains of Israel
author:  David Ha'ivri 
description: David Ha'ivri came to Israel as a child when his family made aliyah. He spent his teen years in Ma'alot, a development town near Israel's border with Lebanon. He remembers well Israel's retreat from Sinai as part of the peace agreement with Egypt, and living under PLO rocket fire from Lebanon, which brought on the IDF's Operation Peace for Galilee, which became known as the First Lebanon War, in 1982. He, himself, served in the IDF from 1985 to 1988, and then he met and married Mollie. After years of experience in the field of public diplomacy on behalf of Israel and the Jewish communities in Samaria and Judea, David operates as an independent consultant and analyst. His specialty is networking and building connections for people with interests in Israel and international affairs. He is a powerful speaker and has traveled the world speaking on Zionism and Jewish values. He is often called on by leading news agencies to share his insight on current events in Israel and the Middle East. He has been featured on CNN, Al-Jazeera, The New York Times, The Jerusalem Post and others. His opinion pieces appear regularly on Times of Israel, Arutz Sheva, Your Middle East and Ynet News. David is a man of faith; he believes that the Jewish people are realizing their destiny though Zionism, the gathering of the people from the four corners of the globe and building a country and unique society. In his eyes, these investments lead to the higher goal of becoming a light unto the nations. He believes that peace can be achieved in the Middle East through mutual respect and appreciation that does not require Israel relinquishing any part of its land or compromising its security. Although solid in his convictions, David is not afraid to discuss his views with those who oppose them, or with representatives of other faiths. He has appeared in live and recorded debates, as well as in multinational interfaith conferences and forums. In his view, people need not agree in order to respect each other, and even in places of conflict, there are common interests to be found. He believes in investing effort toward the enhancement of positive potential instead of wasting energy on fears of the unknown and future scenarios that may never materialize. David interacts in real-time with thousands of people around the world via social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. David and Mollie live in Kfar Tapuach, a Jewish town in Shomron, with their eight children.
zlib_text: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../Images/00001.jpeg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  For A.L. and for S.F., a real underdog
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height
  of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as
  mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the
  heart.”
  
  
  
  
  
  1 Samuel 16:7
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Introduction](../Text/part0022.html)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # [Goliath](../Text/part0022.html)
  
  
  
  
  
  “Am I a dog that you should come to me with sticks?”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 1.
  
  
  
  
  
  At the heart of ancient Palestine is the region known as the Shephelah, a
  series of ridges and valleys connecting the Judaean Mountains to the east with
  the wide, flat expanse of the Mediterranean plain. It is an area of
  breathtaking beauty, home to vineyards and wheat fields and forests of
  sycamore and terebinth. It is also o