Who am I? Putting things into context

In response to Dov Bear's comment on one of my previous posts, I'm going to give myself a little context to flesh out my profile so that those of you who read my Miluim series (or anything else that I write for that matter) know where I'm coming from.

Firstly, and most importantly, we got married in November so this is the first time that I'll be doing Miluim as a married man. In an amazing piece of army timing, I actually received the call up papers on our wedding day - how do they do that?! It's just the two of us in the meantime but that certainly puts a lot more responsibility on my shoulders than would previously have been the case.

I come from a traditional background (we made kiddush on a Shabbat morning but then turned on the TV for Football Focus) but now describe myself as religious. I wear a kippa, keep kosher and Shabbat but don't make it to minyan as often as I should do (to say the least). My wife is a little more religious than I am but we're having fun working things out together.

Politically I describe myself as a pragmatic rightist. I voted Likud in both of the last two elections and (as I think I've made clear) support the disengagement as a necessity rather than as an ideal, for moral, strategic and economic reasons. My experience in Beit Lechem during Operation Defensive Shield in 2002 was very important in forming my opinions - I will try to post more fully on that tomorrow to build a broader picture.

The question "does your experience make you a peacnik (sic) or a warnik? is very problematic. In calling one political view "peaceniks" or "the peace camp" the implication is that all those who don't subscribe to the views of that group are anti-peace or "warniks". I am offended by this definition as I truly believe that, other than a few nuts, Israelis are all in favour of peace, we just differ, legitimately, in our opinions as to the best way to achieve this end.

The term "peacenik" is often used in a derogatory manner and I would be offended if it was thrown in my direction. I am for sitting down and negotiating, prepared for painful territorial compromise where necessary, and am in favour of acting in a moral fashion in all of our dealings with the Palestinians. I am also in favour of defending Israeli citizens by the security barrier which has almost eliminated suicide bombing and by going after those who would perpertrate acts of terror by any means, at any time and in any place.

And last but not least - yes it would be Mrs. Ben Mori were it not for the fact that I use a pen name. A lot of my friends know who I am and it's not to difficult to work out if you know me but I prefer a little anonymity with the general public. Had I changed my name to a Hebrew one (which I did comtemplate) I would have used Gil Ben Mori.

Gilly