israeli politics

A visit to Bnai Brak:  I’m still in shock over going anywhere outside of my neighborhood.  Perhaps that was part of my total surprise driving through the streets of Bnai Brak, the extreme religious neighborhood of Tel Aviv.  Its narrow streets are crowded with men in black kapotes amd fur hats and young girls pushing carriages, all of whom are certain that their purpose in this life is to prepare for the next one by studying torah (if male) or practicing modesty (if female).  This makes the world in which they live now pretty shabby and ugly.  

“I feel more comfortable in Harlem,” I whispered to my friend, as a woman passing by looked askance at me – even though i was wearing a long longsleeved dress and stockings.  She knew I was faking.  And my friend had jewelry and make-up to make things even worse.

may 23, 2021 – another world Read Post »

israeli politics

It was only when I started seeing the damage we incurred in Gaza that I began to understand why they stopping shooting rockets at us.  We not only imploded buildings, but in exploding the tunnels running through the city, we also caused the streets above to collapse.  But we notified citizens an hour in advance to get out of the way  if we were blowing up an hour in advance.  That was proven to me when they were interviewing a citizen (whose house collapsed on the tunnel) complained, “What? I wasn’t worth even a phone call?”  Those people in Gaza must know that we try to inform them.  Of course it doesn’t make them like us, but it keeps those people alive.  I, on the other hand, felt – like I have felt in previous wars – that there was a target on my head, that I was being aimed at.  (Part of my narcissism, of course, but true).

 

   

may 22, 2021 – david and goliath Read Post »

israeli politics

so many things still crazy. Israel tried to send medical supplies to Gaza but got shot at yesterday and had to turn back, but today seem to be succeeding.  I think this is one of the signs that we have great empathy for the Gazan people, but not for the present government there that spends fortunes on building weapons of destruction with no regard for an unprotected people.

Yes, I was in Gaza a few times many years ago, and felt very comfortable with the people – even though then I couldn’t speak a word.  But that was before Hamas.  We women sat together and crocheted, showing each other different tricks of flowers.   I have since forgotten the stitches, and barely remember how to crochet.  

But it would be wonderful to sit with those women again.  

Without the weapons. 

 

May 22, 2021 – almost normal Read Post »

israeli politics

Today as we drove through Tel Aviv, torn up for the past few years in the attempt to build up a metro system, stuck in the traffic jams resulting from closed streets,  we kept recalling the frequently repeated joke in the past few months:  if only we could hire those professionals from Gaza, who managed to build underground tunnels throughout the residential neighborhoods there without showing it aboveground at all .

may 21, 2021 – the metro Read Post »

israeli politics

There may be one benefit from this war.  The relationship between Jews and Arabs in this country seems to be improving – we are beginning to understand how intertwined we are – how interdependent.   Even though we don’t always mix socially, we do mix every day in our lives, and very often we do like each other very much.  

I may have written these lines under the influence of the numerous commercials that come on the news programs that I am addicted to.  They all talk about their companies and their products in the context of communities composed of both peoples.

I certainly hope we keep moving in this direction.

 

 

may 20, 2021 – benefit? Read Post »

israeli politics

We’ve been talking about ceasefire all evening, with the understanding that if it is actually declared, the rockets will intensify and finally hit my neighborhood.  I’m doing french showers and no shampooing until then – and I have more than a minute to go for shelter.  I’ve got friends and former students who have less than 15 seconds.  i wonder how they change their clothes.  This of course includes Arab citizens as well as Jews.  I doubt that there are sirens at all in the desert, and yet rockets fell there.  And in the villages.  

I lost track of how many rockets have been fired on citizens here – 6000?  no, only 4.500.  So if there are almost 9 million inhabitants that’s half a rocket per 1000 people.  or one rocket per 500 families.  How many panic attacks does that mean?  How many heart attacks?  How many children like my granddaughter wake up sobbing in the middle of the night?


 

 

MAY 20, 2021 – NO SHAMPOOING YET Read Post »