israeli politics

The past few days have been dotted with phone calls from political parties.  I wouldn’t trust anything a politician says in a recorded message.  And everything looks like a tactic – nothing seems true or possible.  This is true for the rest of the world as well.    The only person I believe is Zelensky.  My grandson also introduced me to the likes of  Hadar Muchtar, who is too young to be in the knesset, but has a believable platform – even though it isn’t practical.  Check her out.

 

 

messages – oct 31, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

My friend grew up in Jerusalem, and he took piano lessons 3 times a week.  Usually he would take busses, but in October, by the time his Friday lesson would be finished, the busses had stopped running for the Sabbath and he would have to walk home.  

The closest route was through the cemetery at Sanhedria, and he stood long at the gate as it became dusk and wondered what to do.  Then he entered, and was grateful to see an elderly man walking the same path.  “Why don’t we walk together?” the man said, and they began to chat as they strolled.  The boy told him of his piano lessons, of his coming bar mitzvah, and the time passed quickly. 

As they were nearing the exit gate, the old man said, “You were very brave to walk through here at this time of day.  You must have been frightened.”

“How did you know?” asked the boy.

“I was afraid too, when I was alive.”

 

pre-halloween tale – oct 29, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

One of my best friends, who is facing a very dangerous operation, claims that the elections this Tuesday will bring good news.  She also thinks that the Russians escaping the draft are going to move here and expand and improve our economy.  I’ve decided I’m not going to talk to anyone else before Tuesday so I can keep up that optimistic feeling.

optimism? oct 28, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

Among the people we were with last night, were those who were not only concerned with politics but were actually running for office.  They were people who believed that the way can still be found, despite the extremism.  They were all left, and would have discussed the possibilities at length, but were stopped by the declaration of the hostess that since the problem is Zionism itself, there is no way to solve the situation.  There were no compromises in her vision, and yet, the others, had they been allowed to speak, hinted at the possibilities of compromise.  

We were in Jaffa, where even laws of traffic seem to be suggestions, and driving home we encountered the youth who were out celebrating the weekend, driving recklessly, sitting on the sidewalks wuth hookas in a smoking bar, next to a different population in a bar, with teams of girls wearing half of what girls in Tokyo wear on the streets.  Something like a scene of post chaos.

leftists – oct 28, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

Ezi keeps remarking on how people in Japan kept their cars clean, and even washed off the tires.  And we came back to Israel in the middle of a dry dusty spell. Here’s a draft:

After the last dust storm

We drove to the car wash

To be made new again,

And waited in line by the grove

 

A boy was standing there on a trash bag,

And beginning his preparations for prayer,

Opening his ears and kneeling down

As we were moved on the grooves

To the showers and brushes.

 

When we emerged,

I looked for him

But he had finished his prayers

Disposed of his trash bag

And gone back to washing cars.

 

clean/dirty oct 27, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

I keep asking children who they would vote for – thinking they must realize they’ll be living with the results for the rest of their lives.  But they know they don’t have the power to change anything and all they can really do is go with the flow, play a game, do a dance, and not think about what will happen.

We old people, on the other hand, are terrified.  We get phone messages all day from different parties, asking for our vote.  One of them really got to me.  “I’ll bet you are as scared as I am,”  it began.

In my case, it’s hard to decide whether to strengthen Lapid’s party or make sure that the other small parties get through.  When I told the kids at lunch they said, “Who will know whether you made a difference?”

elections for kids – oct 26, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

On the way home, after weeks of traveling, we had become accustomed to receiving a blank response when we answered the question of where we were from.  Perhaps that was why I wasn’t prepared for the response in a shop in the Dubai airport.  They really didn’t have shoes in my size, but insisted on trying to fit my swollen feet into sleek runners.  We had a few good laughs about those clodhoppers of mine before they asked where we were from.  And I said without thinking “Israel.”  And they responded without thinking, “Palestine.”  Were we less off balance we would have expanded our answer, “Yeah, Palestine” with Ezi’s standard “Yes, I was born in Palestine.”  And maybe we would have continued the conversation.  But suddenly everything stopped.  The salesmen suddenly found new customers and we wandered away. 

Last night as I was unpacking I realized how unusual that conversation stopper was, how many times I had replied “Tel Aviv,” and how many times the questioner from an Arab country had replied “Israel? We are cousins,” or “I am from Nablus.” 

I don’t know why this particular conversation bothers me.  I want to go back just to talk to these guys.  

a moment in Dubai – oct 25, 2 Read Post »