Nov 18, 2022 – I keep looking for something good to say about the politics here. But all I can cling to is the words of our president, who says wonderful things when the thickest Knesset in history is being sworn in, calling for “listening, respect and openness.” As if.
But just the fact that Isaac Herzog can imagine a pleasant discussion and a positive future may be a good thing. Maybe there are a few Knesset members who listen to him. Maybe some others will follow.
I doubt it.
Robert Pinsky talked to us yesterday, and we in Israel were overwhelmed to find the similarities between American Jewish poetic experiences and Israeli – particularly the understanding of the words of the prayers and the intoxication of the melody.
Near the end, Pinsky connects his haftorah of Isaiah chastising the people for practicing rituals without understanding and believing, preferring that they practice good deeds, and says he chooses to practice good deeds.
Maybe I understood it wrong because it has been in my heart for so long. The phrase, “We will do and we will listen,” which is often repeated as justification for rituals, is one I’ve debated about for decades. And it is reflected in the way I brought up my children.
pinsky – nov 17, 2022 Read Post »
Francis Raday yesterday made clear the override clause being pushed by the new government. It’s here: Is there something behind the override clause? – opinion – The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com). https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-722385
This is the clearest discussion of how our government is seamlessly moving into fascism.
override – nov 16, 2022 Read Post »
The terrible murder of three citizens today by a terrorist would have been enough to ruin the day, but the additional confusion that postponed the swearing-in of the new government helped me change my direction. The realization that things may reverse at any given moment has been renewed in my mind. I certainly don’t mean this is good or bad, but terribly tenuous. I used to think of this when we sat in the chemo treatment room – that the same person with whom I am sharing a joke today may be underground tomorrow. And, of course, I myself may not pass my blood test tomorrow.
My hope for Bibi’s sanity suddenly returned today. Despite the difficulty of the situation, he may work it out so that the extremists are not in a position of such control.
He may not.
5 wives of coalition members – Sara, beautifully dressed in the middle, surrounded by four women who obviously keep themselves in the background. Of course, the one who stands out is Yaffa Deri, whose Sephardic taste is suitable for an extremely orthodox woman. And the others are purposely drab = as modest Ashkenazi wives should be.
But Ayala Ben Gvir, with her cowboy boots and handgun, may be the one you might not notice. And yet, her outfit has the most interesting history. I too like Meir Kahane watch Hopalong Cassidy movies. I know where the mentality comes from: the circle of wagons keeping off the wild Indians from the innocent settlers who just hunger to keep what belongs to them by God-given right.
And you can see how she stands – full face next to Sara – knowing she will be in the middle soon. Because it is her right.
We busy ourselves with relatively irrelevant calculations while our other friends are worried about the financial drain the extremely religious parties will be on our economy. For example, let’s consider that Boeing 667 Bibi had remodeled for his personal needs the last time he was PM. It has been kept up all this time, but never used. With all its Shah of Iran comforts, it will be wonderful to use for those official visits to foreign premiers, but because it is a model no longer in use, in order to fly it, a pilot and crew will have to be trained. This may prove to be a very expensive task. Will the new Finance Minister, Arieh Deri, approve it? Or will he prefer to use the money for breath tests to check whether drivers ate dairy after meat?
Just a thought.
calculations – Nov 13, 2022 Read Post »
The German Colony is a neighborhood that was bought and built by German Templars – in their endeavor to hasten the second coming of Jesus. When they were deported at the beginning of the second world war, the area was deserted, but after the establishment of the state, Israel bought the land, deducting the price from the reparations, and it is now a beautiful little corner of normality in Jerusalem. We wandered through the old Terminal and were guided through the streets, entertained by stories of each house.
Of course I have forgotten them already.
But it must be beautiful to live in a bubble in Jerusalem. The air is so much better than the air in Tel Aviv…
german colony – nov 12, 2022 Read Post »
Since most of my friends are liberal, and the government looks like it’s going to be very actively religious, I’ve been getting far too many prospective case scenarios – the most extreme came from my fifteen-year-old granddaughter tonight. “Do you have a wig ready?” she asked. I have a fading hope that a solution can be found that would ease this situation but it is getting closer and closer to the endpoint. If it happens I fear my entire life will change.
theocricy? – nov 11, 2022 Read Post »
