israeli politics

boycott? 7.21.24

I don’t know what got into me to decide to go back to publishing in regular journals.  For the past 9 months I’ve been writing about the situation here, for an interested audience.  But I had this article that I really liked about Melville’s epitaph on his grave called “I would prefer not to” and I thought I’d send it out.  So I picked the “Virginia Quarterly Review” because I’d published there once, and had been in touch once with the editor.  Within hours it was returned to me.  

That was last week.  It only occurred to me today that it was returned unread.

boycott? 7.21.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

sympathy - 7.21.24

sympathy - 7.21.24

Because I tend to believe the Israeli army, I trust their statistics about humanitarian aid to Gaza. 

Here  

https://www.idf.il/en/mini-sites/hamas-israel-war-24/our-humanitarian-aid-efforts/

I know we’re depicted as heartless in the media, and the we’re committing genocide, but it’s pretty clear that is it our neighbors who want to commit genocide.  And I’m one of the proposed victims.

Do I feel sympathy for the Hamas?  Yes, but I know that if someone tries to harm my family or myself I can get pretty hard-hearted.

 

 

sympathy – 7.21.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

hitting back again - 7.20.24

I’m not sure who bombed the Houtis in Yemen, but it is a big big deal, and we will get a big big response.  Israel has been attacked by the Houtis for a few months, but only when it hit Tel Aviv did we begin to take them seriously.  

That response overlooks the fact that Tel Aviv has been attacked in many ways in the past.  In fact, the reason I started this journal in 2002 was to let my loved ones know I had survived the latest suicide bombing. It didn’t start when the Italians killed 137 people in bombings in 1940.   I think the first one could be counted in 1921.  The victims of that encounter were buried in Trumpeldor cenetery – which was in range of the rocket that hit Tel Aviv yesterday.

 

hungarian Blintzes – 7.20.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

self-destruct - 7.20.24

With all the alternatives available, our prime minister is bent on bringing us down with him.  If I didn’t believe in the amazing people who live here, I’d be in despair.  The people I know here who are living in absolutely terrible conditions, families squeezed into single hotel rooms, not knowing whether their lived ones are alive or dead, have to fight against their own government for the basic right of defense – and don’t give up.

self Read Post »

israeli politics

I forgot to tell you about Hungarian Blintzes – the rocket distracted me.  So there’s a little restaurant on 36 Yirmiyahu St.  Once the windows are washed it is very presentable, but they weren’t, and even though it has been praised to the ceiling for many years, once I saw it, I was wary of bringing guests.  

It was pretty empty when four of us walked in, and although our friends from abroad were very happy with the place, I kept fingering the tear in the tablecloth and wondering whether this was the right place to entertain guests from abroad.  

It was.  Although I didn’t taste the little homemade liqueurs offered at the beginning, I was put in a good mood by the onion soup.  So by the time the hot blintzes came around I was ready for the best.  And they were.  We had spinach and cheese and our friends had mushroom and eggplant and we were all satisfied.  But we were determined to have the sweet blintzes as well.  For old times sake.  

They were great.  Apple blintzes are my favorite and cheese and raisin is Ezi’s.  They were so good I was half drunk with them.  So when the chocolate liqueur was offered again I chugged it down.  Actually I chugged the lemon liqueur and the vanilla liqueur as well, forgetting we had been shown the 95 proof bottle at the beginning of the meal.  

Don’t do that.

But do try the Hungarian Blintzes place -even though it’s very hard to park in that crowded neighborhood.  They were better than the ones I used to make long ago.

 

Hungarian Blintzes - 7.20.24

hungarian Blintzes – 7.20.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

bomb - 7-19-24

still checking who is okay.  The warhead-armed drone that fell last night and killed one and injured 11 means that the Houtis in Yemen have the means to get to the densely populated center of Tel Aviv.

Me, I’ve been having my own issues – health most recently.  My heart has been racing since yesterday morning, and I think I’ve got to go to the hospital.  

 

bomb – 7.19.24 Read Post »