israeli politics

All for one and one for one - 12.20.25

As one who has passed the past few days watching tv, following the suggestion chat gpt, I am convinced more than ever that we have to push for elections as soon as possible.  My only fear is that the various parties opposed to Bibi have not learned from the master how to give up some of their principles in order to unite.  each of my friends have joined a different party – and each one of the candidates is worthy in and of himself.  But not one of them has any ability to organize others behind him.  

Yair Lapid wrote this about the coming election:

From Opposition Leader Yair Lapid:

Our camp is going to win – and yet is convinced it will lose. Some are even helping make that happen.
—-
“Last Saturday, I posted a picture of myself with my granddaughter along with a two word caption: “Shabbat joy.” Most people responded warmly, but among the first comments was a malicious remark about a “weak opposition” that hugs its grandchildren instead of overthrowing the government. One of our younger activists checked the commenter’s profile and wrote in the group that it was strange – it appeared to be a bot from the poison propaganda machine.

That intrigued us. Why would it bother the coalition that the opposition is weak?

We decided to look into it. It turns out there are countless such profiles – bots and avatars from the propaganda poison machine – working at full force to amplify complaints about the opposition. As always, they are well-organized, well-funded, and focused on simple, familiar messages repeated endlessly: “weak opposition,” “you’ve disappeared,” “if Bibi were leading the opposition, he’d tear you apart.”

When these statements come from within the liberal camp, they reflect genuine anxiety and frustration. But when they come from the poison propaganda machine, they are part of a systematic strategy. Consistently, they recycle messages that already circulate within parts of the liberal camp. Without intending to, some people end up assisting the poison propaganda machine in carrying out a highly effective operation.

Every time someone expresses despair out of real pain, others echo it according to directives from Miami. Channel 14’s machine and Likud MKs are working relentlessly to repeat these messages at every opportunity. The goal is clear: to create despair. And it works. Over time, a completely absurd phenomenon has intensified: despite the fact that the liberal camp has been winning in virtually every poll for months, it is sinking deeper into despondency and anxiety. (On the other side, there is the opposite phenomenon. Channels 14 and 15 broadcast engineered polls, purchased from Filber, promising Likud at least 35 seats. The talking heads on screen are smug and boastful as usual. If it weren’t so frightening, it would be funny: they are paid to lie, and then come to believe their own lies.)

In the real world, this election year is already underway, and the data is encouraging. The numbers we see week after week are stable and give cause for hope. In the overwhelming majority of polls, the bloc stands at 59-61 seats. A significant group of center-right voters abandoned the coalition after the October 7th disaster. The draft evasion law and this government’s corruption convinced them there is no going back.

Yet instead of these figures filling us with optimism and determination, many in the camp feel an authentic sense of distress. This is precisely what the poison propaganda machine is trying to achieve. They know that pessimistic, exhausted people don’t persuade their neighbors, don’t write on social media, and don’t project the sense of momentum needed to bring voters along.

Of course, we must not be complacent for even a second – we are in a decisive struggle for the country’s future. But we must also refuse to let the poison propaganda machine drain our strength. If we work from morning until night, if we stick to a patriotic discourse rooted in values and Zionism, we can win – and win big.

The facts are on our side, and we must act accordingly. A sense of victory breeds victory; a sense of defeat breeds defeat. In the end, normality will prevail. Israelis want an effective, decent government. One that drafts the ultra-Orthodox, works for the middle class, and cleanses the country of corruption.

If we succeed in ignoring the bots and the dirty tricks of the poison machine, then in less than a year there will be a new government here – bringing change and hope to the State of Israel.”

He’s just got to learn how to get the others to work with him.  And he’s got to accept the fact that he may not be the leader.

 

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israeli politics

flu. flu flu -12.19.25

 

With all the plans I made for this weekend, for this week, I’m stuck in bed.  And now it has moved up to my head.  Or maybe I’ve saved my lungs from terrible consequences.

But I was hoping to take grandchildren to Nazareth for mass, to take my granddaughter to second hand shops in far away neighborhoods, to make latkes every night, or achapum, or sphinge, or maybe just doughnuts.  But I can’t get out of bed, because I’m so weak.  And chatgpt told me not to strain myself (no multitasking he said) and I screwed up my computer so I can’t work with it, except on line.  We had dinner plans for yesterday, tonight, and tomorrow.  And yet, I’m really thankful that there is no war at the moment.  I had planned on a visit from Iran for hanukkah.

which brings me to the subject of defense.  Whatever you can say about life in Israel, the people were sheltered as much as possible.  Unlike Gaza where they left all the people outside and huddled in their tunnels.

flu flu Read Post »

israeli politics

details -12.18.25

Because I’m sick, I have been watching tv 24/7.  Suddenly I notice that some of the commercial use models who are amputees. An arm, a foot, and bald models as well.  

We see it on the streets as well, goodlooking guys who have been injured in the war, armless, legless. 

They don’t try to hide it – the prosthesis are exposed, metal.  The arms are stumps. 

It’s like all the injuries of this war.  We don’t talk about it – we don’t hide it, but we don’t talk about it.  Statistics say there are 88 soldiers who have lost limbs – that’s all.  If that’s true I live in a neighborhood of soldiers.  I see them all the time.  People who I saw when they had all their limbs.  We hide our losses, the broken population, in order to minimize our shame.  

It’s a detail, but one that shows many more details in our society.

 

details – 12.18.25 Read Post »

israeli politics

Happy Hanukkah

what a holiday – we had every night planned to meet all kinds of friends, but since I caught the flu and can barely move, much of our activities have been curtailed.  So we’re watching news all day.  

One good thing about it is that because there are so many programs interviewing the hostages I am reminded of the actual facts of the events.  1. Gazans attack villages in the Gaza Envelope, killing babies, children, old people, and whoever they could find.  They also attacked a dance festival.  All in all they murdered 1220 people of all ages, almost all unarmed.

2. This did not make the Israelis love Gazans, and they countered with an air attack.  Since the military in Gaza was hiding in tunnels underneath populated neighborhoods, Israel was forced to announce to people that they must leave the neighborhood so they could bomb the military.  Of course there was civilian damage because the Gazan people were human shields.  3.  The Israeli military thought they were being humane, and took much longer following those rules.  4. But they were convicted of genocide.

5. the Israeli hostages, over 250 of them are scattered all over Gaza, and are constantly moved around through the tunnels – some are released in the furst few months, and some up to two years (one body remains) – all of them starves, beaten, and living in unbearable environments underground.    

5. A ceasefire is arranged by Trump but is constantly been broken.

6. Hamas, once defeated, has been rebuilt, and rules Gaza with an iron hand, keeping the population in check with the usual methods of dictators.

7. another attack from Gaza is predicted in the near future.

 

happy hanukkah – 12.17.25 Read Post »

israeli politics

A hanukkah memory -12.16.25

whenever we played dreidel on Hanukkah, I would lose.  And my mother would always declare with delight, “farshpilt is nit farnasht” as she gathered he winnings into a pile.  This was always interpreted to me as meaning “Losing isn’t just the loss of a taste.”  it is only with the years and a bit of reading that I understand the saying is far more encouranging.

„דו מיינסט אַז דו האָסט פֿאַרשפּילט דיין גאַנצע לעבן,“ האָט ער געזאָגט שטיל.
„אָבער פֿאַרשפּילט איז ניט פֿאַרנאַשט. אַ מענטש לעבט, אַזוי לאַנג ווי ער קען זיך נאָך אָנהייבן פֿון נײַ.“

says Y.L. Peretz,  something like, “you may have lost, but you can still begin again.”  Like “oib me lebt, derlebt men”  or “if you’re alive, you can live through it”

This is my miracle of Hanukkah now – that we have lived through a lot, and it has made us just a bit wiser, just a bit stronger.   being unvanquished.

 

a hanukkah memory – 12.16.25 Read Post »

israeli politics

Miracles - 12.15.25

Every year we light candles and every year I love them more, but I believe less and less in miracles.  I mean I’d rather be guided to the wisdom to make my own miracles.  Tonight the family is coming for latkes, and it took us most of the day to get it all together, but in a sense the get together is in itself a miracle.  The terrorist attacks that were prevented – miracles.  The growing awareness that “by any means necessary” is connected to ISIS and is dangerous to non-Jews as well as Jews – that’s a miracle too.

the fact that I don’t burn the latkes – THATS A MIRACLE!

 

miracles – 12.14.25. Read Post »

israeli politics

happy Hanukkah - 12.14.25

When I figure out how to coordinate my pictures I’ll show how much the exhibit of German Neo-objectivism is something to learn from.  In the meantime, if you’re in Tel Aviv, it is really worth seeing – it’s at the Tel Aviv Museum.  

Amazing

 

happy Hanukkah – 12.14.25 Read Post »

israeli politics

Bondi Beach -12.14.25

Some people warn the Jews not to gather in large numbers.  But Jews celebrate holidays by gathering.  It’s no coincidence that Judaism is the only religion named not for the divinity, but for the people.  And we may remember Mark Twain’s warning: “Behold, the fool saith, “Put not all thine eggs in the one basket” – which is but a matter of saying, “Scatter your money and your attention”; but the wise man saith, “Pull all your eggs in the one basket and – WATCH THAT BASKET.” – Pudd’nhead Wilson’s Calendar”

I’m sure the Australians will begin to take the threats against Jews seriously from now on.  I’m also sure that the fact that it was a Muslim who prevented further carnage will remind us all – that the antisemitism that has gripped the world is not based on religion.  People without politicians tend to get along. p.s. Islam is named for the act of giving in to the Lord.

 

 

Bondi beach – 12.14.25 Read Post »