israeli politics, my life in tel aviv

Every time I hear Yariv Levin speak I get depressed and scared.  I understand that most people do not sign petitions because they’re afraid of the information being used against them, and I remember how my father was terrified that I read about communism when McCarthy was destroying the lives of many famous people because they had signed a document.  My brother bought the magazine, USSR, and when my father saw it, he warned him, “They watch the newstands!”  

I was worried about hanging up a sign from my balcony that there would be retribution, but today I woke up and decided to do it.  Stay hopeful, it says.  About as innocent a sign as could be, but I don’t see many signs around, and it’s not for want of support for the opposition.

Once I realized that we’re in it for the long haul, and we have to succeed, I let go. 

And for Shabbat Tshuva, I’m ready. 

hang in there – Sept 22, 2023 Read Post »

israeli politics, my life in tel aviv

Here I was about to talk about art as a form of escape, and the post disappeared before my eyes.  I was trying to upload pictures from the exhibit by Ilya and Emilia Kabakov in the museum.  It’s about surviving in the face of a society that would get rid of you if they knew you existed.

So I’ll try again

See?

The exhibit is called Tomorrow We Fly

and my mind kept bringing me back to the spirituals about sprouting wings and escaping from a terrible situation.  I remember thinking about it when in high school I got put into the wrong art class and instead of learning about the old masters I wass in shop class as the only white person, the only girl,  And for me it was great fun, but for everyone else in the class their future was determined and limited.

That’s what our future will be – if we make it.  

There are two reasons why we may not.  One is war.

The other is the Saudi deal.  We may have a great future if this deal goes through, but this may also be a check-mate.  I mean, how can we refuse the offer?  And how can we believe the Saudis won’t use the atomic weapons they will be able to make?

museum escape – sept 21, 2023 Read Post »

israeli politics,

This is one of those days I spend on footnotes.  That is, the footnotes to the piece i did on Kurt Gerron.  I’ve lost the sources and blissfully busy myself with trivia while Bibi tries to sell bullshit to the UN.  How wonderful to be so distracted, and since the library has had so few funds for so long, the books have to be ordered from kindle or whatever.  So it’s all here, in my bed.    And my dentist appointment isn’t until late afternoon.  What joy.

 

footnotes – sept 20 Read Post »

israeli politics

You feel it in the air – something’s wrong.  Okay, there’s always something going on here – but this time Ezi says “Jenin – something’s happening in Jenin.”

And indeed there’s a mess there.  We’re arresting terrorists – 3 dead, 12 injured.  All the arrested suspects have been released. 

And Gaza too is stirring.   

Me I am always expecting battle, terrorism, knives, whatever, etc.  At the same time it is very rare that I feel danger from individuals.  I pretty much love everyone I meet.  A strange combination.  

what’s happeni Read Post »

israeli politics

Only recently have I been beginning to understand how my life changed because of the Yom Kippur War.  I haven’t seen the film of Golda that came out now, even though I love the star Helen Mirren because of the trauma.  I think I’ll be talking about it all week.

 

 

yom Kippur War – sept 17, 2023 Read Post »

israeli politics, ,

As the holiday winds down, after we’ve met with so many of our old friends, from so many different directions, we are ready for a nice quiet evening at home.  But no – our new years must begin with protests –  massive and loud.  We’re in an impossible situation, controlled by thieves and maniacs, and we have to express our helplessness and our power.  White shirts for the new year, for hope, for unity.

white shirts tonight – sept 17, 2023 Read Post »

israeli politics

There are too many people I haven’t wished a happy new year, too many people I wanted to see this year that I haven’t had the strength for.  It’s too early to start over again.  Let’s postpone this new year a week – what do you say?

Anyway this isn’t supposed to be the time for new year – we’re seven months too late.  

So time is relative, right?

More than that, I’m not ready for the attacks on Ben Gurion.  He’s being blamed from the right and left for leading us into this complicated situation.  Maybe after we fall apart we’ll start longing for him.  The wonderful little statue of him standing on his head on the beach was just torched.

Yes, we’ll reconstruct it – but will we reconstruct the respect we had for our leaders.  They’ve all be deconstructed to such a point that we have nothing holding us together but hate.  I’m not ready for it.

 

 

 

 

i’m not ready – sept 16, 2023 Read Post »