israeli politics

This blog is just between you and me – you understand this.  When I mention this to my friends, they look away – just a bit embarrassed they don’t have the patience to read me especially after a long day of live conversation or phone kvetching.   I doubt whether my family ever reads this – they know too much.  So it’s you and me, guys.  And you know all and can ask me anything.

So I will ask you for a change – I’m having a birthday the day after passover.  In London I was born after the second seder and during the last v1 rocket.  so it’s a big day for me.  But my family will be tired after the seder so we probably won’t celebrate together unless i have a brilliant idea and can get them to come.  Any ideas?

 

 

march 22, 2021 – my friends Read Post »

israeli politics

“Thanks for your participation in this session,” the host says to the hundreds of zoom guests, “Now we will take a short break – to see what’s happening with the elections….Not that anyone cares.”  

It was a great session – the poetry of Sharon Olds and wonderful translations into Hebrew.  But I took one last look at the participants and wished they had as much sensitivity to their lives as they have to the poetry.  Even if it isn’t going to make a difference – you have to try,

march 21, 2021 – poetry festival and elections Read Post »

israeli politics

I really wanted to go to sleep and not write tonight – it’s been a long day – but then when I tried to shut my eyes the nightmare came up:  Bibi is going to win with the help of a lot of extreme parties, even though he only has 49% of the popular vote. In part, this is true because people don’t trust the capabilities of the alternative – Yair Lapid – and in part because the left and center haven’t been able to get together in any way and a lot of votes will be wasted.  Also – because many of the people who don’t believe in Bibi don’t believe in the system at all anymore and they’re not going to vote.   Then there’s the fact of the imported vote: The extreme religious parties have been bringing in people just for the purpose of voting, but my Israeli friends abroad would not think of voting if they don’t live here

The part that scares me is that our enemy is very close to a nuclear weapon that will be used against us.   

But then I’ve been in more than four wars and I think that’s enough.  I’m ready to hide under the iron table we had in London during the Blitz.  My brother used to pull me under the table whenever there was a loud noise.  It’s one thing I don’t want to have to live through.

m Read Post »

israeli politics

Do you know who you’re going to vote for?  Do you know who you would vote for if you could vote?  All my conversations with friends end up with uncertainties.  I say I’ve always voted ‘labor’.  But I want to make sure my vote is in the right place to displace Bibi.  I’m pretty sure we would not be in the same place with Iran as we are today if he had not been strutting around lecturing to the world.  Our negotiations should have been silent and strategic, not boastful and narcissistic.   

The associates of the PM have to go because they are as corrupt as their leader.  

The nation-state law is another source of shame for me.

And the handling of the virus – don’t ask. 

 But who?  Who can lead the country?  

As far as I’m concerned it’s got to be a shared effort, and not an ego-trip – but my experience tells me that it will never work.  So I’m back to square 1.

 

 

march 18, 2021 – elections Read Post »

israeli politics

Sha! Don’t tell anyone – what am I making for the seder?  an order on the internet.  

When I started to think of the uncertainties of the past year, of the fear that we’d be shut down at home this year as well as last, and every one would be stuck in their own kitchen with the single dish they had slaved over that doesn’t go with anything else, I panicked.  I know it won’t happen.  We’re going to be fine for the seder.  But there is another factor besides the fear of uncertainty – the fact that everyone has been cooking for the past year and can’t stand the sight of their own refridgerator, much less their microwave.  

so i ordered a full seder meal from a place in jerusalem.  If it turns out good, I’ll let you know. 

march 17, 2021 – seder dinner menu Read Post »