israeli politics

we only joined our group that walked from apollonia to Jaffa today when it was in Jaffa.  Even though we were exhausted and our feet are still injured we wanted to hear what Rami, our guide, had to say about a place we kind of know for a change.  So we began with my second favorite Sabil.  It is at the side entrance of the second largest mosque in Jaffa.  And the entrance is named after the Sabil Abu Naboot.  

A sabil is a water fountain provided to the public.  Abu Naboot, however, from my memory, was in charge of Jaffo and was so called because he ruled with the aid of his naboot – his club, a heavier version of a baseball.  early 1800s. mohammed aga ashami – mammaluk.  

Ezi insists that the sabil is not called after Abu Naboot, but Sabil Suleiman.  But the sign denies his absolute knowledge.  how strange.

we wandered around Jaffa, and somehow our archeologist guide seemed to feel obligated to relate tales of war, pillaging, mass murders and rape.  

Hey, we’re in this gorgeous place.  And they are ancient.

. 

how can I look at this city and the new city of Tel Aviv without admiration.

march 16, 2021 – jaffa Read Post »

blog, israeli politics, my life in tel aviv

Usually, we know about the seder months in advance.  We order lamb and the fish for the 20 or so people, empty out our freezers and fridges (since most people I know don’t have extra freezers), check for dishes and glasses, buy missing pieces before they run out.  Sometimes even matzah runs out in the grocery, and sometimes eggs are scarce.  But we always know.  This year it’s harder.  We don’t believe that the freedom we’re feeling will last – that as soon as the elections are over, everything is going to be closed down again and we’ll go into the dark ages.  

There’s no real logic to this – we’ve got more than half of the population vaccinated.  The greater likelihood is that we’re going to have a war.  Nevertheless, no one feels comfortable about planning for the future.

That’s why the bat-mitzvah we were at this evening was so unusual.  We were invited to our grand-niece’s bat-mitzvah party months ago.  It was just the elderly relatives on the mother’s side – less than 20 people – but elegantly catered and served.  The caterers return in the morning the father’s elderly relatives and last week was for her friends.  So the parents had planned for most eventualities.  That is the kind of planning I admire.  Reasonable, clearcut, and probably much more expensive.

This is in contrast to our political planning.  Our crisis of the day is with Jordan not letting Bibi fly over their airspace to get to his meeting with the Emirates.  Hasn’t anyone in the government realized that we’ve been irritating the Jordanians for years now in many ways, and payback would eventually come?  Even Seders show more planning than our foreign policy.

march 12, 2021 – seder planning Read Post »

israeli politics

i had spent the day talking with friends about plans for vacations, air b&bs, dinners we’ve had and will have, and all that kind of stuff.  But towards evening I had a zoom with Toi Derricote and Alicia Ostriker talking about their lives and expressing real emotion.   I’m too overwhelmed to process this right now.


march 8, 2021 – Toi and alicia Read Post »

israeli politics

What a wonderful morning we had as we wandered through the Land of Israel Museum.  Not only was there a superb exhibit -(not crowded because so many people had already it before the lockdown and the numbers were regulated).  This glass-blown Harley blew me away. 

We also had a walk through the grounds

It has been years since we’ve visited the olive presses, and it was just very pretty walking through the many paths. 

We even had a chance to buy a little gift for a friend in the museum store, and to get some tasty food at the restaurant to sit outside and devour.  But there was something in the salad that I must have been allergic to because I’ve been really ill all afternoon and evening.  And that is why you haven’t heard from me all day.

march 6, 2021 – take-away? Read Post »

blog, israeli politics, my life in tel aviv

As I sat with a friend who is mourning the death of her lover, I began to lose concentration on the conversation of all her friends who were trying to divert her attention from her loss.  I knew she was mourning not only her lover, but all the past that had slipped away from her, and all that kept my mind occupied while people were chattering about vaccines.  But suddenly I found myself saying – I just wish we would vaccinate all the Palestinians.  And everyone became animated, even our distracted friend.  It was not because anyone disagreed – it was all about how we could help it to happen.  How I wish our government could have a conversation like that.

march 4, 2021 – vaccines for our neighbors Read Post »

israeli politics

There is no doubt that the world is divided now between the haves and have nots – and the gaps are growing.  Here, the poverty is great.    And of course, it is not only the poverty of today – but the future of each and every one is destroyed.  People who cannot afford to eat can’t afford to study, can’t afford to buy computers, to concentrate on any idea of a future.  

So I sincerely hope that the Israel Bonds that so many people have bought (see here )   actually reach these people and do not go into the pockets of our politicians.

When I was growing up I was enlisted for many years to help with the Bond drive, and I know that bonds helped build this country.  We all got great satisfaction from seeing the wonderful things that bonds helped to build.  I still have many charms she received for selling large quantities of bonds.  

Now, my husband chides, that money has gone to help out those businesses that haven’t been able to open for the past year.

What will happen to all of them now?

march 1, 2021 – where do donations go Read Post »

israeli politics

We never really had a close private conversation, so I am not the absolute judge of his character.  And I really didn’t want to get into the subject of his second daughter’s book about her father’s abuse of her.  My own experience of parenting when I was a child was that physical violence was a legitimate means of punishment.  In one of the families who lived with us when I was a child ear pulling and twisting was common and not the most extreme.  Kids going to emergency because their shoulder was dislocated was also not unusual.  But that was then, and the parents were survivors of camps with numbers on their arms…  

I was probably ‘patched’ once or twice.  But I don’t remember because that wasn’t part of the atmosphere.  

For Galia Oz, that WAS part of her atmosphere.  I gather that as the middle child she had the standard behavior problems and was treated differently.  And I wouldn’t be surprised if she wanted to sleep at her parents’ home and her father roughly ejected her and sent her to her kibbutz home.  And it was probably too harsh, but not outside the norm of behavior for the kibbutz.  

It sounds like she interpreted his every move afterward as aggressive and violent, even when it was conciliatory and friendly.

But from her obvious enjoyment at all the attention she is getting at the unmasking of our literary hero, it is clear she also has another agenda than just clearing her conscience about her past.  

And she’s gotten more attention from me than I would have liked to give  

 

 

 

february 28, 2021 – amos oz z”l Read Post »

blog, israeli politics, my life in tel aviv

we’ve been getting an inordinate amount of variants lately – most likely from the people who were allowed special entry into the country even though the borders are, theoretically closed.  It has been said that the airport is the entry point for the new mutants.  And who are these people? those who have been given special permission because they will be voting for the parties of the right?  I don’t know how true this is.  But I know of a few people who can’t seem to get back home to Israel, and some of them are fearful that they won’t be able to return to vote.  It’s an interesting way to win an election.

february 27, 2021 – who will be let into the country to vote? Read Post »