“What do you think?” She asked me. “Will we have rockets tonight?” I hadn’t thought of that possibility but with the explosive balloons flying over Israel creating havoc in the south we just might have a response from Israel and a counter response from Hamas. The Flag Parade today through Jerusalem may well have violent responses, and I wonder to what extent this was planned by the outgoing government – a chaos to make sure the new coalition government will fail. Perishing with the Philistines.

Still my hopes are so great. I have been translating Tschernichovsky’s poem “My Creed” and weeping with it. The first draft of the first verse goes:

Yes you may laugh at all my dreams

I even laugh at them too.

Laugh that I have faith in humanity

And I still believe in you.

if only this poem could replace our national anthem….