israeli politics

draft of a poem - 6.11.24

Every Day

 

Every day I see faces

I will never see alive:

a boy who could have run away,

played dumb and stayed

in some town in Thailand,

disappeared into a jungle in Brazil,

or buried his head in bible studies.

 

If he grew up in another land

he might be demonstrating

in some ivy league college

instead of hunting hostages

among desperate foes.

 

Who would have been his children?

What would they look like

and how would they have made

the world into a better place?

Every day those faces come to me,

the children of murdered soldiers,

their mothers raising them in woe.

The children that will never be.

The hopes that have been lost.

.

draft of a poem – 6.11.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

hag sameach - 6.11.24

The ten commandments, the story of Ruth, the parades of tractors with vegetables in Metula.  What joy this holiday once brought us.  What joy it will bring in the future!  For now, we must endure.

 

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israeli politics

today - 6.10.24

We had one day of celebration about the 4 hostages we rescued.  Then we started worrying about the propaganda they might have heard.  And we’re beginning to pay attention to the fact that we’ve emptied out the North of people from October 7, and the damage of the incessant bombing and the human neglect is irrevocable.

My friend from Metula sits in her room in a hotel in Tiberias – her Parkinson’s isn’t improved by the fact that she doesn’t have the heart to do her exercises after hearing the daily news.  Every day the mayor tells the residents what the damage is, whose house has been bombed, what farms have been destroyed.  I have to go up there to see her but Ezi had a mole taken out of his shoulder today and can’t drive and I’m a little scared of driving myself. 

This sounds silly but not doing this one little act makes me feel like I’ve screwed up the one little task I can fulfill to alleviate a situation that is affecting hundreds of thousands of people. 

It got me thinking about Mark Twain.  He wasn’t talking about the Jews, but it suits the situation:

“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.”  

We should be watching that basket….

today – 6.10.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

Stockholm - 6.9.24

I would not be surprised if these freed hostages haven’t been brainwashed.  Would you?  Watch a different channel see a different truth.  What do you think would happen to you if you were living with the enemy for  9 months?

 

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israeli politics

4 hostages freed! - 6.8.24

Such amazing news I can’t help but share it with you.  The sudden announcement that we freed 4 hostages was so surprising – we heard the names and identified them right away. It is as if we knew each one of them personally. 

 

 

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israeli politics

last night at the Writers' House - 6.7.24

For so many years the fact that there was a building devoted to writers always amazed me.  The building was for Hebrew Writers but for some years we created a bond that was international and interlingual.  It has gradually frayed, this bond, and the building, more and more in debt, has to be demolished now to create an office building with – I hope – offices and a hall for the writers. But it will never be what it was.  

In any case I really felt I had to say goodby to the building and launched a few of the books I’ve been ignoring for the past years.  I gave away all the books I could – like a little potlatch in memory of those days….

last night at the Writers’ House – 6.7.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

Gazan Children 6.7.24

Lots of people get very upset about the killing of Gazan children.  I’m worried about something more basic.  First, I don’t believe the numbers of children killed.  The bodies keep repearing themselves.  That relieves me.  The thought of children being killed is horrifying.  But what is worse is that these children have been brought up to war.  Sleeping with stored bombs,  taught Hebrew for “take down your pants” and “shut up”, dreaming murder, what kind of life are these children being offered?  Children have to be kept alive and provided with a future.  If I believed in prayer I would pray for them.

 

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israeli politics

Ezi's Eightieth - 6.5.24

How to celebrate in such a dangerous world?  Ezi can do it.  For the first time ever he agreed to a party – not just one party, but two.  All the stops are being pulled out – new underwear and all. 

While we’re working on the video for his party we’re seeing the whole history of Israel – the building, guarding, protecting, worrying, rejoicing.  Everyone his age had something to do with the building of this country, and the stories of everyone today are a part of the continued survival.  If I go through the people I know, I think I can cover almost all of what’s happening.  

Even my old Arabic teacher is an example of the complexities of the country.  (We studied with her for over a year, but I wasn’t picking it up because my head wasn’t on right – I didn’t have the basic grammar that every native Hebrew speaker has.  I’m only now beginning to understand it).  But she, Sabreen Msarwi, was recently accused of siding with the enemy because she liked a facebook post long ago.  I stick with her.

 

ezi’s eightieth -6.5.24 Read Post »