blog, israeli politics, my life in tel aviv

It has been a very difficult time for us, but somehow I’ve gotten used to rockets, used to staying home every evening, even used to the fear that I will be one of those Jews who don’t manage to find a hawthorne bush to hide behind and will get slaughtered. (i think this was this weeks chadid. more when i am not so sleepy). 

But hearing the daily news of death – of soldiers, of hostages, of babies – is too much to bear.  I can’t watch the elegies any more.

But when Biden said, hang on, I prayed he had a secret plan.   

“hang on” – Nov 14, 2023 Read Post »

israeli politics, ,

It’s been bothering me for years – the way Bibi has treated the democratic party for years.  As a fervent democrat (I went all the way with Adlai in 1952) my issue may initially have been swayed by party loyalty, but every time Netanyahu spit in the face of the democrat presidents I want to throw up. 

The past week was the worst.  After Biden made it clear by waiting a month to call Bibi (even though his government officials had been in conversations with Ganz and other officials from months), clearly hoping it would affect Bibi’s ability to manipulate their connection for the coming elections,  Bibi is trying to make book on this phone call.  One thing I’m sure of, Biden won’t consult with Bibi on the Iran deal.

 

february 20, 2021 – biden’s phone call to bibi Read Post »

blog, israeli politics, my life in tel aviv, poetry, , , ,

The New York Times inspired me to finally write about this

when I saw the inauguration last week I kept myself from crying – the way poetry was part of the message of models of faith for the future.  Models FOR faith, not in faith.  HOW to believe in the future and how to be the kind of people that could make it happen.  

The poetry itself seemed more spoken word than poetry to me, but Amanda Gorman did an amazing job in fulfilling the hope that we can change our lives, the direction of our politics.  And Biden’s reinforcement of that kind of belief in his quotation from Heaney’s poetry, something that was characteristic of empathic presidents before him – from Kennedy to Clinton to Biden, made me believe. 

And it made me see the contrasts between our leadership in Israel and the hope for the future in the U.S. government.   When Shimon Peres would quote a line from poetry, you knew he read the poem and chose it himself.  When Bibi – or any of the other politicians in the country – quote a poem, you know they’ve had some speechwriter who had combed the web for famous sayings…  

Thanks to Linda Streit for pointing out this op-ed to me

Please let us hear more encouraging words that shape and enable a better society in the future.

january 24, 2021 – politics and poetry Read Post »