israeli politics

eurovision -1-5.13.26

Probably the kitschiest event in Europe, and yet, one of the most fascinating, the Eurovision has been overwhelming our local media for weeks.  Even though many of the strongest countries withdrew because of Israel – Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, Netherlands, Iceland – the fact that Israel made the finals is extraordinary.  I have to add that even I watched it – and watched the boos from a portion of the audience.  My immediate response was “you had your chance in ’48.”

eurovision -1 – 5.13.26 Read Post »

israeli politics

when I write - 5.12.26

i usually try to write at the end of the day, when all my defences are down and I’m half asleep.  I talk about the first thing that evokes this city.  So tonight I’m writing about something i shouldn’t talk about.  my neighbor.  she’s the daughter of the woman  I used to write about – a holocaust survivor.  both of them are quite mad but the daughter has become very agressive and in her rages, threatens to kill me.  In my despair I’ve spoken to the local policeman but he says she’s just crazy and I should ignore it.  I know she is serious.  And I know there is so much violence in our society right now – because of the lack of authority, organization, clarity, etc. she has reason to fear even me.

when I write – Read Post »

israeli politics

at the hairdressers - 5.11.26

The guy who sweeps the floor appears cool to me.  He’s well-dressed, neat, good-looking.  But when he sits in the barber’s chair next to mine I have the sense that a puppy has come close for protection, and I start to talk with him.  

It’s a problem for me because I’m not good at small talk and I have a tendency to move in too close for comfort.  He has a tattoo on his arm that says “to be or not to be.”  I ask him what it means, and he says,  it’s Shakespeare, so, always an english teacher, I ask, but what does it mean.  He says “to decide whether to join the world or stay inside your head.”

i think he got up and went somewhere else at that point and left me thinking this guy has got a serious case of PTSD.

Then I had the best haircut in years and was so happy I forgot to say goodbye to him.  

How could part of the country be so thrilled in coming back to normality when so many are so damaged by the war?  

 

at the hairdressers – 5.11.26 Read Post »

israeli politics

one country - two worlds - 5.10.26

It is impossible for me to accept the fact that the violent settlers in the west bank are my people.  It is much easier to believe that the Arab inhabitants belong to me.  

 

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israeli politics

front page sympathy - 5.8.26

Since Oct 7, 2023, I have been opening the NYTimes every day and starting with the front page photographs.   They are always of  destruction primarily in Gaza, Iran and Lebanon.  I check the photo in the hope that some of the horrifying damage to this country would also be acknowledged.  But we don’t take photos of destruction, don’t share information that could aid for further military agression.  And now that we are considered murderers, I doubt we will ever make the front page.  I hope we don’t.

 

front page sympathy – 5.8.26 Read Post »

israeli politics

sympathy - 5.7.26

i happened to find myself in a meeting with an international literary organization that has condemned Israel repeatedly for genocide.   Although I have been thinking and talking and writing about genocide for the past two years, in listening to the need for further isolation and condemnation of Israel I realized they just don’t get it.  Three countries have been bombing us for well over two years and no one has complained  because we had shelters and we shot down a lot of the rockets that would attack peopled areas.  

And most of the civilians who were killed in Gaza we surrounding Hamas.

sympathy – 5.7.26 Read Post »

israeli politics

couldn't get in?

couldn’t get it?  it was just a theme hiccup, and with the site’s ai i managed to fix it.  But I was paranoid about it, and wasted an afternoon not talking to my husband but communicating with an ai.  

It has come to that.  Since the beginning of the COVID epidemic we have spent so much time alone together we don’t even discuss the news together – because we know what each other think.

Or maybe because we don’t want to scare each other.  I mean our lives are dependent on what Donald decides in the next 48 hours.  

So I have already bought out the grocery store in preparation for the holiday in 2 weeks.    But I have not invited my kids yet.

 

couldn’t get in? – 5.6.26 Read Post »

israeli politics

lag b'omer - 5.4.26

this is how we celebrate l’ag b’omer this year.  first, we avoid setting the foest on fire. second, we avoid letting any potential enemy know where we are. third, we avoid overeating.  

Oh, come on, who celebrates nowadays?  We spent the morning with the lawyer updating our wills, the afternoon at the very sad funeral of Dame Shirley Porter, and the evening trying to figure out what the bank wants from the IAWE.  So a little fun was definitely in order. 

 

 

lag b’omer – 5.4.26 Read Post »