israeli politics

Gallery Hopping - 8.15.24

Rachel and Barbara persuaded me to join them in their weekly gallery-hopping visits tonight.  I used to go all the time, but forgot about it since covid.  So this was a surprising experience to see all this wonderful art – much of which relates to the present situation.  So many wonderful people, doing so many wonderful things.  I came home elated.

And then I saw the news – that Jatt was attacked by settlers tonight, burning cars, doing damage.  

And I remembered the things I’ve been reading about the Holocaust chronicler,  Katzenik, the guy who fainted when he was giving testimony against Eichmann.  He later explained that he looked into Eichmann’s eyes and thought – he could be me.  I could be Eichmann.

Regular people can do wonderful things, and terrible things.

 

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gallery hopping – 8.15.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

fish - 8.14.24

Once again I’m in the skin clinic waiting room while Ezi anticipates a MOHs test.  It isn’t a life-threatening situation but it takes a while as they analyze each layer they remove for cancerous cells, so I busy us with the fish.  It takes a while to make friends and to figure out what they are doing.

After a conversation we realize they are digging into the gravel, moving it to another side of the tank, and making a nest for eggs.

This lesson for survival and development was my restitution from my friends’ negativity yesterday.  

Oh, and Ezi’s MOHs test was okay – one layer of squamous cells and he was released.

fish – 8.14.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

fanatics - 8.13.24

I don’t know why it has taken me so long to get it but only now do I understaqnd why our government is rushing us headlong into disaster.  The decisions are designed to get rid of the non-fanatics.  “They can leave,” my friend told me. “And who will defend you?” “God.” “Who will support you?”  “We don’t have the needs of a capitalistic culture.”  

I’ve heard this before – that prayer protects us – that miracles happen to the righteous.  Tfilim against tilim (phylacteries against rockets).  Never believed that people actually believed it.  Always thought it was a front.  But it is true.  that our minister of finance is witholding funding from the Palestinians and the evacuees and all those who are not believers in the vision of an extreme religious israel…

 

  

 

fanatics – 8.13.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

life goes on - 8.13.24

You’re not supposed to ask people how they are on Tisha B’Av, the fast day in memory of the destruction of the temple.  Compared to the greatest tragedy of the Jews, people don’t have a right to think about themselves.  But what do you do with a toothache that has swelled half your face to the size of a potato?  What does the world matter when you are in pain? 

life goes on – 8.13.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

stop scaring yourself - 8.12.24

We read “lamentations” every year.  We’ve lost so much so often.  And we’re still here.  So tonight – who knows – we’ll read “Lamentations” in the shelter and we’ll be greatful we’ve got a place to hide.  I refuse to be terrified in advance.

There’s always tomorrow to be torrified.

stop scaring yourself – 8.12.24 Read Post »

israeli politics

silence - 8.11.24

There really is so much to talk about.  But I find that talking to my friends is sometimes difficult right now.  Either they are terrified and they can’t be talked out of it, or they have developed theories that may make sense – if you’re crazy.   All the apocryphal visions.  All the wild scenarios.  Some of them make a little sense, but the religious extremists frighten me, because they make just a little sense.  Not the part about how the prayers of those who don’t go into the army have  saved us, much more than the helpless army.  But the part about how we’ve become far too materialistic and we need therefore to introduce some spirituality into our society. 

And I have to become more compassionate.

 

silence – 8.11.24 Read Post »