israeli politics

Even though my main concern with the new government is the destruction of the checks and balances in the judicial system, as a writer and researcher I have been particularly concerned with the attempt of the government to take over the National Library.  They aren’t as concerned as I have been, but published a statement anyway:

Statement From the NLI Regarding Its Future

I have been envisioning burning books, but they seem to be more optimistic.  Or maybe they just don’t want everyone pulling their archives from the library.

 

The national library – march 5, 2023 Read Post »

israeli politics

Let’s say we have 9 million people in this country.  The Arabs constitute 21%.  They are staying out of the protest, because it isn’t about them.  The only flags in the demonstrations are flags of Israel, and the Palestinian flags some people waved at the beginning of the protest were considered a diversion from the main issue. (But they are definitely the ones who will suffer the most from the government reforms – if the country doesn’t fall apart completely)  So we are left with 6 million.  Half a million Christians and Bahais who are not involved. Among these are at least a million who are old, weak, sick, lame, etc., and another million who are too young to be out demonstrating at night.  Add to that half a million soldiers who can’t demonstrate.  So if there were 250 thousand people on the streets,  shouting “shame,” it means at least 20% of the entire Jewish zionist population is willing to risk injury to fight against the government,  an unthinkable situation.  

quarter million people – march 5, 2023 Read Post »

israeli politics

March 4, 2023

I was way too sick to join the protest tonight, so I started writing a poem about it.  I had been listening to old Pete Seager records again and realized that no protest will ever be as clear for me as Salma.  Years ago, when I heard on the radio that a politician named Smotrich was complaining about how his wife should not have to give birth in the same ward as an Arab woman I didn’t write him a hate letter or protest in the newspaper or anything.  Hey, when I gave birth almost half a century ago, the nurses were on a break and I couldn’t get past the information counter.  There was a Beduin woman in the same situation and we comforted each other.  I don’t know how I would have managed without her, and didn’t think for a moment that she and I did not deserve the same accommodation.  Yet I did nothing to try to stop Smotrich’s advance.   I thought that no one would agree with a crackpot like that.  

And later, when the law was passed declaring Hebrew the only official language of the country, making Arabic a secondary language, I should have spoken out.  So what if I began again to study Arabic in protest?  It was just a ruse to comfort my conscience.  

 

 

some complexities of Protest Read Post »

israeli politics

I’ve been listening to Pete Seager songs all afternoon in order to get some courage for demonstrating tomorrow.  Suddenly I am very afraid – of horses and stun grenades.  Before, I was only afraid of walking too much and standing too long, but as the situation isn’t changing, the protests are becoming more extreme and the opposition is more and more violent.  And I’m scared to go.

chicken – march 3, 2023 Read Post »

israeli politics

No one wanted to talk politics in Barcelona.  We concentrated on paella and Spanish grammar.  But as soon as we stepped into a taxi, the conversations began.  

This driver proclaimed himself rightist from the beginning, just after he asked for more money than the standard fare because of the demonstrations.  It was almost midnight and the demonstrations were pretty much over, but what the heck – we had money left over from the trip.  And he entertained us the whole way by proclaiming his disappointment with Netanyahu.  It was remarkable how we agreed on almost all the issues, despite the fact that he was definitely screwing us on the fare….

back to reality – march 2, 2023 Read Post »

israeli politics

We’re almost leaving Barcelona but we suddenly decided to check out the Jewish Quarter even though everyone had told us there was nothing there.  Well, almost nothing, it turns out – but enough to whet the appetite to learn more.   There’s more on the web than there is available to the eye.  And it’s a good story.  Check on the web.  I have to pack.

 

 

Jewish Quarter Barcelona – Feb 28, 2023 Read Post »

israeli politics

How did she say it – Hilary – “when they go low, we go high?”  When has anyone won anything that way?    Still,  I can’t go there.  I refuse to sanction that kind of behavior no matter what the reason.  We have no right to be violent against a people we’re responsible for.      

when they go low – feb 27, 2023 Read Post »

israeli politics

I’ll be back soon, but in the meantime, I’m only talking with people about where to eat today, where we ate that was enjoyable. and what to eat tomorrow.  Nothing about the two people killed today in the west bank, nothing about political upheaval, nothing about ministers of environment not believing in climate change.  As me about tapas.  Ask me about parks.  Ask me about poetry. 

 

That’s it.  

Tomorrow you can ask me about how the Jews were eradicated in Barcelona.  

 

 

don’t ask me – Feb 26, 2023 Read Post »