israeli politics

boy did  I not want to attend the housing co-op meeting tonight.  And I was right.  Usually, it’s a very friendly and comfortable evening since most of the tenants have been in this building since the beginning, over 50 years ago. But some of the men passed away, the women are getting old, and new tenants have arrived who would like a more modern establishment.  Their plan is to tear down the building and rebuild it with a security room and extra space.  The problem is that old widows don’t relish moving out for three years while the house is being rebuilt and expanded so there is an automatic tension in the building.  Suddenly the board has quit and half the people are dissatisfied with the state of the building, there was a lot of tension. And our old manager is now overworked and short on patience.  So Ezi took over.  And the first thing to happen was he was being blamed for things he did out of generosity.  People were screaming all over the place.  

This has been my favorite place for years = but the prospect of increasing our property value has  made us a little crazy.  At least the younger people.  The older people want things to stay the same.

 

co-op woes – nov 19, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

As I was finishing setting the table for Friday night dinner, there was an enormous boom from outside the window next to me.  A woman had crashed her car into the poles across the street and was sitting there in the ruins of her car, completely confused.  Everyone came out and as I kept bringing her water i realized she must have been in diabetic shock. the only good news is the chickens weren’t burnt.

accident – nov 18, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

Nov 18, 2022 – I keep looking for something good to say about the politics here.  But all I can cling to is the words of our president, who says wonderful things when the thickest Knesset in history is being sworn in, calling for “listening, respect and openness.”  As if.

But just the fact that Isaac Herzog can imagine a pleasant discussion and a positive future may be a good thing.  Maybe there are a few Knesset members who listen to him.  Maybe some others will follow.  

I doubt it.

 

something good Read Post »

israeli politics

Robert Pinsky talked to us yesterday, and we in Israel were overwhelmed to find the similarities between American Jewish poetic experiences and Israeli – particularly the understanding of the words of the prayers and the intoxication of the melody. 

This video is here:  

Near the end, Pinsky connects his haftorah of Isaiah chastising the people for practicing rituals without understanding and believing, preferring that they practice good deeds, and says he chooses to practice good deeds.  

Maybe I understood it wrong because it has been in my heart for so long.  The phrase, “We will do and we will listen,” which is often repeated as justification for rituals, is one I’ve debated about for decades.  And it is reflected in the way I brought up my children.

pinsky – nov 17, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

swearing in - nov 15, 2022

The terrible murder of three citizens today by a terrorist would have been enough to ruin the day, but the additional confusion that postponed the swearing-in of the new government helped me change my direction.  The realization that things may reverse at any given moment has been renewed in my mind.  I certainly don’t mean this is good or bad, but terribly tenuous.  I used to think of this when we sat in the chemo treatment room – that the same person with whom I am sharing a joke today may be underground tomorrow.  And, of course, I myself may not pass my blood test tomorrow.  

My hope for Bibi’s sanity suddenly returned today.  Despite the difficulty of the situation, he may work it out so that the extremists are not in a position of such control. 

He may not.

. Read Post »

israeli politics

telltale Gun - nov 15, 2022

What does this photograph show?

Sara Netanyahu (C) meets with the wives of several of the prospective coalition members Yaffa Deri (2L), Maoz (L), Ayala Ben Gvir (2R) and Rivka Goldknopf (R) on November 14, 2022. Ben Gvir can be seen with a hand gun tucked into her skirt. (Likud)

5 wives of coalition members – Sara, beautifully dressed in the middle, surrounded by four women who obviously keep themselves in the background.  Of course, the one who stands out is Yaffa Deri, whose Sephardic taste is suitable for an extremely orthodox woman.  And the others are purposely drab = as modest Ashkenazi wives should be.  

But Ayala Ben Gvir, with her cowboy boots and handgun, may be the one you might not notice.  And yet, her outfit has the most interesting history.  I too like Meir Kahane watch Hopalong Cassidy movies.  I know where the mentality comes from: the circle of wagons keeping off the wild Indians from the innocent settlers who just hunger to keep what belongs to them by God-given right. 

And you can see how she stands – full face next to Sara – knowing she will be in the middle soon.  Because it is her right.

 

 

 

 

t Read Post »

israeli politics

We busy ourselves with relatively irrelevant calculations while our other friends are worried about the financial drain the extremely religious parties will be on our economy.  For example, let’s consider that Boeing 667 Bibi had remodeled for his personal needs the last time he was PM.  It has been kept up all this time, but never used.  With all its Shah of Iran comforts, it will be wonderful to use for those official visits to foreign premiers, but because it is a model no longer in use, in order to fly it, a pilot and crew will have to be trained.  This may prove to be a very expensive task.  Will the new Finance Minister, Arieh Deri, approve it?  Or will he prefer to use the money for breath tests to check whether drivers ate dairy after meat?  

Just a thought.

 

calculations – Nov 13, 2022 Read Post »