israeli politics

Remember all those soldiers who voted for the first time and swept the extremists into the government?  I am sure they had good reason to follow the promises of tighter security and no tolerance for crime.  After all, they are the ones whose hands are tied when they experience provocation and violence because they fear condemnation for responses. 

But they are also the guys who play soccer on Saturday and today there was a recommendation that the government outlaw soccer games on the Sabbath.   

This is one of the examples of the double bind we are now in.  And, as R.D. Laing pointed out long ago, it leads to schizophrenia.

soccer – nov 6, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

Long ago grandfather had an orchard

Together with his brother, they built a house for the caretaker and a water tower for the needs of the oranges.  One generation later we used to have picnics there and rejoice in the agricultural development of the country.  But the orchard is long gone and tonight we witnessed again how far gone it is.  

The organization that united the orchards in the area tried to dissolve the company ten years ago when the whole system of agriculture fell apart.  They’ve been trying for 10 years to legally dissolve, but had to sell their offices and properties and just couldn’t get through the red tape.

Tonight we went to a meeting of the shareholders – even though our share in this is minimal.  There were over 250 shareholders but only 16 attendees and we met in the basement of a luxurious brand-new synagogue in some remote part of Petach Tikva, where it was clear the Chair was an important member.  Almost all of the people were old and it was clear the oldest ones had been farmers.  

I sat there wondering over how we had come to this state – former farmers going broke in a high-end synagogue.

 

 

orchards Read Post »

israeli politics

It’s been 27 years since the murder of our greatest prime minister and the pain is stronger for me every year.  Today at the ceremony in Rabin’s memory, Lapid spoke about not wasting time hating and arguing but continuing to work towards improving the country. 

Bibi was absent.

Yitzhak Rabin z”L – Nov 6, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

Every time Nancy Pelosi uses Ehud Manor’s poem, I am filled with that amazing sense of desperate patriotism – for Israel and for the United States – that I cannot overcome.  The awareness that there is much to be wary of, much work to be done, and yet so much to love.  Even though my land may be terribly flawed, I have a duty to be faithful to it, and do everything in my power to make it better.

 

i have no other country Read Post »

israeli politics

We’re sitting at our favorite meeting place on the beach drinking Aperol Spritzes and I start playing with our friend’s fear of the future.  “I hear Yigal Amir is going to be released and is going into politics.  There’s talk of the ministry of justice.”  Our friend is horrified by this, and it really wasn’t fair of me to scare her so.  “So that’s not going to happen, right?” I tell her.  “So nothing else will be as bad.”  

Now What – Nov 5, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

The Tikotin Museum in Haifa – My sense of having missed something in our visit to Japan drove us to go up north for a visit for the first time.  And I was more impressed with Japan than I had been throughout our trip there.  Most of the exhibits we saw were based on the refugees who came through because of Sugihara.  They aroused my curiousity and I started going through the web to find out more about the Jewish community in Kobe.  wikipedia first, of course

japanJews – nov 5, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

So everyone is getting into the blame game about how they let the elections slip through their fingers.  This should be a lesson to the US for their elections.   You don’t fight your friends, but just your opponents.  If you want to win, you have to work together.  I know that’s what Lapid tried to do, to get people to join forces – but it didn’t work at all.  Abbas was also aware that the parties had to work together to succeed.   As Monty Python’s Brian said to his people, we’re all individuals.

 

Blame – Nov 4, 2022 Read Post »