We have been seeing the use of human shields in Gaza, the population in protected areas protecting their leaders. But despite this, the major leader. Mohammed Def, was killed today.
This means we have to protect ourselves – I’ve opened the joint shelter, turned on the lights, opened the door to the building so passersby can come to hide if the rockets fall in our area. We’re not shielding anyone or anything, but we’re targets for the expected revenge.
I know this isn’t about Tel Aviv, but I have been identifying with Joe Biden so much I feel you should be aware of our limitations and attributes. For years I have been messing up names. It was at least twenty years ago when I stood in front of a class of hundred and referred to – what’s his name? Shakespeare. I do things like that more often now, and it happens more when I’m under pressure, or when I’m talking to someone who is judging me. But I’m also wiser than ever. Really. I’ve been through most of the situations we’re going through now. I was born in war, came to Israel in time for the Yom Yippur War and have been around for every other tough situation in the middle east. And I think the experiences taught me something people who live a normal life don’t experience. And, oh yes, I’m a professor. absent minded and retired. But still publishing academic work. Like Biden, it’s hard for me to move, hard for me to look into the sun, and hard for me to remember names.
The annual Metula Poetry Festival, one of the highlights of the poetry year, will take place this year in Jerusalem. It will take place at the Confederation House and at Mishkenot Shaananim from August 26-8, and I’ll be appearing on all three days. Check the program out here confederationhouse
For me the first day is reading poems influenced by prostitution in the holocaust. The second day is about erotic poetry. On the third day I’m supposed to be speaking about immigrant identity. All this is stuff you’ve heard before if you’ve been reading this, but everyone who’s leading the panel has an agenda and will make it new.
I am praying that by then we will have at least partially solved the problems that are creating this terrible war and these subjects will be relevant…
We were going to go to Tiberias today, but I’m a little sick and stayed in bed. Now it seems there are a lot of rockets up north – and we did well by staying home. People are being killed every day and we are doing nothing about the north – it’s as if we’ve given up taking care of 150000 of our citizens.
One of the results of staying home is being exposed to extensive news programs that have substituted for the educational programs that cost more money. And the broadcasters, being exposed to much foreign news, are using more English terminology than ever. And we adapt most of them to our grammar so they become almost unrecognizable. I’ll see if I can put together a list.
We still say “Ahhlan” when we meet, even though it is outdated. We never say “Shalom Aleichem” and I’ve noticed that Arabs don’t greet each other with “Salaam Aleikum.” Peace be upon you seems somehow to indicate that the peace comes from above. We in the middle east tend to think that we’re responsible for war and peace. We prefer thinking the enemy is to blame for war, and we are the ones who make peace.
“Besorot Tovot” also seems to have a religious feeling. Better translated as “Glad tidings.” “May you be sent glad tidings.”
“Inquiry” scares people, as if it is clear someone has done something wrong, and our world is a mess.
what do you say when someone asks you how you are? “Considering the situation, I’m fine.” And when
hah, you didn’t believe it, did you? One of the news reporters said today that he’s never going to use that term again because every time he says that he’s optimistic about a deal, the whole thing falls apart.
Our language has changed in other ways as well. For example, when we say goodbye we always seem to add “Bsorot Tovot” -“May there be good news.” It’s a bit of a religious expression, but it seems to suit even the atheists right now.