Lately I've been busy wondering why Ehud Olmert, the prime minister of Israel, decided to have some cosmetic surgery done on his eyes while his political ship has been sinking fast. Could he have been planning a second career as an eyewear model?
But the headlines this morning explained everything; that rascal finally allowed the publication of the biggest news around here since the war last summer. Israel and Syria have secretly been negotiating a peace agreement for the past two years. It started out with a chance meeting between Bashar Assad and a low-level Israeli diplomat in a Turkish hotel and ended with a document that turns the entire Golan heights into a park and sends Hezbollah and Iran to hell in a handbag. Of course, Olmert couldn't appear for any 'New Middle East' photo ops with those huge shopping bags under his eyes, hence the browlift. In a classic levantine twist, just when it appeared that the prime minister was chopped liver there's suddenly a new political horizon ahead of us. It will only get more interesting...
This sudden turnaround is a bit exhausting for the average Israeli, so I thought a night out would be in order. Here are the options for reality-weary Jerusalemites looking for a diversion, as they appeared this morning, January 16th, on a billboard at the bottom of Agrippas Street:
*Netivot Tours - transportation to a celebration day at the grave of the righteous one that has delivered blessings to many, Rabbi Yisrael Abuhatzeira, the Baba Sali in Netivot. The excursion will take place on Monday, Jan, 22, the third of Shvat. Buses will leave every hour on the hour from 2 pm until 11 pm from Binyanei Hauma. No need to sign up - just come and get on.
*Har Horev Synagogue - corner of 29 November and Kovshei Katamon. We are pleased to announce to the observant public the opening of the Minhat Horev Center Bet Midrash for the study of the daily Talmud page, under the leadership of Rabbi Arieh Stern, rabbi of the congregation. Schedule of activities, Sun-Thurs: 6 pm - individual study and prep under the rabbi's guidance; 7 pm - lesson on the daily Talmud page with Rabbi Avishai Grussner. Friday lesson takes place in the morning.
*The Interdiscuplinary Arena hosts the virtuoso voice artist Victoria Hanna, in a joint performance with the musician Ilan Ber Ami, Thursday Jan. 18 at 9pm at the Khan Theatre.
*HaDag Nahash with help from The Jam at the Maabada, Thurs. Jan 18. Doors open at 10pm.
*Asaf Avidan and the Mojo Live Cats, live at the Syndrome, Jan. 25 at 9pm.
*The Israel Stage Orchestra of Holon presents a musical experience for the whole family: Pinocchio and the Magic Orchestra, at the Jerusalem Theatre on Jan 16 at 5pm.
*Aeterna Opera, Jerusalem - Don Giovanni, a comic opera in two acts by W.A. Mozart. Conductor - Ilya Plotkin Director - Anna Silores. Grand Opening Monday, Jan. 15, 8 pm at the Khan Theatre.
*Nitzanim Synagogue in Baka, 3 Asher Street, invites the public to a lecture by Rabbi Eli Sadan, head of the pre-military yeshiva at Eli on the subject of 'The Path of Zionism in Our Times,' Jan 14 at 8:30 pm. Next week Rabbi Yirmi Stavitzky, the principal of Himmelfarb high school, whill lecture on 'Modern Orthodox Judaism and Zionism: Can They Walk Together?'
*The Other Dimension - a series of lectures to open a porthole to a fascinating spiritual world. Lectures given by Yoni Elitzur, lecturer in Jewish philosophy and spiritual thought, leader of workshops in Israel and the far East. Wed, Jan 10 - The Hidden World, the Metaphysical Experience: the basis of Jewish thought vis a vis the material world. Wed, Jan 17 - The Genetic Code of the Universe: understanding the secret of the alphabet as a key to the inner dimension of experience. Wed, Jan 24 - What Is the Soul?: the meaning of the soul and its existential test as an independent metaphysical entity. Wed, Jan 31 - From the Tower of Babel to the Twin Towers: the spiritual roots behind human struggle. Arachim - the ICCY, Emek Refaim 12. Doors open at 8:15, lecture begins at 8:30.
*Leah Shabbat in a special performance for women, singing songs of all eras. Jan 16, 8:30 at Shoreshim, 13 Shammai St.
*Steinsaltz Center for the illumination of tradition on the reality of identity, renewal and deepening of faith. New Series - Every Tuesday! At 7 pm with Aviad Cohen, hassidist. Jan 9 - "And the main thing is not to be stubborn" - hints and advice in the writings of Rabbi Nahman from Breslav. Jan 16 - "And the main thing is not to be stubborn" (part 2) - on obstinacy and relaxation in the Mei shiloach book. Jan 23 - "The significance of the month of Shvat on proper eating in hassidic writings." The public is invited. 6 HaRav Iraqi St.
*Jerusalem City Hall presents: A Literary Evening in honor of the publication of Hanoch Bar Tov's book, 'Outside the Horizon, Beyond the Street.' Participants: S. Shifra, Dalia Ofer, Eli Garlitzki, Hanoch Bar Tov. Wed Jan 17 at 8:30 at Authors' House, Gerard Behar Ctr. Free Admission.
*Sivan Shavit in Vanilla - the Exotic Performance. Guitars: Amir Tzorel and Did Erez. Sat night, 9 pm at Syndrome, 18 Hillel St.
*The Giraffes, Live at the Maabada, 28 Hebron Road on Jan 19. Doors open at 10 pm.
*The Land of Israel is Blessed Over all the Lands. We are proud to announce to the observant public that a class in Jewish law will be given by our teacher and rabbi, great leader and keeper of the way of Ben Ish Hai, the glory of his generation, minister of torah Mordehai Eliyahu, Shlita, the Rishon Letzion, who will give a talk on Sat. night of the V'ara torah portion, the eve of the second of Shvat at exactly 8 pm. The Minhat Yehuda synagogue, 10 Navon Street, opposite the bus stop of Mahane Yehuda. Fruit Blessings laws. The public is invited. Women's entrance from Shadal Street.
Which would you choose?
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Monday, January 8, 2007
Guess Who's Back
The only encouraging news in Israel is the rainy weather; three days of torrential downpour after a long, dry November and December is just the metaphor some people around here would like to apply to the flashy comeback of Ehud Barak, erstwhile IDF chief of staff and former prime minister of, let's say, limited success.
The political leadership is up the creek with no object that could possibly substitute for a paddle in sight. When Ehud Olmert and Amir Peretz were elected last March they expected to be running a country in search of creative political options for peace and economic alternatives that would eliminate poverty. Instead, they were completely blindsided by the outbreak of the Lebanon war this summer. Together with the IDF, they've all received failing grades for their handling of the conflict and not many people are confident they will rise to the potentially existential challenges roiling around us - the imminent Palestinian civil war, the political crisis in Lebanon and, of course, the Iranian nukes.
Olmert's tenure has been a non-stop roster of scandals: questions regarding the legality of several of Olmert's real estate transactions; the president and the justice minister accused of sexual harrasment; the bumbling ineptitude of the police in capture of escaped rapist Benny Sela; and now, a fresh crack in the facade of quality government - a corruption scandal at the highest levels of the Israeli equivalent of the IRS, suggesting that businessmen were involved in tax official appointments to protect their personal interests. Amongst the implicated is Shula Zaken, Olmert's personal assistant and office manager, which looks really bad for the prime minister even though he had nothing to do with it. At the moment it's not clear just who's guilty and who's been badmouthed. It's worth mentioning, however, that the political witch hunt is a popular sport in Israel. The trauma of the Yom Kippur War in 1973 created a fissure of faith in the elected leadership, a condition which has morphed into screaming headlines and breaking news over the slightest suspicion of official impropriety. These accusations are often not substantiated enough to indict and after prolonged investigations the accused politicians ultimately return to the fray, leaving a whiff of manipulative victory trailing behind them. Olmert has managed to brush off most of these scandals but many Israelis view him as a corrupt leader who reached the prime minister's office in order to further his personal agenda.
To make matters worse, there is a complete disconnect between Olmert and Peretz; the prime minister and the defense minister aren't talking to one another, like two boys in junior high feuding over a lost soccer ball. They are incapable of cooperating, yet each one clings ferociously to his seat, refusing to budge. At this point Peretz also appears to have lost the support of his own party members, not only as defense minister but also as leader of the Labor party. They're all screaming at him to get off the field - he's a colossal failure as defense minister. However, Peretz's skin is as thick as an elephant's and he's dug his fingernails deep into his seat. He's not leaving the defense ministry unless he is offered an alternative position of equal prestige and influence, meaning the finance ministry, with which Kadima will never part.
Into this hopeless morass saunters Ehud Barak, after six years of exile in the political wilderness after his stinging defeat by Ariel Sharon in 2001. It's a new, updated version of Ehud Barak; he still sports that pompous smirk but he claims to be contrite. Amid the fanfare of his announcement to run for head of the Labor party in the upcoming May primaries, he issued a blanket apology for all of his mistakes as prime minister:
"It is possible that I became prime minister too soon. I made many mistakes, and my lack of experience was to my detriment. Today I know that there are no shortcuts, certainly not in public and political life, and that leadership is a shared burden, not a solo mission. It is impossible to succeed alone and coherent thinking, will and talent on their own are insufficient to run a state."
So the Jewish Napoleon is back - should we consider ourselves lucky? When surveying the Israeli political leadership today one can't help but wonder why there are so few people to admire, although anyone familiar with the biographies of the 120 members of Knesset knows there are many quality individuals sitting under that roof. However, the nature of the Israeli political system means that wheeling and dealing, manipulation, horse-trading and back stabbing are the keys to survival here. It seems impossible to pass through the Knesset doors and come out untainted by the Israeli political culture. Therefore, the 2007 version of the want-ad for prime minister is: a double-crossing schemer with a deep understanding of our security needs. Of Begin, Rabin and Sharon, the three prime ministers who made significant concessions for peace, two of them came from long military careers. Ehud Barak is far more qualified to make the important decisions on the prime minister's table this year than the two disappointing men currently in charge. He might be the right guy for the job, even if we can't stand him.
The political leadership is up the creek with no object that could possibly substitute for a paddle in sight. When Ehud Olmert and Amir Peretz were elected last March they expected to be running a country in search of creative political options for peace and economic alternatives that would eliminate poverty. Instead, they were completely blindsided by the outbreak of the Lebanon war this summer. Together with the IDF, they've all received failing grades for their handling of the conflict and not many people are confident they will rise to the potentially existential challenges roiling around us - the imminent Palestinian civil war, the political crisis in Lebanon and, of course, the Iranian nukes.
Olmert's tenure has been a non-stop roster of scandals: questions regarding the legality of several of Olmert's real estate transactions; the president and the justice minister accused of sexual harrasment; the bumbling ineptitude of the police in capture of escaped rapist Benny Sela; and now, a fresh crack in the facade of quality government - a corruption scandal at the highest levels of the Israeli equivalent of the IRS, suggesting that businessmen were involved in tax official appointments to protect their personal interests. Amongst the implicated is Shula Zaken, Olmert's personal assistant and office manager, which looks really bad for the prime minister even though he had nothing to do with it. At the moment it's not clear just who's guilty and who's been badmouthed. It's worth mentioning, however, that the political witch hunt is a popular sport in Israel. The trauma of the Yom Kippur War in 1973 created a fissure of faith in the elected leadership, a condition which has morphed into screaming headlines and breaking news over the slightest suspicion of official impropriety. These accusations are often not substantiated enough to indict and after prolonged investigations the accused politicians ultimately return to the fray, leaving a whiff of manipulative victory trailing behind them. Olmert has managed to brush off most of these scandals but many Israelis view him as a corrupt leader who reached the prime minister's office in order to further his personal agenda.
To make matters worse, there is a complete disconnect between Olmert and Peretz; the prime minister and the defense minister aren't talking to one another, like two boys in junior high feuding over a lost soccer ball. They are incapable of cooperating, yet each one clings ferociously to his seat, refusing to budge. At this point Peretz also appears to have lost the support of his own party members, not only as defense minister but also as leader of the Labor party. They're all screaming at him to get off the field - he's a colossal failure as defense minister. However, Peretz's skin is as thick as an elephant's and he's dug his fingernails deep into his seat. He's not leaving the defense ministry unless he is offered an alternative position of equal prestige and influence, meaning the finance ministry, with which Kadima will never part.
Into this hopeless morass saunters Ehud Barak, after six years of exile in the political wilderness after his stinging defeat by Ariel Sharon in 2001. It's a new, updated version of Ehud Barak; he still sports that pompous smirk but he claims to be contrite. Amid the fanfare of his announcement to run for head of the Labor party in the upcoming May primaries, he issued a blanket apology for all of his mistakes as prime minister:
"It is possible that I became prime minister too soon. I made many mistakes, and my lack of experience was to my detriment. Today I know that there are no shortcuts, certainly not in public and political life, and that leadership is a shared burden, not a solo mission. It is impossible to succeed alone and coherent thinking, will and talent on their own are insufficient to run a state."
So the Jewish Napoleon is back - should we consider ourselves lucky? When surveying the Israeli political leadership today one can't help but wonder why there are so few people to admire, although anyone familiar with the biographies of the 120 members of Knesset knows there are many quality individuals sitting under that roof. However, the nature of the Israeli political system means that wheeling and dealing, manipulation, horse-trading and back stabbing are the keys to survival here. It seems impossible to pass through the Knesset doors and come out untainted by the Israeli political culture. Therefore, the 2007 version of the want-ad for prime minister is: a double-crossing schemer with a deep understanding of our security needs. Of Begin, Rabin and Sharon, the three prime ministers who made significant concessions for peace, two of them came from long military careers. Ehud Barak is far more qualified to make the important decisions on the prime minister's table this year than the two disappointing men currently in charge. He might be the right guy for the job, even if we can't stand him.
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Women and the Peace Process
A great deal of interest has been generated lately by Tzipi Livni, Israel's foreign minister, as evidenced by the publication of a cover story interview with her last weekend in Haaretz magazine. Livni is one of the few women today in a position of power in Israeli politics (together with Dalia Itzik, also from the Kadima party, who now serves as the first woman speaker of the Knesset. She used to be a teacher, so when she calls all those unruly Knesset members to order, you better believe they listen!).
However, beyond the curiosity of a successful woman in what is traditionally a man's world, Livni has grown to be one of the most popular politicians in Israel today. Her personal record is impeccable; she is untainted by any of the corruption scandals that have left a coating of unremovable slime on many of Israel's current leaders. In fact, she received the Quality of Governance award already back in 2004 and she projects an honest, earnest, no-nonsense persona. She's extremely bright and ambitious and has worked discreetly, yet successfully to garner support from the international community for the freeze on contact with the Hamas government and sanctions on the Iranians, but without the macho bravado exhibited by so many of her predecessors. She's honest, level-headed and straight-forward, so much so that when I finished reading the article I considered giving up my guiding career to go to work for her.
Her stellar personal qualities notwithstanding, I think Tzipi Livni excels at being foreign minister for Israel in large part because she is a woman. In fact, I believe that the entire political arena in the Middle East would be transformed if the decisions here were made by women leaders instead of men. First of all, women are more conciliatory by nature; they are far more likely to seek compromise and avoid going to war than their testosterone-propelled male counterparts. If women were handling the negotiations over the return of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, chances are he would have been home long ago, together with the requisite number of Palestinian prisoners released in exchange. As mothers, women see the safety and happiness of their children as an ultimate objective. They have no need to flex muscles and make a show of strength - they just get the kids home as quickly and as efficiently as possible, and usually in such a way that there is no winner and loser - both sides come out victorious.
More importantly, however, all women of the world are members of the oppressed majority. Whether they live in the most liberated, enlightened societies or the most dictatorial, reactionary regimes all women have experienced fear and helplessness in the face of male aggression in one way or another. This common denominator creates a global sisterhood that reaches beyond language, culture and politics to foment a deep desire to heal the ills of the world and make it a better place for everyone.
I can already hear the men protesting through my dial-up connection, but please remember this: thus far, no combination of male leadership has managed to make serious headway in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Guys, move over and give the girls a chance. After all, 'conflict resolution ' is our middle name.
However, beyond the curiosity of a successful woman in what is traditionally a man's world, Livni has grown to be one of the most popular politicians in Israel today. Her personal record is impeccable; she is untainted by any of the corruption scandals that have left a coating of unremovable slime on many of Israel's current leaders. In fact, she received the Quality of Governance award already back in 2004 and she projects an honest, earnest, no-nonsense persona. She's extremely bright and ambitious and has worked discreetly, yet successfully to garner support from the international community for the freeze on contact with the Hamas government and sanctions on the Iranians, but without the macho bravado exhibited by so many of her predecessors. She's honest, level-headed and straight-forward, so much so that when I finished reading the article I considered giving up my guiding career to go to work for her.
Her stellar personal qualities notwithstanding, I think Tzipi Livni excels at being foreign minister for Israel in large part because she is a woman. In fact, I believe that the entire political arena in the Middle East would be transformed if the decisions here were made by women leaders instead of men. First of all, women are more conciliatory by nature; they are far more likely to seek compromise and avoid going to war than their testosterone-propelled male counterparts. If women were handling the negotiations over the return of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, chances are he would have been home long ago, together with the requisite number of Palestinian prisoners released in exchange. As mothers, women see the safety and happiness of their children as an ultimate objective. They have no need to flex muscles and make a show of strength - they just get the kids home as quickly and as efficiently as possible, and usually in such a way that there is no winner and loser - both sides come out victorious.
More importantly, however, all women of the world are members of the oppressed majority. Whether they live in the most liberated, enlightened societies or the most dictatorial, reactionary regimes all women have experienced fear and helplessness in the face of male aggression in one way or another. This common denominator creates a global sisterhood that reaches beyond language, culture and politics to foment a deep desire to heal the ills of the world and make it a better place for everyone.
I can already hear the men protesting through my dial-up connection, but please remember this: thus far, no combination of male leadership has managed to make serious headway in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Guys, move over and give the girls a chance. After all, 'conflict resolution ' is our middle name.
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