Category: Israel

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News vs Gossip

TV “news” is mostly gossip, I try not to watch much of it.

Gossip is defined as: casual conversation or reports about others, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true.

News is defined as: newly received information, especially about recent or important events.

There is news in amongst the gossip that TV news reports as news. But it is intended to alarm, anger or titillate more than it intends to inform. This came up because Hamas started a new war in Israel and I, like millions of others, wanted to know how a country and people I am deeply connected to are doing. Watching TV is the best available way and it is awful.

Another beautiful rose from the late bloom at the Huntington Gardens.

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Israel and War

“The truth is that if Israel were to put down its arms there would be no more Israel. If the Arabs were to put down their arms there would be no more war.”

Benjamin Netanyahu

This quote, or a paraphrase of it, has been attributed to many Israeli leaders. I don’t know of any refutation by any Arab leader.

Photo of a beautiful corner of the Huntington Gardens with two of the beautiful women in my life in the background. Life is good.

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Asylum Seekers

The two million people in Gaza sounds like a lot. But as a percent of the worlds population (approx ten billion) it amounts to 0.02%. Why don’t we allocate them among the countries who have expressed deep concern about their plight and let them move. The USA can supply the transportation and can take a number of asylum seekers proportional to the number of pro Hamas protesters we have. I suspect that Iran would take more than half of the Asylum Seekers since they deep sympathy for the plight of the Palastinians.

Problem solved. You’re welcome. John Kerry can figure out the details.

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Neighborhoods Matter

“A lovely house cannot survive in a bad neighborhood.”

Israel has tried to improve the neighborhood and has been thwarted at every turn by Palestinian leaders. They just want all of the Jews gone and are unwilling to compromise. Maybe the countries that emerged from the mess that was Yugoslavia offer some ideas of how to do it.

The photo is the oldest know picture of Nurit’s dad and his brother. It’s nearly 100 years old. I don’t know whose profile is above them. It is evidence that the canard that the Jews are colonists in Palestine just isn’t true.

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What was Hamas Thinking?

Israel has a right to exist and to defend itself. Last week Hamas terrorists crossed the line into evil. They did it with the intent to provoke a response. At this point, eight days after the the terror attack, it is still impossible to determine what the response will be. Hopefully the perpetrators of the attack will be punished and the people who trained, planned and motivated them will be brought to justice. It would be good if all this could be done with the least possible bloodshed among the innocent.

“We will only have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us”.

Golda Meir

I’m glad I waited a week before I wrote my first post about this horror. Earlier I just wanted revenge, now I want the unconditional surrender of Hamas without too many civilian casualties. It may not be possible but it has to be tried.

The photo is the beautiful ocean front of Tel Aviv.

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Shabbat Shalom

“It is not that Israel has kept the Sabbath; the Sabbath has kept Israel.”

Ahad Ha’am

A view in the door of the Touro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island. It is the oldest synagogue building in the United States. The oldest congregation is in NYC and the oldest continuously operating synagogue is in Charleston. So many superlatives, so little time.

Anyway the Touro Synagogue has a wonderful story and is an architectural gem.

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Book Review: Let There Be Water

Let There Be Water

By Seth M. Siegel

Because I have lived for the last fifty plus years in places where there isn’t enough water I read a lot of books about water. Some are better than others. This book tells the stories of how Israel went from being a country with chronic water problems to being a net exporter of water. It tells the stories well. There are many stories because complex problems always have complex solutions. Continue reading “Book Review: Let There Be Water”