Peace now, or later?
Filed under: A New Reality, General, Israeliness, Life, War
Whether it's the right move or not, Israeli society is open to debate on whether the Gaza campaign should continue.
In fact, Haim Oron, the leader of Meretz, the flag bearer of the Zionist Left, spoke out in favor of a military operation in Gaza to stop the Hamas rocket attacks on the South. But now, two weeks into the campaign, the general support for the operation is being frayed. And last night marked the first demonstation by Peace Now and Meretz against the continuation of the campaign.
The Jerusalem Post reported:
“Even though we supported initiating the operation after Hamas broke the cease-fire, now we are saying enough,” Meretz head Haim Oron said at the rally. “A cease-fire must be reached now. We must do everything possible to reach a peace agreement under the umbrella of the Arab League. Only an agreement between us and the Palestinians can end terror.”
Peace Now expressed understanding for the operation when it began, but started calling for a cease-fire six days into the fighting. “Calls for a cease-fire are not anti-IDF,” Peace Now secretary-general Yariv Oppenheimer said at the rally. “We just don’t want the soldiers to lose their lives in an operation that should not be continuing. The Left was divided at the start of the fighting. But when the choice is between staying in Gaza for years or leaving now, it is clear what we support.”
As caualties mount, the IDF prepares a ‘phase three’ of its offensive which will likely take troops farther into Gaza toward Gaza City, and efforts intensify to find a formula that will enable both Israel and Hamas to accept a cease-fire, the calls for a withdrawal will likely increase.
And the debate is intensifying too. A weather vane of public opinion, Facebook is full of back and forth whether the status report that many supporters of the IDF efforts have adopted, which tracks each Kassam that falls on Israel, is ‘jingoistic’. And there have also been reports of a similar status report on the other side labeled ‘body count’ which marks each Palestinian fatality at the hands of the IDF.
Friends by any definition, are turning on each other with increased exasperation and lack of understanding for the other side. Self-criticism has long been a tenet of the Israeli way of life, and now is certainly no time to stop. It keeps us in check, reminds us that we, as a people, abhor war and killing, and sets us apart from our enemy, which doesn’t seem to have any internal debate or qualms about the suffering and death it causes.
A new year
I was sitting this morning, checking out the status reports of my friends on Facebook, and thinking about the New Year, and the situation in the South.
The American friends were mostly writing about going to dinners, New Years resolutions, travelling, being cold, or referring to some other aspect of New Years and winter revelry. The Israeli friends were mostly alluding to the war in some fashion.
But that’s not to say that people here are fixated on Operation Cast Lead. My daughter reports that downtown Jerusalem was packed last night for ‘Sylvester’ celebrations, the endearingly nerdy way Israelis refer to New Years Eve, while thinking they’re being cool.
So we have a situation that, like the rest of the world, Israelis are out partying despite what’s going on in the south of the country. And when you stop to think about it, what’s going on in the south of the country is just mind-boggling. According to news reports last night, 600,000 Israeli citizens are within range of Hamas rockets and Kassams.
A Home Front commander was on TV advising residents of Beersheva, Sderot, Ashkelon and other southern communities not to gather for New Years Eve parties last night out of fear that a well placed rocket could cause major casualties. A couple that was getting married on New Years Ever in Beersheva changed the venue at the last minute for that very reason to the safer confines of Rehovot.
How long can we – meaning the people of the South and the country at large – endure this kind of situation? Well, for quite a while actually, as the Second Lebanon War in 2006 displayed. Israelis are quite resilient, and we realize that the pre-war situation, when it was just Hamas attacking us, is unacceptable.
But it would be nice if someone was telling us what’s going on, and providing the residents of the South with some encouragement and guidance during this unfathomable situation.
Why haven’t Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, or Ehud Barak or Tzipi Livni, given a ‘State of the Union’ address, particularly the residents of the South, and told them ‘listen, this is going to get bad, you’re going to get bombed and it’s going to be unpleasant and dangerous. But we’re doing this to disable Hamas from being able to fire rockets at you ever again.”
But no, nothing. It’s all implied that we – the government and the army – are going to do what’s neccessary, and you – the people – will only have to be told things on a need to know basis. We may be great fighters – although between the Lebanon War and our current inability to stop Hamas, that assumption is being challenged – but we’re terrible communicators.
Imagine the United States attacking Mexico in order to prevent a constant barrage of missiles from Tiajuana onto San Diego, and nobody from the government from the President on down addressing the people of San Diego and warning them that it’s going to be getting a little rough, but we have your backs covered.
Anyway, that’s what I get for checking status reports on Facebook. I guess if I was going to write a New Year’s wish for 2009 on my own status report, it would be that, instead of rockets, peace and quiet begin raining down on the South of Israel.
Pizzabook
Filed under: Food, History and Culture, Life, Nostalgia Sunday
A vintage shot of the old Richie's Pizza on Jerusalem's King George Street.
We’re talking pizza here – Richie’s Pizza – a Jerusalem landmark for most of the 1970s and 80s. For anyone travelling through the city, whether it be student on year-long or short-term programs, backpackers, or new olim, Richie’s was the mecca for contact.
Towering over its reputation for lousy pizza was its amazing bulletin board, where appointments were made, travelling partners to Katmandu were found, Lebanse hashish was scored, and dates were initiated.
While I only stopped by there as an outsider once or twice, my friend Alan worked there for a few months as a pizza maker while on a six-month college program in 1979. And he can vouch for all of the above, not to mention gaining the perks of some impromptu ‘social networking’ of his own with members of the opposite sex.
It was quaint, and sometimes ineffective (many a romance was stymied by the bad timing of a note at Richie’s falling by the wayside or being hidden just before its hoped-for recipient entered the joint), but it was alot more personal and exciting than sitting at a computer keyboard and typing a message.
Richie’s – which closed its doors on King George St. in 1990 – came up in the context of a recent gathering of a new organization called Amuta 2.0, an initiative that helps local nonprofits take advantage of new technologies. Lisa Barkan, Amuta 2.0′s director explained to The Jerusalem Post things have evolved from Richie’s cork board to Facebook.
“For today’s generation, [social networking site] Facebook is the wall of Richie’s Pizza,” she continues. “It’s like your own private bulletin board. And you don’t have to be in Jerusalem to read it.”
But of course, in today’s mash up, you can have the best of both worlds. Facebook now has its own ‘I Remember Richie’s Pizza’ page. So now, old timers can reminisce about the good old days in Jerusalem, and they won’t even get the indigestion endemic with eating at Richie’s.
Shana tova u’metuka
Filed under: General, History and Culture, Holidays, Immigrant Moments, Israeliness, Religion
There’s no question that Rosh Hashana cheer is in the air, whether it’s signing off of every conversation with a Shana Tova salutation, wishing a Shana Tova to each clerk, salesperson or person that one meets, and the number of Shana Tova emails — not to mention the round challahs and apples and honey gifts on Facebook — that are arriving in the email inbox.
The streets are crowded with people, shopping all the time, for food, gifts, last-minute outfits, and the planners who are already picking up decorations for their sukkah.
What I always like about Rosh Hashana in Israel, as well as Yom Kippur and Sukkot (and all the rest of the calendar year, for that matter), is that they are holidays for everyone, secular or religious. Sure, some of us spend a lot of time in synagogues during this month-long holiday period, thinking about personal repentance and ancient piyutim, and that’s our choice. Many don’t. But nearly everyone in Israel is celebrating in some way, sharing special meals with family and friends, buying “shay l’chag“, holiday gifts for one’s hairdresser, accountant, travel agent or clients, cleaning up the house and yard before the onslaught of guests, and thinking of creative ways to use honey or new fruits.
I suppose that for me, it comes down to the fact that no matter how many years I’ve been living here, I still derive a little thrill at how different it feels to celebrate one’s new year in September rather than January. It feels different to say Shana Tova U’Metuka, rather than Happy New Year. It feels different to toss around pomegranate seeds, rather than glitter at midnight.
So here’s to a happy new year for all Israelity readers and bloggers, and finding your kind of celebration. Sweetness and happiness in 5768.
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