Celebrating Israel’s diversity
Filed under: A New Reality, coexistence, General, Israeliness, Life, Politics, Pop Culture, Social Justice
Tel Aviv turned into a multi-colored, multi-cultural sea of fun on Friday… wait, isn’t that Tel Aviv every day?
What made this day a little more colorful was the 13th annual Gay Pride parade, as thousands of revelrers celebrated the sexual freedom Israel offers by marching, dancing and waving rainbow flags from Meir Park to Gordon Beach, where a massive outdoor party awaited them.
Since the Madrid Gay Pride Parade has banned Israeli groups (and famed singer Dana International) from attending, due to Israel’s raid on the Gaza flotilla, there was even more reason to step up the celebrations in Tel Aviv this year.
For the first time, two separate parades marched at the same time, with an alternative ‘radical’ march running parallel to the traditional community one, organized by the ‘Marching toward Social Change’ coalition.
According to a report in The Jerusalem Post, the trauma of last year’s fatal attack on a counseling center for gay teens in Tel Aviv was not forgotten during the festivities. A moment of silence was held at Meir Park for the victims of a shooting last August at the Bar Noar that left two dead and 15 wounded. Parade organizers also set up a stand where people could make donations to help the survivors.
Kadima leader Tzipi Livni spoke at the event, urging Israelis not to give in to hatred and xenophobia.
“As a country which is proud of its values, justice and unique society, Israel must denounce hatred,” she said.
Labor MK Shelly Yachimovich also spoke, saying there was still much to be done in the battle against ignorance and discrimination, and for equal rights for the gay community.
“The time has come for the friends of the community to come out of the closet to ensure that this fight, a political one, will succeed,” she said, according to Ha’aretz, adding that there were many public figures and politicians still afraid to come out of the closet.
Friday could have been their opportunity, as they would have blended into the wild crowd without being noticed.
Tears and fears as Madonna ends her Sticky and Sweet tour
Madonna and Livni out on the raz in Tel Aviv.
As David’s already pointed out in his post below, Israel loves Madonna ‘cos she really likes us. And with so many out there who don’t, you tend to get loyal about those who do.
My brother in law was more concerned about swine flu, however. He looked at the 50,000 people thronging the concert grounds, packed in like sardines and said: “This place is a breeding ground for diseases. Don’t let anyone sneeze on you.”
I had other worries on my mind. “Jeez,” I thought, after watching an ant-sized Madonna dance energetically across the stage, singing at the same time. “I’ve really got to get fitter.” This is the kind of thing my husband says after he’s spent a week doing his miloween (annual army service), and has watched fit 18-year-olds run around his base.
Madonna, however, is older than me, and I was painfully aware that during the two hours that Madonna leapt about the stage on high heels, I got backache just from standing.
Another question that kept popping in to my mind as Madonna appeared in one tiny outfit after another, was what on earth she and Tzippi Livni talked about during their tete a tete the other day.
It’s hard to forget Livni during the election campaign turning up on stage in a leather jacket and dancing stiffly to some rock music in an effort to attract youth voters.
So what did these completely different women discuss? The ancient mysteries of Kabala, the looming crisis with Iran, where Madonna buys her thigh-high boots? Ah, to be a fly on the wall during that dinner.
So the show ended. Tears were dried. And 50,000 people headed for the exits at the same time. At Gate 12 we got caught in a massive but good-natured logjam of people. Not a person could move, and suddenly over the loudspeakers came an announcement. “The show has ended, could you please leave the arena.”
Next up Leonard Cohen.
For more on Madonna in Israel, clickhere.
Foto Friday – Post-Election Fun
Filed under: Foto Friday, General, Israeliness, Politics, Pop Culture
This just in: President Shimon Peres has tasked Benjamin Netanyahu with forming the government. And so, the coalition-building process begins. Against the background of political posturing, jockeying for positions and a moment before disillusionment sets in, Tomeriko, photographer, photo editor and informal archivist of Israeli press photographers, has posted a new series of images on his Israel Press Flickr photostream. Entitled Elections 2009, it provides a humorous behind-the-scenes peek at the recent elections.
Photo by Koko, courtesy of Israel Press
The series, contributed by any number of Israeli press photographers working for various media outlets, deals with the run-up to election day, including things that people living outside Israel might not have known about.
Photo by Koko, courtesy of Israel Press
For example, Kadima party head Tzipi Livni on the cover of womens magazine La’Isha. When she was a little girl, could she ever have imagined this day would come?
Photo by Idan Kenan, courtesy of Israel Press
Inevitably, there are instances of campaign poster abuse…
Photo by Aviad Herman, courtesy of Israel Press
With some enthusiastic party workers perhaps taking the “green” message a tad to far…
Photo by Tamar Matsafi, courtesy of Israel Press
There are those who use election day to promote their own personal agenda…
Photo by Adi Yisrael, courtesy of Israel Press
And some who just tag along…
Photo by Alex Kolomoisky, courtesy of Israel Press
But the big question remains: do we know which way we’re actually going?
Photo by Adi Yisrael, courtesy of Israel Press
Here we go again
So, it’s all but a foregone conclusion that we’re headed for early elections. Just what this country needs.
Kadima leader Tzippi Livni, claiming that she wasn’t ready to give in to the ‘blackmail’ of potential coalition partners like Shas, took the high road and went to President Shimon Peres today and returned the mandate he entrusted her with last month to form a new government.
So barring some unforeseen blip, and owing to the convoluted manner the president and the Knesset parties must behave now, we’re looking at mid-Feburary for election day. And guess who’s prime minister til then? Ehud Olmert.
Ain’t Israeli politics grand?
I’m actually looking forward to the campaigning, because the televised election ads are among the most entertaining moments of TV since the original Saturday Night Live in the mid-1970s.
That’s about the only consolation to the whole ordeal, because whether Livni and Kadim come out on top again (highly unlikely), the Labor Party and Ehud Barak make a comeback (even unlikelier), or the Likud and Bibi Netanyahu clean up (Lord help us because it’s very likely), the resulting coalition will be very similar to The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, which goes “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.”
I’m sure that despite the fateful issues and decisions facing us, the next elections will have a record low turnout. Until we start producing some new blood and new ideas, more and more Israelis are going to continue turning off to politics. And it’s a time when we can ill afford to leave our fate to others to decide.
Maybe the environmental Green Party will finally galvanize voters and become this next election’s Pensioners’ party or Shinui – a dark horse coming out of nowhere.to capture the minds and hearts of the population.
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