Tears and fears as Madonna ends her Sticky and Sweet tour

September 3, 2009 - 10:01 AM by Nicky · 3 Comments
Filed under: General, Life, Music, Pop Culture 

Madonna and Livni out on the raz in Tel Aviv.

Madonna and Livni out on the raz in Tel Aviv.

It was Madonna’s last show on her Sticky and Sweet tour yesterday in Tel Aviv. So there were tears. Not mine of course, hers. Though it did strike me that the tears she brushed emotionally from her eyes as she said how fitting it was to complete this tour – her best yet – in Israel where there was so much energy blah blah blah, were as beautifully staged as the whole show.

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.

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Foto Friday – Post-Election Fun

February 20, 2009 - 5:27 PM by Rachel Neiman · Leave a Comment
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.

elections_09_koko 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.

elections_09_koko_2Photo 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?

elections_09_idan_kenanPhoto by Idan Kenan, courtesy of Israel Press

Inevitably, there are instances of campaign poster abuse…

elections_09_aviad_hermanPhoto by Aviad Herman, courtesy of Israel Press

With some enthusiastic party workers perhaps taking the “green” message a tad to far…

elections_09_tomer_matazfiPhoto by Tamar Matsafi, courtesy of Israel Press

There are those who use election day to promote their own personal agenda…

elections_09_adi_yisrael_2Photo by Adi Yisrael, courtesy of Israel Press

And some who just tag along…

elections_09_alex_kolomoiskyPhoto by Alex Kolomoisky, courtesy of Israel Press

But the big question remains: do we know which way we’re actually going?

elections_09_adi_yisrael_1Photo by Adi Yisrael, courtesy of Israel Press

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Here we go again

October 27, 2008 - 1:27 AM by David · 1 Comment
Filed under: A New Reality, General, Politics 

kadima_elections.jpg
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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