Observations Part III

Originally uploaded by sarandkel.

We title this photo, taken at a small museum in northern Israel, “As the World Crumbles” (photo credit: Ben)
{posted by Kelli}

The nice thing about being bored is that I finally have enough time in my life to read books, surf the web, cook, write a blog, keep up with e-mails—all without feeling the pressure of time. Life is different without the rat race . . . though sometimes I miss the other rats.

INDIVIDUAL AND NATIONAL EFFECTS
In addition to chickens in the north laying fewer eggs due to stress (I still find that one fascinating), the following results of war have been noticed:

>Right after this week’s airstrike on Qana, we began to hear a bit more than just a peep out of the peace movement in Israel. Anti-war protests are drawing slightly bigger crowds now, and the first Israeli soldier refusing to fight in Lebanon has been jailed, with a few others promising to follow. The “refusenik” movement in Israel has never seen large numbers, but it always creates healthy debate about personal ethics vs. the aims of the state.

>A Tel Avivian we met recently at a Shabbat dinner described the “ready kit” she keeps by her door in case the warning siren goes off: medicine, water, pillow, etc. Neighbors in her apartment building got together and transformed an unused entry hall into a makeshift shelter. She said she has progressed over the last few days from sleeping in her regular clothes to going back to pajamas, although her shoes are always with the kit by the door. This is someone who in 2001, a few months after moving to Israel, survived a suicide bombing in the big market in Jerusalem, which left her deaf in one ear and with visible scars.

>Also about sirens and shelters: the current war has pointed out the inequities of services in different communities in Israel. In Nazareth, for instance—a sizeable, mainly Arab Christian town—there is no siren system. The family of the two little brothers playing in their yard there last week didn’t have a chance to save them.

>Several of our friends who work in Israel as tour guides are reporting many cancelled groups, though some are still arriving. One guide said she tried to return a family’s deposit when they cancelled their upcoming trip, but they told her to keep half of it to cover the time she had put into planning their trip, and to give the other half to various vendors and businesses who are suffering financially from the lack of tourists here.

>”Quiet” radio stations have been established in the north so that Orthodox Jews can leave their radios on during Shabbat. In keeping with Shabbat laws, nothing is broadcast unless there is a life-threatening emergency in the area.

>There is much discussion about national insurance in Israel, which apparently compensates some people for lost wages due to disruption of work based on government actions, like engaging in war. For those who aren’t covered, the coffers are being scraped to come up with compensation packages. (I’m still learning about how this system works. . . )

>Every day, the newspaper prints “ads” from people inviting northern Israelis who are leaving their homes (about half of the region so far) to stay with them—no conditions, no timelines. Can you imagine printing your name and home phone number with such an open invitation in the country’s top newspaper? Sometimes it’s like living in a huge family here. The result is some interesting cross-cultural mixing, such as secular families experiencing life in a kosher home for the first time, and religious families getting used to their new guests driving to the beach for Shabbat.

>Northerners impacted by the situation are being granted additional time to pay bills and can receive discounts on staples. This hit home for us when, at a recent Shabbat lunch with friends, the 5-year-old, who was about to stage an impromptu puppet show for us, realized she had run out of “tickets.” One short—what to do? She told the ticketless guest that she could see the show for free because, “We can pretend you’re from the north.” Out of the mouths of babes!

To read a well-written, right-wing (you can’t say I’m not fair :) take on things, click here.
As for how we’re dealing, we’re keeping our heads low and remembering my grandma’s advice over the phone the other night: Don’t talk to strangers.

MORE ON WORLD PRIDE
Yes, the topic’s getting a bit old to us, too, but you’d be amazed at how obsessed some people get with blocking this event, despite war currently waging on two fronts.

From blogs.chron.com—
“The lack of response to yet another rabbi’s [this one from NY] promise of “bloodshed” if World Pride happens is disappointing. If the leader of a Muslim group in New York made those kinds of comments, you'd hear outrage. You'd hear people talking about the violence of Islamic fundamentalists, the FBI would be investigating him and his group and its donors, you'd hear conservatives demanding the other Muslims denounce such threats of violence. That would be appropriate; people who threaten violence when a government doesn't enforce their religious laws are rightly regarded as threats to peace and freedom. Except, I guess, when they are friendly with American conservatives and give speeches to anti-abortion rallies; then we give it a pass.

Interestingly enough, though, this kind of insanity doesn't reflect Israeli attitudes about gay people. Israel is remarkably progressive when it comes to its gay citizens. Employment discrimination is illegal, same-sex common law marriage is recognized, and gay Israelis serve openly in the military [and adoption of partners’ children is allowed—KS]. That last is particularly interesting, given the often-repeated claim that openly gay soldiers in the US military would somehow damage the effectiveness of our forces; this doesn't seem to have been a problem in Israel.”

LET’S END WITH A JOKE
Such heavy topics lately, with no end in sight yet. Sigh.

A woman is conducting a survey. She encounters a Russian and says to him, “Excuse me, what is your opinion on the meat shortage?” The Russian answers with his own question: “What is an ‘opinion?’” She approaches an American and says, “Excuse me, what is your opinion on the meat shortage?” The American answers, “What is a ‘shortage?’” The surveyor approaches a third person, this one an Israeli. “Excuse me,” she asks, “what is your opinion on the meat shortage?” The Israeli has his own question: “What is ‘excuse me?’”

Ah, that it were only a joke.