Mixed news on Arafat

As might be expected, Arafat's health is being followed quite closely by the world's press since he left for Paris. There appears to be no one official line with various spokespeople giving different versions of the situation. All attributed quotes are optimistic; certain sources carrying quotes from slightly murkier sources are more pessimistic.

Haaretz quotes "Senior Palestinian Authority sources" as saying that "Arafat has lost some of his mental capacities and cannot function". CNN, whilst reporting that Arafat "was getting better", also quotes "sources close to the Palestinian leadership" as raising "the possibility that his era as a leader may be coming to an end" citing mental frailty and incoherency. Palestinian officials including Nasser al-Kidwa, Palestinian representative to the United Nations, and Arafat adviser Mohamed Rashid were quick to deny these rumours however.

Reuters gives no column space to anything but the official line, quoting senior aide Nabil Abu R'Dainah that "The latest tests have found that President Arafat does not suffer from any life-threatening illness and what he has is curable". A further spokesperson told both Reuters and the BBC that final results won't be received until Wednesday however. Maariv puts the deadline at later on Sunday (today). The New York Times quoted Saeb Erekat: "In 48 hours they will announce what he has or doesn't have," it's premature to rush to conclusions.'' Whatever the case, until tests are back, the possibility that the illness is life threatening cannot be ruled out.

The printed press in the UK doesn't appear to be too interested in Arafat's health; The Telegraph choosing instead to spotlight Suha who doesn't see anything strange in her husband transferring $11.4 million into her Swiss accounts on top of the her monthly allowance of $100,000 whilst his people (her people are those of Parisian society) eke out a meagre existence. The Times also gives little space to Arafat's condition, giving a more rounded picture of the connection with Paris and Suha's character. The Guardian focuses on the issue of succession rather than the chances of recovery.

The tendency to paint a rosy picture is understandable, particularly when considering the importance of Arafat as a symbol to the Palestinian people. The one thing that is clear from these reports is that nothing is particularly clear; Arafat will presumably undergo every test under the sun and will emerge with a clean bill of health no matter what his actual condition. His importance as a figurehead far outweighs the importance of telling the truth to the Palestinian people.

Gilly

The vote and the press

Whilst waiting for news of Arafat's fate, flicking between various news sources, I've also been checking out the responses to the historic Knesset vote of Tuesday night. The overall consensus tends towards being positive but often grudgingly so. Grudgingly because it appears that the press has a huge problem with given any possible credit to Sharon. As David Yelland, writing in London's Evening Standard puts it:

"Such is the depth of vitriolic opinion against Sharon, it is simply
unacceptable among most senior hacks even to admit, for one second, that he
might have done something right".

Commenting on the coverage Yelland goes on to note that:

"This is big stuff - historic stuff - which is simply not getting the coverage
it deserves here in Britain".

This is perhaps a little unfair as most of the major news sources seem to have given the vote fair column space including those which have always tended towards being fiercely critical of Israel such as The Independent, which opines that the PM

"deserves credit first for broaching such a plan, then sticking with it despite
ferocious opposition, and finally for mobilising sufficient support to clinch a
convincing majority. None of this was easy, nor was it without risk."

Our Prime Minister has a checkered past. As one of the greatest Generals that the country has ever produced, he was involved in many operations and by the nature of things, some of these were controversial - particularly when put into a modern day context. I would suggest however that if you were to put other countrys' military records of around the same era into that same modern day context; France in Algeria or the US in Vietnam for example, they'd fair far worse by comparison. The result of this past is that the media tends to err on the side of caution. Nonetheless, the Prime Minister surely deserves to be judged on the actions that he is currently taking, which are amongst the most far reaching of any leader that the country has had. Assuming that all goes to plan this will be the first time that Israel has withdrawn from territory and destroyed settlements since the Camp David accords; the scale is far greater in terms of what is to be uprooted. This is a withdrawal which the whole world has been pushing for; which politicans across the board supported (including one MK from the far right); which the media should be trumpeting.

Sharon is indeed a hardliner, but he is also a pragmatist whose first concern is what is best for Israel's security. In the past that included occupying every possible hill top but he has recognised that this is no longer the case. A military commander has to be flexible and alter his strategy to suit the conditions; this is precisely what Sharon has done. The Gaza settlements, once of supreme strategic importance are now a drain on the nation's resources in economic and human terms to say nothing of the negative PR internationally. This does not make the decision an easy one; approximately 2000 families will be uprooted under the terms of the plan and this has had to be weighed against the benefits. The turmoil that will be caused to those families in particular and to the nation as a whole will be horrid - there are difficult times ahead. Times such as this require leadership - Sharon has provided it and will hopefully be written into the history books as one of the great peacemakers.

Gilly

Unease on engagement

Today, the Knesset will vote on disengagement. This is one of the most fateful decisions that the State has ever made, on a par with Oslo and the handing back of Sinai. Emotions are running high and police plans to thwart protestors attempting to stop MKs from being able to vote include the possibility of flying them in to the Knesset by helicopter. This is an existential decision, potentially removing 8000 people from their homes and setting a precedent for the remainder of the territories captured in 1967.

Although I would like to be able to hold on to the territories, I have, over the years, come to the sad conclusion that they have become a liability and that therefore the best thing for the State of Israel is to have them off our hands. I say this with a heavy heart as I can't possibily begin to imagine what those who stand to be moved from their homes have been going through. I believe that they embody the pioneering spirit of Zionism and have a huge amount of admiration for them for sticking to their ideology.

My unease about the way in which the decision is being made stems from the fact that Sharon's platform at the last election, most decidedly did not include a unilateral withdrawal. The argument that "things that you see from here can't be seen from there" (it sounds better in Hebrew) is an important one as is the point that Menachem Begin did not have the evacuation of Sinai as part of his platform. The fact that Begin set a precedent does not make it a good precedent however.

My feeling is that the nation would almost certainly give Sharon a huge show of support for the withdrawal, but the fact that this is just a feeling, I see as being problematic. Surely it will forever be argued that the decision is not a democratic one, that Sharon was elected on the basis that he wouldn't give up territory? Were the issue to be put to a vote, either in the form of a referendum or by going to the polls it would have a greater legitimacy; in a situation where some form of civil unrest is a very real possibility it would seem to me that the quest for legitimacy is of huge importance.

Gilly

Jerusalem Salsa

I've never been much of a dancer. As a young lad I was intimidated by the dancefloor and would generally steer clear. Nowadays enthusiasm, rather than any great skill guides my dance style - I just go all out and don't worry about how stupid I look as I strut my stuff, trampling roughshod over my poor fiancee's feet. She dances though - so in order to keep in her good books and to hopefully give us a chance of looking like we knew what we were doing, I took her to Salsa classes the other night.

There are no shortage of places to go Salsaing in Jerusalem and I only opted for The Yellow Submarine because we happened to be free on the appropriate night. It happens to be a really good venue to hear live music and one that I really don't take nearly enough advantage of - definitely worth checking out. Having checked that they really meant "from the first step" and that we didn't have to book in advance, we turned up at the club and registered - you can choose between paying NIS 41 for one lesson or pick up a 4 lesson card for NIS 104 - we opted for the latter as it seemed a sensible idea.

The crowd who arrived to dance were a veritable cross section of Jerusalem society - including a chap who arrived in full hareidi attire before changing into a T-shirt. Women outnumbered the men and the majority were young, some men had kippot and girls long skirts, others were tatooed and pierced. Everyone was there to have fun and dance.

The instructors were young, fun and very patient. I reverted to form - the grace of a pachyderm with 4 left feet. I also learned that when put under pressure I find it really difficult to count to eight! I found myself becoming increasingly frustrated as my feet occupied every space other than where they were supposed to be. My other (in this as in every other case better) half, displayed admirable patience as I proved that the fact that I am extremely conordinated on the football field means absolutely nothing when I have to follow a beat.

We'll probably give it another shot but I admit to being absolutely hopeless - I think I'll just stick to flailing my arms and trying vaguely to keep time with my feet movement.

Gilly

Another few things that I love about this country...

I received a phone call from my future mother-in-law yesterday. That sounds like the beginning of an old and corny joke but in fact we get on rather well. She teaches a college course and as part of her introduction to the new semester and her new students, she told them a little about herself, including the fact that her daughter is marrying a "great English guy" who works for blah blah blah. A hand shot up and the accompanying voice asked whether the guy was Gil Ben Mori (okay she didn't use that name as it's my pen name - she used my real name). So after class the two had a chat and the upshot is that Mother-in-Law has invited her for Shabbat.

This encompasses three things that I love about being a Jew in Israel. Firstly, it's a pretty small world (not that I'd want to paint it...) - that my Mother-in-Law from Pittsburgh could find a British girl who knows me, not by name but by vague description, in her class is fairly random. Secondly and far more beautiful is the concept of "Kol yisrael areivim ze la ze" that all of the children of Israel have a responsibility towards each other which in this case was expressed through the third thing, the Mitzva of "Hachnasat Orchim" - welcoming guests - another beautiful concept.

The first point is something that I don't think comes as a surprise to most people - we are a small group in global terms and when 2 Jews come together, a favourite pastime is Jewish geographyduring which it is rare indeed to find absolutely nothing and no-one in common. There are two places in the world where I am genuinely surprised if I don't encounter someone I know; Brent Cross shopping centre in London and Emek Refaim Street in Jerusalem (in the past this latter choice would have been Ben Yehuda but times have changed). Connections are often strange - my American cousin who knows a South African / Australian couple with whom we are friendly for example, but I am past the point of not expecting an unusual connection to be made or to bump into someone I know in a bizarre place.

Christmas time in the UK is something which people make a big fuss over. The concept of having large numbers of family over to share in the festivities seems to be the cause of consternation, requiring weeks of planning ahead. This is something which I always found particularly mystifying as on a regular basis (every Friday night) we would welcome guests into our home. Even whilst at University, if we were hosting a meal, we would always make sure that there was an extra portion or two so that we could invite a person who had nowhere to spend Shabbat to join us. In contrast, the idea of welcoming in guests is fairly alien to the world around us - a great shame as it's a lovely concept.

These two points however are something that apply to Jewish communities all over the world. The concept of "Kol yisrael Areivim ze la ze" is something of which I have become more acutely aware since I made Aliyah. I have also become used to my friends commenting on little incidents which to my mind fit the same category. My latest incident happened whilst I was at a post box the other, posting a pile of what were very obviously invitations. As I turned to leave, the guy waiting behind me, wish me "Mazal Tov". Not a big deal perhaps but could it happen anywhere else?

A friend having financial difficulties due to an illness in the family was summoned to have a chat with his bank manager about the state of his overdraft. When he had finished tearfully explaining why he was in more than unusual debt, the bank manager not only extended his overdraft facility, he gave him NIS 50 from his own pocket.

My fiancee used to go into a certain fruit shop. She'd chat with the manager who after a while asked her if he could set her up on a shidduch (thankfully for me she declined!) - stories of this type are legion.

Whether it's the bus driver wishing me Shabbat Shalom, a shiur playing on the tape deck in the hairdressers or the "shidduch factor", I love the fact that I feel that people around me are similar to me and have a connection with me. I am here because I feel that this is the right place for a Jew to be making his life. I am amongst Am Yisrael and our destinies are tied together. This is home.

Gilly

What siege?

"Upon entering the fifth year of the war, the faces of the people on the street look washed out, staring at the pavement, hardly looking up and certainly not smiling". Thus begins Eli Shai's essay, entitled "Still under siege" in this week's In Jerusalem - the Friday supplement to the Jerusalem Post in the 02 region. I will have to make a note to myself to spend more time in front of the mirror before venturing out and to try to look a bit more cheerful when I do.

This is a description which would certainly fit pasty faced London commuters on a rainy day (i.e. any day) but doesn't strike me as the Jerusalem with which I'm familiar but Shai's "old Jerusalem acquaintance" confirms that in other cities people's faces are "a little less grave, because here, everyone is in constant mourning".

Shai clearly knows a different Jerusalem to me - one where the downtown triangle includes Cafe Moment in the German Colony (sic), where a foreshortened Emek Refaim which attempts to ape Sheinkin (as if Sheinkin itself was not trying to emulate various European "Bohemian" streets) and where the Malha Mall that was "parachuted in from an Azrieli Towers marketing vision" (Malcha was opened several years before Azrieli).

But perhaps I have not noticed any of these things whilst going out for a "pathetic attempt to breathe". Fortunately I choose to walk everywhere - otherwise I would fall prey to an Egged that provides employment only for immigrants with whom Shai feels strangely uncomfortable. The bus stops don't have electronic devices detailing the arrival of the next bus - I hadn't noticed them in Tel Aviv either and certainly they are only a relatively recent development at main stops in my native London. Perhaps Egged has other concerns that it can better invest its money in?

I am pleased to know that the reason why I have not been part of a protest against the "raw, daily suffering o f life" is because "the city represses its victims.......as part of a routine of adjusting to the ongoing misery of life".

Tourism, which according to the article on the following page is now once again, if not booming, then certainly filling the local hotels apparently "looks like a requiem of pilgrims reciting the Book of Lamentations". Hardly surprising really as what could a tourist possibly want to do in a city with "no options for cultural recreation or relaxation".

I found Shai's article to be offensive in the extreme. His broad generalisations about the standard of living of Jerusalem residents certainly don't tally with anyone with whom I come into contact. Rather, it appears to be some sort of fictionalised account drawing heavily on CNN's portrayal of the conflict with a healthy dose of 1984-style depression for effect. Certainly the intifada has had its effect. There are parts of the city which have suffered, particularly Ben Yehuda street, but at the same time other areas have flourished; the Mamila area is full of new and funky nightspots, people queue for seating at the trendy cafes on Emek Refaim and Derech Beit Lechem and the clubs in the Talpiot Industrial Zone do great business.

In general, people continue their daily routine, albeit with slightly more thought than might once have been the case - they certainly don't undergo the miserable existence suggested by this missleading article which, if printed in a foreign newspaper would cause an outcry over the bias of the press. It does a huge disservice to the city and has no place in a reputable newpaper.

Gilly

Army efficiency

Anyone who has ever spent a period of time in the army will most probably bear witness to the fact that it is not the most efficient of organisations in the world. If anything, once that service becomes reserve duty, the efficiency is further reduced with hours if not days of time spent hanging around doing nothing during the course of a typical period of Miluim. Amongst the most important things to pack when it's that time of year are; reading material, comfortable bedding and the equipment neccessary to make coffee.

In my experience however, the army is ruthlessly efficient in one area - knowing precisely the least convenient time to call me up. So it was when my brother announced that he would be getting married in England in the summer of 2003, that I waited patiently for my draft notice which would sow panic among my Mother and future Sister in Law's family. Sure enough, the timing was precise and I found myself having to get permission from my unit to head for England. I returned two days after the wedding and was patrolling the Jordanian border by the following morning.

Ever since announcing our engagement therefore, I have been waiting to receive the dreaded envelope, informing me that I am expected to be in uniform on the day of the wedding. It came as no surprise when I received a phone call asking why I hadn't replied to a call up notice. When informed that I hadn't received the note (and I still haven't) I was unsurprised to be told that the army have done it again - with unerring accuracy, they informed me that I had training exercises the week before the wedding.

I tried to persuade my fiancee that it would be a good idea to go - a week in the open air with the boys, the opportunity to work on my tan and get some decent sleep, she can't see me anyway..... I got the look. I shut up.

Of course I'll get out of it - I've already faxed them the ishur from the Rabbanut and a copy of the invitation (could be a mistake - we don't have enough space if the unit all turns up). Until I have confirmation however, please don't mention it to my future Mother in Law....

Gilly

Raindrops keep falling on my head...

The British are understandably not typically particularly excited about rain. Years of washed out plans, raincovers at Wimbledon and hair that "goes fuzzy" mean that we're pretty much dissuaded of its charms. Just prior to my Aliyah in '96, I remember turning up for Shabbat dinner at a friend's, soaked to the skin and denouncing other members of the company as crazy for not wanting to join me in Israel. The prayer for rain, recited for the first time each year on Simchat Torah, was always said with a certain irony, having just spent a week having chicken soup diluted with rainwater in the Sukkah.

As a Brit based in Israel however, I have learned to see rainfall through very different eyes. There is something special about the first rainfall of the year, for which there is even a special name "Yoreh". It arrived yesterday as I walked out of my office. The intoxicating nature of such a rainfall, with the previous downpour a dim memory, is something which I love - I don't experience the reaction that I would have in England; to put up an umbrella and get indoors quickly, but rather luxuriate in the warm drops of lifebringing water, letting them wet my hair and roll down my face. The first rain has a wonderful smell of wet dust and damp vegetation, symbolising the end of summer and the start of what will hopefully be a replenishing wet season.

The sight of the Kinneret in the dry years is pretty pitiful. Last year, the sight of it full almost to overflowing as we cycled around it at Pesach, was truly gladdening. Hopefully the early rains, so soon after we once again began adding "Mashiv HaRuach uMorid HaGashem" to our prayers, is a good portent for things to come.

Gilly

Bombings in Egypt

Despite constant warnings from the Israeli Foreign Ministry to avoid Sinai,many of the estimated 12,000 - 15,000 Israelis who nonetheless crossed the border were among the 31 people reported killed in Sinai after multiple terrorist attacks last night.

My first sympathy is with the victims and their families and I wish for a speedy Refuah Shelemah for the wounded. I find myself struggling to comprehend however, that despite Israel's Intelligence Services warning about concrete information of planned terror attacks, so many people still chose to head for Egypt during the Sukkot break. How is it that we have reached a situation where we will not enter a cafe that does not have a security guard stationed outside but will cross into a neighbouring Arab country, where an attack can be carried out with ease? How is it logical that people will avoid crowded places in Israel (where they can be protected) for fear of suicide bombings, but will happily congregate, completely unprotected in an Arab country?

I'm not suggesting G-d forbid that the victims in some way deserved their fate, but surely it makes simple common sense not to put oneself in a position of extreme vulnerability, ignoring repeated warnings. All those holidaying in Sinai took a huge risk which for many has now backfired in the most horrific way possible. I don't believe in scaremongering and recognise the risks that I personally take when I go to visit my friends in Yehuda and Shomron (The West Bank), but would not do so if I was specifically warned against it.

The culture of holidaying in Egypt, which repeatedly condemns Israel in the UN whilst allowing smuggling of weapons and explosives across the border into Gaza to continue unchecked, is one that I cannot fathom. I have no desire to pour my money into the hands of a hostile nation - no matter how cheap it is to holiday there. A tragic cost has been paid by those who failed to heed the warnings - maybe now people will rethink.

Gilly

(Not so) Simchat Torah....

I believe the correct term is "bah - humbug!" Maybe I'm a little too old to truly appreciate Simchat Torah; I think of it as being first and foremost a festival for the kids to enjoy themselves, but Purim, which seems to be in the same classification, translates well for the older crowd. The past few years have seen me increasingly withdrawing from an imposed day of happiness and spending the time in bed with a book.

This year saw me with my fiancee and a few good friends in a lovely place just outside of Jerusalem. The quality of the friends promised that even if the dancing proved as much a turn off as usual that at least I'd be in good company. In the event however, I surprised myself by thoroughly enjoying the evening's celebrations, dancing and singing with a mixed bunch of people in a small minyan where, had we not taken responsibility for singing, there would have been precious little in the way of simcha. A delightful meal, in good company, with a decent single malt, and then jelly and vodka shots with other friends rounded off a most pleasant evening.

The day was a different story - I really wasn't feeling much like dancing and can't stand being cajoled towards taking part when I'm really not in the mood. More irritating however was a very typical piece of Jewish shul politics which almost came to blows. Due to the size of the place in which we were based, a mixed Ashkenazi (Jews of largely Eastern European descent) and Sephardi (Jews of Spanish, North African and Middle Eastern descent) minyan was formed for the chag. Although the order of service and the wording is slightly different, it is very possible for a harmonious compromise to be reached, providing a united prayer style which all can live with. Unfortunately in this case, the old timers, all of one background were not particularly interested in what anyone else wanted and proceeded to bully their way through the service, trampling roughshod over other members of the community who, despite being happy to compromise, were decidedly miffed to be ignored, cut off and told to be be quiet. At the end of the service things came to a head and fortunately heads were just about cool enough to avoid violence.

The upshot of this is that the united minyan will now be two separate minyanim, struggling to find quite enough members to make up the numbers, but able to pray without compromise. Our tiny nation is divided along so many different lines but the divides within the religious camp, often amongst the most keenly felt, are often ignored. Surely the time has come for the religious leadership to attempt reconciliation so that we can all pray together? There are many beautiful aspects of all different prayer styles. There must be some way to incorporate the different styles into one, all-encompassing style (nusach) so that at least one of the splits can start to heal - if not in this generation, then the next.

Gilly

A bleak Chag

Anyone who has been through the army knows the saying that "for every Shabbat there is a Saturday night" which roughly translates as "relax over Shabbat because once it's over you're going to suffer!" The equivalent in civilian life is 24 hours of insulation from the world around us, today in order to celebrate another festival; this time by waving palm fronds and eating in huts - soup diluted by sweat in Israel or rainwater in London. The aftermath of being disconnected from the news is having to catch up all at once. It is often unpleasant and tonight was particularly bad.

The killing of a kindergarten teacher our jogging and two soldiers in the Gaza strip and two Sderot toddlers, aged 2 and 4 by a Kassam rocket means that the IDF will be taking part in operations, particularly in the Northern part of the Strip for an extended period. Predictably the Palestinians have asked for international intervention "to halt the Israeli atrocities that are being perpetrated", as if it was not understandable that the IDF would try to prevent the bombing of innocents. Once again Israel is being accused by its Arab MKs of imminent "massacres (Hebrew press)" where none are taking place; my only fear is that the Palestinian "leadership" will contrive to create the conditions under which a massacre could take place in order to further their cause at the loss of lives which they place no value on.

It comes as no surprise that the right wing has been fast to jump in and cite these incidents as reason to halt the disengagement plan; the left has equally quickly reach the opposite conclusions. The one certainty in life is that Politicians will manipulate the facts to suit their own agendae - five lives being used to make political capital - I'm disgusted and ashamed.

The Palestinians want Israel out of Gaza; Israel is leaving - whether this is part of a "strategic withdrawal" or "with our tails between our legs" surely makes no difference - so why take actions which are going to lead to more deaths and delay the handing over of the Strip? This is all going to get seriously messy and lead to a lot of lost lives - completely senseless.

Gilly

Leader for the free world - any takers?

The American Presidential race is not something that I thought I'd ever be writing on. I am not an American citizen, have very little understanding of the system and, to my embarrassment, consistently get confused as to which candidate is from which party.

What has struck me however is that in a country of 300 million people, which leads the way for much of the rest of the world, I would expect to find candidates for the Presidency about whom it is possible to get excited - something which can hardly be said about either Bush or Kerry.

Whether I agree with Bush's foreign or domestic policy or not, the fact that he doesn't appear to be able to string a coherent sentence together is rather worrying to me and the fact that the Democratic Party (think I got that right) has fielded a candidate so lacklustre that he trails such a controversial President by so much in the polls is more worrying still.

Watching coverage from the States I get the feeling that there is general apathy towards the electoral process. America is the one country where the choices made by the voters can actually have an effect on the wider world. Whilst it is quite clear that if any other country decides it wants to change world events, it would be hard pushed to actually do anything. If the US decides to tackle an issue, it can do so and can pretty much ignore what the rest of the world thinks.

This T-shirt (WARNING - the site it's on is very rude, very politically incorrect and very, very funny) sums things up - "Do we have to have a President?"

The US election should be something that the world gets excited about because it is a choice that has the potential to create waves around the entire world. I have no clue how the current sad state of affairs arose but look back with fondness to the days of leaders such as Churchill, Roosevelt and Thatcher - then you really knew who was in charge!

If you have a few minutes why not tickle, punch and torture George Dubya or John Kerry?

Gilly

Big bang in Damascus

The killing of Hamas leader Izz al-Din al-Sheikh Khalil in Damascus by a car bomb is, despite silence from Government, widely assumed in the media and by experts to be the work of Israel.

Whether or not this is the case (and Senior Shalem Centre Fellow Michael Oren thinks it is), the fact that the idea is so instantly acceptable says a lot about the way in which Israel's security forces and particularly intelligence services are perceived in the wider world. Although I am far from being an expert, it strikes me that to be able to launch an exacting assasination in an extremely unfriendly enemy capital cannot be an easy thing to do and would demand a high level of information and expertise, not to mention equipment.

Although we have become used to the idea that Israel gets blamed for acts which it has nothing to do with (the slaughter in Sudan springs to mind and surely it's only a matter of time before the Zionist tropical storms in Florida conspiracy hits the headlines), I would really like to believe that we have the capability of doing that of which we are accused and the Government's booming silence seems to confirm that we do.

The actual killing of Khalil may not actually be that effective in and of itself, but the message that it sends is enormous to all those who are involved in terrorism; namely that they are not safe anywhere - not even in the capitals of the despicable countries that fund their murderous activities whilst denying that they are doing so to the world. Israel has shown determination in taking out first Yassin, then Rantisi and now Khalil - Mashaal must be shaking in his boots.

Gilly

A new blog....

Just want to point you in the direction of a new blog being written by my friend LG. 32 and then some promises to be sharp, witty and well worth a read.

Gilly

Excellent food with a social conscience

The office sprang for lunch today at one of Tel Aviv's more interesting eateries. Lilit belongs to a rare Tel Aviv breed in that it is kosher, offering a top quality, Mediterrenean menu with a strong emphasis on fish, freshly made pasta and judicious use of herbs and spices.

The restaraunt also works together with Elem, an organisation dealing with delinquent and at risk youth, offering a vocational program teaching various kitchen skills. On each shift, five to six youngsters can be employed in the kitchen, two to four in the restaurant as waiters and another one or two at the bar. Our waiter was absolutely charming, friendly and knowledgeable about the food as well as speaking excellent English.

The general ambience is relaxed with jazz playing unintrusively in the background. It is elegantly laid out with a feeling of space and a large picture window to watch the world go by if that is your whim. An oasis of calm in the centre of Tel Aviv.

We opted for the NIS 47 business lunch (there is also a package for NIS 75 - still a great deal!) As a first course I opted for the wild mushroom risotto which was exquisite - risotto has a wonderful, comfort food texture and the addition of good sized pieces of fresh mushrooms worked really well. 2 of my companions joined me in my choice whilst the third went for the green salad with asparagus, tomato and porcini. The menu (which you can see at the website in Hebrew), also included such delights as "grilled peaches served with feta and rocket" and "spinach and green bean ravioli" amongst others.

My grilled salmon sandwich was excellent - very tasty and done just right. Served with rocket and green onions which (if I'm not mistaken) had been first briefly blanched and then finished on the the grill on bread baked on the premises, it is something that I will try to recreate at home. The fish soup sampled by one colleage was very tasty and swimming in vegetables and chunks of fish. My other colleagues were less enthused by there pasta served with buffalo mozzarella and red pepper sauce finding the pasta a little stodgy.

Dessert was not included in the price but for an extra NIS 20 I couldn't resist the anise infused ice cream served with a mini chocolatta and chocolate wafers. I was also more than happy to help out one of the company when she was unable to finish her wonderful, dense and creamy creme brulee.

The bill for 4 of us, including drinks and coffee, came to NIS 277. It will run you a lot more to go later in the day but the prices for the full menu still seem to be very reasonable to me. Eating there helps the continuation of this wonderful community project but this detail is certainly not the only reason why I shall be returning.

Lilit - 42 Rechov Mazeh, Tel Aviv, 03-629-8772

Gilly

Saying goodbye to Bret

Bret Stephens, outgoing editor of The Jerusalem Post, spoke at the HaNassi Synagogue in Jerusalem last night. The announcement of the talk had requested that people should be on time but even so, I was surprised to see that when we arrived 10 minutes before the scheduled start, the place was pretty much packed, mainly with senior citizens of North American origin. The culture of constant lateness in Israel is something which I can't abide; having been brought up believing in the importance of punctuality, I generally like to arrive on time (which in my book means 5 minutes before the stated time). This attitude frequently means that I have a long wait but I stick by it, struggling against my better half's effortless attempts to stymie me!

During his 2 1/2 year stewardship of the Post, Stephens has clearly gathered quite a following if last night's attendance was anything to go by. I recognised at least one person who had come through from Tel Aviv especially to hear him speak, and the assembled crowd made it perfectly clear that they wanted him to stay. I too, have been won over by him; the first thing that I turn to in my Friday paper is his column, which I will greatly miss. Happily, he expressed his willingness to continue to contribute to the Post if the incoming editor, David Horowitz asks him to.

Stephens will be heading back to the States, where he will be the youngest ever member of the Wall Street Journal's Editorial Board. Having heard him speak on a number of occasions and read his columns over the years, Stephens' intellect, grasp of the situation and ability to communicate a clear message has been amply clear. He has proved to be an effective spokesman for Israel, being constantly on the message and I feel reassured by his presence in a position of influence on a journal of the stature of the WSJ.

My feeling about the Jerusalem Post is that it is a newspaper with a proud history and a strong name that had fallen on somewhat hard times. Stephens has taken steps in the right direction and I feel that the paper has undergone a manifold improvement whilst he has been at the helm. His replacement, David Horowitz, is filling big boots but I believe that he is capable of doing so and that he will continue to steer in the right direction.

Horowitz, currently the Editor of the excellent Jerusalem Report, is a pragmatist. Over the years that I have read the Report, I have seen him become disillusioned with the Palestinians and taken up a more central position in his writing which I feel reflects the move that much of Israeli society has also made. He is a superb speaker, a wonderful advocate for Israel, a great writer who's most recent book "Still life with bombers" is a must read for anyone interested in Israel - and he's not a bad footballer either!

Bret - I wish you good luck in your new position and will be adding the WSJ to my favourites list so that I can continue reading your thoughts. Thank you for all you've done for Israel and I hope that you continue to seek the truth behind the lies.

Gilly

Musings on mortality

My Dad would have been 70 today had he lived. Almost 8 years have past since the Friday night when he sat down in his favourite arm chair, after eating with Mum and had a massive heart attack.

My Great Aunt died this morning in New Zealand. She was 96 and lucid 'til the last.

In the light of my forthcoming wedding, I've been thinking about the Old Man more than usual. Auntie Margot's death threw me completely as it immediately caused me to ask the question - why so early? Why did my father not merit to live to a ripe old age?

Longevity seems to run in the family. Auntie Margot lived with my Auntie Martha, herself 96 years old. Martha's brother is 95 years old and lives in the States. They are also both razor sharp mentally - even if their bodies are throwing up the white flag. My grandfather, the brother of these two relatives, died at the age of 69 however.

I'm not looking for answers - just musing at the seemingly unfair nature of it all. Dad has been and continues to be badly missed. I cried on the phone to Mum last night. Then I went and poured myself a large glass of single malt and drank to his memory.

Gilly

The next goal.....domination of Europe

One of the hardest things about Rosh Hashana this year, was being away from the news for a whole 3 days. In actual fact, being away from daily news is not such a big deal but I was desperate to find out the football scores.

Growing up in a traditional English family, there was always some way of finding out what had happened in the game the night before; the papers would arrive as usual, the TV would somehow be on or someone would know. Rosh Hashana this year, found me in a religious community where the vast majority seem to think that a football is meant to be thrown around (and certainly not kicked too often) in a game that seems to be short spurts of action to provide some filler between ad breaks and half time shows. In short - there was no way I could possibly find out what was going on!

Israel is a minnow in footballing terms. The National team has qualified for one World Cup back in 1970 and managed to score one goal. Since then although there have been a few really top class Israeli players, epitomised in the last few years by Haim Revivo, Eyal Berkowitz and Yossi Benayoun, on the international stage, Israeli teams have been fairly conspicuos by their absence.

The last couple of years have seen something of a turn around. First, Hapoel Tel Aviv had an excellent run in the UEFA Cup, Europe's second competition and then Maccabi Haifa became the first Israeli club to reach the heights of the Champions League pitting it against the best club sides in the world. Although Haifa went out fairly early on, it did manage a famous victory against an (albeit second string) Manchester United, the world's most richest club.

Over Rosh Hashana, 3 Israeli clubs were in action in European Competition and, although my primary concern was for my real love, Liverpool (who beat last year's runners up, Monaco with some style) it gave me great pride to see how well the Israeli teams performed.

Maccabi Tel Aviv hosted one of the perennial giants of the game, Bayern Munich in the first Champions League game to be played in Israel. Munich typically field half of the German national squad which should tell you something about their quality - as one pundit famously put it: "it's a game of 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans win". Although most would not have given the Israeli team a chance, they put up an excellent showing, threatened the Germans seriously, and only failed to come away with a draw after a brief moment of panic at the back led to a German penalty kick. To lose 1 - 0 to a team that is always amongst the favourites in both the domestic league and the Champions League is certainly no disgrace.

Maccabi Haifa, playing in the UEFA Cup, managed to record a win. Playing against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk of the Ukraine on the first day of Rosh Hashana, one goal was enough to settle the game.

Perhaps most satisfying of all is the team which has the least chance of progressing. Bnei Sachnin, is the first Israeli Arab team to play in Europe. That it is possible for an Arab team to compete in the Israeli league and cup competitions (the latter of which it won last year) reflects well on Israel's credentials as a multicultural society; whilst our neighbours refuse to play football against us, Israel is represented in Europe by an Arab team. They won't be there much longer if they carry on playing the way they did last night however - not that anyone would have given them much of a chance against Newcastle United in any case.

Gilly

Shana Tova!

Leaving the house this morning, the streets were relatively quiet. Erev Chag people are either sleeping in or slaving over a hot stove in preparation for relatives to descend on them. I fall into the former category as I'll be spending Chag with my fiancee's family. I have promised to make a bread and butter pudding - but it has to be parve - will see how that comes out...

I just wanted to wish anyone who comes to visit this site, whether orthodox, liberal, reform, conservative, conservadox, masorti, gastronomic, reconstructivist, deconstructivist, hassidic, mitnaged, hareidi, secular, shinui-voting, shas voting, pro-withdrawal, anti withdrawal, sephardi, eidot hamizrach, ashkenazi and all those of you who are not of the tribe......

A Shana Tova u'Metuka - a Happy and Sweet New Year.

May you be blessed with health, wealth and simchas.

Gilly

IDF fights the battle on flab.....

It is so rare to find an article about the IDF in the foreign press which doesn't refer to "the occupation" that this article on Sky News' website, caught my eye. It focuses on an article in Bamachane, the IDF's magazine, which has found that 57% of IDF soldiers are overweight.

This would clearly be a very worrying statistic were it not for the fact that the article goes on to clarify that:

"...the biggest problem was middle-aged spread affecting soldiers between the ages of 45 and 54."

I'm going to take an educated guess that the next biggest problem was with soldiers between the ages of 30 and 45. Once it becomes clear that the article is mainly dealing with the professional army and not the infantry brigades who are doing the actual fighting, this becomes a non-story.

The professional army, to a large extent, is a reflection of society. Those who sign on do not generally go on to command front line troops but rather settle into administrative jobs of one kind or another which, as with any other desk job, has the potential to lead to an increasing waist size. An exacerbating factor is that most of these soldiers will eat at least one, if not all of their meals on base. Mentioning the words "Atkins" or "low-carb" around an army kitchen will tend to get you blank looks. A typical meal will involve stodgy, greasy foods in (un)healthy quantities and large helping sizes - I generally gain weight when on Miluim, not the reverse as you might think.

The article goes on to highlight where my taxes have been going:

"Previous reports highlighted the problem of Israeli men gaining weight in their mid-20s after finishing their three-year, compulsory service."

Do we really need not just one report but "reports" (presumably commissioned at considerable expense) to tell us that once you remove a young man from an environment, where for 3 years he has been extremely physically active with specific attentive to fitness training, he will put on weight? I feel a Nobel prize coming on...

Whilst the trend towards obesity in society is an issue that should cause concern, with all its allied health problems, it is not specifically an Israeli problem and does not seem to be going away. Obesity is on the increase in the western world, not least in the USA where pretty much everything appears to be supersized.

For anyone who is in any way familiar with the Israeli army the article should not represent any major surprise other than that it is appearing in what I believe is termed a "drop the dead donkey" story - the type of sad / interesting tidbit that gets added on right at the end of the news on a particularly slow day but which can be easily dropped if something - anything happens.

Looking forward to a year full of slow news days...

Gilly

Oh the irony!

Jerusalem Post | Breaking News from Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World

You've got to love the choice of title for this piece. After working so hard to knock down our fence, Arafat is busy mending his own (metaphorically speaking....)

Gilly

A shrinking world

My world just got a lot smaller. Or perhaps more accurately, a large section of my small part of the world got taken over. In a thoroughly agreeable way it must be said but still it's going to take some time to get used to.

My fiancee moved apartment yesterday. She's going to be in the new place for a couple of months until we get married (we're the old fashioned type) but, rather than moving all her stuff into the new apartment and then again as our big day approaches, we decided that it would be far more sensible just to move everything over now and for her to take a small amount of necessary stuff (probably equivalent to everything I own) to the new flat.

When outfitting our flat, I bought the biggest cupboard that I could physically fit into the bedroom. It is over 3 metres wide and has 8 doors. I kidded myself that it would be big enough. Now however, I'm having serious doubts - and that's before she starts moving all the stuff which is still at her parents' home. I watched amazed last night as she unpacked enough little black tops to last for weeks. Then came little white tops and little coloured tops. I am considering building a separate annex for her shoes. Imelda Marcos seems fairly reasonable by comparison. Fortunately the shelves at the top are out of easy reach so I can beat an orderly retreat.

Our bathroom cabinet, which until recently had seemed enormous for my meagre toiletries has been taken over by washes, creams, conditioners and many unidentifiable bottles. No wonder women take so long in the bathroom - sorting through so many possibilities before they find what they need is no easy task. No wonder that cosmetic companies make such a killing - why take one bottle into the shower when you can take a dozen?

I am wonderfully, joyously happy that I'm going to be sharing my home with an amazing woman. I have resigned myself to doing things in a different way, to agreeing with rather than making decisions and to never being on time again. Over the years I had become used to dealing with women with emotional baggage - fortunately my fiancee doesn't have any - I hadn't counted on quite so much physical baggage though!

Gilly

Blog Con

The Israel Bloggers' get together was a great success, finally allowing the majority of us to put faces to those whose lives we read about, often on a daily basis.

I was able to surprise one person in particular with whom I had spoken on a number of occasions in my day time capacity, but who had no way of making the connection with my blogging alter ego. The majority of people were much as I expected them to be and everyone was charming - a friendly bunch of very normal people who happen to have a flair for the written word.

I was intrigued to hear and subsequently read the different impressions that others had of me. David at Treppenwitz was particularly interesting in this respect and I had to laugh at Imshin's description.

Many thanks to Adrian of Neither here nor there for posting a list of attendees - as I've just updated my template and lost some of my links in the process, I will be trawling through and making sure to restore them with your assistance!

Gilly

NY Times against the occupation - not what you think!

I spotted this editorial in the NY Times (full text here).

When it comes to occupied Arab territory, Syria applies a brazen double standard and does not even have the decency to be discreet about it: In Iraq, the Golan Heights, the West Bank and Gaza, every additional day of foreign occupation is viewed as intolerable, and immediate, unimpeded sovereignty is considered imperative. For Lebanon, under the thumb of Syrian troops for the past 28 years, Damascus never uses the word occupation and never hesitates to abuse Lebanese sovereignty.

Although what it has to say is nothing new to me, it is surprising to see that someone (including the French noch!) has finally got up and pointed out that one of the countries that consistently condemns Israel for being an "Occupying power" is at least as guilty (and I would argue far more so). This is not the only such case but what odds on the UN condemning China over Tibet?

Gilly

Home

I don't know what it is but I always feel a wrench when the plane takes off from Ben Gurion - no matter how short the visit. Conversely, I always experience a certain euphoria as the lights of Tel Aviv come into view on the way back and I start to pick out individual landmarks.

I really don't like leaving Israel but work and family dictates that it happens occasionally. This trip in particular involved 2 weddings, my own engagement party to introduce my fiance to everyone and a certain amount of touristy things.

London is expensive. Particularly so with an exchange rate of NIS 8.3 to the pound. My Grandfather z"l used to say that you shouldn't look at the prices when you're on holiday however so we bit the bullet and forked out for various attractions (all of which we booked in advance for - highly recommended to avoid queues!); Buckingham Palace, The London Eye, Madame Tussauds, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Romeo and Juliet at The Globe and of course, various shopping trips.

I say "of course" but really it is so expensive that we didn't buy too much; immediately following my Aliyah, visits to the UK would consist of my turning up with a half empty suitcase and hauling around M&S, The Gap et al, returning with said case bulging at the seams. Nowadays I barely bother, one shirt from Next representing my entire clothing purchases for the trip.

I have often noticed that those who have made the move to Israel often see their country of origin through rose coloured spectacles; for me however, other than family and friends, I really don't miss England and always feel far more at home when I'm being honked as I try to change gear by reaching for the window the first time I get in a car on my return!

Seize the Moment

Walking home last night I was surprised to see someone inside Cafe Moment. A couple of weeks ago, it appeared that the tax man had succeeded where a Palestinian suicide bomber had failed in closing down a favourite neighbourhood cafe.

I'm very pleased that this seems not to be the case; this morning as I walked by, people were enjoying coffee and breakfast on the outside patio and the elegant inside tables. Moment is an excellent cafe; well appointed, decent menu and always full of Jerusalemites of different stripe. It is also a symbol of the Phoenix rising from the ashes, of how determined the ordinary Israeli is not to be cowered by terror. It is important that Moment carries on.....

Gilly

(Re)location, (re)location, (re)location

Part of the beauty of moving house is that you get to know a whole new area of town. I have spent the last 6 years in Katamon and Rechavia. Bak'a is not completely new to me as I actually spent my first 5 months in Israel at Ulpan Etzion 8 years ago. Way back then, I got to know Jerusalem by wandering in the rough direction of where I needed to get to, taking a different route every time but knowing that if I took a wrong turn I'd eventually hit something familiar. I have been walking a new route to work every day using the same logic and have found that all roads lead to the office!

Bak'a has a certain charm - full of little streets which frequently reveal stunning new homes alongside original Arab houses with a few blocks thrown in for good (or rather, bad) measure. There is a lot of greenery as befits a more mature neighbourhood. I find the hetereogeneity of the area far more interesting than the legoland neighbourhoods which many of my friends are moving into in Modi'in, Beit Shemesh and the like.

Derech Beit Lechem, the main street, is a joy. There are restaraunts and hair dressers, dry cleaners and bakeries, butchers and greengrocers, gift shops and boutiques - I can see myself spending a lot of money along this stretch! This morning I walked into a baker's at 7:30 to be told with much mirth that he'd have rolls in another 1 1/2 hours and would I please leave him to sweep the floor. I can walk out of my front door and in to a cafe or bar in 3 minutes flat.

My morning walk now takes me 28 minutes. The west side of the street provides better shade and leaves me fresher when I arrive at the office. I walk through the park on the way, sometimes sans shoes so that I can feel the damp grass between my toes in the early morning sunshine.

Maybe I'm going over the top and romanticising a little too much but I'm very excited about everything to do with my new place - now to get the garden sorted out.....

Gilly

A Dutch friend sent me this tongue in cheek guide to Anglo Jerusalemites and I simply had to share it with you all - really spot on!

After many months of planning starting last November, I finally moved into my new flat on Thursday. Having been in Israel for 8 years, I decided that it was about time I got my feet firmly on the property ladder, particularly with a buyers' market and the pound so strong against both the shekel and the dollar. I had my original offer accepted the week I started going out with my (now) fiance and proposed to her, in what will be our bedroom, the week I took posession.

The process of renovation has been at times fraught, has tested the relationship and has been an object lesson in dealing with Israeli workmen. We are still putting the finishing touches to the flat - I was forced to move whilst it was still unfinished as my previous contract was running out. In general however - the effort has been worth it - it is really beautiful and despite the fact that my sofas won't fit where I had thought they might, the results are impressive.

The apartment is in a quiet street in Baka, 30 seconds from Derekh Beit Lechem which is one of Jerusalem's treasures - full of funky cafes and stores but (as yet) uncluttered by the Yeshiva kids who raise the decibel level on Emek Refaim by several notches. I love the idea of being able to wander out in the morning and be sitting at a cafe with a coffee, watching the world go by, only a few minutes later.

Next step is to put the garden in order - I am looking forward to harvesting my olive tree although the lemon tree has been pruned back and doesn't look like producing any fruit this year. I'm going to plant more fruit trees and some herbs too so that I have the luxury of wandering out to the garden to pick fresh Nana for my tea and rosemary for potatoes - how exciting!

Gilly

Yesterday evening, Tisha B'Av, the fast that commemorates the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem, I had intended to hear the beautiful, melancholy lament of Eicha with a group opposite the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. In the event, I heard it at shiva - the mourning house which is maintained for 7 days following the death of a family member and possibly a place as apt to hear the Megilla as the Old City itself.

For millenia, Jews have concluded the Passover Seder by singing "Next year in Jerusalem"; our daily prayers express out hope that she will be rebuilt speedily, in our days. It is somewhat ironic therefore, that my visits to the Kotel HaMa'aravi are infrequent at the best of times. I would be tested if asked to remember the last time I visited, previous to my visit yesterday night. The wall is something which has become somewhat taken for granted; "Next year in Jerusalem" rings false. Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish State and the Kotel is in our hands - we should visit more often.

Despite the best efforts of the traffic police, in shutting roads, seemingly at random, my fiance and I eventually made our way into the Old City via the Jaffa Gate. Noticing the stream of people going straight ahead into the Arab Souk, we elected to follow them rather than taking the more accepted, safer route through the Armenian Quarter. It was a route that I remembered from my earlier visits to Israel in the mid '80s when I still felt safe to wander through, haggling with the storeholders for some souvenir or another. In normal circumstances I wouldn't contemplate going that way in today's climate.

The crowd swelled as we reached the security gates at the northwestern end of the Kottel compound. We were pushed together with a good humoured mix of black hatted hareidim, American tourists, soldiers, young couples with children and an ancient Yemenite woman as we surged forwards eventually spilling us out into the bustle of the Kottel. We didn't even bother to try to get close to the wall but rather, sat down and drank in the atmosphere, contemplating the comings and goings around us. Despite the solemnity of the fast day, it was clear that there was quite a social scene going on with young yeshiva and seminary students mingling freely. The wall attracts a crowd that is both eclectic and eccentric; a metre long shofar was sounded above the crowd, dressed in every colour of the rainbow.

As we sat and learned the halachot of the fast, we were irritated to be told by a solitary moron that my fiance should be on the other side - despite being nowhere near the prayer area and the mixed crowd around us. Quite why he picked us out I'm not sure - perhaps the idea of a woman learning was a little to much? Certain groups often appear to have the opinion that they have some sort of authority around the holy places - thank goodness we are not living in a theocracy.

With the clock ticking towards midnight, we decided to head for home. I trusted by better half's sense of direction by we were clearly heading too far to the north and as the crowd thinned out I was feeling rather nervous to be in the Arab Quarter late at night without knowing where we were going. Thankfully the route was well lined with members of the security forces but it was a little unnerving to finally find ourselves at Sha'ar Shchem - the Nablus Gate which is a little too close to Arab East Jerusalem for my tastes.

Reconnecting with the Old City, both familiar parts and those which I had long forgotten, was an appropriate way to spend the evening of the Ninth of Av - even if I doubt that I'll be going down certain of those paths again on my next trip.

Gilly

Depending on who you listen to, between 150,000 and 200,000 people formed a human chain linking the Gaza strip to the Kotel yesterday. Whichever way you look at it, the 90km chain, apparently the third longest in history, is an impressive achievement and a show of solidarity that will send a strong message to the Government.

Of course, it is possible to argue, that if there were 200,000 people showing support for the settlements of Gaza, there were approximately 5,800,000 Israelis who weren't. Opinion polls suggest that an overwhelming majority of Israelis support a withdrawal from Gaza and this indeed, seems to have become a part of the consensus - the question is no longer whether, but when.

I have a huge amount of respect for anyone who chooses to live uncompromisingly according to their ideology. I recognise that it is a rare phenomenon in this day and age to forsake the comforts of a normal lifestyle and to put oneself and one's family on the front line. The phenomenon of 7,500 Jews, living amongst 1,300,000 Arabs is something that I have an intrinsic problem with however and that is why I was not amongst those who linked hands yesterday.

Although I have huge admiration for a person who puts himself on the front line, the dividing line between ideology and madness is an extremely fine one. Why a parent would even consider brining up children in a place where they are in the firing line is a mystery to me. Even whilst the chain was formed yesterday, 6 children were wounded when an anti tank rocket was fired at their community centre in Neve Dekalim, from the neighbouring Khan Yunis.

That a disproportionate number of our soldiers are being sent into Arab cities in order to defend a tiny section of the population doesn't seem right to me. As the human and financial costs of protecting the Gaza settlements rise, so to will public support for the idea of withdrawal.

That 1,300,000 Arabs in the Gaza strip are restricted in their movements due to a tiny minority of settlers is another point that I find extremely problematic. To be perfectly clear - I wholly believe that the fact that they became refugees and are still refugees is a tragedy, but it is a tragedy of their own making. Were it not for the Arab nations repeatedly making war on Israel; were it not for the fact that having made war, those same Arab nations have abandoned the refugees that were the result, then they would not be in the situation that they are in today. At the same time however, it is important to recognise that they are human beings and have rights. These rights are severely curtailed at the moment and I don't feel comfortable with the idea that nothing is being done.

I cannot possibly even being to understand the personal tragedy of the 7,500 settlers who I believe will be forced to give up their homes. My heart goes out to anyone who is forced to leave against their will and all the more so for the settlers who have already been moved on once when Yamit was dismantled. I believe this to be the lesser of two evils however and that is why I will grudgingly support the withdrawal. If it means fewer of our boys being killed, if it means secure borders, if it means our moral conscience is assuaged then I believe, painful though it will be, that it is the right thing to do.

Amongst the protestors interviewed by the news teams was the daughter of Yonatan Basi who has been appointed by the PM to head the disengagement administration. Basi, a member of Kibbutz Sde Eliahu hit the front pages this weekend after the head of the religious kibbutz movement likened him to a Holocaust era bureaucrat. He has also been pilloried by some members of the Kibbutz in a manner that borders on incitement as a result of his agreeing to take the position. Shoah comparisons generally disgust me and have no basis in rational discourse. Basi has been treated in a shabby manner and I have already been sent a number of petitions which support him. It's a dirty job but someone's got to do it and I'm sure that he has been chosen as the best man for the task.

Gilly

 

The carnage on Israel's roads continued over the weekend with another 6 pointless deaths. A further 260 injured over the weekend according to the Jerusalem Post. Haaretz reports that 304 have now been killed since the start of 2004. As is often the case, the casualty list included inexperienced drivers and truck drivers.

Three people drowned in swimming pools this weekend. A completely futile and uneccessary way to die - with lifeguards standing by? Although one of the victims apparently had a heart attack whilst swimming, there seems to be no reason for the other two deaths to have happened. I hope that those whose negligence contributed will get their due comeuppance.

A further 4 boys, all aged under 10, nearly drowned off a Tel Aviv beach. Who was looking out for them? A bunch of small children, swimming in the open sea, seemingly unsupervised, is a disaster waiting to happen.

It's unfortunately the case that our fate is often not in our own hands. We can try to prevent suicide bombers from attacking our cities and can on an individual level attempt to avoid places where people convene, but ultimately it's a matter of luck. Equally however, we must take personal and societal responsibility for the "routine" deaths which can and must be prevented. Persistent bad drivers should be taken off the roads; not fined and sent back out behind the wheel. Those responsible for deaths through their own negligence must be punished according and must be seen to be punished too. A clear message must be sent - Enough!

Yesterday I was privileged to take part in welcoming 400+ new Nefesh b'Nefesh Olim at Ben Gurion airport. The first of three flights this summer which will bring in a total of approximately 1500 Olim from North America was greeted by Prime Minister Sharon, Bibi, Sarat Haklita Tzippi Livni, Sallai Meridor, the founders of Nefesh b'Nefesh and President of El Al.

The ceremony was superbly organised (though some sort of cooling system would be in order) and I found the whole thing rather emotional. So many Olim committing themselves to Israel for ideological reasons makes a huge statement, places Aliyah firmly on the agenda and can only be good for the country as a whole.

Keep up the good work.....

Gilly

8 years ago today, saw me arriving on my cousin's doorstep in Netanya, Teudat Oleh clutched tightly in hand, having completed the formal process of Aliyah a few hours beforehand. Looking back across those 8 years, it seems hard to believe how quickly the time has gone by and how lucky I have been in arriving where I am today.

I have somehow managed to navigate my way around all the trials and tribulations of living in Israel and come out with a clean bill of health. Ulpan was fun, the army worked out particularly well for me (including them deciding with perfect timing that they didn't need me anymore - a story for a future blog perhaps) and since then I have constantly been gainfully employed. I have even moved jobs at my own volition and not according to the vagaries of the Israeli economy. I don't know too many people who have been employed in the same company for nearly 5 years as I have.

My landlords have been friendly, normal people. My current landlord lives next door and takes the view that I'm in the right as long as I pay the rent on time (which I do, religiously). And as of next month I will no longer have a landlord as I'll be moving to the place which I've bought and am having renovated by a chap who is accompanying me every step of the way and takes care of every small detail.

After moving flat, I will be getting married to a wonderful girl who enjoys cooking and ironing and eats her steaks rarer than I do! I get on brilliantly with my future in-laws.

I have made many great friends and even more friendly acquaintances and there are constantly more people being added into each category.

It hasn't all been easy of course. My beloved father passed away shortly after I made Aliyah and I have been forced to keep track of what my family and friends are doing in their lives by phone calls, texts, MSN and email. My friends have children who I know only as Jpegs.

Living in Israel through extremely turbulent times has proved a strain. I have been fortunate enough not to have been directly involved in a pigua but have had various near misses and have made enough panicked telephone calls for a life time.

Many of my friends have decided that Israel is not for them for various reasons. I applaud them all for having the determination to give the country a try and now have places to stay all over the world.

Reflecting back, although there are a couple of minor gripes and moans, I have, for the most part, had a great experience so far. I still get a kick out of walking to work in the sunshine, of wandering Jerusalem's streets, of the relative quiet on Shabbat, the fact that the meat counter in the Super is kosher and that the next person in the queue will trade recipes and check that I have a place to eat on Friday night - and many, many other things.

I love this country - here's to many more good years.....

Gilly

Almost everyone in Israel has a friend or family member in the army. In my case, the one to whom I'm closest is my fiance's brother. This morning found us at Latrun watching the ceremony ending his Sergeant's course. I found myself, as always at such ceremonies, comparing it, rather unfavourably with the ceremonial aspect of the British army where drill and marching is a speciality. I well remember at the start of my own sergeant's course being shown "A few good men" on video. The film begins with a demonstration of marching and spinning of rifles, complete with shined shoes and polished buttons. We sat there stunned, hoping that there was a point to the film.

The Israeli army is not used to standing on ceremony and there is a good reason behind this; the army takes young boys away from their homes for precisely 3 years. There is no messing about with unnecessary aspects of training - the new draftee is straight down to the required work to make him a proficient combat soldier as quickly as possible. There is certainly no time to spend learning how to make boots shine so that you can see your face in them. The IDF is there out of neccessity. The moment that there is time to teach marching will be a happy day for us all - in the meantime, there are more pressing issues to take care of like protecting our families, mere kilometres away.

As is traditional with such ceremonies, we went with enough food to feed not just Yoni, but also the rest of his unit. Clearly, everyone elses' parents had done precisely the same thing - a very Jewish way of doing things - get the ceremonial stuff over, then eat...

I went through the army as a lone soldier (my family is still based abroad). My ceremonies were held at a base in the South and there wasn't anyone there cheering me on. When everyone around you is surrounded by family and friends it is easy to feel incredibly lonely. I don't want any of my nearest and dearest to feel the same.

Shabbat Shalom

Gilly

Last night I visited what is fast becoming one of my favourite yearly events. Chutzor Ha'ir began bringing Intifada-weary Jerusalemites back into the centre of town 2 years ago. On the first night that I visited I remember wandering down Ben Yehuda Street, tears welling in my eyes, thinking that this was what it used to be like in the summers before the Intifada began. In those heady days, you began to encounter crowds at the top end of the street and by the time that you reached the junction with Dorot Harishonim, next to Rimon and the Frozen Yoghurt place, you almost had to fight your way through the throng.

The centre of town was dead for a long time in Jerusalem. The initiative to launch Chutzot Ha'ir in the summer of 2002, after Operation Defensive Shield had brought a certain amount of relative quiet, has proven to be highly succesful; the formula has been tweaked somewhat and this summer there will be 8 weeks of themed festivities as Ben Yehuda and its adjoining streets become an open air mall complete with security guards with metal detectors stationed at all entrances to ensure unwanted visitors are kept out.

With a different theme each week, based this year on colour, the idea has clearly taken off - last night was packed - and Wednesday is traditionally a relatively quiet night. You'll find artisans flogging their wares, fast food from a wide variety of Jerusalem eateries, bars and street performers aplenty. In past years there have been bands playing gigs in Kikar Zion - I believe that this is continuing and will be going back to check the schedule on a regular basis - I missed Teapacks last week as I had to attend a stag party instead.

So come along down - bring your friends and family and party in Jerusalem's downtown!

Gilly

It's not all that often that I come across a newspaper article that truly stuns me. Yoel Esteron's "Let's dismantle the fence" in Haaretz today provoked that precise reaction however. To my understanding the basic argument behind the piece is that, by accepting the fence, we won't move forward to finding a solution to the problem underlying the need for the fence.

"Life without a fence was terrible, but at least it created a sense of urgency; that we have to do something to stop the killing; to solve the conflict; to make peace. The fence creates an illusion that we can "manage" the conflict instead of resolving it, another dubious invention of recent years."

Bizarre as it may seem, Esteron's argument appears to be that men, women and children being blown up by suicide bombers on a daily basis can actually be seen as a good thing in that it creates an urgency to find a solution.

Building a fence, which seems to be doing a good job of keeping those with murderous intent out of Israel's cafes, discotheques, and hotels will, he argues, lead to "more and more terror that circumvents the fence; the longer the occupation continues, the more horrible the terror. The fence will not stop it for long, it will only make it more sophisticated and more terrible." Indeed - if you put a barrier up, there are those who will attempt to get around, under or over it. Judging by the example of the fence around Gaza however, this is not a simple matter.

Esteron's views appear, to my mind to exhibit a very tenuous grasp on reality. For close to 4 years now , Arafat and his cohorts have been waging a vicious war against Israel. All but the most dovish amongst the country's politicians and electorate, have had their eyes opened to the true intentions of our erstwhile peace partners. There is a reason why the fence is part of the consensus; why the Politicans, IDF and Supreme Court all agree that it is, if not a good thing, then certainly a necessary evil.

To espouse the view that "Anyone who wants to live without terror, to live in peace, has to oppose the fence." is to fly in the face of common sense, to turn a blind eye to the murderous intent of the Palestinians. So let's spell it out in very simple language for Mr. Esteron: the fence stops the Palestinians from walking into our population centres and blowing themselves up. Knocking the fence down in the current political climate will lead to more Israelis being murdered. I dearly hope that there will come a time when the fence will be removed. That can't happen however until the Palestinian "leadership" begins to take responsibility for leading their people towards the light instead of further into the darkness.

Gilly

In today's Jerusalem Post editorial, the forthcoming visit of International Atomic Energy Agency head Mohammed ElBaradei is noted. This UN agency head, never particularly friendly towards Israel, is expected to join the chorus of NGOs calling for Israel to denuclearize.

The editorial gives its take on why Israel should remain nuclear and argues the case rather well. I want to cast back to last Friday's Post for a further, more pressing reason.

Under the headline "Annan demands Darfur solution", Alexandra Zavis wrote that "Annan...wants to see progress in 48 hours resolving a bitter conflict in the Darfur region which his officials say has led to the world's worst humanitarian crisis."

Good on the UN you might think? Finally making some demands to solve a problem and giving a deadline to do it? Read on.....

"The 16 month-old conflict has killed up to 30,000 people, driven more than 1 million people from their homes and left more than 2 million in desperate need of aid." (my bold type).

The UN, in other words, has acted about as quickly and effectively as it did when standing by and watching 800,000 people hacked to death in the Rwanda conflict.

Israel must remain a nuclear power because it has to be responsible for its own defence. If not, coming along with mealy mouthed demands 16 months too late, with tens of thousands of dead would not wash. If the UN wants to achieve any sort of credibility, it needs to stop spending all its time passing ludicrous resolutions against a democratic state which is desperately trying to defend its citizens from suicide bombings and do something about the real human tragedies taking place around the world. Then Mr. Annan, maybe we will be prepared to take you a little more seriously.

As a footnote, I'm just going to mention that the people doing the slaughtering in the Darfur region of Sudan are Arabs. You didn't really have to ask did you......?

Gilly

Situated close to Tel Aviv's Carmel Market, in an old house which has seen far better days, a remarkable group of people are involved in a great chesed (kindness). Soadim, and other soup kitchens like it, have increasingly entered the public consciousness over the last few years as the economic situation in Israel has deteriorated and the Government has increasingly chipped away at the already meagre welfare payments made to the weakest sectors of society.


When I announced that I was running the Jerusalem half marathon in March, a colleague suggested to me that I should donate the proceeds of the run to Soadim. After collecting from all of my sponsors, I was able to present them with a cheque for NIS 7401. Another donor, also introduced to Soadim by my office, gave a larger cheque so that in total NIS 18,000 was handed over to help feed the needy.

I found the visit to Soadim to be both depressing and uplifting; depressing because I would never envisage Israel to be a state where the poor are reliant for handouts, not from the Government, but from concerned individuals who decide to get up and do something about a problem; uplifting because of the nature of the individuals who are doing the work.

Soadim employs a part time social worker and a full time chef. In my experience, there is no such thing as a part time social worker - the work follows them around and the only part time thing about the job is the salary. Full time social workers don't get paid brilliantly either. The full time chef, trained by Tadmor school, gives the food an ingredient which is often missing - love. I know how cheesy that sounds but the way in which the food is presented, the types of ingredients and the care that goes into it are incredibly important to the dignity of the people who rely on the place.

Those involved in Soadim and other similar places are doing a big mitzva. I felt guilty as I left that I hadn't raised enough money to help but at the same time, pleased with myself for at least doing something.....

Gilly

I have just spent the weekend in Eilat with a bunch of friends, celebrating the forthcoming nuptials of one of our number with a drink or three. Whilst there, during Kabalat Shabbat, I was reminded of a promise that I made myself 8 years ago when I made Aliyah, that I would find myself an 'Israeli' shul to pray in as part of my planned immersion into society.

Immediately upon arrival in the country, in the summer of 1996, I set about finding a synagogue that would fit the bill but quickly discovered what I should have instinctively known - that in a city the size of Jerusalem, there is a critical mass of people from each background, that can own form their own minyan and pray in the same way that they used to back in the old country. Therefore Jews who have there origins in North Africa, Eastern Europe and the Goldena Medina all pray in their own separate services. Does an Israeli minyan really exist?

During that period of acclimatisation and subsequently whilst in the army, I had my eyes opened to the fact that the United Synagogue service which I grew up with, was certainly not the only way of doing things. During basic training in particular, I enjoyed the Sephardic custom of singing Shir Hashirim before Maariv on Friday night. The concept of praying as a community is far more prevalent amongst Israelis of North African and Middle Eastern origin and although the chanting of Kabalat Shabbat is, to my taste, unnecessarily long and repetitive, I do like the idea of everyone doing it together out loud, rather than individually and quietly under their breaths.

My synagogue in Jerusalem, Heichal Ariel in the Evelina School at the junction of Herzog and Hazaz/Tchernihovsky, is pretty close to the service that I'm used to from the UK (They also have really comfortable seats!). It is a mix of the old time residents of Rechavia, Katamon and Nayot together with a good dose of new and not-so-new immigrants from the West. I have, in other words, retreated into the familiar Azhkenazi world in which I grew up.

A hotel throws together a very disparate group of people and exposes guests to each others customs. Once again, I found myself swaying with the chanting and really enjoying the unity of the experience. Whilst I'll never get used to the idea that wearing jeans and a T-shirt to synagogue is acceptable, I do feel enriched for the experience.

Gilly

Going through the army as a "lone soldier", I was very aware of the role that the family plays (or in my case, didn't) in the life of a soldier. Every Shabbat is eagerly anticipated, food parcels prepared, visits are made to bases and ceremonies; in short, the family will do anything that it can to make the life of their soldier easier.

I am currently having to prop my eyes open as a result of having fulfilled the role of caring family member to a soldier last night. My fiancee's brother, currently serving in an elite unit, was allowed out of his base for his best friend's wedding in Jerusalem on condition that he was able to make it back the same night. The base, to the South of Beer Sheva is a 2 hour jaunt, which, thanks to my fiancee's flagrant disregard for the speed limit, we managed to do in an at times frankly terrifying 1 1/2 hours.

It's a role that I'm not unfamiliar with; when a previous flat mate was in the army I played Mum, washing his uniforms and even ironing clothes on occasion. Do those amongst our society who put their lives on the line on a daily basis deserve any less?

That he was let out at all, perhaps reveals something of the way in which the army works. The army which I served in took as its credo the idea that a happy soldier will perform his duties to the best of his ability and therefore, wherever possible, soldiers should be able to join their friends and family in celebrating their simchas. There is no need to leave uneccessary soldiers to guard the base over Shabbat - far better to send the boys back to their parents to be pampered and fed and have them return to the base refreshed on Sunday morning.

The lack of sleep was for a very worth while cause. Our soldiers should be rewarded far better for their toils. Where this can't be done officially, it befalls the ordinary citizen to do his bit.

Gilly

37 years ago today, Jerusalem was reunited. Paratroopers stormed the Old City, the flag was raised at the Kottel and the famous call of "Har HaBayit BeYadenu" ("The Temple Mount is in our hands) was uttered. Today we celebrate Yom Yerushalayim with a parade through the city, parties in town and thousands of policemen on the streets.

I have spent all but one of my 8 years in Israel living in Jerusalem. When I first arrived, I took the time to get to know the city by wandering its different routes, leaving myself with plenty of time to get to wherever I needed to be. I continue to walk around a lot and when I decided to buy a property, spent a lot of time checking out different parts of the town before plumping for Bak'a. This is a city that I love and intend to stay in for the foreseeable future.

Jerusalem is a tourist trap. It has one of, if not the, highest concentration of holy sites for all religions, anywhere. For large numbers of Jewish youth around the world, a trip to Israel is almost a rite of passage with Jerusalem the highlight of such a trip. Wealthy Jews from around the world have second homes here, the focus of centuries of hopes and prayers.

But Jerusalem is dirty. Its downtown area has become a ghost town; a victim of the downturn in tourism, fear of terrorist attacks and high property costs. Industry has stayed away and young couples tend to turn their backs on high property prices, choosing cheaper alternatives instead. Year after year, Jerusalem shares the shame of being one of the two poorer cities in the country - and that's without the Arab population being taken into account.

With the Arab population lies my biggest gripe. For all the talk of a unified city, Jerusalem is anything but. There are two parts of the city, one of which I will wander round to my heart's content, the other of which I will not go near if I can possibly help it. I am a frequent visitor to the University on Mount Scopus which until 1967 was an enclave but that's about as far as it goes.

Jerusalem should be a special city to live in. I love the fact that I drive past the Old City on a daily basis, that I can wander down to the Kottel whenever I want to, that I don't have to feel false when singing "next year in Jerusalem" at the Seder. This city is full of disappointments however. It needs to be taken into hand, given a clean up, have the corruption removed and be made into a great place to live. As things stand right now - it has not lived up to its promise. Mayor Lupolianski has not delivered the goods just as Olmert didn't before him. Concerned citizens stand up and make your voices heard!

Gilly

That the Dovrat Report on Israel's education system, approved unanimously by the Cabinet, met with condemnation from teacher's unions and parents groups, is perhaps no great surprise. The recommendations of the report, which include a move to a longer school day and a 5 day week, paying good teachers more than bad and leaving hiring and firing in the hands of school heads rather than the Minstry of Education, seek to overhaul an antiquated system, set up to serve an entirely different country to that in which we currently live.

That Israel is a world leader in so many fields, is in spite and not because of its education system. Successive Ministers and Directors of the Education Ministry have come under continuos fire as Israeli schoolchildren have fallen short in international comparison tests.

I personally find the system odd and the objections to moving towards a proven one with which I am more familiar, strange to say the least. A five day school week is one which works throughout the world. The main objection to this move seems to be that children from weaker socio-economic groups whose parents are more likely to be working on Fridays, will be out on the streets. Would this not be counterbalanced by the fact that on 5 other week days, when they would have been out on the streets from the early afternoon, they will actually be in school until four o'clock (as is customary elsewhere) and this will mean that parents would not have to pay for child care or enrichment activities in the afternoons?

The knee jerk reaction of the Unions to firing teachers is hardly unexpected and certainly the loss of jobs in the economy is not something to be happy about. That the move will get rid of poor teachers and encourage good ones to remain in the profession is a positive step however. Better pay and working conditions will improve the way in which teaching as a profession is percieved and will result in an increase of standards as better people opt for the profession. Our children will receive a better edcuation as a result.

Yes there will remain a difference between the haves and the have nots - there is always the possibility that the wealthy will choose to send their children to private tutors in addition to their basic education. This is a universal truth however and will not be alterred. If the basic level of education is raised however, children remaining in school for a longer day with happier, better motivated teachers, then surely that is an immensely positive step in the right direction towards guaranteeing a decent education for all?

Gilly

It's been a busy week - in fact, without a doubt it's been the most memorable week of my life.

In chronological order.....

At the beginning of last week I took posession of the apartment that I've bought in Jerusalem - my first step on the property ladder! I have been talking with my renovations person this week and its all rather exciting.

Sunday - I got engaged. Did the whole getting down on one knee thing. Asked her father's permission the following day and we'll be getting married probably sometime in November. Handed over creative control for decorating the new apartment....

Tuesday - made by stage debut! Am-Dram production of Romeo and Juliet. Got most of my lines right and the audience cheered at the end so must have been pretty good.

Wednesday - Newcastle draw with Southampton and my boys (Liverpool) are into the qualifying rounds for the Champions League.

I don't think that I could possibly have imagined a better 7 days.....

Although yesterday's vote on the Gaza plan by the Likud could prove momentous in Israel's history, I found myself far more affected by the horrific personal tragedy that befell the Hatuel family on the way to the polling station. Tali Hatuel, who was 8 months pregnant, together with her 4 daughters, aged 2, 7, 9 and 11, were murdered by terrorists who first stopped the car and then shot it up to make sure that there were no survivors.

Should the family have been there in the first place? It's immaterial and petty to even ask. There are times when personal politics must be put to one side. I don't believe that anyone can even begin to understand the pain and grief that their husband and father, who they were travelling to meet in Ashkelon, must be feeling.

For the last 3 1/2 years, Israel has been fighting a war against terrorism of the most despicable kind. A society that sends its youth to kill and maim and that rejoices in the murder of a pregnant mother and her children, is one that has lost contact with any recognisable human values. We find ourselves with the difficult but imperative task of coming to an arrangement which will allow us to live side by side with those who deny our right to existence.

The hatred that has been sown must be tackled at its roots by reforming a system of education that systemically demonizes Israel as well as the US. To think that the PA will voluntarily undertake this reform is to ignore the fact that despite promises made at Oslo, they have not yet done so. A trustworthy partner, with some control on the purse strings is needed in order to assist in carrying out a change which is acceptable to both sides. With so much distrust for tthe USA amongst Arabs of all stripe, I believe that it is time for the European Union to step up and bear the responsibility of which it seems to believe itself worthy. The EU has found itself accused of (albeit unwittingly) funding terrorism, by making transfers of funds to the PA. It must make any future assistance dependent on full transparency with the use of every Euro audited to make sure that it is being used for the cause of advancing the region as a whole rather than perpetuating the cycle of violence.

Empty words of condemnation are no longer enough. It is time for Europe to stand up and be counted as a force for good in the region. The gauntlet has been laid down....

Gilly