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Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni didn’t have a good time at the just concluded Middle East Summit in Annapolis. In fact, she felt almost like the new kid in school who winds up eating lunch alone in the school cafeteria. Although she did get warm greetings from the Americans and most Western delegations, including American Secretary Condi Rice, she was either avoided or outright ignored by most of the Arab and Muslim delegates, especially those from Saudi Arabia, Syria, Pakistan, Algeria, and other Arab and Muslim countries.

I guess it’s understandable that the Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Said al-Faisal, wouldn’t extend her the courtesy. After all, women are not exactly given equal treatment there, especially in light of the recent rape case where the female victim was herself sentenced to 200 lashes and 6 months in the can. And as for Syria, even though they did send their deputy F.M. there, his government must also not be ready to be “poochy moochy” with Israel’s F.M, female or otherwise.

Condi did try to make her Israeli guest feel better by comparing Tzipi’s experience with that of her own as a black child growing up in Selma Alabama, scene of some very nasty civil rights activities during the 1960’s. But Condi’s experiences, bad as they were, are not in the same light as the Israeli F.M, who found out to her chagrin that the A-rabs are not quite ready to be seen in friendly conversation with any senior Israeli official – let alone a woman.

When she asked, “why is everyone treating me like a pariah?” she should realize that it’s really nothing personal, especially in regards to whom she was referring to. In a way, it’s probably better that delegations from Iran and Lebanon didn’t show up, as they wouldn’t have greeted her either – especially Mahmud Ahmadinejad who’s still fretting over remarks made to him at the U.N. recently by Carnit Goldwasswer, wife of captured Israeli soldier Udi Goldwasser.

In all seriousness, Tzipi’s uncomfortable experience only reconfirms the reality of Israel’s position in the Middle East, especially in light of increased Muslim radicalism towards the West in general and Israel in particular. Had the Israeli F.M. been a man, he probably wouldn’t have fared much better; perhaps even worse. And with only half of the Palestinians represented at the conference, the other half being under the dominance of the ultra radical Hamas organization, the entire event appears to have ended with a hollow ring.

Even her boss, Prime Minister Olmert, didn’t win many friends there among the countries unfriendly to Israel. Be all this as it may, we can now get back to business as usual in this part of the world. And Tzipi might well do better at a UJA or similar gathering. At least they’ll shake her hand..

A recent survey by the Israel Democracy Institute’s Guttman Center revealed that only 20% of the country’s Jewish population considers itself secular, i.e. not having any religious observance or affiliation. This percentile is reported to be much lower than it was 30 years ago when 41% of the Jewish population claimed to be in the same category. While this doesn’t mean that the other 80% is now religious, however, as those in this category range anywhere from “traditional” and mildly observant to ultra orthodox, including those folk who live in neighborhoods like Jerusalem’s Mea Shaarim, and Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv.

“Traditional” can also have a wide ranging spectrum as it can include families who light Shabbat candles on Fridays, but engage in all normal weekend activities, including cooking, driving, watching T.V., etc. It can even include those who occasionally go to religious services on either Friday evening or Saturday, and drive their car there and back home. Those who conducted the survey concluded that there has been an increase in religious observance in recent years, despite such Shabbat distractions as shopping malls, the Internet, and 24 hour cable T.V. The survey also found that more younger people, i.e. in the 20 to 30 age group, are becoming more religious. Sephardic Jews (56%) are now more observant then they were 30 years ago as compared to only 17% more for Ashkenazi or European origin Jews.

A side note to these findings is that the right winged elements of the population are found more from religious and observant households that from secular ones. This is something most of us have probably already concluded on our own, however.

The distinction as to what constitutes a completely secular person, as compared to a traditional or observant person is a bit confusing, as to be classified as a purely secular person, one would virtually have to be either atheist, or pretty close to it. Many people occasionally light candles on Shabbat of before religious holidays, yet do not go to synagogue or say any prayers at home. Many people have festive meals on holidays such as Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and virtually all families sit down to some kind of Passover Seder – whether that includes eating only kosher for Passover food or not. And in recent year, shopping strips and malls are crammed with Saturday shoppers, who also pop in to their local Tiv Taam or other supermarket open on Saturdays and holidays to purchase a few things they may have run out of or decide they want. This doesn’t mean they purchase non kosher meat or sea food in these stores, however. But religious and observant people would never set foot in places like Tiv Taam, even during the week.

The phenomenon of people drifting towards religion is a world-wide one, according to the Institutes findings, and can be attributed to a number of reasons. This also accounts, according to the Institute, for the changing political affiliations of many people. Despite these findings, many of those people who classify themselves as “traditional” and even mildly observant will still go out on Friday nights (especially the young people) and will crowd the malls on Saturday or head to their favorite picnic spot, or to the beach. The only conclusion that can be drawn from all this is that religious identification is purely a matter of personal choice and practice.

With all the fanfare and publicity dealing with finding a solution to the ongoing political divide between Israel and the Palestinians, not enough attention is being given to solving what may be the country’s most serious problem; that being the environment. Yet, this issue seems to be popping up all too frequently; whether it be concerning our rivers and streams, beaches, parks, forests and green spaces, or the very water we drink and air we breathe.

During the summer beach season, barely a week goes by when announcements are made, either on TV or in the newspapers, that certain beaches in Tel Aviv, Haifa, or other coastal cities are closed to the public for either bathing or fishing. Pollution caused either by industrial wastes, raw sewage, or other contaminates are found to be literally pouring or seeping into the Mediterranean, now considered one of the most polluted bodies of water in the world. While this is a big concern for most people living in Israel, not enough is being done to alleviate this problem, and despite posted warnings, people still enter the water and eat fish caught from the sea. Tel Aviv’s Yarkon River, the same river where four Australian athletes died from exposure to pollutants a number of years back, dumps it’s polluted contents into the sea right next to one of Tel Aviv’s most popular entertainment areas, the old Tel Aviv Port. Scores of fishermen sit near the entrance to the old port and fish for species that have been found to contain dangerously high levels of E-Coli bacteria and other contaminants. And what they catch probably winds up on their dinner table later on.

Another body of water, the Kinneret, Israel’s only natural fresh water reservoir, is also becoming dangerously polluted, and not only by what our “friends” the Lebanese dump into the Litani river, one of the major sources of the Jordan, the Kinneret’s main water supplier. Recently, a number of bathing beaches on the lake have had to be closed for swimming due to high pollution counts, much of which was found to have come from either the city of Tiberius or Kibbutzim located near the lake shore. The Kinneret probably supplies more than 60% of the country’s fresh water, much of which is carried inland via the National Water Carrier. Small rivers that feed into the Jordan, such as the Dan, Senir, and Hermon (where the Banias nature reserve is located) are no longer the clean streams they used to be, and aquatic and animal life normally found in and near these streams have been greatly affected.

Of course, what is happening to the Kinneret, and to the streams feeding it is nothing compared to other streams and rivers, which like the Yarkon are so heavilly polluted that some of them have been literally called disaster areas. These include the Kishon (near Haifa), the Hadera, Alexander and Poleg streams on the Coastal Plain, and the
Sorek, which “kisses” the Mediterranean with it’s smelly contents near the city of Rishon le Zion.

Another area with threatened natural streams is the Dead Sea area with streams like the Ein Gedi and David, where the biblical David hid out from King Saul before he became king. These streams, considered one of the country’s treasured beauty spots are also mildly polluted, with much of the pollutants coming from seepage into the Negev’s region’s aquifer due to waste disposal sites like Ramat Hovav.

With the water issue noted, other environmental issues, including some of the worst air pollution problems in Israel’s major cities, and of course Ramat Hovav itself should be mentioned here as well. Haifa, Israel’s third largest city has an air pollution problem that is so bad that scores of deaths from respiratory ailments as well as cancers have been blamed from the state of the city’s air. Tel Aviv, the country’s largest city, often has an air inversion or smog problem that rivals the U.S. city of Los Angeles. And in the country’s southern regions, the problem of contamination from Ramat Hovav and other waste disposal sites has become so serious, that cities like Beer Sheva have had many deaths and illnesses caused by diseases linked to soil and ground water contamination.

What the outcome of these problems will be is still to be determined by the government’s Ministry for the Environment (yes, this ministry does actually exist). But what has been done so far is very little in comparison to the problems we all face; problems which are far more critical than global warming – that other well publicized environmental issue. The public simply has to get more involved, as these issues simply will get worse until the day will come when our most basic elements for survival, air and water, will be the most scarce and most sought after things around. After all, without them we simply cannot survive.

I hear quite a bit about the Cyber Monday craze lately. Cyber Monday is that first Monday after the retail industry’s Black Friday, so named because of the chaos and high levels of traffic. Black Friday has been the top sales day in the retail industry in 2003 and 2005 and second in other years.
Wikipedia’s says

The term Cyber Monday refers to the Monday immediately following Black Friday, the ceremonial kick-off of the holiday online shopping season in the United States between Thanksgiving Day and Christmas. Whereas Black Friday is associated with traditional brick-and-mortar stores, “Cyber Monday” symbolizes a busy day for online retailers.

In any case its supposed to be the busiest day for the online retail business and we would like to take part in the mayhem.

Right now you can get 20% OFF at AmuletGifts.com on any purchase over $40. When checking out use the code “cyber20″.

Tell them we sent you

Since the American holiday of Thanksgiving is a secular one, Israel really doesn’t have anything to compare with it, as all holidays in Israel, save that of Independence Day, are religious ones. There are no shortage of “turkeys” in the Jewish State, however. By that simile, I’m not referring to the stately bird that graced the table of millions of American homes on Thursday, allowing them to more than stuff themselves with an abundance of food and drink while watching an assortment of parades, sporting events, and other holiday activities. Nothing happening in this country can even compare to this American national event which has been in effect since U.S. President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed in 1863 that the “forth Thursday in the month of November will be a day of thanksgiving for all the blessings that Almighty God has bestowed upon us”.

Sounds good, doesn’t it? Putting all this aside for a moment, I’ll get back to the subject of turkeys, and not the aforementioned bird. The “turkeys” I am referring to are of the human kind and usually of a derogatory nature. If one were to look up this term in a modern, Israeli inspired “New Age” dictionary of the (American) English language, the appropriate definition would refer to a person who is (in Jewish Israeli terms) a bit of a frier or shmuck to put it bluntly. The reason this so pertains to what has been going on in Israel’s governmental leadership recently, particularly does so in regards to a so-called “peace summit” planned to begin in the U.S. State of Maryland on Monday, November 27. Harped for over two months already, this conference is billed as being the one to deal with a great many of the existing problems in the Middle East, especially concerning Israel and her Palestinian “neighbors”, such as they are.

Few people have much faith in what will be the result of this summit which may include some countries not having peaceful (let along diplomatic) relations with Israel. Israel’s leadership, especially the Prime Minister, seem to believe that great things will be accomplished, which brings me back again to the subject of turkeys. For all their rhetoric and supposedly good intentions, both Prime Minister Olmert and Foreign Minister Livni will most likely try to offer some incentives to make the conference end in some kind of success. Another interested party, the United States, is really interested in something good developing from this meeting, no matter what the consequences for Israel may be. But be that as it may, there may be a bunch of turkeys over there as well, as recent political and economic polls have indicated.

After the last few conferences, mostly hosted in Egypt by Egyptian President Husni Mubarak , not much, if anything has resulted from them. This also held true for earlier U.S. conferences including another one in Maryland in the year 2000. There were plenty of “turkeys” at that conference as well, including one, Israel’s present Defense Minister, who is slated to be at this one, in Annapolis.

We all better hope that there won’t be too many “foxes in the hen house” or turkey coupe as this case may be.

This is the song that represented us in the Eurovision in Helsinki this past May. I think its more then ever an appropriate song….

Israel P.M. Olmert is really trying to placate the Fatah branch of the Palestinian Authority by authorizing the delivery of 25 armored personnel carriers (formerly known a halftracks) for security use by the P.A. Though Israeli army sources, right-winged Knesset members, and even the Shin Bet security organization are against this deal, Olmert seems adamant in making Mahmud Abbas and Co, happy prior to the opening of the Annapolis summit on November 27. The APC’s are being supplied by Russia; and are part of an original 50 which Russia had agreed to supply to the P.A., but had not actually delivered them. The vehicles, probably either the BMD-1 or BMP-2 models from either the Afghanistan or Chechnya conflicts, are intended for use on the West Bank, particularly in Nablus.

There is good reason for objections to this deal as previous arms deliveries to the P.A. fell into the wrongs hands when Hamas acquired a great deal of small arms and ammunition when they ousted Fatah from Gaza. No mention has been given as to whether these vehicles will come equipped with heavy machine guns, as are usually installed on military APC’s, or if they will be similar to ones used by police units and intended only for protection against small arms fire. The prime minister’s spokesmen are trying to assure everyone that these vehicles are not going to be a start for even more sophisticated military hardware being allowed into the West Bank. “We are not helping them build a nuclear reactor, etc.” the spokesperson commented. The P.M.’s office is also making everyone aware that “these vehicles can be destroyed anytime we deem it necessary, as has been done in the past”. One might suppose that by this remark, the P.M. is referring to a couple of surplus helicopters that have been given to former P.A. Chairman Yasser Arafat, and which had been destroyed, along with Gaza’s only airport, at the beginning of the Second Intifada uprising in October, 2000.

The Russians are no doubt very happy to get rid of a lot of surplus military hardware that is taking up space on their army bases. Whether or not Abbas is paying for them with funds he is receiving from either Israel or other countries, including the E.U., is another matter, however.

With the Annapolis summit set to convene in less than a week’s time, we might all be interested in knowing what other friendly gestures Mr. Olmert has in store for his Palestinian friends. With all that Israel is willing to offer, including perhaps a large chunk of the West Bank, what are the Palestinians willing to give for their part? Now that Syria and even Saudi Arabia plan to have delegates attending the summit, it looks like the Americans, who are hosting this event, have great expectations as to what agreements will result from the meeting. As for the armored vehicles, they will only be delivered long after the summit is completed.

And by then, it may be a whole different ball game anyway.

Many people in Israel and elsewhere may not appreciate this man. But former Knesset member Shmuel (Sammy) Plato Sharon may be Israel’s true patriot. Sharon, whose family arrived in southern France after fleeing Nazi occupied Poland during WWII, has certainly a most colorful history, and also a very controversial one at that. He is mainly remembered for literally buying his way into the Knesset in 1977, and afterwards serving time in a French prison for a “misunderstanding” involving a fraudulent jewelry deal in France in which many people lost a lot of money. Sharon is now known as that gravelly-voiced old man who is frequently seen on television or heard on FM radio morning talk shows.

I chanced on one of these talk shows today in which Sharon was talking to some controversial people, including a representative of the Peace Now movement and an Arab Knesset parliamentarian (names withheld). Sharon really put both of these gentlemen in the hot box as he asked them why they supported people such as former Knesset member Azmi Bishara, who Sharon called a traitor and who should be imprisoned for spying against Israel. Sharon especially grilled his Arab List Knesset member guest by asking him why he, as a member of Israel’s parliament, is against Israel being a Jewish State. Sharon is known as a man who is not afraid to speak his mind, and he did so on this program in which he also accused his Peace Now guest as being in favor reaching a peace agreement with Syria, even if that “agreement” means giving up most or all of the Golan Heights.

“How can you be in favor of a country that is an enemy?” Sharon told his Peace Now guest. Sharon went on to remind his interviewee that Syria is suspected of supplying both the Hezbollah and numerous terror organizations with weapons, explosions and other material that is used against Israel. Though his guest reminded Sharon that Syria has been invited to send a delegation to the upcoming Annapolis conference, Sharon replied that this won’t make any difference as Syria “does pipi on Israel every chance it gets”.

Due to his experience as a child during WWII, and seeing the increase in anti-
Semitism against Jews in France, much of it by Islamic terror groups, Sharon has become very patriotic in his later years. He doesn’t miss a chance to appear before the general public to express his rather taut views on what is happening today regarding Israel’s future. Sharon has made many friends in his adopted country, which he now calls his “true homeland”. He believes that Israel’s “hasbara” PR campaign leaves much to be desired; and that as a result, Israel’s political leaders are being conceived as “a bunch of idiots”. “We have a lot to do to clean up our public relations image, and that’s why I am appearing so much on the media as somebody has to help do this” he was recently quoted as saying.

Whatever can be said about Sammy Plato-Sharon, it not that he keeps quiet about what the feels is wrong and needs to be corrected in Israel. This also goes for the still in progress teachers strike, which Sharon calls a “real pity” as it plays with the future of the country. “Prime Minister Olmert is not doing enough to end this crises, which has been going on for over a month now” Sharon commented on today’s program.

Maybe Sammy should get involved in finding a solution to the strike, as nothing else has appeared to work so far. If he can moderate and solve this crises he will really be a true Israeli patriot.

Yossi Benayoun was not able to play in Saturday Night’s game against Russia; but that didn’t stop the Israeli National Team from pulling off their stunning 2-1 victory over the visiting side at Ramat Gan National Stadium. That wasn’t the only thing that put similes on the faces of both the Israeli team and their fans; the win has now elevated England’s chances to advance in the World Cup qualifying rankings. As a result, Israel and its football team are now very popular to millions of people in the U.K.; so popular in fact that adoring U.K. football fans were waving Israeli fans and singing ‘hava nagila’ in pubs all over the England. And Omer Golan, (pictured) who kicked the winning goal is now as much adored as Yossi, the team captain.

That this great change in British-Israeli relations has occurred in only a month has not been attributed to the efforts of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was chosen to be a special European Union envoy between Israel and the Palestinians. No, not at all; this change has been brought about by sport, namely football. Sports have often resulted in better relations between countries, and in this case sports have turned an increasingly hostile British public into one in which many of whose members outright said they will not only come to visit Israel, but even want to acquire Israeli citizenship as well.

All of this started in October when former Macabbee Haifa coach Avraham Grant became coach for the London based Chelsea football club; a move which many in both Israel and the U.K. said was doomed to failure. Grant’s short tenure at Chelsea has so far been partially responsible for turning that club’s football fortunes around, and improving its overall Premier League standings. Following afterwards was the playing success of Israeli football star Yossi Benayoun who has helped the Liverpool Football Club win several match victories, including a stunning 8-0 win over a hapless Turkish team. And now, Israel’s win over Russia, which gives the British national team a chance to advance into the next round of the World Cup qualifying matches.

The win has done wonders for relations between the two countries; and with the year 2008 promising to be good year for incoming tourism to Israel, there is no doubt that many incoming tour groups will be from the U.K. Previous friendly matches between Israel and both the U.K. and Ireland have resulted in football fans from both countries getting to know each other. And, as many will happily testify, there are plenty of pubs and other public houses in Israel to satisfy any Englishman’s thirst.

If all of this doesn’t make sport the grand equalizer, then what does?

Who would have thought the Egyptian President Muhammad Anwar Sadat would be addressing a packed session of the Israeli Knesset on November 20, 1977. Those of us who saw this event, either in person or on TV, still marvel that this event took place, especially due to the circumstances at the time (only four years after the Yom Kippur War) and in light of what is the present reality today.

I had only been in Israel for three years when this event took place. The sight of Sadat emerging from the plane that had brought him and his entourage from Cairo to Ben Gurion Airport, was something that brought feelings of wonder and exhilaration to virtually everyone who witnessed it; especially those like myself who believed that this might be a new beginning for relations between the State of Israel and her hostile neighbors – especially with one of the countries that could have been instrumental in Israel’s destruction. Sadat himself had great apprehensions to come to Israel, fearing harm not only to himself and his family, but to his country as well by journeying to what most Arab countries still consider to be their worst enemy.

Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin was himself an ultra right winged politician, who until his election victory a mere six months before was always in the opposition to the previous labor led Israeli governments. Yet, here he was sitting beside the Egyptian president in Israel’s parliament, and saying to the world that there should be “no more war, no more bloodshed”. It was also touching when former Israeli P.M. Golda Meir, who was in power at the time of the Yom Kippur War, gave the Egyptian president a special gift for his new granddaughter “from a grandmother to a grandfather”.

A lot of things have happened in the 30 years since that historic visit – in both Israel and in the world at large. True, a peace agreement between Israel and Egypt was worked out several months later at Camp David Maryland. And Sadat and Begin, together with U.S. President Jimmy Carter sealed it with handshakes on the White House lawn. Sadat, unfortunately, paid for this treaty with his life, and Begin died a broken man following the double catastrophes of the death of his wife, Aliza, and the outbreak of the 1982 war in Lebanon. Though Jordan’s King Hussein eventually followed Egypt in making peace with Israel, the situation in Israel’s neighborhood is still far from ideal as the “Palestinian problem in all it’s aspects”, as noted in the treaty declaration, has yet to be solved. Syria is still an arch enemy of Israel, as well as Lebanon, which is partially under the dominance of the radical Shiite Muslim Hezbollah organization. The “peace” between Israel and Egypt is a cold one at best; and the future is very uncertain as Egypt’s present leader, Hosni Mubarak, is approaching age 80. Even the peace with Jordan is not like many would like it to be, as a new king, Hussein’s son Abdullah, now sits on the Hashimite throne.

And as for Israel’s present relations with the Palestinians, as many a Jewish grandmother would say: “don’t ask!”

Still, in spite of everything, those awe inspiring and enchanting two days of November 19 -21, 1977, will forever linger on many peoples’ minds. I know they do on mine.