Israel’s News Blog Magazine: Daily Stories Video and Photos

Last night I attended the massive rally that took place at Rabin square in Tel Aviv with my sister, an English teacher at an Israeli high school. Despite minimal promotion and the Euro 2008 game against Russia that was broadcasted at the exact same time (Israel won 2:1, by the way), more than 100,000 people showed up to show their support for the teachers’ strike currently taking place in Israel (tomorrow entering into its 40th day).

As you may know, some of the changes the teachers are demanding include the following:

And so I came to show my support along with the rest of you.

I was there: I saw you. All of you. Not only the teachers, but the students, the parents, the grandparents, the musicians who came to perform. I saw your devotion and I felt your hope for a better world. I saw people who were willing to put everything else aside and fight (I use this term lightly, because there was no anger or violence) for what they believe in.

And most of all, I saw you, the children.

I saw you showing up in masses on a Saturday night to hang out with your teachers and support them in what they deserve. I heard your powerful speeches as you represented your schools, your generation and the generations to follow. I saw you holding signs, singing songs and speaking out.

I saw the unconditional love that you carry in your hearts, and I know how tough that is growing into a society that is constantly under stress or conflict.

I saw a generation of children that are here to make a change. A generation that is willing to take a stand and BE the change that they want to see in the world.

YOU have the power to make a difference. And you know it.

You are all beautiful souls, and I believe in you; each and every one of you. Our future, the future of this country, lies in your hands. And for that, I am so grateful. Really, I am. Because I know that you are not going to put up with the way things are much longer. And not just as far as education is concerned but regarding every other change you wish to see in your future.

You are a kick-ass generation and I am proud of you.

At one point, as the thousands of children danced, smiled and sang along to one of the many famous artists who volunteered for this cause, my sister turned to the kids and said to me:

“Look at them… They’re amazing. That’s why I want to be teacher. There is nothing in the world that I would rather do more.”

Israel is a little country of seven million inhabitants, and with a land area the size of the American state of New Jersey. Yet, despite its diminutive size, it has some of the richest people in the world as its citizens. And now, these super rich billionaires are trying to purchase many of the most well known landmarks in New York City.

Formerly the private turf of such well-known people as the Rockefeller family, banker J.P. Morgan, and Real Estate mogul Donald Trump, the 22.7 sq. mile Manhattan Island, on which all of New York City’s well known skyscrapers stand, is now being sought after by such Israeli families as the Ofers, the Levievs, and the Tshuvas. Yitzhak Tshuva, an Israeli businessman who came from very humble origins to now being the head of a billion dollar energy and importing concern that not only controls much of the new car and gasoline sales in Israel, but in America as well (his company owns literally hundreds of gas stations and convenience stores scattered all over the continental U.S.A.). Tshuva, recently purchased the historic and well known Plaza Hotel, once the most luxurious hotel in The City. The price of this purchase of in excess of $ 600 million, and Mr. Tshuva must have admired the building and what it represents long ago when he walked the streets of Manhattan as a young man following his army service. Now, he not only owns the building of his dreams but plans to purchase others on the island as well.

Another Israeli tycoon, Eyal Ofer, of the Zim Shipping Company empire, took possession of the Philip Morris Building for a price of $525 million. The Ofer family controls one of the largest merchant marine fleets in the world, and has also amassed a respectable real estate portfolio of which the building which housed one of the largest tobacco companies in the world is only a part of. Ofer’s possessions. It occupies one of the most coveted property locations, i.e. right across from Central Park. Eyal also purchased the prestigious Mayflower Plaza Hotel for $400 million, and has turned this former luxury hotel into super luxury apartments. Ofer, together with a group of investors also purchased the Central Tower building for a ‘paltry’ $300 million.

Not to be outdone, another super wealthy Israeli, Lev Leviev, purchased two well known New York City landmarks: the New York Times Building, for $ 525 million, and the Clock Building, for $211 million. Leviev, who is Chairman of the African Israel Real Estate Company, is also head of LLD Diamonds Ltd, now considered as the largest private company in the world dealing in rough and polished diamonds. Leviev is said to have spent another $100 million to purchase the Wall Street building once belonging to J.P. Morgan, and is turning it into luxury apartments as Ofer has done with the Mayflower Plaza.

What prestigious landmark is next in line for these guys and other Israeli billionaires is anybody’s guess; but one thing is for certain, and that is the sky’s the limit for their desire to control what is going on in America’s largest city. Who knows, maybe the Chrysler Building, Radio City Music Hall, or even the Empire State Building itself may fall under their ownership. The moral of all of this: you don’t have to come from a big country to be big.

In the midst of political shame, teacher strikes, unnecessary car accidents, etc.. there is nothing like a good old fashioned pat on the back to get our egos back on track.

And Baruch Hashem, tfu tfu tfu, hamsa hamsa hamsa, we still have a lot to be proud of.

As one YouTube user puts it:

As a small country with limited natural resources, Israel depends on its most important natural resource — its people.

Israel’s achievements are uniquely its own, a mixture of high idealism, ingenuity and self-reliance.

In almost 60 short years, Israel has accomplished what many nations haven’t been able to do in centuries.

Israel’s one natural resource is its brainpower, with a driving demand for survival and success against all odds, Israel developed an energetic and ambitious society.

On the occasion of the soon 60th Day of Independence, I take the opportunity of listing together some of the outstanding facts and achievements of our beloved Israel.

Is your ego thirsty for more? How typically Israeli… Well, have no fear, there’s a lot more where that came from.

Just don’t let it go to your head!

Many of you may recall that infamous episode in American history when U.S. Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer and his 7th Calvary regiment were defeated and massacred by Sioux Indians led by Chief Sitting Bull in the Battle of the Little Bighorn. That historical episode, which took place in the summer of 1876, reminds me of another “last stand”, still being played out Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is becoming embroiled in so much political and personal controversy that he very much resembles Custer in many ways.

For one thing, Mr. Olmert directed then IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz to wage war against the Hezbollah in Lebanon in July 2006, and Gen. Halutz (a real-life stand-in for Gen. Custer) vowed to “blast Lebanon back into the Stone Age”. Well, blast he did, but much of northern Israel got ‘blasted” as well by at least 6,000 Hezbollah fired rockets. Now, with himself under criminal investigation for a number of offenses, the P.M. is desperately pulling at straws to try to work out some kind of deal at the upcoming “peace conference” in Annapolis Maryland. Recent public opinion polls conducted in Israel have resulted in at least 53% of the population believing that Olmert should be suspended from his position as prime minister until the investigations are concluded. Olmert has other ideas, however, and appears to be trying to keep his job by making the impossible become reality in a deal with a Palestinian leader who only represents a portion of the entire Palestinian People.

Of the people polled, at least 65% also believe that Israel shouldn’t withdraw troops from the West Back as they fear that a similar result will happen as did in Gaza following the unilateral pullout in August, 2005. The respondents said that they fear a an even bigger danger, with much of Israel’s most populated areas put in direct line of fire from Kassam and Katyusha rockets. An even larger number of respondents (77%) fear that PA Authority President Mahmud Abbas does not have the strength to win out over a possible take-over in the West Bank by Hamas, as occurred in Gaza.

Olmert appears ready to do whatever he feels necessary to make a good impression at the conference, despite whether or not the result will be good for Israel. What is presently going on in both Israel and the Palestinian Authority is vastly different than the situation prior to the Camp David meeting in July 2000, when then P.M. Ehud Barak offered P.A. Chairman Yasser Arafat nearly all of the Israeli occupied lands, including most of East Jerusalem, on a silver platter. The result of this was not only Arafat’s refusal, but the Second Intifada uprising less than three months later. Though not mentioned in the opinion poll, it’s interesting to note that Ehud Barak is now Israel’s Defense Minister.

What will happen at “Camp David III” remains to be seen. But with the P.A. now split in half and Olmert himself under investigation, the results of the George Bush sponsored Annapolis meetings will most likely not be any more productive than the Bill Clinton sponsored Camp David one.

Meanwhile the “Indians” are tightening their circle around “Custer” and his men and Little Bighorn II will probably end up a similar way.

The secondary school teachers strike here in Israel is now over a month old, and still no end seems in sight. The strike was originally called by members of the Secondary School Teachers Organization (SSTO) in mid October, and was later joined by lecturers in the country’s state run universities. Though the teachers have received a lot of sympathy from the general public, the length of the strike is now threatening the present academic year for thousands of high school students in grades 10 to 12 as well as undergraduate students at the universities.

The SSTO, headed by General Secretary Ran Erez, has been seen on TV meeting with government Finance Ministry officials, as well as Education Minister Yuli Tamir (photos). The constant negotiation sessions, in which an almost jovial mood has been portrayed to television viewers has certainly not been ‘jovial’ to the students, or to their parents, many of whom gather daily with disgruntled students in front of the Knesset with signs and whistles to bring the situation’s attention not only to the generals public but to the world at large. No doubt, the teachers have a lot of issues to negotiate, including crappy salaries (NS. 3,500 for a beginning teacher and only about NS 5,500 for a veteran one with an MA degree) crowded classrooms of upwards from 40 students, and a lack of adequate equipment in the schools, especially computers and the like.

Many students, especially the more serious ones who are concerned with their matriculation studies, have even taken matters into their own hands and are studying either with private teachers or alone in study groups. Many parents are blaming an increase in alcohol and drug abuse by teenagers, as well as violence in discothèques and other public places as a result of the their children being out a lot more at night during the strike, especially during the week.

The government seems unwilling to cut a final deal with the teachers and as a result many people are blaming the Kadima Party led government, especially Prime Minister Olmert, for not dong enough to bring the strike to an end. Education and other public services appear to come out on the short end when government budget considerations are made. And while teachers are supposed to have some dedication to their profession, that dedication doesn’t “cut the mustard” if teachers can’t earn a decent wage in a job which comes after years of study and preparation.

Even if the strike ends in the next few days, the 2007/08 school year is already trashed as students in the 11th and 12th grades, who would normally take matriculation exams in May and June, will now have these examinations delayed. This can really cause problems for those 12th graders who may be inducted into the military in either July or September due to reaching their 18th birthday during this time. Whether or not the IDF is sympathetic enough to grant these kids a deferment to allow them to finish their “bagruot” (matric’s ) exams is anybody’s guess.

Israel has enough of a problem in that the country’s level of education decreasing in an increasingly more competitive world. If Mr. Olmert and his cabinet cannot realize that education is one of the country’s most important assets, then the consequences of this strike will eventually affect us all.

Picture: Ynet News - Chaim Tzach
Israeli athletes and sportsmen may be making big gains abroad, but recent miss-conduct occurrences on the home front is beginning to give local sporting events a very bad P.R. image. Sunday, November 11 was one of the worst days, from a conduct standpoint, in Israeli sporting match history. And coincidentally enough, both incidents involved teams sponsored by the Haopoel Sports Organization.

The first incident occurred during a derby match between the Hapoel and Macabbee Tel Aviv football teams. While always a bit of a bedlam series, Sunday’s match, in which several Haopoel fans ran onto pitch and a variety of smoke bombs and other objects were thrown at the players, ended with Hapoel winning by one point. This might have been end of that problem at this annual rivalry match, except that later that evening, another and even worse incident occurred at a basketball game between Hapoel Jerusalem and Hapoel Holon. With less than two minutes left to play a large firecracker suddenly exploded next to the Hapoel Holon bench, wounding a security guard and blowing off three fingers in front of a shocked stadium. The event was captured on film and plastered on all the major newspapers this morning.

The game was stopped instantly and the outcome of it has been placed in suspension, even though the Jerusalem side was ahead 94-89. Haopoel Jerusalem’s chairman, Danny Klein was furious and announced later that his club will not play another match until the perpetrator is found. Klein even went further and said that if the ones responsible for this act are Hapoel Jerusalem fans he will quit his position with the club. A 20 year old suspect from Holon was arrested on Monday.

Hapoel’s conduct woes don’t stop here. In a football game played in Croatia earlier in the season, Hapoel fans created a disturbance in that match which resulted in the team being censured by the FA Football Federation. The Hapoel organization is not the only one being plagued by problems of gross misconduct on the part of the fans. Only a week ago, fans from the Beitar Jerusalem Football Club created a disturbance during a pre-game memorial ceremony for assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. This incident was so disturbing in the minds of many Israelis that the clubs owner, Arkady Gaydamak appeared later on television to try to make amends for the occurrence. For that incident the Beitar team was censored by the Israel Football Federation and forced to play their next two games without spectators.

These and other incidents seem to indicate a disturbing trend in spectator sporting events in Israel. A survey made of people who watch these games, either at the actual match or on television, seem to agree that violence at these events is on the rise and that football matches in particular are no longer considered to be family participation sporting events. It’s a real shame that this appears to be what is unfortunately occurring; and it appears to mirror a personality trend that is happening among a growing segment of the general public. This “trend” is evident from incidents like fights in nightclubs, some of which have resulted in death and personal injury, increased traffic accidents, and increasing use of alcohol and narcotics by minors; just to name a few.

While there may be many reasons for such goings on, that they also have to happen at sporting matches is a very sad and unfortunate thing. If we can’t behave ourselves at these events, how can we behave ourselves in normal day to day activities as well?

The city of Tiberius, also known by its Hebrew name of T’veria, is a city that used to be one of Israel’s most important tourist resort cites. I say used to be because the city has recently seen a significant decline in tourist business, once one of the mainstays of the city’s economy. After spending the weekend in this city of 42,000, perched on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, I began to wonder why this city cannot draw more visitors, both local and foreign, as another tourist city, Eilat seems to do. The city which used to be the number one local destination for honeymooners, and for family vacations, seems to have a difficult time keeping its major hotels and tourist attractions going.

Tiberius is one of Israel’s oldest cities, with a continuous habitation or more than 2,000 years. Founded by King Herod the Great in the century before the Common Era, Tiberius became popular with the Romans because of its mild climate and hot springs. For Jews, Tiberius is Israel’s fourth holist city, after Jerusalem, Hebron, and Safed. The city was inhabited by Jews long after Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Romans in the 1st Century C.E. During the time of various Muslim occupiers, including both the Mamlukes and Ottoman Turks, the city became home for both Muslim and Jewish holy men, with one of the most famous Jewish educational teachers, Moses Maimonides, other wise known as “the Rambam”. For devout Christians the city has significance for them as well; as Jesus spent time in the area of the Sea of Galilee and recruited some of his Disciples from the local fishermen who “threw away their nets to become fishers of men”.

Modern Tiberius is not the tourist city it once was for certain. Though it does have frequent visitations by tour groups, especially Christians, Tiberius is no longer the vacation destination of choice by Israelis, especially honeymooners. Relaxation of government restrictions against foreign travel has resulted in many Israelis preferring to travel abroad instead of to local destinations like this one. Due to this reality, many Tiberius vacation results have either shut their doors or have drastically cut back their services.

In other words, places like Anatalya Turkey have surpassed Tiberius in getting the hard earned bucks of Israeli tourists. Although the Israel Ministry of Tourism is working with the Tiberius city council to improve the city’s tourism image, a lot more needs to be done to entice both Israelis and foreign visitors back to the city by the lake. And this might also include a major “face lift” of the City’s commercial and tourist districts.

Walking along the city lake front, I noticed that a number of traditional fish restaurants are no longer there. Many beach resorts which offered both budget vacations and family activities are also gone or mere shadows of their former selves. The city still has at least 4 five star hotels, but these are struggling to remain open, and only have sufficient guests on the weekends. Perhaps improved entertainment possibilities by both the Tiberius city fathers and the tourism ministry is needed to attract visitors back to this city, such as a theme park, more modern discotheques, and other activities. To avoid a substantial relocation by many commercial tourism concerns, the Tiberius city fathers have better start working on a plan of action right now, before the situation deteriorates even further.

A sad but true article appeared in the November 9 issue of the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, about a guy named Jonathan Pollard, also known as Jay Pollard to those who know him personally. Written to commemorate Pollard’s 22nd year in prison (life w/o parole) the gist of the article revolved around his bitter disappointment with the Israeli government for doing literally nothing to secure his freedom. He is especially peeved off with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Shimon Peres, both of whom were around when Pollard and his first wife, Ann were arrested and convicted in 1985/86. While Ann (now divorced) “only” served a five year sentence, Jay wasn’t so lucky; and many are beginning to wonder if he will wind up like the German Rudolf Hess who parachuted into Scotland in 1941 to try to “persuade” the British government to make a separate peace treaty with Nazi Germany. Hess wound up being imprisoned for life in Spandau Prison and was later “allowed” to commit suicide at age 83.

The entire Pollard affair reeks with controversy, and many who have studied the case are coming to the conclusion that Jay’s actual crimes are far less that other so called spies, including some who were caught in espionage activities on behalf of the then Soviet Union. It also is becoming more apparent that Israeli officials who were either in the government at the time of Pollard’s arrest or in intelligence agencies such as the Mossad or Shin Bet made Pollard a scapegoat for their own covert activities. Peres was Foreign Minister in a power sharing agreement with Likud Party Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, and both kept silent during Pollard’s arraignment and trial. But perhaps the official who really should get the blame for what happened to Jay Pollard is Rafi Eitan, who is now head of the Pensioners Party. Eitan was a high ranking Mossad official and was Pollard’s “hander” or contact person to whom Pollard passed much of the information he acquired while serving as a US Navy Intelligence employee. Eitan’s true connection with Pollard may never be divulged, at least during Eitan’s lifetime, and Eitan even made a comment to Pollard’s present wife, Esther, a few years back that if he had had an opportunity, Eitan would have shot Pollard for his crimes.

So much for assistance from the very country that Jay Pollard wants to come to, despite the way he has been neglected by its government. How the U.S. government has treated him is also a matter of intense controversy, and even more liberal government administrations, i.e. the Clinton Administration, did nothing of Pollard’s behalf. The U.S. official who may go down in history as having the “credit” of sending Pollard to his fate was Casper Weinberger, who was Secretary of Defense during the Reagan Administration. It was Weinberger, as the story goes, who persuaded the Judge officiating at Pollard’s trial to give Jay the maximum sentence of life without possibility of parole. Weinberger is dead now, however; and as the saying goes, “dead men tell no tales”.

Jay Pollard continues to rot in a federal prison with convicted murders drug offenders and other like people as his fellow inmates. Unfortunately, Israeli and American officials, as well as much of the general public – both in Israel and abroad – seem to care less.

Wall Street in turmoil, American real estate loans going into foreclosure, oil nearly reaching $100 per barrel, and the Dollar dropping like a penny thrown into a bottomless pit. All of this news is bewildering for many Israelis, and even good news for others – especially who plan trips to the U.S. or plan on purchasing American good such as computers, cars, cosmetics, and other consumer items. With the New Shekel now pegged at a rate of around 3.92 to the Dollar, those who switched from Dollar based to Shekel based investments have profited. This includes many have purchased properties where purchase prices were linked to the Dollar; and for those in the middle of long term Dollar linked rental contracts the Greenback’s softening has been especially helpful.

In the long run, however, what is going on in America will have a big effect on the economic situation in Israel. And that effect will not be one to many peoples’ liking.

For years, the Israeli economy has had a close relationship with the American economy. Ever since Israelis were finally allowed to invest in stock exchanges abroad (under strict restrictions, of course); and with the success of many Israeli companies on stock exchanges such as the NASDAQ whatever happens in the U.S. economy is eventually felt over here. If the Dow Jones or NASDAQ on Wall Street takes a tumble, as it has recently, Israeli securities that are listed on these exchanges also head “south” instead of “north”. From a consumer standpoint, Israelis still purchase a considerable amount of goods from European countries, and thousands of Israelis travel frequently to Europe on either business or pleasure. With the European Union’s adoption of a standard currency, the Euro, not matter where one travels to on “the Continent”, and not matter what the economic situation may be in the country of destination, with very few exceptions the currency in use there will be the Euro, now trading at an all time high of 1.47 US Dollars. Some Scandinavian countries still retain their old currencies, but even so, the Euro is still the unofficial currency of choice in counties like Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Other countries like Switzerland and the U.K. have strong local currencies, making goods and services more expensive in US Dollars are converted into Pounds Sterling or Swiss Francs

The Dollar’s weakness is pushing up the price of Oil, which is affecting everyone. Airline tickets have become more expensive and fuel surcharges more dear; due to the high price of oil. Fuel prices in Israel have risen significantly due to rising oil prices and this has resulted in an interest in purchasing the new ‘hybrid’ cars which have both an electric and gasoline engine. Many Israelis are also purchasing smaller, more fuel efficient cars, and this also applies to companies that provide a lease car to their employees as part of an overall salary package. The cost of using one of these vehicles has also gone up sharply with the government levying increased taxes for this privilege.

Where all of this is going to end is still not entirely clear. But one thing is for certain; and that in regard to those who live in Israel on fixed, Dollar based pensions, or are here in relocation or diplomatic assignments and receive sums in U.S. Dollars, the money they receive will go less further than before. Many people also wonder if rents and other prices presently linked to the Dollar will now be linked to the Euro instead.

There is a bright side, especially for people coming here from Europe or the U.K. and are purchasing flats and other real estate. They are getting the deal of their life. All I can say to them is “enjoy it while you can”!

Israel footballers seem to be going from strength to strength these days. Following on the heels of Avraham Grant’s success at coaching the London based Chelsea Football Club to several victories (yes, the Brits now know who he is) Israeli mid-fielder Yossi Benayoun scored no less than three outstanding goals on Tuesday to help lead the Liverpool football team to an amazing 8-0 victory over a hapless visiting Besiktas football team. Yossi’s hat-trick goals were not only brilliant but they helped inspire his club to literally pulverize the hapless Turkish squad. “It was like going to a turkey shoot, and they (Besiktas) were the turkeys” many fans were saying following the match.

Benayoun, who also plays “occasionally” on his country’s National Team (he’s the captain), joins a list of other successful footballers who are making their mark playing for teams in the U.K. and elsewhere. As for Grant, he came on board the Chelsea Club in what could only be described as one of the club’s worst times. Though many fans and sports reporters gave him less than two weeks to survive at Chelsea, Grant proved them wrong and his team is now ranked no. 5 in the English Premier League.

Other Israelis who have been successful on foreign teams include controversial striker Eyal Berkovitz who had to put up with a lot of crap from both fellow players and fans when he played in the U.K. All this may be changing now as the success of Israeli players and coaches seem destined to be a fact in the U.K. Another Israeli footballer, Ben Shahar is only 18, yet has already played for two English teams, Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers. Shahar is one of the youngest Israelis ever to have this opportunity, made possible due to his acquiring Polish citizenship which allowed him to play in the U.K. since Poland is also an E.U. member.

There’s no doubt that more Israeli footballers will seek their playing fortunes outside of their homeland as the temptation of much higher salaries and bonuses is too much to pass up. What’s needed now, however, is for an Israeli team to achieve greatness by qualifying for the World Cup Football Competition. This feat has not been done since the late 1960’s when an Israeli football team did qualify but were afterwards eliminated early in the competition. Israeli young men having to serve three years of military duty, something not required in the U.K. and in other E.U. countries, is a big problem, along with a problem of encouraging and training young Israeli athletes to pursue a career in professional football. A few years ago, an aspiring Israel Hapoel Football squad nearly made it into the quarter finals of the FA Cup competition, which might have led to a World Cup bid.

The success of players like Benayoun and Shahar may change all of this, however. What is needed is motivation, good training, and plenty of inspiration. Grant will probably not remain forever in the U.K., and perhaps he will be willing to coach an Israeli national team to qualify again for a World Cup berth. If they make it, the Israeli team will just have to contend with teams from the U.K., Spain, France, Brazil, Germany, and other countries. But that’s how it works!