Artem Dolgopyat, Olympic Hero but Second-Class Citizen
With the Olympics in Tokyo dominating many television screens the world over, also in Israel the hopes are high for success and the medals that come with. And with only one gold metal ever won in the past, the gymnast Artem Dolgopyat became an instant hero, and his name became a household word after his […]
A Storm in an Ice Cream Cone
Last night Israel was hit by a mid-summer storm. No, not in a teacup, in an ice cream cone. Ben & Jerry, the American (originally Jewish-owned) ice-cream manufacturer made a decision to stop selling its products in the Occupied Territories and East Jerusalem. The decision was made after intensive pressure from various (BDS related) sources […]
The Nation-State Law
The Nation-State Law is a fact. It was passed with a comfortable majority in the Knesset long ago and now the Israeli Supreme Court has (with an astonishing majority), given its final approval. I am an Israeli. I have lived here for forty years. I married an Israeli woman. I have four Israeli children. I […]
The Farce of the Citizenship Law and the Real Dangers Behind it
On Monday, the Knesset voted not to extend the Citizenship Law (Citizen and Entry into Israel Law). Not because the legislators had come to the conclusion that the law is racist and discriminatory. Knesset members apparently find cheap political games and ego more important than the Security of the State. (It doesn’t appear the law, […]
Thou Shalt Not Steal. A New Interpretation
This weekend, blatant illegal action by a group of more than 50 families came to an end. But it did not end in a way illegal action is mostly stopped. In this case, the perpetrators negotiated with the Israeli government and reached an agreement whereby they would stop their illegal activity, while the government will […]
Corona: One More Time
In the past week Israel was roughly awakened from its post-Corona euphoria and new cases are rapidly spreading through the country, with youngsters being affected more, mostly because they are not (yet) vaccinated.For a couple of weeks, it appeared that Israel was putting the pandemic behind it and return to a “normal” life. Normal meaning, […]
Yair Lapid, A Unique Politician in Israel
The new Israeli government is slowly getting down to business and even though many do not rate their chances for survival very high, a new era in Israeli politics has begun and it definitely is a reason for cautious optimism. It is not the first time that a wide-ranging coalition was formed in Israel but […]
Where is Israel Heading?
So, the Flag Parade in Jerusalem did take place yesterday. The new government did not see a reason to prevent this event from happening, never mind the possible consequences. Or maybe they didn’t want to prevent it from taking place, or didn’t dare. For now, the results are a couple of hundred dunams of burned […]
A Fascist Racist March: Nationalism or Politics?
In the past couple of days, the postponed “Flag Parade” in East Jerusalem has been a hot topic of discussion in government and police circles. The organizers, who each year on Jerusalem Day bring thousands of people to march through Arab neighborhoods in the Eastern part of the city, have decided that the march should […]
“Creating a Breach in the Walls of Judaism”
If there are no last-minute foul ups, it appears that Israel will be having a new government next week. It will seemingly only depend on Naftali Bennett being able to keep his faction members in line and prevent them from crossing the line to the Netanyahu camp. This government will mean major changes in the […]
