Happy 60th

This Thursday night, Israel will celebrate her 60th year as an independent country. So, in honor of this tremendous feat, which has come with many highs and lows, I offer a short picture journey through some of the highs:

David Ben Gurion reads the Declaration of Independence on May 14, 1948



Israeli soldiers hang the flag at Eilat



850,000 Jewish Refugees arrive in Israel after expulsion from the Arab World



Sallah Shabati, with a starring role from Chaim Topol, is nominated for an Oscar and wins a Golden Globe award



Jerusalem is reunited



Israel's famous lyricist, Neomi Shemer



Israel survives the devastating Yom Kippur War



Yitzchak Rabin, Israel's first Israeli born Prime Minister, strolls with Gerald Ford



The Miraculous Entebbe Raid



Tal Brody and Macabbi Tel Aviv with the 1977 European Cup Championship



Izhar Cohen and the Alphabet win the 1978 Eurovision with Abanibi



Begin & Sadat talk peace



Bye Bye Osirak



Ethiopian Jewry arrives home



Russian Jewry begins their return to Israel in 1989



Reuven Atar stuns France in the 92nd minute with the winner in a 3-2 classic. Click here for 10 minutes of highlights



Ilan Ramon, Israel's first astronaut



Gal Fridman wins Gold in Athens Olympics (2004) becoming 1st Israeli to do so



There are obviously some major events I've left out but please leave a comment if you want me to add a specific picture ... Here's to the next 60 ...

Grow Up Son

When I finished the army and moved to Jerusalem, there was a joke amongst the Anglo speaking community that once you were ready for a job, you'd be guaranteed one at IDT Global Services (back then, CSM). At the time, CSM was most likely the largest employer of English speakers in Israel. Today, it will still most likely still hold that title even though the company downsized and purged dozens of employees in the past week. For more on the story, click here for Haaretz' story (which was on the front page of the print edition on Wednesday).

Why am I boring you with these details?

Well, I started with IDT Global services back in January 2005 and a lot of the people who were let go this week were friends whom I had 'grown up' with in the business, friends for whom I did reports (while a Reporting Staffer) for, or helped with payroll queries (while I was a Payroll Staffer). Now these same friends who I used to laugh with, eat lunch with and work out with have been let go and a wave of uncertainity has hit those who have survived the culling. It's not the same company I left two weeks ago when I went on vacation - I've come back to a company where I feel like a newbie and I've yet to adjust to the new reality.

This 'adjustment' is the reason for my blog title. This is the reality of the professional world. Employees come and employees go and while drastic downsizing severly hurts the professional environment you once worked in, it is in one's best interest to not let the shock and concern cloud your ability to perform and come to work with the right attitude. Worrying about your friends and being sad is one thing, but it shouldn't interfere with the necessity to continue doing your work at the highest level possible.

Remember

The Gedenk Movement (Gedenk means "remember" in Yiddish) is a humanitarian campaign dedicated to raising youth awareness about genocide through art and education.

Subliminal, an Israeli rapper, & Miri Ben-Ari, a grammy award winning Violinist, perform in this powerful song for Gednek:

The Future ... today?

I've blogged in the past about some of Israel's rising footy talents, only to feel let down by their inability to take the next step in their careers. Although Toto Tammuz, Yuval Sphungil & Ben Sahar are all still young, all three have failed to take the next step in the game. Be it due to a lack of playing time or poor form, the aforementioned threesome have seemingly regressed after strong 2006/07 club & international campaigns. Only Amit Ben Shushan, the speedy Beitar striker, has managed to have a solid campaign, contributing 7 goals to what will most likely be Beitar's second consecutive league championship. Their lack of impact on the international stage however was one of the low points of an otherwise strong Euro 2008 qualifying campaign (Israel tied for 3rd place with England).

With the preparations already beginning for the 2010 World Cup, Dror Kashtan has surprised the fans with the selection of one of the hottest properties in European football: Barcelona's 16.5 year old Guy Assulin. I have known about Assulin for the past year and a half after I 'discovered' him on Football Manager 2007. Having tried to follow his career as best as possible, it seemed quite obvious that he was highly regarded not only within Barcelona, but also within Spain as the Spanish FA tried to entice the youngster to play for Spain. However, from day one, Assulin stated he wanted to play for Israel and tomorrow, he'll hopefully get the opportunity to strut his stuff with the blue & white. With a relatively 'easy' World Cup 2010 qualifying group, a team with hungry and gifted youngsters like Assulin, Maor Bozaglo, Lior Rafaelov, Tammuz & Sahar may surprise and help Israel qualify for her first major tournament appearance since 1970.


For anyone interested in watching some live footage of Assulin playing for Barcelona C & Barcelona B, click here, here, here, here, here or here.

A Pattern Emerges

It seems that every time I have my ticket booked to the US to visit my family, the IDF requests my presence for reserve duty. Three years ago (2005), I booked a ticket to surprise my mom for her 50th birthday. I was called up and used it as my 'excuse' for not being able to make the event in New York, knowing that the call up was voluntary due to it being less than a year after my discharge from normal service. The next year (2006), during the Second Lebanon War, I was called up for duty and cancelled my ticket willingly to serve. Last year, a trip to the US for my engagement party was predictably followed by a call up to serve during the planned vacation. For that stint, I served a weekend but still traveled to see my family. Fast forward to today ... Another call up for the day after I am supposed to leave with Talya for a 10 day trip to the US. Luckily it's only a day long stint and my commander has no problem with my absence ...

4 tickets booked in the last 3 years, 4 call ups during the anticipated time of travel ... hmmm ... perhaps the army should coordinate these call ups with me! :)

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Purim ... Anyone else get the feeling we're living through the modern day Purim with Hamman replaced by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?

The end of the world is coming IF ...

Booing the Dead

In today's Bnei Sachnin-Maccabi Netanya game in Sachnin, there was a minute silence before the game to honor the 8 who died in the horrific terrorist attack in Jerusalem this past Thursday. During the minute of silence, a lot of the Sachnin, Israel's best Israeli-Arab team, booed and screamed curses. This sickening act of disrespect was thankfully not accepted by all Sachnin fans, who tried to quiet them and in some instances, also started physical confrontations with them. It's worrying times ...

For those who read Hebrew, the incident is mentioned here.

For an update on the killer and the investigation, click here.

Lastly, a short clip about the attack ... Please pass it on:

It was one of our 'own'

I wanted to write this last night but struggled to put my feelings into words.

We all knew this would come. When you live in a sea of hatred, it's not a matter of 'if' but 'when'.

8 students, of which 7 hadn't even reached 20 years of age, were butchered by a lone gunman, who burst into the Yeshiva's library firing off rounds at students. Witnesses reported he went by each injured kid and shot him in the head. He was only stopped by the brave actions of a 40 year old citizen, who shot him from distance to end the massacre. The perpetrator of this crime is being reported as a East Jerusalem resident, one of our 'own'.

I strongly believe that most Israeli Arabs will not condone the actions of this 'human being', but the fact is some do and push for these actions. A few days ago, in a heated rally led by Arab MKs (Members of Parliament), crowds shouted the following:

Stop the Zionazi

Rest, O martyr, we will complete the task

With blood and spirit, we will redeem Palestine

Now I have no issues with Israeli Arabs wanting an independent Palestine for their brothers, but the chants by these crowds crossed a line. Once you start talking about killing your 'fellow' citizens, you're inciting hatred and something needs do be. It should start with these Arab MKs ... They want to 'represent' Israel and then start chanting about continuting the 'Struggle'? No wonder Avigdor Lieberman's party continues to grow ...

Update on the Killer:

Several residents of the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabel Mukaber have named the attacker as Alaa Abu Dhein, 20, and said he had worked as a driver at the seminary.

His family set up a mourning tent Friday and hung green Hamas flags outside their home.

Abu Dhein was arrested by Israeli authorities four months ago and then
released two months later, they said. The residents would not give their names because the family had not authorized them to release the information.

Below are the 8 boys who died studying about their religion. Their talits (prayer shawls) & books were stained with their blood. May their memories be forever blessed:

Yochai Lipschitz, 18, of Jerusalem
Yonatan Yitzchak Eldar, 16, of Shiloh
Yonadav Chaim Hirschfeld, 19, of Kochav Hashahar
Neriah Cohen, 15, of Jerusalem
Roey Roth, 18, of Elkana
Segev Pniel Avihayil, 15, of Neveh Daniel
Avraham David Moses, 16, of Efrat
Maharata Trunoch, 26, of Ashdod.

Five Alive

Today marks my fifth anniversary since I made aliyah. Incredible how fast time seems to have flown by. It seems like only a few months ago I sat down in my first Jerusalem apartment to write about my three years in the country or about my engagement during the fourth year. But alas, as I sit down here in the apartment of the still 'recently married' Mr. & Mrs. Piha, I can honestly say that despite the pace of the journey, I've thoroughly enjoyed it ... The wedding planning, the wedding itself, the shabbat chatan, the job, the friends, the footy etc. It's been a fantastic year for me and I just hope it continues in the same fashion.

Manuel!

One of my favorite scenes from Fawlty Towers ... Pure genius.

Pinkie & The Break

Last night was the last tryout for the Israeli-Palestinian team that would compete in the international AFL tournament in Melbourne during August and September. The try outs have been getting more competitive & serious as all the non-Australian influenced folks started adjusting to the game. After the now anticipated running & drills, the coaches decided to have two scrimmages where they'd get a final look at us before the final cuts were to be decided on Sunday. The scrimmage was barely a few minutes old when I went up to catch the ball and felt immediate pain. Despite telling a teammate, "My finger is broken", I carried on running with hope of shaking off the pain. Unfortunately it continued and despite finishing the first scrimmage, the pain was pretty bad so I decided to find some ice or cold water to soak my now bruised and swollen right pinkie. The fact I could move it and clench a fist relieved me - I had probably just jammed it, a common injury I am told.

This morning, I woke up and I felt something was just not right. The swelling, despite it being iced throughout the night, had increased and movement had become far more difficult. I was fairly convinced that it was in fact broken, and unfortunately, x-rays later on confirmed it. So now ... I'll probably be out of commission for a couple of months and I feel my chance to represent this cause has probably ended. If that's the case, I can honestly say it was worth it. Despite not really conversing with my Palestinian teammates, I saw how 'easily' we could form a team when we had a common goal. I know it's just a sport but in a world which seems like it's currently stuck in a dark tunnel, a bright & hopeful light is always smiled upon.

BARAKing up the Democratic Tree

I admit it. I would have voted for Barak in the last elections if he, and not Peretz, were in charge of the Labor party. I was fairly convinced that the failure of Camp David in 2000 had changed the man in a way that would finally make him a responsible political leader. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. Barak yet again showed his true colors this week by deciding to stay in Olmert's government despite the harsh words of the Winograd Committee. Unsurprisingly I guess, Barak's campaign promise to Labor MK Ophir Paz-Pines to remove the party from the government when Winograd was published was broken.

It's doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why Barak reneged on his words and stayed with the disgraceful Olmert government. Barak (& Olmert for that matter) realize that the moment this government collapses, the Israeli public will most likely vote in Bibi Netanyahu as the country's next prime minister. These clowns have decided to do anything it takes (including bribing Shas, who embarrassingly represent me) to keep their seats in the current government set up. It is deeply disturbing at how our democracy is working ... but hold your horses, it gets worse.

In an interview today to Maariv, Prof. Yehezkel Dror, a member of the Winograd Committtee, bluntly stated his political stance:

"We must think of the consequences. What do you prefer? A government led by Olmert and [Defense Minister Ehud] Barak or new elections that will give rise to a government led by [opposition leader and Likud Chairman Benjamin] Netanyahu."

I somehow doubt we saw a 'fair' assessment of the government's failures during the war. Sadly, the IDF bore the brunt of the Committee's 'hard work' so that the government could be spared their rightful downfall. This gets even better ... The same 'professor' went on to say it's vital to change "the political culture and the quality of people engaged in politics." The sheer hypocrisy of the comment astounded me ... Dror wants changes & better people in power and yet he wants these corrupt liars to stay in power? Which one is it buddy?

Depressing ... All this country is yearning for is an honest human being to lead us ... If only ...

Justice for Sapir Reservist

In December, I blogged about the Arab teacher who had kicked out a student from his class who had come in to his class in uniform. Despite the 40 colleagues who rallied for him, justice has been served ...

Israeli Arab lecturer told to say he respects students' right to wear IDF uniform
By Tamara Traubmann, Haaretz Correspondent

An Arab filmmaker must declare that he respects the uniform of the Israel Defense Forces in order to continue working as a lecturer at Sapir College, the institution's president, Prof. Ze'ev Tzahor, has decided.

The decision stemmed from an incident in November, when a student on leave from his annual reserve duty showed up in uniform to Nizar Hassan's class. Hassan asked the student, Eyal Cohen, to leave, and when Cohen refused, the lecturer forbade him to talk for the rest of the class. Hassan said that he refuses to teach soldiers, and therefore, Cohen would only be allowed to talk if he came to class in civilian dress.

The incident aroused an uproar, and Tzahor ordered a disciplinary hearing. Last week, the disciplinary committee, comprised of other lecturers at the college, published its conclusion: that Hassan's behavior "merited the harshest condemnation," and that he should be required to apologize to Cohen. While a lecturer has every right to express political views, the committee wrote, he has no right to try to force them on his students.

Tzahor forwarded these findings to Hassan, but added that in making his apology, the lecturer should "discuss respect for the IDF uniform and the absolute right of any student to enter your class in uniform." He added that he would not accept an apology that did not meet this requirement.

Hassan's attorney, Eti Livni, wrote to Tzahor this week and asked him to withdraw this demand, calling it "humiliating, racist and discriminatory" and accusing him of having "caved in to heavy political pressure," including from the army.

In addition, a group of Sapir students plan to demonstrate against Tzahor's decision Wednesday, saying that no other lecturer has ever been asked to declare his respect for the IDF uniform. Some 20 students have signed a letter saying they would leave the collage if Hassan were fired.

In response, Tzahor said: "I did not intend to humiliate [Hassan] or demand an oath of loyalty to the IDF and its uniform, but for Nizar to write a personal letter to the student in which he declares that he respects the fact that the student was wearing an IDF uniform."

The DOs & DON'Ts of Babycare

Courtesy of Benzi Drori

3/8s of a Snow Day!

I can clearly remember the last time I had a snow day. During the winter of 2000, a severe snow storm forced SUNY Binghamton to cancel classes for 2 days. Being a typical college kid, I spent most of the days either playing beer pong or tackle football. Ahhh, the joys of being a 20 year old kid!

Fast forward 7 years later ... I awoke at 5:55am to get ready for sha'charit (morning services) and as I looked outside ... Snow, and for Jerusalem, a lot of it.



After I got back from sha'charit, I told Tals of the whitened ground. She jumped up, checked the window and jumped straight back into bed. Her work day was already over. I was naturally hoping for the same thing. The odds were definitely in my favor as with every snow fall, Jerusalem typically goes into shock and struggles to deal with the weather conditions. So as expected, public transport was not working with these few centimeters and I quickly typed an e-mail to my boss explaining the predicament.



After a couple of hours at home, the snow showers became rain and the bosses in Europe wanted Aaron & I in the office. With the taxi service finally working, we both got to work around 13:15. Our side of the 5th floor was dark. We were the only people on the floor. What a bunch of dedicated friarim!



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I need to starting learning Ladino. If anyone knows of a place in Jerusalem that gives lessons, be private or in a classroom setting, please let me know. Thanks in advance

Don't know how lucky you are ... Back in Israel?

This should make most Israeli Beatles fans very happy ...

Israel said planning to apologize to ex-Beatles for '65 concert ban

More than four decades after Israeli officials banned the Beatles from appearing at a scheduled 1965 concert, Israel is to extend the band an official apology on onday, and invite surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to take part in celebrations of the nation's 60th anniversary this year, Army Radio reported.

It said Israeli Ambassador to Britain Ron Prosor would present the apology to slain Beatle John Lennon's sister Julia Bairdat at the Beatles museum in their hometown of Liverpool.

Letters of apology are to be sent to McCartney and Starr as well as relatives of late band members John Lennon and George Harrison, it said.

The Beatles had been booked to appear in Israel, but government officials refused to grant the necessary permits, citing concerns that the tousled-haired British band and its strident, amplified music could corrupt the morals of Israeli youth.

The never-used tickets for the concert have long been a prized souvenir among Israeli fans of the group.

In Jerusalem, Foreign Ministry spokesman Arye Mekel confirmed that Prosor would meet Baird and invite her to Israel for the gala marking Israel's founding in May, 1948. But he said he had no knowledge of any letter of apology or of invitations to Paul and Ringo to perform.

What could have been ...

AndYoni!

Congratulations to Andy Ram & Yoni Erlich, the 2008 Australian Open double champions!

You've done our country proud!

For more on their victory:

English: Click here
Hebrew: Click here

Bush's Resignation Letter

Great piece courtesy of Matsonian:

Another great email from Michael Genung.
--------------------------

If Bush resigned today, this is what his speech would be.....

Normally, I start these things out by saying "My Fellow Americans." Not doing it this time. If the polls are any indication, I don't know who more than half of you are anymore. I do know something terrible has happened, and that you're really not fellow Americans any longer.

I'll cut right to the chase here: I quit. Now before anyone gets all in a lather about me quitting to avoid impeachment, or to avoid prosecution or something, let me assure you: There's been no breaking of laws or impeachable offenses in this office.

The reason I'm quitting is simple. I'm fed up with you people. I'm fed up because you have no understanding of what's really going on in the world. Or of what's going on in this once-great nation of ours. And the majority of you are too damned lazy to do your homework and figure it out.

Let's start local. You've been sold a bill of goods by politicians and the news media. Polls show that the majority of you think the economy is in the tank. And that's despite record numbers of homeowners, including record numbers of MINORITY homeowners. And while we're mentioning minorities, I'll point out that minority business ownership is at an all-time high. Our unemployment rate is as low as it
ever was during the Clinton administration. I've mentioned all those things before, but it doesn't seem to have sunk in.

Despite the shock to our economy of 9/11, the stock market has rebounded to record levels and more Americans than ever are participating in these markets. Meanwhile, all you can do is whine about gas prices, and most of you are too damn stupid to realize that gas prices are high because there's increased demand in other parts of
the world, and because a small handful of noisy idiots are more worried about polar bears and beach front property than your economic security.

We face real threats in the world. Don't give me this "blood for oil" thing. If I were trading blood for oil I would've already seized Iraq's oil fields and let the rest of the country go to hell. And don't give me this 'Bush Lied; People Died' crap either.

If I were the liar you morons take me for, I could've easily had chemical weapons planted in Iraq so they could be 'discovered.' Instead, I owned up to the fact that the intelligence was faulty.

Let me remind you that the rest of the world thought Saddam had the goods, same as me. Let me also remind you that regime change in Iraq was official US policy before I came into office. Some guy named 'Clinton' established that policy. Bet you didn't know that, did you?

You idiots need to understand that we face a unique enemy. Back during the cold war, there were two major competing political and economic models squaring off. We won that war, but we did so because fundamentally, the Communists wanted to survive, just as we do. We were simply able to out spend and out-tech them.

That's not the case this time. The soldiers of our new enemy don't care if they survive. In fact, they want to die. That'd be fine, as long as they weren't also committed to taking as many of you with them as they can. But they are. They want to kill you , and the bastards are all over the globe.

You should be grateful that they haven't gotten any more of us here in the United States since September 11. But you're not. That's because you've got no idea how hard a small number of intelligence, military, law enforcement, and homeland security people have worked to make sure of that. When this whole mess started, I warned you that this would be a long and difficult fight. I'm disappointed how many of you people think a long and difficult fight amounts to a single season of 'Survivor.'

Instead, you've grown impatient. You're incapable of seeing things through the long lens of history, the way our enemies do. You think that wars should last a few months, a few years, tops.

Making matters worse, you actively support those who help the enemy. Every time you buy the New York Times, every time you send a donation to a cut-and-run Democrat's political campaign, well, dang it, you might just as well FedEx a grenade launcher to a Jihadist. It amounts to the same thing.

In this day and age, it's easy enough to find the truth. It's all over the Internet. It just isn't on the pages of the New York Times or on NBC News. But even if it were, I doubt you'd be any smarter. Most of you would rather watch American Idol.

I could say more about your expectations that the government will always be there to bail you out, even if you're too stupid to leave a city that's below sea level and has a hurricane approaching.

I could say more about your insane belief that government, not your own wallet, is where the money comes from. But I've come to the conclusion that were I to do so, it would sail right over your heads.

So I quit. I'm going back to Crawford. I've got an energy-efficient house down there (Al Gore could only dream) and the capability to be fully self-sufficient. No one ever heard of Crawford before I got elected, and as soon as I'm done here pretty much no one will ever hear of it again. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to die of old age before the last pillars of America fall.

Oh, and by the way, Cheney's quitting too. That means Pelosi is your new President. You asked for it. Watch what she does carefully, because I still have a glimmer of hope that there are just enough of you remaining who are smart enough to turn this thing around in 2008.

So that's it. God bless what's left of America. Some of you know what I mean. The rest of you, kiss off.

The 1st Tryout

Thursday night was the first practice for the Israeli-Palestinian AFL team and needless to say, it was an experience. As the tryout begun, one of the organizers started explaining things in Hebrew, an Arabic translator followed in Arabic. With every drill, be it simple warm ups or how to kick the ball properly, the same format followed. At first, it was obvious there was slight discomfort. Communication is never easy when a common language is not shared - however, as the drills continued, the ice started to crack. Be it with helping each other on the drills, or asking simple questions about names and hometowns, we started talking and laughing together with the inevitable sport follies. By the time the scrimmage came along, the early 'seeds' of good teamwork were already visible. The try out went well for me. There were a lot of good athletes on display and I look forward to the challenge of making this team.

Opportunity of a Lifetime

"A conceited fool has no desire for understanding; but only wants to express his own view"
Proverbs 18:2

As a 20 year old college student, Zionism was a small part of my identity. I had left Israel as a 9 year old and my attachment to the country was strong, but I saw no future with my mind solely focused on the 'American Dream'. This all changed in September 2000 with Ariel Sharon's now famous visit to the Temple Mount. With a planned intifada erupting shortly afterwards in Israel, anti-semitic activities started rearing their ugly head at SUNY Binghamton, my university. Swastikas were chalked near our library and in one disgusting instance, sketched with feces in a bathroom. The plaza in front of the library became a regular place to find anti-Zionist & anti-semitic chalkings, with "Barak=Hitler" & "Israel=Nazi Germany" the two common ones. Other activities included Mezuzot being ripped off the doorposts of various homes. I was furious and with very little action taken by our university, I started channeling my anger towards understanding why this was happening & how I could combat it myself. I became extremely interested in Zionist literature, reading every book I could find by the founders and developers of the now 'named' movement. The more I read and learned, the more I became convinced that the only rational possible 'next step' in life would be a return home and a combat stint in the IDF.

These events would become be a critical turning point in my life. It changed my aspirations and dreams. Gone were the days of dollar signs in every dream, to be replaced by a strong desire to plant my roots in Israel. Looking back on this stage, the 'sour' point was surely my spouting of hateful rhetoric. During one such instance, I told one of my sister's friends that Israel should kill all the Arabs. Although I told her I wasn't being serious, I've recently learned that this girl with Arabic roots took it to heart and started investigating her own history. Within a few months, this once disinterested girl had become a Palestinian activist on her campus. Her new beliefs and methods of expressing them dented her relationship with my sister. I had become a perfect example of the cycle, albeit a non-violent one, that commentators always discuss in their analysis of the Middle East. While today I still hold right wing views with regards to the security situation, I've mellowed down a lot. I no longer hold feelings of hatred to a whole population based on the actions of a radical minority. I still feel very strongly about defending Israel's right to be here, but I've learned to express it in a responsible manner.

... which brings me to a fantastic opportunity which has been presented to me by Danny Brill, a friend of mine since I finished my stint in the IDF in November 2004. I've been offered a chance to try out for the Peres Peace Center Israeli-Palestinian AFL team, which will play in the international tournament in Melbourne in late August & early September. While at first I was not keen on the idea (due to some issues with Peres), after thinking about it long and hard (& with the wife's prodding), I decided to give the try outs a shot. Since the only active contact I've had with Palestinians has been through the army, I thought this was a great chance to finally interact with my neighbors. Befriending them, even if it's only for the try outs (and if I make it further, the practices & the tournament), will allow me to better understand their takes on whatever we discuss, and knowing me, that will be a lot of different subjects! Besides that aspect, I would love the opportunity to represent Israel & also see Australia for the first time.

Stay tuned for updates!

Oh go away W!

After almost 7 years in office, George Bush is coming to visit Israel. Now normally it wouldn't bother me in the slightest, but this visit is causing Jerusalem residents major headaches. Besides the exhorbitant costs to ensure the man is safe over the next 3 days (25,000 USD an HOUR), Jerusalem will shut down some of her major roads & bus routes. Yah, it's a pain, a real pain. So in closing, next time a US president comes over, let's make sure he stays in Tel Aviv ...

Funniest Moment of 2007

King Juan Carlos I of Spain tells Hugo Chávez, "Why don't you shut up?" (¿Por qué no te callas?).

The incident occurs in the 33rd second of this clip:



For more on the story, click here.

Kual este el riko el ke se alegra kon su parte

I got home today and I was just down. I couldn't really explain why but I just felt sad and unhappy. The roller coaster of life, the ups and downs, is something every human being goes through. But as I sat down to think about why my mind had chosen this time to start getting all somber, my wife walked in with her infectious smile. Walking into our bedroom, she realized something was up and asked what was wrong. When I told her, "Just one of those moods," she understood and left me alone to hang the laundry. As I walked into the lounge, she offered me a gift ... Instantly, I smiled. The gift itself was lovely, exactly what I needed for my daily combat drills with the Jerusalem cold, but that's not what made me happy.

You see ... There's no real point to this blog. What I'm about to say is obvious beyond belief but sometimes just needs re-stating. I really have no need whatsoever to let these unavoidable moods keep me down (at least not for too long). I have the most amazing, warm, caring & loving wife, and an equally loving caring family. I have a good job, a roof over my head and food on my table every day. In essence, I have everything I need and want. In essence, happiness is the 'wealth' described in Pirkei Avot (Ethics of our Fathers)

Who is wealthy? One who is happy with his portion
Ethics of Our Fathers, 4:1

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Happy 30th Anniversary to my dear parents ... What a milestone ... Mazel Tov

King Zuma & the end of the 'New South Africa'

When Mandela was released from prison in 1990, a 'New South Africa' was promised. Fast forward some 17 years later, the country is struggling with an extremely high crime & AIDs rate, increasing brain drain and now, the distinct possibility that Jacob Zuma will most likely be the new president.

Despite no formal education, Zuma has risen through the ranks of the ANC after being active in the formative years of the struggle (He spent 10 years on Robben Island with Nelson Mandela after being arrested and convicted of wanting to overthrow the government). When Apartheid ended, he was one of the first ANC leaders to return from their exiles abroad and along with the ANC's rise to power in 1994, Zuma became the National Chairperson of the ANC. His career continued to skyrocket until he was finally elected the head of the ANC this past week (Dec 18, 2007).

Sounds impressive right? Well, it is until one looks at the corruption allegations levied against Zuma during the Schabir Shaik trial, or the famous rape charges in 2005. Those were made even more famous by Zuma's idiotic remarks that he took a shower to try to reduce his risk of infection. Although the court found him not guilty, the man who headed the National AIDS Council even had the 'audacity' to admit that he slept (raped?) an HIV positive girl with no condom ... Brilliant, eh? What a wonderful role model for the new South Africa ... It's a sad testament to what Mandela & the ANC fought for that such pathetic idiots will further push this once proud country into the ground. The 'New South Africa'? Oh please ...

A few classic Madame & Eve comics poking fun at this 'leader':

Where in the world is ...

It took a few hours to get back to the swing of things at work after I got back from our week long honeymoon in Europe last Tuesday. After booking our flight to Geneva to visit her dad, Talya & I decided we'd take a few days and visit a city we'd both never been to in Europe. Looking at the cheap options made available by EasyJet, we decided on Barcelona. Needless to say, we were not disappointed with our two days (Wednesday through Friday) in the capital of Catalonia. Traveling on the Barcelona Bus Turistic, we saw most of the city's sights, stopping at the Waterfront, Park Guell and quite a few shops obviously! Although we were there for such a short time, we really enjoyed our time there and we both hope to be back on the Iberian peninsula in the near future. Returning to Geneva on Friday, we spent the weekend there before trekking to the French Alps on Sunday for a few hours of fun in the snow. I haven't seen that much snow since I left New York, so I was obviously happy! We returned back to Israel on Tuesday and although I'm happy to back home, it's tough leaving the relaxed mode I was in as a tourist and vacationer!

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Yehoram Gaon made a very good point on Reshet Bet on Friday afternoon. The famous singer said that the $7.5 billion raised for the Palestinian Authority last week will ensure we don't see peace for a few more generations. His reasoning? The last few decades have seen billions and billions of dollars pumped into the Palestinian cause and who sees most of the money? The top brass & the terrorist groups (& Suha Arafat obviously). His 'solution' for this problem is rather intelligent. The donations should be a 'promise' to build hospitals, schools and the like. In other words, use the money to develop the infrastructure of the territories. Granted, this won't happen and as with most donations to the Arab world, Arab leaders will get richer, terrorists will get better weapons, the poor will continue to be deprived and the hatred and blame will fall on Israel's shoulders.

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As Talya & I walked home today from her grandmother, we walked by Natan Sharansky. Damn, he's short! On a more serious note, I wish honest human beings like him still had a say in our government.

Reservists - The Good & The Bad

We'll start with the bad ...

In a rather disappointing article, 40 colleagues rallied in support of Nizar Hassan, a Sapir University teacher who kicked out an IDF reservist from his classroom. Last month, Eyal Cohen, an intelligence officer in the reserves, was asked to leave Hassan's class after coming to it in his army uniform ... Hassan's reasoning? He does not teach soldiers, policemen and officers in uniform. When he refused, Hassan hurled negative comments at him and the IDF. Hassan, on a temporary contract warning him against mixing ideology and politics in his lessons, was rightfully suspended. However, 40 of his colleagues are now protesting to have him reinstated. Mind boggling eh? His supporters should be ashamed - throwing Cohen out of the class is a gross violation of academic freedom. Hassan has no right to decide who he teaches based on dress code - and he should be severely reprimanded and warned that any other outbursts will result in his termination.

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And now the good ... Haaretz reports that the cabinet has approved a package of benefits for reservists. I think this is a good start to bolster and support a sector of our country which too often is taken for granted. Although Gabi Ashkenazi, the IDF Chief of Staff, reacted positively to the news, the reservists' organizations were unhappy with it overall. The chairman of the reserve soldiers forum, Aleh Minkowsky, was unhappy with what seems to be just a baby step, "All the cabinet decided was to set up a ministerial committee, which would present a plan to implement the benefits within 45 days." Ro'i Ron, the head of the Baltam reservists movement, also voiced disappointment, "We demand larger financial benefits, based on the average wages rather than minimum wages. Reservists must receive a meaningful compensation, like the one proposed in the bill submitted by the reservists. The cabinet's decision brings us no significant tidings." While I understand their frustration, Rome wasn't built in a day ... This is a positive step and it needs to be built upon.

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Hanukkah is tonight ... So on that note, a piece about Hanukkah in the Soviet Gulag by Natan (Anatoli) Sharanksy.

Happy Hanukah! !חג חנוכה שמח

Hi, My Name Is ...

I've been working for over a year now as a Pricing Analyst (don't ask what I do, I still don't explain it well!) with IDT Telecom. Despite thousands of e-mails and IMs, I still hadn't met most of the people I converse 'with' in the RoW (Rest of World) team. This past week changed that as many IDTers from countries as diverse as South Africa, Spain & Hong Kong were flown over to London for IDT Europe's Holiday party. It was fun to interact with them and discuss non-business related matters ... and also, it was rather nice to put faces on all these e-mail addresses & AIM names! I really enjoyed the week (always great to see the lil sis too) and think it will serve myself and our team well as we try and attain IDT's goals for the new quarter

*****

Despite not making it to Euro 2008, Israel had a very solid qualifying run. A lot of quality youngsters were introduced and the team tied England with 23 points. That strong finished improved Israel's ranking and allowed us to get an 'easier' draw for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. UEFA's Group B will include Greece (Euro 2004 Champions), Israel, Switzerland (boooo!!!!), Moldova, Latvia & Luxembourg. I think this is the most favorable group we've had in decades and we should manage to qualify from this group. Looking forward to it! Come on Israel!

The Office

Israel's IDT Telecom team has moved yet again. But this time, I'm thrilled with the move! Although it's only temporary, I've been given my own office! I've been working in the business world since I was 17 and this is the first time I've had the privilege to work in my own office. Not sure how long this will last, but while it does, I'm gonna enjoy it!



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A quick snippet from the political world:

Minister of Infrastructure and former Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor) is the latest senior politician to admit that the 2005 Disengagement was a mistake.

Speaking in an interview with Radio L’lo Hafsaka, a regional radio station, Ben-Eliezer dropped the bombshell: "I admit and I confess that I was among those who strongly supported [former PM] Ariel Sharon [and the Disengagement]. Today I say, with my head held high, ‘We erred, we made a very big mistake.’”

Ben Eliezer did not say it was the withdrawal itself and abandonment of parts of the Land of Israel that was the problem, but rather the nature of the recipients of the territory. "Withdrawals can only work when the areas are handed over to responsible hands and rotted in agreements and international guarantees,” he explained. “Here we have a precedent - a territory we left turns into a base for terror - period."

Ben-Eliezer joins the long list (see the list in the article link) of doves who strongly supported the Disengagement and now realize what a mistake it was. Forget the fact that Hamas and their 'army' now control Gaza and continually bombard Israel's Negev towns with rockets (This is something we will suffer from until we launch a major offensive into Gaza, as many on both sides of the Israeli political spectrum are calling for - Ben-Eliezer included). Let's talk about now and Olmert's push to give up more land for 'peace' with a partner who's notable accomplishments include a thesis on the Holocaust 'myth' and the planning/financing of the 1972 Olympic Massacre, as well as the Ma'alot school butchering. Yah, let's follow the Left and chase 'peace' at any price! We can regret it later ... That will make it much better.

יהורם גאון - מעל פסגת הר הצופים

Found a great video of Yehoram Gaon's classic 'From on top of Mt Scopus', a powerful song about the eternal capital of the Jewish people:

"I dreamt to see, to win the right to see the light of your face ... Jerusalem"

This and That - Nov 1st, 2007

Arab MKs were crying 'Racism' again as the Knesset proposed laws that would not allow citizens of Israel to be MKs if they visit enemy states. This in my opinion has nothing to do with racism but only with common sense. Israelis, be it Jews Christians or Muslims, can visit Egypt and Jordan, both Arab states, but enemy states like Syria or Iran should be off-limits. I mean, what on earth would a 'loyal' Israeli have to look for in a state which promotes & finances Hamas' rocket barrages or a state that constantly talk of the eradication of Israel?

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I'm getting pretty down nowadays about the internal state of this country. Forget the regular border heat but why on earth does every day bring more news of stabbings, rapes, corruption and government scandals? Maybe I'm wrong, but I really feel that this is a new 'disease' for the country ... This isn't how Israel once was. It's just depressing honestly. Maybe I should follow Seth's routine and just not bother reading the newspapers anymore ...

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On another note, wouldn't it be nice if we had a prime minister who valued the importance of education for the Israeli youth?

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I started working out this week at IDT's gym. I haven't worked out since I was in Uni (2002) when I used to work out almost 5 times a week with Gary or Brian. The reason for the return to this routine is my friend's plan to start a Jerusalem rugby team. He's asked me to play, so I've decided to start getting into shape and give it a go. This will not be easy as I know very little of the game and I have a long, I stress long, way to get into shape but I look forward to the challenge on both fronts ...

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It's trivia time .... Why did Menacham Begin z'l always call the IDF 'צבא ישראל' and not 'צבא הגנה לישראל'?