THE CENTRAL theme of this article is disgust. Therefore I apologize in advance for the frequent use of this and similar words.In the thesaurus I find quite a number of synonyms: loathing, revulsion, dislike, nausea, distaste, aversion, antipathy, abomination, repulsion, abhorrence, repugnance, odium, detestation, and some more. They are all present in my feelings about … Read more
IN ENGLISH, a “four-letter word” is a rude expletive. It is a vulgar description of a sexual act or organ, and an educated person will not use it.Now it appears that in the Hebrew language, too, there is a four-letter word, which a decent person will not use, especially not in an election campaign. A … Read more
IF YOU want to understand the policy of a country, look at the map!” advised Napoleon. What he meant was: Regimes come and go, rulers rise and fall, ideologies flourish and wither, but geography stands forever. It’s geography that decides the basic interest of every state.Vladimir Putin, heir of Czars and Commissars, looked at the … Read more
A FINAL score of 1:1 may not be the most impressive, but for the youngsters of Bil’in it was a glorious achievement. For them, it was not the result that was important, nor even the match itself (against a team from the nearby town of Betunya). What was important was where it took place: on … Read more
ONE OF our former Chiefs-of-Staff, the late Rafael (“Raful”) Eytan, who was not the brightest, once asked a foreign guest: “Are you Jewish or Christian?””I am an atheist!” the man replied.”Okay, Okay,” Raful demanded impatiently, “but a Jewish atheist or a Christian atheist?”Well, I myself am a 100% atheist. And I am increasingly worried that … Read more
ONLY AN earthquake can still prevent an overwhelming victory for Kadima in the coming elections.But don’t rule it out. In this election campaign, four earthquakes have already struck. First: the Labor Party elected a Morocco-born left-wing leader. Second: Ariel Sharon split the Likud and created the Kadima party. Third: Sharon was felled by a massive … Read more
IF ONE wants to understand what the Palestinians did on election day, one has to see the film “Paradise Now”, which has been nominated for an Oscar for the best foreign film, after collecting several prestigious international prizes. It explains better than a million words.Its makers – the screen-writer-cum-director, Hani Abu-As’ad from Nazareth, and the … Read more
IF ARIEL Sharon had not been in a deep coma, he would have jumped out of his bed for joy.The Hamas victory fulfils his most ardent hopes. For a whole year now, he did everything possible to undermine Mahmoud Abbas. His logic was quite obvious: The Americans wanted him to negotiate with Abbas. Such negotiations … Read more
LIKE TWO very tired wrestlers who clasp each other, unable to separate, the Israeli and Palestinian societies are glued to each other.The Palestinian elections this week took place in the shadow of the Israeli elections. Who is Ehud Olmert? Has the Labor Party really changed? Will the next Israeli government really be prepared to negotiate? … Read more
IT WAS a colorful day in Bil’in. Political flags of many colors were fluttering in the brisk breeze, the vivid election posters and the colorful graffiti on the walls adding their bit. It was the biggest demonstration in the beleaguered village for a long time. This week, the protest against the Fence was interwoven with … Read more