Politics round-up and down and up and down...

Given the expected protests in the front of the Embassy of Israel in Jordan, most part of the embassy staff was brought home. Stock markets in Egypt took a fall after the protests against Israel. Good luck!

Erdogan landed in Cairo. Is it any competition between him and Ahmadinejad in respect to the state of Israel?

NYTimes published yesterday an article accusing Netanyahu of isolating Israel. The autumn trends in Washington DC...Israel sent the flotilla in Gaza, also attacked its embassy in Egypt and Erdogan is in fact Netanyahu's alter ego. The same for Ahmadinejad, the Muslim Brothers and other anarchist brothers all over the world. The ridiculous glorious left...

Back in the news: two-three lines about the "spring"

I am trying to avoid as much as possible to address here too many political issues. Purposively avoiding the news, I am tying to focus rather on literature, history, books, daily practice, cooking. Anything but news.

But when a couple of minutes after the entering the new week I started reading the news, I couldn't believe it's true: the embassy of the state of Israel was attacked and its personnel humiliated by a herd of aggressive protesters - they weren't protesting for more education or democracy or the end of corruption practices, but against a democratic and independent state. It is not the first incident since the events leading to the fall of Mubarak's regime. During and after the events the local media and the social networks of various Egyptian activists incited for a "stronger" position against the state of Israel, accused of being interested in maintaining Mubarak's power.

This is not the first time in history when incompetent regimes are finding very fast an imaginary scapegoat whose transferred the incapacity of change or general failures. What happened in the last days represents a serious warning and doesn't concern only the state of Israel, but any country who claims belonging to the family of democracies. Most probably, the provocations of any kinds will continue this week, as Turkey's Erdogan is incoherently making various waves in his sink.

Selfishly thinking, maybe my quiet time dedicated to books and learning will significantly diminish. Still, dreaming of a "shavua tov".

Shlomit is born

The news about the families moving to the newly created Shlomit community, less than one kilometer from the border with Egypt made my day. And this quote of the community secretary: "The army should be the one concerned about safety – that's its duty; our duty is to establish a vibrant community".

This was my lesson learned for today, part of my daily study during Elul and one of the reasons I love this country and its people. People who aren't afraid and who don't give up fight because they know the price of giving up fighting.

The original form of the name Shlomit is Salomé, derived from Shalom - peace.

Counting the rockets

Over hundred rockets were hit into Southern Israel from Gaza in the last three days. A man was killed, many injured. They are hitting schools, synagogues, public spaces. The rockets are continue to fall. I rhetorically wonder ever and ever again: how will US or France or Germany react when faced with this daily reality - because we don't have to forget Sderot where rockets are part of the "normality"? Would they apologize and be sorry for defending their citizens?

Egypt is pressing Israel to apologize and apologize and investigate the death of five security personnel. The fact that Egypt wasn't able to defend its borders and to prevent the infiltration of terrorist isn't a reality deem of the high attention of the media and its analysts of all colors. Another strange thing happened at the UN, where the Security Council failed to condemn the attack from Eilat because the proud member Lebanon who's almost a feud of the Iran-sponsored Hizbollah opposed.

There are many questions to be asked, of course. One regards the famous almost invisible Hasbara. But I'm afraid that now it's too late. You can't build in times of crisis but to use the symbolic resources built in between crisis. It was a well-known reality that close to September and there after we should expect various difficult situations and attacks of all sorts. It wasn't any surprise at all. A surprise would be a unite and coherent answer from the mishpacha. Now, I couldn't care less who did you vote with at the last elections, where are you coming from, how many books did you read or if you are secular or religious. It's more important to act together and nothing else.

The good news from the South is that the Eilat Red Sea International Jazz Festival will be held as scheduled, although some artists cancelled their presence. Somehow, we can dream about a certain normality.

In the North, business as usual, for the moment. People are going out, enjoying the life and falling in love.

How to deal with idiots

Image by Stewf via Flickr

Or some insights about the idea of peace and love in the Middle East.

News and declarations in Egypt assume that the Mossad agents brought the sharks in Egypt. Two years ago, in the media from Iran the frontlines were that the same agents were using pigeons and squirrels (immediately arrested) against the nuclear program of the Republic.

If they are people who believe this, I have no idea how to deal with them - see the title...The repertoire of insanities is infinite...

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• Egypt puzzled by string of Red Sea shark attacks (nationalpost.com)
• Sheep exports blamed for Egypt shark attacks - ABC Online (news.google.com)