Taking a Sabbatical
My final word
This conflict, which Israel will win in the short term, will only be won in the long term when (a) a replacement is found for petrol and (b) Europe works out how to manage the extremists in its Moslem minorities. Both being unlikely in the foreseeable future - Israel is in this for the long haul. This is something I only recently understood fully. My thoughts are with the families and friends of all the victims of this conflict and of the fallen soldiers of today, yesterday and tomorrow.
After the conflict
There are now hundreds of blogistes covering the Israel/Hezbollah conflict. Many of those are experts in a myriad of related fields, some are just fine commentators. But there are blogs out there which are easy to find, full of coherent argument, thoroughly researched and often extremely well written.
Having nothing further to add, I will keep quiet until after the ceasefire. Then I plan to nail my colours firmly to the mast with topics about life in Israel which I think merit some fighting talk.
A short list of my favourites:
1. The influence of proportional representation in Israel on just about everything
2. Theodore Herzl was so very clever. He foresaw in The Jewish State (1896), the risk involved allowing military and religious leaders into the heart of political life. Let's look at where that has got us - and is still taking us.
3. And while on that subject, how about the well-trod fast-track for top brass IDF into the boardrooms of industry, manufacturing, transportation, utilities and much else; how does that affect the average man in Ben Yehuda Street?
4. Various sources put the Haredi (ultra orthodox) population in Israel at somewhere between 350,000 t0 600,000. The acknowledged birth rate is 7.5 children per family. I'd like to look at the exponential growth factor and consider how this might affect life in Israel in the future.
This conflict, which Israel will win in the short term, will only be won in the long term when (a) a replacement is found for petrol and (b) Europe works out how to manage the extremists in its Moslem minorities. Both being unlikely in the foreseeable future - Israel is in this for the long haul. This is something I only recently understood fully. My thoughts are with the families and friends of all the victims of this conflict and of the fallen soldiers of today, yesterday and tomorrow.
After the conflict
There are now hundreds of blogistes covering the Israel/Hezbollah conflict. Many of those are experts in a myriad of related fields, some are just fine commentators. But there are blogs out there which are easy to find, full of coherent argument, thoroughly researched and often extremely well written.
Having nothing further to add, I will keep quiet until after the ceasefire. Then I plan to nail my colours firmly to the mast with topics about life in Israel which I think merit some fighting talk.
A short list of my favourites:
1. The influence of proportional representation in Israel on just about everything
2. Theodore Herzl was so very clever. He foresaw in The Jewish State (1896), the risk involved allowing military and religious leaders into the heart of political life. Let's look at where that has got us - and is still taking us.
3. And while on that subject, how about the well-trod fast-track for top brass IDF into the boardrooms of industry, manufacturing, transportation, utilities and much else; how does that affect the average man in Ben Yehuda Street?
4. Various sources put the Haredi (ultra orthodox) population in Israel at somewhere between 350,000 t0 600,000. The acknowledged birth rate is 7.5 children per family. I'd like to look at the exponential growth factor and consider how this might affect life in Israel in the future.
posted by Jane's Fighting Talk at 1:30 PM
5 Comments:
Jane, sorry you are (temporarily, I hope) taking down your 'shingle'. Your clear voice from the middle of chaos was extremely enlightening and refreshing, even if but for a spell.
The future questions you've enumerated are very interesting, and I look forward to peace - or at least quiet - in the ME soon enough that you are able to resume blogging in the near, near future.
Thanks again, and cheers
Thank you 49erdweet. I am very encouraged by your comments, and will definitely go on blogging.
Hi Jane, I have enjoyed reading your blog, although I have found it very one sided, which I think is a bit of a shame. I don't really agree that Israel has won in the short term - in fact I fail to see any legitimate claim to victory from either party. Isreal is no doubt in this for the long haul but violence is not going to bring lasting peace in the Middle East. I think we're a bit beyond who did what first, I hope that both parties give talking and discussion a real chance as nothing has been gained in the last month, just many lives lost and hatreds fuelled.
FROM CAROL HERMAN (Not annonymous; but no other way to comment, here.)
Still, I was wondering if Olmert, and his midet musketeers survive? Mazuz seems to be knocking Haim Ramon out of the box. This man needs to use "unwanted sex techniques?" He used to be so handsome. And, such an Arik Sharon favorite, too.
Amir Peretz? Tzipi Livni. (I didn't know she had problems with the English language. Ithought hat was something that just afflicted Peretz.
Oy. SO sad to read Caroline Glick's piece. I used to avoid her like the plague.
Halutz selling his portfolio; and the sweet deal Olmert got for his "garden apartment." Just looks so lackluster. Got to the top on "outright just looking out for themselves?")
According to Ralph Peters, when the reserves got the the wearhouses so much had already been stolen. And, gone.
Olmert's managed to anger everybody. No wonder his kids left home. And, never served in the IDF. Olmert's no role model as a dad, anyway.
And, I can't imagine what's next. Sorry to here you're taking a sabbatical. Hope you can change your mind. Why leave Caroline Glick an open field?
Thanks Anonymous - for both messages. I am not sure that I am following any particular kind of line, just voicing my thoughts.
The astonishingly high number of corruptions scandals in Israel are linked to the insidiousness of low-threshhold proportional representation, which I will be tackling later.
Ciao
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