171229
29th
December 2017
Shabbat
Shalom everyone – especially if you live in Guatemala!!
I hope
your Christmas and Boxing Day celebrations went well and that your prayers for
2018 will come true.
Guatemala,
Central America,
about 16.5 million citizens and courage above anybody in Europe! Actually
courage above any other country you wish to choose!!Garcia Granados, the
Guatemalan Representative to the United Nations in 1947, headed the effort to
establish the State of Israel. Guatemala was the very first to follow the USA
announcement that they are moving their Embassy to Jerusalem. Guatemala, the
only country to recognise the aid and support given freely by Israel, by
accepting the fact that Israel has the right to choose her own capital city.
When I think of all the African nations that have consistently received Israeli
aid yet vote against us time and again it makes me sad. I know it reflects life,
those of us who give seldom get, but nonetheless one lives in hope.
Brenda
Katten
is an amazing lady. Brenda served her community in the UK, indeed that is how I
first met her, and since moving to Israel she has continued her determination
to put forward Israel's point of view – she writes beautifully, concisely and
after over 30 years I have yet to disagree with her! Here Brenda analyses the
negative reactions to President Trumps announcement that he intends moving the
Embassy of the United States to Jerusalem thus recognizing that Jerusalem is
indeed the capital of Israel. An excellent read. http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Here-and-there-Whose-Jerusalem-520265
While
the issue of Jerusalem vis a vis the Embassy is conceivably the most obvious
event of this last year, it is most certainly not the only one. Perhaps one
should note that the expected "uprising" among the surrounding Arabs barely
took off; Britain yet again suffered horrific terror attacks; Norway announced
it is reducing funding to the PA unless it goes to the people not terror; Saudi
Arabia chose sides and Qatar became the big enemy; North Korea is testing
ballistic missiles; the Palestinians claim Israel is committing cultural
genocide because we say that Hummous is Israeli too; President Trump is
celebrating a year in office; France elected a young President; Anti-Semitism
became the new PC - but then these are
all things you already know so perhaps we can discuss some of the major events
here in Israel.
First
and foremost,
Israel is thriving! Our economy is exceptional, a tiny country of just over
8,000,000 our GDP is a staggering $387.3672 Billion – compared to similarly
sized Jordan $38.65 Billion. We still have a problem with the lack of parity in
earnings between the top executives and the regular civil servant, but we are
working on it. Our greatest asset is the "Yiddische Kop" – the Jewish
Head. It isn't that we are cleverer, it is just that we are more curious and
delve into areas that others do not. Having said that, many of our top
researchers are Israeli Arabs. Our major fields of research are in medicine,
pharmaceuticals, High Tech, agriculture and civilian protection, the latter
spilling over from military research. I know that this news will possibly give
the likes of Roger Waters and his BDS criminals a collective heart attack but
we simply produce things that the world wants. Of course you helped too –
3,600,000 visitors this year! Well done!
Perhaps
the saddest economic issue of 2017 is the closing of most of TEVA
Pharmeceuticals due to a foolish act by company directors, with many losing
their jobs.
The
schism between religious and secular Israelis is becoming an abyss and I am not
hopeful for change in 2018. This year has seen both political sides fanning the
flames of hatred – something we really don't need. Instead of civilized debate
both sides play the "three wise monkeys" game leaving the rest of us –
from traditional to unobservant – trying to come up for air. I still stand by
my belief that the status quo worked – especially in Tel Aviv but in many other
Israeli towns – with many food shops, restaurants, cinemas, etc open on Shabbat,
without needing a law for or against. The boat has been seriously rocked with
ridiculous statements in response to the demand to close all of the above on
Shabbat from Knesset Member Tamar Zandberg like "You want to leave the
secular community stuck at home like prisoners?" After all – this is a
Jewish country.
Last
weekend was spectacular! Yosef Eliyahu read beautifully from the Torah,
this time as a fully-fledged Jewish man with all the responsibilities that
entails. Again a marathon eating experience which culminated in a truly
magnificent party held at "La Belle" in Talpiot, Jerusalem. I have to
admit that I didn't manage to get past the fish course – 3 down 3 to go!!!! I
looked at my beautiful daughter and her exceptional family, all dressed for the
occasion, and felt so proud that she chose to come to Israel, to be beside me.
What
do I want for Israel this coming year?
More
brave people like Mosab Hassan
Yousef! The great democracies of North Korea, Pakistan, Iran and Qatar
condemn Israeli Human Rights but Mosab knows better - he was born in Ramallah
became a member of Hamas................... what a brave proponent of true
human rights https://www.unwatch.org/u-n-chair-fails-silence-son-hamas-blasts-human-rights-council-hypocrisy/
To
expect the deaf, dumb and blind to suddenly see the light is too much to ask,
but one can pray that
1.
Facebook and Twitter will ban hate
speech
2.
Arab states will begin teaching
tolerance in their schools
3.
Western nations will stop being neo-PC
and reintroduce national and religious pride into their everyday lives. Pride
in what one is does not have to be exclusive – it can be to the benefit of all.
4.
That the left and right in all
countries will find a way toward the middle. Parallel lines never meet
5.
That many countries will follow the
lead of the USA and Guatemala and bring their Embassies to Jerusalem, not
giving in to fear of violence.
6.
That Israel can concentrate on
medical research rather than defensive innovation.
7.
That scenes like this one, the
Israeli Baseball team standing for Hatikva before their qualifying match in
South Korea, will be common and no country will ban our athletes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTYr6a42DnY
8.
That Jews will stop fighting each
other and realise that the danger outside is far greater than the power
struggle inside.
9.
That the extreme Haredi community
will join in the building of this amazing country instead of kissing our
enemies.
10.
Finally, that we will all – each and
every one of us, whatever his or her beliefs – will look to the right and the
left and speak to the person beside him without asking his faith, income,
origin or colour. That we will all remember that a beggar asks for money
because he has no other choice and perhaps the most important issue is that
donations to Israel had nothing to do with our GDP – it is all about working
together, being together and forming a united front.
This has been a week of spectacular sunrises, I took
many photographs, getting up at the crack of dawn to do so! I wish I was clever
enough to put them on this letter but if you go to my Facebook page you will
see them!
So let's try to think of which songs are appropriate for
closing the past year and opening a new page.
Let's drink a cup of kindness dear for the sake of Auld
Land Syne https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReOlX8jDZ-o
Guard the world child, you have seen things a child
shouldn't see, Guard the world child because we didn't https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3-fw-cxcFo
Perhaps the most relevant song as we enter 2018, the
song that encourages us to stay hopeful in the face of great adversity. We
Shall Overcome. The great Dr Martin Luther King believed it as he believed in
the Jewish State - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_Ld8JGv56E
I wish you a happy New Year, חי20, wherever you
are, whoever you are. Remember to stand up for what you believe in, after all
we have already proven the power of one exists.
With all our love from Jerusalem and our veranda
Sheila and her Zvi
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