The United Nations

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These are fateful days in the United Nations.
My laptop is tuned in to the U.N. webcast right now.
Soon President Obama will speak.
On Friday Abbas will give probably the most important speech of his life.
After him, Netanyahu will say something.

Will a Palestinian state emerge from this talking and voting?
How will it change life here?

We shall see . . .
Let us hope for the best for all of us here in this small land.
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Painting Jerusalem red for May Day

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"Workers of the world--unite!"

Happy May Day.

This being the Jewish State, Israel had to have the rallies on April 30  because May 1 falls on the Sabbath this year.

This is what I found, quite by accident, at Zion Square yesterday afternoon.

The billboard on the makeshift stage says "WE ARE PAINTING JERUSALEM RED."

From afar I had heard drum rolls, slogan chanting, and cheering  and simply followed my ears.
What a surprise!

The red banner of the Scouts quotes Deuteronomy 16:20:

"JUSTICE, JUSTICE SHALT THOU PURSUE".

The crowd and the drums applauded the speeches. At least one speaker was an Arab Knesset member, probably from the Hadash party.

The signs and speakers and chants all called for equality among the sectors, a two-state solution, an end to privatization, a raise in the minimum wage, equality for women, etc. etc. All the  old Socialist values.

Besides the Scouts I saw other youth movements, like Hashomer Hatzair.

I think the black and red flag belongs to the Anarchists.  And Merez was there, of course.

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You know, I remember when I moved to Israel in 1968 . . . at my Shomer Hatzair kibbutz (where I had 7 months of Hebrew ulpan) and then at the clinics of the Histadrut Kupat Holim, everyone would still address each other as "chaver" or "chavera" which was then the equivalent of the Soviet "tovarish," meaning Comrade.

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A taxing summer

Yay, we are spared the dreaded threatened 16.5% tax on fresh fruit and vegetables!
No less than 34 (!) readers around the world felt they had to join the protest by leaving a strong comment on my post of a week ago. Thank you! Our prime minister must have heard you.
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Ynet News quotes him as saying:
"Part of my job is to listen to the public, said Netanyahu, "And I've come to the conclusion that this is not the time for a new VAT and this is my decision."
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Good listening, Bibi.
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Protest in the market

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Strange sights this morning in Machane Yehuda open-air market! A man was up on top of the awnings above the bustot, the stalls, putting up protest banners.

The signs say

"VAT on vegetables isn't right and isn't smart!"

"The poor are dying for fresh vegetables!"

In the current economic crunch, the government wants to reach deeper into our pockets, to help the State budget. For instance, by raising Value Added Tax "temporarily" to 16.5% and by imposing VAT on fruits and vegetables!
Very bad news for low-income folks, especially.
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Tomorrow the Knesset will vote on the hare-brained idea.
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Back home from my morning of food shopping at the lively shuk, I read that Shimon Darvish, chairman of the traders committee of Mahane Yehuda market, and his fellow stallholders would hold a demonstration this afternoon against imposing VAT. They were to be joined by representatives of markets in Ramla, Beersheva, Lod, Tel Aviv's Shuk Hacarmel and Shuk Hatikva, and Shuk Haifa.
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To quote the Globes article:
"Darvish says that the government's measure shows that it is cut off from the poorer sections of society. 'I call on the minister of finance and the prime minister to come along with me for a day and to look these people in the eye. They will see the pain and distress of whole families that live on bread, basic cheese, and fruit and vegetables. The markets are the country's biggest soup kitchen. But Steinitz and Bibi don't buy in the market.' . . . "

A Jerusalem Post article states
"Today, more than 60% of produce is sold in supermarkets, which would make VAT collection easier. But the problem of how to impose the tax on produce stands in open-air markets is expected to be a difficult one, as vendors do not have the time or facilities to record all transactions.

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Farmers are concerned that a VAT levy will make fruits and vegetables more expensive and reduce demand."
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Nu nu, that's my world here and now in Israel. For looks into other bloggers' places, visit That's My World Tuesday.

Tarring and feathering

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert last night addressed the nation, reminded us of all his accomplishments while in office, and announced that he will resign. The police investigation into his alleged financial scandals is in full swing, and this is not good for public morale and is not easy on Olmert, I'm sure. I think he preferred this comparatively dignified way to exit political life; better than going out tarred and feathered.
Olmert's planned departure also spares us the national humiliation of a possible situation of having a prime minister indicted while in office.

The rest you can read about in the media or in the many Israeli and Jewish political blogs.

If you should ever want to hear or see the latest Israeli news in your own language, reported from Jerusalem, just go to http://iba.org.il/media/ and click on Foreign Languages.