At the Com.vention
I am currently at the Com.vention at Airport City. It’s Israel’s largest Internet convention. I am twittering here and there…at least until my battery dies or hopefully I can find an outlet.
Tanks, Kubeh, Bourekas and Babies: A Personal History of Immigration to Israel
It turns out that Israel takes on different appearances depending on whose eyes it’s viewed through. An early twenty-something steps off the plane and sees through wide eyes a sun-kissed land filled to brimming with young olive skinned honeys filling out olive-toned uniforms in all the right places, deliciously greasy buckets of shwarma meat seductively rotating on their spits, glistening bottles of Goldstar and milky glasses of arak, and idyllic kibbutzim whose apparent main agricultural product isn’t exactly found in the SuperSol, all set to the exotic high-velocity throat music of modern Hebrew. A thirty-something longtime resident of Israel sees exactly the same thing, except it’s through the windshield of a somewhat sensible sedan as he drives his toddler to daycare. It’s all about perspective, and to understand how one perspective slowly but surely evolves into another, you have to understand how one falls in love in Israel and stays there.
• 1974. Was born.
• 1982. The son of my chazzan (cantor) visited my synagogue while on leave from the IDF. I was somewhat in awe.
• 1984. When I was ten a friend returned from a summer trip to Israel. I recall asking if there were any amusement parks there. She asked her father, and he said there was one called “Ferris Wheel” in Rishon Leztion. Israel had suddenly become an appealing place for me to visit. I enjoyed Dollywood, so I figured I’d enjoy Israel too.
• 1986. Mrs. Osmon, my Israeli Hebrew teacher at Hebrew school, had it in for me and became one of my childhood enemies. She did not endear me to Israel.
• 1987. Two Israeli students visited my Hebrew school and brought with them a cassette tape of Israeli rap. I ran like DMC.
• 1986 - 1990. Through my involvement in USY, my connection to and knowledge of Israel grew. Fought incessantly with leftist teachers at my high school about Israel. Digested every book possible about Israel to use as ammunition, Exodus included. Saw movie. Had crush on Karen Hansen Clement. Worried about Israel and was glued to CNN during the Gulf War. The chazzan from my synagogue went to volunteer. Was in awe.
• 1991. Visited for the first time as a participant on USY Poland Seminar/Israel Pilgrimage. Holocaust bad. Israel good. Refused to wear sandals. Drank a lot of Kinley. Was in awe of the IDF.
• 1994. Ms. Carmel, my Israeli Hebrew teacher in college, had it in for me and became one of my adulthood enemies.
• 1994 - 1997. Became heavily involved in pro-Israel activism on the campus of SUNY Albany. Many debates with Anti-Zionists and Israel-haters. By the time I left they were still Anti-Zionists and Israel-haters. Started to hate myself. Was in awe of all of friends who made aliyah and served in the IDF. Decided that I too want to serve in the IDF.
• 1997 -1998. Made Aliyah. Got drunk a lot. Ate kubbe soup for the first time. Rejoiced. Enjoyed hummus as a meal. Naomi, my Hebrew teacher at ulpan, did not have it in for me. Left ulpan early to be drafted into the IDF. Served in the Armored Corps. Learned to love, then hate and finally respect tanks. Got dirty. Wasn’t as a good shot as I thought I was. Spent Israel’s 50th anniversary on guard duty. Thought that was cool. Lost 30 pounds. Began a life long relationship with baby wipes. Gained perspective. Listened to Berry. Met my future wife.
• 1999 - 2007. Bourekas, majadra, meorav yerushalmi. Cremshnitz, za’atar, Golan apples. Lahmajun, sabich, samboosak. Hummus. Worked at a myriad of start-ups. All failed. Not my fault. Got married. Strong relationship. Worked in print journalism and then ISRAEL21c. Learned that Israel is hi-tech and cures diseases. Started business. Business succeeds. Had baby. Was in awe. Baby succeeds. Named her Tzofia after my favorite line of Hatikvah. Am in awe.
• 2008. Hate the politicians. Left and Right. Secular and Religious. Frustrated with the leadership. Demand change. Understand why they don’t but wishing our greatest minds would run this country. Love my family. Love my friends. Love my country. Want to help fix it. Hummus still delicious.
The 60 Bloggers project is co-production of Jewlicious.com and the Let My People Sing Festival. It is published daily for 60 days to celebrate Israel’s 60 birthday.
Come shit on us Ian Brown! We love it!
In the great tradition of artists such as Roger Waters and Erykah Badu, once again Israeli producers will be inviting a musician who will come perform in Israel, take our money and then ignorantly criticize our policies (granted, some of our policies suck, but we don’t need no education from performers who know close to nothing about the reality on the ground).
Former Stone Roses lead singer Ian Brown who once took a vow never to perform in Israel, because “he doesn’t agree with the government’s regime” will be coming for one performance in the end of May.
The former STONE ROSES frontman is close friends with Israeli pop star Nimrod Levy (editors note: who?), who advised the ONE LOVE hitmaker to stay away from his homeland.
Brown says, “Nimrod has told me it isn’t safe to me to go over there. Nimrod told me that it isn’t safe to be in a club, in a city or in the country.
“Palestine is the biggest open-air prison in the world.
“Israel is a brutal regime, but if I didn’t play countries where I didn’t agree wit the regime, I’d never have played a show.
“I can say that without worrying. Let’s put it this way, I haven’t noticed any Mossad (Israeli intelligence agency) agents outside my front door.”
He followed last year with this gem of a song called “Illegal Attacks” which featured these quite silly lyrics which could have been written by a undergraduate poetry major with an anti-war fetish at a bad liberal college:
So what the fuck is this UK
Gunnin’ with this US of A
In Iraq and Iran and in AfghanistanDoes not a day go by
Without the Israeli Air Force
Fail to drop it’s bombs from the sky?How many mothers to cry?
How many sons have to die?
How many missions left to fly over Palestine?
‘Cause as a matter of facts
It’s a pact, it’s an act
These are illegal attacks
So bring the soldiers back
These are illegal attacks
It’s contracts for contacts
I’m singing concrete facts
So bring the soldiers back
What ever happened to metaphors and allusions in tunes? You can read the rest of the lyrics and watch the video here. And yes, that is Sinead O’Connor singing background vocals. Sinead of the famous “Sharing Jerusalem: Two Capitals for Two States” debacle of 1997.
I love the Stone Roses as much as the next guy (really, an incredible band), but I will not be attending Ian Brown’s show. First of all, Ian Brown is not the total sum of the Stone Roses and if the lyrics above even remotely represent his current body of work, I think I’d find listening to the sounds of my own bowel movements more appealing.
Blue and White homegrown Israeli Grindhouse flick
Oh yeah. YouTube is full of gems. Long lost rock videos, cool concert footage, comedy routines, etc. But nothing, NOTHING compares to this incredible movie trailer I came across today. NOTHING. This is what the internet was made for.
AN AMERICAN HIPPIE IN ISRAEL. Apparently seen by a few people in a few late night showings in Tel Aviv in the seventies. Never released beyond that.
Yes, an American Hippie in Israel. Horrific dialogue, horrendous direction, LSD soaked scenes….oh just watch it.
But be warned, there is nudity, violence and killer mimes.
And robots being hit with a giant sledgehammer.
Seriously.
Please clarify, does he say “A push of a button and we are turned into wild animals or wild dynamos? Because wild dynamos would be that much more awesome.
DVD release is coming soon. Viewing at my house.
What is your favorite line from the trailer?
Not one eggroll served in Israel today
During the second intifada Israel let in a massive amount of foreign workers in order to fulfill the work that Palestinians from the West Bank performed. Now that the Palestinians are back at work, the government is trying to crack down on foreign workers. This includes restaurant workers. Chefs included.
In 2007 the government granted 900 work permits to Asian chefs, this year just 500, next year - ZERO. Unless of course, restaurants want to pay an exorbitant “consulting fee.” That’s right. Your sushi will no longer be rolled by Shigeto or Masakior but rather Shlomi or Moshe Cohen. You see, Shoshana Strauss of the Ministry of Industry Trade and Labor (apparently an expert on all things culinary) believes “Everyone can make Chinese food it’s not impossible to learn.” This quote MUST have been taken out of context. I simply can’t imagine a representative of the government of Israel could have said something so asinine, so culturally insensitive, so f*cking ignorant. Shame on you Shoshana Strauss!
Restaurant owners are not going to take this sitting down. Today, not one eggroll or spring roll was served in Israel. And in two weeks time, they’ll be a sushi/noodles boycott.
Ok, I get the whole concept of protest, but why boycott a product at your own restaurant? Certainly there is a more effective way to combat this.
Source: Reuters
Badu comes over for dinner, procedes to shit on table
Neo-Soul, Tyrone-hating singer Erykah Badu has arrived in Israel for a concert on Saturday night. This evening, at a press conference with journalists and fans, she declared her support for the Palestinian cause and defended Louis Farrakhan.
I come from across the water bringing light and hope,” said Badu in her deep, languid voice. She commissioned a poster design especially for her visit to Israel, featuring a large hamsa, a traditional Middle Eastern good luck charm, that appears to be growing out of her hair. At the bottom, the words for peace in Hebrew and Arabic appear side by side.However, Badu could not name any Israeli hip hop artists. She explained that she identified best with the Palestinians and their hip hop scene, saying that they are a part of her tribe of hip hop.
“They use (hip hop) as a form of liberation, as a form of pre-resistance, as a form of therapy,” Badu said.
Badu defended Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam, who has drawn fire over the years with pronouncements including praise for Hitler in a 1984 speech, for which he was censured by the U.S. Senate, repeatedly denouncing Israel and the Jewish people and calling the pretense for the war in Iraq a Zionist conspiracy.
The Anti-Defamation League, a leading Jewish group, has labeled Farrakhan’s statements bigoted and anti-Semitic. On its Web site, the ADL lists dozens of Farrakhan statements it considers anti-Semitic.
“(Farrakhan is) not an anti-Semite. He loves all people,” insisted Badu. Her next album, Nu AmErykah will be released February 26, the date of Savior’s Day, a main Nation of Islam holiday.
It would have been interesting to hear how the journalists reacted. Supporting the Palestinian cause is nothing new, but to praise notorious anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan in the Jewish state? I kind of wish I bought a ticket just so I could return it.
Source: Haaretz
missing them
via Ziva who has written far more on this amalgamation of art and activism.
Sunday linkage and commentary.
Daniel Barenboim takes Palestinian citizenship
When can we expect him to give up his Israeli citizenship?
Techcrunch announces second Israel Web Tour 2.0
It only took 16 comments before someone mentioned Apartheid.
Bush calls for an end to the occupation and states support for a Palestinian homeland.
And everyone tells me my support of Obama is misguided.
Religious Jews can’t vote in Nevada Caucus.
Giuliani is in real trouble now.
Boston Globe goes beyond the conflict? Really?
Surprisingly, the following is not from ISRAEL21c.
We all know the Israel of wars, oppression, and precarious security, but what about Israel of the humming economy with 90 Israel-related companies on NASDAQ? What about Israeli films garnishing honors around the world: “Jellyfish” and “The Band’s Visit” at Cannes, “Beaufort” in Berlin, “My Father My Lord” in Tribeca, “Sweet Mud” at Sundance, and “Aviva, My Love” in Shanghai?
What of Israeli solar power in California that has been saving 2 million barrels of oil annually for nearly 20 years? What of Arava Valley high-tech agriculture, with exports exceeding $100 million? Natafim, the drip irrigation system patented by Kibbutz Hatzerim, is now a multinational conglomerate selling millions of systems throughout the world. What of the Israel that is taking in Darfur refugees, and what of the first Israeli-initiated UN resolution, calling upon countries to share agricultural technology with developing countries, adopted overwhelmingly this month?
It’s this other Israel that’s underreported.
The above was written by H.D.S. Greeway. Its shockingly from the Boston Globe in a feature where Globe columnists wrote about the most underreported stories of the year. (link)
For once, a good idea from the Prime Minister’s office
The Prime Minister’s office (PMO) has been urging IKEA to open up their second store in the town of Lod, one of the poorest towns in all of Israel. To all of you who believe American trends hit Israel years later, here is another one for you. Lod is notorious for its drug deals and thousands come to the city every day to buy crack and heroin fixes. Yes, crack. However whack it is in America these days, its gained some traction here. Despite the large crackdown (uh, absolutely no pun intended) a few years ago against the infamous drug ATMs (you put your money through a mail slot and you get your drugs - no face to face with the dealer) they quickly returned and Lod’s problems persist.
Enter Ilan Harari, Lod’s current Mayor who was appointed after Benny Regev was removed due to rampant corruption. Regev, highly influenced by Rudy Giuliani, has a plan. Increase visible police presence, security cameras and set up roadblocks in the town to prevent junkies from coming in. A decent plan, but when 1 out of 130 residents of your town has a drug file with the Police the cards are stacked against you. (More here)
Enter Ikea. According to today’s Globes (Israel’s daily business paper) the PMO has offered 3-4 Million shekels (roughly one million dollars) towards the infrastructure of the building should IKEA choose to open in Lod.
At a meeting held on October 16, 2005 (parallel to IKEA Israel’s negotiations with the Rishon LeZion municipality), with the then mayor of Lod Benny Regev, Avishai Cohen, then head of the PMO Division for Coordination, Follow-Up and Control, said the state would give the project a “green track,” and that “it would not be a problem for the division to attend to the necessary business with the Ministries of Interior an Industry, Trade and Labor regarding the Investment Promotion Center and discounts for superstores.”
A document obtained by “Globes” reveals that the Prime Minister’s office (PMO) has been promoting the opening of a branch of Swedish home furniture chain Ikea in Lod and even offered IKEA Israel various benefits, including NIS 3-4 million in aid through the Lod Municipality, which would be used to develop a superstore in the city.
Cohen also declared at the meeting that, “beyond that, we will, as a rule, be on your side.” He went on to say that the PMO could not be of help with regard to discounts to employers since these are usually given only in frontline regions, but suggested a way round this. “We’ll find a special way in which to help a project of this scale. Instead of giving grants, the municipality will receive a one-time budget for infrastructures of NIS 3-4 million.”
(link)
I believe that opening a branch of Ikea in Lod would be a godsend for the community. It will provide hundreds (potentially thousands) of jobs and bring hundreds of thousands of shekels in revenue to the struggling town. It will also be the impetus for other businesses to open nearby. One just has to look at Ikea in Netanya as an example. Since opening, numerous specialty supermarkets, cafes, restaurants and other stores have opened within the vicinity. Opening Ikea in Lod will without a doubt create a snowball effect that will only have a positive influence on the city.
If Times Square can be cleaned up, why can’t Lod? Granted, I’m not an urban planner nor a criminologist, but my gut feeling tells me this is a great idea. Lod is easily accessible from both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv (direct train!). And soon with the advent of the southern part of Road 6, Beersheva.
What do you think? Would the opening of Ikea in one of Israel’s most criminal cities help the city or just backfire?
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