Imagine the reaction if Trump would make another "outrageous" statement that Israel is the state of the Jewish people!
I wish museums celebrate and commemorate peace to the same extent as they celebrate and commemorate war.
~Raphael Cohen-Almagor
Reflections on Last Newsletter
Jerusalem
Netanyahu and Trump’s Major Donors
American Media Obsession with Trump
Israel v Terror
Homelessness in Britain
My Visit to India
My New Article – “On the Philosophical Foundations of Medical Ethics: Aristotle, Kant, JS Mill and Rawls”
Novel: David Grossman, A Horse Walks into a Bar (2014)
New Book by Nancy Hartevelt Kobrin
Gem of the Month – Whitby
Monthly Poems
Light Side
Reflections on Last Newsletter
Professor Moshe Fischer wrote:
Dear Rafi,
thanks for the bulletin with interesting issues, as usual.
A pity that the Jerusalem-as-capital-of Israel issue has aroused such a vehement reaction both by Palestinians et Co. but worse, even by 'friends' of Israel, as visible today after the UN General assembly anti-US/anti-IL vote).
I suppose that a great majority in Israel, politically let's say about 100 (out of 120) Knesset Members and many publicists (even Haaretz contributors, such as Dan Margalit) would agree with the fact that Jerusalem was, is and will be the capital of Israel. As you know, I do not belong to the right of the political map. One can argue about the way Trump did it but the anti-reaction is really out of any proportion. It certainly will not contribute to the improvement of the (anyway tired) peace process.
Let's hope for the best, we wish you and family all the best for a wonderful 2018,
Greta and Moshe from Chile, Peru etc.
Jerusalem
For many generations, Jerusalem has been at the centre of attention. The past month, with all due respect to Washington, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Moscow, Barcelona and Beijing, no city in the world was talked about to the same extent as Jerusalem. If cities could speak, Jerusalem would probably have said: I am flattered, but why me?
Good question. The answer lies in neglect and irresponsibility. Jerusalem is such an important city that draws the attention of billions in the world, sacred to major religions, subject of prayers and songs, yet its formal status was never resolved. Israeli leaders failed to understand that “doing our own thing” is not a solution. Jerusalem has no clear boundaries. It is divided between two people, both perceive it as their capital. It is the seat of some of the holiest places on earth. Very little has been done to consolidate international recognition and settle disputes about their standing. The occupation of East Jerusalem compounded the situation and brought about an astonishing gap between the perception of Jerusalem by Israelis, and its perception by the international community.
Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital was first criticized by all 15 members of the UN Security Council but the USA. On December 21, 2017, the United Nations General Assembly has delivered a stinging rebuke to President Trump, voting by a huge majority to reject his unilateral recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Despite American diplomatic (and not-so-diplomatic) efforts to influence the vote, 128 members voted in favour of the resolution supporting the longstanding international consensus that the status of Jerusalem can only be settled as an agreed final issue in a peace deal. Only nine countries – including the United States and Israel –voted against the resolution. The other countries were Togo, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Marshall Islands, Guatemala and Honduras. It is safe to say that none of these countries is a major influencer in the international arena. Shortly thereafter, Guatemala announced its intention to follow Trump by moving its embassy to Jerusalem.
Thirty-five countries abstained, including five EU states, and other US allies including Australia, Canada, Colombia and Mexico. Another 21 delegations of countries with little say or political interest in the conflict were absent from the vote.
Twenty-two of the 28 EU countries voted for the resolution, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, voted for the UN resolution. Two of Israel’s neighbours that signed peace treaties with Israel -- Egypt and Jordan, also joined despite US threats to cut their funding. Important countries with a say in the conflict: Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Turkey and Iran all voted against Trump.
The international community sent a clear message to Trump and to Israel: they believe that Trump’s move undermines prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. They believe that the Israeli actions in East Jerusalem and the rest of occupied Palestinian territory are illegal. They do not see the USA and its president as the leader of the world to push forward motions relating to Israel and Palestine and, indeed, relating to a string of other international concerns.
Jerusalem was, is and will be the eternal capital of the Jewish people. This is a fact that stretches long before the establishment of Israel. Many years of refusal to recognize this fact did not yield peace. Maybe coming to terms with reality will. It is a start.
Recognizing this fact does not mean that the rights of the Palestinian people should be dismissed. Quite the opposite. It is about time to recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian people. This is also a fact.
The USA and Israel should not ignore the international community. No one likes to be ignored. Dismissing this strong message will backfire. Trump has put Jerusalem on the table for discussion. Time to discuss. Let us make lemon out of the lemonade.
Netanyahu and Trump’s Major Donors
Follow the money is always a good advice when one wishes to understand politics.
Netanyahu’s Major Donors
Trump’s Major Donors
The following are the top donors to Trump's campaign:
1. Robert Mercer, Renaissance Technologies - $13.5 million
The CEO of New York-based hedge fund Renaissance Technologies has contributed millions of his fortune to conservative causes over the years. This election cycle, Mercer had started a super PAC to support Ted Cruz and Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway managed it. When Cruz dropped out, Mercer changed the name of the super PAC from Keep the Promise 1 to Make America Number 1 and focused on supporting Trump's campaign.
2. Sheldon Adelson and Miriam Adelson, Las Vegas Sands Corporation (LVS
LVS
Las Vegas Sands Corp
70.13
+0.56%
) - $10 million
Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson is the CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corporation. He and his wife both gave $5 million each to the Future45 super PAC. Adelson also gave $1.5 million to the Republican National Convention this year. (See also, Republican National Convention 2016 Donor's Names Released)
3. Linda McMahon, World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (WWE
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment Inc
29.59
+0.14%
) - $6 million
Linda McMahon co-founded the WWE franchise with her husband Vince. She gave $6 million to the pro-Trump super PAC Rebuilding America Now, making her one of the biggest donors to Trump. McMahon, who runs a company that promotes women in business, has called Trump's comments about women "deplorable." She and her husband have given $5 million to the Trump Foundation in the past, according to The Washington Post.
4. Bernard Marcus, Retired - $7 million
87-year-old Bernard Marcus is the co-founder and former CEO of Home Depot. He currently sits on the board of the Republican Jewish Coalition. He gave to the Rebuilding America Now and Make America Number 1 super PAC.
5. Geoffrey Palmer, G.H. Palmer Associates - $2 million
Palmer is a real estate magnate whose buildings in Los Angeles are known for their characteristic "fauxtalian" style. He donated to Trump's campaign through the Rebuilding America Now super PAC.
6. Ronald M Cameron, Mountaire Corp. - $2 million
Cameron is CEO of an Arkansas-based poultry company called Mountaire Corp. He previously contributed $3 million to Mike Huckabee's bid for president and donated to the pro-Trump Rebuilding America Now super PAC.
7. Peter Thiel, Palantir Technologies - $1.25 million
Venture capitalist Peter Thiel plans to donate to Donald Trump's campaign through super PACs and the official campaign committee, according to a spokesperson. As a delegate for Trump at the Republican National Convention, Thiel delivered a speech in which he expressed his frustration with America's "broken economy." Thiel is also a director at Facebook (FB
8. Walter Buckley Jr, Actua Corporation (ACTA
ACTA
) - $1 million
Buckley is the CEO of Actua Corporation, a publicly traded venture capital firm that acquires and builds cloud companies. He donated to the Rebuilding America Now super PAC.
9. Cherna Moskowitz, Hawaiian Gardens Casino - $1 million
Cherna Moskowitz is the president of Hawaiian Gardens Casino and the Irving Moskowitz Fundation. She donated to Mercer's Maker America Number 1 super PAC. News stories, including one published by Mother Jones in 2000, have said the Moskowitzs operated a bingo club in an impoverished town as a non-profit and used the funds to support Jewish settlers in Palestine. In a report about Cherna's late husband Irving's death, The Times of Israel wrote, "Moskowitz donated millions of dollars to the Elad Foundation and Ateret Cohanim, two groups that have helped some 3,000 Israeli Jews move into the Old City and surrounding Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem."
10. Peter Zieve, Electroimpact - $1 million
Peter Zieve is the founder and president of Electroimpact, a manufacturing firm that counts Boeing and Airbus among its customers. In April, The Seattle Times published offensive emails sent by Zieve to his employees. Congratulating an employee on the birth of a child, Zieve wrote, “I note that 381,000 terrorist savages have gotten into Europe this year and if we don’t make more babies the light will go out on civilization.” He gave money to Rebuilding America Now.
Read more: Top 10 Donors to the Trump Campaign (FB, WWE) | Investopedia https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/033116/top-10-corporate-contributors-trump-campaign.asp#ixzz52RsKwtIU
Sheldon Adelson has direct influence on the two countries he is most interested in. He has a lot to do in shaping the policies of both countries.
Many millions of people take part in democratic processes. Fifty families make their opinions come true with the power of their immense wealth. Both Trump and Netanyahu listen to what these families have to say very carefully.
American Media Obsession with Trump
American media obsession with Trump plays to his hands and serves his best interests. If they wish to undermine his position, they should opt for the opposite policy of as limited coverage as possible. The president cannot be ignored but coverage should not be obsessive.
Repeating time and again Trump's many racist remarks. Does this affect racism for better or for worse?
Repeating time and again Trump's many racist remarks. Does it damage Trump or help him?
Israel v Terror
Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman revealed that Israel foiled 400 major terror attacks in 2017. 13 were planned suicide attacks and eight were planned kidnappings. A further 1,100 potential lone wolf attacks were thwarted.
The Shin Bet chief noted that 54 were attacks carried out in 2017, a decrease from the 108 carried out in 2016. Argaman qualified the decrease, however, stating that "the calm we are experiencing is misleading, and Hamas is trying with all its might to carry out attacks and undermine the stability of the Palestinian Authority."
Homelessness in Britain
I have a soft spot for homeless people. When I grew up in Tel Aviv, there was ONE homeless person who lost his home and family after suffering a mental breakdown fighting in defence of the country in the tragic 1973 Yom Kippur War. His unfortunate story broke my heart.
In the 1980s I used to teach once a week in London and saw many homeless people, seeking shelter from the cold in the tube tunnels. Once a week I helped one of them.
And then I began to travel to the USA, where homelessness is out of proportion. This is the likely result of an individualistic and capitalist society, where social benefits, communal solidarity and respect for the dignity of the person are lacking.
I am sorry to say that United Kingdom is following the footsteps of its greater brother.
For the seventh year in a row, the number of people estimated to be sleeping rough in England has increased. New figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government have revealed a 15 percent jump from 2016 to 2017. In 2010, local authorities counted or estimated the total to be 1,768 people.
Balbir Chatrik, from the charity Centrepoint, said: “These figures are shocking, but they only attempt to count the number of people sleeping rough on one night. We know there are thousands more young people who are hidden homeless – sofa-surfing for months on end, sleeping on public transport or staying with strangers just to find a bed for the night.”.
Balbir Chatrik, from the charity Centrepoint, said: “These figures are shocking, but they only attempt to count the number of people sleeping rough on one night. We know there are thousands more young people who are hidden homeless – sofa-surfing for months on end, sleeping on public transport or staying with strangers just to find a bed for the night.”.
My Visit to India
I spent the major part of January teaching and lecturing in India. 14 lectures. 8 cities. Dozens of meetings with colleagues and students. It was a fascinating and challenging trip.
Three cultures, with long traditions and much accumulated wisdom, have been my fascination for many years: Judaism, Chinese and Indian. These three cultures have shaped the world in which we live and have inspired thinking, creativity, scholarship, religion, art, architecture and much more. For the past decade I have been yearning to visit India and China. I was thus delighted that an opportunity presented itself to me to visit India.
Out of my comfort zone into a non-Western society, with different values and norms; different sounds, tastes and smells. Eastern art and philosophy. Different standards of hygiene and aesthetics. Different scale of poverty. Poor infrastructure. Palaces and castles. Temples and mosques. Celebration of colours. Animals on the streets and roads. Different understanding of law and order. Different appreciation of the concept of time. Different respect to promises and pledges. Generous hospitality. Attack on senses and sensibilities. Overwhelming number of people and crazy traffic that I have never seen anywhere in the world. Complete chaos.
The Indians I met love and appreciate the USA, appreciate Israel, have mixed feelings about the United Kingdom, and hold resentment and even hatred to Pakistan.
India is a joy for the eyes as many people dress in colourful dresses. Group of ladies, all in colourful dresses make a lovely celebration of colours.
Time
Time is a flexible concept of India. People say: We will start at 10:00 and at 12:00 you wonder when this 10:00 will take place, if at all.
My lecture is scheduled to start at 11:00. At 10:57 my host invites me for tea. I arrive in class at 11:20. The students were sitting there, waiting. I felt very uncomfortable but it seems I was the only one who cared.
India time. Flight is scheduled to depart at 08:00. At 7:45 I am still told to sit and not to worry. The ground steward has a limited vocabulary: “Five minutes” and “Not to worry”. Which made me very worried. I wondered whether issuing a boarding pass, checking luggage and going through security check can be done in 15 minutes. If this is possible, then surely a new world record would have been set.
New world record was not set. The flight was delayed by 25 minutes. Still, not as bad as I thought the case might be. The entire process took 40 minutes.
Advantages
Rich heritage
Natural resources
Democracy
Gandhi non-violence heritage
Hard working people
Innovative minds
Hospitable and kind people
Cultural diversity
Problems
Cast system
Muslim community
Tribal community
Status of women
Free speech
Corruption
Water
Poverty
Infrastructure
Gap between rich and poor
Natural resources do not reach the people
Lack of law and order
No private space, manifested on the roads. Lack of mutual respect. Chaos.
Free Press
At Nirma University Institute of Law I shared a panel with Chief Editor of The Times of India Ajay Umat, and journalist and human rights activist Salil Tripathi. The panel was held under the apt title “Baptism by Fire: Trial of Speech, Democracy and Media in India”.
It was a fascinating and provocative free press panel, providing much food for thoughts for both students and academics. At one point, the moderator looked increasingly agitated and worried. She passed me a note saying that she is afraid of the consequences of the speech made by one of the speakers who criticized the government. Later she ordered to delete the video of the event.
Muslim Hatred
Muslims are pushed to the periphery of society. They hold very few power positions. They have negligible voice and hardly any representation.
The hatred expressed against Muslims reminded me of slogans and statements I heard in Israel against Arabs. The vitriol language, the mistrust, the damning generalisations. Disgusting. The major difference that in Israel such expressions usually come from uneducated, uncultivated and unrefined people. In India, these expressions are made by upper cast, so-called educated and refined people. Racism is racism. Ugly and appalling.
Jews
“I admire the Jews”.
My immediate question: “Why?”
I received different answers. Because of our tradition, history, positive influence on the world. But also because “The Jews control everything: Wall Street is controlled by Jews. Media is controlled by Jews. Governments are controlled by Jews. High Teach. You control the world”.
To this my response is: “I wish”.
Ahmedabad Synagogue
In each and every city I visit throughout the world I always inquire: Is there a synagogue in the city? My hosts in Ahmedabad answered in the negative. Later I met a Jew who told me that there is one. On Friday I went to visit the synagogue and the lady who opened the gates for me insisted that I take a photo with the policeman who guards the place. I invited my student-guide to join.
I returned to the evening prayer with two of my hosts, a Muslim and a Hindu. For both of them, this was the first time they ever set foot in a synagogue. For both, it was the first time they heard and understood the word “synagogue”. My small contribution to knowledge and Jewish hospitality.
Israel
In Udaipur my three hosts took me to a coffee shop that is frequented by Israelis and which serves food that Israelis like. Indeed, upon arrival we met a young Israeli. I knew he was an Israeli by the third English word he uttered. I approached him in Hebrew and Eddie responded in Hebrew.
Eddie invited himself to our table, joined in our conversation, showed us pictures from his trips in India and shared card tricks. Upon departing the coffee shop, we hugged Eddie one after the other. I told my hosts: This is one of the many reasons why I love Israel.
Netanyahu Visit
I was happy that PM Netanyahu visited the Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad. I was invited to be there and in the following hi-tech event but could not make it. I served on the abovementioned free speech panel and later that day travelled to deliver another lecture in Baroda. The long road celebrated the visit with photos of the two PMs, Modi and Netanyahu, and flags of the two countries. Warmed my heart.
Conspiracy Theories
In India, more than anywhere else, I noticed the prominence of conspiracy theories. Many young people do not read books. They get their information from the Internet, and there are many dubious sources on the Internet. Thus people asked my opinion about all kind of nonsense. Jews control the USA. Jews are behind Donald Trump policies. Jews control Britain. Jewish government of the world. “The Elders of Zion” seems to be very much alive in India, thank you very much. Plus Holocaust denial. No evidence that the Holocaust exists. No evidence of gas in Auschwitz. There is evidence for swimming pools.
Cuisine
Indian food in India is totally different from Indian food in Britain and Israel. I asked for dishes I know. No one recognized the names. Very misleading.
Engagement Party
In Jaipur I was invited to a colourful engagement party. Met the groom. Looked for the bride. Could not find her. She is not around. In Rajasthan, engagement parties include the groom, relatives and friends. The bride is free to do shopping...
Traffic
The traffic in India is something else. Israel is notorious for its drivers and their reckless driving habits; Italy is quite bad; but compared to India, the Israeli and Italian drivers are respectful, kind and careful. In every minute I witnessed dozens of driving violations and near accidents. The Global status report on road safety 2013 estimates that more than 231,000 people are killed in road traffic crashes in India every year. Approximately half of all deaths on the country's roads are among vulnerable road users - motorcyclists, pedestrians and cyclists. When you see how people drive, you understand the tragedy. Just imagine a busy junction where cars and motorcycles are driven simultaneously in four different directions, ignoring traffic lights, and a truck full of policemen at the side of the road, doing nothing (well, chatting and sleeping).
Honking in India is a strong habit. Drivers honk all the time. In many rickshaws, there is a request at the back: “Please honk”. And they do.
Cows and Stray Dogs
India is the first country where I saw a staggering number of stray dogs on the streets. Strange phenomenon. I expected cows. I did not expect to see so many street dogs.
Priorities of Indian Politics
These should be:
Drinking tap water
Electricity in every home and institution
Improving infrastructure
Poverty
I wish to see candidates putting these high on their agenda.
I thank my generous hosts for the kind hospitality which made this trip memorable and eventful.
My New Article - “On the Philosophical Foundations of Medical Ethics: Aristotle, Kant, JS Mill and Rawls”, Ethics, Medicine and Public Health (Available online 22 November 2017).
Abstract
This article aims to trace back some of the theoretical foundations of medical ethics that stem from the philosophies of Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill and John Rawls. The four philosophers had in mind rational and autonomous human beings who are able to decide their destiny, who pave for themselves the path for their own happiness. It is argued that their philosophies have influenced the field of medical ethics as they crafted some very important principles of the field. I discuss the concept of autonomy according to Kant and JS Mill, Kant’s concepts of dignity, benevolence and beneficence, Mill’s Harm Principle (nonmaleficence), the concept of justice according to Aristotle, Mill and Rawls, and Aristotle’s concept of responsibility.
The article is available at https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3077271
Novel: David Grossman, A Horse Walks into a Bar (2014)
This is a story about one evening in the life of a stand-up comedian in Netanya, a resort city in Israel known for its beautiful beach, and much less enchanting crime and corruption. Grossman is a novelist who likes to experiment. This book has one chapter. One chapter consisting dense 190 pages telling the story of Dovale Gee, from young age until that evening. Grossman, master of words, a beautiful Israeli with yiddishkat and a most sensitive soul, reaches new heights in this light-heavy book. The book is both light and heavy because it can be read on different levels:
One simplistic level: the jokes, the descriptions of faces, movements, people in the audience and their reaction to Dovale.
Another level relates to Israel. Like many of Grossman’s books, this book is SO Israeli. I doubt outsiders are capable to understand the book as Grossman intended.
Another level is the Hebrew, ohhh this wonderful, ingenious Hebrew, playing with words, twisting and turning, adding, distracting, moving in different directions, imagining, insinuating, inventing, alleging, provoking. A work of a genius.
And much deeper level in which we understand Dovale, where he comes from, what shaped his life and made him the eternal cynical who uploaded on himself layers of defences from the cruel world around him. His parents, Holocaust survivors; his so-called friends; his so-called family; his so-called audience who are ambivalent regarding the dark, painful jokes which Dovale showers on them, far too disturbing to make them laugh.
The book ends when the stand-up evening ends. But is this an end? Is this a proper end? For a book? This is so Grossman because by this Grossman wishes to say: This is life. Most of the time there is no clear end. Death is a clear end but killing Dovale on stage would be too melodramatic, too tragic. Dovale does not deserve this. And the readers do not deserve such depressing end after enduring 190 dense pages of macabre moments. Grossman wanted to tell a story about a man, and the story continues with the problems, with the sorrows, with the jokes. Maybe Grossman will be tempted to continue telling Dovale’s story in another book?
Some readers may read the book and for them it will be a fluffy experience, like a passing cloud. Other readers may read and reread the book, penetrate and discover more layers of creativity and thinking. It is your choice.
**** on Rafi’s scale
New Book by Nancy Hartevelt Kobrin
Were there really Jews living in Somalia? This book answers that question in the affirmative. THE LAST TWO JEWS OF MOGADISHU is the first book ever to sketch out the history of these forgotten Jews, mainly focused on the crypto-Jewish community in Mogadishu. It is based on a set of email correspondence (including over 300 exchanges) between the author and a young man with his mother, of Adenite and Yemenite Jewish heritage, both born and raised in Somalia. Their respective families had lived in Somalia over 100 years. THE LAST TWO JEWS OF MOGADISHU tells their story against the background of horrendous violence, primarily perpetrated by the terrorist group Al Shabaab. THE LAST TWO JEWS OF MOGADISHU is a must read for anyone interested in Somalia. It is an aspiration to recuperate a more pluralistic society for Somalia concerning minorities. The author became interested in Somalia, while living 30 years in Minnesota, having been recruited there on a special Bush Fellowship to undertake her doctorate in Islamic Literature. Upon completion of her degree, Hartevelt Kobrin went on to undertake psychoanalytic training, and from there shifted her area of inquiry and expertise from trauma studies into counterterrorism. Her specialty is early childhood development, specializing in the mind and body language of the jihadi. THE LAST TWO JEWS OF MOGADISHU is her fifth book.
Gem of the Month – Whitby
Whitby on the North Yorkshire coast, is a picturesque seaside town that lays claim to fame for a number of reasons. It was in Whitby that Captain James Cook began his seafaring career; it was here that the writer Bram Stoker first had the idea for his legendary novel, Dracula; and Whitby was and is one of the UK’s principal fishing ports. If you like fish and chips, Whitby is the place for you. If you are a Goth, you probably heard or have been in Whitby. And if you simply like sea scenery, come and enjoy.
Gem of the Month – Gandhi Ashram
My list of all-time heroes, people I admire, is short. It includes one Indian: Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi.
I was privileged to visit Gandhi Ashram, Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, a place of tranquility, peace and reflection.
While at the Ashram, Gandhi formed a school that focused on manual labour, agriculture and literacy to promote self-sufficiency. It was from here that on 12 March 1930 Gandhi embarked on the Dandi march, 241 miles from the Ashram, in protest of the British Salt Law, which taxed Indian salt in an effort to promote sales of British salt in India. This mass awakening led to the arrest of some 60,000 freedom fighter protestors.
Gem of the Month – Taj Mahal
Visiting the Taj was one of my dreams. Taj Mahal means Crown Palace. In Hebrew, mahal means a group of tents. The Taj is certainly not a group of tents. It is a magnificent building, breath taking piece of architecture that manifests megalomania, aesthetics, ambition, foresight, creativity and imagination. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan wished the world to know just how much he loved his wife when he ordered to build this world wonder to be her, and his, resting place. The building of this mausoleum lasted twenty years (circa 1632-1652). more than 20,000 slaves from India, Persia, Europe and the Ottoman Empire, along with some 1,000 elephants, worked to make this world wonder come true. Many paid with their lives. The result is extraordinary.
Discrimination against tourists is staggering. I paid Rs1000. My hosts paid Rs40 each. This is unjust. I have visited many countries around the world. It is the first time I witness such tourist discrimination.
Monthly Poems
Gabrielle
If I be blinded
I would recognise your scent
And there would be a radiance
Of our life well spent
And if I would be deaf
And hear no sound of joy
There would still be the wonderment
Of being each other’s toy
And when the final moments come
It is to you that I will beat my parting drum
David N. Weisstub, from The Four Corners
Light Side
From Israeli humorist, Efraim Kishon (Kishont Ferenc):
Israel is the only country in the world where patients visiting physicians end up giving the doctor advice.
Israel is the only country in the world where no one cares what rules say when an important goal can be achieved by bending them.
Israel is one of the few countries in the world that truly likes and admires the United States.
Israel is the only country in the world where the coffee is already so good that Starbucks went bankrupt trying to break into the local market.
Peace and Love. Yours as ever,
Rafi
My last communications are available on http://almagor.blogspot.com/
Earlier posts at my home page: http://hcc.haifa.ac.il/~rca/
People wishing to subscribe to this Monthly Newsletter are welcome to e-mail me at r.cohen-almagor@hull.ac.uk
Earlier posts at my home page: http://hcc.haifa.ac.il/~rca/
People wishing to subscribe to this Monthly Newsletter are welcome to e-mail me at r.cohen-almagor@hull.ac.uk
Follow me on Twitter at @almagor35
