Politics – November-December 2019-Elections
Blog News
Personal News
Elections in Israel
Gideon Sa’ar
Elections in the United Kingdom
Proposal: Limiting PM Term in Office
Benny Gantz on State and Religion
Uncle Sam Continues to Support Israel
PA Presidential and Legislative Elections
Labelling Products from the Occupied Territories
Poll on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Rabbi Lord Sacks - House of Lords debate on antisemitism
Antisemitism-Barometer-2019
Merkel visits Auschwitz
Most Powerful Countries 2019
Great News - Israel Moves into a Coal-free Era of Power Production
Great News - Karish Natural Gas Field Off Israel’s Shore Found to be Much Bigger than Thought
Great News – Unemployment at 3.4% - Lowest in 40 Years
Great News – Teva Launches Anti-Cancer Treatment
Great News – Nine Israeli Startups are in TIME Magazine’s 100 Best Inventions for 2019
Guest Article - DOOMSDAY DEPRESSION – REALITY OR PHANTASM? BY JACQUES CORY
Detecting and Treating Prostate Cancer
Belgium in WWII
Conductor Zubin Mehta takes final bow with Israel Philharmonic
Gem of the Month – The Place of Rhodes 1949 Armistice
Gem of the Month – Lindos Acropolis
Gem of the Month – Grand Place Brussels
Movie of the Month - Brain on Fire (2016)
Monthly Poem
Light Side
Happy Festivals of Lights, Hanukah and Christmas
Blog News
I have been running this monthly blog for a long time, since 2000. After nineteen years I have decided that from now on I will write on important issues when they arise every few months or so. You are welcome to raise questions and queries as before and I will attend to them, but not as promptly as before.
Elections in Israel
Common sense says that if the vast majority of people do not want something in a democracy, that something will not happen. Wrong.
I did not think Israel will be heading for elections for the third time because the vast majority of Israel oppose this. I underestimated what Mr Netanyahu is willing to do to evade justice. I did not underestimate his ability to manipulate the political system. Netanyahu is a very powerful man. But I did not think that he will drag Israel to this for his selfish motives.
Well, he did.
The result: At least five more months of continued paralysis, significant harm to the economy and to the vulnerable populations and zero attempt to sort the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a constructive way. I am worried about Israeli democracy that lacks sufficient checks and balances to avoid such an unfortunate result.
I hope the Israeli electorate will bear this in mind as they go to the polls and this time will give Benny Gantz a clear mandate to comprise a coalition.
Gideon Sa’ar
The only person who has been challenging Netanyahu within Likud is Gideon Sa’ar. Supporters of the peace camp see little hope for peace if Sa’ar will replace Netanyahu. Sa’ar recently said that a two-state solution with the Palestinians is an “illusion,” and attacked the PM for giving the notion credibility: “Throughout the world they say that a two-state solution remains the path to an agreement… I have to say to you, this is not a position that helps anyone. Two-states in an illusion.” Sa’ar said this had been shown through decades of negotiations based around two-states that had failed to bring peace. He also blamed the Palestinians for “never being able to agree to a compromise, despite very generous offers.”
Elections in the United Kingdom
People were fed up with the Brexit standstill. They want to move on.
And they did not like Corbyn.
Boris Johnson won with a landslide. 326 seats needed to win. The Tories got comfortable win with 365 seats, +47 compared to the last elections. Labour lost 59 seats and now have 203 seats in the House of Commons.
I look forward to Labour internal elections. I hope they make a good choice this time.
Proposal: Limiting PM Term in Office
Israel should consider legislation that would limit prime minister term in office to two terms and/or maximum of eight years. We are reminded by Lord Acton’s statement: Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Benny Gantz on State and Religion
Blue and White leader MK Benny Gantz announced that he will embrace all streams of Judaism if he were to become prime minister. “When I will be the Prime Minister of Israel, I will embrace all streams of Judaism. We are part of an inspiringly colorful mosaic of cultures and traditions. I will nurture this pluralism,” said Gantz as he addressed Jewish leaders from around the world attending The Jewish Agency for Israel Board of Governors in Jerusalem.
Gantz said he will also push for the implementation of the Western Wall agreement, a compromise reached between orthodox and non-orthodox Jewish denominations, according to which the non-Orthodox "mixed" prayer area for men and women was supposed to be expanded in the southern part of the Western Wall.
Uncle Sam Continues to Support Israel
The U.S. Senate passed the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes U.S.-Israel missile-defense cooperation and up to $25 million for U.S.-Israel counter-unmanned aerial-systems cooperation, as well as sanctioned President Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria, and its allies Iran and Russia. U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the $738 billion measure, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives.
PA Presidential and Legislative Elections
Head of the political branch of the Hamas terrorist group, Ismail Haniyeh, said that the Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas approved presidential and legislative elections. Haniyeh said that he has met with the chairman of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission (CEC) Hanna Nasir, who updated him of Abbas’s approval. The Hamas leader also revealed that the two discussed the guidelines and details of the electoral process, which Haniyeh described as “real reconciliation.” In a separate report, Director of the CEC Hisham Kahil told PA-run Palestine Radio that the Palestinian president would soon pave the way to legislative elections in February by issuing a decree to formalize the process.
Labelling Products from the Occupied Territories
The European Union's top court ruled that EU countries must identify products made in Israeli settlements on their labels. The European Court of Justice said that "foodstuffs originating in the territories occupied by the State of Israel must bear the indication of their territory of origin." When products come from an Israeli settlement, their labeling must provide an "indication of that provenance" so that consumers can make "informed choices" when they shop. The EU has consistently spoken out against Israeli settlement expansion, saying it undermines the hopes for a two-state solution by gobbling up lands claimed by the Palestinians. See also, “Israel rejects ‘unacceptable’ EU court decision on settlement labeling” (TOI)
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-rejects-unacceptable-eu-court-decision-on-settlement-labeling/
Poll on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
The recent Peace Index shows that the measure of support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel is 41%. The percentage of support for continuing the present situation is 36%. The percentage of support for annexation and the establishment of one state under Israeli rule with limited rights for Palestinians is 29%.
Respondents were asked three further questions:
In your opinion, to what extent does the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians harm or not harm Israel?
The replies indicate that, among the Jewish public, there is almost full agreement (82.5%) that the conflict greatly harms or harms Israel to a certain extent, while only 13% think the opposite.
Most of the Arab public (53.5%) also think that the continuing conflict harms Israel, but about a third (35%) believe that the conflict does no harm to Israel.
In your opinion, do decision makers in Israel do everything that they can to prevent the next round of fighting?
Among the Jewish public, 20% replied that they do everything they can, while 54% believe that they make some effort, but not enough and 21% feel that decision makers are not doing anything to prevent the next round.
Among the Arab public, only 16% replied that they are doing everything they can, in contrast to 24% who believe that they do not do enough and 46% who feel that they are not doing anything.
The third question is interesting. In light of the fact that the state comptroller and experts knowledgeable about government functioning report that there has not been a fundamental and professional investigation seeking political alternatives that could prevent war, a bill has been proposed, the Political Alternatives First proposal. This provides the background for the question: Do you support or oppose legislation determining that decision makers will be required to develop and deeply examine political alternatives on a routine basis and during emergencies?
The replies indicate that a great majority (60%) of the Israeli public greatly support such legislation or support it to a certain extent, while only 20% oppose such legislation and another 20% did not have an opinion.
Source: October Peace Index, Tel Aviv University.
Rabbi Lord Sacks - House of Lords debate on antisemitism
Watch. Listen. Debate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq2G9i11IiY
Merkel visits Auschwitz
On December 6, 2019, German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Auschwitz for the first time in her 14 years as premier. Merkel’s trip, the first by a German chancellor in almost a quarter-century, comes just two months after a deadly shooting at a synagogue in Halle, and as Germany once again grapples with rising anti-Semitism.
The Washington Post reported about the visit, referring to Auschwitz as a “concentration camp”. I wrote to the author of the report, noting that Auschwitz was first and foremost a death camp. Most people who “visited” Auschwitz did not last there for long. Auschwitz is notorious as the murder place of more than 1.1.million people, including children.
http://auschwitz.org/en/
Most Powerful Countries 2019
Defining the world’s most powerful countries is not always clear-cut and can be subjective. The most powerful countries are the ones that shape global economic patterns, preoccupy policymakers, and tend to have strong defense and military. Foreign policies of powerful countries are closely tracked and consistently dominate news headlines around the world.
U.S. News and World Report, in partnership with BAV Group and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, has found a way to rank the world’s most powerful countries in its Best Countries rankings. The report surveyed over 20,000 people from four regions around the world. Respondents were asked to associate 80 countries with five attributes: military alliances, international alliances, political influence, economic influence, and leadership.
The top 10 most powerful nations according to the 2019 Best Countries report are:
Antisemitism-Barometer-2019
Incitement against Jews is proliferating, antisemitic crime is going unpunished, and in our politics Jew-hatred is becoming commonplace. This study has measured the results: a population in which antisemitic views have currency, and a Jewish community that has lost faith in the criminal justice system and politicians to protect it from racists, and now fears for its very future in Britain.
The report is available at
https://antisemitism.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Antisemitism-Barometer-2019.pdf
Great News - Israel Moves into a Coal-free Era of Power Production
Israel will move into a coal-free era of power production by the end of 2025, five years earlier than originally targeted. The use of coal for electricity production has been increasingly replaced by natural gas in recent years, with the Energy Ministry previously targeting the total elimination of coal by 2030. Since 2015, electricity production from coal has been halved, according to the ministry. Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz announced: “The Ministry of Energy, under my leadership, has been leading a new policy in recent years to wean Israel off of polluting fuels, and encourage the use of natural gas and renewable energy”.
Great News - Karish Natural Gas Field Off Israel’s Shore Found to be Much Bigger than Thought
Energean Oil and Gas plc, a Greek gas producer focused on the Mediterranean, said that its appraisal of the Karish North discovery offshore Israel has revealed 0.9 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of recoverable natural gas resources plus 34 million barrels of light oil or condensate.
The firm had already discovered 2.4 tcf of natural gas at the Karish and Tanin fields, along with 33 million barrels of light oil. Energean has already signed accords to sell 4.7 billion cubic meters a year of the fuel to Israeli customers.
Light crude oil is a liquid petroleum that has a low density and low viscosity than heavy crude oil. Natural gas condensate is a mixture of hydrocarbon liquids that are present in the raw natural gas produced at gas fields.
Israel, a nation traditionally starved of natural resources, believes the discovery of natural gas reserved off its shores in the Mediterranean will lead it to energy independence and make it an exporter of gas. The Karish and Tanin natural gas fields sit alongside the larger Tamar and Leviathan deposits in Israel’s economic waters in the Mediterranean.
Great News – Unemployment at 3.4% - Lowest in 40 Years
Israel’s unemployment rate fell from 3.6% in September to a record low of 3.4% in October.
Great News – Teva Launches Anti-Cancer Treatment
Israel’s Teva is launching Truxima, a biosimilar for Rituxan - Roche’s oncology treatment. It is initially targeted at non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma patients but also could treat rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions.
See Teva Is Pulling an Ace From its Sleeve in its Attempt to Reinvent Itself https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3773475,00.html
Great News – Nine Israeli Startups are in TIME Magazine’s 100 Best Inventions for 2019
They are Or Cam, Theranica, WaterGen, Tyto Care, Temi, ECOncrete, Eviation Aircraft, Intuition Robotics and Lemonade.
Guest Article - DOOMSDAY DEPRESSION – REALITY OR PHANTASM? BY JACQUES CORY
In 2009, I published a book forecasting a Doomsday Depression in 2020 as a result of the imperative necessity to change the basic rules of capitalism, especially in its neo liberal approach, which has caused crises – more and more frequent with higher and higher damages. Today, most prominent economists forecast at least a major recession in the near future. According to Fortune July 11, 2019: "Experts are debating whether a recession is in the cards for 2020 (Fortune reported that 60% of economists think so), or if this expansion has room to run. But one thing is indisputable: several recession warning signals are already flashing." In an August 2019 survey of 226 economists conducted by the National Association for Business Economics, 38% of respondents said they believe the U.S. will enter its next recession in 2020, and 34% picked 2021; only 14% say it will occur after that. FORTUNE Analytics stated on October 11, 2019 that "Management Insiders Forecast a 2020 Recession".
Economic downturns are part of our life and they are not new, nor are the causes of the downturns new, at least not in the last couple of hundred years – greed, excessive leverage, lack of regulation, insufficient transparency, creative accounting and finance, and maximization of profits at all cost. What is new is the scope of the Economic Whirl, starting in billions twenty years ago, reaching trillions in 2008, and getting larger and larger at every stage, with the risk of endangering the world economy. We could apply the standard medicines, such as lowering the interest rates, but they are now almost 0, pouring money into the economy, but we've reached the maximum with trillions, and, most of all, blaming Wall Street and the neo-liberals and pitying Main Street and the individuals who are the victims. We tend to forget that we are living in democracies and that no one forced us to invest in hedge funds, in speculative financial instruments, in subprime mortgages or to vote for the neo-liberal governments, we could blame only ourselves that we voted for populist regimes.
We need to find unconventional ways to fight this whirl, to think outside the box, to adopt creative solutions, to establish a New Sustainable Society. What should we do? In the long run to implement the remedies that I devised in my books, but now it is too late to prevent the Depression. In the short run – today - I recommend my friends to divest from all investments in real estate, in the stock exchange – shares, government and industrial bonds, derivatives, and keep their money in FDIC insured deposits in several banks. The risk is losing a return on investment for 2020, but the prospect is to prevent a loss of up to 50% or even 90%, as in the 1929 Depression. You could of course invest in derivatives betting on the scope and timing of the crisis, but it is too risky. Or you could wait like Warren Buffett for bargains/windfalls should the Depression occurs.
Detecting and Treating Prostate Cancer
For Men’s Health Awareness Month, here are 7 Israeli startups focused on detection and treatment of prostate cancer. Two have not been reported here previously. They are Keren Medical’s anastomosis device for bladder operations; and UC-Care’s ultrasound tumor tracking tools.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3772959,00.html
http://www.kerenmedical.com/index.html https://www.uc-care.com/
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3772959,00.html
http://www.kerenmedical.com/index.html https://www.uc-care.com/
Belgium in WWII
Nazi Germany was unable to exterminate two thirds of European Jewry without the help and support of the local populations.
Belgium is one of the many countries that refuse to tackle their past and learn the required lessons.
A Belgian scholar told me the following: During WWII, the population was divided to Nazi sympathizers and supporters, and to those who resisted Nazism. Among the Flemish population, 60% were pro-Nazi. Among the French population, 50%. The pro-Nazi called themselves “Black”. The resistance called themselves “White”. The Black were proud to be called Black. That meant for them that they are Aryan, proud, elite, superior, efficient, better than the others. Throughout the war, the Blacks actively helped the Nazis in all their activities. After the war, some of Blacks were punished, but it was impossible to punish more than half of the population. Belgium never tackled this issue that continues to linger on as families continue to live with the legacy of racism. This issue does not stop in the war generation as the children of the Blacks were exposed to the controversy.
My colleague’s grandfather was Black. He continued to be Black until the day he died. His wife was not. She was also punished after the war due to her association with the known Nazi. The couple had twelve children. They continue to grapple with the horrors of WWII.
Conductor Zubin Mehta takes final bow with Israel Philharmonic
Maestro Zubin Mehta, one of my favourite conductors, took the stage in Tel Aviv for an emotional final performance as music director of the Israel Philharmonic, retiring after 50 years with the orchestra.
The 83-year-old, who underwent treatment for a cancerous tumor last year and walked with a cane, earned a long standing ovation from the packed house as he said “goodbye to my family,” as he put it in an interview beforehand.
The final performance included Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, known as Resurrection, at the Mediterranean city’s Charles Bronfman Auditorium.
Gem of the Month – The Place of Rhodes 1949 Armistice
My peace research brought me to Rhodes to participate in a conference that noted The 1949 Rhodes Armistices - 70 Years After. We had a festive dinner at the location where the armistice agreement between Israel and Egypt was signed. Now the place is a casino.
The agreement was signed on this table. This table, and few photos, tell the story in a section of the casino that regular customers are probably not aware of.
The casino manager hosted us together with the Deputy Mayor of Rhodes in an adjacent room. It was a very pleasant evening.
Gem of the Month – Lindos Acropolis
One-hour bus ride from the city of Rhodes you can see the Lindos well-preserved acropolis. The walk to the acropolis is short, 30 minutes, yet demanding as a steep-stepped footpath climbs the rocky 116m-high headland above the village of Lindos. First fortified in the 6th century BC, the ancient remains include the Temple to Athena Lindia and a 20-columned Hellenistic stoa. The sea views are stunning as well.
Gem of the Month – Grand Place Brussels
Brussels’ central plaza is beautiful 365 days of the year, especially during this time of the year, when it is lighted and festive. Night and day, it is great place to visit and enjoy.
Movie of the Month - Brain on Fire (2016)
Susannah Cahalan, 21-year-old NY reporter, started to feel badly. Then she developed seizures and became incoherent and even violent. She was hospitalised and was misdiagnosed as schizophrenic, or maybe bi-polar, or psychotic, or… . Her medical condition continued to deteriorate as she became catatonic. Physicians could not understand what exactly was wrong with her. They wished to send her to a psychiatric ward. But then, her saviour arrived. Dr Souhel Najjar. He asked her to draw a clock which brought him to conclude that Susannah suffered from Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), a rare inflammatory condition that affects the brain and spinal cord. It often follows on from a minor infection such as a cold, and is the result of the immune system becoming mis-programmed, and activating immune cells to attack the healthy myelin (a fatty protective coating) covering the nerves.
Chlo Grace Moretz is excellent playing Susannah Cahalan and the supporting cast is great as well. This is a moving film, based on a true story, unfolding a human drama that could have resulted in a loss of young life. Luckily for Susannah, she had the support she needed to overcome the disease and return to normal life.
The film is not easy to watch, troubling yet gripping.
**** on Rafi’s scale
Read Susannah Cahalan, Brain On Fire: My Month of Madness, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brain-Fire-My-Month-Madness/dp/0141975342
See UK Interview with Susannah Cahalan, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xT6BIFv-IE
Monthly Poem
November
Who said November’s face was grim?
Who said her voice was harsh and sad?
I heard her sing in wood paths dim,
I met her on the shore, so glad,
So smiling, I could kiss her feet!
There never was a month so sweet.
Who said her voice was harsh and sad?
I heard her sing in wood paths dim,
I met her on the shore, so glad,
So smiling, I could kiss her feet!
There never was a month so sweet.
October’s splendid robes, that hid
The beauty of the white-limbed trees,
Have dropped in tatters; yet amid
Those perfect forms the gazer sees
A proud wood-monarch here and there
Garments of wine-dipped crimson wear.
The beauty of the white-limbed trees,
Have dropped in tatters; yet amid
Those perfect forms the gazer sees
A proud wood-monarch here and there
Garments of wine-dipped crimson wear.
In precious flakes the autumnal gold
Is clinging to the forest’s fringe:
Yon bare twig to the sun will hold
Each separate leaf, to show the tinge
Of glorious rose-light reddening through
Its jewels, beautiful as few.
Is clinging to the forest’s fringe:
Yon bare twig to the sun will hold
Each separate leaf, to show the tinge
Of glorious rose-light reddening through
Its jewels, beautiful as few.
Where short-lived wild-flowers bloomed and died
The slanting sunbeams fall across
Vine-broideries, woven from side to side
Above mosaics of tinted moss.
So does the Eternal Artist’s skill
Hide beauty under beauty still.
The slanting sunbeams fall across
Vine-broideries, woven from side to side
Above mosaics of tinted moss.
So does the Eternal Artist’s skill
Hide beauty under beauty still.
And, if no note of bee or bird
Through the rapt stillness of the woods
Or the sea’s murmurous trance be heard,
A Presence in these solitudes
Upon the spirit seems to press
The dew of God’s dear silences.
Through the rapt stillness of the woods
Or the sea’s murmurous trance be heard,
A Presence in these solitudes
Upon the spirit seems to press
The dew of God’s dear silences.
And if, out of some inner heaven,
With soft relenting comes a day
Whereto the heart of June is given, —
All subtle scents and spicery
Through forest crypts and arches steal,
With power unnumbered hurts to heal.
With soft relenting comes a day
Whereto the heart of June is given, —
All subtle scents and spicery
Through forest crypts and arches steal,
With power unnumbered hurts to heal.
Through yonder rended veil of green,
That used to shut the sky from me,
New glimpses of vast blue are seen;
I never guessed that so much sea
Bordered my little plot of ground,
And held me clasped so close around.
This is the month of sunrise skies
Intense with molten mist and flame;
Out of the purple deeps arrive
Colors no painter yet could name:
Gold-lilies and the cardinal-flower
Were pale against this gorgeous hour.
That used to shut the sky from me,
New glimpses of vast blue are seen;
I never guessed that so much sea
Bordered my little plot of ground,
And held me clasped so close around.
This is the month of sunrise skies
Intense with molten mist and flame;
Out of the purple deeps arrive
Colors no painter yet could name:
Gold-lilies and the cardinal-flower
Were pale against this gorgeous hour.
Still lovelier when athwart the east
The level beam of sunset falls:
The tints of wild-flowers long deceased
Glow then upon the horizon walls;
Shades of the rose and violet
Close to their dear world lingering yet.
The level beam of sunset falls:
The tints of wild-flowers long deceased
Glow then upon the horizon walls;
Shades of the rose and violet
Close to their dear world lingering yet.
What idleness, to moan and fret
For any season fair, gone by!
Life’s secret is not guessed at yet;
Veil under veil its wonders lie.
Through grief and loss made glorious
The soul of past joy lives in us.
For any season fair, gone by!
Life’s secret is not guessed at yet;
Veil under veil its wonders lie.
Through grief and loss made glorious
The soul of past joy lives in us.
More welcome than voluptous gales
This keen, crisp air, as conscience clear:
November breathes no flattering tales;—
The plain truth-teller of the year,
Who wins her heart, and he alone,
Knows she has sweetness all her own.
This keen, crisp air, as conscience clear:
November breathes no flattering tales;—
The plain truth-teller of the year,
Who wins her heart, and he alone,
Knows she has sweetness all her own.
Lucy Larcom
Light Side
Israeli humorist, Efraim Kishon (Kishont Ferenc) said:
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 people call an attache case a "James Bond" and the "@" sign is called a "strudel".
Happy Festivals of Lights, Hanukah and Christmas
Peace and Love. Yours as ever,
Rafi
My last communications are available on Israel: Democracy, Human Rights, Politics and Society, http://almagor.blogspot.com
People wishing to subscribe to this Monthly Newsletter are welcome to e-mail me at r.cohen-almagor@hull.ac.uk
Twitter at @almagor35
