Opuscula Caught between Rock & hard spot Or hammer & anvil?

TWO U.S. CONGRESSWOMEN, members of The Squad and Women of Color want to visit Israel and the PLO-controlled territories.¹

Israel’s I Rule prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, intends to decide if Israel will allow the two anti-Israel, pro-PLO women entry.

 

Left to right: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, & Rashida Tlaib (Reuters)

 

TO ALLOW ANTI-SEMITES into Israel or to deny them entry.

For most Israelis, the question puts them between a rock and a hard spot, or as the Hebrew expression goes, between the anvil and the hammer.

The bigots never have been to Israel, although they are quick to criticize things about which they have zero knowledge.

Tlaib claims she has “Palestinian” roots; defining “Palestinian” is something else.

“Palestinian” as in all the territory controlled by the Turkey and later England — that includes Jordan — or does it include all of Israel and the PLO-controlled areas? Perhaps it should include United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) camps that encourage terrorism.

The problem for the bigots is that to get to PLO-controlled areas, commonly misnamed “Palestine,” they must enter Israel.

They could — and probably should — fly to Amman Jordan and then travel by road to Israel and the PLO areas. They also could travel to Cairo Egypt and enter Aza (Gaza) via the Rafah Border Crossing. Unfortunately, Aza only provides a glimpse of Hamas-control. (On the other hand, they could join Hamas agitators at the Hamas-Israel border and throw missiles at the Israelis on the other side of the fence. Perhaps Hamas will let the women fire a rocket into Israel.)

If it were MY decision, I would let the bigots into Israel and assign them an Israeli Muslim to escort them around Israel — including the Knesset with its several anti-Israel Muslim members — until the escort turns them over to the PLO or Hamas, and again until they leave the country.

They deserve to see how Muslims and Christians live in “apartheid” Israel. Let them travel by limo from Afula to Tel Aviv and see the homes where hard working Muslims reside (and compare them to the homes of some hard working Israeli Jews).

The deserve to see how Muslims and Christians live in PLO-controlled areas, including Beth Lehem (Bethlehem). Are there any Christians still in Aza?

Visit the mall in Aza, then the homes of the leadership. Finally, visit the homes of “average” Aza residents and note the difference.

Let them ask Israeli Muslims if they can buy homes in Israel; if can they open a business in Israel.

Let them ask anyone in the PLO-controlled areas and in Aza if a Jew can buy a house there; if a Jew can open a business there? Actually, ask if a Jew can even work in either place.

Let them ride an Israeli bus or train; do they see any discrimination? I just returned from riding the rails and saw zero discrimination.

Let them go to attractions in Israel — walk along the beach near Haifa — and report if there are any signs of discrimination. (I was on a Haifa-area beach when Israel was being shelled by Hezbollah and watched as a Muslim family strolled along the beach in total safety.)

Let them go to the airport near Tel Aviv and watch as passengers of all religions and races go through security. I have seem Muslims — were they Israeli Muslims or from the PLO or Hamas-controlled areas — go through the checks sans any hindrance or interference while some Jews had to open suitcases for inspection. (I was order to prove my bottles of maheyah (arak) WERE maheyah on one trip, this despite my kippa and Israeli passport.)

I don’t expect the Israeli Muslim escort to be with the bigots when they visit in the PLO and Hamas-controlled areas; that might put the escort’s life in danger.

Let the bigots determine what they want to see in Israel, but make certain they see ALL of the country.

Take them to Israeli hospitals where they will see ALL patients are treated equally.

Take them to Haifa University where Muslims outnumber Jews in the student population and leftist “professors” prevail.

Ask ANY Muslim who reads Hebrew to give them samples from the media; compare HaAretz and Israel HaYom — then do the same with papers published in the PLO and Hamas-controlled areas.

There is more, much, much more the bigots should see while in Israel, the PLO-controlled, and Hamas-controlled areas.

The bottom line question: Will seeing the reality on the ground have any impact?

Bigots are hard to convince that maybe, just maybe, their bigotry is unjustified.

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Sources

1. http://tinyurl.com/yxc3rwrk

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

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Comments on Rock & Hard Spot

Opuscula Airplane Roulette

MY SPOUSE USUALLY makes all the long-distance travel arrangements. I get to make the arrangements to go to my barber.

She likes Spain’s Iberia Airlines.¹

Iberia consistently has the second lowest fares between MIA and TLV. (Turkish Air has lower prices, but with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan running Turkey — and following the attack on a U.S. ship docked at a Turkish port — flying via Turkey is not an option.)

We were booked on an Iberian (IB) flight that was not an IB flight.

The flight was operated by American Airlines (AA).

IB has code sharing with a number of other airlines, including El Al (LY).²

 

MIA > BCN > TLV

AA flew us in a 777-something from MIA to BCN. I like BCN better than MAD, but this time it would not make a difference.

A fellow minyan maker kindly drove us to MIA and dropped us at the AA Departure doors.

Our baggage was checked and wheel chairs requested. We were wheeled to a waiting area (wheel chair transfer point) where we waited until time to clear TSA.

TSA is a farce that depends solely on technology. I was forced out of the wheel chair to be scanned; lacking balance, this is a difficult task. Credit where it is due, the TSA guy did his job quickly.

Once past TSA we were wheeled to the AA waiting area for our IB flight “operated by” AA.

MIA wheel chair pushers accept tips. (I don’t know what they are paid. Most service workers in the U.S. depend on tips.)

AA provided pushers to the plane’s door and we found our seats.

The flight was uneventful; the kosher meal was OK.

We arrived at BCN and were instructed to wait onboard until a special lift arrived. The lift was a scissor bus that, once all of us were on board, lowered itself to “normal” mode. We were driven to a secure transfer point where airport personnel took control.

From the secure transfer point we were wheeled to the Spanish equivalent of TSA where we were again inspected for contraband.

 

Keep in mind we cleared inspection in the U.S. and never were out of sight of security personnel.

 

We were wheeled to the waiting area for our flight to TLV.

All flights from anywhere direct to an Israeli destination have a pre-boarding check by Israeli security.

The Israelis wisely determine risks based on profiling, a practice banned in the U.S.

No need to take off shoes or belt, no need to empty pockets. The answers to a few innocuous questions determine Go or No Go.

When the LY flight was ready to board we were pushed to the door of another 777-something and found our seats.

Like the AA flight, the LY leg was OK; nothing to write home about.

As before, anyone needing assistance was told to remain seated until wheel chairs were at the door.

At TLV we were transferred from a chair to a cart and then back to a chair. We quickly cleared passport control — there is a special booth for handicapped passengers — collected our baggage and met our son-in-law and our favorite grand-daughter. It’s OK to play favorites; she’s our ONLY grand-daughter.

 

What did I do until time to board the return flight? It’s all at
http://yohanon.blogspot.com/2019/07/

 

TLV > MAD > MIA

Unlike the U.S., I never have been able to download boarding passes for flights from TLV, Security? Probably.

Security at TLV begins before the passenger gets to the airline’s counter.

People queue up for the “20 questions” review.

Where did you go in Israel?

Did you pack your own bags?

And so on.

This may be the passenger’s first encounter with profiling. It won’t be the last.

Leftists will be disappointed when they see Arabs pass the checkpoint faster than some Jews. This lack of discrimination prevails throughout all inspections.

Once past the initial Q&A session, baggage usually is electronically scanned. I may be ordered to prove my two bottles of arak really ARE two bottles of arak; that won’t be a first … and I’m a Jew traveling on an Israeli passport !

Being handicapped — I am pushed from point to point in a wheelchair — has its advantages.

The main advantages is going to the front of the line.

Some in line may take umbrage with this, but during the trip to and from Israel, no one grumbled. At least no one in my hearing.

I was pushed from the initial Q&A to the airline’s counter to collect my boarding passes and to drop off my single suitcase. (It contained everything, including a computer — no carry on to burden me.)

Good thinking In most airports I have to pass through a metal detector frame and often stand still for a moment. My metal cane goes through another process.

In Israel, my metal cane was taken and I was given a wooden cane to use as I passed throuogh the frame.

Good thinking on someone's part.

I’m a diplomat

Not really, but that’s where wheelchairs are bound for outgoing passengers. I doubt the inspection is any less severe than the regular check, but because there are no lines it is much faster.

My pusher, a delightful young woman, had me transfer to an electric cart for the long jaunt to the designated flight departure area. Wisely — she has done this before — she checked the assigned gate and adjacent gates. The assigned was B8; the real gate was B6. She suggested I should wait midway between the two gates.

I was pushed to the Airbus A330-something’s door and walked to my assigned seat. Getting through the door can be tricky, but there are hand-holds so I managed sans further assistance.

The flight TO Israel was via American (MIA-MAD) and El Al (MAD-TLV) Going back, the flights were Iberia all the way.

I’ve flown Iberia before, but I’ve never — until now — felt my lack of Spanish was a handicap. This time, it seemed that the Flight Attendants (FAs) resented anyone not speaking Spanish. Did they learn to be FA’s in France? We all “survived.”

When we arrived at MAD those needing assistance to a connecting flight debarked through another door onto an elevated platform. As at BCN (ibid.), the platform was lowered and we took seats on a special bus to a sequestered area where we were transferred to MAD chairs. Again, passengers never were out of sight of security personnel.

I dislike MAD — it is a large airport and I always have to go what seems to be miles to get to my connecting flight. The wheelchair pusher knew how to get me from Point A to Point B by the shortest route.

As at TLV, my gate was at the far end of the terminal.

My passport was checked (second time by Iberia; first time at TLV).

My pusher, a young fellow who spoke more English than I speak Spanish, parked me near the departure gate where I waited more than an hour for my next flight. He said someone would collect me and get me to the plane’s door. Someone did.

Gratis — free, too

Unlike MIA (and perhaps other U.S. airports), tips are prohibited. At BCN the pushers pointed out security cameras and explained the “No tipping” rule. At MAD, my pusher briefly stopped at his company’s spot to report on my progress. There I read, in English and Spanish, that the service is “gratis.” I did not see similar signs at TLV, but tips are refused.

My MAD-MIA flight was about 15 minutes late pushing back (and about 30 minutes late landing at MIA,) Why? No idea. All other flights were on time or a bit early.

The MAD-MIA leg in another Airbus A330-something was uneventful.

Whoever assigned my seats always managed to put me on the aisle, best for me.

Airline food never is anything “to write home about,” and that’s my last word on that subject.

I lied. A few more words. If you need a kosher meal on any airline (other than El Al) you must order it EVEN FROM TLV. Not all meals are kosher, a surprise for some Israelis who wanted kosher but, failing to order it, settled for “regular” meals. (The kosher meals from MAD were “glatt” and cooked according to Bet Yosef (beshul Israel). I have the certificates.)

 

BACK IN THE USA

The MAD-MIA flight arrived about 30 minutes late. This time, a wheelchair was waiting at the plane's door — this being my final destination.

My pusher, apparently a recent legal immigrate, spoke little English, “but I am learning.” Bravo! And Kol HaKavod!

He was partnered with a more senior pusher and we rapidly went up a level, rode an internal tram, then down a level (the ups and downs to international travel?) and then first to baggage claim — my carry-on size bag came quickly; amazing — and the to passport control where I was welcomed back, asked a couple of questions (anything to declare?) and cleared.

The pusher then pushed me to the tram that runs between the terminals and the Rental Car Center and other local transportation. He said he couldn’t escort me on the train; beyond area.

I managed on my own the short distance between tram and TriRail’s elevator down to the tracks. I bought my ticket ($3.75) and boarded the waiting train. The TriRail ride was normal.

At the depot I called a neighbor for a ride and discovered that my neighbor had a serious problem getting to the station. There was a fatal accident and the sheriff’s deputies had blocked roads in all directions.

I eventually arrived at the manse at about 6:30.

From 1:30 a.m. Israel time to 6:30 p.m. Eastern time (Israel is 7 hours ahead of Miami) makes a   l-o-n-g   day.

It was a nice visit, but next time, let the grandkids come here to visit. (They want to anyway.)

It’s good to be home.

Sources

1. https://www.iberia.com/il/

2. http://tinyurl.com/y7wt998p

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

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Comments on Visiting Israel

Opuscula Thoughts while Traveling about A small country

I RECENTLY SPENT ABOUT 10 days visiting kin in Israel: Yavne, Kiryat Atah (near Haifa), and Bet Shean.

RIDING THE ISRAIL (Israel Railways) started off with a surprise. The seniors’ (50%) discount is no more. Not for non-residents, anyway. Still, the ₪47 fare to travel between Yavne to a Haifa-area station wasn’t all that painful. 1

Along the way, in addition to the ubiquitous cranes putting up new high-rise buildings, I noticed that many — most? — older buildings had old-style barrel solar water heating units. This “style” dates back to at least the 1950s.

No big deal, except . . .

Except that adjacent to the 50 gallon or so tanks were the latest and greatest dishes for tv reception.

The Middle East being what it is, one of the most popular shows, a soap opera, is from Turkey. (Until Recep Tayyip Erdoğan took over the country, Israel and Turkey enjoyed a decent commercial relationship. Erdogan’s rule may be coming to an end; his party just lost control of Istanbul by a large margin.)

In “my day,” Israel had ONE tv station. Depending on where you lived and the antenna on the roof, you also could watch Lebanese, Jordanian, Egyptian, or Cypriot stations. (I used to watch, c 1976, news from Israel and from Jordan. Interesting.)

Israel now has multiple stations — my Haifa-area host insisted on constantly switching between Channels 12 and 13. I’m a “news freak” and that drove me nuts.

After several days in Haifa my host drove us to Bet Shean where most of the kin work and live.

Same scenario — tanks and dishes. Where you don’t see dishes, the cable guy had customers.

Almost every Israeli has a “smart phone” and most of my kin are hooked on WhatsApp. WhatsApp is to smart phones as pre-Microsoft Skype was to laptops. (WhatsApp is so far not on computers.)

Penguins

Everywhere I went I wished I had brought a jacket and heavy socks.

Air conditioning is in almost every home; certainly in every place I visited.

The standard setting is 24^oC; for me, that’s uncomfortably cold. ²

In Yavne: 24C

In Haifa: 24C

In Bet Shean: 24C

It was like being in a hospital where temperatures are germ-chilling low.

Traveling by train (Israil) was warmer.

I like trains even if a change (or two) of trains is necessary, but wait times between trains are brief.

The coaches are clean, have wi-fi and AC. The trains are, with rare exception, ON TIME.

I took the train from Bet Shean to Yavne; cost: ₪52.50¹ for the 4-hour trip. It might have been less time if I had changed trains when I should have, but all-in-all, not bad. (See route map, below.)

Getting on and off the trains can be challenging for the mobility impaired — which I am. On the other hand, most travelers are patient and helpful. They can be “pushy” — think about any metro rail system — but a person with an obvious disability is treated kindly.

 

Map of Israil routes and stations

 

Ethiopians

During my stay the cops shot and killed an Ethiopian youth.

Many in the Ethiopian community hit the streets, blocking traffic, burning tires.

TO BE FAIR, I lack all the information I need to properly report the incidents.

UNLIKE in the U.S., these people did not damage local merchants.

The Ethiopians were quickly joined by non-Ethiopian (read “white”) supporters.

The police promised to investigate the shooting and the actions that led up to it.

Two days later the police cleared their officer of any wrong-doing.

According to the Jerusalem Post,³ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on protestors to halt blocking the roads, saying that he knew there were “problems that still need to be solved” which he said would be addressed, but that the rule of law must be preserved.

Question to the politician: When? Perhaps blocking politicians’ access to the Knesset building or the PM’s residences (plural) might be more effective without aggravating the average Israeli.

The leftists were too busy holding internal elections to comment.

Meanwhile, some ignorant people are making sick anti-Ethiopian “jokes,” just as the Ashkenazim did about Sefardim and Mizrachim.

Israel goes from one integration difficulty to another.

Some of the local media tried to fan the flames by “selective” reporting … just like the rest of the world’s free press.

Sources

1. http://tinyurl.com/y334lmnd

2. http://tinyurl.com/dpc24

3. http://tinyurl.com/y5nzog2y

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.

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Comments on Israel visit