It's the End of the World As We Know It Pt. 2
What a change in just a few days. Well, as predicted they have closed Israel. No one is allowed to go out with few exceptions. These are obvious. Going shopping for food, helping someone who can't get their own food, going to the doctor, donating blood, etc.. and political protesting.
At first I was thinking, really, people are just going to make up problems and instead of a protest, throw a party. Then I thought about it more and I am happy this is on the list. There is a big debate here about the government restrictions and their effect on democracy. This is exasperated by the fact that the Likud is using the virus as an excuse not to open the Knesset. They know if they do this, Benny Ganz has the votes to remove BiBi. ( more on this another time).
So I think that if people want to protest, then in order to show we are not under complete martial law , the right to protest needs to be maintained.
At least for now.
Besides who is actually going to do that?
It seems lots of people. As I was cooking for shabbat, ( more on this another time) I heard the incessant beeping of car horns. I went outside my house to find my street backed up with cars as far as you could see. The speaker of the Knesset, Yuli Edelstein, lives on my block, and people were driving by his house ( an hour before shabbat and the line was still around the block) honking their horns. Most were flying black flags. There was a large police presence, although I suspect they have better things to do.
Mr. Edelstein, in his official capacity, is the one who has not formerly opened the Knesset, hence no meetings.
The country is split on this ( what else is new) as many people want to see BiBi go but many people don't want to be reliant on the Arab parties to do this. I haven't really decided where I am on this but will discuss it in another post ( that next post better be good).
As in most places, synagogues were closed this shabbat. I feel very sorry for those that need to say Kaddish for a parent but can't. I found saying Kaddish for the year was very therapeutic. The flip side is that this was most likely the most observed shabbat in recent history as most people were resting at home. More importantly, it was most likley the only shabbat in history that there was no talking in shu.l
Finally
As I have written in the past we have been waiting for the Ministry of Health to approve various things for my daughters business. We were very close when Corona hit. Of course now the ministry is dealing with bigger things. We thought we would be pushed off indefinitely.
This being Israel, nothing really happens the way it should. This week we got all the approvals we were waiting for and can dive into the business full steam. Of course that will have to wait until the lock-down ends. Meanwhile we keep getting calls from parents who want to make appointments, like nothing else is going on in this country.
I hope one day I will be able to figure out how things work here. It seems everything is backwards sometime. I am never running out of surprises. I have mentioned in the past that I think I am at the age where have seen most things that life will throw at me, but that is a bit egotistical.
Clearly, none of us have ever seen the whole world shut down. It is very surreal. Just as surreal was seeing my wife mopping the floor before shabbat. Since the help is not allowed to come, she had no choice ( that is not sexist, I was cooking). It may very well be the first time she ever mopped anything.
Just when you thought you have seen it all. The miracles never cease.
So for pt. 3 you can look forward to my thoughts on political maneuverings, cooking, Arabs in government and most noticeably missing the issue of Hardeim still going to weddings with 400 people throughout all this.
Stay Tuned