UK journalist, Alex Belfield, bills himself as The Voice of Reason, offering as he does every Wednesday and Saturday, Honest, Real & Passionate discussions on current topics.
In many ways, Yair Lapid can be considered Israel’s Voice of Reason.
His plea for a Leap of Faith is proof.
Regardless of whether we want to admit it or not, Israel is going rapidly to the dogs – read into that what you will – it’s time to follow Edward De Bono and encapsulate his parallel thinking processes.
The following is the English translation of Yair Lapid’s ‘Call to Action’ of last week:
The government we will try to establish
The first stage did not work in our favor. Netanyahu received the mandate first. Too bad, but that does not mean we stop working. The goal was and remains one: to form a national consensus government, which will address the deep crisis we are in. Israel is a wounded country. Economic, social, and national. It is our job to do everything possible to change direction.
In recent days, there has been a scathing media debate, full of insults, over whether it will be a "right-wing government" or a "left-wing government." The answer is that this will be the government of the concerned Israelis. Those who think that at the moment it is much more important to take care of livelihood and peace at home in Israeli society. Suspicion will lead us nowhere. We must make a "leap of faith." Build a government that is based on the fact that we believe that other people, who think differently, also want it to be good here.
There will be in the government that we are trying to establish 3 distinct right-wing parties (Right, New Hope, and Yisrael Beiteinu), two Center parties (Yesh Atid and Blue and White), and two Left Zionist parties (Labor and Meretz). This means that no one will get everything they want, but there will be a balance that will force us to focus on practical goals: budget, health, education, the urgent need to lower the flames in Israeli society. Along the way, we must also change our flawed system of government.
No one will abandon his ideology, but right now we have more urgent problems. The children were not in school this year, the hospitals are collapsing, we need to prepare for the day when hundreds of thousands of Israelis will stop receiving unemployment benefits. These problems are not of right and left, but of real people who have a real life. They will not be resolved by headlines, but by ministers who come to work.
The main tool of such a government would be the ability to talk and find solutions. That is the only reason we should have this government. So that people will understand that even those who think differently from them, can want their best. This government will be based on mutual respect. The citizens of Israel must see in front of the leaders who know how to put aside disputes and work for a common goal.
I am currently reading Lethal White by Robert Galbraith. As chapter themes, she (Galbraith) – yes, I wrote she, the use of the pronoun is deliberate. For those not in the know, Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym used by J.K. Rowling.
The chapter themes are taken from Rosemersholm by Henrik Ibsen. (Rosmersholm is considered by many as one of Ibsen's darkest, most complex, subtle, beautiful, mystical, multilayered, and ambiguous plays.)
Many of the chapter themes echo the gloom that has descended on us thanks to Brand Bibi.
Take for example the following two phrases:
“…… let us stifle all memories in our sense of freedom, in joy, in passion.”
And
“I see that he is altogether incorrigible.”
Many others fit our benevolent dictator like a glove.
Bezalel Smotrich and his cohorts claim they are nationalists, not Nazis. Pure Semantics.
In William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, Juliet utters the immortal lines “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”.
The line is widely used to imply that the names of things do not affect what they really are.
The ‘triumvirate of evil’ may call themselves nationalists – I would urge Smotrich and Co., to read recent history and note how in Europe four nationalists: Franco (Spain), Salazar (Portugal), Mussolini (Italy) and of course Hitler (Germany) changed, for the worse, their countries.
A rose by any other name…….. – Nazi, fascist, racist – it’s all the same. Semantics.
You don’t believe me – read Mein Kempf. Enough said!
It never ceases to amaze me the depths that our benevolent dictator will sink to, to show that he alone knows what is best for Israel.
Iran is a major concern that world powers need and must attend to. But, a Holocaust, speech is not the place nor the time to make political hay. Bibi’s address did nothing to hence Brand Bibi. If anything it showed, yet again, that the man will use any means and opportunities to promote Brand Bibi. Shame on him. Shame on us.
It’s reported that Bibi and Bennett hold their potential coalition discussions in English – how quant.
Assuming they are successful and there is an agreement that Bennett will serve as PM in a rotation with Bibi – does Bennett believe that Bibi will keep his word? When Bibi stabs Bennett in the back, will he (Bennett) say “Et Tu, Brute?” – Or in this case, “Et Tu, Bibi?”.