Crony Capitalism

At some point during your life you realise that there are people who somehow lost the meaning of life. Or well, they just have a totally different priorities and view on their lives than you have on yours.

There are 17 families who control Israel's economy. One of them is the Ofer family. This family control the Dead Sea factories, Zim- One of the biggest naval transportation companies, Israel's Oil Refineries Ltd in Haifa and many others...

Due to this control this family got so much influent on politicians and position holders in the market which lead them to become "above the law" in a way.

The latest story tells about their business with one of Israel's enemy and a country which forced on sanctions by USA and Europe, a country that declares of its vision to whipe Israel off the map - Iran. This outragious and arrogant family desided its ok to deal with Iran...

The nervs and arragant behavior of these rich people just makes the blood to boil ! The greed of multi billioners just keeps amaze me each time like its the first time...

Rediculous...

It keeps happening each time, again and again... The Israeli national handball is going to play against Sweden as part of the European Championship qualifies.

The match will be held in the city of Karlskrona. Meanwhile there's a buying of tickets by Pro Palestinian protesters. I wouldn't have any problem with it, I don't mind them protest, I don't mind them trying to make themselves heard.

I do mind when it happened in places it shouldn't have ! Sports is our religious and these people sin time after time, desacret its purity, dehonor it by coming to be an audience and use it for non-related protests.

Another fact which bugs me even more is that these protesters are people who escaped from their countries into one of the best I know and keep focusing on, in my opinion, wrong issues. Instead of try to help their countries, protest against the dictatorship, the corruption, the lack of transparency and basic rights they tend to focus not even about the right to the Palestinians for a country but about their unaccepted Jewish state of Israel (even though the Israeli Arabs have probably the best lives in the Mid East).

This just makes me mad. Leave sport events to ones who like it and go protest in your own countries against stuff which really matters !

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Amram Mitzna

There is a light at the end of a very dark tunnel. The politics in Israel has long ago lost my ability to effect and use my right of vote simply since I have no one to vote to.

Last 2 weeks something happened. Amram Mitzna, Left party leader in past and former Mayor of Haifa and Yeruham, decided to run for leading the lost and fall apart party. This is the best news I have heard in ages. Finally there is a person that I honestly feel to deserve my voting for him.

Mitzna is another army general who became a politician but the last one who let that effect his civilian life than all others. He was a very appreciated general though he got a lot of his admiration at his mayor jobs - first of Haifa (Between 1993 to 2002) tough for me the most important part of his public life was his role as the called mayor of Yeruham.

Yeruham is a town in the Israeli desert, Near Beer-Sheva. Very neglected and was very poor and uninteresting at the national view. Mitzna dedicated these years to improve the education and infrastructure in town and was able to achieve a small miracle - The new built neighbourhood in town, Something that no one ever imagined.

In 2005 there were 30 houses on sale at 20,000$. There was not even slightest interest. In 2009 these houses got 272 enquires which brought to 68 more houses to be planned and that brought amazing number of 4000 enquires as well.

Mitzna can be proud of the improved achievement in the education system who had in 2005 only 45% of diploma graduated high school students and today stands proudly with 68% which is even more than the national percentage.



His hard working personality, His vision, dedication and honestly brought me to know that we have a bright future ahead. We just need to make a step and vote this person to lead Israel. This is who I believe is a true Israeli and a person I would love to see representing my lovely country around the world.

Answers...

This weekend I was travelling with lovely travelers from CS (Couchsurfing). One of them, A german girl, asked few questions which I honestly had no answers to... So I told her I will check.

So...

Q: Why these bridges are being called Irish bridges?
A: The origin comes from the time when Ireland and England had a war between them. The Irish didn't want the English to know where they cross the rivers and streams so they invented this cross which is hidden.



Q: Who is Bar-Kohva and why do you light fire during your Lag-baomer holiday?
A: Bar-Kohva was a Jewish leader and lead the known "Bar Kokhba revolt" against the Roman Empire in 132 CE, establishing an independent Jewish state. His state was conquered by the Romans in 135 following a two-years war.

A: The celebration of lighting fire around is made because of few theories which one claim that when Bar-Kohva defeated the Romans, his army light a beacon to signal everyone about it.

Real Meaning of Freedom !

This is the story simple right...

Yoram Kaniuk was born in Tel Aviv in the days before Israel was established. At the age of 17 he fought in the independence war in 1948 and after he got injured he worked in a ship who brought jewish people to the country.

Yoram married Miranda, a Christian woman and they raised two girls which served in the army. They girls are not declared as Jewish since their mother is not jewish. In the last month, after his Grandson has declared Christian too, Yoram had enough and he went to fight for his family rights.

Yoram fight for the country of Israel as he fought for it to be. Jewish but Israeli. Not religious but one who follow the declaration of Independence. He always fought against the blind faith and the extreme radicals who corrupt everything.

How is it possible that someone who fought for the state, who serves and did his/hers duties will be treated like that? How is it possible that you can change your religion to Christian or even muslim but you cannot be considered non-religious?

After I saw a friend buried outside the military graveyard just because his mother is christian (although his father is jewish) I become to realise that I had enough with religion. I had enough with the lack of morals and the careless.

I don't follow anything religious. I believe in myself and in goodness of people. I would marry without a Rabi, without a Priest or a Wakf... I would live as I think a jewish person should live in 2011 !

A free man !

Sovereignty

Last week the Palestinians held their yearly demonstrations and protest for what they call the Nakba day, Dooms day, The establishment of Israeli state. They do not protest against the "occupation" or anything related. In their minds the existence of Israel is wrong.

After the riots of 2000 which started the second Intifada made by many Israeli Arabs the Jewish Israelies decided to boycotting their shops and merchandise. The result was a disastrous outcome for the Arab economics and many of the shops got closed. After few months they sent a request for all Jewish to stop it and come shop there again.

Since this happen the Israeli Arabs try to avoid the conflicts. They understand the effect it will have on them and their businesses. The Palestinians are not Israeli Arabs though even them manage to understand the effect the second Intifada had on them in the last 10 years. Since they stopped their "fighting" their economy is blooming, they enjoy life and focus on more important matters. On the other end you have Gaza which is still in "fighting" and well, you can see the difference yourself.

The Palestinians you see protesting are ones who do not live in Israel, Its the ones who flee to neighbour countries thinking 1948 war will be a quick war and they could return home. Other Palestinians are just fake ones... People who join them just cause they have something against Israel which sometimes they don't even know why...

During a non violent protest at the Syrian border few hundreds of them crossed the International border. They enter Israel. A big discussion was made in Israel weather the soldiers made the right move by not fire.

I would have !

This is not an inside "fighting". This is Israel's border. Simple as that. The second that a guy decided to touch the fence he should have get a bullet in his knee cap or in the head, doesn't matter. Same with the Turkish Marmara boat. If that boat would have been sank over they would not even think to do it again.

I wish that won't happen again. in any way.

Surprises...

Even at almost 30 years old I get surprised, Shocked, stunned bye the fact that people who know me for years over years do not know simple facts about Israel.

What can I say...
If you are interested and don't think you know all, welcome to ask me any questions or well, read Wikipedia at least :)

Statistics you which might be interesting ...

These are some stats about Israel:

# Population - 7.746 million.
# At 1948 Israel had population of 806,000.
# Jewish population - 5.837 million. (75%)
# Arab (Christians, Muslims, Druz and Beduin) population - 1.587 million. (20%)
# 322,000 arent registered by religion. (4.2%)
# During passed year 178,000 babies were born while 43,000 people died.
# It is a 2% population growth just in 2010.

# Israel has lost 22,867 casualties in army and police forces.
# Israel lost 2,443 casualties during Terror attacks.

Guess thats more than enough...

Israelisism....

I have to say that I had a weird feeling I never faced or felt ever until this year. After many years I had the opportunity to finally participate at the ceremonies of both Memorial Day and Independence Day.

I love Israel, I love its beauty, Its peacefulness, It is home... However this year something cracked in me.

I don't know what it is but in passed 10 years it seems that Israelies prefer to hate rather to live in peace. They keep looking for the bad at others rather fix our rotten apples. As fighting become part of the nerative way of living in Israel it seems that the radical approach is getting wider and wider and turned right constantly more and more...

Israelies like everyone to follow the mainstream. Anyone who doesn't will be labeled as a weirdow and outsidered immidiately. It is happening with the politics as well.

I believe Israel is a finished fact ! Since 1973 Israel become the most powerful state in the middle east and with all due respect to other rich countries around us, Israel is and will remain the most important and developed country in the region for another mileium...

I do believe though, that Israel and Israelies should start facing their problems than rather hide them under the carpet and waiting for someone else to clean it for them. Israelies have the right to live peaceful lives and raising their children as any other leading country in the world.

Sadly, People here prefer to fight constantly. They prefer living on anger, hate others and who is different from them, focus on themselves and not thinking about their environment and surroundings. After all, This is much better for the politicians than actually work and make changed for better.

This year I havent sang the anthem in any of the ceremonies. I just dont feel as connected as in the past. I think it tells it all.

Ignornce

At times I get to face Ignorance in many costumes. This time it happened in CS.
I am a member in CS since 2005 and I have never had to face the radicals in there simply since CS is a unique idea which talk mostly to ones who like to hear others and like to share.

The problem with the radicals is that they just tend to say whatever and they never listen, never think about what they say and how much they make people ignore them more...

When asked him to tone down and talk nicely, respect the community and think about what he posts he of course called me gay, idiot and a dick and told me how I will like to get it from behind...

What can I say...
I love Israel but when these are the people who live here and thats how they speak and express themselves it doesn't really want you to like it more.

Memorial Day

Yesterday was Israel's Holocaust memorial day. This year we also "celebrating" 50 years to "Eichman trial". Adolf Eichman was one of main leaders in the Nazi regime and he brought to trial after he was caught in Argentina by the Israeli Mussad.

The trial opened in 1961 and will be remembered bye the open sentence of Israel's attorney general:

"I stand here in front of you, teaching prosecution of trial, though I do not stand alone. Together with me stands another 6 million prosecutors. They cannot point their finger and scream at this person behind the protective glass since their ash covers most of Europe's lands..."

At the end of the trial Eichman was hanged. Eichman is the only person in the history of Israel that sentenced to death.

The trial was so important not cause Israel was able to caught a mass murderer but since it was the first time for Israelies and the rest of the world to hear the testimonies of many holocaust survivors.

Moshe Landau, who was the judge at Eichman's trial passed away yesterday at age of 91. Somehow all these symbolic events leave me speechless at the end.