post election thoughts

Yesterday was a black day for me, I was depressed and devastated after months of hard work and hope that this time we would finally rid ourselves of Netanyahu. And to think that his horrible racist statements in the last days were those that gave him the victory!  It killed me. 

 

Today I woke up and tried to think straight.

 

Here are my thoughts:

 

 Netanyahu has declared there will be no Palestinian state.

Without it, I don't see how we can acheive peace. If Netanyahu continues with his hard line policies , we run the risk of losing all our allies, including of course the US which the “bibi king” has already publically humiliated. There is also no doubt that the BDS (boycott Israel movment) will gain more and more momentum and supporters, and justifiably so. Abu Mazen will most likely go to Hague and to the UN, I assume he will succeed in gaining wide support for his initiatives, and this will isolate Israel more and more. As i like to say to my children, (usually regarding McDonalds), it's "shit de la shit".

Where do I see the positive side?

1.    Now it is clear where Israel's government formally stands, there is no way to masquerade anymore.

2.     Though Abu Mazen's international appeals to recognize Palestine may bother the Israeli government , they are in my opinion positive moves on his part that now stand much more of a chance of gaining wide international support, as well as support from the Israeli opposition, political and civil. 

3.    In these elections there were an enormous momentum of young people and old all working to change the government, there was a 72 % turnout at the polls, and much good energy that I believe will not be lost; it will be channeled to important grass roots work that will come to fruition when the time is right. Plus, I believe people will be less apprehensive about raising their voice in public and taking a stand, what was hardly present at all until now. i especially hope the artistic community will be more vocal and “get off the fence”. 

 

4.    There were many new and exciting coalitions created between Arab and Jewish citizens in Israel, that I believe will get stronger and stronger as we all unite against Netanyahu and his right wing policies.

 5.    Now that things are so bad, hopefully the international community will wake up and put more pressure on Israel to change its policies, this includes the Obama administration, which has been handling Israel with white gloves. I believe that attitude is harmful to Israel and to the region. America should be more assertive in making sure Israel enters into dialogue with the Palestinians and the moderates in the region immediately, with the goal of reaching an agreement in a limited time frame. Already this morning Obama said the US would recognize Palestinian claims on 1967  lines. The president also condemned Netanyahu’s shameful, cheap and racist election-day statements. Obama is a good man but has been too weak in regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Mr. President, you have two years, stop playing nice! We need you!!

 6.    Netanyahu is known to be an artist of deception. He has said many terrible and unforgivable things. But since he is so inconsistent, and such an opportunist, he may change his mind again now that he is in power and go in a positive direction . it’s not probable, but it’s not impossible. 

7.                                                              We, citizens of Israel, Jewish and Arab, who have a  different vision for our country than that of Netanyahu and his right wing allies, will have to unite and work harder and harder to save the soul of our country and the lives of our children.

8.                                                               I for one have no intention of giving up.

 

 

my prayer...

Shma Yisrael, Adonai eloheynu.
Adonai.
God.
Dear God,
Here i am , Achinoam, the little girl who went to Yeshiva in Riverdale and prayed fervently three times a day, who raised her voice in the song of songs, who raises her voice to this day to glorify the beauty of the human spirit and spread  "love your brother as you love yourslef",the best line you ever wrote, far and wide.
Please, God, i can't rememebr when i have felt such an urgent need to pray to you. God, elections in my beloved country are coming soon...i beg you to send wisdom and comassion to the hearts of our citizens, that they vote to RID our country of the destructive, arroganat, racist government of Benjamin Netanyahu and his cohorts.
Please, God, send them home! Send Bennet back to high tech where he can invent a new brand of cyber facism, send Lieberman to Putin, I'm sure there's a job opening for him there, send the settlers to the Negev where we could use their fervent enegy in building the desert economy and where they could volunteer to help bedouins,foreign workers and refugees, and most importantly, send Netanyahu and Sara to LA or wherever where they can live happily ever after off the millions Bibi will make as key note speaker in Sheldon Adelson's events, and stop insuting the intelligence of the entire world (oh, the speech in Congress! Got in Himmel!!) as they destroy everything that was ever good in my country.
Anything, God, but please don't let them gain power again! Our country is in such grave danger, my children's lives are in danger, our souls are in danger, the fundamental principles of Judaism we treasure are being prostituted, fear and hatred is being dripped like venom into the veins of our society, we are becoming monsters!
Please rid us of these evil men and women, who for the sake of power and fanatic mania are willing to bleed us all to death. It is they, not Iran, who pose the greatest threat to our future!
Help our citizens to elect an enlightened, responsible, compassionate and courageous leadership, dedicated to the well being of ALL our citizens, Arabs and Jews alike, dedicated to equal opportunites for ALL our children, and above all, Commited to PEACE. Leaders who have read the Israeli declaration of independence, who are wiling to stand behind the words of wisdom written there, who are willing to sacrifice personal pleasures for the greater good, leaders who are clean of hand and heart.
I beg you Lord.
 Amen.

Netanyahu's speech writer

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am honored to be here today, representing the citizens of the state of Israel.

Be warned, this speech will surprise you.

First and foremost, I would like to thank President Obama, and the United States of America, for their undying support of the State of Israel from the moment of its conception to this day. I don’t know where we would be without your friendship.

Now I would like to speak directly to the entire Arab world, but most specifically to the Palestinians people, to our neighboring countries, to those who are already allies and those who will hopefully soon be, and to the people of Iran.

I would like, from this stage, to reach out my hand in Peace. Enough bloodshed, enough animosity. We have sacrificed ourselves and more horribly our children, their bodies, their souls, their minds, their dreams, their futures, for too many years on the altar of this senseless conflict. We are all children of Abraham and we should behave as brothers. I am here to take this first step, without looking back, without pointing fingers, without self-righteousness, without illusions. I know there is much animosity, much disagreement, there are real dangers threatening the entire region, dark forces at work striving to destroy our dreams of freedom and proseprity, of LIFE, but we must all work together to diminish these, and find common ground wherever it exists.

With you, the Palestinians, it has been too long we have been procrastinating. We would like to return, immediately, to the negotiation table, striving to implement the two state solution as I myself said in my now-famous Bar Ilan speech some years ago ; Israel and Palestine, side by side, in a symbiotic relationship, caring for each other,  sharing ideas, nurturing life, recognizing the fact that only if one side is allowed flourish can the other hope to do the same.

 

With you, members of the Arab league, neighbors near and far, we strive to reach an agreement that will include a just and fair solution for the Palestinians and security arrangements for Israel and the entire region, business relations and opened borders.  We must work together to fight extremism, to strengthen the region’s economic prospects, preserve and share our natural resources, enable every child to have access to clean water, food, shelter and above all an education with which she/he can build a life.

We can and should strengthen each other, protect each other, care for each other. It is our common interest.

Finally, to you, people of Iran , I say this: the nuclear threat has been hovering above all of our heads for too long, it is time to let go:

Let go of the megalomania, the paranoia, the lust for power and strength, the vocabulary of fear. Enough!

I propose we BOTH rid ourselves of nuclear weapons, and I include Israel in this equation. For if we work together to find common ground, with respect and an opened mind, if we agree to strive for peaceful relations, what need will ANY of us have of this horrible weapon of mass destruction? Why waste  time and money on such monstrous objects when we have so much to do with our resources, wisdom and cunning? We should be using them to supply our citizens with opportunities for livelihood and education, create sustainable energy, preserve nature, build infrastructure, promote equal rights and opportunities for all, and the list goes on and on.  

To summarize my offer:

1.    No nuclear weapons, for anybody in the middle-east.

2.    A regional agreement that will start with the Palestinians, and embrace the entire Arab world, wherever there are partners for dialogue, and I know they exist, backed and secured by the US and the international community as a whole.

I am willing to take the first, courageous step, in the name of my people, the citizens of Israel.

I believe we have no chance to survive in the region if we do not initiate a positive dynamic, one of good will and action, and I would like to lead this movement

 I have no idea if this plan, at this moment in time after all that has come to pass, will lead us to the fulfillment of our goals, but I do know, that continuing on the present  destructive track we are all on, will lead to our certain demise.

I do not know if I will be in office long, as elections are coming up. My words are not meant to serve me, but a higher ideal. I wish these words to be my legacy, continued by my successors and on into the future.

A future of life.

Thank you for your attention.