# 154 – Be Positive

July 13, 2010

When I forwarded the video of Tel Avivians singing the chorus from Il Trovatore spontaneously in a shopping mall, several friends wrote back saying how nice it was to receive such positive correspondence from Israel.

Isn’t that a sad state of affairs. I write these letters to ‘advance’ the cause of Israel. So cannot help the focus on serious issues.

This time, let me start with another image received from the Net….

It would actually interest me to know your 1-line comment on the placards being held.

Back to Israel…

Just spent another hour visiting the Litvak Gallery. Muli Litvak has shot to the forefront of World glass art. 3 years ago, no one would have heard of him. Now, ‘in those circles’, he is a leader. As many of you know, I collect glass – antique English drinking glasses. That’s pretty limited.

So imagine my opening eyes when visiting the first expo at the Litvak Gallery some months ago, which featured 23 of the World’s greatest glass artists. I ended up writing an article for the ‘Glass Circle News’ (for those of you interested, copy attached).

2 weeks ago, the 2^nd expo opened – a 1-man show featuring Václav Cigler. This time, having attended the opening, I organised an interview with the 81 year-old man himself – A Chat with the Glass Master will appear in the next issue of Glass Circle.

Here you see me with my co-interviewer, Shira (our younger one) and Cigler, standing behind ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ and next to ‘Optic Round Panorama’ (illustrated in my first article).

Yesterday, the first Israeli report on the Flotilla tragedy came out. Let me quite from the anti-Israeli Guardian:

‘A report of the investigation delivered to the Israeli military’s chief of staff, Lt Gen Gabi Ashkenazi, said that although the military had underestimated the potential for violence in the operation, interception of the flotilla was the only option open to prevent it reaching Gaza’.

We should have sent the army in better prepared.

What they’re saying is that enough proof was available that the boat was carrying some hardcore activists who were prepared to fight, armed with a wide array of guns, knives, clubs etc.  Don’t forget that…

Went on my daily bike ride last night. I have the good fortune to live close to the sea shore, and a cycle track has been opened that runs a long way south and north. A view from yesterday evening…

We’re a little concerned that the World Cup is over. There was hardly a hint of terrorism during the 32 days. Only a couple of Kassams from Gaza. The tournament took their minds off hate.

Obama and Netanyahu had ‘good talks’ last week in Washington. Just keep on wondering how they can keep on talking about peace negotiations when there are 2 Palestines who don’t talk to each other?

My ‘Crime of Today’ was to pick 2 twigs from a bush downstairs and take a photo of it in the bath. These are the twigs…

Finally, the Knesset stopped pension being paid to one of its ex-members. Sounds wrong, but in this case, it refers to the payments being made to Azmi Bishara, an Arab MP since 1996, who was found to be collaborating with Hezbollah in Lebanon and is now in exile there…Is that OK?

Or shall we again be criticised?

Stephen