# 323 – Jerusalem Day

Jerusalem Day

May 14, 2018

May 14 – Jerusalem Day, celebrating (alright, ‘remembering’) the liberation of the city in 1967 (alright, the Naqba, the catastrophe of not being annihilated by the Arab armies).

Today will be the culmination of the Gaza protests. Expect problems; hope for peaceful outcome (already I hear of fatalities).

These pathetic inhabitants of Gaza: blindly following their leaders downwards, while their neighbours, in exactly the same geographical, physical, economical (financial) situation, have built a land of creative peace and prosperity (and by ‘neighbours’, I refer to all inhabitants of Israel and the West Bank, Jews, Moslems, Christians).

Today marks the move of the US embassy from Tel Aviv (read Birmingham, Sydney, New York, Krakow) to Jerusalem (read London, Canberra, Washington DC and Warsaw).

Of COURSE this will bring peace closer. The Palestinians will realise

a) that they cannot keep demanding the annihilation of Israel (backed by this current silly attempt to return to the land which they lost/gave up 70 years ago),

and b) that if Israel has the official right to a homeland, then they too have the right. They will start diplomatic moves to accept a Palestinian state next to an Israeli one. (Of course, because they need to re-construct goodwill, it may take a long time for the international community to believe their promises of peace, democracy, recognition of Israel etc.).

Israel’s victory on Saturday in the Eurovision Song Contest ensures that event will be held again in Jerusalem next year. Big celebrations all over the country!

But…this is now a very large international event. The main Jerusalem concert hall, where we hosted the event in 1978, 1979 and 1999,  only holds 3,000. It’s got to be at one of the 2 football stadiums.

Gideon Levy, one of Israel’s best-known journalists, wrote that the the winner, Netta Barzilai, is actually a man, with clear connections to the Mossad, and that this was all a government conspiracy to get the event to Jerusalem. He’s even already started a campaign to disrupt the event with the largest demonstrations ever see in the Middle East.

We shall see.

OK, not everything is rosy. Beitar Yerushalayim, despite adding Trump to their official name, only succeeded in coming 2nd in the football league (to Be’er Sheba) – and also lost in the State Cup final.

On a personal note, after almost 54 years of working for US companies, I have given in my notice. No I am not retiring. I have found another company, another product, to ‘give me pleasure’. I have to ‘enjoy my job’.

Last week, the ‘inventor’ of the new product spent a few days in Israel. She’s Dutch, with a very interesting ‘family background’. I’m mentioning this, just to repeat what almost everyone says after spending time in Israel (her 2nd visit, after about 15 years) – she couldn’t believe what a great place this is and what a good time she had.

Look up the product on YouTube – Enter ‘UBrush’ and see Malou de Kok introducing the (very first) electric interdental toothbrush to her patient. In June, the video will be in English.

Wish me luck. (Oh, and you can order some units. I promise a decent discount).

Stephen