# 328 – Happy New Year 5779

Happy New Year 5779

This the chance for the Jews to have ‘their own day of celebration’, one that is mostly free of criticism and prejudice. We’re reaching 5779 on Sunday night.

It’s not only a chance, but an excuse to reflect to the year past and the year to come.

Summary of some subjects:

Peace – Uh-uh..we’ve become apathetic to that hope. Most of us, Left, Right, Don’t-knows have become so used to the status quo, and so disbelieving of a change for the better, that we’d rather stay where we are. And don’t imagine the Arabs, whether Israeli, Palestinian or whoever think differently. It’s not 100%, it never is. So we’ll stick to whatever percentage level we are currently at, and accept the occasional hiccups.

Hezbollah – 14 km of a great new concrete wall is already constructed along the Lebanese border. Walls are in, hadn’t you heard?

West Bank – We’ll keep constructing quasi-legal settlements (or expanding the current ones), and perhaps, here and there, remove some outpost, just to keep the US President happy.

Gaza – We’ll keep saying that it’s not our fault (it isn’t) and hit back hard every time their leaders spend their money on some stupid attack on Israel’s south. Their 50% unemployment rate will go up, and the World will drop some more notes into the hat.

And…

We should have more schools and teachers – they’re currently overcrowded and under-staffed.

The hi-speed train to Jerusalem should stop having delays and start being finished.

The ultra-orthodox – and the Israeli Arabs – should finally be FORCED to serve the country for 3 and 2 years (male/female) – if only for their communities. Not asking them to ignore God, nor to shoot their cousins.

Civil marriage should be allowed in Israel. Admittedly, perhaps 200,000 pairs of flight tickets would be lost to the travel industry, but then, perhaps 5 million more would visit this country, attending the weddings.

We have to solve the problem of the illegal immigrants, who, perhaps unavoidably, have defaced the environment of south Tel Aviv

We’ll have an electioneering this (Jewish) year. Let’s hope someone stands up and offers real change.

And finally, Billy Jean King can perhaps be congratulated on her remarkable achievement, gaining financial parity for the ladies at the Grand Slams. But that don’t make it right. In Paris, I believe 9 of the top 10 were eliminated by the 3rd round. At the current US Open, the semi-finals were between seeds 14, 17, 19 and 20.

Admittedly, one of them was/is Serena. I have always been a great admirer of the whole Williams story, but the fact that she now dominates the field is ridiculous. The match against Pliskova – and last night’s against Sevastova – were pathetic.

Stephens, Haleb, Kerber, Wozniacki etc. all fell lamely to nobodies, who then, themselves fell.

At least Federer’s conqueror played terrific stuff, and only fell then to Djokovic, who is unquestionably back to his best. The men’s semi-finals will be great, and the expected Djokovic-Nadal final will be a classic.

The American women’s soccer team were World Champions – and a few people tried to argue that they deserve the same money as the men. But the money comes from entertainment, NOT from effort.

Otherwise, we male models would demand the same money as the females.

Stephen

PTO….

PS – There has to be a PS, following yesterday’s ladies’ final.

Serena may be the greatest in the sport – and a reminder that I was always a great admirer of the Williams sisters – but she is NOT greater than the sport.

Maybe Serena read my words and decided to find another way to be as entertaining as the men…