Bennett-Bibi Parallels to Kings David and Saul

Tonight on tv, Israel's Chanel 11, I watched מהצד השני Mehatzad Hasheini "On The Other Hand" with Guy Zohar.

Guy Zohar picks a few issues each program and gives his own spin. Tonight he talked about something he thought peculiar. Naftali Bennett, head of the Yamin Hachadash (New Right) Party, a name I really don't like, though their platform is good, refuses to say that he's campaigning for the position of Prime Minister of the State of Israel. Of course, it's clear that he is, and he is doing very well in the polls under the question "Who should be the Prime Minister of the State of Israel?" For the longest time number two after PM Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu was "none of the above," and now Bennett is well ahead of all competitors and closing in on Netanyahu. His biggest problem is that we don't vote for Prime Minister, we only vote for party Knesset lists, and the party that does the best gets first crack at trying to form a coalition which will be headed by its number one.

Zohar showed clips, almost ad nauseum of New Right's Ayelet Shaked and Matan Kahane saying that Bennett is best suited to be Israel's next Prime Minister. He seemed to find that rather strange. I guess that Guy Zohar isn't familiar with the Tanach, Bible. 

This Bennett-Bibi scenario as presented by Zohar immediately reminded me of King David while King Saul was still alive and ruling. No matter what King Saul did against David, which included trying to murder him, David held back his followers from harming King Saul. Even though Samuel the Prophet had already anointed him, David insisted that he would never harm the king. And Bennett keeps saying that no elections are happening right now, so Bennett is not campaigning against Netanyahu to replace him as Prime Minister.

As I've said many times, as rocky as the present coalition is, the two main components Likud and Blue and White are both terrified of elections, since their leaders know very well that they've lost popular support. That's the glue holding the Bibi-Gantz government together. The political party showing most improvement in the polls is Bennett's New Right.

This is very much a three way competition. Gantz has no real chance to form a ruling coalition on his own. Bibi's attacks on Bennett over the years, even though he did give him good positions in his last interim government, also parallels King Saul's treatment of David. Even when trying to kill David, King Saul would sometimes order him to come and calm him with sweet music.

David eventually became King of the Jewish People and Land. I wouldn't dare try to predict who will be the true successor to Bibi Netanyahu. It may take a few short terms by successors until a new strong leader takes the helm.

Rosh Chodesh Prayers, Tevet 5781, Save The Date

This morning I walked down to Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh to meet friends for our Women's Rosh Chodesh Prayers. 

Next month Rosh Chodesh Tevet will be Wednesday December 16, 8:30am.

 תפילת נשים בשילה הקדומה ראש חודש טבת, יום ד', תשפ"א, 16\12\2020 8:30 בבוקר מוזמנות 

Save the date and join us.

Shiloh Hakeduma is a wonderful archeological park with all sorts of activities for all ages. It's open every day except Shabbat and Jewish Holidays. 

Contact the office for more information. 02-5789122, visit@telshilo.org.il There should be special activities during Chanuka. 

Yes, this is the real Shiloh, where the Tabernacle stood for close to four hundred years, and Chana prayed for a son.

American Election Results- Was There Cheating?

I've never voted in American Elections. When we made aliyah, moved to Israel, twenty-one 21 was the voting age. I was twenty-one, but there was no way I was going to wait around in New York another couple of months just to vote. So I never did. But I've always made every effort to vote in Israeli Elections.

Voting laws are different in Israel. First of all we have Identity Cards with photos, and you can't vote without showing yours. Your name/number is marked off when you come to vote. You can only vote in your assigned voting station, with very few exceptions. There are no overseas/mail or any other way of voting, except for active soldiers and diplomatic staff. Those ballots are double or triple packed with all ID information listed. They can't be counted until all other votes have been tallied. Then the ID numbers on the outside envelopes are checked with the IDs which had been listed as voted in the various voting stations. If that number is listed as having voted, the ballot is declared invalid. Cheating is possible, but difficult. Also voting laws are the same in every city/locality, so all citizens have equal rights.

It is very different in America. The United States does not have picture IDs. Apparently, states and even cities have their own different voting laws and regulations, so all citizens aren't equal, no equal voting rights. There are even locations which declare that it's illegal to demand identification. Cheating is easy, and that can't be refuted. And anyone who thinks that there's no cheating is naïve at best.

IMHO for the United States to have any semblance of fair elections, the entire process must be overhauled, including the introduction of picture Identity Cards. And voting laws should be national, not local laws. That's the only way all citizens will have equal rights.

Exploring Local Shopping Center aka Shiloh Industrial Zone

About a mile from my house, downhill, is the "Aizor Ta'asi'ah," Shiloh Industrial Zone, which also has all sorts of stores. I hadn't been there for a couple of years, since we shop in the supermarket closer to our home. We also don't have a car, so although walking down is easy, walking up is another story. But this week, just before the rains began, a neighbor and I decided to do our walk down there to look around. She drove over, and then she drove me back up. 

Besides the more industrial carpentry shop and aluminum door/window place and the large hardware/building supply place, there are stores. There's a supermarket, discount toy, crafts, miscellaneous store like the old time "five and dime." We discovered a barber shop, shoe shop and other businesses that have closed down. There's a state of the art fitness center, which is closed until the government decides otherwise; the owner was there, so we stepped in to look around. There's even a very attractive store that sells wall tiles, bathroom fixtures and faucets. I'd like to take a better look when we redo our bathrooms. Not everything was open, because of the lockdown. 

The Shiloh Industrial Zone can be easily accessed from Highway 60; turn off to Shiloh.

Here are some photos.