Politics on Facebook...

Woke up late today, meaning around 8 AM, with a clear idea in my head: I need to stop waiting my time discussing religion and politics with people who don't understand even the basics of either. There are libraries and there are books. You can either read them of not, but I will no longer try to explain the history Israel and it's conflicts, the evolution and content of ideologies, plain empirical fact or the nature of rational argument, in Facebook commentaries. And speaking of commentaries, I'd love it if you'd leave them here rather than on Facebook as many of my readers aren't on said social media.

Quite naturally I will break my promise of not participating in FB debates, but let's see how long I can keep it up;-)

Other than that an eventless day so far so not much to report. We had a grammar test and I was once again reminded that my knowledge of temporal conjugation of hebrew verbs is a joke. Spent the break discussing the politics of war with Jochanan, a former Iraq veteran who has a few insights to it, as well as 3 very cute children. He and is wife has been here for 6 months and the are in the same class as me. Their youngest child was born here.

Jochanan and his youngest daughter

In any case Jonathan and his girlfriend Sanna is in Israel so I'm off to Tel Aviv now to meet up with them. Eager to here some reports on the Status in Stockholm. I will spend the bus ride of 1.5 hours accompanied by my beloved Hebrew verbs, future tense.

Comments

What is the problem with men?

I'm in a bad mood. Fed up. With men. To be clear: I'm not a feminist, I don't believe men to have a rape gene or to be incapable of acting decently due to sociological constraints, general upbringing or an in general evil manhood into which we are socialised. Never the less, I'm truly fed up with the way certain men behave towards women. Part of the reasons are purely egoistic: I'm fed up with being treated like a potential moron, molester or rapist. I'm tired of noticing how women ahead start speeding up when I'm quietly walking home at night, and having too slow down or change sidewalks not to scare her. And a few months ago in New York City I was unable to get a girl to date me, to even meet me in a restaurant, partly because of her previous encounters with inconsiderate schmucks and madmen. Instead we talked on the phone for some 8 (!) hours, half of which was devoted to her interrogating me as to whether I was a stalker, madman, alcoholic or something o...

Khaybar, Khaybar ya Yahud!

In Sweden there is a monthly Magazine called The Jewish Chronicle. It´s partly funded by The Jewish Congregation, and hence, as a member, I receive it every month. This month they have a theme on the Anti-Israel protests during the Operation Cast Led in Gaza. During these demonstrations, signs were carried with the text "Khaybar, Khaybar ya Yahud!", a slogan that was also chanted at mass demonstrations in Malmoe, the third largest city in Sweden, with the largest percentage of newly arrived Muslim immigrants from the Middle East. Now what does this slogan mean? Is it something about freedom to Palestine? Ending the "occupation"? Not so. Khaybar was a small city in present day Saudi Arabia, where Muhammad clashed with Jewish Bedouins in the year 629, as it seems primarily for political reasons. The fight ended up with 3/4 of the Jews being slaughtered. And this is now chanted in a protest against the Davis Cup match between Israel and Sweden? This is a demonstrati...

Hebrew grammar

So yesterday went by fairly uneventfully. In keeping with my self-diciplinary ideas I cooked my own dinner instead of going for Schwarma, and then ate it with Quentin. I also managed to spend large part of my post Ulpan day in the company of the future tense verbs of binyan Paal. And I'm starting to grasp them which means I'm back where I was the last time I took my Hebrew studies seriously, 5 years ago. I also waisted my time debating a fairly nasty letter that the NGO Women at the Wall had directed to the Israeli government and the general public. They were basically describing Orthodox people as a screaming, feces-throwing mob, while disingenuously seeking monopoly for their own brand of Judaism. I fail to understand why feminist Reformniks, who make a point of breaking every Hallacha they come across, feel it absolutely necessary to imitate prescribed Orthodox and male behavior in the one place in the world where it will be seriously hurtful - the Western Wall. Then again...

Introducing the Hardline According To
...Ofer Maimon

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