Live and In Person: The WP in Israel ~ Week 2

Writing from outside the US is an opportunity to explore a different perspective and, perhaps, to see my country through different eyes. That does not mean that I will understand or agree with a different perspective, but it does allow me the chance to think about my take. Nor does it mean I have to buy into the mythology of America and its politicians. Probably just the opposite. I find myself wondering how a pussy-grabbing-sexual-predator with a trail of bankrupt business can be hailed as anything but a self-serving narcissist who is bent on overturning the Constitution while he allows the most vulnerable citizens to slide further into dire poverty while lining his own pockets again and again and again. What emoluments clause?

President Felon is hailed as a hero here.. I get that. He and his team got the living hostages back and progress is being made on getting the bodies back. This is a good thing and while I do not trust his behavior nor his motives, I understand the collective sigh of relief that this part is over. This part. Not for a New York minute do I believe the conflict with Gaza is over. Not by a long shot. All this ceasefire is doing is allowing Hamas to regroup. Their continued refusal to disarm, their public execution of "traitors," and the inability to produce the rest of the hostage bodies for return to Israel are pretty big red flags that they are not exactly interested in giving up on the river to the sea concept. Trump's braggadocio is out of control because the peace he claims to have secured is just not secure. As my Israeli friend told me, "We're just waiting for the other shoe to drop."

Amit Segal

In an excellent interview with The Free Press's Rafaela Siewert, Israeli journalist Amit Segal covered a wide range of topics....and clarified for me a lot of Israeli thinking. At the end of the piece, he talks about the driving force behind all Israeli politics. (I made the transcript directly from the video)

"I would say, first of all, that politics in Israel is organized around, not economy like in the states and most countries on earth, but about security or insecurity or fear. That the very idea of Israel and this is what people …I’ll give an example JD Vance‘s book taught me a lot about America that I didn’t know, The Hillbilly Elegy ... The Israeli elegy is the fact that no matter where you are in Israel right now, you are 80 minutes, the most, from someone armed who wants to kill specifically you, if he only had the chance. And most of the times eight minutes 10 minutes, 15 minutes. This is why economy could never be the top priority for voters. So this is the number one thing. If you want to offer Israel is hope offer them security first."

The line that brought it all together is:someone armed who wants to kill specifically you. 

Just think about that for a few minutes. Specifically You. 

That's a radically different mindset from the ones most Americans carry in their pockets. Yes, I know we are beginning to shift on that. We hide our Magen David necklaces. Cover kippot with baseball caps. Eschew t-shirts in Hebrew. But I don't think we're at the point where armed terrorists are roaming the streets. Or are they? You tell me. 

We are approaching a new level of heightened awareness outside of Israel. The pro Gaza movement turned out not to be about politics, but about Jew-hatred and ancient blood libels. It's been like this for more than 2000 years and obviously, it's not going away. And if you wonder why I know that...it's because since the ceasefire all those protestors and celebrities have not said shit. Crickets from them. No anger when Hamas executed its own people in a televised event in a public square. There's a cessation from hostilities...and they're still attacking Jewish soccer fans in the UK. The call for globalization of the intifada continues. The hate preached has found new homes in the hearts and minds of those who need a scapegoat in order to exist. What better scapegoat than the one you think can't or won't fight back? Until the scapegoat fights back. Suddenly, Israel is no longer the mouse that roared...it becomes the pest that needs extermination. From the river to the sea, right?

Segal repeatedly (and correctly) makes the point that unless education in Gaza changes, nothing will change. It will take 20 to teach Gazan kids not to hate. And I imagine the road to trust will be even longer. At the same time, those same lessons have to find their way into the mainstream. I'm even less optimistic about that. 

Notes in the Wall.

And then, there's Jerusalem. I am not the world's biggest fan of that holy city. I have, like most people with a vagina, issues with misogynistic treatment of women at the Western Wall. Still, the Wall draws me to it each time. I can say a thousand times that I'm not going, yet still find my way there. I had names to put in the wall. Names of people important to me who are battling serious illness. People I say a mi sheberach for every morning at minyan. I'm not all that sure about lots of things, but I believe in the power of belief in healing. As I stood there, as I touched my forehead to the cool stone of a wall that has withstood much of our history, my heart breaks for us, for my family, my friends, for Israel, for the United States, for the world at large. Tears come, surprisingly unbidden, but I let them come. I cannot account for the draw, the connection, or the power that comes from standing at that place. My DNA is home. My heart is home. 

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

If you're in the area, make it a point to visit 

The Museum for Islamic Art in Jerusalem. 

The clock, watch, and music box collection is spectacular.

Seeing the Marie Antoinette Pocket Watch

in person is worth the trip.

The original Marie Antoinette Pocket watch
made by Breguet

Live and In Person: The WP in Israel

Einav Zanguaker reunited
 with her son,Matan 

It’s hard to know where to begin this week...or not. So, let’s start with the obvious: I am coming to you live and in person from Herzliya, Israel. There was a wedding involved, and the need for some time away from Minnesota. So while the trip was planned several months ago, the timing could not be more auspicious. I arrived 2 days after the release of the live hostages, and now, I am watching reports of body repatriation slowly move forward. We see pictures of the live hostages reuniting with families and friends, and the burial of those who were kept as gruesome trophies. We are painfully aware that the process of returning to some new normal for all the families will not be easy, smooth, or without serious therapy. These live hostages have been subjected to physical and psychological torture. They have weathered the emotional and bodily abuse we can not dare to imagine. Some were told their families were dead...when in fact they were not...while others were told the opposite. Some believed they would come home to wives and children that had been murdered on October 7th, 2023.  

Danny Miran removes his
son's picture from display at
Ben Gurion Airport

Yet, these incredibly resilient people survived. Their paths forward will be their own journeys. They will learn how the world turned against Israel, Jews, and even the hostages themselves. They'll eventually catch up with the news only to learn the victims had been cast in the roles of the aggressors. But for the members of Be'eri, Nir Oz, and K'far Aza, places that had reasonably good relations with their neighbors in Gaza, places that supported peace outreach and cooperation, learning those neighbors invaded across the border with intimate knowledge of the town layouts in order to kill them all, their roads will be even harder to traverse. The best the rest of us can do is to be active, articulate witnesses to the cruel, bullshit that is Hamas. 

And from the lest we forget department: a guy Mohammed Nazzal spoke to Reuters

DOHA, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Hamas intends to maintain security control in Gaza during an interim period, a senior Hamas official told Reuters, adding he could not commit to the group disarming - positions that reflect the difficulties facing U.S. plans to secure an end to the war.
 
Hamas politburo member Mohammed Nazzal also said the group was ready for a ceasefire of up to five years to rebuild devastated Gaza, with guarantees for what happens afterwards depending on Palestinians being given "horizons and hope" for statehood.
 
Speaking to Reuters in an interview from Doha, where Hamas politicians have long resided, Nazzal defended the group's crackdown in Gaza, where it carried out public executions on Monday. There were always "exceptional measures" during war and those executed were criminals guilty of killing, he said. 

PRESSURE TO DISARM 

While Hamas has broadly expressed these views before, the timing of Nazzal's comments demonstrates the major obstacles obstructing efforts to cement a full end to the war in Gaza, days after the first phase of the ceasefire was agreed.

They point to big gaps between Hamas' positions and U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for Gaza, ahead of negotiations expected to address Hamas' weapons and how Gaza is governed. 

I particularly enjoyed the line:

...a ceasefire of up to five years to rebuild devastated Gaza, with guarantees for what happens afterwards depending on Palestinians being given "horizons and hope"

If you need a translation, allow me to clarify: Hamas remains active in Gaza. The ceasefire will last UP TO five years...which means they can resume their efforts to attack Israel without fear of any condemnation after that time. Horizons and hope = the complete destruction of Israel and the "removal of all Jews and others" from the river to the sea. And executions of their own citizens in the public square. In other words, it's back to business as usual.

So, if you're delusional enough to believe President Felon delivered some kind of lasting peace deal that would guarantee Israel's safety, there's this bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you at a bargain price. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch..........

Yesterday was No Kings Day and by all counts, it was pretty successful. According to Strength In Numbers, an independent, data-driven analysis of politics, public opinion, and elections to be found on Substack, the numbers are pretty impressive.

Strength In Numbers partnered with independent Atlanta-based science newsroom The Xylom on Oct. 18, 2025, to produce a crowdsourced estimate of turnout for the second “No Kings Day” protests held around the country. This follows our first attempt at crowdsourced crowd-counting for the first protests held in June.

Our median estimate is that 5.2 million people participated in a No Kings Day demonstration somewhere in the country on Saturday, with an upper bound of 8.2 million people. We provide an “estimate” and not a “count” because we are making predictions of turnout in protest sites where official records are still missing.

Our estimate is based on reports from local officials, local organizers, and attendees, and suggests the count from organizers — who report 7 million participants nationwide — may be a bit optimistic (but is not impossible). Still, regardless of whether the precise number is 5, 6, 7, or 8 million, Saturday’s events are very likely the biggest single-day protest event since 1970, surpassing even the 2017 Women’s March demonstrations against Trump.

The protests come as Donald Trump’s approval rating hit a new low last week, and as Democrats look likely to win upcoming races for governor in New Jersey and Virginia.

The photos you can find online are also pretty impressive. As is the spreadsheet they produced. That alone is worth seeing so you can check your own city. Even MAGA strongholds filled their public squares. People are upset and they are, indeed, taking to the streets. Can tiki torches and pitchforks be far behind? 

Of course, our Man-Who-Would-Be-King-in-Chief, had to post the most childish, idiotic video in support of his coronation on Bullshit Social.

Sir Bedbug's version

That said, seems we already have a king...according to JD Vance's official page on via Bluesky . I cannot pretend to fathom what prompted Vice President Bedbug to post such a ridiculous clip. I guess it just wasn't enough that his boss dumped shit all over protesters. Nope; he had to come out in support of this charade. Sir Bedbug certainly has expectations of heirdom, although I cannot understand why. What does he think he's gonna be? Clown Prince? The three stooges are way ahead of him in the lineup. The best he can hope for is evil prime henchman or maybe court jester. Hard to say. 

Look, it keeps coming back to the same thing: when Hamas tells you their final solution is the total annihilation of Israel and its Jewish population, you have to believe them. I mean, how many times do we have to go through this before we do? Same thing with President Felon. He keeps telling us he has no intention of leaving the Oval Office....especially after he decorated it with all that cheesy gold plastic...even if he has to suspend the midterms and/or the Constitution. Ever hear the phrase shadow docket? If you haven't, you soon will. 

The government shut-down is already hitting thousands in their wallets, and not just federal workers. The Speaker's refusal to recall the House is nothing but a hostage maneuver against the most at-risk portions of the population. When are President Felon's loyal minions gonna figure out they're left holding a very empty bag with no meds, no food, no heat, no roof, and no hope? But hey! This is their choice, right? You elect the government you deserve. 

Question: do you think the Nobel committee takes into account what he's doing here? Just wondering if destroying your own economy impacts your deservedness for getting the peace prize. 

The bride and groom

But rather than leave you all on this dreadfully depressing note, I will tell you there is nothing like a modern Israeli wedding for group dancing, screamingly funny skits, and overall good times. The groom's friends did a wonderful send-up of him and I can't remember laughing that hard at any wedding. There were wonderful speeches, heartfelt hugs...and a general sense of relief that the hostages were home. There was something special about families coming together to celebrate knowing other families had been reunited. 

Yes, everything has been impacted by the hostages, and weddings are no exception. This one might have just been that much more lighthearted because this is Israel and for the moment, we are all breathing a little bit easier. No one takes those moments lightly; they are cherished. 

On an odd note: the wedding was held in Yafo, and as luck would have it, the rooftop venue overlooked the Yafo Stairs. The stairs haven't changed a bit.....but I am afraid I have.

   1969                                        2025                        

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

If you happen to be in Tel Aviv and want a great dinner,

visit CLARO;TLV. 

You will not be disappointed@

And then there were NONE.

There is no other way to begin this blog other than 

THE HOSTAGES ARE HOME

Only 4 of the 28 dead hostages were returned, already breaking the agreement Hamas signed while 24 bodies remain in Gaza. This is a serious breach of the pending agreement. Not that I believe they will live up to their part of the agreement. I can't see Hamas disarming and disappearing into the rubble. 

Well, I’m pretty much packed and the suitcase still closes. This is a good thing. I even weighed the sucker Fearing that I was overweight, but not even close. Only 41 pounds when I am allotted 70 per bag. I can deal with that. I have everything I need, and lots of stuff my friend needs ready to go. And swag for the kiddos: Twins and Viking togs. Hey! These are still Minnesotans even if they're in Herzliya! 

A Grandma, an Aunty, and
another Grandma

The high point of the Pre-departure week was a day trip with Two Grandmas, an Aunty, and a Savta. Every year we manage to have a shpatzir Where we go someplace off the beaten track. This year it was to Scandia, a tiny town north of the Twin Cities. They have the most charming museum there dedicated to Swedish immigrants  called Gammelgården. It’s a lovely little place and definitely worth visiting if you have the time. 

Jason Moldan

We also went to Marine on the St. Croix in search of the chocolate shop. No kidding, this place is amazing. This is not your run-of-the-mill, Mass produced chocolate like you see it malls, and places like that. Nope, This store was originally started by two sisters who recently retired and sold it to a charming man named Jason Moldan, a master  chocolatier who will carry forward the dream of the two sisters. We met Jason while we were Sitting at a little bistro table outside the shop moaning over the deliciousness of his confections because he stopped to ask if we liked them! We strongly urge him to go into the shop and have some and he laughed and said “no, actually I make them.” Jason was delightful and I’m so glad we had a chance to visit with him a bit before we had to leave for home. If you find yourself in Marine on the St. Croix, make you St. Croix Chocolate Company  

As for things not on my bingo card this week: my Apple Watch was acting weird, and I ended up having to replace that this morning. Granted, it was already three years old and probably needed a new battery, but the battery level was 84% not 83%,the threshold for them to fix it and even then, it would have to be sent out for repair. All things considered I didn’t really feel like flying a whole lot of hours on a watch that only held a charge for four of those hours. I will say that the experience in the Apple Store was as unique as usual. The store opened at 11 AM, And when I walked in at 11:05 it was already crowded. That said the appointment at the genius bar to determine whether or not the watch could be repaired was smooth as glass. Yeah, yeah I know it’s apple but having worked in retail for a long time, they do it right.

As I get ready to leave for Israel on Tuesday morning...to a place where there might actually be a bit of peace, I have to state my belief that this is not some sort of panacea or even a real resolution, Maybe, if we're real lucky, it’s a beginning. The Palestinian leadership has never kept their word before, so it's a stretch to believe they will do it now. Keep in mind Hezbollah and Iran are not a part of this deal, so there is little reason to believe they will stop lobbing missiles at Israel and give the IDF time to figure out how to stop the next incursion because knowing Hamas, it will happen.

Look, this is not unreasonable thinking. Part of me has been confronting the horrors of terrorism and mass murder since I was a kid. I cannot remember a time when I did not worry that someone would rise to power and come after us. All those artists and celebrities screaming for a ceasefire and Free Palestine are silent now. They have forgotten that this is not fantasyland for us. They chant their ridiculous slogans but once there is a ceasefire, where are their voices? Are they raising capital to help rebuild the cities or raising investment capital to develop a Palestinian economy? If that doesn't change, what makes you think Hamas won't be back to say, We told you so ? And let's watch as the chants for our destruction begin anew.

I am pretty sure we will go to the Nova Festival site. It's not exactly something I want to do, but it must be done. Much like visiting the World Trade Center in New York where two of my cousins perished. There is a need to stand there. To see it. To make it real in my head and not just pictures in the media or sound bites on the screen. Even if I did not know anyone who was murdered in the massacre, I know my reaction will be visceral. I was raised in the generation immediately after the Holocaust. My neighbors had numbers on their arms and scars from medical experiments conducted in Auschwitz. To see it is to believe it in your heart, in your head, and in your soul.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I’ve been given my marching orders for what to bring back from Israel when I do come back and it includes very exciting things like halva Bamba. I’ve seen regular Bamba and peanut butter Bamba and chocolate Bamba, but I’ve never encountered halva Bamba. I’ll let you know how it is. If the kids want Bamba, I'll bring home Bamba...and a few other things for them. I hear someone needs Israeli soccer team t-shirts. Hmmmmm.

My intent is to publish from Israel, so you'll be getting your usual stuff and nonsense from me. No worries. I'm sure I can come up with something to write about.

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

Israel is Israel is Israel.

We are the indigenous people of the land

so it's always like coming home....

because it IS home. 

Things NOT on my Bingo card.

Well, this is gonna be a very short blog this week. It seems that I was brutally attacked on Friday afternoon by an Orrefors Fleur bowl filled with creamed herring As I attempted to put it in the refrigerator. If you know anything about Fleur bowls, they are exceptionally heavy and in the process of putting it in the fridge, I jammed my thumb. Let’s just say this was not on my bingo card.

Thankfully, nothing is broken, but I did learn. I have arthritis in my thumb and I seem to have pissed it off so I’m in a brace. My left hand doesn’t work very well, So I’m actually dictating this and will attempt to edit it when I’m done.

There are a couple of other things that are pissing me off this week, not the least of which is the announcement from the treasury department that they are issuing a commemorative coin with President Felon. Now, according to the rules of such things, only dead people are on coins. This is not a new rule, it’s a rule that was established in 1866. And if you look at the illustration of this coin, I trust you’ll be as nauseated as I was. On the other hand, maybe he’ll be dead before they issue it.  

The US Treasury has removed much of their timeline dealing Acts of Congress on the light, but thanks to the Wayback Machine archive versions of that page exist. See below:

April 7, 1866 - An Act of Congress stated that only a portrait of a deceased person could appear on currency. The Act was caused by an uproar over the actions of the Chief of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Spencer Clark. Clark placed himself on a five cent note and had a large quantity of them printed before it was noticed. Due to Clark's actions the already prepared 15 cent note featuring Sherman and Grant was never released.

 This is a rendering of the proposed coin. Personally, I find it disturbing on a number of levels.

The positioning of President Felon's profile with "In God We Trust" divided like that (even though it mirrors the JFK half dollar) it has a creepiness factor exacerbated by the sheer size of his head. There is a visual implication that he is somehow related to God. For the record, as much as I like JFK, I was never crazy about the line split there either. Look, not even Hitler put his face on coinage saying he preferred to wait until he won.

As for the tush, well, that's a whole nuther' matter. "FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT" calls into question the very nature of who We, the People are. Are we now to be a nation of warriors, setting out to conquer? Are we turning our backs on our allies? Have we now walked away from any and all peace negotiations? The message it sends is that the United States is not the peace-loving nation we once claimed to be, and that we are ready, willing, and ready to go to war. 

The other thing that’s really pissing me off is the firing of the National Endowment for the Humanities  directors. Just like the government is currently firing people from The Kennedy Center and the national museums around Washington, And replacing them with people that are wholly unqualified makes me wonder what the ultimate goal is. OK, granted, we should wonder what the ultimate goal was in appointing RFK, Jr as Secretary of Health and Human Services. President Felon’s continued insistence that all arts aligned with his version of America is exceptionally disturbing. He is deliberate in attempting to remove all of history that isn’t white. I know this is not news to most of you, and I’m assuming that most of you find this rather disturbing. I know I do. 

We all know that when the Romans used to conquer a people, one of the things they did was try to assimilate them into the Roman empire. This was pretty standard operating behavior. Even the Nazis try to make sure that all cultural affirmations were in support of the Nazi mentality of Some bizarre concept of racial and national purity. I keep thinking these announcements seem to fall into that same channel of “nationalist” thinking. 

The trends are undeniable. And the increased presence of our military be at national guard or any other branch of the service in cities that neither want nor request their presence is also very scary. But I’ve said that before.

Maybe it really is time to rethink what we expect of our nation, what we expect of our leaders, and whether or not this grand melting pot that we’ve all lived in is coming to a close.I do believe the midterm elections are at risk, and I do believe the next presidential election is at risk. The reshaping of American cultural history is no different from what the Roman or the  Nazis did across Europe. That which once made We, the People and America unique in history is under duress; attempts to replace our history with whitewashing and revisionism will ultimately be thwarted. One thing I do know: we will not be assimilated. 

As so many wise people have said ....When someone tells you who they are, believe them. And if you're the least bit unsure about who President Felon is, read his speech to the generals.

Unless we wanna just close our drapes and not think about what’s happening outside our living rooms, we need to be prepared for what’s coming next. Do no, for one New York minute, think that there aren't private militias out there waiting for the call. 

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week
Never do anything that will upset the arthritis  existing  in one's thumb.

It will hurt to freakin' beat the band.