| |
I've noted a number of times that although Israel has had almost daily barrages of missiles that obligated us to stay close to safe areas (and to know how to get to them) throughout this war the roads were busy, and shopping centers were full. Formal gathering places - schools, theaters, museums and the like were closed. Even if the fifty person maximum mandate wasn't actively enforced (other than at demonstrations), people didn't really congregate. That was true on the kibbutz as well. People met on walks, or sat on the numerous lawns, and used the playgrounds, but we didn't meet in large groups. Today, like on pre-war "regular" Fridays, the chadar ochel was open for three meals, and for each of these it was full. I could be wrong, but I think we had more eaters than on a normal Friday, and that makes sense. We were hungry for getting together, and that's perhaps truer for kibbutz where gatherings are an important part of daily life.
Tzippi reports that a number of people were missing from her orchestra rehearsal, but it was good to play with others again. She didn't relish driving - a bit more than half an hour in each direction - but they were happily uneventful drives. That doesn't mean that the north wasn't still under constant fire, but I think that only one person was slightly injured today. It's easy, however, to feel that at present there are two separate Israels - the north, where people stay as close to shelters as they can while trying to do whatever they have to do, and the rest of the country where even if there's real tension, things are generally calm. And this is even more the case since the ceasefire has eased all the restrictions.
Speaking of the ceasefire ... there clearly isn't one with Lebanon. And although it definitely seems that the Lebanese government wants to negotiate with Israel (which certainly seems like a better idea than being endlessly bombarded while Israel tries to eliminate Hizbollah) my government has convinced itself that force is the only way to solve problems. Iran wants the ceasefire to include Lebanon before it starts negotiations, and as I think I noted yesterday, the best thing that can happen now is for Trump to realize that the best thing for him to do is to pressure us into that ceasefire.
Because we ate in the chadar ochel this evening we didn't watch the news. I guess they can survive without us, though it's strange not to be getting my daily fix. I've checked my WhatsApp feed throughout the evening and it seems that things have been quiet. Again, we're not complaining. So this is a good time to finish this and wish you Shabbat Shalom.
|
|