Blizzard in Israel
Published January 30, 2008
Sometimes, the World of Truth breaks through the World of Lies and False Aspirations and imposes itself on us. One of these times is when a snowstorm strikes here.
mitzafón tipatáH hasufá
The Storm Will Open From the North
This is the headline on page 4 of yesterday's (29-01-08) Yisrael Hayom, the Hebrew commuter daily that replaced yisraeli several months ago. The lead paragraph continues: "Already yesterday, the snow began to fall in the Hermon, and before the snow arrives in the capital, it is expected to spread out falling on the Golan."
The article deals with the fact that before the storm, two homeless people were found dead in the Tel Aviv area from the extreme cold that had hit. (Before Israel abandoned its more caring socialist ways to ape America, there were no homeless people here.) And it deals with other realities of the storm.
In Israel, because snow strikes so rarely, the schools generally close, most stores close, the buses do not run. In Israel, because snow strikes so rarely, families get together, take out cameras, get out in the snow, throw snowballs at each other, and make snowmen. The important things in life overtake the World of Lies and False Aspirations for a day, while the country closes down. This is documented in an article from Arutz Sheva:
First-year North American immigrants are growing excited by the hubbub surrounding the impending storm, especially those who were afraid they might never see a real snowstorm again."Wow - a real reason to buy boots this year!" said a Chicago native who asked not to be identified. "My kids will finally have a real winter," he chuckled. His wife ran down the list of culinary preparations dictated by family tradition: "Sahlab --after all, we are in the Middle East - mushroom barley soup, crusty garlic bread toasted in the oven... wish we had a wood stove. Marshmallows!" she said.
"I can already see the hot chocolate steaming from my mug," said one hopeful tourist from New York.
Of course the media, particularly the mainstream media, remains firmly footed in the World of Lies and False Aspirations. On page 4, Yisrael Hayom, the same paper quoted above, gives top billing to the Winograd Report, which supposedly lays blame for the failures in the Second Lebanon War. The article on the storm itself is on the lowest fourth of the page.
The media did not ignore the storm entirely. Yediot AHronot carries an article in Hebrew dealing with "lessons in snow - school canceled in Jerusalem and the Golan" and actually covers the fact that the snow will hit in Gush Etzion and the Benjamin District (where I live), talking about likely cancellation of classes there.
By contrast, Ha'aretz, on both its Hebrew and English websites, studiously ignores the existence of the Jewish residents in Judea and Samaria, its editorial staff obviously praying (if the secular bastards on the staff actually do pray) that if they don't talk about us, we'll just go away.
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The writer was born in Brooklyn and lived in Minnesota for a number of years. There he managed restaurants and wrote stories. He moved with his family to Israel where they now reside. He is published by Jewish Indy, as well as by Desicritics.org.
- Blizzard in Israel
- Published: January 30, 2008
- Type: News
- Section: Culture
- Filed Under: Culture: Education, Culture: Family and Relationships, Culture: Media, Culture: Personal History, Culture: Religion, Culture: Society, Politics: Energy and Environment, Politics: Government, Politics: Policy, Sci/Tech: Energy/Environment
- Writer: Ruvy
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This will be the tenth or eleventh time I've started up this computer today! The electricity has been cut off at least that many times during the winds today.
The juice was off for the longest period when it got dark, and the whole region was blacked out. A short time later, there was another blackout, and I got an SMS from Israel Electric promising that power would be restored within the hour. The whole country had been blacked out that time. That was about 21:45 this evening or so....
It's about 05:00 in Samaria: It snowed again during the wee hours of the morning, but does not appear to be snowing now. It is hard to determine if there will be bus service coming up route 60 north of J-lem, which is where we are.
On the Egged web-site, It states that due to snow in Jerusalem, buses will be running only on major lines and service in the northern neighborhoods has been canceled, but that intra-city service will not be affected. It then gives a customer service number to call for more details. The customer service number is presently not working.
So the only thing we can do is go out at 5:45 to see if the bus actually arrives. Even then, if the bus to Jerusalem does arrive, it is not clear how my wife will get to work, as service in the city will be restricted at best.
The World of Truth wins out over the World of Lies and False Aspirations.
Update at 10:40:
Neither my wife not I really wanted to go out at a quarter to six in the morning in the freezing cold to see if a bus would actually make it up the several kilometers of winding road from Highway 60 to the village. There were no updates on any sources that we could find.
But at around 06:30, my oldest son reported that it was snowing heavily outside, and that seemed to decide the issue. My wife called her employer, and it was snowing heavily in Jerusalem as well, so she did not have to attempt to go in to work. My kids would not have to go to study, either. So we are home for a second day!
Now, it is sunny, no wind, and unlike yesterday, there are no interruptions in electric service. It is as cold as hell, though....
Ruvy, I have deleted the lengthy post you copied and pasted earlier.
As you well know, the comments space here on Blogcritics is for people to contribute their own thoughts and opinions. If people in your network care about what is posted here, they can come and make their own comments.
At the link to Arutz Sheva, you can view some great winter photos of the storm we've been freezing through the last couple of days. This link to ynetnews provides some nice photos as well as a good wrap up of the storm. Outside my own window here in Ma'alé Levoná, the roads are icy. Highway 60, the main road in and out of this district, is icy but clear of snow.
The final link here is from Hevron, and is here to display the sharp difference between the World of Truth - the photos you see in the first two links - and the World of Lies perpetrated by the criminals who run this country. Here too, are photos. But there is no beauty here, nor is there any truth. Only the tragedy of a government of traitors, thieves and liars.
Take it steady Ruvy, wrap up warm and hope you come out of your blizzards soon. :o) Colin
Thanks for the kind words, Colin.
Houses here are not built to keep in warmth, but to keep out heat - most of the time, the climate is hot here. So, the house we live in is rather drafty and has been difficult to heat. It's enough to drive a man daft if the kitchen he eats in is nearly as cold as the street he walks in. Nothing like the well insulated house we lived in in Minnesota.
So we do bundle up at night. Damn, it's cold....
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Arutz Sheva updates the info on the storm, at least as of 14:00 in the afternoon. As of now, 21:30, Israel Winter Time, it appears that there is a lot of wind blowing. Buses are running again in J-lem, and they may be running into J-lem. It appears to have been much ado about nothing. We'll see in the morning if the 05:45 bus leaves for Jerusalem with my wife on it....