The United Arab List

About 20% of the population are Arabs with voting rights. They have formed a block, the United Arab List (see pic) that is kingmaker and decide who will be our next Prime Minister. They are exercising their power to annul land expropriations. Land expropriated for public water works has been returned to Arab farmers. Land is the vital resource in this densely populated country and already there is tremendous problem for public infrastructure planners. There is no place on the seashore to site desalination plants (water sector) nor yacht ports (tourism). The Arabs think that it is not their problem and do not co-operate with the State. 

Weapons and Counterweapons

Elbit won a large order for Directional Infrared Counter Measures (DIRCM), a system to protect aircraft from infrared homing ("heat seeking") man-portable missiles. It is a lightweight, compact system designed to provide mission-vulnerable aircraft with increased protection. Thanks Arafat, we had to develop twenty years ago many thingies that we can sell now. 

In the South of Israel, we are suffering from helium filled balloons carrying explosives. The wind blows from Gaza towards the mainland, carrying these weapons deep into the country. A startup developed laser guided countermeasures, it is working but the border is 70 km long, so it can protect only a limited sector. The enemy keeps us alert and vigilant, thanks God.  

Mayn Yiddische Meydele

Lyrics

I have seen many women;
among every people they are different.
But none is as beautiful
as a Jewish woman.

A Jewish girl immediately enchants you
with her glance.
And if you just take a peek at her,
you feel that “Jewish feeling” inside of you.

My Jewish girl, she is so pretty.
My Jewish girl, she has a certain Jewish charm.
Her golden hair, her teeth like pearls—
only a Jewish girl could be so beautiful.
A million dollars won’t help you find among other peoples

Bestiality

Lower Left: Is that a Bat? 

Lipton takes the fall

The International Monetary Fund granted Argentina a 57.100 million dollar loan a year ago, to save it from another default. I wrote then that they were crazy and Lagrade would pay with his head this imbecility.  u$s 57.100 million is the largest ever loan of the IMF and about the 60% of its capital.  

Well, Lagarde was kicked upstairs to head the European Union's Central Bank, and his second, David Lipton (pic) took the fall and was sacked. Kristalina Georgieva, the Bulgarian replacement of Lagarde, is reorganizing the IMF leadership. The Argentine loan intended to help pro-USA President Macri to win the elections, but the populist, irresponsible Peronist party returned to power and the loan will never be paid back. 

The Pangolin Virus

It appears that the bat coronavirus was transmitted to humans via the pangolin in Wuhan wet market. Pangolins are hunted and eaten for their erection enhancing (imagined) virtues.

The poor beast does not ruminate nor has other signs of being kosher. A normal, non-starving  person would not eat it.   

Shaar Benjamin

Yesterday I travelled to the Shaar Benjamin Industrial Park, a stone throw distance from the Qalandia Palestinian Refugee Camp. Twelve years ago, a Sepharadi baker from the nearby Adam settlement, was the first to move to the new business park, and contracted me to design a three floor building. He added a restaurant. There was nothing in that stony desert but a Rami Levy Supermarket, built - I think - for Ramallah Arab customers. He later rented the building to the police and built a larger bakery on the main street (pic). Planned by me too. Now he is expanding and called me. It seems to me that Arabic speaking Jews feel at home in the Shomron, bought land, started businesses, built large buildings and made money.

The GPS is not working well in the West Bank so I followed Google Map route that made me ramble all over Samaria. I arrived at midday dead tired. The place has grown but still is quite empty. The Palestinian contractor explained to me that Ramallah has developed and is full of supermarkets and shops which are cheaper and people do not need Shaar Benjamin. The man dreams of joining his brother in Sevilla, "for his children". There are five or ten very rich people in Ramallah, he said, the rest are poor.  A typical Middle East dictatorship. The next door Qalandia Refugee Camp is not a camp but a typical Arab East Jerusalem neighborhood, from the road it looks clean and well maintained.