Seen in Tel Aviv

Turkey vs Russia

From The Economist: "...if Armenian territory is under attack, Russia has no option but to defend Armenia.” Turkey and Russia are already tangled up in two proxy wars, in Libya and Syria. They run the danger of fighting a third one in the Caucasus."

Decarbonization

Apparently, the movement is serious. "Green" metals such as copper and the platinum group are in demand and will become more valuable. Which are the Israeli mining enterprises in which I should invest? The metals are mostly in South America, and Africa. Pic. Zimbabwe platinum mine. Karo Resources from Cyprus is investing.

Israel is not Alone

We always follow the American example, generally ten years later. But now we seems we have syncronized with California, the authorities cannot impose order and chaos rules. Quote from Bloomberg:

"Pontes is now the county executive officer of Shasta County in Northern California and goes to work in thin socks, but another crisis has found him. “You cannot get closer to total disobedience of any kind of law,” he said, referring to the local response to Covid-19 strictures. “What’s happening up here is full-on anarchy.” Then he listed for me a few of the things that had happened recently: The county sheriff had announced that he wouldn’t enforce the state’s pandemic restrictions on social gatherings and businesses. People who had never before attended county board meetings were accusing local officials of treason. The county’s health officer, who had the unhappy job of imposing the state’s Covid rules on the citizens of Shasta County, was now receiving so many threats that Pontes had brought in a new threat-assessment team; he’d also ordered the bushes cut back away from her house, installed a security system and floodlights, and ordered police patrols of her neighborhood. “She still doesn’t feel safe out there,” he said. “At all.”

Civil Revolt in Israel

The people of Israel cannot suffer further isolation and quarantine and is rebelling. Thousands of leftists are protesting against Netaniyahu, as if he personally is to blame for the epidemic. The religious sector is continuing its mass meetings and mass prayers, confident in the effectivity of communal prayer. The Arab sector is disorganized and powerless to impose self-discipline. Today 8500 new infected were added; the hospitals are full and rejecting more corona diseased. The epidemic is out of conrol and Israel is the "reddest" country in terms of infected per capita. My general impression is that the people is very nervous, businesses cannot continue closed and are desperately searching for a solution. Today I had a 4 hour ZOOM meeting, everybody much stressed. I made a big mistake, I am getting old. The people on the streets are desperate and frightened. I too am frightened.

Conflict in the Caucasus

Armenia is part of CSTO – Collective Security Treaty Organization akin to NATO which is a Russia-led military alliance of seven former Soviet states and Azerbaijan is not a part of the group. The CSTO’s mission is to secure the collective defence of any member that faces external threat and if tensions escalate, Armenia can always invoke the CSTO. Azerbaijan was founded in 1918 after the collapse of Tzarist Russia. Before that Azerbaijan was part of different empires and dynasties - mostly of Persia. The word “Azerbaijan” is a Persian word meaning land of fire and Azeris are Turkified Iranian people, they spoke old Azeri which is Persian. The Azeris are nice people and good friends of Israel. The Armenians are a small people with large claims to lost territories (see map).

Every Project Ends in the Courts

In my former blog I commented on the low quality of the Sharona Bldg. Years after, the buyers of the shops and offices are demanding 80 million dollars from the builder Gindi Real Estate. The Judge froze Gindi's bank accounts for 15 million US$. The problem is that (1) the grease interceptors stand in the parking level, that the buyers consider their own, (2) apart from the imaginary environmental nuisance, they claim it reduces the value of their property. First thing they demand to register their claim so it will be transferred should they sell their offices, shops, etc. Happily, I was not involved in the design of the Sharona bldg's systems. Details in Hebrew follow. בחודש אפריל 2016 הגישה נציגות הדיירים תביעה נגד גינדי החזקות, מנהלי החברה ובני משפחת גינדי, שבה דרשה לסגור את "שרונה מרקט" - שוק האוכל שפועל בקומת הקרקע של הפרויקט - שגרם לדבריהם למפגעים תברואתיים. עוד טענו הדיירים כי גינדי השתלטה על חלקים ברכוש המשותף של הפרויקט וביקשו מבית המשפט צו שיאכוף את ההפרדה "בין מערכות המרקט ומגדלי המגורים". דיירי מגדלי שרונה, המיוצגים ע"י עוה"ד צבי פירון, אפרת רנד וניר פרץ ממשרד מ.פירון ושות', טוענים עתה כי אם יימכרו החניונים לצד ג' לא ניתן יהיה להעביר את בורות השומן המצויים היום בחניוני המגורים לחניון שרונה מרקט ולא ניתן יהיה לחייב את הקונה לאפשר לדיירים לעשות שימוש בחניון התפעולי המצוי בקומה מינוס 2 ומהווה את אחת מדרכי הגישה לבניינים. הדיירים דורשים אפוא "להורות על רישום הערה בדבר הגשת התביעה שבכותרת, על מנת ליידע צדדים שלישיים בדבר המחלוקות הנוגעות לחניונים ובדבר זכויותיה של התובעת בהם".