Thursday, April 10, 2003

Business as usual over here
Two Israeli soldiers were killed today by Palestinians and the IDF killed a top Islamic Jihad terrorist.

Yesterday I forgot to tell you they averted the general strike. We'll probably get it after Passover (They say it was averted because they cut some sort of deal, but I don't believe any of it, it's all a game of politics and interest. A dance of power). The strike wasn't very popular right now, a few days before the Hag (= religious holiday). Like I said, I ignored it and it went away. Maybe I should try this with some other unpleasant issues.

Oh, and I forgot to tell you. I stopped schlepping the gask around with me the day before yesterday (Yes, yes. Even me, last of the Mohicans). They say they're not bringing down the alert, yet, but they say they're letting a lot of reservists go home.

I continue to be intrigued by the surprise shown by Arabs in other Arab countries at what's happening in Iraq. They actually believe the lies their media feed them. Amazing. In Israel the media is held in such low esteem even though it's a free press. In Arab countries a lot of the media are no more than governemnt information outlets and even the independent ones are heavily biased. But still they seem to lap it all up.

A few Israeli experts who follow the Arab media were telling Reshet Bet radio station listeners today that there were already all sorts of conspiracy theories circulating to explain the shameful way Baghdad fell without a fight (for instance, Saddam makes a deal with the Americans, they let him disappear and he lets them into Baghdad...).

Enough with the delusions of grandeur, already. People round this part of the world thnk if they sit about in coffee shops twiddling their beads, things will sort of happen by themselves. Everyone's a makher.