Okay, this is not Saturday morning at the bashes, it's just a reflection-my personal observation. Society here in Israel is becoming even more
violent on a local level. I won't even begin to conjecture as to what is causing this because I don't really care. The reality, my reality, is
that it is impacting me, my family and my friends. I don't give a damn what excuses one wants to invent because they don't address the problem.
So many people here blow off the most basic courtesies that are supposed to exist in a "civilized" society. Our political leaders, even the
ones with baby faces and soft skin-are tinged. More and more are dying on the roads...three thus far in the last hours...and driving with
reckless abandon. If you don't move quickly enough the boneheads are literally pushing your car out of the way to get around you. If you
confront these goons, they threaten you with life and limb.
Several people from my work were in Tel Aviv the other night. They began to park their car in an empty space in the city and suddenly a
bonehead goon jerked open their door and began screaming at them in Hebrew. They answered in English and he then told them that if they parked
in this empty space that he would destroy their car. That's it. He didn't explain his actions, because bonehead goons don't need to of course,
he just screamed and threatened because he thought he could. It turns out, he had been standing in the street-though unseen- reserving this
spot for a friend that was nowhere in sight. Now, think about it...he jerked open their door, screamed at them and then made a number of
threats. In a true democracy, in a truly civilized country, what would happen? What would be your recourse? Here, I am sorry to say you have
none. Call the police and they will laugh. They have more important things to do. Retort to the bonehead goons and they will drop kick you all
the way to the in-security fence. It's just no win in this ever increasing violent society.
Just how has it gotten so violent? I grew up a Disapora Jew in Connecticut. I thought that all Jews held the values that I did and had respect
for others and the land as I had been taught. My sixteen years have taught me otherwise. Pushing, shoving, swearing, threatening,throwing all
your garbage to the ground and now physical retaliation for petty things is the norm. No,not everybody does this for it they did I would not be
able to live here, but I notice, and so many people I meet from the states and other locations notice, that for a non-third world country it
happens here more than in any other place in the World. Sure, in some countries where military rule and civil strife are the norm it occurs
more. In those countries there are killings in the streets and gangs rule, however, I go back to being a Jew from Connecticut, we just were not
brought up this way. Israel was not like this in the past. It has evolved into this state and the people here have learned to accept this thus
allowing it to get worse. In fact, I think more people than not are kind of proud of what is happening. They see Jews now as "tough" after so
many years when we were viewed as wimps. Even at my health club the women as the desk have admitted to me that if they don't act like prima
donnas then the Israel men and woman will take advantage of their kindness. Thus they engage in preemptive nastiness and beat you to the punch
just in case. I guess, in fact, many people are trying to beat each other to the punch which is what this society is all about I am afraid.
