Today was a serious day. There were plenty of pockets of fun, but today was about the trip to one of the holiest sites in the world, the Wailing Wall of Jerusalem.
Upon reaching the Wall I sang Pink Floyd’s “Another brick in the wall,” yelling, “Leave those kids alone! Then I sang “Screaming at the Wailing Wall by Flogging Molly.”
No, not really. International incidents are not my thing.
In news unrelated to the Wall, upon walking into my hotel in Jerusalem, the big flat screen in the lobby was turned to Fox News.
Finally! Given that CNN has further global reach than Fox News due to obvious political biases, it was a pleasure to see Fox News. While this could have been a coincidence, I suspect that this was deliberate. As delightful as Arab Christine Amanpour is on Jewish issues everywhere, the network with the Pro-Israel bent should be the network of choice in Israel, especially Jerusalem.
I managed to get a picture of myself with world flags on one side of me and Fox News on the other. The real reason I did that is because by coincidence, my friend Jonathan Hoenig, aka the Capitalist Pig, was on tv.
Fox News also announced that we lost another talented American, in this case Isaac Hayes. He was the voice behind “Shaft,” as well as “Chef” on South Park. He left us at 65, too soon.
In Olympic news, an Iranian athlete refused to compete against an Israeli athlete. I am sure the Israeli athlete would have kicked rumpus anyway.
I also learned today that the only thing scarier than an Arab terrorist is an aggressive cab driver. Whether Israeli or Arabic, they are relentless. The guy was not rude, but hours after he dropped us off, he saw me and the Chicago Cannonball and said, “Mr. Los Angeles, Ms. Chicago, I am at your service tomorrow. Only 250 shekels.” I heard it many times in his cab.
Whether Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, the service industry in general is lacking. Customer service is an oxymoron. However, most cab drivers, while pushy for more business, get the job done at a reasonable price.
In food news, I debated whether or not to order an Arabic salad. That way I could repeatedly stab it with a fork. I would drown it in unhealthy dressing and violently stab at it, one fork jab for every Jew murdered during the intifada.
Actually, I was just hungry. I asked the waitress what the difference was between an Israeli salad and an Arabic salad. She told me, “nothing.”
Then I got the idea of salad for peace. I, as a proud Jew and son of a Holocaust survivor, could eat an Arabic salad in the name of peace. In the background would be the Beatles singing, “Come together, right now, over me.”
Nevertheless, the lure of trying a veal burger was too strong, and my salad for peace movement collapsed under the bloodlust for meat. The burger was average, but the potatos were outstanding.
Yet Jerusalem is a serious city. There is a Jewish Quarter and a Muslim Quarter. The Christian and Armenian round out the square. Yes, I did just try to round out a square. The cab driver that took us from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem stopped 90% of the way through the cab ride. Going to our hotel apparently required going through the Muslim Quarter. How incredibly comforting.
The Chicago Cannonball and I got in a second cab, as I prayed not to die. No, I do not think all Muslims are terrorists, but I knew nothing about the Muslim Quarter, and perhaps it might be inciting trouble to go into “their” quarter.
Nevertheless, there were plenty of Jews in the area, and we checked in, and then headed for the Western Wall.
The way to the Western Wall goes through the Damascus Gate. There is plenty of shopping there, as Jews and Arab Muslims compete to see who can sell the most useless merchandise. Actually, there were some cool t-shirts, from the poignant to the delightfully offensive. I also saw sports t-shirts mixing English and Hebrew. They had the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. The store owner had heard of the Oakland Raiders, but did not have one. He might be getting one. I hope so.
The Western Wall is one of the most meaningful places on Earth for Jews everywhere. I went to the wall, placed my hand on it, said a Jewish prayer known as “The Shema.” “Here O’ Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.” I had a list of names of people that asked me to pray for them and others, and read every name on the list.
I made my request of God. If it gets released to to media I will get quite salty. I placed my folded note to God in the Wall and added another prayer. I then found the on site Chabad House, and told them that I “Thank God for Chabad.” I live in Los Angeles within walking distance of the global headquarters of Chabad, but to see this was special.
In Jerusalem near the Wall are synagogues, churches and mosques. I took pictures in front of all of them. The Arabs I encountered were not friendly or unfriendly. They were not in any way mean. They simply had different business than I did, and respectfully went about their business as I did mine. In all honesty, in some cases I could not tell if the person was Israeli or Arab.
As for the merchants, they just wanted business as any merchant would. Yet one Jewish merchant insisted on kissing me on the cheek as a member of the tribe. This was right before attempting to overcharge us for a long skirt so that the Chicago Cannonball could look ladylike at the Wall. She is a tough negotiator, and got her price.
My rule of thumb is that if the merchant is Jewish, haggle with him. If the merchant is an Arab, just pay them. I know I may be getting fleeced, but I do not want to come across as a cheap Jew. The stereotype bothers me enough that I would rather get bilked.
During dinner at an exotic hotel adjacent to ours, the sounds of “Allah Akbar” at a mosque were overheard, and it sounded…peaceful. I was thrilled to hear Islam the way it is supposed to be heard. I did not feel threatened.
I posed for a picture in frnt of a Palestinian pottery place, because when I think of Palestinians, I think of beautiful things being built such as pottery. Over the years I will tell my friends that I went to the Gaza Strip, declared peace in our time, and the Palestinians put down their arms and we all made pottery. The truth is I was in the Jewish area of Jerusalem, where Palestinians can operate a shop in peace. I want every peaceful person in this world to have this right, and hope that young Palestinians see that their own lot will improve when they can look me in the eye and see humanity.
I m trying very hard on this trip to separate the good Palestinians from the bad ones, but they do not ake it easy. I rarely let my politics interfere with other apsects of my life, but on Arab merchant had t-shirts that I almost bought. I was going to buy several of them. Then I saw e had one t-shirt that he was seling that said “President Arafat.” I decided not to buy from him. Besides, I should buy them from a Jewish merchant anyway.
Make no mistake about it. While Christianity and Islam have beautiful aspects of their faiths, Israel is a Jewish state, and Jerusalem is about Jews. As I saw Israeli flags flying high in the sky, I felt elated knowing that there was a place where all Jews can go. Outside of America, we have few options. Also, Israel is a Jewish state. The Arab Muslims have 22 states. They do not need 23.
Later tonight my friend Uri gets married. A wedding in Israel with people of all stripes will be an experience to remember.
Yet for now, with the Wailing Wall in the rear view mirror, it is time to get serious, as in some serious shopping. There are t-shirts waiting to be bought.
On to the next adventure.
eric
[…] Original post by blacktygrrrr […]
Its a small world.
I was just watching my local news and found out that yesterday Obama was about 2 blocks from my house at the Valley Of The Temples.
I guess they dont announce these things ahead of time for a reason.
Or else SS knows I live close by.
http://gohawaii.about.com/od/oahusights/ss/byodo_in_temple.htm
While you there putting in a good word with the Big Man for the Raiders, could you slide in a playoff request for the Lions? Enjoy the rest of your trip!
“Given that CNN has further global reach than Fox News due to obvious political biases…”
Are you always “on”?
Political biases?
Fox caters specifically to US news (mostly tabloid nonsense) and does it in a blindly nationalistic way. Why would any foreign national watch Fox other than to confirm the worst of their impressions of us? Why would an Israeli – or anyone other than an American with too much time on their hands – want to watch endless coverage of some missing white girl, or some deranged hostage taker in a fast food place, in Jesusville, Redstate, USA?
More to the point, Fox has very little international presence compared to BBC World or CNN International.
JMJ
Oh yeah – and good luck to your friend with his new marraige, and keep on having fun! LOL!
JMJ
JMJ:
“Political biases?”
Yea, you know, that stuff where one organization has a particular leaning in the way they present things ?
Theres no doubt that CCN has further global reach. Why shouldnt they ?
They make it habit to promote world events from a leftist perspective. Even US events.
But they’re still a leftist organization
JMJ;
“More to the point, Fox has very little international presence compared to BBC World or CNN International.”
Duh ? No kidding.
Do think “British Broadcasting” or the word “International” was your first clue ?
“Why would any foreign national watch Fox other than to confirm the worst of their impressions of us? ”
Quite the opposite actually.
You can only watch Wolf blitzer end his one hour “situation room” with Jack Cafferty reading off all the negative opinions from only the leftist commentors so many times before you realize that this news organozation is clearly in the dems pocket.
I mean really ?
How can any sane intelligent person deny it when for an hour Wolf goes over everything happening in the world and at home and then ends it with Caffertys 5 minutes of nothing but radical leftist views and critique`coming in via e mail on every subject that Wolf touched on ?
Its a plain as day blatent example of bias like I have never seen on any program, EVER !
Oh, and then Jack will usually confirm it all with his two cents worth.
I watch both CNN and FOX daily. There is no more “tabloid nonsense” on FOX that there is CNN.
The international programing coming out of BBC World and CNN International ( whoops theres those key words, “world “and “international”)
is almost always gauranteed to focus on some story designed to pull on american taxpayer heartstrings so we wont mind when Obama institutes his world wide global poverty tax thats gonna cost us all about 850 BILLION dollars.
I’ve also noticed that the international programing has a habit of painting radical Muslims as victims of sorts and caters to Muslims by PC sensitivities we would never use at home here.
Sadly, in the American market, CNN has coopted some of the goofy Fox-esque tabloid news stylings. From what I understand, in foreign markets, CNN is more like it used to be – more of a real, serious news outlet.
Fox “news” is a joke. You get more substance from Jerry Springer.
JMJ
You’re entitle to your opinion. But the facts speak the the country does not think so.
I have never watched an episode of Springer, so I wouldnt know.
I suspect you dont like FOX only because thay are the answer to all the liberal BS the media shoves down our throat.
I noticed that they were the first to srop harping on the sesationalism of the sex in the Edwards story and actually start focusing on where the money came to cover all this up.
I played a game and purposely waited to see which network would abandone all the juicy gossip and go to the issue of the financial shenanigans involved.
FOX won.
CNN had the market before FOX.
FOX was smart and saw the type of news people wanted and obviously got away with its even portrayals which wrere in stark contrast to the left leaning CNN.
Its no surprise that the market FOX presented sold so well.
There is a large majority of us that are smart enought to know bias leanings when we see it. Thats not the problem. The problem was that people wanted a choice in those leanings and perspectives.
Now we have it.
And that one little stations ratings kick the rump of all networks combined during primetime.
So no matter what you think it goes to show that most people will not be spoon fed liberal trash no matter how great and hoity toity you all think your news is.
Micky, politics aside, I don’t like Fox “News” because they are sensationalist, yellow-journalist, tabloid, low-brow, pandering, adolescent, lowest-common-denominator, jingoistic, and trashy. The hosts and “anchors” are almost nothing but cheap bimbos, dopey curmudgeons, spoiled-rotten little yuppies, and pseudo-intellectuals. The relative success of Fox is a combination of the general public’s lack of interest in cable news, and appeal angry, alientated, old white people, and the sorts of young people who fancy themselves intellectuals because they read Atlas Shrugged (a truly juvenile piece of philsophical garbage).
As for they’re politics, they are a direct arm of the Republican party.
But like you said, that’s just my opinion.
JMJ
I could say the same and even more for CNN.
But I wont stop at it just being my opnion.
The numbers prove you wrong.
And I would sure as rather rely on the info they send as oppsed to all the times youy have reffered me to disengenous lying and cheap sources to prove your point.
The reflection in the sources you have referd me to leaves to believe that your idea and opinion of good journalism is not to be too highly regarded.
That of course, is when you do try to prove your point with something other than your opinion.
None of the news organizations are “direct arms” of any side of our government.
Now you are the one who sounds like he lives oin the “cartoonish ” conspiracy laced world.
Each organization desides the tempo and theme of their own shows.
The feelings and opinions of the staff are allowed to seep into the programing by way of editing and producing and the whole way its presented.
Spare me that “direct arm “phallacy.
This is not some old soviet censored media
“The relative success of Fox is a combination of the general public’s lack of interest in cable news, and appeal angry, alientated, old white people, …”
Who cling to their guns and their bibles ?
Yea gee whooda thunk ?
Do actually believe that any cable news outlet including CNN could succeed if they “didnt” cater to the general public ?
So , when you say that the general public has lost interest in cable news I know your talking poo poo.
Nothing could more untrue , unrealistic or far fetched than that statement.
Sometimes its best not to say anything when the obvious presents the truth.
“Who cling to their guns and their bibles?”
Yeah, that probably the majority of Fox “News” viewers…
“Do actually believe that any cable news outlet including CNN could succeed if they “didnt” cater to the general public?”
Well, cable news appeals to certain demographics. There are plenty of people who don’t even watch national and international news.
Here’s some interesting data… http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=679
A slight majority of Americans, like myself, aren’t too keen on any of the major network news outlets. It’s not so much that we see them as “liberal” or “conservative” (though Fox is obviously unabashedly pro-conservative and you’d have to be an idiot not to see that), but that they tend to pander to the lowest common denominators – tabloid sensationalism: celebrities, random acts of violence and horrible accidents. silly “human interest” fluff, tranposed over-the-top political rhetoric, “whoopsie” stories, etc. The shows spend very little time on any given subject and the “news” priorities are all @$$-backwards.
Unlike you, I don’t favor any of the major outlets. I just see them for what they are, and take in enough of them to get a feel for what they’re up to on any given day.
When I want real substantive national or international news on the TV, I watch the NewsHour. For national politics, I go right to the source: C-Span.
JMJ
“Well, cable news appeals to certain demographics. There are plenty of people who don’t even watch national and international news.”
You’re confusing the issue here.
FOX does not have an international audience like CNN International.
They do have affiliates such as SKY in England but do not invest in reaching that demographic on the scale that BBC World and CNN Int.
However, I was not comparing national cable 24/7 but more “primetime’ ratings if you noticed.
I was comparing all networks ratings at primetime including the broadcast networks.
“but that they tend to pander to the lowest common denominators – tabloid sensationalism: celebrities, random acts of violence and horrible accidents. silly “human interest” fluff, tranposed over-the-top political rhetoric, “whoopsie” stories, etc. ”
I’m sorry, but thats across the board at every outlet.
I catch myself turning off CNN for getting tired of hearing them drill the same kind of crap just as much as FOX.
They have just as many “cutsy” “stupid” momements as FOX that just make me scream.
I swear, my neighbors think I’m insane. Well, they,ve expressed in ways I wont go into here.
All networks have their news story priorities screwed up.
Thats why I laugh when people tell me “oh , you’re just some FOX lemming following their right wing spin.”
Sorry to break it to you bub, but I have a computer. And I can look up anything I want for as long as want and go as indepth on it as I want.
As a mater of fact I told my wife yesterday that watching the news is not even enjoyable at all anymore because I ususally have the lowdown on a story a few days before it happens.
Edwards in the hotel, I knew of 10 days before it hit the air.
Thats why by the time it did hit the air I was more interested in the money trail than I was the sex or the moral aspects.
Its all fair, and its all relative if you really look at it logically.
If you want news that will give you a little more left spin, you watch CNN. If you want news that gives you the “right” perspective also, you watch FOX.
If you want to expose yourself to a balanced appearance, you watch everything, throw it in a blender, scoop off what floats to the top and put in under a microscope.
“When I want real substantive national or international news on the TV, I watch the NewsHour. For national politics, I go right to the source: C-Span.”
I read all my e mails.
All three C spans are incredibly stale in their presentations. I understand your need for simplicity.
I enjoy seeing what human aspects would involve what question someone might ask in reference to the story. And honestly, more than half the stuff on any 3 of the c span channels is usually a matter of personal preference.
I dont need to watch some guy try to sell his book for 2 hours.
On the other channel I can only watch the live coverage of the House of Representatives and the Senate or Book TV on weekends while some slob congressman sleep on his desk for so long til I get the idea.
As far as real news goes thats where the personal interest comes in.
Mostly what we all need to understand is that both major cable networks are owned by the two top humongous entertainment corporations in the country.
And people need to realize that the attributes that make a good show do somehow trickle into the way they present their news. And its no accident.
With that in mind, its not hard at all for me to watch anything really.
Unless they lie.
C-SPAN features live coverage of the House of Representatives
C-SPAN2 covers the Senate and airs Book TV on weekends
C-SPAN3 covers other live events and airs archived historical programming
Sorry bout the tail end there on that last post.
something I was gonna say and it was buried down the sheet where I forgot about it.
I’m a C-Span junkie and have been for more than have my life. My friends all think I’m insane, but it’s just my thing. Also I spent many years working from home or working at night, si I’ve been lucky to catch the real action on the floors as oppsoed to all the other stuff.
JMJ
[…] https://tygrrrrexpress.com/2008/08/jerusalem-at-the-wailing-wall/ https://tygrrrrexpress.com/2008/08/from-israel-to-sleeping-at-my-office-desk-in-los-angeles […]
I’m very happy you done that travel. Jerusalem is always the center of 3 most important religions. I think every american-jewish could to go here. As the other times, I read only 90% of that post and understand only the 70%… My english is very slows to goes in the best way. Owewer, I hope you prayed for my lost family also they were Crhistians. God doens’t racists. He loves Jewish, Crhistian and Arabs, all of Us as Their sons, that’s the reasons that God is great, as muslims saids.