Relatives and friends of people who live near the Prime Minister’s Residence, and who had been commiserating with them for many months about the anti-Benjamin Netanyahu demonstrations, were under the impression that it was all over.
“Now you’ll get some peace and quiet,” they told the residents of Rehavia and Talbiya. But no, the demonstrators were back on Friday for the so-called Kabbalat Shabbat, which in addition to songs, included the usual raucous speeches delivered via megaphones.
WhatsApp messages ran fast and furious between members of the Talbiya and Rehavia Forum Against Demonstrations.
“What do they want now? Bibi is no longer prime minister,” wrote one member.
Another who lives close enough to discern what was being shouted by the demonstrators wrote that they were chanting “Naftali Bennett Prime Minister – Bibi to jail.” She asked a police officer whether demonstrators had a permit, and was told no. So she asked why the demonstrators had not been arrested, and was told: “We’re not here to stop demonstrations. We’re here to prevent terrorist attacks.”
Under the circumstances, she wrote of the demonstrators, “If they continue with such cries, they’ll never go away.”
The Netanyahu trial is far from over. It’s up to the court, not the public to judge him. No one can really tell at this stage how things are going to pan out. What will all these demonstrators do if Netanyahu is acquitted?
■ GUESTS AT the King David Hotel had a special treat last weekend when Dan Hotels CEO Ronen Nisenbaum and King David general manager Tamir Kobrin, in conjunction with Isracard, hosted singer Ivri Lider, members of the Batsheva Dance Company, and DJ Tomer Meisner for a one-time performance on Thursday evening. Prior to the performance, guests enjoyed a special gourmet meal prepared by hotel chef Roi Antebi.
On Friday morning, guests had the opportunity to participate in an organized tasting tour of Mahaneh Yehuda market, where they mingled with the regular crowds of pre-Shabbat shoppers, and on Saturday morning, those who were interested were taken on a tour of Jerusalem’s scenic alleyways, including places that locals seldom visit, unless they happen to actually live or work in the area.
■ SOMETIMES SOMETHING good comes out of something bad. The Raise Your Spirit Theater was born during the Second Intifada as a means of boosting morale. A dozen productions and 20 years later, it is not only going strong but stronger than ever, receiving an enthusiastic response wherever and whenever it performs, as evidenced this week at the Begin Heritage Center where its current production Rebecca – Mother of Two Dynasties played to full houses, with audiences cheering and clapping throughout. The guiding force behind RYS is Toby Klein Greenwald, whose boundless creativity is supported by an amazing number of people. Until one reads the playbill, it is difficult to comprehend how many people on stage and behind the scenes – both adults and children – give of themselves to bring light into the lives of others, particularly close relatives of people who were victims of terrorism, or soldiers who died in the line of duty. Such families have long been hosted as the guests of RYS.
All RYS productions are musicals with biblical themes, a clever and catchy way of imparting some knowledge of the Bible in people who know little or nothing, and may not have previously been interested. Another important aspect of RYS is that it ensures that talent doesn’t go to waste. There are so many highly talented singers, actresses, dancers, musicians, costume designers and more among religiously observant women who refuse to perform in front of men.
RYS provides an outlet for their talents and indirectly forges a sisterhood of unbreakable bonds.
Although Klein-Greenwald is the inspiration from which each production develops, she is anything but a lone wolf. In the current production she is joined by Tamar Kamins in writing the script and the lyrics. Kamins also appears on stage and has contributed to some of the melodies, though the bulk of the compositions and arrangements are by Mitch Clyman. Klein-Greenwald is the director-producer, with Tammy Rubin as co-producer. Rubin, a lawyer, is also an actress and singer as well as mother and grandmother to a very large family. The musical director is Elisheva Naomi Savir and the choreographer Ashira Allon. The members of the cast are simply too numerous to mention, but are certainly worthy of praise for their excellent synchronization, considering that for the past year, nearly all their rehearsals were conducted on Zoom. One member of the cast, who lives in the South, had said: “If you see me disappearing from the screen, it’s because I’m running to a bomb shelter with my children.”
■ AT THE recent conference of the Israel Builders Association, Mayor Moshe Lion said that he would like to see the construction of at least 10,000 housing units per annum. What this means in essence is more tall towers – and ever-taller towers – completely shutting out the view and destroying what was once the unique character of Jerusalem. Lion wants Jerusalem to become the Silicon Valley of the Middle East, but why should people want to live and work in Jerusalem, when Tel Aviv has a beach and is closer to Ben-Gurion International Airport?
Once upon a time, they might have considered living in Jerusalem and working in Tel Aviv. But if Jerusalem is starting to look like Tel Aviv – or worse still, Hong Kong – there is no point in moving to Jerusalem. The tall towers could very well become white elephants with few shops and few residents. Anyone with a long enough memory will recall that when the Clal Building opened up on Jaffa Road, most of its office space was quickly occupied, but its commercial area was a disaster. The public was just not interested in shopping there, and it gradually became a white elephant that will eventually be destroyed in the interests of urban renewal.
This week bulldozers came and demolished the historic building in Romema that was home to Jerusalem’s first television station, and from which the iconic Haim Yavin presented the first broadcast in 1968, and nine years later announced the election victory that led to the formation of Israel’s first right-wing government under Menachem Begin. The extensive premises, which once held a rabbit warren of offices, studios and a cafeteria, were destined for destruction with the demise of the Israel Broadcasting Authority and its replacement by the Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation. A luxury residential complex for haredi families is scheduled to go up on the site.
In an eerie coincidence, the building was destroyed in the same week that former IBA director-general Arye Mekel succumbed to a long battle with cancer.
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