Just Ask Yourself

Better than the real show?

Time to Let Loose

It might be a little late, but I couldn't let Yair Lapid's out of touch and ignorant remarks against Israeli emigrants, in particular young Israelis in Berlin go without a response. Last checked it's no longer 1960, in today's day and age, in 2013, people here are simply not buying this type of bullshit anymore. The classic smears of labeling those who choose to leave this country in search of a better life as "Yordim" are just as detached now as they've ever been.

The bottom line is, life in Israel is hard. And it's true for the overwhelming majority of Israeli citizens, whether they're from down south in Be'er Sheva or up north in Haifa or Tel Aviv. No matter where you go and who you talk to, people will tell you the same things. The cost of living in Israel has become astronomical. Plainly speaking, salaries and earnings are not commensurate with the incredibly high cost of housing, as well as everything else ranging from food to essential common goods. To sum it up in a nut shell, it's like paying Northern European prices for Southern European standards of living. Ok, that's actually being too generous. Let's call it more appropriately what it is, Middle Eastern standards. Anyone who has hunted for apartments in Tel Aviv knows exactly what I mean.

Tel Aviv

More than that though, it's about dignity. Amir Mizroch's excellent and eye opening rebuttal to our current finance minister is the best piece I've read so far, and details the sentiments of so many of us. Who can really blame Israelis for wanting to challenge the status quo of oligarchical rule and see what's out there when they're given practically no chance to succeed at home? I certainly don't.

Berlin. Ick Pix FB.

And lastly, I'd be remiss not to point out that it's not only the effects of struggling to make ends meet in Israel that spurs many Israelis to seek out greener pastures in search of a more peaceful and prosperous existence. It can't be blamed on a lack of Zionism either. The overwhelming majority of Israelis who find themselves living and studying in cities like Berlin are all army grads, secular in their make up and educated, people who've given everything asked of them by their country. All they want is the chance to be able to succeed and live with dignity. Not be forced to live on their knees.

Equally as relevant and note worthy, among many Israelis, especially secular Ashkenazim, there exists a certain desire for a culture and mentality that is far different from that of the mindset in Middle East. The longing for a place where religion takes a back seat, and where violence and aggression are not considered the primary means to an end. Based on the make up of a city like Berlin and what it represents, it's easy to see why its appeal is so striking.

Former defense secretary Gates warns against lure of drone warfare

Washington Post

By Greg Jaffe

Former defense secretary Robert M. Gates warned Wednesday that the seductive power and precision of armed drones had led many in the White House and Congress to view war as a “bloodless, painless and odorless” affair.

“Remarkable advances in precision munitions, sensors, information and satellite technology and more can make us overly enamored with the ability of technology to transform the traditional laws and limits of war,” Gates said in a speech to a group of current and former soldiers, according to a copy of his prepared remarks. “A button is pushed in Nevada and seconds later a pickup truck explodes in Kandahar.”

Too often, Gates said, U.S. defense experts have come to view war as a “kind of video game or action movie. . . . In reality, war is inevitably tragic, inefficient and uncertain.”

The former defense secretary, speaking at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual conference in Washington, suggested that the infatuation with technology had led some politicians and defense experts to believe that the military’s budget can be cut deeply with little harm. He called on Republicans and Democrats to put aside partisan fighting to solve the budget crisis and reverse plans to reduce defense spending by almost $1 trillion over the next decade.

Gates was especially harsh in his critique of the political climate, saying that “the biggest threat to U.S. national security is the political dysfunction within two square miles of Washington, D.C.”

“My hope — and it is a faint hope — is that the remaining adults in the two political parties will make the compromises necessary to put this country’s finances back in order, end the sequestration of military dollars, and protect military capabilities that are as necessary today as they have been through the last century,” he said.

Gates’s remarks were certain to be warmly received in the Army, which faces the deepest cuts of all the military services. Leaders in both Congress and the White House have spoken of the need to reduce ground troops and shift the focus to Asia, where air and sea power are thought to be more important.

The former defense secretary also called on the military to hold on to the hard lessons it had learned during the long stretch of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, especially lessons involving how to fight low-tech, guerrilla wars. “It is too easy to forget that there are still tens of thousands of soldiers serving in Afghanistan; too easy to forget the tremendous sacrifices that led to the security progress of recent years,” he said.

Split Set

This is what I imagine things to look like when worlds collide, think Tahanat Merkazit meets Shoreditch. Of course, I'm pulled in. It could also be her hair.

The Next Generation

"From the moment I decided to enlist, I saw myself only as a combat soldier. I knew that I had a lot to give."

Congrats to all of the new officers earning their commissions!

T E D E R T L V

It might sound crazy, but despite it already being deep into October, the festive vibes of summer are only just beginning to wind down now. Believe me when I say this also, I'll never get used to this feeling. That being said though, as the seasons finally begin to change, and what Israelis refer to "winter" starts to set in, it only really means one thing if you're a Tel Avivi, and that's the official end to the season for Teder FM. And I can already say with confidence that summer 2013 at the Teder might have been one of the best yet. From Gilles Peterson to a host of other international guests tearing it up each night, the new location on Derekh Yafo proved to be intimate, energetic and full of excitement. Judging by how things have been, I can only predict that next year will be just as stellar, if not, even more.

Nights on Derekh Yafo. Teder FM. Tel Aviv.

From year to year, it only gets better. Teder FM FB.

Direct Hit

Still the best show I've been to in the past few years while out here.