As I approach 80 years, I often think of the countries I will never visit. Since the age of 18 in 1963, when I became a Merchant Seaman and sailed around Asia, I have traveled worldwide, and I am still doing that. Fortunately, I am very healthy and have the financial means to travel. Since … Continue reading
Category Archives: World Situation
Yossi Elaz 1947-2024
Yossi Elaz (left and Israel Brill (right). Rehovot Israel aroundd 1978. Me at that time Sadly, I am writing once more about a dear friend, Yossi Elza) who passed away a few days ago. The number of such occasions is accelerating, I am afraid. I moved to Israel for the first time in 1974, fifty … Continue reading
Why does Iran want to destroy Israel
To understand situation in Israel now, one has to understand the role of Iran. Most people know that Iran is the center of all the terrorist activities directed at Israel by its proxies such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. Some of the terrorist actions originating from the West Bank do not have a direct … Continue reading
Israel and the Shattered Mirror
I try to write about Israel and, in particular, the war, which began on Oct. 7th, but I become overwhelmed with emotion and confusion. I feel like I am looking at my image in a shattered mirror. I can recognize myself in the fragments, but parts of my face are missing or distorted. There is … Continue reading
The Book I Never Finished Writing
It was the summer of 1966. I was 21 years old. Having spent almost a year in Europe mainly in Paris and London writing poetry, it had been my plan to emigrate to Israel and live on a kibbutz. I had gotten as far as Athens when for reasons I still do not understand, I … Continue reading
I was born on the day Auschwitz was liberated
The liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp occurred on January 27, 1945. Auschwitz, located in Nazi-occupied Poland, was the largest of the German Nazi concentration camps and extermination centers. Over 1.1 million men, women, and children lost their lives there. There were about 7,000 survivors still there. Every year, I spend time thinking of that … Continue reading
The Situation in Israel-Some Current Thoughts
The situation between Israel and Palestine and their respective supporters is highly polarized. As a Jew and as an Israeli (I was born in the USA and am still a citizen of that country as well), I am generally aligned with the Israeli side, but I hate writing that because I wish there were no … Continue reading
The War in Gaza has taught me how wrong I was about so much
Like so many Israelis, I was full of hubris. Having moved to Israel in 2017, living in the heart of Tel Aviv, I experienced with pride the power of the start-up nation. I would brag to people that Tel Aviv was one of the safest cities in the world. Of course, I knew that more … Continue reading
What now, Israel?
As I recently wrote, Israel fell for the Iranian strategy. Iran wants to be the most significant power in the Middle East. They could not allow Israel and Saudi Arabia to have a partnership not only blessed but actively supported by the USA. Iran declared war on Israel on Oct. 7th. Its weapons are Hamas … Continue reading
The war between Israel and Iran has started, and Israel is loosing
The war between Israel and Iran has started, and Israel is loosing I don’t know this, but I believe that Iran orchestrated the war between Hamas and Israel that started on Oct. 7th. I don’t think that the leaders of Hamas were capable of planning what happened. Someone laid a trap that Israel fell into. … Continue reading
Two Thirds Done 