Ops & Blogs | The Times of Israel » Jonathan Zausmer

Oslo is dead! Long live Oslo!

Jonathan Zausmer — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 05:48:29 +0000

The tradition arose in medieval France and England. For fear of an unmanned throne in the event of the death of the monarch that could, in its wake bring chaos and civil war, on burial of the dead king the new king was declared. So began the saying “The king is dead. Long live the [...]

The post Oslo is dead! Long live Oslo! appeared first on Ops & Blogs | The Times of Israel.

The Alien

Jonathan Zausmer — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 18:52:31 +0000

“Alien” is an epic science fiction film made in 1979 depicting a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature that stalks and kills at will. We never really see the Alien in full frame. All we know is that the Alien is bad, very bad. It is always present somewhere, and even when nearby, somehow it is unseen. [...]

The post The Alien appeared first on Ops & Blogs | The Times of Israel.

Two thousand years. A thousand words. One proverbial truth.

Jonathan Zausmer — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:49:39 +0000

They say that an op-ed piece should be no longer than 1000 words. I try to keep them no longer than the recommended length of 800. But how, at this time of reflection following Yom Hashoah, can one sum up the gamut of thoughts pertaining to the greatest premeditated genocide of one people, my people, [...]

The post Two thousand years. A thousand words. One proverbial truth. appeared first on Ops & Blogs | The Times of Israel.

Horseburger and Loksh

Jonathan Zausmer — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:51:52 +0000

In late December of 2012 British consumers were horrified by the revelation that horse meat was commonly present in a wide range of food products. At first it seemed that only minor traces were discovered in burgers from Ireland – not so bad right? The Irish can handle it. But then the cold reality set [...]

The post Horseburger and Loksh appeared first on Ops & Blogs | The Times of Israel.

The Apartheid Pillory: tempting fate

Jonathan Zausmer — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 07:29:17 +0000

The pillory was a device made of a wooden or metal framework erected on a post, with holes for securing the head and hands, formerly used for punishment and often further abuse, sometimes lethal. However, the main purpose in putting criminals in the pillory was to publicly humiliate them. On discovering that the pillory was occupied, people would excitedly [...]

The post The Apartheid Pillory: tempting fate appeared first on Ops & Blogs | The Times of Israel.

Another letter to Hillary

Jonathan Zausmer — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 16:16:11 +0000

Dear Hillary, This letter comes following one from a fellow blogger who may just be confused and angry. You are wanted here. You are needed here. You see, in Israel a lot of people think they can do it all: very little planning, no foresight and a lot of action, often more error than trial. [...]

The post Another letter to Hillary appeared first on Ops & Blogs | The Times of Israel.

Pillar of Clouded Judgement

Jonathan Zausmer — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 22:38:22 +0000

As you may recollect, the pillar of cloud was a beacon to guide the children of Israel during their exodus from bondage: it represented guidance, clarity, leadership and freedom. Operation Pillar of Cloud has been erroneously translated from Hebrew into English as “Operation Pillar of Defense” but not by chance. Clearly the elements of guidance [...]

The post Pillar of Clouded Judgement appeared first on Ops & Blogs | The Times of Israel.

Israel and apartheid — don’t shoot the messenger

Jonathan Zausmer — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 18:39:40 +0000

Ben-Dror Yemini is wrong. And while this statement does not vindicate Gideon Levy‘s article “Survey: Most Israeli Jews would support apartheid regime in Israel,” Yemini is not doing his job. In his ToI op-ed, rather that tackle the issues raised, he writes as an “enlisted” journalist dabbling in hasbara for a regime that is leading the [...]

The post Israel and apartheid — don’t shoot the messenger appeared first on Ops & Blogs | The Times of Israel.

Glossary for Nuclear War

Jonathan Zausmer — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 15:48:12 +0000

WMD: Weapons of Mass Destruction; the reason for the invasion of Iraq; what they didn’t find there and then stayed on anyway. Iran: Once known as Persia. Incorrectly pronounced “I Ran”. Should be pronounced “Eeeeh..Run” Also referred to as the “Nuclear Duck”. Protective Kit: Hebrew – “erkat magen”. Contents: (when last opened in 1991) gas [...]

The post Glossary for Nuclear War appeared first on Ops & Blogs | The Times of Israel.

Ulpan for Talking Dirty (or nonsense in tomato juice)

Jonathan Zausmer — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 05:34:43 +0000

To the Olim who just touched down several weeks ago – let’s have a little chat. Today we shall talk about swearing, cursing, the use of profanity and some general slang used in the pejorative sense. As you are about to go through the bureaucratic mill, encounter some unhelpful people from time to time and [...]

The post Ulpan for Talking Dirty (or nonsense in tomato juice) appeared first on Ops & Blogs | The Times of Israel.

Friends, Bloggers, Columnists, a moment please…

Jonathan Zausmer — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 13:46:42 +0000

If you write a permanent column in the Electronic Intifada, please ignore. If you are campaigning for the destruction of the Jewish State, you are not a friend. I have no chance of persuading you and your readers – hatred is the voice of the intellectually handicapped. If you believe that the messiah will make [...]

The post Friends, Bloggers, Columnists, a moment please… appeared first on Ops & Blogs | The Times of Israel.

Dershowitz: tongue-tied

Jonathan Zausmer — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 10:36:15 +0000

Ankyloglossia: An anomaly whereby an unusually thick membrane known as the lingual frenulum tethers the tongue to the floor of the mouth, affecting speech. Commonly known as “tongue-tie,” it is a neonatal condition, often treated by a minor surgical procedure following birth known as a frenotomy. With this in mind, it is particularly interesting that a [...]

The post Dershowitz: tongue-tied appeared first on Ops & Blogs | The Times of Israel.

Mind the Gap

Jonathan Zausmer — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 17:11:22 +0000

Lacuna means a gap. As in “Mind the Gap”, a stern and frequent warning in the London Underground. It refers to that place between safe ground and a train door where a misstep can be fatal. Such a misstep comes to mind when reading what can only be described as a lecture titled “Lacunar Amnesia [...]

The post Mind the Gap appeared first on Ops & Blogs | The Times of Israel.

Occupation for the Perplexed 3: The No State Solution

Jonathan Zausmer — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 11:57:43 +0000

Myth: No one can lecture us on the Middle East. The complexities of the situation and the mentality of the peoples of the Levant make peace impossible between Israelis and Palestinians. Due to the continued state of conflict with no chance of peace, settlers should be enabled to continue to populate their biblical homeland despite [...]

The post Occupation for the Perplexed 3: The No State Solution appeared first on Ops & Blogs | The Times of Israel.

Occupation for the Perplexed 2: Settlers and Settlement

Jonathan Zausmer — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 17:21:46 +0000

Myth: There are no settlers, only “pioneers”. The settlements in occupied territory are an integral part of Israel’s defense and are reminiscent of the “tower and stockade” settlements prior to the establishment of the State of Israel. Fact: Prior to the existence of the state, the tower and stockade method of setting up agricultural settlements [...]

The post Occupation for the Perplexed 2: Settlers and Settlement appeared first on Ops & Blogs | The Times of Israel.