Colp’s Complaint

Like thousands of Israeli small business owners, now forced to close their shops due to the declared national “seger” (Lockdown), many in the beautiful city of Raanana, populated largely by immigrants from the United States, France and South America are suffering economically from the lockdown. It prevents people from traveling or walking more than 500 meters from their homes making the trip to the malls, shops and boutiques in central Raanana.

One of them, 67 year old Michael Colp, has been a shop owner for more than a dozen years and shoppers frequented his small shop for the excellent quality of his merchandise as well as for his warm personality on greeting and welcoming them.

Speaking to the press also in the name of his fellow small business owners who may be forced to close, Michael puts the blame directly on the prime minister and his law-makers.

In direct criticism he stated “None of these politicians, including Bibi, are fighting for the people. All they care about is keeping their seats in parliament, protecting their own personal interests. It’s all corrupt and rotten to the core”

Michael Colp and I have never met. In the many times I have been in Raanana I have never entered his shop, keeping closer to the restaurants and a delightful shop specializing in the lovely scent of soaps.

Yet I was happy to read his comments and criticisms because they were almost word for word what I have been saying and writing for at least the past ten years.

He blames the government with the best Hebrew-Yiddish word possible: “Chutzpah”… some nerve!

And he goes on to tell the press in his interview “It’s basically anarchy here. I feel this country is being miserably unfair. Their goal is always…. “not to help us”, indicating that they are only for themselves and their own selfish greed. Anything to keep their seats in the Knesset.

Michael Colp is 20 years younger than I am but his complaints are as vital and meaningful as if I had written them myself.

In his own way, he is speaking for the tens of thousands of shop-keepers in every city and village in our country. We are all fed up with a government of miniature puppets who dance to the strings of a corrupt criminal leader who calls the tunes to which they must dance if they want to hold on to their seats.

In a country where we vote directly for a political party and not for specific contender’s, we lack the means of threatening a member of the Knesset with a promise (threat)of no re-election unless they overturn the inhuman requests (read demands) of a drunk-for-power leader who is awaiting trial and probable conviction.

The proverb “you can tell a person by the company he keeps” is applicable to many Knesset members. The stench of a criminal leader has affected them. Not all the good soap and hot water can cleanse them and wash the stink away.

Protesting in front of their homes can shame them but will not convince them to dance to a different tune.

The puppet-master must be dismissed, deposed and defied. Nothing more will cleanse our country from the national filth which will destroy us all.

Agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, to probably be followed by other nations seeking to obtain F-35 fighter planes from the USA by way of Israeli hands may be good for large Israeli industries and monopolies but will in no way benefit a single Israeli small business owner.

Anyone who thinks otherwise is a dreamer in a fool’s paradise.

Colp’s complaint is the truth which Bibi does not want us to hear. The truth hurts but Bibi is beyond hurt.

With prayers for the success of a New Year, I pray that it will be the year of the fall of our dictator.

The stench which pervades the house on Balfour street must be eliminated and a new perfume should purify its foundation.

Long live our freedom and down with tyranny.