David (Not the King)— A Man of Many Words

There are many who write words but there are too few whose words speak. The illustrious publisher of TIMES OF ISRAEL, David Horovitz, writes words that speak loud and clear.

His Op-Ed piece in the March 13th edition clarifies the problem in the coalition government which now threatens us with new elections. Each political party in the coalition lays the blame on another party.

Kulanu’s leader won’t support the contentious bill unless the budget is immediately passed. So says Moshe Kahlon.

HaBayit HaYehudi won’t remain in the coalition unless very specific changes are made to the bill which deals with military deferment (exclusion) of haredi young men into the military as prescribed by law. So says Avigdor Lieberman.

A withdrawal from the government’s coalition would leave Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Likud with only 61 out of 120 seats, an unworkable razor-thin position.

It’s not “fake news” but there is someone hiding behind the truth. And the truth appears to be that the political crisis was purposely created by Netanyahu to take pressure off of him. Calling for new elections in June would probably give him the mandate he needs for a 5^th term as Prime Minister (God save us).

In David Horovitz’s brilliantly written opinion (a must read for those who want the true facts), he clearly without reservation or hesitation puts the crisis blamed solely on the Prime Minister’s shoulders.

The English-language JERUSALEM POST obviously is in agreement with the Horovitz version of truth. “In the coalition showdown, Netanyahu is the star, director and producer.”

What could be truer than that?

David Horovitz, formerly an editor-in-chief of the JP, is the founder of TOI. It gives him the opportunity to sing the praises of Yitzhak Rabin while refraining from singing too many praises of our present prime minister.

Seventeen years after his aliyah to Israel from his native London, capital of Queen Elizabeth II ‘s royal kingdom, he published a book in 2000 which has probably more meaning today than it had when it first came off the press.

“A Little Too Close to God: The Thrills and Panic of a Life in Israel” speaks volumes. The Haredim attempt forcibly to bring us closer to God (their version of God) and while the thrills of being an Israeli are indescribable, the panic of life in Israel is far greater today than at any time I can remember.

Division and fragmentation is natural to Israelis. Hatred, blackmail, bribery, fraud, corruption, breach of trust are unnatural in a land in which it was once commanded long ago, “v’ahavta l’rayacha kamocha”… thou shalt love thy neighbor (friend) as thyself”.

The pity is that there are too many self-haters among us who are unable to love a friend or neighbor.

Words are things both written and spoken. The gift  with which David Horovitz is indeed blessed is that his written words indeed do have the power of speech.

They speak for all of us to hear.

Perhaps he should be a candidate for our next Prime Minister.  Instead of the Bibi/Sara union we could have the David/Lisa union.

M’shaneh makom, m’shaneh mazal… one who changes his place, changes his good fortune.