How Netanyahu surprisingly could end up behind bars anyway

Jul 23, 2023, 12:53 PM

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Turning right thrice is a left turn

First, Bibi let his ministers attack LGBTQ youths. We’re waiting until they end up in jail.

Then, Bibi let them throw Israeli Muslims under the bus. We’re waiting until they end up in jail.

Then, Bibi attacked reserve soldiers and pilots with a conscience. We’re waiting until they end up in jail.

Then, Bibi let his ministers throw Israeli women and police under the bus. We’re waiting until they end up in jail.

Then, Bibi ignored the whole financial world pleading to stop the judicial overhaul. We’re waiting until they end up in jail.

Then, Bibi ignored the modal impoverished ultra-Orthodox Jews who used to be cared for by Deri. We’re waiting until they end up in jail.

And when everyone sits in jail, Bibi will realize that it looks the same as if he were in jail and the rest not. A bit late.

Possibly, he’ll imitate his Dutch counterpart. He ruined the whole country and after crossing 10 red lines with everyone, announced new elections, and resigned from politics. The electorate can’t even vote on his rule.

Since we’re under a constant media barrage of falsehoods, here’s some air:

We are not divided. The People is more united than ever.

We don’t hate. We counter hate with love and solidarity.

We’re not anxious or furious. We are optimistic and determined. We’ll win.

Equality and democracy can’t lose. The coalition has, is, and will be lost.

We are the most pluralistic movement Israel has ever seen.

Elected officials trying to uproot democracy are the anti-democrats.

We long for elections. We believe in the People. We are the People.

Netanyahu got a pacemaker this morning. It’s not at all what the name and the press say. Heart diseases are most feared for the inability of the heart, a muscle, to contract properly. Pacemakers are for something else totally. The heart is driven to contract by a couple of cells in the atrium. A wave of electricity then makes the atria contract and then arrives at the ventricles. There, a couple of cells need to start the same at the main chambers of the heart. If now the natural pacemaker cells or the electrical connection between the two sets of chambers sometimes fail, we faint. The ventricles, though, have a backup mechanism making them contract 40 beats per minute. For a fainted person, that’s enough to survive, but it’s not ideal, and fainting can give you a nasty fall. Here a pacemaker comes in. It does nothing until the regular electricity pattern is disrupted. Then, it springs into action and gives the impulse that was delayed. In Bibi’s case, there is no sign of heart muscle disease. A few cells sometimes electronically don’t do their work. Two fainting spells are enough for a pacemaker. It will only work once a year or so. I once walked with an elderly pacemaker patient, and bang, his pacemaker kicked in. It just saved my life again, he said happily. Netanyahu’s heart health is excellent. Just that you know.

About the Author

MM is a prolific and creative writer and thinker, previously a daily blog contributor to the TOI. He often makes his readers laugh, mad, or assume he's nuts—close to perfect blogging. He's proud that his analytical short comments are removed both from left-wing and right-wing news sites. None of his content is generated by the new bore on the block, AI. * As a frontier thinker, he sees things many don't yet. He's half a prophet. Half. Let's not exaggerate. Or not at all because he doesn't claim G^d talks to him. He gives him good ideas—that's all. MM doesn't believe that people observe and think in a vacuum. He, therefore, wanted a broad bio that readers interested can track a bit what (lack of) backgrounds, experiences, and educations contribute to his visions. * This year, he will prioritize getting his unpublished books published rather than just blog posts. Next year, he hopes to focus on activism against human extinction. To find less-recent posts on a subject XXX among his over 2000 archived ones, go to the right-top corner of a Times of Israel page, click on the search icon and search "zuiden, XXX". One can find a second, wilder blog, to which one may subscribe too, here: https://mmvanzuiden.wordpress.com/ or by clicking on the globe icon next to his picture on top. * Like most of his readers, he believes in being friendly, respectful, and loyal. However, if you think those are his absolute top priorities, you might end up disappointed. His first loyalty is to the truth. He will try to stay within the limits of democratic and Jewish law, but he won't lie to support opinions or people when don't deserve that. (Yet, we all make honest mistakes, which is just fine and does not justify losing support.) He admits that he sometimes exaggerates to make a point, which could have him come across as nasty, while in actuality, he's quite a lovely person to interact with. He holds - how Dutch - that a strong opinion doesn't imply intolerance of other views. * Sometimes he's misunderstood because his wide and diverse field of vision seldomly fits any specialist's box. But that's exactly what some love about him. He has written a lot about Psychology (including Sexuality and Abuse), Medicine (including physical immortality), Science (including basic statistics), Politics (Israel, the US, and the Netherlands, Activism - more than leftwing or rightwing, he hopes to highlight reality), Oppression and Liberation (intersectionally, for young people, the elderly, non-Whites, women, workers, Jews, LGBTQIA+, foreigners and anyone else who's dehumanized or exploited), Integrity, Philosophy, Jews (Judaism, Zionism, Holocaust and Jewish Liberation), the Climate Crisis, Ecology and Veganism, Affairs from the news, or the Torah Portion of the Week, or new insights that suddenly befell him. * Chronologically, his most influential teachers are his parents, Nico (natan) van Zuiden and Betty (beisye) Nieweg, Wim Kan, Mozart, Harvey Jackins, Marshal Rosenberg, Reb Shlomo Carlebach, and, lehavdil bein chayim lechayim, Rabbi Dr. Natan Lopes Cardozo, Rav Zev Leff, and Rav Meir Lubin. This short list doesn't mean to disrespect others who taught him a lot or a little. One of his rabbis calls him Mr. Innovation [Ish haChidushim]. Yet, his originalities seem to root deeply in traditional Judaism, though they may grow in unexpected directions. In fact, he claims he's modernizing nothing. Rather, mainly basing himself on the basic Hebrew Torah text, he tries to rediscover classical Jewish thought almost lost in thousands of years of stifling Gentile domination and Jewish assimilation. (He pleads for a close reading of the Torah instead of going by rough assumptions of what it would probably mean and before fleeing to Commentaries.) This, in all aspects of life, but prominently in the areas of Free Will, Activism, Homosexuality for men, and Redemption. * He hopes that his words will inspire and inform, and disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. He aims to bring a fresh perspective rather than harp on the obvious and familiar. When he can, he loves to write encyclopedic overviews. He doesn't expect his readers to agree. Rather, original minds should be disputed. In short, his main political positions are among others: anti-Trumpism, for Zionism, Intersectionality, non-violence, anti those who abuse democratic liberties, anti the fake ME peace process, for original-Orthodoxy, pro-Science, pro-Free Will, anti-blaming-the-victim, and for down-to-earth, classical optimism, and happiness. Read his blog on how he attempts to bridge any tensions between those ideas or fields. * He is a fetal survivor of the pharmaceutical industry (https://diethylstilbestrol.co.uk/studies/des-and-psychological-health/), born in 1953 to his parents who were Dutch-Jewish Holocaust survivors who met in the largest concentration camp in the Netherlands, Westerbork. He grew up a humble listener. It took him decades to become a speaker too, and decades more to admit to being a genius. But his humility was his to keep. And so was his honesty. Bullies and con artists almost instantaneously envy and hate him. He hopes to bring new things and not just preach to the choir. * He holds a BA in medicine (University of Amsterdam) – is half a doctor. He practices Re-evaluation Co-counseling since 1977, is not an official teacher anymore, and became a friendly, powerful therapist. He became a social activist, became religious, made Aliyah, and raised three wonderful kids. Previously, for decades, he was known to the Jerusalem Post readers as a frequent letter writer. For a couple of years, he was active in hasbara to the Dutch-speaking public. He wrote an unpublished tome about Jewish Free Will. He's a strict vegan since 2008. He's an Orthodox Jew but not a rabbi. * His writing has been made possible by an allowance for second-generation Holocaust survivors from the Netherlands. It has been his dream since he was 38 to try to make a difference by teaching through writing. He had three times 9-out-of-10 for Dutch at his high school finals but is spending his days communicating in English and Hebrew - how ironic. G-d must have a fine sense of humor. In case you wonder - yes, he is a bit dyslectic. If you're a native English speaker and wonder why you should read from people whose English is only their second language, consider the advantage of having an original peek outside of your cultural bubble. * To send any personal reaction to him, scroll to the top of the blog post and click Contact Me. * His newest books you may find here: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AMoshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&s=relevancerank&text=Moshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1