Mixed Signs = Mixed Messages

The crowds were gathered by the hundreds holding aloft signs that read in Hebrew “Maaser Olam”, demanding “Life Imprisonment” for the 17 men who raped a 16-year-old girl.

Without any doubt, the 17 men must be sentenced to long term prison cells but Life Imprisonment is a bit excessive. That sentence is reserved for murderers and terrorists, But not for only one (and one is too many) victim of rape.

A long prison sentence must be handed down by our High Court of Justice to the one individual who is guilty of the assault upon a nation of more than nine million inhabitants.

Perhaps assault is not the proper noun to describe the prime minister’s betrayal of his duties to the citizens of our country. He has stolen the term “national pride” for his term “Only me”. The most eloquent words from his mouth are “ANI, ANI, ANI”. ME, ME and more Me.

Perhaps more signs should be held high with the usual message, “Bibi..lech ha-bayta”. Bibi.. go home.

The essence of that phraseology conveys a mixed message. For Prime Minister Netanyahu, he believes that he is already home… in his home… protected by the electorate who read the wrong messages and re-elected him to the tragic position as “ a cancer of the nation”.

The home on Balfour street is not his home. The title he carries is missing two small letters adjacent to his title. We the people of Israel prefer a correction to the wording. It must be “ex-prime minister.”

Signs are important. They help us to know where we are and how to find our way where we need to go.

The blind prime minister cannot read the signs. The deaf prime minister cannot hear the cries. The ego-maniacal prime minister can hear only three voices in the same tones and relentless melodies… his own, his wife’s and his disgraceful older son’s.

So it behooves our citizenry to print the signs in larger letters and to increase the noise volume of our protests.

The house on Balfour street does not belong to them. The seats in the Knesset and Cabinet are his only temporarily. The Netanyahu residence as officially listed in the government records is in Caesarea.

And if the rotten residents in Jerusalem need help in moving there, they can be assured of the free help of millions of Israeli voters whose cry must include the Passover message DAYENU. We have had enough!

Unrelatedly… in my article published yesterday about me and my dog, tagged as “humor”, a dedicated reader in Jerusalem replied to me saying that he was unaware that I possessed a sense of humor since so many of my more than one thousand articles have been on issues of politics and religion. Do the two go hand in hand?

And in addition to his remark, as I am in the midst of typing out this new article my phone rang. The voice on the other end was that of my very distinguished, dedicated, devoted and loving friend, Reb Simcha, who called to say hello, to ask how I am feeling, to tell me how much I am missed in our synagogue, and to share with me much good and happy news of his beautiful family.

It delights my almost 88-year old heart (I hope I make it … 6 more months to go) to be blessed with such beloved and caring friends. It is one of God’s many gifts to me… gifts that I treasure every single day.

If I were to run as a candidate in some political party I can be assured that David B. and Reb Simcha would be marching with signs held high…. Not with mixed signs nor mixed messages, but with signs and messages of caring, concern and comeraderie.

Who needs a Bibi, a Sara or a Yair? With a David B. and a Reb Simcha I never have to be in quarantine.

With them together, my life is enriched.

Do you get my message? I can read your signs, Nothing is mixed. Only dvarim tovim min ha lev.

Good words from the heart.