The Elephant in the Room

A couple of news items caught my attention.
Nellie the elephant packed her trunk and said goodbye to the circus. She was later seen walking down Dizengoff Street.

2023 Hamas-Israel war
Hamas attack began in the morning with a barrage of some 5,000 rockets.

Most readers will understand that only one of these items is true. Sadly, many in the world are unable to see which it is.

Nellie the Elephant is a children’s song.  But, beyond the enjoyable tune, there is a rather sad story of circus elephants. The original Nellie lived in 1927. After a circus trip to Waterford City, Southern Ireland, her owner, Charles Duffy abandoned her. The 42-year-old elephant wandered the streets for two years, waiting for her master to return. Finally understanding that this was not going to happen, she “packed her trunk” and left the city. In 1929, her carcass was found by a large oak tree at near the Comeragh mountains, a glaciated mountain range southeast Ireland. It is not clear what the good citizens of Waterford City thought when meeting an elephant strolling in their street. Perhaps they thought they were drunk, perhaps they were.

Elephants live 60 to 70 years. We humans do a bit better with a mean life expectancy of about 79 years.

We Israelis can sympathise with Nellie. Sheltering in our safe rooms, as rockets pound the small sliver of land we call home, we wonder where is the civilised world, where are our friends. Where is the condemnation of our heartless enemies?

Much like elephants, we Jews have long memories. We will not forget who helped us and who did not.