One of my
bigger adjustments to life in Israel was having Sunday as a normal working day.
There was no lazing around and starting the day slowly nor was there any
packing up the car and taking off for a day trip. No, it was getting the kids
up and out to school and everyone else starting work like any other weekday.
As time went
on I got used to it but I can’t say I didn’t miss those relaxing Sundays. So
when I discovered that Election Day in Israel was a day-off I was thrilled. It
became our tradition to have a family BBQ on those elections days.
Apparently I
wasn’t the only one using Election Day for a BBQ. When I went to our local supermarket
I discovered they were totally out of pita, a food item vital for an Israeli
BBQ. The same held true for the store in the nearest village. A frantic call to
my daughter saved the day. Although her grocery store didn’t have any pita,
either, she and her family would make a stop at a bakery halfway between their
home and ours. Our BBQ was saved.
Probably my emphasis
on the BBQ and not on the voting comes from my disillusionment with the whole
political process. I can’t forget how happy I was when Ariel Sharon heading
Likud won the elections twelve years ago with a strong thirty-eight mandate
against Labor. At that time Amram Mitzna headed Labor and part of his platform
was to eradicate Jewish presence in the Gaza Strip and parts of Judea and
Samaria. Receiving only nineteen seats in the Knesset it was clear that the
Israeli public didn’t support such a move. And then two years later, the government
headed by Ariel Sharon, using his new party begun with dirty politics, expelled
thousands of Jews from their homes in the Gaza Strip and parts of Samaria.
Since then I
don’t feel I can trust most politicians. This election I wanted to vote for the
Moshiach but he wasn’t on the ballot. I chose the best I could and prayed the elections
would turn out well for the Jewish people. The following morning I was somewhat
optimistic when I learned we’d be having a right-wing government. However, I have
learned from the past not to put my faith in politicians, only HaShem.
So I continue to pray. At the same time, I’m thankful for the nice family BBQ
we had. Relaxing days-off are wonderful. It would be nice to have them more
often, without elections.
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