On the other hand
Every few years those of us living in higher elevations such as Gush Etzion, Jerusalem, upper Galilee and the Golan experience snow storms which bring life to a grinding halt.
We are in the midst of one of those events at the moment. Roads are closed, trees have fallen, power is on and off and skis are the only way to move around outside. In normal times students would be celebrating the closure of schools but as they have been shuttered thanks to Covid, pupils have nothing special to cheer about.
It’s hard to realize especially for anyone never having visited Israel during the winter months that a country known for its sizzling endless months of summer can occasionally also look like an arctic wonderland.
Despite the adverse weather, there are still some good news items to be reported.
WHAT A CONTRAST
What a difference a few days can make.
For the last two weeks, we were bathing in very warm spring-like temperatures. As a result, nature was fooled into believing that winter was over. Tu B’Shevat came and went and trees dutifully started to blossom and new buds appeared. Spring flowers materialized out of seemingly arid soil and the countryside woke up from hibernation.
No doubt one of the casualties of our current freezing and snowy weather will be decimated flowers, truncated trees and a reminder that the rainy season still has a month or a bit more to go.
Here is what we saw before the snow arrived:
TASTE OF ISRAEL
Stuck at home thanks to lockdown or the weather?
How about trying your hand at preparing an authentic Israeli salad which is not only healthy but has a unique taste from the Promised Land.
DIFFERENT ROOTS FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS
A recent report by PMW highlighted a major tree planting campaign being initiated by the internationally touted Palestinian Authority.
The Palestinian Authority has launched a project to honour all Palestinians who have died as so-called “Martyrs” since 1917. The PA will eventually plant 35,000 olive trees throughout the PA areas with each tree named after a “Martyr.” The PA defines all terrorists killed while attacking Israelis – including suicide bombers and mass murderers - as “Martyrs.”
Contrast this with the tree planting history of the Jewish National Fund since earliest pre State times until today. It encapsulates the fundamental difference between Israelis planting trees to enhance the environment and beating back the desert with those who use trees as a weapon to glorify terror and terrorists.
