Observing the ruins


I was thinking about an image that might illustrate how most Israelis view their political institutions at this point in time and happened upon this ruined, dangerous, old pre-fab(erected in the 1860s by Christian 'Lovers of Zion' in the American Colony). In the background the get-rich-quick-and-screw-everything-else Neve Tsedek Tower dominates the landscape.

Rabin Square was filled last night with 150,000 (or whatever) people holding a variety of political views yet united in their demand for Olmert and Peretz to resign. Peretz seems to be wavering but Olmert (with the backing of most of his Knesset faction) is hanging on. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/855600.html

After Tsipi Livni blew her chance to grab the leadership of Kadima, who knows what will happen. If the public wants to bring down the PM, thousands will have to demonstrate in Jerusalem -and for long, bitter weeks. Somehow, despite the general disgust with Olmert, I don't see that happening.

Today, Tel Aviv saw another sort of demonstration. ' Houses from the Inside', a day when scores of homes and buildings were thrown open to the public. We visited a restored house/museum in the American Colony and this amazing loft on the top floor of an undistinguished office building in south Tel Aviv. The 300 sq metre space is owned and was designed by a member of the Castiel family whose shop happens to sell outlandish and expensive furniture for very large spaces. The man dressed in white standing on a table in the centre is Mao Tse Tung.

Here's a small corner of the space, regularly rented to companies making TV commercials.

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