Grapevine, August 3, 2024: Happy 104th, Roz!

While some people blame Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for strengthening Hamas over the years, his estranged brother-in-law, Dr. Hagi Ben-Artzi, is of the opinion that there are five leaders to blame, and not Netanyahu alone. The other four in his view are Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, Ehud Barak, Ariel Sharon – and after them, Netanyahu.

Somewhat more to the right of center than his sister and brother-in-law, Ben-Artzi will be the guest speaker on Tuesday, August 6, at 7:30 p.m. at Hazvi Yisrael Synagogue’s Blondheim Hall. He will deliver a pre-Tisha Be’av lecture titled “The Struggle of the Jewish People against the Roman Empire – Its Significance and Implications in Our Times.”

Entry is free of charge, but preregistration is essential. Email elana.heavenrich39@gmail.com

Roz Groob, one of the members of the congregation, celebrated her 104th birthday this week. Always perfectly groomed and straight-backed, Groob, who is also a regular swimmer, attends Shabbat services nearly every week.

The speakers in Paris Square

■ AMONG THE speakers in Paris Square last Saturday night at the weekly demonstration on behalf of the hostages in Gaza was Rabbi Benny Lau, the founder of the 929 Bible initiative, in which secular and religious people at all levels of faith come together to study the Bible. There are many chapters of the Bible that have present-day parallels from which we can learn.

Participants in the demonstration included Eitan Zur, the brother of Capt. Amir Zur, who fell in battle while trying to defend the residents of Kfar Aza on Oct. 7; and Moran Zer Katzenstein, the founder of the Building an Alternative movement.

The demonstrators also called for new elections, a new government, and a new legislative body.

Gush Katif

■ THIS YEAR, former residents of the 17 hamlets that composed Gush Katif will once again come together to commemorate their forced evacuation in 2005.

Had Israel not withdrawn from southern Gaza, these hamlets, which served as a buffer zone, might have prevented the Oct. 7 calamity. Conversely, the death toll might have been much higher. We’ll never know.

The Gush Katif Commemoration Center for the preservation of the legacy of Gush Katif and northern Samaria, which is chaired by former education minister Rabbi Yitzhak Levy, will hold a memorial conference on Sunday, August 5, at the Yad Binyamin Cultural Center.

Among the many speakers will be Nitzana Darshan-Leitner, president of Shurat Hadin; Tzvika Fayirizen, director-general of Yad Vashem; Haim Jelin, one of the heroes of Kibbutz Be’eri; MK Yuli Edelstein, chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee; Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich; Itamar Revivo, head of the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council; former residents of Gush Katif; political journalists; and representatives of NGOs.

Participation is free of charge, but preregistration is a must. To do so, telephone *8947 or go to the website www.mkatif.org

The former Jewish residents of Gaza can empathize with displaced residents of the South and the North with one essential difference. The thousands of displaced people can still return to what they call home, whereas those whom Ariel Sharon moved out of Gaza can never go back to what they called home. Everything they built has been destroyed – and in some cases, so have their lives, as their children abandoned much of what they had been taught, became spiritually disillusioned, and took to drugs and alcohol.

Raising the cost of fares

■ IN REACTION to the joint decision by the Finance and Transportation ministries to raise the cost of fares on public transport in Jerusalem and Gush Dan, Hitorerut, in cooperation with MK Ze’ev Elkin, who a few years ago failed in his bid to be elected mayor of Jerusalem, held a discussion on the subject with the Knesset Economics Committee.

As far as is known, the proposed increase in the cost of fares will be around 10%. Recently, the cost of individual tickets rose from NIS 5.50 to NIS 6. But it is anticipated that as of January 2025, the cost of individual tickets on the light rail will be NIS 8.

At the discussion with the Knesset Economics Committee, the request was made that fares on buses and the light rail be equal, and that light rail tickets should also cost NIS 6.

The two ministries claim that the additional charge is being made on the light rail because it constitutes premium transport.

Hitorerut chairman Adir Schwartz doesn’t buy this, and argues that in the long run all public transport in Jerusalem will be via a light rail track, leaving the residents of Jerusalem without another option if they don’t own a car. As things stand, he says, the light rail is already overcrowded and is bound to get worse as bus routes are gradually eliminated. Meanwhile, the construction of additional light rail routes has been delayed. Moreover, he contends, Jerusalem, unlike Tel Aviv, has no socioeconomic ranking.

Economics Committee chairman David Bitan noted that no substantial reason had been given for raising the fares, and added that the matter will be discussed further.

'The Power and the Money'

■ REGULAR READERS of The Jerusalem Post are familiar with the weekly column by Gil Troy. It appears that he’s not the only writer in the family. His brother Tevi Troy is also a writer and has just come out with a timely book, The Power and the Money, which he will talk about in conversation with Gil on Sunday, August 18, at the Conference Hall of the Herut Center, 5 Aholiav Street, Romema (behind the Jerusalem Central Bus Station). The event is being hosted by the Israel Law and Liberty Forum.

The book explores the relationship between presidents of the United States and prominent CEOs, such as John D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan, Henry Ford, Henry Luce, Lew Wasserman, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg.

What readers will find fascinating is the increasing entanglement of big government with big business, neither of which is popular with the American people. It happens in most countries, which is why government officials around the world are increasingly charged with corruption. Israel is no exception, and one suspects that the Israel angle will find its way into the conversation.

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