News

It's been a while I haven't posted anything here, I have been quite busy with work, and tried to use my little free time in a way that does not require my brain to be turned on ;).

Lots of things are happening in politics here. Sharon is now in a vegetative state (read: he's dead, they just haven't yet unplugged life support), Olmert has taken his spot until the next elections, and will be the Kadima candidate. Olmert was not (or at least I didn't see him like that) such a big figure of the Israeli political world, mostly just one of Sharon's advisors, but it seems he has managed to place himself in a pretty strong position.
Supposedly he has always been advocating disengagement like policies, I have even read somewhere he was the one that inspired Sharon's last moves. He probably also have less blood on his hands which in the end might make him a more acceptable person to talk with the PA.
He has started to evict israelis that did illegaly settle in the Hebron market, which has been the hottest tension spot for years (as the illegal settlements happen to be right in the middle of a dense palestinian city, right next to a holy place for both religions, and the settlers being from the agressive and violent kind). This move drew some criticism from the extreme right, but seems to have a wide support among the population as the Hebron settlers do not have a good reputation (during my lunch polls, most people said that if Hebron was given to them, they'd probably move to downtown Ramallah, and this is coming from right wing israelis...).

On the other side, despite strong activity to undermine the election process by some Fatah linked activists (they fear to loose to Hamas), the elections are agoing to happen. I do hope that whatever happens, the Hamas chooses to pursue the political way and drops the armed fight. They have a strong support among population and wide influence, and they could definitively use it in a pacific and constructive way. For about 1 year now I haven't seen reports of terror attacks doing victims conducted and claimed by Hamas, which is kind of a good start (most of the terror attacks were conducted by Islamic Jihad).

Finally 2 days ago I watched on Arte a movie/documentary called gan. I suggest you have a look at it if you can, if they are showing it again.