Don’t be Chickenshits

As part of its continuous, concerted and successful action-plan to hold onto the Occupied Territories, Israel is cold bloodedly taking advantage of today’s murderous attack by two Arabs from East Jerusalem, to slander the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas. 

Netanyahu: “the terrorists’ act was a direct result of incitement led by Hamas, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and irresponsibly ignored by the international community…”

Economy Minister Bennet: "Abbas, one of the biggest terrorists to have arisen from the Palestinian people, bears direct responsibility for the Jewish blood spilt … while we were busy with delusions about the [peace] process."

Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz "The hands that held the axes were those of the terrorists, but the voice is that of Abbas." And Foreign Minister Lieberman called on the international community to condemn Abbas' "anti-Semitic statements, which lead to terrible acts of slaughter like the one at the synagogue this morning."

Netanyahu and his senior ministers are lying. More than that, with their inciting defamatory statements, Netanyahu and his cabinet are igniting the fire or at least adding fuel to it. Here is what the head of  the shin bet, Israel’s internal security service, Yoram Cohen, said today: "Abbas is not interested in terror and is not inciting to terror. He's not even doing so behind closed doors." Moreover, Cohen laid the blame for the rising tensions in Jerusalem on visits by right-wing Israeli members of parliament to the Temple Mount and their attempts to introduce legislation, which would change the status quo on the holy site.

A few weeks ago The US secretary of state, John Kerry, has condemned as “disgraceful” a description of Netanyahu, as “chickenshit”, attributed to an unnamed US official. Netanyahu may now be a certified “non- chickenshit” but he should probably not risk asking for a similar certificate to prove that he is not a defaming, inciting liar. It is up to the US and the EU not to be chickenshits and to finally read Israel the riot act.  

Cameron – King of Losers ?

Loser – according to one of the dictionaries is slang for: “a misfit, especially someone who has never or seldom been successful at a job, personal relationship, etc.” There is something unattractively condescending in the use of this term. Indeed, one of the dictionaries defines loser as “a person who one feels is below one's social stature.”

So here I go: David Cameron, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is rapidly becoming the king of losers. Instead of approaching UKIP and the supporters of this “UK Independence Party” head on, Cameron tries to convince that group of losers that he and his Tory party will deliver even more effective anti-Europe, anti-Foreigners, anti-Immigration, anti-Aid results, than UKIP will.

As a real loser, the spoilt brat Cameron succumbs to pathetic macho talk and irresponsible brinkmanship. Instead of trying to out-ukip UKIP, the Tories and Labour too, must stand up against the frightened “let’s draw the bridge up” rhetoric of UKIP with both values and facts. 

Go to Rembrandt

There is a wonderful, truly wonderful Rembrandt exhibition at the National Gallery in London. Go!

Many exhibitions are just marketing ploys and I did not expect much. Anyway, has one not seen them all? The exhibition concentrates on Rembrandt’s late works and does include some of the well-known paintings. But, it also has some lesser-known and truly beautiful and some very interesting paintings. 

It was a true joy to see so many of them together. This cannot be said about the visitors that crowd exhibitions. As I was queuing to get in with the first group at 10 in the morning, a VIP group of Royal Bank of Scotland guests was just leaving. Seeing the VIPs coming out with their goody-bags was not made easier by one of the very important females smiling benevolently at us, the group of plebeians standing in the rain waiting to be let in, with the remark "you are up for a real treat."

So what is the Deal? 

Not memorable: Germany exhibition at the British Museum

There are better ways to spend ten pounds and an hour of your time than to go to the Germany: memories of a nation - A 600-year history in objects  exhibition at the British Museum. You do not learn more than you would by reading the relevant article in Wikipedia and that is not good enough.