Fri, February 11, 2011 10:19:44 AMshabbat shalom 11.02.11 ...
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| Linda Olsvig-Whittaker |
| Hi everyone, Sitting here on my computer after dinner, I got the news 5 minutes ago that Egyptian president Mubarak stepped down today and handed his powers to the Egyptian military, which promises to guide the country to a more democratic government. There is jubiliation in the central Taher Square as tens of thousands rejoice in victory. I'm astonished. Pleased and astonished; for once I called it wrong and am very glad. The Egyptians have managed a bloodless revolution, in a region which has a tradition for bloodbaths when revolts occur. Of course here in Israel we are not sure what this means for us, and will worry. But beyond doubt this is what the Egyptian people want and they have a right to guide their own destiny. It does help that they have a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, El Baredeih, as one of the leaders. (I don't know if he earned it then, but he sure as hell earned it now.) Well, I for one wish them good luck, as a neighbor who would like to be a friend. I remember how I wept when the Russians staged much the same kind of revolution, defending their parliament building against Soviet tanks, and how the soldiers surrendered to the people. (I particularly remember the television image of one elderly fat Russian woman clambering up a tank with a purse in one hand, shaking her finger at a totally bewildered Russian soldier on top....) And I remember the half year I lived in Prague after the Velvet Revolution, as the Czechs came to grips with the novel problems of running their country as a democracy. I can only wish the Egyptians as much success as the Czechs, and pray for them all. Well, that's on the international scene, even if it is next door. At home, we are still focused on surviving winter. It's been rainining steadily, finally clearing a bit today. I put out three loads of laundry to dry, and another three tomorrow. With 14 cats and 3 dogs, I go through a lot of towels and sheets and washcloths rather quickly, and really needed to do laundry. Also to clean the floors from the mud that little paws track into the house. (Forget carpeting when you have critters; these floors have to be mopped and mopped and mopped.) I was sick for two weeks with a cold; first a head cold and finally diarrhea, the usual path a virus takes through my system. It's ending now, especially if the sun is coming out for a while. Even some of my cats are coughing and sneezing. And many people I know are still quite sick from flulike congestion. It's not much of a winter compared to some, but we sure manage to make the most of it as far as getting sick is concerned. We cancelled our field work due to the weather and will have to pick it up again starting next week. With a foggy head, I haven't been able to do really serious work, but hope to do so next week. This weekend is for resting. shabbat shalom, Linda |
http://shabbat-shalom-jerusalem.blogspot.com/
1 comment:
Never underestimate the power of the people! I have been reporting on and monitoring the growing protests in Egypt for a couple of weeks and saw the determined consistency of the pro-democracy protestors over time.
So I was thrilled and delighted when the Dictator Mubarak exited the scene. We will see how the transition will go but the Egyptians have broken the fear barrier.
This transformation will effect the whole region, including Israel. The collusion of the US and Israel has caused a lot of grief ~to put it lightly~ for people in the region and a settling of accounts is in the cards and in the stars. @Peta_de_Aztlan on Twitter
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