It’s been busy, but I do have some cat pictures taken here in Beit Yourish.

First, a study in Tig, taken this afternoon:

Then we have Gracie, looking like a Kliban cat with slightly glowing eyes.

Gracie is finally starting to feel more comfortable here and is spending more time downstairs. She was sitting nearby, grooming herself, earlier tonight.

And finally, a scene that promises to become a regular part of my day: Tig sprawling along the marble in front of the fireplace. Cool in the summer, warm in the winter—this is probably going to be his favorite spot. And he looks absolutely gorgeous on the black marble. I really love this place.

We are all very happy in our new home. Tig has developed a new, revolting habit. He’s trying to eat all the dead bugs he can find. Gracie, thankfully, hasn’t developed any new habits, except she continues to sleep under the bureau, and Tig is nearly too big to fit underneath. But she’s talking to me again. She’s been very quiet until today. It’s good to hear her mew, and better to see her down here with Tig and me.

They’re still playing Kitty Tag, and it’s still starting at the ungodly hour of six a.m. Two days ago, I woke up to hear Tig mewing at the foot of my bed, where he was lying with his head over the edge, discussing whether he was coming down or Gracie was coming up. I won the argument and threw them both out.

I have the two of them with me now. Gracie’s on the carpet in front of the ottoman, waiting for me to come to her. Tig is asleep on the back of the sofa. All’s right with their world.

A fairly standard battle cry on the Israeli roads is: “The person that gave you a driver license has to be killed!”. I don’t need to describe the situation relevant to this cry, do I?

The first thought I had reading the Haaretz article Jews attacking Jews by Antony Lerman wasn’t totally dissimilar to that battle cry: who the heck is the editor that published this one? He definitely needs some killing. On the other hand, it could have been a slow day in the office of Haaretz, and this thing just happened in the inbox - who knows, let’s be charitable.

One cannot, of course, keep a straight face and blame the author - he is too daft, it looks like, to be held responsible for the drivel he spouts. For example:

When Jew-hatred is identified, it’s mostly in the form of what many call the “new anti-Semitism” - essentially, anti-Zionism. Others (this writer included) fundamentally dispute that anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism are synonymous.

“Many” usually say that the new anti-Semitism is using anti-Zionism as a cover - not that all anti-Zionists are automatically anti-Semites. So “others” (Antony Lerman included) could go and screw themselves vigorously, instead of “fundamentally dispute” the false strawman these “others” created to publicly destroy to their own satisfaction.

Another good one:

Anything from strong criticism of Israel’s policies, through sympathetic critiques of Zionism, to advocacy of a one-state solution for the Israel-Palestine conflict, is defined as anti-Zionism, when none of these positions are prima facie anti-Zionist.

So the advocates of a one-state solution are not anti-Zionist? Yeah. But in this passage Antony Lerman makes his dimness outstandingly clear:

The new EU-approved definition fundamentally subverts the term because to warrant the charge of anti-Semitism, it is sufficient to hold any view ranging from criticism of the policies of the current Israeli government, to denial of Israel’s right to exist - without having to subscribe to any of the elements that historians have traditionally regarded as constituting an anti-Semitic view. And it puts out of bounds the perfectly legitimate discussion of whether increased anti-Semitism is a result of Israel’s actions.

Notice the last sentence, which is a final giveaway: these pesky Israelis are making Lerman’s life hard by their ill-considered behavior. Repeating many an anti-Zionist (and many an anti-Semitic) “thinker”, starting with incomparable Seumas Milne who several years ago claimed that Jews in Europe would feel much better were Israel to behave…

More detailed debunking of this stupid article by Ben Cohen here.

Another definitive piece by David Hirsh on linking Israel’s behavior and the anti-Semitism here.

>Cross-posted on SimplyJews.