Shalom, Haver

10 November
Today I:

• Noticed that it’s Rabin’s Memorial Day. Rabin was a dude that was assassinated at a peace rally in 1995. He was Prime Minister of Israel at the time. Rewind to 1995, and it’s a year after Oslo and all is going well for the man. Well, as well as it can for a politician in Israel where at any given time most of the country is complaining about you. He came off stage and was shot 3 times by Yigal Amir, a religious fanatic who wasn’t even an arab. He was severely punished by being sent to prison and getting married to a starstuck dossit* and having children through conjugal visits. Itzak Rabin is remembered every year by a concert for Peace and by memorial candles all over the place. Its so very cool to remember Itzak as a symbol for the peace process, so much so that a national memorial day was set up in his honour. He is an idol for secular Israelis who want to be in. Half the people worship him. Half the people hated him and support Amir. And half don’t give a shit, but we don’t count them anyway as they are arabs.
  
  A couple of weeks ago when we were in the desert, we were forced by proximity and volume to be silent witnesses to a conversation between a few 20 year old Americans and Australians. It went something like this:
  American #1: You know that Steve Irwin? Is he like Australian or from New Zealand or South Africa or something?
  Australian #1: (measured) Australian.
  American #1: Are you like really sad that he died?
  Australian #1: He’s like dead, and I get that. I think it’s a shame. But I don’t think he was more special than other dead people so I don’t think he should be elevated into some kind of huge symbol and worshipped and stuff.
  
  She then went on to say many derogatory things about Steve Irwin’s wife, which I don’t think was called for, and I don't agree with her at all. Steve Irwin was a legend and is up there with Kurt Cobain and Freddy Mercury and he should totally have whitewashed roadside shrines surrounded in bright flowers and statues. But in the context of Rabin, I do like totally get what she was saying.

* dossit: slang for a religious woman