Adam Shimon Rossano

KING BIBI

Sat, 02 Jun 2012 20:38:03 +0300

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin (“Bibi”) Netanyahu, recently dubbed “King Bibi” on the cover of TIME Magazine, has manipulated the political system with considerable style and come out on top once again.

BIBI
Taken on 25th April 2012, Memorial Day ceremony on Mt. Herzl

First he built up a lot of hype about calling elections a year early, following a bit of a stale mate in the Knesset (Israeli parliament) with the coalition not being able to pass anything. Polls clearly had him down to be re-elected.

Then, in quite literally the last moment before the early elections were officially announced, he made a sneaky agreement with the new head of the opposition party, Kadima, which added them to the existing coalition. Thus, in a flash, Bibi was head of the largest coalition ever and can see out his term to its natural end, all the while being less reliant on the more right-wing/religious parties that were making things difficult before.

So in the end, Bibi’s still PM and in a stronger position than ever. Kadima leader, Shaul Mofaz, lost a lot of respect and faith from supporters following the surprise move, which took place shortly after Mofaz called Bibi a liar and swore he would never join a coalition with the man.

Although the internal tensions in this huge coalition could well cause it to break apart, Bibi, in the meantime, seems to have come out on top. Whether you like him or not, it’s pretty well played.

SNEAKY BIBI
Taken on 25th April 2012, Memorial Day ceremony on Mt. Herzl

IT’S WETTaken on 23rd April 2012, Tel Aviv

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:45:00 +0300

IT’S WET
Taken on 23rd April 2012, Tel Aviv

A word about the changes

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:37:41 +0300

Long-term followers may have noticed that the name and look of this little bloggy wog has changed somewhat. Here’s why.

New theme - sexy, right? Got bored of the simplistic look.
New name - it’s no longer just about a photo and a thought… you can expect to see quotes and other random stuff that I like too. It is named after me because it is my blog. Not out of egotism, just makes sense.
I also intend to continue the blog beyond my year abroad in Israel (which is quickly coming to a close).

That is all.

GRAFFITI IN TEL AVIVTaken on 11th April 2012 Another one by...

Thu, 31 May 2012 21:31:56 +0300

GRAFFITI IN TEL AVIV
Taken on 11th April 2012

Another one by Dede.

GRAFFITI IN TEL AVIVTaken on 8th April 2012

Thu, 31 May 2012 21:25:46 +0300

GRAFFITI IN TEL AVIV
Taken on 8th April 2012

GRAFFITI IN TEL AVIVTaken on 8th April 2012 The street art scene...

Thu, 31 May 2012 21:17:33 +0300

GRAFFITI IN TEL AVIV
Taken on 8th April 2012

The street art scene in Tel Aviv is alive and pumping. Whether it’s love, politics or anything and everything else random, there’s a stencil for it and it’s on a wall in Tel Aviv. This one is by Dede.

AFRICAN REFUGEES & MIGRANT WORKERS IN SOUTH TEL AVIV

Thu, 31 May 2012 20:53:00 +0300

For years now, there has been a growing population of African refugees and migrant workers living in south Tel Aviv. Coming from dangerous and difficult backgrounds, mainly from Eritrea and Sudan, they come to Israel and are let in, many having been turned away by Egypt and other countries along the way. Each one’s story is more shocking and tragic than the next.

Many arrive with the intention to work, and work they do. All the more, they do the kind of manual labour that most unemployed Israelis wouldn’t even consider. So why the drama? Well it’s largely down to the increase in crime and violence that has accompanied their arrival. Israeli residents of south Tel Aviv (as well as, but to a lesser degree, those in Eilat, Arad and Jerusalem) are fed up. They don’t feel safe in their own neighbourhoods any more. They’re frustrated because the vast majority of the roughly 40,000 refugees in Israel are concentrated in their streets, whilst the rest of Israel continue to live life uninterfered. The situation has been escalating recently, with shocking incidents of attacks on refugees by Israeli residents of Tel Aviv, who are no longer just protesting, but have begun to throw Molotov cocktails and the like into the residence of the African population.

AFRICAN BOY PLAYING FOOTBALL
Taken on 4th April 2012, Levinsky Park, Tel Aviv

The situation is certainly a complex and problematic one. One that is all the more sensitive when you consider the Jewish people’s history of genocide, mistreatment and subsequent seek for asylum. Indeed, it was this shared history that brought the Africans and the Jews together last month. In the Jewish festival of Pesach (Passover), we remember our history of being slaves in Egypt and then being freed from slavery by God, through Moshe. The refugees in Israel too have fled dire states of war and famine, arriving in the Jewish state.

Israeli Jews and African refugees got together in Levinsky Park, the local hangout for the Africans, in the run up to Pesach, for a traditional seder meal. In what was a rare but beautiful moment, they shared their stories with one another and ate matzah (a symbol of affliction) together.

REFUGEE SEDER - holding up matzah, the bread of affliction
Taken on 4th April 2012, Levinsky Park, Tel Aviv

SOUNDS OF THE OLD CITY - צלילים בעיר העתיקהTaken on 21st March...

Thu, 31 May 2012 19:37:47 +0300

SOUNDS OF THE OLD CITY - צלילים בעיר העתיקה
Taken on 21st March 2012

One of the incredible things about Jerusalem and its beautiful Old City, is the fusion of history and modern culture. In its four quarters, one can meet so many interesting people and see such a diverse mix of religious sites. Its current walls are 400 years old. The history of the place is thousands of years old. Yet today, in modern Jerusalem, the Old City plays host to a wealth of cultural events. From thriving art exhibitions, to music festivals (as in the photo), to the upcoming light festival, Jerusalem’s Old City is a buzzing cultural centre even today.

VIEW FROM MT. EITANTaken 6th January 2012 There is just so much...

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:12:33 +0200

VIEW FROM MT. EITAN
Taken 6th January 2012

There is just so much beautiful nature in this wonderful place. I love how views like this are just a ten minute drive away and are experienced regularly by the students’ running group. I struggled with the run but the surroundings were incredible.

EMOTIONAL PRAYER ON HOSHANA RABBAHTaken 19th October 2011, the...

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 21:58:00 +0200

EMOTIONAL PRAYER ON HOSHANA RABBAH
Taken 19th October 2011, the Kotel

An incredibly passionate prayer during the festival of Sukkot.

VIEW FROM ATOP MT. ARBEL Taken 5th October 2011 The view of the...

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:19:46 +0200

VIEW FROM ATOP MT. ARBEL

Taken 5th October 2011

The view of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) and the surrounding area from the top of Mount Arbel was stunning. An incredible climb up, well worth it for this. I found myself in awe of the beauty of nature and contemplating the existence of God as a result. Surely such beautiful nature can’t just be a consequence of random chance - there must be a designer of some sort! Damn good designer, I say.

Hebron

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:50:18 +0300

Hebron is the largest city in the West Bank and one of the most controversial too. It is considered a holy city for both Jews and Muslims (a remarkably common theme in Israel), usually ranking second holiest to Jews and fourth holiest to Muslims. In this case though, it’s because of a shared association with Abraham (Avraham, Ibrahim, etc. - all the same guy). The Cave of Machpelah (Jewish name), or the Ibrahimi Mosque (Muslim name), is the burial site of the 3 patriarchs and 3 of the 4 matriarchs of Judaism, as well as Adam & Eve (and possibly the head of Esav). Abraham’s first two sons were Ishmael and Isaac. The Muslims descended from Ishmael and the Jews from Isaac. Hence the joint connection to Abraham.

There is a great deal of tension between the majority Palestinian population in Hebron and the minority of Jewish settlers. There is therefore a huge IDF presence in the area. I found that the resulting unpleasant atmosphere somewhat ruins the beauty and spirituality of the city. On the one hand, the numbers and geography make Hebron a Palestinian city. On the other, why shouldn’t Jews be able to live somewhere that holds such significance to their religious lives?

Taken 12th September 2011, Yeshivat Shavei Hevron

Regardless of what should be, there are many Jews that do live in Hebron. Some of them are radically right-wing and stir up a lot of trouble, some just want to study and live their Jewish lives in this holy city. Here are some photos of Jews studying in Yeshivat Shavei Hevron, a Jewish learning institution in Hebron.

HOLY NOSE-PICKINGTaken 28th August 2011 A Muslim on the Haram...

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:17:00 +0300

HOLY NOSE-PICKING
Taken 28th August 2011

A Muslim on the Haram Ash-Sharif (near the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, third holiest site for Muslims) and a Jew at the Kotel (Western Wall, the holiest site for Jews other than the Temple Mount itself, which is the same spot as the Haram Ash-Sharif) both caught in the act - picking their noses!

Children of Nazareth

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:50:01 +0300

Taken 31st August 2011, Nazareth

Nazareth is an Arab city, made up almost entirely of Arab Muslims and Christians, which has a great deal of religious significance. Nazareth was where Jesus spent a lot of his life and is home to the biggest church in the Middle East, the Basilica of Annunciation (where the Angel Gabriel told Mary that she was pregnant with the son of God).
In this beautiful city, full of great food and a plethora of churches and mosques, there is very little for children to do. They wonder the streets and most (although mainly boys) are involved in some sort of BB gun warfare. It’s a weird, if not scary, sight. I’m not sure to what extent a parallel can be drawn from the violence that exists in some Arab communities and the kind of childhood games they grew up playing, but it’s certainly an interesting thought.

MEOW Taken 30th August 2011, a Dead Sea beach Stray cat with her...

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:30:46 +0300

MEOW

Taken 30th August 2011, a Dead Sea beach

Stray cat with her kittens. There’s loads of strays in Israel. Now a few more.

DRAGONFLY Taken 29th August 2011, Ein Gedi spring

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:24:33 +0300

DRAGONFLY

Taken 29th August 2011, Ein Gedi spring

Muslim Quarter on Ramadan

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:20:00 +0300

Taken 25th August 2011

The holy Muslim month of Ramadan, in which Muslims fast every day between sunrise and sunset, is an incredible time to go to the Muslim Quarter of the Old City in Jerusalem. Once the sun has gone down and they’ve broken the fast, the narrow streets quickly become packed with men, women and children until the wee hours. There’s a great atmosphere and the hustle and bustle of the market stalls, the food, the nargillah smokers, the coffee drinkers and the playing children makes it a beautiful place to explore, bursting with culture.

MOPED LOVE Taken 19th August 2011, Tel Aviv

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:54:00 +0300

MOPED LOVE

Taken 19th August 2011, Tel Aviv

Tisha B'Av at the Kotel

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:48:00 +0300

Being at the Kotel in the final moments of Tisha B’Av is fascinating. It’s packed with hungry religious Jews and there’s a mad rush to get to the front of the mob that is all reaching out to be handed some food to break their 25-hour fast.

Whilst I appreciate the importance of this day to the Jewish people, I personally struggle to fully connect to it. It’s hard to commemorate (in a meaningful way I mean) something that is so far removed from what it means to be Jewish today. Temple times are so central to Jewish history, yet so irrelevant to modern Judaism.

What was so interesting to see though, and this is true of most visits to the Kotel, was the diversity there. That’s one theme I think the photograph really symbolises. The Kotel today is such an Orthodox place - separate men and women (women section significantly smaller), predominantly Charedi visitors, etc. - yet all kinds of Jews, from all over the world and from more progressive backgrounds too, come to the Kotel, have a little pray or a think, touch the wall and maybe leave a note (to God?). All at a wall that was totally insignificant back in the day… just a structural wall of the Temple Mount. Yet there’s a definite spiritual feel to the place (maybe a totally man-made spirituality?) and as an attraction it’s as popular as ever.

Taken on 9th August 2011 at the Kotel (Western Wall) shortly after the end of the fast of Tisha B’Av.

Tisha B’Av is an important fast day in Judaism which commemorates the destruction of both the first and second temples, both of which occurred on the same date in the Hebrew calendar.

The Kotel is considered to be the holiest place for Jews. The Western Wall is all that remains of the second temple, which was destroyed in 70 CE.

This is a blog - say hello

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 20:36:00 +0300

So I’m hoping to update this blog at least weekly with my own photographs and thoughts about various things Israel-related. The culture and scenery in and around Israel is beautiful and I hope to capture some of it and share it with you, considering current debates, issues, history and thoughts along the way.

B’shalom (with peace)