Kesher Talk

B'shuv adonai et shivat tzion, hayeinu k'chol'mim. I haven't posted anything on Iraq in a while, either here or on Command Post. I've got about 5 days solid of blogging ahead of me to clear my virtual desk, without picking up anything new in the meantime. Some of that is Iraq-related.

In the meantime check out David Adesnik's link round-up of how the occupation is going.

I recently met someone who had been with the occupation forces in Iraq, who basically confirmed all the optimistic reports (of course, you have to wonder how much of that is the party line, but enough of it triangulates with news reports, Iraqi bloggers, and other sources).

A few Jewish tidbits: enough of the coupla thousand civilian occupation workers living and working in various comandeered Saddam palaces are observant Jews that glatt kosher meals are coming out of Saddam's kitchens, and there are well-attended Shabbat services and even daily minyans by the Tigris, where - 2500 years ago - ". . . we sat and wept when we remembered Zion." Gives me chills to think about. There was a Pesach seder held in Ur this spring. That is so cool, let me repeat that: There was a Pesach seder held in Ur this spring.

This guy also traveled to Kifl and visited what is generally held to be the tomb of Ezekiel, which was a popular pilgrimage site for Iraqi Jews in their heyday. (Officially this is the tomb of Dhul-kifl, a Muslim holy man, but the locals know it's also Ezekiel.)

The most significant take-away for me was that Iraqis - who have a long tradition of trade and cosmopolitanism and a strong middle class - are anxious to distance themselves from Arab nationalism. They have no interest in playing a victim card, or - as he put it - "becoming the new Palestinians" (or the latest object of leftist anti-globo condescension, I would think).

PS The quote in the title is from Psalm 126.

UPDATE: This post seems to have be responsible for a link from Glenn. Thanks, Glenn!

posted by Judith @ 6/13/2003 11:44:21 AM