Why I don’t give a damn about the peace talks

Ami Kaufman By Ami Kaufman September 2, 2010 | Edit

Where are the days when I used to get all excited and hopeful ahead of peace talks?

Where are the days when I used to wait for the press conference, the photo op?

Where are those days when I used to watch the TV closely for facial expressions, in search of sincerity or a genuine gesture of friendship?

Where are those days when I hung on the words of each analyst?

Where are they? Where’d they go?

Why don’t I give a f-ck?

Why haven’t I watched one single news report about this summit?

Is it because of the almost unbearable August going into September heat?

Is it because of my long hours at the paper?

Is it because I just moved flat and don’t have a second for myself?

Maybe it’s because I put my two kids back in kindergarden this week. And because I’m not that impressed with the teachers.

Or the Israeli education system at all, for that matter. A system which has done a 180 degree turn from being one of the best to one of the worst in the world.

And why should I even care about peace talks, when in 30 years a majority of the education system will be made up of haredi children who don’t study math or english?

Why should I even care about peace talks when a much more devastating time bomb like that will explode right in my face in less than a generation a way?

What kind of place am I raising my kids in?

How do I keep them from turning into Eden Abergil?

Why should I care about peace talks, when the chances are that my daughter will be blindfolding Palestinians at checkpoints in 15 years time anyway?

Is that why I don’t give a hoot about summits?

Or is it because I moved to a lower rent flat because even though my wife and I work almost 100 hours a week we can’t afford to buy a reasonably sized flat in an area we like? Like almost every young couple in Israel these days?

Is it because a 4 bedroom apartment in “luxurious” Netanya, half an hour from Tel Aviv, costs over 400 thousand dollars? And because I make a fraction of what a journalist at my level makes in the States, and all I can really think about is money?

Or maybe it’s because I kvetch too much, apparently…

Is that why? Is that why I couldn’t care less?

Or maybe it’s because I just don’t trust anybody anymore?

Maybe it’s because I know there’s actually no leadership.

On either side.

Including America.

Maybe I just don’t give a shit, because I’m an experienced Middle Easterner by now, and I know that when leadership isn’t present, it’s the events on the ground that eventually dictate the outcome. They fill up the leadership vacuum.

The new outpost, the slow rise in Palestinian attacks (not necessarily in that order, don’t worry – I’m not taking sides), followed by the slow rise in Israeli responses, and before you can blame who started it this time, BAM! You got yourself some Cast Lead or some Defensive Shield. Yummy.

So, with all due respect to your summit, all I can say is:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02tCGleIdcw&NR=1[/youtube]

and just leave me alone.

I have to clean the bathrooms.

Ami Kaufman

Ami Kaufman was chief night editor for Haaretz, for the prominent Israeli financial daily Calcalist, and correspondent on Israeli affairs for 93.6 RAM FM, a joint Palestinian-Israel radio station. His interest in food and cooking led to culinary studies at the "Israeli CIA" (Tadmor, Herzliya) and a brief stint in the restaurant business. Born in Tel Aviv, Ami lives in Bat Yam with his wife and two daughters. In his spare time he blogs at Half & Half.

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