International Women's Day (NMM vs. YSB)

How International Women's Day in the Knesset became One Big Joke.

How's this for a succinct answer? Yulia Shamalov-Berkovich (Kadima).

Ok, you say. Shamalov-Berkovich (Kadima) is not very succinct as Israeli names go. You're right. But ignore that for now. Let me explain.

On International Women's Day, this already less-than-stellar uber-freshman MK was not joking when her office issued a press release with the following headline:

"In honor of International Women's Day – Female MKs are battling the cold in the Knesset"

The rest of the announcement went on to explain that YSB has taken up the struggle to get the Knesset to turn down the air conditioning. She wrote a letter on the subject to Knesset Director-General Dan Landau, a copy of which reached NMM's hands:

"Since I have arrived in the Knesset, I find myself frequently sick and chilled due to temperatures that
reach as low as 16 degrees (Celsius). I have requested, I have restrained myself, I have suffered, and

enough is enough. I do not understand how one can advance anything in the Knesset when the entire place [gives examples to show that she knows that Knesset includes features such as dining rooms, committee rooms, and the plenum] is "dog cold".

"Although well dressed men here are found in suits, which maintain their body heat and their status, the accepted dress code expected of us, women, includes an elegant appearance that frequently involves skirts, dresses, high heels, and so forth."

"I was surprised to discover that some committee chairman demand that the ushers not raise the thermostat in committee rooms and I was not aware that their authority included veto power regarding temperature in hearing rooms."

"According to the Electric Company, the recommended temperature for the public in buildings in order to maintain reasonable electric use is between 22-24 degrees, winter and summer. Maintaining this temperature range in the Knesset will not merely help ensure the health of those who visit, but will also save a fortune in public funds."

According to an independent poll that I carried out in the Knesset, it seems that this phenomenon is not unique to me. Many members of Knesset, male as well as female, share my feelings and are forced to dress in a warmer, heavier and bulkier manner."

"From one issue to another on the same subject: The plenum hall suffers from a lack of ventilation and unpleasant compacting (?) of air. The feeling is one of sitting in a sealed and unventilated room. It seems that in an attempt to rectify the lack of ventilation, those in charge choose to freeze the air in the plenum. The result: both strangling and freezing.

"Thus I would thank you if the temperature in the Knesset could be maintained at no lower than 22-24 degrees and I would appreciate if you could find an alternative solution to the freezing of the plenum in a way that will allow for appropriate cross-ventilation and will cast aside the inappropriate and inhumane solution of freezing the plenum.

I am certain that the creative and innovative spirit that flows through your veins will ensure finding suitable solutions to the problems that I have addressed.

From woman to woman, a day after IWD, Yulia, I really must thank you. Thank you for reducing the role of the woman to the stereotypical "ooh, its cold in here". Thank you for implying that to be appropriately elegant, I come outfitted in skirts and high heels. Thank you for belittling the true importance of a day meant to raise awareness of the difficulties facing women in the modern world, and of choosing to highlight such an important issue as opposed to truly less-significant topics such as pay gaps, glass ceilings, and "family honor killings".

And thank you, as always, your invaluable effort in reinforcing negative stereotypes regarding the abilities, considerations and concerns of female parliamentarians.

More sufganiyot and a word on democracy

First of all, in response to Yonit's complaint that my sufganiya list has been too brand-limited, I've added another three:

1. Chocolate "porcupine" – filled with chocolate and topped with "quills" of non-dairy semisweet chocolate ganache
2. "Rocher" – filled with chocolate and nougat cream and topped with chocolate ganache and rice crispies
3. Plain donut, complete with a hole in the middle, topped with classic chocolate topping

I feel like I should write something serious at this point, and so I will:

My democratic moment of the week:

Yesterday, a group of students enrolled in a pre-college program to complete their matriculation exams came to my office. They had discovered that matriculation courses had been privatized under their noses, so to speak, and that the organizations that provided funding for newly-discharged soldiers, ultra-orthodox, Ethiopians and so on had decided to stop working with the privatized body. The result? Somewhere around 12,000 students trying to qualify for higher education will discover on January 1 that their funding has been pulled out from under them.

The four students, all from Sappir College in Sderot, had come to the Knesset in the hopes of meeting with MKs and getting the privatization cancelled or at least to find a way to save this school year, which they have already started.

I spent around two hours with them and finished the day feeling really, really, absurdly good, despite the fact that they have very little chance of saving their education in the next two weeks before the privatization goes into effect. So why?

Because it is sometimes easy here to become very jaded and cynical. And sometimes it takes four students pounding the halls here, and camping out in the dining rooms to remind myself that not all Israelis think that the Knesset is simply an elaborate dance with a predetermined outcome. Sometimes, people come here because they believe that they can make a change, if only someone will listen to them.

And today – a relatively unknown MK caught me in the hallway, and smiled at me, telling me that he had already started work on the students' case. Sometimes, that means, the effort can pay off.

Happy December, everyone. Its one of my absolute favorite months. There is something very optimistic and rejuvenating about crisp, chilly air.

If I could give the world one assignment today, it would be finding a representative, and telling them what you think about something you care about. Because sometimes they listen.

A Blog is Born

Why is this blog different from all others?
The first answer is that it isn't, but I realize that that's no way to sell a blog.

I would like, hypothetically, to write a blog that talks about real parenting issues, and real not-parenting issues. And not-real parenting issues, as the case may be.

So here we go.

This week, the Israeli parliament (the Knesset) passed a joke of a maternity-leave law in its preliminary reading by a truly overwhelming majority. I'll try not to go in to the law so much (if you really want to, here's the link:
Maternity Leave Bill Won't Change Much), but the point is that MKs think that its good political ground to extend maternity leave. Good enough political ground that they're willing to fool the public in order to get them to think that they extended it, even when they haven't.

For all of you Americans and Australians out there, who come from backward, third-world countries where maternity leave is pendant on your ability to save up leave days over the course of half-a-decade or so, I'm sorry if this posting makes you drool. Or makes you write hostile letters to your representatives, asking why women in such enlightened states as Afghanistan and Algeria have rights that you don't.

Here, however, the game is to pretend to extend it. And (political) death to the MK who dares oppose any such bill. In this case, it was MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) who said that extending maternity leave would make employers think twice about hiring women. He then met me in the basement, and spent a while explaining to me how his wife - after each of her seven children was born - went right back to work, no gripes or questions asked. To which I say, good for you. But then again MB-A doesn't really have to worry about his pro-working-woman credentials, coming as he does from a party that won't allow women to run on its list.

And here I should add a few points to make the Americans and Australians feel better. Yes, we do have paid maternity leave for 14 weeks. And I enjoyed every post-partum-depressed minute of it. Workaholic that I am, I never, not once, said "wow, I wish I was at work right now". And I was busy. I don't know with what, but I definitely was.

But, on the other hand, I'm not sure in America it would have been so easy for a (government) would-be employer to politely inform me that for "operational" reasons, I could not become pregnant for my first six years of employment. For instance. Or enjoy the Israeli anachronism in which it seems to be common to put on one's resume "married +1". Thank God they don't expect me to write the truth: "married+1 and hoping for another +3 if only you pay me enough to subsidize them all".

So I'm not sure where I'm going to go on this one. Given a choice between a country in which discrimination on the basis of motherhood (or potential motherhood) is completely routine, but where I can enjoy 14 weeks of paid motherhood that doesn't come at the expense of 5 years worth of vacation days, or a country where I'd spend six, very short weeks at home, and have no chance of squeezing into my pre-partum pants before my glorious return, but where at least I'd know that my +1, +2 or +7 status wouldn't be a consideration in being hired for the job that I'd still presumably be in no hurry to return to.

Any thoughts?
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