Illustration
Illustration: Visual Photos
Plunged into darkness
Op-ed: As always, we'll complain about premature end to daylight saving time and Yishai will ignore us
Don't forget to turn your clocks back one hour, or 5,000 years back in case you want to synchronize them with Eli Yishai. We'll keep telling this joke every year when daylight saving time ends. This relatively new national holiday begins between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and marks the "victory" of Yishai and his Shas cohorts over other Israelis, who are plunged into darkness. The holiday's traditions include getting really upset, telling ourselves that this time we will put up a fight and then moving on.
Israel returns to winter (standard) time in the middle of summer. This is as logical as dipping an apple in horse radish. We promise ourselves that this is the last time, but we do it all over again the following year.
Religious Revival
Yaron London
Op-ed: Growing religious tendencies among Israelis bad news for country’s future
So let's say it again, as if anything will come out of it: In Israel daylight saving time is in effect for only 170 days, while in other countries that are just as civilized and experience real winters – the US, for example – DST is in effect for 238 days.
We are all in agreement that this situation is really idiotic, but nothing changes. Why? Because this is what Eli Yishai wants, and we have yet to find an Israeli who is willing to challenge the interior minister's wishes.
The summery return to winter time takes us all hostage, but some of us suffer from it more than others. The religious public, which traditionally supports the idea, suffers more because it gets dark at 5:30 pm and kids can no longer play outside. On average, religious and traditional families have more children than secular families.
Most of Israel's citizens complain, but this soft protest has become routine, and Yishai's camp is completely indifferent to it. So let's live for eternity in this senseless cycle, just as we live in other ridiculous cycles – violence, hatred, deterioration in the quality of life – only because we willingly serve as marionettes in the hands of the pettiest politicians on the planet.
The return to winter time is upon us once again, taking with it light and reason. We'll meet again at the same time next year – one hour back. And don't forget to take your sweaters. It's really hot outside.
