With millstones like these

Barring unforeseen circumstances, Israelis will next Tuesday elect the worst government in the history of the state. They will do so without being offered a political platform or a program for socio-economic renewal. The ruling party's leaders are making do with hollow slogans along the lines of "we'll continue fighting terror" and "painful concessions." They are even preparing the public for further cuts in the budget and more suffering for the poor, as if it were all by divine decree.
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As Ramon was launched into space

Just ahead of Tu Bishvat, the Jewish arbor day celebrated yesterday, the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture published figures on uprooting trees and the destruction of lands by the Israel Defense Forces in the current intifada: More than three-quarters of a million trees have been uprooted and more than 53,000 dunams have been flattened. Even if these figures are exaggerated, a brief tour around the territories suffices to reveal the extent of the destruction.

While Israeli children were planting saplings for the holiday, their big brothers were uprooting more and more trees, most of them olive and citrus trees that were the last source of livelihood for their owners. Did those who uprooted trees remember the Tu Bishvat plantings?

There is no sign that any of this is about to change in the near future. On the contrary. In the absence of any critical public attention and in view of the expected outcome of the elections, it appears that Israel will resort to even harsher measures. The Palestinians will increase the terror attacks, Israel will increase its bullying and no blue-and-white astronaut will be able to distract - for long - attention from the bloody results.
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