The "World Jews to Israel: "Quit Messing Up Our Game!"" Edition

Noah, Ilene Prusher, and radio impresario Shoshi Shmuluvitz discuss three topics of incomparable importance, and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. World Jews to Israel: "Quit Messing Up Our Game!" A new study finding that Jews around the world are ambivalent about how Israel uses force, and convinced that Israel’s sometimes ill-advised use of force in the occupied territories, and our failure to pursue peace in a serious way, put Jews around the world in danger. But isn’t Israel supposed to protect the Jewish People? Playing Backgammon Alone Another poll (the 6th Annual European Survey) finding – unsurprisingly -- that Israelis are very happy but also -- surprisingly -- that Israelis score lower than ever on "community well-being." Is the sense of community and solidarity that characterized Israel in its first generations now deteriorating? If so, why? Are Smart Cities a Dumb Idea Cisco and IBM have teamed up with the Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality to make it one of the world’s "smartest" cities, with apps and electronic kiosks. Sounds great, but are digital cities are turning citizens into consumers, voters into buyers, and democracy into a sham of a shell of a simulacrum? All this and the happy sounds of Ta’ani Esther, in honor of their just released album, Maskanot.