"The Elusive Dream of Nuance" Edition

Allison, Noah and Times of Israel Ops & Blogs Editor Miriam Herschlag discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. You say, “Al Aqsa,” I say, “The Temple” Wonder what to make of the recent resolution by UNESCO – the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – chastising Israel for its treatment of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, while ignoring Jewish affinities to the same sites? We deliberate. BDS and the Dream of Nuance A major new initiative “Israel and the Academy” aims to help folks think about Israel “in a much more nuanced way” than the BDS wars presently allow. But is the lovely dream of nuance too naive an ambition to truly attain? The Museum of Jewish Awesomeness We ponder the fact that $30 million dollars have already been raised (of an eventual $450 million) to build a Frank Gehry “World’s Jewish Museum” in Tel Aviv dedicated to the Einsteins, the Spielbergs, the Streisands and the Dylans. Is this the kind of museum we want and need at this fraught moment in our history?   All songs by Ha-Pussy shelLucy:  Ghetto Lech Lecha Le-Heros et ha-Knesset Rak Lo Etzleinu Ba-Shechunah