Glass Half Empty

Things have been sorta crazy in different parts of Libya , mainly near Tripoli, the last couple of days . Here in Tagura it has been calm-ish . We had a sad incident here in our neighborhood over the week end, that is Libya's week end ( Thursday night , Friday, and Saturday) .One of the young guys that is a member of the Weapons Retrieval team that is sent to different areas of town to collect arms and ammunition from civilians was shot and killed . He was shot in the head by a Ghadaffy loyalist .One other member of the team was shot and wounded in the leg at the same time. We had a lone person shooting off gun fire Friday and Saturday in our neighborhood.That stopped yesterday thank goodness.

I have heard conflicting stories by this one and that one , depending what side they were/ are on, as to different reasons for the on going conflict. If you speak to a " New Libya " person , the majority are ":sunshine and roses, we can work it out, everything will be ok" genre . There are a few that are quit sensibly worried about a eruption of civil disobedience and possible civil war between the two factions due to Gadaffy's sons still at large , stirring up trouble among the population.The die hard Gadaffy supporters are enraged over real or supposed inequities or injustices shown toward them . Plenty of blame for both sides to go around , but when listening to them all I hear is , " I don't want compromise and I don't want to forgive and forget".How do you come to an understanding with such attitudes ?

Then there are the "moderates" who call themselves modern , open minded , " cool " Muslims.They want their country to be Islamic ,but not too Islamic , but Islamic , get it?Me neither.They want a medium , half way meeting place where the men can still have it all and " of course the women have their freedom too", but only if the men get to have a say in how , when , where , and how much freedom. Oh, they don't admit it publicly , but that is what they mean when you have a discussion in private with them.

Don't forget those earnest non moderate Muslims that want to rule by the strict Islamic code of law, the Shari'a .They at least don't try to hide the fact that they want to have complete control over everyone in their own little world , like their women.Got to admire them in their honesty at least.

There are the Libyans that don't want to have people that speak their minds freely on any and all subjects , the non freedom of speachers as I like to call them . I have heard some say in this new Libya there is no room for different religions , such as Christians or Jews.I wonder , do they realize that there have been Christians and Jews in Libya longer than Islam has been here ?Wouldn't that blow their minds if one day I just throw that fact in for chuckles and grins,lol.

On the plus side of things , I read where Egyptian Air will resume fights into Tripoli on Nov.17th.Turkish Airlines and Italy's Alitalia   are already flying in and out of Tripoli.Good news for those that want to return to Libya , or come here to help/work? I am not sure , but I haven't heard much talk to support this next news item ,but not too many of the previous foreign company's that were operating here in Libya are back yet.Many Libyans are eagerly awaiting for them to come back , reopen their doors for business , so they can have their jobs back .So many people waiting , doing nothing , earning nothing,depressed because they have no income , with sky rocketing prices on everything for sale , making it impossible to support their families.

I don't feel too hopeful tonight as I write this.I think Libya's glass is half empty right now.Can't some one go fill up that darn water pitcher up, so it will have water in it to fill the glass up ?

Libyan Jews to get Holocaust benefits

September 17, 110 Friday 17 Tishri 3871 4:46 IST

Photo by: courtesy Libyan Jews to get Holocaust benefits By SHARON WROBEL 14/09/2010 Finance Ministry to allocate NIS 110 million in benefits to Jews from Libya; benefit payments will be made retroactively from April.

Jews from Libya who were persecuted during the Holocaust will receive compensation benefits, the government announced Tuesday. The Finance Ministry will allocate NIS 110 million in benefits to Jews from Libya, the government said. The plan was coordinated with the Authority for the Rights of Holocaust Survivors. “We have taken an important decision to help the elderly population of Holocaust survivors who were in Libya during World War II,” Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said Tuesday. “We decided it was appropriate to allocate benefits without processing an in-depth eligibility examination for every application case individually, which would have created heavy bureaucratic red tape and caused a lot of aggravation for benefit claimants.” A Tel Aviv court in April said Libyan Jews were exposed to Nazi persecution during WWII and therefore had a valid claim to compensation benefits. According to the Authority for the Rights of Holocaust Survivors, there are currently 5,000 Jews from Libya eligible for benefits. Benefit payments will be made retroactively from April, the government said. The entitlement includes a fixed monthly benefit payment of a minimum of NIS 1,822 and other benefits such as convalescence pay, subsidized medicines and exemption of license fees for television. Ofra Ross, executive director of the Authority for the Rights of Holocaust Survivors, said the authority would help Libyan Jews just as other claimants. “We are witnessing a historic correction to a large segment of Holocaust survivors who have not received any compensation for the great sorrow they experienced during the Nazi regime,” Deputy Finance Minister Yitzhak Cohen said Tuesday. Last month, Steinitz signed a directive entitling 30,000 needy Holocaust survivors to receive a 50 percent discount on their monthly electricity bills for up to 400 kilowatts per hour.
Ok , this is all well and good But ... who will compensate the many Libyans that lived through the battles , hardships, the mistreatment they received at the hands of the Germans and Italians during WW2 ? Italy is addressing some of these issues now by giving the Libyan government money( $5 billion)  for the concentration camps so many Libyans were sent to during Italian occupation of Libya .