The Virtual Kibbutz Now Available for Kindle

I am pleased to announce that The Virtual Kibbutz, my debut collection of short stories, has been re-published and is now available for Kindle. In the weeks to come, the book will also be available at Barnes & Noble and for other e-reading devices.

I originally published The Virtual Kibbutz in April 2003 with iUniverse, which at the time was the best option for self-publishing. In August last year I canceled my iUniverse contract and removed the book from their catalog. Please read the article I posted at the time explaining my decision to leave iUniverse.

The Best Bulgarian Short Stories

If you do a search on Google for "Bulgarian short stories" one of the first results you will see is a news item from October stating that Bulgarian author Miroslav Penkov won the BBC International Short Story Award. Penkov's story, "East of the West," from his 2011 debut short story collection of the same name, "explores the difficulties of love, relationships and identity in a region ridden with conflict," according to the contest's organizers.

"East of the West" is the story of a village, divided by a river and by the harsh realities of the Cold War. To the east is Bulgaria, home of a boy known as Nose, and to the west is the home of his cousin, a more liberal land where one can buy blue jeans and Adidas sports shoes. Every five years the authorities allow the villagers to reunite for a feast, where the cousins can dream and plan for freedom and a different future.

Where Is Israel Going?

The other day I read a comment posted in response to Alan Elsner's article "Israel’s diplomatic problem in one word: Settlements" that stated simply: “There should never be a two-state solution.” The poster didn’t offer any additional clues that would explain her position.

What is the alternative to a two-state solution? I assume that no one is suggesting a three-state solution to resolve our problems (Israel, Palestine, Gaza), so I will make the logical conclusion that this person either favors a one-state solution or a continuation of the status quo.

Supporters of a one-state solution have over 3 million Palestinians to answer for. Arab Muslim residents of Taibe today have the right to vote and to form political parties. In an expanded State of Israel permanently encompassing the entire West Bank, wouldn’t these basic rights be extended to all Palestinians?

The Mistaken, a Book Review

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A decent, hard-working man turns to the bottle and seeks violent vengeance in the aftermath of two tragic accidents. "Somewhere down deep inside me lurked a monster, an abomination, a bitter man so broken and lost that vengeance seemed the best course, the only road left to follow."

This was a thought running through the mind of Tyler Karras, the hero of The Mistaken, the fiction debut of Nancy S. Thompson. Tyler is living the American dream in San Francisco, when his brother joins ranks with the local Russian mafia. Tyler tries to intervene on his brother's behalf, but instead only becomes himself a target for their wrath.

Tyler's wife, pregnant with their first child, falls victim to a credit card scam and when she goes to confront the woman who perpetrated the crime, she is killed in a traffic accident. Wallowing in grief and ravished by excessive alcohol consumption, Tyler strikes a deal to deliver the woman con artist to the mafia in exchange for his brother's freedom.

Why I'm Voting Meretz

There have been a number of heated political discussions around my family's dinner table in the last few days. "What do you think of Yair Lapid?" my children asked. "What about Tzipi Livni?" they questioned. "Surely, a vote for Labor will strengthen that party and give us a real chance of changing the government," they argued. "No, your father is voting for Meretz," my wife said. "Why?" they asked. Why indeed.

I looked at my children, and at my granddaughters, who are too young and innocent to care about politics.  I was suddenly filled with a sense of failure. My generation had failed to deliver peace. I had raised my children in a country constantly threatened by cycles of meaningless violence, Suicide bombings, rocket attacks, wars. Whatever happened to the hope we had for the future?

The Best of Times, the Worst of Times

There are no politics in war. Today, Israelis are all one party in this struggle. Will this unity continue after the ceasefire?

Rockets rain down on Israeli cities. A bomb blows up a bus in central Tel Aviv. Civilians and soldiers are killed and wounded. Houses and cars are destroyed. This is war, but as in war, Israelis are united today and stronger than ever before.

A recent poll published in Haaretz stated that 90% of the population supported the decision to launch the Pillar of Defense operation against the Hamas terrorist infrastructure in Gaza. Even rock star Aviv Geffen, a longtime symbol of the peace movement, spoke in favor of the action. Rallies have called for even stronger strikes at Hamas. While most of the population is against launching ground operations, today the country stands firmly in support of its government.

The Gaza War, In Memes

August 2014: This article was written during a previous confrontation between Israel and the Hamas in Gaza. Please read updated information:

Where I Stand on the War in Gaza

This evening nearly one million Israeli citizens raced to safe places when sirens sounded in many areas, including Tel Aviv, warning of incoming rockets. This morning, three civilians were killed when a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip scored a direct hit on an apartment building in Kiryat Malachi. Meanwhile, Israeli aircraft continue to strike at terrorists and their rocket supplies in Gaza. Tanks congregate on the Gaza Strip border in preparation for a possible ground offensive.

The situation is very worrisome. This is war. We've fought against the Hamas terrorists in the past, given them the benefit of the doubt through periods of relative quiet, yet they continue to launch their rockets at Israeli civilians. What other country in the world would allow its citizens to come under such attacks? Israel has a right to defend itself.

The war is also taking place on the Internet, with activists sharing posts and tweets. I've collected some of the memes being shared, some of them prepared by the IDF, the Israel Project, and Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and others whose origins are unknown. I hope that this war, which started so quickly, will end just as quickly and that the citizens of Israel will no longer face the threat of rocket attacks.

Sunrise in Eilat

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While my colleagues are sleeping off their hangovers from a late night company party, I am up at the break of dawn, taking in the beauty of Eilat, Israel's southernmost city.

The day's intense heat is still hours away, but now it is comfortable along the shores of the gulf. The waters are calm, there is a pleasant breeze, and the sun rises in spectacular brilliance over the distant mountains in Jordan.

Walking along the beach I come across fishermen and fisherwomen, casting their lines to tempt the colorful fish. Cats are plentiful among the rocks and await their share of the morning's catch. Here are some of the scenes of Eilat in the new day.