Pearlstein Street

CODELs

One of the tasks of a US Foreign Service Officer is to help arrange and see through visits by VIPs. When a Senator or member of the House of Representatives visits, it's called a CODEL (COngressional DELegation). A lot of the work, frankly, is pretty tedious -- putting together meetings, arranging rides, etc. At least for the first few I've done, though, there are some redeeming elements, which include sitting in on meetings with the highest-level folks and waiting out on the airport tarmac for their fancy planes to arrive. I just hosted a group of seven House members and I got to meet the Prime Minister (for a second time, but this time I got my picture taken with him and I will post it as soon as they send it to me) and the person who is likely to be the next Israeli leader in about 4 weeks (Benjamin Netanyahu).

Another interesting thing is to go pick them up at the airport. Okay, it's really only interesting the first time you do it. Anyhow, you get to go on the tarmac at the airport as their military jet lands and they exit the plane straight into our awaiting vehicles. Here are a couple of pics (some El Al jets in the first, then the 737 my last CODEL flew in on).

Diplomatic Get Out of Jail Free Card

We were headed to Jerusalem today to witness a political party rally prior to the February 10 elections. We got a late start because of a long day of work and then I wasn't paying attention and headed north on the highway instead of south. I righted the ship, but had to pull a quick u-turn at a stop light when I got off the Ayalon Freeway. As soon as I made the turn, a cop in the street ordered me to pull over. I played dumb American hoping he would just wave me through. He switched to English and told me to park up ahead. When I did, a woman came up and told me that I was pulled over for the u-turn. Again, I played dumb. She asked for my license and I handed it to her...along with my diplomatic ID card. She looked at it and gave this look like, "well, I'm powerless to do anything against you if you have this card" and she told me to just not do it again. Turns out, she was totally within her rights to issue me a ticket.

Dodged one.

Israeli Elections

Israel's parliamentary elections take place on 10 February. I don't have much to compare this year's elections to, but it seems pretty muted. The conflict that ended last month in Gaza probably had something to do with it. Right now it seems Likud is poised to win a plurality in a very fractured Knesset (the name of the Israeli legislature). That means former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu probably will return to that role in about a month after he forms his coalition government. The big question will be -- who will be in the government. That's what we'll all be waiting to find out.

In the meantime, I've posted some election campaign posters. Take a look. Ask me any questions you have.

http://picasaweb.google.com/mpearl055/2009ElectionsInIsrael#