Text size  Forget about the Western Wall and the Cave of the
Patriarchs. The most sacred site to Israelis is Ben-Gurion
International Airport. What does that say about society, when
its supreme value is traveling abroad? A general strike hits the
country and the only public discussion concerns the future of
the vacation plans made by several thousand passengers.
Hospitals, clinics, trains, welfare offices and the offices of
the National Insurance Institute can remain shut, just don't
close the terminal. Who cares whether the strike is justified or
not, what matters most is to arrive safely at the duty-free
shop, en route to the "all-inclusive" vacation package.
Although there has never been respect for strikers or some
appreciation of the strike weapon here, not once has it all been
so blatantly channeled toward the airport terminals. Call it
healthy hedonism or normalcy - still, one can't help but get
angry in the face of the total collapse of such values as social
solidarity, concern for the less fortunate