If you still don't think you are part of the Establishment, maybe it's time to take the Establishment back. These are not smoky back rooms with secret membership lists.
By Mira Sucharov

Remember the old Lenny Bruce routine where he declares some objects "Jewish" and others "goyish"? Count Basie, Hadassah, pumpernickel, and black cherry soda: Jewish. Eddie Cantor, B'nai Brith, Drake's cakes, and lime Jello, on the other hand, clearly goyish. The sketch was funny, of course, because it contained a thin streak of cultural insight cloaked in the absurdity of being so arbitrary.

I'm reminded of Bruce's routine in the ongoing debate, highlighted again by last week's heinous Tel Aviv riots, as to who and what constitutes the overworked term the "Jewish Establishment."

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While incumbents around the world are struggling to hold on, one is thriving. By bringing the rival Kadima party into his ruling coalition, Benjamin Netanyahu has become "king of Israel," in Aaron David Miller's phrase. He has an unusual, perhaps unique, opportunity to use his new power to secure Israel's future.

Netanyahu's coalition now commands the largest parliamentary majority in Israeli history. He faces no plausible rival as prime minister. When pushed on the Palestinian issue, Netanyahu has often cited the constraints of his coalition to explain why he had not taken bolder steps toward resolution. Perhaps he liked being constrained: He refused to form a national unity government in 1996 (with Shimon Peres) and refused again in 2009 (with Tzipi Livni). But now he has a broad enough base of support -- with many moderates -- and could move toward a peace settlement without endangering his hold on power.

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Hourglasses don't tick. They make no sound, unless you bring them up to your ear and focus on the grains of sand that fall down slowly. The hourglass has no mechanism, only gravity. Nature works by itself.

 
Hourglasses don't tick, and therefore they do not disturb those who wish to let time do its thing, quietly. Nonetheless, they have a drawback: At one point in time, the sand runs out. Suddenly everything stops and the hourglass must be turned upside down to keep functioning.

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