During my studies in Israel, I have been met with a sense of familiarity every time a religious holiday occurs. Surprisingly in Latin America, a region culturally influenced to a great extent by Catholic Christianity, the holidays coincide with various Jewish festivities such as Easter, Chanukkah, and Shavuot, and although in their conception they have different philosophies, celebrations, and customs, there is still a vestige of connection that can be felt between the two.

I have been intrigued by my case within my family, which is mostly Christian. Therefore there is a notable difference present between my family since my aunt is Jewish. Nevertheless, the time I have spent in Israel has made me encounter both religions since I grew up in a Latin country with Catholic customs, and at the same time, I spent time with my aunt who keeps and celebrates Jewish customs and with whom I have met several times shared traditions and celebrations in Israel.

Everyone may think that my Christian family would have religious disagreements, but, there is mutual understanding much greater comparing a secular person with a religious person. Hence, to a certain extent in terms of faith both religions establish similar starting points, of course with different outcomes, however, such disagreements do not exceed the major and fundamental thoughts in common. For example, respect for Israel as a holy land and respect for the Jews as a nation belonging to the land of Israel. This is a concept deeply rooted in the Latin American Catholic faith as well as the monotheistic conception of God.

Furthermore, I think that the most important thing that exists within a family like this is tolerance and dialogue because, at the same time that in Latin America there is respect for Israel, there is also confusion regarding Judaism as a distant religion. Perhaps this thought is influenced by Christianity itself, but this is nothing more than a perception far from reality, the dialogue and interactions between the two are spiritually enriching and share a common bond, respect.

I am sure that it is easier for my Christian relatives to understand that there are religious customs that require special attention and respect. And not only my family, but the Latin American Community is also increasingly open to a cultural and religious exchange of tolerance and understanding when several years ago such an inconceivable thought was seen within a very closed Catholic community.

Overall, we are not in a time of isolation anymore, the encounter with other cultures is nothing more than a reinforcement of our own identity and above all regarding both religions a foundation on the morality that they keep and seek to preserve over time, whether with a Christian family, a Jewish family or half and half.

The post From shared roots, to 2 different paths: What is it like to be a Jew in a Christian family? appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The Pacoche Marine Reserve in Ecuador documented 786 hundred dead bird species in the first week of June, as well as in areas that were regarded as environmental refuges occurring simultaneously with the presence of the H5N1 avian influenza virus that has already killed hundreds of thousands of seabirds in the region.

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According to the Ministry of the Environment, one of the most trustworthy theories is that the "El Niño" phenomenon is the reason for "the lack of food supply" for various species, including birds. The tropical Pacific's seas are home to El Niño, the king of climatic phenomena affecting the waters of the Tropical Pacific. Its arrival, scheduled for November or December in Ecuador, means extreme warming of the oceans.

According to Luis Cumba, undersecretary of the Ministry of Environment, "There are no signs that the deaths are caused by a viral process, which affects all migratory birds." The environmental authorities have found 783 migratory bird carcasses as of the first week of June. According to Paolo Piedrahita, a research professor at the Higher Polytechnic School of the Coast, birds rely only on the fish that the seas produce for nourishment.

When the ocean, or in this case the coastline, is warmed by the incidence of El Niño, the supply of fish decreases. In addition, marine species, even with a slight variation in sea temperature, modify their behavior, affecting their predators, such as birds.

Amid the alert thousands of black cormorants are reportedly appearing on the Ecuador beaches. Most of them come from Peru, where researchers are on the alert for the presence of the coastal El Niño.
"These migrations correspond to oceanographic events related to the variation of the surface temperature of the sea," adds Piedrahita. These trips can last hours, days, or weeks, but the problem occurs when the birds cannot find food in the regions where they fly. For this reason, he warns that the massive appearance of birds is not 'normal' either, since the distribution ranges of birds are established according to where they can "reproduce and feed directly from the sea."

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Throughout my studies in Israel, I have come across a reality that I like to repeat very often; Israel is a social laboratory. And for that reason, I am pleased to be able to study social sciences in such an interesting country full of constant experiences.

I could even admit that in my native country I have not felt such a vibrant political sensation in my life, taking into account that I am from Ecuador and that usually, as in all undeveloped countries, protests, revolutions, reforms, etc. turn out to be very aggressive, violent and with uncertain results. There is something in Israel that makes each of the people who inhabit this wonderful country feel a sense of belonging, duty, and role. Although I am not a citizen, I have felt that I am a fundamental part of Israeli society, like another cog in an organized machine. Therefore it has been very difficult for me to be away from the political debate on Israel. I still remember the class I received about the judicial revolution, Aharon Barak, the legal history of Israel, and the 180-degree change that was implemented in the country. but above all, I remember how silent it happened, I had never heard of a political change of such magnitude that has been carried out in a strategically silent way in society. Something unprecedented in my head, suddenly I began to tie up loose ends. Paradoxically, the less restricted the judiciary is, the more mistrust it generates in citizens. the growing sense among different groups in Israel that the court is ruling against their values therefore, prestige is lost when a state power begins to denote "tyrannical" traits to a certain extent.

According to one of the greatest liberal philosophers of the twentieth century, Friederich Hayek "The difference between a free democratic regime and a non-free regime is that in a free regime, a person is allowed to do everything that is not forbidden by law, and in a non-free regime, a person is not allowed to do anything that is not allowed by law." meaning the broad the scope of justiciability is, the more poses a danger to individual liberties. However, defenders of judicial activism may propose that the law cannot take into account all private cases and that the public is not always adequate to judge things properly. It is therefore necessary for the court to increase involvement and clarify the lacunae of law.

There is also a problem of the source of authority. In a democracy, the sovereign is the people. The constitutional revolution and judicial activism, even for the sake of the discussion we assume that their intentions are good, were done without the authority (people) of the sovereign and his representatives. It expresses aristocracy, like the philosophers in Plato's Politeia, power is handed over to an educated elite, "enlightened members of society" in Barak's words. Nevertheless, proponents of judicial activism will argue on the other hand that the court in Israel does not negate the importance of the elected institutions but only balances them, and these balances are important in a democratic regime.

Both sides of the debate have points to defend but after each demonstration, I have felt how each side has become even more polarized in the debate without acknowledging the criticism within their arguments, there have been 17 weeks of demonstrations, and I have lost classes because universities as well became involved in the political debate, every day the tension is felt even more, but behind all the negative it is fascinating to be able to be part of one of the most challenging and critical moments within Israeli society, the point where 75 years of history of the modern state of Israel converge on a defining moment of Israeli politics.

Martin Espinosa came to Israel as an international student in 2021. He is currently studying political science and communications at Bar-Ilan University. He has a passion for politics and social sciences. 

The post Studying in Israel during the judicial reform: A brief commentary on my experience appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

When I decided to do my studies in Israel, one thing was clear before deciding on the place: What I was going to study. Political science. Well, politics has been a very recurring theme in my life and of course in Latin America, where I come from, but how this passion was going to change my life was not foreseen.

Perhaps the first led to the second, choosing Israel as the favorite place to carry out my studies, a country that I consider a "social laboratory", or to a large extent a place where it is fascinating to live politics, in the good sense of the word, and not in the old and redundant term degradation to which most of it is referred by politicization and extreme political propaganda.

What I mean exactly is the feeling of listening to each one of the country's stories, the empathy of the people who tell you their points of view, what for them is good and evil, fair and unfair, the truth and lie.

Therefore I was sure of something, maybe my comfort zone would be living in Tel Aviv, a city I enjoy being in but it doesn't make me feel at the center of what is happening in the country.

And then an opportunity appeared in my life: to live in a settlement on the West Bank. This is probably very unusual, especially for a foreigner who only wants to study in Israel, and it certainly is. Anyway, my case is different, a part of my family on my mother's side lives in Israel too, specifically in a settlement called Neriya, a place where I would later decide to live.

I'm sure it's quite a novelty to hear a case because living here requires a special effort. Every morning and night do tremping because there are no regular buses in these areas, usually traveling to Tel Aviv or Ramat Gan takes me longer than expected and requires me to get up earlier, some services such as shops are further away and less accessible, however, it is a fascinating adventure to live in this place.

First of all, I live with a lot of nature around me in a big house compared to student apartments in tel Aviv, I have had the opportunity to take care of several feral cats, and take care of the plants around me in the least artificial way possible. For me, as someone from Latin America, and I have the habit of living close to nature, it helps me a lot to feel at home. But apart from everything mentioned, there is something more unique and that is that I am at the center of the political dispute, and not precisely regional, but global, it is not a secret that there is a lot of politics behind the tensions of the place.

Here I live it, feel it, and hear it from the people who live near broadening my perception of the country, I am no longer just the student who travels to Bar-Ilan University every day, I am the student who lives, listens, and learns daily the reality of one of the most affluent countries in a social and political matter.

Martin Espinosa came to Israel as an international student in 2021. He is currently studying political science and communications at Bar-Ilan University. He has a passion for politics and social sciences.

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