Israeli lychees or is really lychees?

More unease in the news. For example the ultra-orthodox Jews are now forcing a shopping mall in another part of town to close down on the Sabbath. That's causing alot of conflict with the secular residents who want to enjoy a day out. http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/jerusalem-neighborhood-becomes-flashpoint-for-religious-conflict.premium-1.531931  Apparently the enforced closure of shopping malls is because the rabbis are afraid their flock would be out and about on the Sabbath and the rabbis start losing their influence (hence income) on their flock.

Another twist to the enforced closure of shops is in Tel Aviv. This time is not being pushed by rabbis but by religious shop-owners who close on Sabbath and say they're losing out financially to supermarkets that open on the Sabbath. http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/court-orders-tel-aviv-municipality-to-close-stores-on-shabbat-or-change-the-law.premium-1.531998

Fundamentally in both above arguments to enforce closure of all shops on the Sabbath ... the fundamental issue is MONEY, and not "keeping holy the Sabbath". Mammon is much more powerful here.

On the christian front, a storm is brewing over a Greek Orthodox priest in Nazareth who's advocating military service for arab christians. For him and other advocates, it means better integration of arabs into Israeli society and benefits all round (financial, medical, educational). For opponents it means serving in the oppressor's army which tantamounts to treason. http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Priest-under-fire-for-prompting-Arab-national-service-317712

Is really lychees?

Even the simple lychee has got its problems. Israel has cultivated its own hybrid of lychees and supermarkets are selling them profusely. Well sooner or later the rabbis are going to declare lychees non kosher. But even before that, we've got a poor hybrid whose skin is brittle like sun-baked plastic. It snaps when you squeeze the fruit. Next problem is it's terribly sour. A little tangy but dreadfully sour. Israeli scientists need to work on that. So the joke around town is: Israeli lychees or is really lychees?