When I started writing the Activist’s Diary in October 2020, I was already watching the slow erosion of Berkeley as a city turning away from its former progressive leadership, but I did not expect to see Richmond moving into the leadership role as the first city in the nation to calli for a ceasefire in Gaza, followed by cities around the country including Bay Area neighbors Oakland, San Francisco, and Albany while the Berkeley City Council dug in in opposition to a ceasefire, that I did not expect.

As I close up this Diary, the news arrived of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) killing seven aid workers for World Central Kitchen. The convoy was struck by missiles despite being in vehicles clearly marked as World Central Kitchen and despite the fac that the World Central Kitchen had coordinated their route in advance with the Israeli military.

An early report described survivors of the first vehicle hit by a missile moving to the second vehicle, which the IDF then struck with another missile. Survivors of the second strike moved to the third vehicle, which the IDF struck with yet another missile, ending the lives of all seven. Whatever the sequence, there were multiple drone missile strikes.

Whether President Biden’s declaration of outrage and call for an immediate ceasefire means anything, we shall see. Thus far words of restraint have been followed with arming Israel unconditionally. Last week Biden approved the transfer of billions of dollars in bombs and fighter jets to Israel, a package with more than 1800 MK-84 2,000 pound bombs and 25 F-35 fighter jets.

Biden had to cancel his Tuesday, April 2, 2024 planned iftar (the evening dinner when Muslims break their Ramadan fast) with Muslim leaders when they rejected his invitation. The substituted meeting on policy fared poorly as Muslim Americans expressed their outrage. You can hear from the physician Dr. Thaer Ahmad who walked out of the meeting with Biden in the interview on Democracy Now on April 4. Ahmad said at six months into this war, he was quite surprised to be the first person who had worked in Gaza to speak directly with Biden. https://www.democracynow.org/2024/4/4/dr_thaer_ahmad_biden_gaza_israel

The murder of the seven aid workers has served a purpose (or was it “the” purpose.) Their intentional, deliberate deaths shut down the delivery of food by the World Central Kitchen to starving Palestinians as famine sets in. The killing of World Central Kitchen aid workers is not an isolated event. The number of humanitarian aid workers killed by Israel is over 200. The deaths of doctors, nurses, health care workers are estimated at over 450. https://time.com/6963079/world-central-kitchen-relief-workers-gaza-israel/

This is the Israel of 2024. -more-

Recent reports on Israel's utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) to compile "kill lists" and target Palestinians raise urgent ethical concerns. This method involves analyzing extensive data, from social media to telecommunications, to pinpoint and execute airstrikes on individuals identified as threats, often within civilian homes in Gaza. The implications of deploying AI for such purposes are deeply troubling, presenting stark moral dilemmas and potential violations of international humanitarian law. -more-

No Assurance for Life Insurance?
I seem to have reached that stage of life where an increasing number of friends and family are, well, dying. Prompted by intimations of mortality, I dug out the life insurance policy I purchased a couple of years back. To my surprise, I noticed the policy caries the warning: "Contract is only void if the client misses a payment." So if you die suddenly and miss the "next payment," you're outta luck? -more-

Joshua Bell, Music Director of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, brought his violin virtuosity
to Davies Hall on Sunday, April 7 in a concert that featured Bell as violin soloist in Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor. Also on the program was Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 2gh The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields is a player-directed orchestra in which collegial values are foremost. In performing Robert Schumann’s 2nd Symphony here, Joshua Bell did not conduct the orchestra from a podium but from the chair of first violinist. This kind of player-direction has long been a hallmark of this orchestra, which was founded by Neville Marriner back in 1958. Watching and listening to them perform at Davies Hall, I was impressed by this orchestra’s cohesiveness and polish.

The Mendelssohn Violin Concerto ranks as many listeners’ favorite among violin concertos. It is full of inspired melodies, performed here with passion by Joshua Bell on violin. This work opens with only one introductory measure in the orchestra before the solo violin enters with a wondrously lyrical theme of shimmering beauty. Then a countersubject is heard in both the orchestra and solo violin. Later, another melody appears in clarinets and flutes, and a brief cadenza for solo violin prepares the way for a recapitulation. The second movement, an Andante, emerges without a break out of the closing phrase of the opening movement. After eight bars of orchestral introduction, the violin enters with another luscious melody, one that has been described by some as “other-worldly” in its beauty. As played here by violinist Joshua Bell, this ravishing melody was indeed other-worldly. Next comes the final movement, a lively, fast-paced one, which again emerges without a pause after the slow movement. This work closes with a brilliant coda. Throughout this Violin Concerto, Joshua Bell and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields amply demonstrated their much-touted cohesiveness and polish.

The work that actually opened this concert was the jazz-inspired piece Flight of Moving Days composed in 2024 by Vince Mendoza. This work featured violinist Joshua Bell and drummer Douglas Marriner, grandson of Neville Marriner. Solo violin and drums exchange many ongoing dialogues in the course of this piece, which also involves the full orchestra.

After intermission, Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 2 in C Major, Opus 61, was performed. This gloomy work was composed during 1845 and 1846 at a time when Schumann was troubled by physical and mental distress. It opens with a piercing sound of trumpets in the key of C, a sound Schumann found obsessively recurring in his head before he began writing this symphony. This trumpet outburst becomes a kind of motto for the entire symphony. The second movement is a Scherzo that includes two trios, one a tribute to J.S. Bach. The third movement is a melancholy yet lovingly affirmative Adagio of noteworthy beauty. It is initially heard in the strings but the oboe and bassoon soon join in. After an interlude with strings, horn and trumpet, the radiant melody returns. The final movement features much accompaniment by the timpani, here brilliantly performed by timpanist Louise Goodwin. There is also important thematic material from this fine orchestra. -more-

Worth Noting:

City Council is on recess through May 6 with the next City Council meeting scheduled for May 7, 2024

Check the City website for late announcements and meetings posted on short notice at: https://berkeleyca.gov/

It is spring. Before you go out and make all kinds of gardening mistakes watch the online Native Garden Tour on Sunday (past events and webinars are available on the YouTube channel) and save May 4 and May 5 for in person garden tours.

• Sunday: From 10 m – 2:30 pm is the online Native Garden Tour. YouTube link has prior tours and webinars.
• Monday:
  • From 4 – 5:30 pm is the Mindfulness through beadwork fee 2-part meditative art workshop.
  • At 6:30 the Youth Commission meets in person.
  • At 7 pm the Peace and Justice Commission in person.
• Tuesday: From 4:30 – 5:30 pm is the free YOGA class at the West Berkeley Wellness Center.
• Wednesday:
  • From 4:30 – 5:30 pm is the free YOGA class at the West Berkeley Wellness Center.
  • At 7 pm the Homeless Panel of Experts meets in person on Measure P.
  • At 7 pm the Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Commission meets in person.
• Thursday: At 1 pm WETA meets in the hybrid format. The 2050 Plan includes Berkeley.
• Saturday: From 10 am – 12 pm the Berkeley Neighborhoods Council (BNC) meets online. The agenda is not posted, however, this meeting is always worthwhile.

At the bottom are the directions for getting on or off the email list for the Activist’s Calendar and Activist’s Diary and how to make the most out of ZOOM with closed captioning, zoom transcripts.



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BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS -more-