Elections in the Air

Finally an election result that I can shout about!

The Jewish state's national bird is the hoopoe (duchifat in Hebrew), after being chosen in a national election process that stretched over six months, and which was initiated by the Society for Protection of Nature. The winner was declared by President Shimon Peres, whose own last name refers to a vulture.

The hoopoe, a crested bird with a unique appearance which is mentioned in Jewish legends about King Shlomo (Solomon) and the Queen of Sheba, is common throughout Israel. According to legend, the hoopoe is capable of cutting through stone, and is referred to as "nakar turia," or mountain chiseler, in the Talmud. Legend also has it that when its beak breaks, the hoopoe can continue chiseling through rocks with its folded crest - hence its name duchifat, which means "two beaks" in Aramaic. Ethiopian Jews called it the "Moses Bird" and believed it would carry them to Jerusalem one day.

The hoopoe is unafraid of human beings, but when in danger, it makes a hissing sound and secretes a foul-smelling liquid. Its friendly nature may have been the deciding factor in the elections: the final vote tally shows it far ahead of the competition, in what some analysts say is the result of generations of "campaigning" in which it wandered alongside Israeli children on innumerable footpaths.

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It is a beautiful bird, a favorite of children, and it was children that cast the majority of votes in this election.

There is a legend about the Hoopoe and King Solomon. In the legend while Solomon was traveling, a flock of Hoopoe gave the king shade. It explains how the Hoopoe received its crest and shows the wisdom and generosity of King Solomon. Although a children's story, it has its charm.

The bird too has its charm. And like the moral of the story:

Throughout the land they lived in peace and no one made them afraid.

Just like the people of Israel today.