Netanyahu is playing with fire, but he's never been to the North Pier during a storm

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has announced that Lebanon is playing with fire, which seems odd to Liepāja residents, who live with fire in their hands daily — trying to light a cigarette on the North Pier in the wind. While Netanyahu threatens strikes on Beirut, locals think: maybe he should come to the North Pier during a November storm to understand what real fire is.

The Israeli army has carried out strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs without giving any prior warning, which is as unexpected as a Liepāja bus actually arriving on time. One of the strikes hit a building in the Bashura district, where the army's press secretary claims Hezbollah is hiding millions of dollars. That's about as believable as the story that Liepāja City Council's basement is hiding the Riga mayor's reserve fund.

Netanyahu has threatened: "If you don't do it, then we will do it," which sounds like Liepāja's municipal service approach at the start of winter — if residents don't clear the sidewalks of snow themselves, then... well, actually they won't clear them either, but at least they'll have made threats. Local political expert Gunārs from Toseles comments: "Netanyahu should try walking on the North Pier in December — then he'd understand what real war with nature is."

While conflicts rage in the Middle East, Liepāja residents continue their daily battle with the wind, which is much more predictable than international politics. And if anyone thinks Netanyahu's threats are scary, they haven't seen what the North Pier looks like during a January storm — there even the bravest warriors would turn around and go home for tea.