chamsa

Israeli society in the coming days will be pushed to decide what will
become the national bird. Finally, we must address a truly significant question.
But our indecision is hard to comprehend: Of the 10 contestants who made it to the final round, it is clear which is the winning bird, the one who represents
Israeliness in all its glory.
[...]
The bulbul, of course. It suits us because of its name - stolen from the
Arabic like humus and falafel, which became the "Israeli national dish" exported
in our name - and because of its distribution: It is present everywhere in
Israel. It flies in circles and wanders around, but remains local. And also
because of the noise that it generates without interruption.
[...]
And if that is not enough, the bulbul, unlike any other bird, does not
limit itself to chirping and dancing as a form of communication. In other words,
a handshake and polite greeting is not its style. Two bulbuls that meet are so
overcome by affection that they trample each other's heads, touch, taunt each
other, and jump around as if they ate from the same mess kit for years. In
general, the bulbul's posse comes before everything. In veteran couples they
settle on branches of a loquat tree. Representatives of each sex or a pair of
same-sexed bulbuls are typically monogamous, but the important thing is that the gang is all there and that they are never alone.
[...]
Those who object to the choice of the bulbul because of the sexual
innuendos associated with its name (slang for "penis" in Hebrew) are missing the main point. That folksy usage of the unpretentious bird's name to describe the male genital organ proves the extent to which the bird is loved by the masses.
This is not a crude or insulting expletive, but a childish term of affection
that illustrates how Israelis relate to themselves: oversized, pampered infants
forever.
[...]
There is no doubt that the bulbul is ours: loud, quick to anger, lavishing
gregarious affection, and in love with his friends. He makes noise as he brags
to his pals about his exploits, and calls himself affectionate names. He doesn't
stop singing even as he is joyfully robbing fruit from others in true bulbul
style.