I need to take a breath and say that we are in an amazing moment in the United States where the racism against Palestinians is at last beginning to crumble. For that prejudice is the heart of the 64-year American failure on this issue: our racism against Palestinians, and our refusal to grant them the right of self-determination. That racism is ending.
Why am I hopeful? Because of Nicholas Kristof's qualified endorsement of one-state in the New York Times, a democracy in which Palestinians could be a majority. Because of Mahmoud Abbas's amazing speech at the U.N. that so elevated the Palestinian image in dignity and cooperation and international law at a time when Netanyahu and Obama look like thugs. Because of the Arab spring that is convulsing international politics and rocking our thinktanks.
And finally because of an email I got this morning "Homage to Revolutions Past and Present" about the Boston Palestine Film Festival. Look at the events. They're at prestige Boston institutions. The Museum of Fine Arts, Berklee College of Music. Edward Said is a lion in these events. The Last Interview... And there is tons of stuff about Gaza. Gaza is entering American liberal culture. Our world is changing.
Let’s hope so. Truth will out in the end. The question is whether it will be too late. Israel is painting itself into a corner, not dissimilar to South Africa – everybody knows it is wrong, the facade is acknowledged and understood as such, and the hideous wrongs done to Palestine are being slowly established in the public mind. The lobbyists and paid shills are becoming more shrill and desperate to sustain the lie.
Phil,
Your characterization of the Kristof piece is odd.
Weeks ago, you characterized similar pieces as contemptably pro-Israel, pro-two-state.
The content of the Kristof piece was of the nature of a warning, similar to years of Akiva Eldar, many others.
If you read my comments to the Dimi Rieder/Gershon Gorenburg dialog at 972, you could characterize my comments as similarly “endorsing” a single state, but it ain’t so.
Ask Kristof yourself if he “endorses” a single state.
Blessed be god who has allowed us to live until this day. It is the birth of this “day”, a “day” like the 6 days of creation, but a “day” now well begun. Soon may it be a “day” complete of which people say, “It was good.”
the racist’s options after liberation day?
emmigration
adapting to the more egalitarian society
after palestine is liberated, the jewish israelis’ choice?
could go the way of mozambique*
could go the way of south africa**
*95% of the mostly portuguese colonists returned to portugal
**most of the european colonists have stayed
“A Child’s View from Gaza” the art exhibit created by the children in Gaza, is being featured on October 25 at the Boston Palestinian Film Festival. The children’s drawings reflect their experiences during Operation Cast Lead and reveal the trauma and emotions caused by Israel’s 23 day bombardment and invasion. The Festival’s program also includes the video “A Child’s View from Gaza” based on the exhibit and created by Rajie Cook with Tom Francisco.
The idea for the exhibit began during a discussion by our delegation shortly before we left Gaza. Lacking a name, the delegation is refereed to as the May 2009 Gaza Trip or Group. Philip was part of that delegation. Many, if not most, of the people we met in Gaza asked that we tell Gaza’z story when we returned to the US. Hopefully, the exhibit does just that!
ACVG is a traveling exhibit. It’s headed to Canada where it will go from the west coast to the east coast with five or six stops in between. A few of the upcoming US venues include Boise, Idaho, Wichitaw Kansas, Albequerquey New Mexico and Park Slope in Brooklyn, New York and many additional. It’s also gotten requests from cities in Turkey, Germany and other European countries.
For those interested in further information about ACVG, email achildsview1@gmail.com
Checking Netflix for films by Elia Suleiman (Opening Night of the Festival: The Time That Remains, 2009), they have listings for 3. Only one is currently available: Divine Intervention (Yadon Ilaheyya) 2002 NR 89 minutes
In this comedy tinged with pathos, love blossoms amid the confusion and despair of Nazareth, a city caught in the crossfire of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Elia Suleiman (who directed the film) stars as E.S., a man who observes the ravages of war alongside his girlfriend (Manal Khader). Surreal vignettes underscore the war’s ability to erode this city’s sense of community and its residents’ ability to coexist.
Language: Arabic
Availability: Streaming and DVD
NETFLIX LISTING – link to movies.netflix.com
NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE (THEREFORE, “SAVED” TO MY QUEUE):
Chronicle of a Disappearance (1996) – link to movies.netflix.com
The Time That Remains (2009) – link to movies.netflix.com
P.S. Aren’t I studly with my huge military hat? ¡Muy macho!
P.P.S. The excellent Danish director Susanne Bier studied film in Jerusalem.
repost of this link but it was really exciting to have blatant banners about palestine at an “occupy” event and have overwhelmingly positive comments: link to siratyst.blogspot.com
hey linda, i should have commented the first time. amazing wonderful seattle effort. thanks
Thanks, Annie. It felt really good altho local press ignored us., except for a comment about diversity of protest signs and some objections to “Middle East policy.” We’ll take it. :)
The real Tea Party started in Boston and gave us the freedom from Georgie Boy, I hope the city will be again the source of a new revolution freeing the land from its recent occupiers and surpressors, the banksters, wild west capitalists, zionists, etc.
I remember Fenway Park, the Museum of Fine Arts, summer concerts in the Shell on the Charles River from my young days.
Phil–perspective! The BPFF is in its fifth year and the program has always featured films about Palestine to packed audiences. It’s a great event but not quite deserving of all that breathlessness!
I think it is difficult, having read most of what Dr. Said has written and done to lionize him – perhaps it seems like lionization, because it is so hard to grasp how a man of this matchless character and talent could do so much in such a short time. I cannot think of someone more deserving of such accolades, and still see them fall short.
Out of all the things Dr. Said has said and done I can only think of two things I disagree with – his evaluation of The aging Jean Paul Sartre, and trying to work within a framework of these institutions in the USA and thinking that anything substantive could happen in this systemic sludge. Outside of that there is nothing, and that is amazing because he crossed so many disciplines and addressed so strongly and eloquently the Palestinian plight. So lionizing him would be quite a feat indeed, look how he takes the erring themes of this insidious empire at the root and reprimands these reprobates –
The myth of the clash of civilizations
How he seemed to fail to see this as a fatal disease endemic to empire I will not speculate on.