Commenter Profile

Total number of comments: 73 (since 2009-07-27 16:57:15)

Ira Glunts

Ira Glunts is a college librarian and bookseller who lives in Madison, NY.

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  • Aaron David Miller: After a short 'peace process,' look for war with Iran in 2013
    • Ira Glunts May 26, 2012 at 9:03 pm with 1 replies

      Nick, Interesting. I have found the Iranian reporting to be pretty accurate generally, but I am skeptical about this one.

      Here is another story which I believe originated at Ha'aretz, (admittedly not the most objective source either) that says that Sherman did meet with Ehud Barak.

      link to allvoices.com

      It does not mention Netanyahu who had been scheduled to attend according to at least one source.

      The main thrust on the Ha'aretz piece was that there is no gap between US and Israel now. I think that was the headline. According to an American official, Netanyahu does not have to pressure Obama anymore on Iran. Allegedly, a US official claimed that in Baghdad the Iranians asked that their right under the NPT to enrich uranium be recognized. They P5+1 rejected this summarily.

      All of the above supposedly was sourced to a press conference during the Sherman visit although none of the officials doing the briefing were named.

    • Ira Glunts May 26, 2012 at 12:32 pm with 2 replies

      "can we, at a minimum, reference it as an alleged Iranian nuclear weapons program?"

      You may be correct. I actually thought about whether to use "alleged" when I wrote the post. I did not partially because of the 2007 US intelligence report that stated that Iran had a weapons program before 2003. If my memory serves me, I think Trita Parsi also talked about this pre 2003 weapons program in "A Single Roll of the Dice." That is why I added, "past, present and future." I thought that may have covered me.

      I admit that I am influenced by the MSM, the doubts of the AIEA, and the declarations of Western officials. For instance, Catherine Ashton was quoted as a saying that the Baghdad round of talks would be the beginning of the end of Iran's nuclear weapons program. Maybe those are not the best reasons.

      I also just figure that any country in Iran's position would at some point want to develop, at least, a nuclear capability.

      Anyway, thanks for raising this important point. And it is important.

  • Bob Simon misses the story on Tel Aviv
    • Ira Glunts May 24, 2012 at 2:48 pm

      Nice piece. I also like Bob Simon. He has done some good shows about Israel/Palestine.

      However, he can turn out a puff piece for the Israelis with the best of them. In 2008, he did one on the Israeli air force. Sixty Minutes trotted it out a second time when it looked like there was a very good possibility of an Israeli attack on Iran. A big part of the segment was about bombing the Iraqi military facility in Osirak.

      About 12 years ago, a Sixty Minutes producer told me that Bob Simon main residence was in Israel. Has anyone heard that? Does anyone know were he lives now?

      I recently emailed CBS with this question, but did not receive a reply.

  • 'Obama will only go as far on Iran as AIPAC permits him to go'
    • Ira Glunts May 25, 2012 at 9:33 am

      ToivoS,
      "I am assuming that these fools may have learned a lesson."
      I hope you are correct.

      I also am a betting man, but never has bet on politics. It is somewhat more difficult to bet politics in the US than in other countries, from what I understand.

    • Ira Glunts May 24, 2012 at 6:51 pm with 3 replies

      I think your figure is better than the one at intrade.com. The Iran War Dial is at 37%, down from 48%.

      Although, you can probably get better from ToivoS. ;)

      Yes, these are dangerous times. It will be interesting to follow the Russian and Chinese moves in the next month in regards to the negotiations.

      I heard Russia delivered a proposal to Iran, but you do not hear much if anything about it. I read the Russian proposal was disowned by the EU and US.

    • Ira Glunts May 24, 2012 at 5:18 pm with 1 replies

      Wendy Sherman, the US representative at the P5 + 1 talks, is flying directly from the Green Zone to Jerusalem for a meeting with the Israeli PM. She is probably there already. This is a great chance for Bibi to issue a provocative comment on Iran and the negotiations.

      Hillary Clinton just made a statement something like, The ball is in Iran's court now. Lovely.

      Joe Lieberman suggests that the name P5+1 be changed to P6+1, adding who know who.

      Attack Iran futures continue to climb at Intrade. Will be interesting to see the next prediction at the Iran War Dial in the next few days.

      link to theatlantic.com

    • Ira Glunts May 24, 2012 at 3:23 pm with 5 replies

      The BBC reports that British ministers are discussing Britain's role if Israel attacks Iran.

      link to bbc.co.uk

      However, I have learnt that UK ministers are discussing not just the possibility of a military confrontation but what role, if any, Britain might play and whether any involvement would be legal.

      Last week in London, the National Security Council discussed what would happen if the latest set of negotiations with Iran failed and if Israel carried out its threat to launch a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.

      Ministers were told that this could trigger a wider war in the Middle East in which Iran might respond not just by attacking Israel, but also by closing the vital trade route - the Straits of Hormuz - through which more than a fifth of the world's oil shipments are carried.

      I understand that the government's law officers are now examining the legality of any British involvement if this happens.

      They are looking at options ranging from British diplomatic support for Israel through to the possible involvement of the Royal Navy in the region

      Also, US or Israel Air Strike Against Iran by 12/31/12 futures have shot up since yesterday on Intrade. I know this is a bit sick, but ....

      link to intrade.com

    • Ira Glunts May 24, 2012 at 2:26 pm

      Yep, Kathleen, And we could add to that the shadow war that Israel and the US are waging against Iran.

      Next talks set for June 18-19 in Moscow, according to AFP.

      I am reading that Iran almost walked out a number of times. No real progress was announced, I believe.

      At least Barak and Netanyahu have keep quiet for the last two days. I did not see anything.

    • Ira Glunts May 24, 2012 at 12:55 pm with 2 replies

      Along that line, Ha'aretz has a headline that reads, "Iranian official: The representatives of the [six] powers sound like senior Israel officials." This is from an Iranian news source. The article refers to "an impasse" in the negotiations. Maybe, the Israelis are just flattering themselves. ; )

      It seems that stopping enriching uranium to 20% seems like a concession to the Iranians, since under the NPT they have that right to do so. However, the U.S. prefers, as the Israelis, that the Iranians do not enrich, so the U.S. may figure that "allowing" Iran to enrich at all, is a concession on their part. I think that Iran came to the table because the powers said that the talks would be conducted according to the framework of the NPT.

      The Russians officially criticized the US Congress for its recent sanctions resolution. The Chinese have also criticized imposing future sanctions. Both the Russian and Chinese met with the Iranians without the others.

      According to FARS there is some confusion as to whether this round is over.

      I read Iran wants the powers to call off the increased oil embargo scheduled for July 1.

      Who knows? It does not seem to be going smoothly.

      I wonder if David Ignatious still believes the an agreement has already been made and this is all show.

  • 'Foreign Policy' peddles productive Iranian war theory
    • Ira Glunts May 22, 2012 at 5:20 pm

      Annie, I was half joking about the letter. As you write, what can you say? I am not all that familiar with Burston's stuff, but enough so that I was surprised by the piece.

      Father or no father, Bibi is the same as always. Why should he change? He has been more successful at killing the peace and suppressing the Palestinians than, anyone could have imagined. Plus he thinks that the West Bank belongs to the Jewish people.

      Great job reporting on the non-violent Palestinian resistance. Keep up the great work.

      Ira

    • Ira Glunts May 22, 2012 at 4:57 pm with 3 replies

      Annie,

      Maybe you would consider emailing Bradley and ask him about his article about Bibi the peacemaker (see comment above). Maybe you can, again, get him to rethink his position.

      I thought that we had heard the last of Bibi is the one that can make peace two years ago.

      Ira

    • Ira Glunts May 22, 2012 at 4:15 pm

      It seems like writing articles which despite all evidence to the contrary claim that the Israelis will make peace with the Palestinians is a cottage industry.

      Levy's Iran war theory seems truly delusional. At the end, his "practical option," appears to be ironic. In order words, if the crazy scenario does not happen, we can actually do what the international community has been telling us to do all these years.

      False speculation about an imminent or even possible political agreement with the Palestinians is a method of discouraging opposition to the ongoing injustices of the occupation. The urgency of dealing with real problems is mitigated by the hope that maybe peace is around the corner. Why fight the powerful Israeli government and its American lobby when the current leaders may have the ability and the desire to change course and end the conflict?

      Here is another example of this "it will be OK" type of writing. This one surprisingly by Bradley Burston. After ready the Times cover story on Bibi, Burston has apparently decided that Netanyahu could very possibly make peace with the Palestinians. This is so over the top. Its got Iran in there. Its got the "Nixon to China" riff.

      Burston compares Netanyahu to Rabin, Begin and Sharon. All according to the writer contributed to peace and were perceived as intransigent. Bibi could be like them.

      God, what did Begin, Rabin or Sharon do for peace with the Palestinians? Plus Bibi is more of an ideologue than Sharon or Rabin. He has a more compliant US than all of them. Also, the military has been more successful in suppressing the resistance. And the Israeli and Jewish American public are a lot more right wing.

      I think it could be time for Annie Robbins to write Bradley another letter. Maybe he would like to explain this false hope story here at MW.

      link to haaretz.com
      (I think you have to register to access the article, but it's free)

      Innovation, where history and governance are concerned, means dealing with the Palestinians. The Palestinians "will never have a better partner than me," Netanyahu told Time, of a possible future peace. "I can make it happen and make it stick.”

      He's right. Benjamin Netanyahu knows that the bigger a decision in Israel is, the more it comes down to the prime minister alone. That the more rigid and uncompromising that a prime minister is perceived by the Israeli public, the more strongly that the public will support his concessions and compromises. And the bigger a government, the truer all of this is.

      Here is a man whose greatest talents are exactly those needed to sell a peace process to the Israeli public: packaging and marketing.

      Benjamin Netanyahu has every ounce of the intelligence, imagination, sense of history, political savvy, electoral strength and human courage needed to forge a workable peace with the Palestinians. If he chooses to pursue a real peace, whoever captures the White House in November will strongly support it.

      Israel will give Netanyahu every chance at this, every shot he needs at making exactly this kind of history. The question now is, will Benjamin Netanyahu give himself that chance?

  • Israelis sling racial epithets to mark 45 years of a Jerusalem ‘unification’
    • Ira Glunts May 22, 2012 at 10:08 am

      I read during last year's march many of the revelers broke store windows and windshields as the procession went through the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah.

      Happily this year's the march to not return to Sheikh Jarrah.

      Allison, thanks for this report.

      Since Jerusalem Day was celebrated according to the Hebrew calendar (lunar), does this mean that we are going to see another similar celebration of the June 1967 War in another two weeks? Do these national holidays ever end?

  • 'King Bibi' is ready for his close up, and 'Time' is willing to oblige
    • Ira Glunts May 20, 2012 at 1:59 pm

      This is Bibi's second cover on Time. The first was 16 years ago in his first go at PM.
      link to time.com

      Since Time is behind a paywall I was not able to read either cover story. A comparison of the two could prove interesting.

      I read that both issues dealt with the question of whether Bibi could make peace with the Palestinians. The Nixon to China sort of thing. Will they ever learn, he does not want to?

      My impression, however, is that Time has had some good articles on Israel/Palestine in the last few years. I remember one by an Israeli, whose name I do not recall, which described why there was no political constituency for peace with the Palestinians among the Jews of Israel. This was before a vast majority of Americans had gotten wind of this fact.

      Also, Time has Tony Karon who is among the best writers on ME in the mainstream media, IMHO.

  • U. of Haifa stops Nakba commemoration, as prof writes hate post calling for 'Many Nakbas'
    • Ira Glunts May 19, 2012 at 12:31 pm

      Philip,

      Thanks for posting this.

      I agree that Plaut must be a serious head case. I wonder about his relations with other faculty and students, especially the Palestinians.

  • Nobel Prize laureate J. M. Coetzee appears to boycott International Writers Festival in Jerusalem
    • Ira Glunts May 15, 2012 at 5:21 pm with 6 replies

      Israeli diplomats have said recently that "Ireland has become one of the top three countries in Europe in the terms of anti-Israel hostility. Any Irish group that travels to Israel is subject to an avalanche of hatred and it is almost impossible to organize Israeli cultural events here." From Ha'aretz article

      What a nice plug for BDS!!! Which are the other two countries?

      It gives other nations something to aspire to.

  • Oren's defensive piece on 'sinister' delegitimization movement shows boycott is working
    • Ira Glunts May 15, 2012 at 12:21 pm with 4 replies

      If you search for the article in news.google.com (or probably any other search engine), you will bypass the pay wall.

      The article is worth reading, but not for the reasons that Oren would give.

  • 'The Nakba is BS': Right-wing Israelis protest student-run Nakba commemoration at Tel Aviv U
    • Ira Glunts May 16, 2012 at 11:43 am with 4 replies

      Ha'aretz reports that school officials prohibited a Nakba commemoration at the University of Haifa yesterday. The school cancelled the event just three hours prior the time it was scheduled to begin. This was after the students had obtained all the necessary permits.

      For those with a strong stomach, here is post by Prof. Plaut which states that he teaches at the University of Haifa. The city of Haifa and the university have significant Palestinian populations.

      Warning this is very racist stuff. And I only read about one third of it.

      link to israelnationalnews.com

  • I Want My NPT: A weekend review of Iran nuclear program propaganda
    • Ira Glunts May 15, 2012 at 10:03 am with 1 replies

      @ CloakAndDagger

      Check out Greenwald on taking MEK off the terror list.
      link to salon.com

      What a great way to poison the atmosphere with Iran during the upcoming round of talks. Perfect. Even the WSJ story (quoted in Greenwald) says this in its first paragraph.

      Absolutely, "Our hypocrisy knows no bounds."

    • Ira Glunts May 14, 2012 at 11:33 am with 2 replies

      You may be correct about the remark being a "slip of the tongue." However, I am not so sure. I believe that many in the IAEA and some European and American officials do not agree with the official US intelligence assessment which says Iran is not working to produce a bomb.

      The IAEA is insisting today that it be given immediate access to Parchin.
      link to swissinfo.ch

      I also read that some European officials believe that Iran is working on nuclear weapons, even though they may not say so publicly.
      link to cbc.ca

      I, myself, am not sure that Iran is not experimenting with weaponization. India, Pakistan, N. Korea and Israel did it. Why shouldn't Iran want a bomb for the same reasons these nations did? It's a great deterrent against attack, although it did not help Israel in 1973.

      So I think Ashton may have been saying what she believes, although she may have preferred to be less honest than she was.

    • Ira Glunts May 14, 2012 at 11:09 am

      Nima, thanks for the report. It amazes me that few, if any, of the reports quoting the AP story mentioned how Israel fits the description of the source country. Also, how few articles mentioned that the graphic and the detailed description of the alleged facility may be inaccurate or falsified.

      A rare exception is the Israeli journalist, Ron Ben-Yishai, (Hebrew only) who compared the computer graphic to Powell's pictures of those mobile biological weapons laboratories. The photos that Powell showed at the UN Security Council in the run-up to the Iraq war. Ben-Yishai writes the graphic is worthless without a lot of additional information.
      link to ynet.co.il

      The propaganda war is heating up. Here are some additional items.

      A mysterious satellite photograph appeared last week which allegedly "proved" Iran was removing all evidence of the containment chamber in Parchin.
      link to upi.com

      MEK, the Iranian dissident group supported by the US and Israel, issued a report claiming that 60 Iranian scientists are working on nuclear weapons.
      link to jpost.com

      Maybe this is pure coincidence but a IAEA weapons inspector was just killed in an automobile accident in Iran. There are no immediate indications of foul play.
      link to news.nationalpost.com

  • Video: United Methodist Church votes against divestment
    • Ira Glunts May 3, 2012 at 10:57 am

      From looking at the Methodist web site page of the divestment petition. It seems to me that originally the majority report was a specific call for divestment from three companies , Caterpillar, Hewlett Packard and Motorola.

      It looks like the that petition was amended on April 28. This amended version completed gutted the resolution and removed the names of specific companies. As a result it appears that those who opposed to the amended version, put forth a minority report.

      Does anyone know why there was this drastic change in the original petition? I wonder how the vote would have been effected if the divestment proposal was presented as the majority and not the minority report.

      Compare - Petition text, legislative committee report, legislative committee minority report
      link to calms.umc.org

  • Tail has stopped wagging, so dog can stop talking about war with Iran
    • Ira Glunts April 30, 2012 at 9:02 pm with 5 replies

      Great post Phil. Still I am not convinced the battle between the dog and the tail concerning Iran is over.

      Askenazi, Diskin, Dagan and Olmert are all out of government. Bibi and Barak are in and are popular in Israel. They wield at lot of power both in the US and in Israel. The B brothers are experienced formidable players in this game of nations, especially when it comes to manipulating the US. Look what happened with Obama's attempt at "the peace process."

      I am not sure these opponents of the Israeli leadership will continue to be effective critics in the coming months. They all are subject to intense governmental and societal pressure to cease publicly criticizing the leadership on military issues. Askenazi seems timid, Dagan and Diskin appear a bit out of control and have credibility issues. Olmert is seen as corrupt and ineffective. It was pathetic how he was defending his war in Gaza and Lebanon, calling both great successes at the Jerusalem Post Conference. I hope I am wrong but these guys could be non-factors in a couple of months.

      The Israeli public is on board for this adventure, more or less, from what I read. That support will increase if there is an Israeli attack. I do not know if the dissidents will continue to buck the public pressure to fall in line.

      I think the lobby and its Congresspeople will be of great service to Bibi and Barak. The Romney campaign will pound Obama for being soft on Iran and not enough of a friend to the Israelis. That will restrict his maneuverability. The media will be the same media that you have been documenting for the past five years -- all in for Israel. I think it has already convinced many Americans that Iran must be neutralized.

      Obama will have to be tough and decisive to stand up to the pressure. I do not have a lot of confidence that this guy has the nuts for the job. He is a compromiser and politician. Maybe he will be tougher in his second term, but by then it could be too late.

      Anyway who knows how committed the President is to diplomacy? Maybe he will try to squeeze Iran with sanctions. If they do not work, Bibi will be back to his door demanding military action. A failed sanctions campaign usually leads to military action.

      Israel has been concerned about the growing hegemony of Iran for the last 20 years. Rabin declared that Iran was Israel's foremost enemy just after he signed the Oslo Accords. He assumed that the Palestinians were already taken care of! The Israelis have been in a covert war with Iran for at least 15 years with the appropriate government campaign to get the public on board. The US has been involved in covert action also and you know there is a many military people and the whole arms lobby who want to for the gusto. Why stop now? Right?

      I think Netanyahu thinks of Iran not only as a direct military threat but more as a dangerous growing hegemonic power in the region. He believes that attacking Iran will not only degrade it militarily but may lead to regime change. (A very debatable notion.) He is looking to weaken Hamas and Hezbollah through weakening Iran. Maybe remove Iran from his enemies list.

      The Israeli leadership worries that any successful diplomacy on the nuclear front with Iran could lead to better relations between the US and Iran. This would necessarily mean the US recognizing Iranian interests in the region. This is the last thing that the Israelis want.

      I imagine, as been reported in the press, that the US will agree to Iranian uranium enrichment to a level of something like 5%. The Israelis have repeatedly warned they will not accept any Iranian enrichment. Danny Ayalon stated this at the Jerusalem Post Conference this Sunday. I am not expecting the Israelis to back down without a fight and that they will launch a massive campaign through the lobby to get the Americans to withdraw the offer of the right to enrich if that indeed is what is planned. We will see what happens in the next months.

      Just the constant public threats and pressure from Israel may convince Tehran that the US is unable or unwilling to control its ally and thus is an unreliable negotiating partner. Obama has given public notice that Israel has the right to act in any way it deems appropriate and if it does attack Iran you know that it will have American cover. Obama will have Israel's back. The Iranians fear this.

      I imagine that Netanyahu and Barak do have a messiah complex. They both have had larger than life careers in the belly of the beast that is the Zionist delusion. Especially the last three years of humiliating Obama has to have inflated their enormous egos.

      I have a theory about those that have returned to power after an absence. Like Cheney and Rumsfeld coming back to power for a second round. They do not feel the daunting responsibility and challenges of the office as they did the first time around. The familiarity of power makes it much much more tempting to go out on the limb when you already made it through the first time and are being brought back for a second go. Go for it. Be the savior. Be more powerful than you were before. Those siren calls to be tough and make history may be hard to ignore. I think Cheney and Rumsfeld were emboldened just by being being back the second time.

      Bibi is a leader with a messianic complex in a messianic Zionist society. The logic that could drive him to continue confronting Obama and the real risks of war with Iran are the same forces that make Israel the occupier and the aggressor that it is. Barak is no different.

      Repeatedly crying wolf is not consistent with the Israeli military doctrine of deterrence. If you keep threatening, but continue to not carry through on the threats you lose credibility. That is something that the Israeli military and leadership want to do.

      I think that this confrontation between Obama and the Israelis is just heating up. The public posture of Tel Aviv during the second round of Iran negotiations will probably indicate if the Israelis are backing off or not. Personally I think that we are all going to be playing a guessing game in the months to come.

      Military intervention in Iran is madness. So was Gaza, Defensive Shield, and Lebanon.

  • Before '60 Minutes' piece aired, Jewish Federations called for 'flood' of 'discourse' to CBS (what's next, locusts?)
    • Ira Glunts April 23, 2012 at 7:33 pm

      Ambassador Oren appeared a bit crazy the other day overplaying his hand with false charges against Iran.

      On Holocaust Remembrance Day, at the Capitol he remarked that Iran “denies the murder of six million Jews by the Nazis while pledging to murder another six million -- in Israel.”

      Even Ron Kampeas at JTA said that was not true!
      "I don't know of any Iranian leader "pledging" to kill six million Jews."
      Thanks Ron. A bit of light from an unexpected source.

      link to blogs.jta.org

  • '60 Minutes' profiles Palestinian Christians, Michael Oren falls on his face
    • Ira Glunts April 23, 2012 at 2:25 pm with 1 replies

      You are correct about Simon. He has done some good stories from Israel, but it has not a been all honesty and light. Simon did a segment called "The Israeli Air Force" in 2008 which was an advertisement for an Israeli attack upon Iran. Forget about balanced reporting, this was an "all in" hasbara assault. The segment was shown a couple times that year I believe -- complete hasbara -- absolutely disgusting. I imagine it was meant to precede the planned Israel attack that summer/fall that never happened. I could not find it on Youtube when I looked today. It is well worth seeing if you can find it.

      About 10 years ago, in a chance telephone conversation with a 60 Minutes producer, who said he knew Simon well, I was told that at that time Simon lived in Israel. I was wondering if anyone else had heard that and if Simon and his wife still have a residence in Israel.

      All in all I was happy to see this piece on Christian Palestinians on 60 Minutes and consider it a small victory in the struggle for human rights and against Israeli oppression.

      Also, thanks to Citizen for the MJ Rosenberg link above. It is amazing the lengths these people will go to.....

    • Ira Glunts April 23, 2012 at 12:13 pm

      I agree that the good outweighs the bad here and that rejoicing is warranted. I congratulate 60 Minutes for being able to air even this limited criticism of the Israelis after what I am sure must have been a long and tedious negotiation with the Israeli Embassy and upper management at CBS.

      The Israeli Embassy claims that their intervention was successful in getting their point of view included. They apparently got Oren on the show. However, the Israelis paid a price when Simon exposed the embassy's undiplomatic intervention. Maybe the Israelis got the Shavit "collateral damage" part thrown in. It was actually pretty lame but the "reasonable" Israeli good guy is a valuable hasbara gambit, even if the argument isn't usually that reasonable or the guy all that good.

      The Israelis wanted the show to include some pro-Israel Christian Palestinians for balance (see link below). At least, this suggestion was not taken.

      Check out this Ha'aretz report on the show.
      link to haaretz.com

      At the Israeli Embassy, the final report was seen as sort of diplomatic victory, and the ambassador's attempt to intervene was presented as a fine example of a pro-active approach to Israeli diplomacy. "The relationship between Israel and the Christian world is our strategic interest and when we received information about this report several months ago and plans for broadcasting without any reaction by Israeli officials, Ambassador Oren did what a diplomat is supposed to do to prevent serious damage to the country he represents," a senior Israeli diplomat told Haaretz.

  • The rifle-butting video is following a different narrative
    • Ira Glunts April 16, 2012 at 5:31 pm

      More support for Eisner.

      link to ynetnews.com

      83 reservist commanders and soldiers who served under Eisner wrote a letter to the Chief of Staff of the army calling the suspended deputy commander both moral and ethical. The letter of praise and support mentions that Eisner once came to the aid of a pregnant Palestinian woman at the checkpoint. Nice.

      In addition a prominent right-wing rabbi chimed in:

      Dov Lior, a prominent rightist rabbi, said the "hypocritical condemnations" of the incident are meant to "appease the nations of the world. Thus, they serve our enemies at home and abroad and deal a severe blow to the IDF."

    • Ira Glunts April 16, 2012 at 2:16 pm

      @ Fredblogs I do not believe the facts on the Corrie case indicate that it was an accident. Irrespective of this, it still would have been appropriate for the US government to assist the Corrie family in obtaining a full and immediate report of her killing.

      In this case Eisner claims that he was provoked, but admits that his actions were wrong. However he is claiming extenuating circumstances -- that he was attacked and that the demonstrators resisted orders to desist in a two hour standoff.

      I hope that we can agree that it seems highly unlikely that Eisner's claims will fly. Also, that the support he is getting from rabbis such as Druckman are not going to help Israel in it campaign to portray the incident as not indicative of real problems with the occupation army.

      Eisner is being interrogated by the army right now, btw.

    • Ira Glunts April 16, 2012 at 1:10 pm with 17 replies

      I see that the Danish foreign minister is not only requesting a full report, but he offered assistance to the young Danish victim "if he desires it."

      Compare the Danish reaction to the US government reaction to the pictures of the killing of Rachel Corrie by the IDF.

    • Ira Glunts April 16, 2012 at 12:51 pm with 18 replies

      Thanks Eleanor. I read this morning that the Danish embassy in Israel has requested a full report of incident from the Israelis.

      I think this incident will not go away very quickly. I assume the press coverage inIsrael and abroad will bring the brutality of the occupation home to many. The story will be fueled by the religious settler movement's defense of Eisner and the army's behavior.

  • Video: Senior IDF officer smashes peaceful activist in the face with his M-16
    • Ira Glunts April 16, 2012 at 1:48 pm with 1 replies

      Eisner is being interrogated right now by the Military Criminal Investigation division. It will be interesting to see if there is a statement by either the investigators, the government or Eisner following the interrogation.

  • Finkelstein 'not going to be an Israel-basher anymore' but remains 'appalled and disgusted'
    • Ira Glunts April 7, 2012 at 8:35 am

      Thanks Keith,

      I take this as a statement of support for my point.

    • Ira Glunts April 6, 2012 at 4:55 pm with 1 replies

      Elliot,

      I thought that the battle for the hearts and minds within the Jewish-American community was waged and won a long time ago, thus the "romance."

      I just don't see this "romance" ending any time soon. So I think the title of Finkelstein's book is a bit of wishful thinking.

    • Ira Glunts April 6, 2012 at 12:51 pm with 6 replies

      I am sure Finkelstein's refutations of Ross, Oren, et al. will be original and brilliant. What I find less convincing is that even Finkelstein's arguments and the efforts of many others to explain the insanity and injustice of Israeli policy is a process will result in radically changing average Jewish-American's opinion. It has not worked during the last 20 years, while the critical voices have been more and more numerous.

      The "romance is coming to an end?" I wish it were. Some attitudes are not subject to the influence of rationality. This is one of them.

      Maybe pressure from without would help. How about BDS?

  • With 'last ink,' Gunter Grass breaks silence on Israeli nuclear program threatening world peace
    • Ira Glunts April 5, 2012 at 7:26 pm with 3 replies

      Here is the Israeli journalist and historian Tom Segev on Grass with a new and bizarre twist on the old anti-Semite smear. Segev says Grass has a strange mental disease. The German novelist although not an anti-Semite has purposely acted in a way that would cause people to incorrectly believe that he [Grass] is an anti-Semite.

      What are bunch of crap. Please Tom, you are better than this.

      Segev wrote "The Seventh Million..." a fascinating book about the Holocaust survivors who immigrated to Israel and the indifference they faced in their new homeland. The Holocaust did not develop as an Israeli obsession until the 60s. The book never made the Hasbara Top Ten Shoah Reads list and for good reason.

      Here is Segev quoted in the Guardian:

      He said it was "idiotic" to describe the writer as an antisemite, but said Grass would be better served expending his last ink on a different creative project. "He's a great writer. He's 84. I hope he uses his last drops to write a good book. He [Segev] added that the writer appeared to have "some inner psychological need to be accused wrongly", adding: "He's almost wishing people to say he's an antisemite."

      link to guardian.co.uk

      I commend Grass for speaking the truth and taking the hit he knew would be forthcoming. If enough powerful voices speak up, maybe this insane rush to attack Iran will disapear from the page of time. I guess we can't count on Tom Segev in this battle. Too bad. He has been a voice of moderate reason in the past.

  • The myth of Israel's favorable treatment of Palestinian Christians
    • Ira Glunts March 16, 2012 at 10:44 am

      Then Senator Barack Obama visited Fassuta in 2006. This is what he had to say about his visit in a speech to AIPAC in 2007.

      Peace with security. That is the Israeli people’s
      overriding wish.

      It is what I saw in the town of Fassouta on the border with Lebanon.

      There are 3,000 residents of different faiths and histories.
      There is a community center supported by Chicago’s own Roman Catholic
      Archdiocese and the Jewish Federation of Metro Chicago. It is where the
      education of the next generation has begun: in a small village, all faiths
      and nationalities, living together with mutual respect.

      I met with the people from the village and they gave me a tour of this
      wonderful place. There was a moment when the young girls came in and they
      played music and began to dance.

      After a few moments, I thought about my own daughters, Sasha and Malia and
      how they too could dream and dance in a place like this: a place of renewal
      and restoration. Proof, that in the heart of so much peril, there were
      signs of life and hope and promise—that the universal song for peace
      plays on.

      link to blogs.suntimes.com

      At that time (and I assume today), Fassuta was a village comprised almost solely of Melkite Christian Palestinians. No Israeli Jews lived in Fassuta.

  • 'We are you and you are us,' Netanyahu says-- but Obama thumbs him with talk of Palestinians and diplomacy
    • Ira Glunts March 5, 2012 at 9:36 pm with 1 replies

      ToivoS,

      I do not think that Bibi and Barak are bluffing. Meir Dagan, the ex Mossad chief, who criticized their plan to attack Iran does not think they are bluffing. I do not think the U.S. officials that recently went to Israel like Panetta and Dempsey believed that the Israelis were bluffing.

      My understanding is that in the summer of 2008 the Israelis were ready to attack and Bush sent Sec Def Gates and other officials there who put the breaks on that effort. I believe that in 2010 Gates went to Israel believing that the Israelis were about to attack Iran and among other things bought some time by giving them bunker busting bombs!!

      The Israelis would, of course, prefer the Americans initiate on attack.
      However, I am afraid Bibi and Barak have convinced themselves that an Israeli attack on Iran is just another use of force, for which they have infinite faith.

      If B & B get into trouble, they can count on the US to have their back diplomatically, logistically, and if necessary militarily. That's the special relationship.

      I hope I am wrong, but I am pretty depressed about all this. I believe that this will be a disaster.

      Please excuse me, I am about to listen to the Israeli Prime Minister's speech at AIPAC.

    • Ira Glunts March 5, 2012 at 6:04 pm with 5 replies

      It is true that Obama publicly is not agreeing to Netanyahu's demand to clearly define the point that will trigger a U.S. attack. Nor is he willing to adopt Israel's "red line" of the "capability" of producing a bomb instead of having a bomb (significant).

      However, in holding firm against the recent Israeli and neocon demands in the last couple of days, Obama has repeatedly and clearly declared that he will respect Israel's decision to attack Iran. Didn't Obama, in the past couple of months, send Panetta, Donilon and Dempsey to tell the Israelis to hold off their attack? These American officials indicated that an Israeli attack would be a disaster.

      Why is Obama now giving Israel his blessing for this disaster?

      It seems to me that Netanyahu has already gained something significant for this confrontation with the President.

  • Beinart and the crisis of liberal Zionism
  • Judaism.com attacked from Iranian IP address
  • Why the tight security at J Street president's Syracuse talk?
    • Ira Glunts December 9, 2011 at 6:13 pm with 1 replies

      Hi Scott,
      I probably cannot get Pat to write a memoir, although I agree that she should.

      However, I can suggest that you and everyone else read this piece she wrote that appeared right here on Mondoweiss.

      link to mondoweiss.net

      Thanks to Tristan and homingpigeon for the kind words.

  • Welcome Annie Robbins as Writer at Large
    • Ira Glunts December 7, 2011 at 7:21 am

      Thanks for all you have posted here. And for your responses to my posts and comments. I hardly think that you were "behind the scenes," but if that means you will be more visible here from now on, I say, "wonderful!!"

  • Six Palestinian Freedom Riders arrested traveling on Israeli-only bus
  • The pro-Israel lobby courts influential African-Americans
    • Ira Glunts October 28, 2011 at 6:04 am

      More Zionist Lyrics With a Gospel Beat

      How did I miss the Reverend Glenn Plummer and his Fellowship of Israel and Black America (FIBA)? The Israeli branch of the organization is headed by Linda Olmert, the sister-in-law of ex-PM, Ehud.

      Here is a 2009 video of Reverend Glenn on Israeli TV. He’s slick. Maybe he will be invited to President Obama’s next Passover seder.

      link to youtube.com

      This 2008 article has more on the Reverend and others who share his pro-Israel passion. He even got to shake hands with Simon Peres.

      link to charismamag.com

  • As settlers disrupt olive harvest, Israeli officer declares: 'I am the law, I am God.'
    • Ira Glunts October 23, 2011 at 7:34 pm with 1 replies

      Funny, I have daydreamed about bringing Marzel in as a speaker for our local Jewish community and for Syracuse and Colgate Universities. I wonder if he would come.

  • In anxious/nostalgic interview of Amos Oz, NPR's Rob't Siegel says Shalit was held 'hostage'
    • Ira Glunts October 24, 2011 at 9:02 am

      Israel is like Chinatown, Jake.

      Amos Oz faked and censored testimonies of Israeli soldiers about war crimes in 1967

      link to warwithoutend.co.uk

      No discussion of Amos Oz would be complete without mentioning the 1967 war book he edited called "Soldiers Speak" or "The Seventh Day" in English. This book is one of the seminal works of the Israeli "shot and cry" hasbara.

      In addition the type of things mentioned at the link, Oz choose to ignore testimonies of the religious soldiers like Hanan Porat, one of the founders of Gush Emunim (Bloc of the Faithful), who told Oz about the group's plans to colonize the West Bank. Oz did not include any of this in his book apparently since it did not fit the picture of young Israelis he was painting.

  • Props for the amazing political space OWS created (but who is talking about Palestine?)
    • Ira Glunts October 21, 2011 at 1:07 pm with 2 replies

      Thanks Annie. Good to read the Skolnick quote. And a big H/T to the translation software. I did not know it has gotten this good.

      I just checked out the Goodman article. Yes, extraordinary.

    • Ira Glunts October 21, 2011 at 12:25 pm with 5 replies

      Kobi Skolnick, who is an Israeli American, a former religious settler who demonstrated against the Oslo Accords in the 90s, is now one of the leaders of the OWS in NYC.

      link to forward.com

      It was the lead article in today's Hebrew Internet ed. of Ha'aretz. It mentions the Kol Nidre service. I just skimmed the article, but I do not think there was anything about the occupation or Palestinians.

      link to themarker.com

  • Obama's impossible dilemma--and ours
    • Ira Glunts September 28, 2011 at 2:34 pm

      Hostage,

      I do not believe that Obama understands the Israeli/Palestinian issue in terms of right or wrong, as we here at MW do. I think that those who become President, mostly see foreign affairs in terms of power politics, both domestic and global. That is why they can self-justify their support for torture and wars like Afghanistan and Iraq.

      I do not argue that O probably thinks “big Jews” are a pain in the ass, but I am not sure he differentiates them from the other interest groups which he is so adept at catering to. Thus, IMHO, the chances of O making the grand gesture i.e. becoming the Obama some hopefully and audaciously imagine Obama can be, is remote. I would lay 20 to 1 against the proposition that O recognizes the State of Palestinian as a lame duck President.

      Assuming I am wrong and O has a heart that truly empathizes in the injustice of occupation then when O becomes a lame duck, whether in 2012 or 2016 he will have left such a pro-Israel record behind that any gesture toward the Palestinians, would starkly highlight an hypocrisy and admission of helplessness in the face of the Israel lobby. I am sure he will not want attention called to this on his way out of office. In my opinion if O did recognize Palestine on the way out, the act would be interpreted mostly as an act of petulance rather than an act of moral courage. My strong feeling is lame or not Obama will dance out of the hall with the ones who bought him, and forgive any rough treatment at their hands as part of political life.

      As to your fascinating analysis of the possibility that O may “recognize” Israel via an executive order implementing a Supreme Court decision. We agree that this would be less likely than O recognizing a State of Palestine.

      Please keep posting your legal analysis. I second others here in praising your contributions to this site. I just do not think Obama will step up to the plate on the issue of Israel/Palestinian.

    • Ira Glunts September 27, 2011 at 1:23 pm

      "I’d think there is a good chance that a lame duck Obama administration might recognize the State of Palestine."

      Hostage,

      You have convinced me O is legally able to do it, but not that he would do it.

      I like the sound of "good chance." Lay some odds. I am betting against!!

  • Outside the UN
    • Ira Glunts September 24, 2011 at 9:29 am

      Hostage,

      Thanks for the post and specifically for the clarification between reports claiming the PA needs 1/2 or 2/3 vote in the GA.

      According to this Reuters report Abbas will try to get a decision in the SC in 2 weeks. This carries the implication of the possibility that the PA could go to the GA if the SC vote is delayed further. Do you agree?

      link to reuters.com

  • Mondoweiss liveblogs the UN General Assembly speeches
    • Ira Glunts September 23, 2011 at 6:24 pm with 4 replies

      The bad news is that Bibi will never make peace with the Palestinians. The good news is he will tell that to you loudly and clearly. This is from his speech today:

      I believe that in serious peace negotiations, these needs and concerns can be properly addressed, but they will not be addressed without negotiations. And the needs are many, because Israel is such a tiny country. Without Judea and Samaria, the West Bank, Israel is all of 9 miles wide.

      And to defend itself, Israel must therefore maintain a long-term Israeli military presence in critical strategic areas in the West Bank.

      I often hear them accuse Israel of Judaizing Jerusalem. That’s like accusing America of Americanizing Washington, or the British of Anglicizing London. You know why we’re called “Jews”? Because we come from Judea.

      So how do you — how do you protect such a tiny country, surrounded by people sworn to its destruction and armed to the teeth by Iran? Obviously you can’t defend it from within that narrow space alone. Israel needs greater strategic depth, and that’s exactly why Security Council Resolution 242 didn’t require Israel to leave all the territories it captured in the Six-Day War. It talked about withdrawal from territories, to secure and defensible boundaries. And to defend itself, Israel must therefore maintain a long-term Israeli military presence in critical strategic areas in the West Bank.

    • Ira Glunts September 23, 2011 at 12:56 pm with 4 replies

      At the beginning of the speech, Avigdor Leiberman and Yuli Edelstein (Minister of Hasbara) walked out of the hall, leaving one representative of the Israeli delegation present. Netanyahu is in a side room reportedly putting the final touches on his speech. (Ha'aretz)

  • 'New York' magazine calls Obama 'first Jewish president' in effort to salvage his rep with 'A-list tribesman'
    • Ira Glunts September 20, 2011 at 9:30 am

      Keith,

      I understand what you are saying. I also know that you could bring Noam Chomsky, Phyllis Bennis and Norman Finkelstein here to back up your arguments, so I take them very seriously. While I agree O and the Obamen are great for Wall Street, I doubt that he is irreplaceable. (I agree with Donald's take below.)

      I still think the Lobby will eat O and Obamen alive, especially if they use the strategy of defending themselves on I/P policy outlined in the Tsoris article. The reason as implied by Krauss above is that the strategy implicitly portrays Obama as helpless before the Lobby. This is not good for AIPACers or O.

      I believe, contrary to many on this site, that the Lobby has more power today than it did 20 years ago. I think they feel they can do to Obama and the US presidency what they did to Sen. Charles Percy and the Congress. That is make it verboten to ever say anything that the pro-Israels do not want.

      In the end, I think O and his men will abandon the "straight talk" of the Tsoris article, and fold, prostrating themselves before the pro-Israels. Isn't this their modus operandi? I do not think it will help. He's a marked man.

    • Ira Glunts September 19, 2011 at 6:01 pm with 2 replies

      Keith,

      No one knows what will happen, of course, but I still say the lobby will hurt Obama if he campaigns with the defense used here by John Heileman. They can get another cash cow for Wall Street and the military-industrial complex.

      By the way, as the article implies Wall Street like the pro-Israels are both bitching despite all that they are getting from O. And there is an overlap in the Wall Street money and pro-Israel bucks. Don't look at me funny, I'm just quoting Heileman here.

      I think after a couple of the bochers have a talk with O, he may reconsider his strategy. O may start talking about an undivided Jerusalem the eternal capital of Israel again, as he did in front of AIPAC before the 2008 election.

      The lobby is a golem made by the Democratic party. O and his Obamen may very well be destroyed by it.

    • Ira Glunts September 19, 2011 at 12:08 pm with 6 replies

      "He goes to the powercore, but not sufficiently or thoroughly, but he *does* go there and he does go deep enough for this to be counted as a breakthrough." (Krauss, comment above)

      Krauss is correct. This is big. Nevertheless it is not all good, as K implies. I'm only on page 2, however, it only needs 2 pages to become a wow!!!

      The title of the article is "The Tsouris." This is a Yiddish word for a big time problem. By using a Yiddish word that is not familiar to most people, the author signals that this article (at least in his view) has a Jewish stamp of approval and/or is written specifically for Jews. I have seen this gambit used numerous times.

      For US political junkies and followers of the lobby, this article should be food for thought and 200 comments IMHO.

      My first reaction, after reading the first two pages is: If this piece is in any way ordered by the Obamen (and it appears to be) and is indicative of their response to the onslaught of Jewish and Republican criticism of OPolicy to Israel, I wish O well.

      My prediction is it is not going to work. The lobby will eat Obamen for lunch. It will not be pretty. I hope I am wrong.

    • Ira Glunts September 19, 2011 at 10:59 am

      "New York Magazine has Obama on the cover wearing a yarmulke and calling him America's First Jewish president. (And I thought that was Clinton!) "

      No, I believe Clinton was the first African-American President, no?

      Obama, the first Jewish President? No way! Although, he may become the first American President to have a settlement named after him.

      Jefferson and Lincoln were Jewish. So was Truman. Very heavy Jewish. Nixon and Hoover, goyish. [channeling Lenny Bruce].

  • Israeli officials say they are just trying to help Palestinians, and Americans, climb down out of the tree
    • Ira Glunts September 18, 2011 at 8:50 pm

      Avi,

      I believe that the Israeli government is set on keeping the occupied territory, but I am not sure how seriously they are taking the PA resolution.

      Your larger point I very much agree with. Many Israelis have always thought that the West Bank would be a permanent part of the country -- at least a good portion the territory. Fewer than people think are enthusiastic about a really independent Palestinian state. Just take the Allon plan plan for a start.

  • Sullivan takes spears for Mearsheimer
    • Ira Glunts September 12, 2011 at 9:39 am

      Yep. It is Obama's war now. Obama got it right? Right!

      Still, good to read the defense of Mearsheimer.

      Thanks Phil and SkepticalH

  • Shamai Leibowitz, a moral giant
    • Ira Glunts September 6, 2011 at 2:56 pm with 7 replies

      James,

      Thanks for the post. I join you in your salute to Shamai.

      I would like to point out that in January 2002 Shamai Leibowitz was one of the first 50 soldiers in the reserve of the IDF who signed the Combatants' Letter. That letter publicly condemned the occupation and was a pledge to refuse to continue to serve in the territories. Many of these soldiers served prison time for their refusal.

      Shamai's decision not to serve in the territories may suggest the answer to your question, Les.

      The letter: link to seruv.org.il

      Signatories: Shamai is number 47 on the list. link to seruv.org.il

  • Shamai Leibowitz leaked FBI's wiretaps of Israeli embassy in effort to stop Iran strike -- Silverstein/NYT
  • Kinky Friedman supports Rick Perry because of-- (wake me up when this is over)
    • Ira Glunts August 27, 2011 at 8:51 am

      Yes, RoHa, he is the guy who writes the mystery novels. He started out as the leader of a group called "The Texas Jewboys" in the 70s. They made some nice albums.

      I think the guy can be very funny sometimes, but his politics can be right wing from what I remember from the Don Imus radio program, where he was (is?) a frequent guest. I didn't know he was into the pro-Israel thing. Too bad.

      I think that like the segment quoted above, Republicans will make a campaign issue of what they call Obama's poor relationship with our good friend and ally Israel. I have read the many Democrats are afraid that these GOP attacks will cost the Dems and the President votes plus money. These Dems are pressuring O to back down.

      I think it is not going to be pretty. I am afraid that O will back down, go Bushier-than-Bush on the issue ( isn't that his modus operandi?) and set back the I/P cause by showing that the executive can be as beholden to the lobby as the Congress.

      I hope I am wrong.

  • In 1950, Avnery offered first Israeli corroboration of 'the Palestinian narrative'
    • Ira Glunts August 13, 2011 at 9:14 am

      Annie and Kathleen, you're most welcome. I try to contribute from time to time here if I find something which I think is of interest. I hope I can at least partially repay you for all that you both have both written at mondoweiss. I agree that this excerpt is extraordinary and I hope that more people will read the book.

      Ethan, welcome to this site. Thanks for mentioning Khirbet Khizeh. I did not know that it was part of the Jewish high school curriculum. Interesting.

      I question your claim that the 1948 generation did not deny what it did. A fairly recent example of denial is the lawsuit of the Alexandroni Brigade members against Teddy Katz over his research on the massacre at Tantura.

      Thankgodimanathiest, "tip of the iceberg?" Please reread the excerpt. If you do, I believe you may change your opinion.

  • 'NYT' editorial on stalemate reflects Israeli talking points
    • Ira Glunts August 9, 2011 at 7:11 pm

      One thing I have learned from reading Phil, here, is that it is good to look at the positive side. Especially when reading a pro-Israel paper like the NYTimes.

      I realize there is much cringe-making ;) stuff in this editorial, but I think that the money quote is the recommendation for a US map and plan so both parties can work from it. Obama will never do that and if he did we would probably get something written by Ross and AIPAC. George Mitchell wanted to propose a plan, but the President and Dennis nixed the idea.

      Still if you haven't totally dismissed the two-state solution altogether, you have to give the editorial two thumbs up for proposing that Obama propose something (a very unObama like thing to do.)

      Groups such as Peace Now have called for an American proposal. So has the Israeli journalist Akiva Eldar. I do not know if JStreet has. My guess is that they wouldn't want to ruffle Obama's feathers.

      Money Quote:

      [T]he United States and its partners should put a map and a deal on the table, with a timeline for concluding negotiations and a formal U.N. statehood vote. The Security Council and the Arab League need to throw their full weight behind it.

  • Thinktank that promoted war w/ Iraq (& now Iran) was funded by Steinhardt, Saban, Bronfman, Feith and Marcus (of Home Depot)
    • Ira Glunts July 20, 2011 at 11:39 am

      The FDD is a truly scary place. They have a program for university teachers and students that takes place in Israel. A few years ago, they had some students face off against an elite Israeli military unit in paintball!! I do not know if they are still holding the paintball matches.

      link to pepperdine.edu

      This is from their website. link to defenddemocracy.org

      "After 9/11, numerous colleges and universities added terrorism and homeland security courses to their curricula. Many professors and graduate students who taught these courses complained of having insufficient access to the top practitioners or the latest research in the field. In response, FDD created the Academic Fellowship program for university professors entitled “Defending Democracy, Defeating Terrorism.”

      The program features an intensive, 10-day course on terrorism and the threat it poses to democratic societies. Using Israel as a case study, professors are given access to top researchers and officials who provide cutting-edge information about the terrorist threats to democracies worldwide. The goal of the program is to offer information to teaching professionals about the latest trends in terrorists' ideologies, motives, and operations, and how democracies can fight them.

      The course of study occurs both in the classroom at Tel Aviv University and in the field with lectures by academics, diplomats, military and intelligence officials, and politicians from Israel, Jordan, India and the United States. It also features visits to military bases, border zones and other security installations to learn the practical side of deterring terrorist attacks."

  • Israel seizes last flotilla boat in int'l waters 40 miles from Gaza
    • Ira Glunts July 19, 2011 at 4:48 pm

      Congratulations to all those who participated in the Freedom Flotilla 2 for getting a boat near Gaza to challenge the blockade. Considering the obstacles that you faced, even getting one boat near Gaza was a real accomplishment. To my way of thinking, the passengers are heroes and deserve our praise and thanks.

      I hope that all the activists will make it through the Israeli incarceration without any assaults on their person or their dignity, and that your movement will emerge from this battle stronger and more determined than ever.

      I just saw that Anshel Pheffer had an article in Ha'aretz applauding the great victory for Israel over the Flotilla 2. He called it a "knockout" by the Israeli government and military authorities. In doing this, he inadvertently exposed the incredibly large amount of resources that Israel devoted to their so called "victory" over a relatively small adversary. This just proves that you are on the right road. Just by placing you in the same ring with the government and military of one of the strongest countries, Pfeffer shows the power of your efforts.

      I am in awe of the flotilla movement and the growth of the flotillas in the past three years. I remember following the first boats in 2008 and never thought that your pledge to continue to expand the flotillas would be so successful.

      The struggle for Palestinian rights continues and the Flotilla movement will continue to be a vital part of that struggle. I still believe that a Flotilla to Gaza or 15 boat and 1500 activists will happen in the not too distant future.

      Keep on.

  • US flotilla passengers begin fast at US Embassy in Athens
  • Beinart gave me a headache
    • Ira Glunts February 18, 2011 at 7:01 am with 1 replies

      The following is a comment by Pat Carmeli who sat next to me at the Beinart lecture. She is one of the most sincere and dedicated advocates of the Palestinian cause I have ever known. She was unable to post this message herself due to a technical issue. ig

      For a differing perspective on Beinart, I submit the following: While not supportive of Zionist ideology, I nevertheless refuse to lambast anyone who can move the peace agenda forward. Unlike our local group which frequently finds itself addressing an audience of "believers", Beinart is advancing the cause of peace by targeting a new and potentially very powerful ally in the cause of Palestinian freedom. As someone who traveled last year to Albany to protest against Ehud Olmert with a sign depicting him with blood dripping from his hands, I am no fan and apparently missed Beinart's overt lauding of him. (My picture holding the sign was on the front page of an Albany newspaper).

      Rather than "cynical and calculating", I found Beinart to be sincere and in possession of a great deal of knowledge. As I listened to him speak, I surmised that he was motivated by much of the same considerations that I share: primarily that he finds his complicity by way of being an American Jew, unbearable.

      But we've all come to reality at a different pace. For instance, Braverman reveals in his article that he grew up believing that "Israel was the key to Jewish survival". The historical truth and realities of Israel and the occupation started to become manifest to me after the rise of the second intifada when I'd already been living in Israel for several years. Even after I returned to the US in 2004, I was not well-informed and have continued my education regarding the conflict at a quicker pace since the 2008/09 invasion of Gaza. For some well-meaning individuals, the truth has yet to be revealed. Glunts acknowledges that Beinart told stories of the oppression of the Palestinians "all of which where familiar to those who follow events in the region". But it is precisely that these stories were presented to many in the audience who were NOT familiar with these events, that the value of his presentation lies.

      I guess we all hear what we want to hear. While I heard Peter Beinart praise new forms of alternative media and didn't hear him criticize the stifling media representation that the Palestinian cause historically has been deprived, neither did I hear, as Ira did, his praise as "exemplary" the American media coverage of the conflict.

      Since the inception in 2009 of our local activist group (CNY Working for a Just Peace in Palestine and Israel), I have seen dramatic changes in attitudes of our various members. If there were some on the line, they have fully stepped over it and have committed to the fight for Palestinian human rights and freedom, openly criticizing actions of Israel which they see as immoral and unjust. And while members of our group have differing opinions (example: me and Ira), I champion discussion on these issues, but not at the expense of slowing down the process. The people in Palestine who hunger and thirst for recognition of their humanity, thirst for freedom, and yearn for a future for their children, would prefer like-minded people to join together, despite our differences, to work for an end to the Israeli occupation and the beginning of a free Palestine.

  • Brutalized
    • Ira Glunts January 9, 2011 at 11:06 am

      If I could write about this video in the NYTimes this is the way it would look...

      Palestinian Beaten For Displaying Excessive Chutzpah
      By IRA GLUNTS

      Published: January 7, 2011

      ANNEXATION WALL, West Bank — In a video posted today on YouTube, an Israeli soldier is shown beating an unarmed man who was apparently demonstrating at what the Israelis call the Separation Wall. A soldier referring to the protester and addressing his commanding officer asks, "Major, he is acting insolently, is it possible to arrest him?" The Hebrew word used by the soldier is derived from the Yiddish word chutzpah which is often used in English. Chutzpah may be alternately defined as audacity and is used both in a positive and negative sense in Hebrew, Yiddish and English.

      Shortly thereafter, a second Israeli soldier is shown beating the man while other soldiers shoot tear gas at the demonstrators. One of the protesters then yells at the soldiers, "Not directly [at people], its against orders."

      The title frame of the video indicates that the protests were staged by the group "Anarchists Against the Wall."

  • Wafa’s parents thanked us, but I only felt deep shame (How I became an activist)
    • Ira Glunts December 29, 2010 at 1:22 pm with 1 replies

      I am reposting this comment by Annie that inadvertantly got dropped during editing.

      Submitted on 2010/12/29 at 1:31am

      annie

      Submitted on 2010/12/29 at 1:31am

      I was like a small drop in the proverbial very large slowly-filling bucket for a just peace.

      phil, can we give pat a mondo award? i want to. is this an entry? has the release started?

      pat, you blow me away and i love you.

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