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- Church of Scotland’s revised ‘Promised Land’ report has softer edges … 13
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- Israeli airport sorts passengers with ‘Jewish stickers’ and ‘Arab stickers’ 674
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- Dershowitz calls Hawking an ‘ignoramus,’ a ‘lemming,’ and likely an … 202
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- San Francisco bus ads condemn Israeli apartheid: backlash begins 120
- Washington Post’s racism map omits Israel 101
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- US Jews are so ‘polarized’ over Israel they can’t talk … 160
- Dershowitz calls Hawking an ‘ignoramus,’ a ‘lemming,’ and likely an … 149
- Glenn Greenwald brings facts and reason to ‘Real Time’, ruins … 88
- Israeli right-wing flys off the deep end following Hawking boycott 78
- International Criminal Court opens preliminary investigation into attack on Mavi … 75
- Israeli airport sorts passengers with ‘Jewish stickers’ and ‘Arab stickers’ 69
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- Church of Scotland backs away from boycott call in the … 62
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The War of Ideas in the Middle East
Seafoid, probably as long as Wall Street/ NYC continues to fund and benefit from War/ Occupation and the rebuilding (contractors, Halliburton, KBR, Blackwater/ Xe) of some (money can't rebuild destroyed families and lives, archaeological losses) of that which our tax dollars destroy.
Never Again.
A light unto the nations.
Risen from the ashes in military might
Displacing neighbors
transferring a people
moving into their homes
for decades
rinse, spin (or mow the the lawn)
repeat
with the arrogance of Manifest Destiny
self-righteous thieves wielding power
from Hollywood to Wall Street
sacrifices unto their g-d, the IDF, the State, their power, their military might
"Obama took office with a distinctly progressive vision of Jewish identity and the Jewish state, one shaped by the Chicago Jewish community that helped launch his political career."
How much of Obama's political career was aided by the Chicago banking community? Chicago is one of the US's banking centers and considering Obama's favors to finance and banking post "credit crisis", stock market dive and resuscitation, housing bubble crash, etc. I highly doubt his biggest supporters/ financiers are as progressive as the Daily Beast implies. You can't win a campaign in this country without money, money, money and more $$$$$$ -until we take money out of politics.
I'm watching the video now and it looks like part of the purpose of this interview is to place blame on increased gasoline prices on Iran and frame Israel's Mossad and military as the Superman hero of Americans hard pressed by gasoline price increases.
Then Holocaust images solidify any questions of this man's morality, an for an eye and Never Again, right?
And contrary to what he says about not enjoying killing his smile and satisfaction at what he obviously takes as complements betrays his words.
"Dagan: I know it would sound anti-Semitic if I said some of my best friends are Arabs, but I truly, really admire some of the qualities of Arabs..."
anti-Semitic to call Semites some of your best friends?
Stealing land, falafels and identity. Do Jewish and/ or Israeli people not use dictionaries? Or do they just want to perpetuate certain lies that are convenient to their power and victimization narratives?
"The right to live in one’s home is sacrosanct. ... Nobody asked Israel to occupy."
Absolutely, Seafoid.
From the Daily Beast blog,
"Purim, a holiday most American Jews believe ends with Queen Esther and her uncle Mordechai saving Persia’s Jews from Haman’s wicked plan. In his speech last week to AIPAC, Benjamin Netanyahu summed up the conventional depiction: “a Persian anti-Semite tried to annihilate the Jewish people” but “that plot was foiled by one courageous woman—Esther.” But the Purim story doesn’t end with Haman’s plot being foiled; that’s the Disney version. It actually ends with Persia’s Jews retaliating with a massacre of their own."
Persia's Jews retaliating?
Haim Saban. Fundraising millions of US dollars for IDF.
link to mondoweiss.net
yep, "othering" works in both situations. you can't sell the "othering" porn without suffering the consequences of that which sowing seeds of "othering" reaps.
I am not familiar with a Barkley Bank in the Middle East but I do know that Barclay Bank has a presence, could it be that you mean Barclay Bank?
"Jamal Masood, a Muslim Palestinian scholarship student, is subsequently charged by the State’s Attorney General for assault. But it’s not a simple misdemeanor battery they’re after. The State’s AG, plans on running for governor, and wants to shore up his Jewish campaign contributions. He decides to charge him with a hate crime-which carries a 7 year penalty."
The political motivations/ aspirations are straight out of the Irvine 11 case, but in the Irvine 11 case it was the prosecuting DA.
Interesting timing as well.
My only surprise is that this is NOT ALREADY Law.
and here is why I say that, straight from the Likud Party Platform ...
"The Likud Party Platform (1977 )
The Right of the Jewish People to the Land of Israel (Eretz Israel)
a. The right of the Jewish people to the land of Israel is eternal and indisputable and is linked with the right to security and peace; therefore, Judea and Samaria will not be handed to any foreign administration; between the Sea and the Jordan there will only be Israeli sovereignty.
b. A plan which relinquishes parts of western Eretz Israel, undermines our right to the country, unavoidably leads to the establishment of a "Palestinian State," jeopardizes the security of the Jewish population, endangers the existence of the State of Israel. and frustrates any prospect of peace."
See that kids? Netanyahu's Likud Party REFUSES to recognize a Palestinian State.
Fine. Give us FULL AND EQUAL RIGHTS in One State.
excellent. thank you.
"May that lesson be extended …"
is clearly not where i intended it/ typed it. not sure how that happened?!
*would be interesting to see what Pro-Israel Republicans think of Israelis that want a "welfare state"
*curious what the Free Market Republicans would say about the Israeli gov't control of 93% of the land
*curious how the Republican anti-immigration types in the USA see the huge proportion of European immigrants to Israel as part of the growth/ housing situation/ increase in cost of living. May that lesson be extended ...
of course they wouldn't criticize Israeli gov't policies that brought about this mess.
i confess that i am feeling a tiny bit of schadenfreude in this latest development. the irony of all of this is that this is a problem that Israeli gov't policies created in trying to control the population.
As Israel discovered when its military was in Gaza the cost of controlling a population is too costly.
the uber rich class won't be allowing nationalization of any economy any time soon.
the game as i see it is create large scale diversions with the disposable pawns gnawing at each other --global strategists call this balance of powers, i call it BS-- to protect the Kings' Ransom and Empire.
the irony is that these wealthy corporations/ banks/ USA gov't have created an illusion of free market economy while controlling the markets and killing off competition.
the only thing left for them to conquer/ control is the oil fields and Muslims/ Islamic teaching banning usury/ interest.
makes me think the Arab dictators weren't so bad after all, comparatively speaking that is, to those who decimate the US dolllar, invade countries under the guise of War on Terror --kill millions, destroy families, cultures, create refugee crises, etc, create credit and stock market bubbles that transfer wealth from the bottom up to the top and so on.
can we pretty PLEASE get an article on Islamic view of banking/ usury/ interest here? PLEASE?
in times like these i can't help but think Islamic ban on usury/ interest and holdings of oil fields is the real problem the West has with Islam/ Middle East in general.
an encouraging and refreshing story indeed, but i wish the writer would have left out his cheap shots about "removing clothes" he needs to go to Ramallah and Bethlehem, as well as his comment about not being able/ allowed to light a cigarette in public, that is simply not true (it may be due to a strict spouse not any law).
When I read a review on amazon that said,
"But what I think most readers will come away with is the belief that underneath the ugliness of the occupation and the intifada there is something that is beautiful and absolutely worth protecting. And in the small acts where Israelis and Palestinians work together, the author shows you a future that we must insist upon: where Palestinians and Israelis have equal measures of peace, freedom, political power, and access to resources. If the world fails to make this a reality, this book shows you just how very much we all have to lose."
That portion of the review sealed the deal, I had to read Fast Times in Palestine because I am one of those people that believe that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere".
All the "Culture Wars" (race, gender/sexuality, equality, women's movement, supremacism, military, domestic violence, forced migration, class, financial --from tax rebates and loopholes for the rich to neo-liberalism to shipping jobs overseas and exploiting cheap labor, globalization--) have one central element in common *the strong, the monied $$$ and /or the powerful oppress and/ or exploit the weak*. This is the most common, basic, simple element in all power structures *the strong oppress/ exploit the weak*.
It is sadly a Darwinian power structure that doesn't seek to even out the playing field and implement International and Human Rights Laws, which is all the more reason that people who are conscience of this reality need to work together "to save all that is good in Middle Earth."
And I'm happy to report that one of my area libraries has agreed to do a Book Club read of Fast Times in Palestine.
Thank you, for this thoughtful book review to a wonderfully written book.
that is an excellent point, Rich.
"One of the key reasons Pamela Olson connected with the Palestinians is her rural, Oklahoma background which even a Stanford physics degree cannot drive out of you. She saw their connection with the land and their rural hospitality."
I remember reading Fast Times in Palestine and feeling immense gratitude that Pamela with her observant, sober eye wrote about her grandparents farm and connected it to her book and hoped that connection would bring in an element of empathy and understanding, perspective for readers.
"I was talking to my cousin in English and she told me to talk to her in Arabic because when Israeli Jews hear people speaking Arabic, it makes them scared."
i laughed out loud, that is so hilarious and ridiculous.
great post.
Here's Sam Bahour at TEDxRamallah:
link to youtube.com
He says,
"the key to peace in the Middle East is the returning home of displaced Palestinians whether they are refugees, exiles or diaspora"
"for Palestinians, refugees are THE ISSUE"
Glad someone picked up on the pipeline story, I mentioned it last week link to mondoweiss.net
This story requires some wikileaks reading me thinks!
*****Israel to Greece Gas Pipeline and CIA/ Mossad Coup in Greece?*****
within the talk of Greece doing Israel's dirty work talk one main issue has been left out a 6 BILLION dollar Gas Pipeline, from the Leviathan field, through Greece.
link to israeltrade.org.au
AND,
"According to Germany's Bild newspaper, on 29 May 2011:
The CIA has stated in a recent report that there may soon be a coup in Greece ... The CIA and Mossad may want a military government in Athens, in order to promote their agenda."
link to translate.google.co.uk
i've been listening The Next Decade by George Friedman (I was curious) the author argues for a fabric of illusion to balance powers and maintain American interests. he throws democracy, human rights and international laws under the bus for the sake of maintaining power and an American standard of living/ lifestyle. the author maintains that a good American president is Machiavellian and deceptive/ should lie to the people he supposedly represents/ voted him into office.
it's no wonder Americans are dumbed down with bipartisan charades according to Friedman pinning people against each other is purposeful design to exhaust resources and energies on fighting so that the status quo is maintained.
American and Israeli politicians really don't want an informed, educated, organized public to hold them accountable. Educating and organizing the public will continue to be key actions in the fight for Palestinian Equal Rights.
great idea. charge a hasbara license.
the groupon said you'd be paying for half of the cost to clothe the kids in hat, shoes and t-shirt -as not all of the kids had shoes and hat to to protect themselves from the elements. indeed the video shows these are all matching. neat to see the kids wearing, using/ enjoying themselves and where the donations went.
a few weeks ago UNRWA friends USA or something like that had an opportunity to fund these kids/ unrwa camps through a groupon Washington DC deal. of course i donated! it was so exciting to see this go mainstream on groupon of all places!
hophmi, Israel established itself on the deliberate act of ethnically cleansing non-Jews, ethnically cleansing Palestinian Arabs.
are you selective in what you want to see? this testimony bears witness to prison camps, work camps, ghettoes, forced expulsion from homes, burning bodies, raping women, pillaging homes and belongings. this has Nazi fingerprints and/ or what the "Nazis did to me, I am repeating on Palestinians" written all over it.
RECOGNIZE IT.
in regards to forced expulsion (*btw, by definition, Forced Migration IS Ethnic Cleansing*) out of Lyd/ Lod Aaraf says,
"When they saw the people holing up they shot at the houses to get the people out to the streets. Then, they shot above their heads in order to direct them to the east.
They directed them eastward. People who documented this journey say that a large number of people, up to hundreds, died as a result of this disorganized escape in the direction of Ramallah. The army opened the way to them and between 300 and 400 died of thirst and hunger and injury."
I think a more apt title for this post is:
This is how Israel was created: raping, pillaging, and murdering.
Adolph William Schwimmer stole the planes from the USA to give to Israel. He was a US Army Corps Flight Engineer. I have more info on him in my comment below. Clinton pardoned him.
oh yes, Adolph William Schwimmer. thank you.
link to jewoftheday.com
quotes:
Not a household name even in his adopted Israel, Connecticut native "Al" Schwimmer is a figure of legend in Zionist circles for having run a secret and illegal American-based arms network that helped secure Israel's independence in 1948. Under his direction the network bought, borrowed and stole dozens of fighter aircraft, recruited scores of battle-trained American pilots and mechanics and shipped tons of ammunition that proved critical to the war effort. With the help of a young Defense Ministry official and close friend named Shimon Peres, Mr. Schwimmer went on to found an aviation firm that would become Israel's largest company, Israel Aircraft Industries.
A U.S. Army Air Corps flight engineer in World War II, Mr. Schwimmer came under FBI scrutiny in the late 1940s, when he was using a small airfield outside Prague, under the cover of a fictitious Panamanian company he had created, to ferry fighters, bombers and other war materiel to the precursor of Israel's vaunted air force.
all that and Clinton pardoned this guy?
*** btw, i am pretty sure the above came from a "Jewish Exceptionalism" site. i was not sure at first, please someone correct me if I am wrong. seems to me there is a fine line between the exceptionalism sites and the hate sites.
someone help me out please. what is the name of the Israeli that recently died, he smuggled/ stole American war planes for Israel in or before 1948? when i read this testimony it made me wonder if these men knew that Israel had stolen/ smuggled planes to use against Palestinian civilians.
hopefully this center will include ALL Semitic peoples' struggle against discriminatory policies and hate crimes.
link to israeli-occupation.org
Fast Times in Palestine is an AWESOME book. I LOVE reading it and I admit to being in awe of Pamela. Her experience is absolutely authentic and just awesome. Read it, you'll LOVE it too.
remember it is not just travel to Rafah that is denied. travel from Gaza to West Bank is also denied and has been denied for decades.
i currently have a story of a beautiful woman who is desperately seeking permission from Israel to travel from Gaza to Ramallah to get married.
can anyone help?
wow. such cute kids. so much devastation with death of their mother and the repeated (5!) shellings. i wish there was more info on why/ who threw a nail bomb at the mother, this is ridiculous and horrific.
wow, Taxi. thank you for sharing. some people behave like robots programmed to hate, programmed to foam at the mouth and bark. it's crazy.
excellent post Seham.
the same can be said of Western Christian culture that doles out book publishing contracts, speakers' fees, conferences and endless amounts of $$$$ and sympathy on Muslim converts to Christianity who tickle the Westerners' ears with stories of secrecy, oppression, persecution YET *those same Western Christian ears* are tone deaf to Christian suffering, secrecy, oppression and persecution when committed by Israeli gov't policies.
Phil, it takes time. Just as it took time in the USA for all these voices to find themselves and make it onto pages for you to read and enjoy know that these stories are developing in real time and in a matter of months and years these stories will make it onto the space of readable pages. In the meantime I encourage you to support the credible voices and stories by attending the film screenings and reading books by the pioneers.
We have our own old school tribalists who are beginning to realize that human rights and democracy includes women, gays, all religions. Changes are happening on the ground/ main st. -I'm seeing it very much in a story that mondoweiss is unaware of or has chosen not to write about- and this change is giving me hope.
Change takes place first in the hearts of the people before they reach the media radar. I'm seeing people going through changes. It is still Spring and change is still happening all be it slowly, it is happening on the ground in fertile hungry, hearts.
where's my love Adam, I emailed you that video?
here's another good video of Lucas remixed with Netanyahoo's speech. good stuff, although i wish there was a little more oomph like some repeated words to drive the message home and music. zanga zanga style.
link to youtube.com
there's another video with Rae Abileah, listen to what Netanyahoo says about Tripoli at the end. Wow. So democracy is good enough for Tripoli but not good enough for Palestinians?
link to youtube.com
“Zionists stole my homeland and all I got was this lousy T-Shirt”?
love you Woody!
wow. even sicker. these people are TERRORIZING the community of Sheikh Jarrah.
i called all my congressional leaders this morning about this and urge everyone else to as well.
the bullets used are dum dum/ soft-nosed/ mushroom bullets. they are open tip ammunition that cause "superfluous injury" these have been banned by the First Hague Peace Conference:
"The Contracting Parties agree to abstain from the use of bullets which expand or flatten easily in the human body, such as bullets with a hard envelope which does not entirely cover the core, or is pierced with incisions."
"It took a 7-hour surgery just to clean out the debris, gunpowder, and shrapnel that was left behind by the bullet. This was after the lifesaving surgery done in a tiny government hospital in a village in south Lebanon."
link to archetypeinaction.org
forgive my language but WTF kind of bullet are these Israelis using that it "took a 7-hour surgery just to clean out the debris, gunpowder, and shrapnel that was left behind by the bullet" ?
these bullets, whatever they are, need to be put on trial as well. i recall posts/ comments on mondoweiss about Israel testing out new artillery on Palestinians, and hearing elsewhere that Israel is buying bullets that implode inside the body releasing heaven knows what chemical toxins.
"It is my belief that if the energy put into protesting Israel was spent on raising money for projects for children in Gaza the world would be a happier place and some of you people might actually make a difference to the lives of the Palestinians."
I would LOVE *LOVE* LOVE to bring Soles4Souls (shoes/ clothes) to Gaza or one of the many other projects I have researched and contacted about improving lives of people, like my OWN FAMILY, in Gaza. BUT there's one MAJOR OBSTACLE CLOSED BORDERS and a SIEGE. Have you forgotten GF?
If I can't even get into Gaza to see my dying grandmother, who btw passed away 2 weeks ago, how am I supposed to get goods, supplies, humanitarian relief and volunteers in?
Btw, you'd be surprised who turns up at these events and how much philanthropy does indeed go on. Don't get me wrong we're not talking Seinfeld actors raising millions for IDF but I personally know of HUGE family owned companies that are funding projects in Gaza/ West Bank.
that is true annie. AIPAC funds Zionist Christian campus group leaders. i've seen one of these young collegiate's wife troll the With God On Our Side FB page.
here are the AIPAC activists: link to aipac.org
and if you look over to career opportunities you'll see PAID campus Activists as well.
i'm really impressed with CODEPINK's work in the Move Over AIPAC campaign. i loved seeing woman, men, young and old participants. i'm so inspired i sent them an email and look forward to organizing with CODEPINK in the future.
I'm with Taxi.
Alf mabrouk ya Pam! Can't wait to read it. I hope to share it with my high school English teacher friends as well as propose this book as a book club read at my local library and to my mom's clubs friends' book clubs, oh and come to think of it I have contacts in a philanthropic book club. If Oprah won't bring up the Palestine issue we will, yes we will!
I've called all 3 offices saying Cantor's racist remarks are unacceptable, inexcusable and do not reflect American values, and that he should apologize. Please do the same.
They'll ask you where you're calling from, for your personal info, I refused to give this out except for a first name.
Richmond Office | 4201 Dominion Blvd. Suite 110 | Glen Allen, VA 23060
p: (804) 747-4073 | Toll Free: (800) 438-3793 | f: (804) 747-5308
Culpeper Office | 763 Madison Road #207 | Culpeper, VA 22701
p: (540) 825-8960 | f: (540) 825-8964
DC Office | 303 Cannon House Office Building | Washington, D.C. 20515
p: 202-225-2815 | f: 202-225-0011
link to cantor.house.gov
AND WHERE IS THE ADL ON THIS ANTI-SEMITIC STATEMENT??? WAKE UP PEOPLE PALESTINIANS ARE SEMITIC PEOPLE!!!
the crazy thing about the current rapture crazies is that some of the most infamous Zionist Christians had previously made false predictions on Rapture predictions -super influential Zionist Christians like Hal Lindsey, Chuck Smith/ Calvary Chapel. Yet no one seems to be making the connection that all these false teachers/ prophets/ profits/ profiteering are from the same clothe of wolves in sheep clothes as the current predictor.
i just noticed that Patrick.net, indie operated real estate web site, that gets 750,000 hits per month, posted this Onion story on his May 24, 2011 news links.
i heart Patrick even more than before.
i have a question for Noura or someone else who frames the issue legally: why do Palestinians settle for pre-1967 lines when according to International Laws (in the 1945 UN Charter) -regarding annexation through war and Universal Human Rights on Right of Return- the math/ logic takes us back to 1947 Partition as the minimum measure of justice for Palestinians under International Law?
the power structure of the oppressors/ oppressed can be based on numerous cultural identities: gender, sexuality, ethnicity, diaspora, immigration, forced migration, colonialism, globalization, and of course religion and tribe.
these converging identities certainly identify with Palestinians struggle for EQUALITY as they share a common denominator, an oppressive power structure.
it is also true that the Hispanic Christian communities have been swept up in Christian Zionist theology - which is very escapist and sees the things of this world clashing with the spiritual, rather than seeing the spiritual tensions of this life.
it is easier to see/ live
in black/ white
delineated bright lines
of this/ that,
us/ them categories.
nuance is for engaged people
who care and have/ make time.
identities are converging
and transcending
the boundaries
of nation-state/ area/ religion/ tribe.
as much as i dislike and disagree with Hagee i don't know that interrupting his church service will do anything but fire up his church. the distance between what Hagee an his his followers believe is too wide to engage in this manner, imo. Hagee"s church WILL find this exciting b/c they'll count it as part of the cost of supporting/ "persecution" for Israel. this is their mindset. we need to appeal to Hagee people on terms they understand, like the "With God On Our Side" film, Stephen Sizer or Gary Burge's work. trust me people.
having said the above, i do think the protesters were incredibly brave. i trembled for them just watching the video.
there was so much imagery in this speech, Rosa Parks, Universal Rights but Obama did not address these to the Palestinian struggle for Equality. The amount of time he spent pandering to what WSJ calls Obama's Jewish donors was nauseating.
The manner in which he down played Palestinian deaths and suffering was insulting.
"Obama won’t have to write another speech for AIPAC on Monday"
Obama was afraid he'd be taken up in the Rapture on May 21st so he planned ahead of his AIPAC speech to include meaty morsels of love to Israel.
link to youtube.com
Taba 2000 btdt = epic fail plus the fact that settlements are STILL being built in Israeli Occupied Palestine, that's my problem.
he said land swaps, to me that's NOT 1967 lines.
what i noticed was the new use of the phrase "Middle East North Africa" rather than "Muslim and Arab world". I also noticed this was used on NPR before the speech. Hillary also referred to the region as "Middle East North Africa" seems like an interesting departure and I am curious what instigated this new language? I get the feeling they're trying to turn over a new leaf perhaps change language and imagery that was used for fear and war mongering to language that is more neutral and good for international business maybe?
I think Obama was speaking to a wider audience than just AIPAC, I understood his comments on Cairo/ Egypt as further proof that the Revolution was hijacked by multi-national corporate interests. The revolution has been about elite Egyptian businessman wanting a piece of the Emerging Egyptian Economy pie, at least until I see 80 million Egyptian lives improve and not just the elites and multi-nationals open markets.
he said 1967 lines with lands swaps. that is doublespeak, that's not 1967 lines. epic fail.
my thoughts exactly.
there's $$$$$ to be made in the National and Homeland Security Industrial complex, that's where the Israel supporters are going these days after leaving public office -see what Pete Hoekstra is up to at Hoekstra Global Strategies and Dickstein Shapiro.
Security is not something tangible, the goal post can always be moved and our fears can always be played. How about we build good relations with people through equitable resolutions and reconciliation? Oh darn! there's no $$$$$$ in that.
khalas. z'hit min hal zift. arfana.
interesting. (American/ Western) Jewish identity is being held hostage/ under curfew/ under Israeli Zionist occupation.
so tell us GF what do you do now? do you march for Palestinian Equal Rights? do you rebuild homes demolished by Israel in East Jerusalem? or do you just go around peeing in other people's cheerios all the while thinking you speak for Omar Barghouti?
can you post your letter and the email addresses here so we can copy and send as well? muwa!
"plus it tastes wack."
yes it does taste wack.
and GF i already boycott Pepsi, Coca-Cola and countless other items/ places. i'm a lot healthier and i've saved a lot of $$$$$ an added benefit of boycott. i've also realized that much of what is on the boycott list are things i can live without so i live a greener life as well.
WSJ: Jewish donors and fund-raisers are warning the Obama re-election campaign that the president is at risk of losing financial support because of concerns about his handling of Israel.
link to online.wsj.com
Daniel, i see a lot of parallels between the Reformed-Dutch-American tribe of W. Michigan and the Jewish-Israeli-Western-Zionist tribe. Hoekstra belongs to the former but is doing well fitting in with the culture of the latter b/c they have so much in common.
btw, i think Dickstein Shapiro is the firm Scooter Libby and his wife were at when they met. maybe it was another Dickstein Shapiro or there was a slight name change but the Libby's pre-marriage i believe worked for Dickstein Shapiro as well.
"I can say that my grandfather’s dream of a single Roman Catholic republic with an anti-British stance has outlived its purpose."
this is an excellent interview.
“You have to convince the wider Diaspora community that a resolution is in the Jewish people’s and in Israel’s best interest. I don’t think you can convince Israel of that.” Why not? Travers lived in Israel for several years in the 80s as a military adviser to peacekeeping missions. He says the country is too caught up in a security mindset, convinced that it is surrounded by enemies, and the entire military-industrial culture of the country is built on that understanding, which also generates social "cohesion and camaraderie."
national security is where the $$$$$$ Benjamins are at. Check this out:
"Pete Hoekstra ... the Republican point man on national security issues, serving as both chairman and ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He was also deeply engaged in ... congressional oversight efforts." Now has "left" public office and started his own company, keep in mind Hoekstra, part of the Dutch-American Reformed tribe of W. Michigan, started out selling furniture and now he's selling "national security" which is an unattainable gimmick imo loaded with $$$$$$:
"Hoekstra Global Strategies affirms the vital role that private enterprise and entrepreneurship play at home and abroad in keeping the United States safe, and is committed to fighting terrorism and promoting democratic values worldwide ...
Led by former U.S. Congressman and Intelligence Committee Chairman Pete Hoekstra, Hoekstra Global Strategies plays a vital role in shaping and communicating the ideas necessary to win the fight against radical Islamism, to keep Americans safe, and to ensure that our next generation has the same opportunities that we have."
Hoekstra also works for ... Dickstein Shapiro:
Dickstein Shapiro has a team of experienced public policy experts who are uniquely suited to provide counsel regarding the ever-changing political and security situation in the Middle East and its effect on U.S. business interests. The firm’s team includes former Members of Congress who have unmatched insight into the U.S. intelligence community, foreign security issues, and the Middle East in general. It is vital for American corporations to continually monitor the developments in the region in order to anticipate how their bottom line may be affected. The firm can assist by providing key analysis and advice related to likely future events in the region, how political unrest in one country may spread to its neighbors, possible winners and losers in an altered political landscape, the growing threats to the global economy and U.S. business interests, and how Congress and the administration are likely to respond to the turmoil in the region. Additionally, the former Members of Congress at the firm have exceptional relationships with the leadership of countries in the region and can assist with direct communication efforts in addition to working through U.S. government channels. The Dickstein Shapiro team providing significant resources and expertise to advance these goals include:
Former Congressman Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 2011. During his tenure, he held numerous Republican leadership positions, including the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where he focused on building a national intelligence infrastructure, strengthening national and homeland security, and fortifying defense. As House intelligence chairman from 2004 to 2006, Congressman Hoekstra played a decisive role enacting the bipartisan bill that created a Director of National Intelligence, the cabinet level post which now oversees the CIA and other U.S. intelligence agencies. He concentrates his work on legislative and regulatory counseling with an emphasis on intelligence, national security, defense, foreign relations, and international business matters.
Oh and btw, Erik Prince, he's from the same town in West Michigan, Holland as Hoekstra. I won't be surprised if the Big 3 in Michigan get replaced with National Security wares.
do you really think we're going to line up to move in with racists? we just want our rights. we'll decide. not you. not anyone else decides for us. we just want our full rights, not 3/5, okay? do get what this is about?
re: video
the fact that that officer was aggressively asserting his power as a male, as a white man, as an Israeli, as an officer is striking.
the manner in which he chooses violence, slapping a woman, is also striking. makes me wonder how he treats his mother? if he has a wife and how he treats her, a sister how he treats her?
i'm growing weary of those who say Palestinians and Israelis/ Jews and Arabs can't live together. people who believe this are nuts and this sentiment has racist undertones. are the people who spread these LIES involved in bringing people together to break down the barriers and build up reconciliation? i would venture to say they are not.
those with a generous spirit believe in others, so that others will believe in themselves.
redemptive? wow. redemptive is justice but with a beautiful twist that goes well beyond the human imagination. this guy's views are not redemptive.
and this from January 2011, Blackwater backs African Mercenaries, can you say Qadhaffi?: link to huffingtonpost.com
have you seen the film "made in dagenham"? it was great. i found it totally relevant/ saw the parallels to Palestine and was encouraged by it. our problem as Palestinians is very much like any other group that does not have equal rights.
Les, you might be right Obama's half Jewish brother in Israel (last week or two) promises Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Metzger that he will make a personal appeal to his brother in the White House to release Pollard: link to jpost.com
politics is like one huge soap opera.
wa inta batal wa qiwa.
btw, only because your Arabi is so good and i think you'd want to know ... it is "ya'teeki" for female. you got it right on "Inti".
wondering jew, habibi,
don't be afraid
to walk with me
through the garden of the Arab Spring,
where hope,
imagination,
and possibilities abound.
yalla, come on,
i'll hold your hand.
instead of fear
and hate
we'll smell something sweet,
clean
and pure.
yalla habibi, yalla,
before winter comes upon us
and our imagination shuts off
and we focus
only on our own survival.
wondering jew, habibi,
don't be afraid
to walk with me
through the garden of the Arab Spring,
where hope,
imagination,
and possibilities abound.
yalla, come on,
i'll hold your hand.
instead of fear
and hate
we'll smell something sweet,
clean
and pure.
yalla habibi, yalla,
before winter comes upon us
and our imagination shuts off
and we focus
only on our own survival.
wondering jew, habibi,
please don't be offended when i say this, b/c i am for you, but you do not lack knowledge. you lack imagination. and imagination requires some amount of faith, i think. knowledge isn't everything, imagination is of greater importance for us right now. we need to move forward with new possibilities and shake off the old chains, including the tribal codes.
i realize one's identity is bound up in the tribe and therefore what i suggest is no small endeavor, but i sincerely don't understand what you're implying. i don't know why you'd think this doesn't apply to Jews and Jewish Israelis as well as Muslims, Christians, Palestinians, Arabs, Americans, etc.
wondering jew habibi,
you say,
"Imagining a one state solution and a serious response to the right of return are fine wishes from those who wish to undo the recent turn of history (63 years) Beinart and J Street are not in the undoing history business."
and i quote,
"... I was raised on two value systems: one was the ethical code and the other the tribal code, and I naively believed that the two could coexist." -original Israeli Refusenik.
and i say, we can live together in peace under an ethical code.
as long as the tribal code gives preference to one over the other, and the audacity to do so even in the face of injustice toward the other we will certainly not have peace. choose the tribal code or choose the ethical code.
i choose the ethical code. i urge you and others to choose the ethical code. the ethical code is the way of peace and justice.
these people are nuts. Zochrot on the other hand is awesome.
just admit it people. just say it.
there needs to be some kind of support group for people who are struggling with the truth of what Israel's creation did to Palestinians. i'm sympathetic, i realize how much this challenges so much of Jewish identity, but denial is not helpful. my heart is filled with compassion for people who refuse to accept the history, they are either terribly deceived by their own work or the work of others or they are so filled hatred and pain that they see nothing else but themselves. these people need a Freedom Theater to Liberate themselves from the false identity and lies they've lived and believed. this is like a cult, i don't recall who first pointed that out to me here on mondo, but the denial makes it a rather tempting comparison.
power corrupts.
the strong oppress the weak.
whether weak means less monied, less organized, the marginalized ...
and strong means monied, organized, Israeli-American approved ...
the Goeth Institut was NOT donating their space, we were being charged a hefty fee of several hundred dollars per night. they completely changed their tone with us from accommodating to terse.
i wish there was an online resource to report such experiences of our voice being silenced would be good to document, kind of like the Right to Enter campaign link to righttoenter.ps
there was approval to get a Palestine Film Festival at the Goeth Institut in LA but then very suddenly our contact got cold on us and refused to allow the film screenings. the people supporting the Palestine Film Festival in DC became confused, i wasn't. i googled info on the founding/ supporters of the Goeth Institut in LA and was not surprised:
"we also pay homage to the rich German cultural heritage and that for sure includes the heritage of the Jewish community that was so unfortunately expelled and had to suffer severely during the dark years of the Nazi regime. The German immigrants and the German-Jewish immigrants from Germany to Los Angeles, this is, as everybody knows, a very interesting group and a very creative group that significantly influenced cinema in Hollywood and being in Los Angeles—in Hollywood—we focus on arts, design, and architecture, which are all prominent things here in the city, on media, and, first and foremost, on film."
link to cinemawithoutborders.com
btw, i have emails to prove the Goeth Institut was under pressure to NOT allow the Palestine Film Festival.
Good news is there is Palestine Film Festival OC going on today and tomorrow at St. Anselms' of Canterbury Church in Garden Grove.
tsunami of stories. let's flood the web with our stories. use photos if you have them. thank you for this post.
absolutely. women are an essential part of liberation.
THANK YOU! Those were some great lines, incisive and humorous.
i heart CODEPINK.
i want to be an organic farmer in Palestine. is there a movement to support local production and farming culture/ practices?
i love this story, it gives me hope. i've often thought Palestine needs to be self-sustainable and not dependent on Israeli goods. organic, local farming/ production within a community is an awesome way to do this.
amen.
i'm sick of hearing a family member needs intensive medical but can not leave Gaza for an ICU.
i'm sick of trying and waiting to get into Gaza to see family.
i'm sick of waiting and seeing time pass me and family members die before the borders open.
i'm sick of waiting and hoping and being lied to.
i'm sick of this emotional roll coaster.
i'm sick of having my life and family controlled by another, and yet somehow we're the guilty party.
such a painful and heart wrenching testimony.
Tony Kushner sounds like an amazing man. Would happily live next door to him in a future One State.
welcome to the BDS. i hope you ride it out. no pun intended :)
“… Jeffery Wiesenfeld has abused his position as CUNY Trustee …”
I motion we introduce a new phrase “Wiesen-ed” to describe someone or an act of a person who abuses their position of power to silence critics of Israel’s discriminatory policies against Palestinians.
In CUNY BoT form your silence results in unanimous approval. Meeting adjourned. Thank you folks.
This is awesome! It was a trip to Palestine in my teens that opened my eyes to the settlements in the West Bank and then taking a Taxi into Gaza we were stopped and surrounded by armed Israeli military jeeps with dozens of Israeli military personnel pointing their automatic weapons at us 3 kids (I'd convinced my twin cousins, senior class Homecoming Queen and her brother the Varsity Football Star that Gaza was perfectly safe). You don't forget those experiences.
i've often thought even if the "Jewish Democracy" permitted me to live in the places my mother and grandmother were birthed, would i really even want to submit myself to live among such intolerance and prejudice? i experienced enough prejudice in LA, would i really even want to move myself and my children for that in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv?
sadly that kind of reaction by the Hillel audience at UCLA is not surprising. i wish i could tell you this is unusual and not the norm, but i've experienced enough at UCLA and in West LA to tell you, business/ hasbara infused hate as usual.
piotr said, "The needs of Israeli Jews are less material and more spiritual."
like?
Lev Leviev: link to forbes.com
or, link to english.themarker.com
link to english.themarker.com
link to english.themarker.com
Good for you Nai! Imagine if we all refused to be silenced by their tactics of fear and intimidation. I hope these army boys are haunted by your strength and humanity ya ukhti. Our existence is resistance let us live loudly, with dignity and our rights. We are beni-adam. Armed men who come in at night to destroy homes and lives are the ones who should be locked up, not Palestinians who defend their rights, homes and family.
i think you may be on to something, certainly Christian Zionist churches, like Calvary Chapel and other non-denominational mega churches that propagate this -speaking for the churches i've been too, have cult like characteristics, i dare say ALL of the following:
Sociological Characteristics of a Cult:
1. Deceptive recruiting practices.
2. Dynamic and authoritarian leadership.
3. Elitism.
4. Cultic vocabulary.
5. Alienation from family and friends.
6. Legalism.
7. Induced fatigue.
8. Sanction oriented.
9. Anti-intellectual.
10. Thought stopping.
11. No professional clergy.
12. Doctrine in flux/ false prophesies.
13. Financial exploitation.
14. Mind control.
*7 is the only one that's not too obvious
is it just me or do those 2 middle paragraphs in point 2 have potential to be read like Suheir Hammad and Remi Kanazi style poetry? saw/ heard Remi last night ... ELECTRIC!
understated? yes. mr. weiss asked that i don't use a sledgehammer.
i have several points:
1) it seems i've unearthed an answer by Steve Roberts to the previously titled post/ question from , “Why are secular assimilating American Jews so Zionist?” Listen to the few minutes of relevant interview the answer seems rather clear and unapologetic.
2) in discussions with Jews and Jewish background Christian Zionists (oh yes, they do exist, some may be known as Messianic Christians) i've asked them to define Jewish? the point in that is, if so much of why Jews "must" colonize Palestine is bound up in Jewish identity then please define that identity, define what it means to be Jewish? is it an ethnic group? or a religious group? a tribe? no one has ever been able to give me an answer. some employ Jewish humor and say ask two Jews for an opinion you 3, 4, 5 opinions etc,
i'm sorry don't brush me off with humor. what i'm asking is why must you insist on "returning" to Palestine for an ideology/ identity you either reject completely (your life is void of religious rituals) or loosely/ vaguely identify with? why move to a place where you don't speak the language? to a land that already has a people? why are you leaving NYC? LA? Chicago? London? Sydney? and driving out MY people who have no other option? Yet you do have other options, you have a home where you are/ were in the West. do you realize you're making refugees out of Palestinians for an ideology?
i am under the impression that the vast majority of Jews are secular, so why pretend there is a religious magnetic pull for all Jews to "return" to a place that until Birthright didn't exist in their mind, wasn't even on the radar? Birthright and other zionist camps/ youth groups kneaded/ needed an idea -that Israel is your homeland and birthright. when in reality, you've stolen what was written in deeds on paper to be MY HOMELAND and MY BIRTHRIGHT.
my point is:
if, the pretext in Western Jewry for "Jewish return"/ zionism is a religious ideology, and
if, European immigrant Jews in USA, replaced this religion/ Judaism with politics
then, why is Western Jewry REALLY returning/ zionist?
conclusion, NOT because of romanticized idea of biblical birthright/ religion
help me out if i am misunderstanding something?
Beautiful story. Amina and her dad, what a team!
"Let me tell you something though. She is not the one you should fear; you should be heaping praises on her and on people like her. They are the ones saying alawi, sunni, arabi, kurdi, duruzi, christian, everyone is the same and will be equal in the new Syria; they are the ones who, if the revolution comes, will be saving Your mother and your sisters. They are the ones fighting the wahhabi most seriously. You idiots are, though, serving them by saying 'every sunni is salafi, every protester is salafi, every one of them is an enemy' because when you do that you make it so."
And I have to say those who have propagated the lie that all Christians are Zionists do the same as above. History shows that some of the most nationalistic Palestinians were/ are (Greek Orthodox) Christians.
There is room for us all. The only place there isn't room for us all is in the mind which lacks the imagination to see that place.
wow. incisive!
killer lyrics.
Lupe rocks!
I like Immortal Technique too: link to vimeo.com
"a true revolutionary loves his people more than he hates his oppressor" Immortal Technique
"They also demanded ‘new’ money from Germany to treat the children of survivors due to their inherited trauma from the holocaust."
did they get any $$$?
and yet some of the Israelis here say they don't believe in compensation, Right of Return and Justice for Palestinians? HELLOOO????
i and my family are still being traumatized by Israel but Israelis don't believe we should be compensated.? is it all about $$$ or is it about the humiliation of compensation? Peace isn't going to be cheap, reconciliation doesn't come without atoning for one's sins (an aside- maybe part of the problem IS that for many zionism IS void of religion, VOID of accountability? interesting thought).
Israel wants 99 cent store Peace for Palestinians, (yet they themselves live by another standard with Germany) Palestinians want Peace with Justice.
i don't know ... the last time i went through Ben-Gurion i was part of a church based Social Justice delegation study group. i was the only Middle Easterner, the rest pretty much of the same background (15 people) except for maybe 1 or 2 others. anyhow, i was the only one given over to the Detention Rooms in Ben-Gurion for 5 hours or so. my traveling mates were drinking beer out of glass bottles while i was being interrogated repeatedly, watched Palestinian mother's with newborn babies on their laps detained (i wondered how will they nurse here? change a diaper? prepare formula? wash their hands?).
on the way out of Israel in Ben-Gurion i was ushered away toward the same "special treatment" again. i'd spent i don't know how many days with this group but i was the only one singled out and the director insisted that he was my guardian and he come with me to the interrogation and strip search rooms of Ben-Gurion. once detained my group director insisted that he be treated in the same manner as i was treated, he insisted that he too be stripped, that he too be questioned, that he too have his belongings searched. it was very generous of him, i'll admit it misery in Ben-Gurion loves company. changes the process a bit from being Kafka-esque to being plain ridiculous and humorous, in a sad, pathetic this is what your occupiers, detainers and oppressors do to construct their mythology kind of way.
there should really be an online space where people can write their stories about their experiences going through Ben-Gurion. i know for me it was very traumatic combined with being refused entry to Gaza (i couldn't even deliver to my grandmother the kilos fresh goat cheese from the West Bank. i failed to fulfill her one request -pocks on you Israel!).
I LOVE Hedy too!
What an inspirational woman! And as sad as I am by what you (what we both) endured in Ben-Gurion, I'm encouraged by your strength and determination to press on and travel/ speak out regardless of what psychological/ physical humiliation they put us all through in order to silence and stop us.
And fabulous news Egyptian FM announces Permanent Opening of Rafah Border Crossing! loooloooloooloooliiiiiii!
"She told his sisters to get an education, never to stay in the kitchen. School "is the only thing you have, otherwise you become like me.” She wanted those children in Europe."
i don't know what his grandmother's situation was but i wonder if his grandmother would have moved to Europe would she really have liked it/ found it better than Morocco? the statement implied that the West is better than the Middle East, but when i lived in Cairo Western women were thrilled to have an army of domestic help, cook, housekeeper, driver, grocery delivery, restaurant delivery, etc -the grandmother's problem sounds like it had more to do with socio-economics?
just commenting as mother/ wife/ woman who has lived in both the West and Middle East , it is really difficult to say one is better than the other without assessing personal circumstances and assessing what someone values the most.
Rula Jebreal said, "... we have to fight our regimes, but abroad we have to fight the prejudice, the discrimination ..."
This is so true.
i was transcribing this in the middle of the night, see a need to clarify/ correct what i wrote. this should read more like,
"... but as you point out in that world of Eastern European immigrant Jews often politics replaced religion -zionism, socialism, bundism (replaced Judaism) …"
the answer my friends is found on NPR, though the NPR story does not provide a transcription and the NPR write-up does not mention zionism, socialism, bundism as powerful forces replacing religion/ Judaism.
"Why are secular assimilating American Jews so Zionist?"
Cokie Roberts' husband Steve Roberts did an excellent job explaining WHY? Though that question wasn't their intention, listen to then on NPR's Talk of the Nation or read my transcription below: relevant discussion begins at 3:00 and ends at 4:30, link to npr.org
Here's the summary of what they said, "tribally and culturally Jewish ... non-observant Jewish family ... to say the least ... mother was a Jewish woman deeply attached to tribe and culture ... these were people who were very political and zionist ... that is actually quite typical ... they were very Jewish just not religious ... they were tribally and culturally Jewish ... never went to a synagogue ... never participated in any religious ritual ... but as you point out in that world of Eastern European immigrant Jews often politics replaced religion, zionism, socialism, bundism (?) ... they were all very powerful i used to tell my grandfather his real Rabbi was actually Larry Speevak who was the host from Meet the Press when he was growing up ... and my grandfather's religious devotion was to listen to "Rabbi" Larry ... but that grandfather had gone to Palestine as a young man and as a pioneer [pioneer what!? who?! nice revision on history Cokie, as if Palestinians weren't in Palestine then?] so he was very much a zionist [Z-word on NPR makes host nervous dog whistle to change subject goes off ...]
thoughts? seems pretty obvious to me ...
the stereotypical Christian Zionist (CZ) would have a really difficult time with this site because they generally tend to be legalistic in their life and worldview. therefore if they read/ see that someone is homosexual, atheist, uses profanity, is Catholic, or somehow diverges from their narrow worldview of life and "godliness" then that person is "not a true believer" and therefore should not be leaned on or taken seriously in matters of faith and life. that's their general thinking in a nutshell.
also, i don't think mondoweiss was open to hearing about Christian Zionists until more recently. mondoweiss certainly has MANY Christian readers, including many former CZ. also CZ are generally more interested in the theology of the end times than the humanity of Palestinians. i probably wouldn't be stretching the truth if i told you CZ believed that Palestinians are "vessels made for dishonor", a phrase taken from the bible to imply not chosen. how much space is there here to get into theology? i know that some of the best Christian minds that are critical of CZ read mondoweiss, maybe one of their articles can get a post?
"Others claim to be progressive, but are only really so when it benefits them or other Jews or when Jews’ autonomy isn’t affected. And then there are the ones who understand that a principle you don’t apply to yourself and your people is not one which you actually have."
well said. two excellent points Woody.
i wish there was a Nefesh B'nefesh unplugged website where people describe real Israeli society/ mentality without the "aliyah" rainbows and sunshine and ponies spin.
i'm real cautious about whatever is transpiring, it's not like Israel and friends just sit back and wait, there is constant machinery working to rig, destroy, co-opt and collaborate. on the other hand just because there's a butt load of machinery/ influence working against bringing about FULL and IMMEDIATE (not this sequential bull- it's been 63 years or negative sequencing - we need to push for FULL and IMMEDIATE Equal Rights now, no more waiting around for pie in the sky to be served by the occupier) Palestinian equality i always get up when i fall. it's the Palestinian comeback kid story. if you've seen the original Karate Kid film you know what i'm talking about.
"Omar is laughing because he never even received his basic rights: His last salary was NIS 50 for a full workday – slightly more than a third of minimum wage, which is NIS 145 a day. And he didn’t get vacation or sick leave. According to Omar, the most workers could earn in Gush Katif was NIS 60 for a full workday. But even if it is NIS 80, as Israeli inspectors in Gush Katif reported, it is still a lot less than minimum wage.”
What is wrong with Western Jewry that American, British, European, Australian and Canadian Jews WILLINGLY move to Israel to support a political state/ zionist ideology when the above is the face of Israel that Palestinians know?
Is the weather and price of Real Estate so bad in Chicago, London, NYC, Sydney that you hit a "values detour" and ignore/ excuse/ explain away the reality and systematic mistreatment of Palestinians? You stand for democratic values in the West but in Israel you play by another set of rules?
Palestinian leaders realize they have a time bomb of youth who have never known equality, justice, freedom, peace who are coming of age and who are inspired by the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia and Egypt. They also know that the "Arab world" supports Palestinian freedom and equality, time is running out for them, they can't keep milking the status quo or they'll end up as delivery in al-saudia/ Saudi Arabia.
*snort* too funny.
"I believe it's good to follow a respected ideology than a corrupt one. We are completely against any truce with Israel. We will attack our enemy by every means according to our military capabilities, we will never hesitate or shy from resisting."
and this is EXACTLY what I meant by comments in previous posts that "Israel will reap, what Israel sows." Apparently [Hamas] Interior Ministry spokesman Ehab Al-Ghusssain agrees, "The jihadis have become, he said, "like a white paper, whatever you write on it, it will be."
Israel needs to change policies completely. Israel's designed a pressure cooker/ lab of atrocities in Gaza. The psychological trauma and human suffering is beyond comprehension. Gazans need a future and a hope, Gazans need Israel to change the present realities, open borders, allow commerce, allow movement, DO NOT CLOSE GAZA OFF to the OUTSIDE WORLD.
Yes, Israel is to blame for this pressure cooker and this minor movement toward extremism.
"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it." Proverbs 3:27
those pictures were taken after Farouk was ousted (July 23, 1952). these pictures aren't unique my parents have similar photos for Gaza beaches.
Let me say to you, the Palestinians: We are destined to live together on the same soil, in the same land. We, the soldiers who have returned from battle stained with blood, we who have seen our relatives and friends killed before our eyes, we who have attended their funerals and cannot look into the eyes of their parents, we who have come from a land where parents bury their children, we who have fought against you, the Palestinians -
We say to you today in a loud and a clear voice: Enough of blood and tears. Enough. We have no desire for revenge. We harbor no hatred towards you. We, like you, are people people who want to build a home, to plant a tree, to love, to live side by side with you in dignity, in empathy, as human beings, as free men. We are today giving peace a chance, and saying again to you: Enough. Let us pray that a day will come when we all will say: Farewell to the arms.
We wish to open a new chapter in the sad book of our lives together a chapter of mutual recognition, of good neighborliness, of mutual respect, of understanding. We hope to embark on a new era in the history of the Middle East. Today, here in Washington, at the White House, we will begin a new reckoning in relations between peoples, between parents tired of war, between children who will not know war. President of the United States, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Our inner strength, our high moral values, have been derived for thousands of years from the Book of Books, in one of which, Koheleth, we read:
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time of war, and a time of peace.'
Ladies and Gentlemen, the time for peace has come.
~Yitzhak Rabin
-that was 15 years ago, another generation has aged. hope has been deferred for too long, the peace process is all process/ charade and completely VOID of JUSTICE and atonement, it's the gov't cheese of peace: cheap, all process little peace and void of an essential building block/ substance called JUSTICE.
i actually have a family member who died due to this as well.