Interesting articles I've been coming across:
Amid destruction, school resumes
Gazans try to resume whatever's left of their lives.
Is an Israeli Jewish sense of victimization perpetuating the conflict with Palestinians?
One of these incredibly insightful articles that succeed in formulating feelings into coherent thoughts. Must read by Akiva Eldar.
Notable excerpt:
"Israeli Jews' consciousness is characterized by a sense of victimization, a siege mentality, blind patriotism, belligerence, self-righteousness, dehumanization of the Palestinians and insensitivity to their suffering. The fighting in Gaza dashed the little hope Bar-Tal had left - that this public would exchange the drums of war for the cooing of doves. "
Souleiman, l'homme qui sait parler à Israël et au Hamas
A profile of Egyptian Intelligence head Omar Suleiman - "le vrai numero 2 du regime", apparently. Very interesting.
Eva Mendes would rather go naked than wear fur
In a PETA (an animal-defense group) advert.
We'd rather she went naked than wear fur, too. Or anything else for that matter.
(And since we're on PETA, check out their banned TV ad for vegeterianism- because, says NBC, it involves, a "woman screwing herself with broccoli". Of course, you're checking it just in defense of the poor broccoli's rights, right?)
Taking a taxi from Jerusalem to Cairo
Nowadays, even I take that trip; this article however dates from 1981. Definitely worth a read.
Tales to tell
Blogging live from Gaza.
It's a ceasefire... just not on the beach, not in your home
Truth is, the war hasn't stopped. Israeli shelling from war ships towards Palestinian cities still occurs sporadically - like "normal".
Cairo's answer to "Peace Now"
Article from 1998 - has anyone heard of the "Cairo Peace Movement"? Yeah? Me neither.
(Other mentions of the organisation are here and here - all three articles are from 1998.. I wonder if the org still exists!)
Letter from a Palestinian child to the US President
The things that matter more than a 'Middle East peace envoy' and such. I particularly like that website it's posted on...
(Courtesy of Barefoot)
36 years, and couting
A very interesting history of the settlements with the successive Israeli governments since 1967.
Notable excerpts:
- 1977: Agricultural minister Ariel Sharon weaves an extensive plan for settlement beyond the Green Line and declares, "Within 20 years there will be 2 million Jews between the Golan and Ofira [Sharm al-Sheikh]."
- 1983 - The Kahan Commission investigating the massacre at the Sabra and Chatila refugee camps in Lebanon calls for the resignation of defense minister Ariel Sharon. He resigns, receives the post of construction and housing minister, and starts building.
- 1989 - President Chaim Herzog reduces the sentences of the three members of the Jewish underground in the territories who were found guilty of murder and given life sentences, and they are released 14 months later.
Conclusion (my own): the settlements were never a pain to the government, but are rather instrumentalised by it to implement its never-ending expansionist policy.
Anyone believing otherwise is just not serious.
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I thought you might also find this interesting:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/nawaranegm/gGxHty
Thanks, Barefoot! Link added! :)
- 1977: Agricultural minister Ariel Sharon weaves an extensive plan for settlement beyond the Green Line and declares, "Within 20 years there will be 2 million Jews between the Golan and Ofira [Sharm al-Sheikh]."
Conclusion (my own): the settlements were never a pain to the government, but are rather instrumentalised by it to implement its never-ending expansionist policy. Anyone believing otherwise is just not serious.
Hi Mohamed - it's easy to come to conclusions. over 30 years later, there are less that 20k Jews in the golan, 250,000 in the west bank and zero in the sinai or gaza.
that's a less than 15% success rate and, in the end, even sharon realised the dream of greater israel was over.
Hi Michael --
The 2 million number shouldn't be used as a benchmark at all. 15%? Well, this 15% success rate is 15% too many. There shouldn't be any settlers there. It's illegal, and highly damaging for any peace settlement.
But they keep growing. Settlement building hasn't stopped one day. Land was confiscated just last week from Bethlehem; outposts are being built; wackos are still trying to settle Judea and Samaria.
And my argument is that settlements were encouraged by the very same governments, the very same people who pretend that their hands are tied by the settlers and their political representatives (you got what, 10, 15 MK who are settlers?)
And btw - you forgot the 200,000 settlers in East Jerusalem. That makes for a grand total of half a million settlers. Not too bad of a success rate, in my opinion...
Would think that an old Nazi term is best for Israel's expansion: Lebensraum.
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