Are We Still Going to Say Israel's Suffering More?

After this story, we better not.

So some Hamas people fired mortar rounds along the border of Gaza and Israel. I'm obviously not going to condone their use of violence, but I think given the circumstances it is understandable. You kick me out of my house and stick me in a ghetto (gasp!) and I'm probably not going to be happy. Add to that that you want to make it so my six hour school day takes a seventeen hour round trip because of all the checkpoints... or tell me I can't take my dying loved one to the hospital today... I think people don't understand the severity of the situation in Gaza and the West Bank.

Also, from the story above,

Gaza militants have fired more than 280 rockets or mortars at Israel since the end of a devastating offensive against the territory on January 18, according to the Israeli military.

Palestinian groups and human right organisations say about about 1,400 Palestinians died during the offensive. Thirteen Israelis also died in the fighting.

And that's over a thousand Palestinians for every Israeli killed. Can that be justified?

Give Hope a Chance

I watched District 9 the other night. All I could think of was the apartheid situation in Israel/Palestine (for the record, Jimmy Carter, Desmond Tutu, and Nelson Mandela have all called this situation an apartheid - note that two of them actually lived under South Africa's apartheid). Sure, go ahead and call it my capstone project haunting me during the holidays. However, the conditions and discrimination faced by the aliens in the film are very reminiscent of that faced by the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories.

Since I've been dwelling on that for a few days, this news story was very unexpected. Here are some of my favorite parts regarding the young Israeli boy and Palestinian girl:

Friendship often starts with proximity, but Orel and Marya, both 8, have been thrust together in a way few elsewhere have. Their playground is a hospital corridor. He is an Israeli Jew severely wounded by a Hamas rocket. She is a Palestinian Muslim from Gaza paralyzed by an Israeli missile. Someone forgot to tell them that they are enemies.

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“The wounds of our children, their pain, our pain, have connected us,” noted Angela Elizarov, Orel’s mother, one recent day as she sat on a bed in the room she shares with her son. Next door is Marya, her 6-year-old brother, Momen, and their father, Hamdi Aman. “Does it matter that he is from Gaza and I am from Beersheba, that he is an Arab and I am a Jew? It has no meaning to me. He sees my child and I see his child.”

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He [Marya's father] and his children have been at Alyn Hospital, which specializes in young people with serious physical disabilities, for nearly the entire time since. The Israeli government, which brought him here for emergency help, wanted him and his children either to return to Gaza or to move to the West Bank. But attention in the Israeli news media produced a bevy of volunteers to fight on his behalf. Marya would not survive in either Gaza or the West Bank. The government has backed off, supporting Mr. Aman on minimum wage and paying for Marya to go to a bilingual Arabic-Hebrew school nearby.

But Mr. Aman has no official status and is also raising a healthy and bright son in a hospital room. He wants residency or a ticket to a Western country where his children will be safe and Marya will get the care she needs.

Volunteers who help are often religious Jews performing national service. Some ask Mr. Aman how he can live among the people whose army destroyed his family.

“I have never felt there was a difference among people — Jews, Muslims, Christians — we are all human beings,” he says. “I worked in Israel for years and so did my father. We know that it is not about what you are but who you are. And that is what I have taught my children.”

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“I was raised as a complete Zionist rightist,” he said. “The Arabs, we were told, were out to kill us. But I was living in some fantasy. Here in the hospital, all my friends are Arabs.” Ms. Elizarov, Orel’s mother, noted that in places like Alyn Hospital, political tensions do not exist. Then she said, “Do we need to suffer in order to learn that there is no difference between Jews and Arabs?”

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Perhaps through the suffering of others, humanity as a whole could someday come together to create a more peaceful existence for all.

Fort Hood

What has happened in Fort Hood is a terrible thing. There just aren't any words to describe it. I have friends in the military as well as family down near Fort Hood. In fact, my aunt had been to the PDX on base earlier that day.

The first question that seems to have popped up is why? Sadly, many people thought they knew the answer within seconds of hearing the suspect's name.

People who use their bigotry to decide reasons why Major Hasan committed this tragic crime are only adding to the heartache. They should be ashamed of themselves for perpetrating hate crimes on top of the hurt already done all over the country. Within virtual seconds after the suspect's name was released, those who were already talking about the possibility of terrorism had ample ammunition. This is going to be a case where Major Hasan and the bigots in the media and the news have ruined it for not only the families and loved ones of the soldiers but also the Muslim population in the military (and the entire U.S.).

Unfortunately, I fear a backlash against the Muslim population, similar to that which occurred after September 11th. I'm not the only one. We could see it in the first five minutes that the world knew the Major's name... and not just on the internet. In CNN's live coverage of the tragedy, Wolf Blitzer's Situation Room was on. Within a few moments of learning Hasan's name, Wolf Blitzer makes the comment that it is "obviously an Arab name."

Really? Wolf Blitzer, I expected better of you. Comments like that do not come from someone who is unbiased or at least fair about situations such as this. Cultural insensitivity is way beneath you... at least I thought so.

If anyone has been reading for very long, they know that I am very interested in the Middle East and studying Islam from a scholarly point of view. I am especially interested in Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In fact, I am writing my senior capstone right now on Israel/Palestine. I have heard viewpoints related to Hasan's self-identification as Palestinian - that he was carrying out a terrorist attack against the U.S. as a form of revenge for what wrongs continue to be perpetrated against the Palestinian peoples. First off, the man in all likelihood did not commit this act as a terrorist, but as someone whose mental health had degraded severely. Secondly, for the Palestinians to attack the U.S. - one of Israel's greatest allies - would be counterproductive, and I would go so far as to assume that most people understand that. Unfortunately though, people are going to associate Hasan with Palestinians, which will hurt their cause greatly.

I hope that we can move forward as a nation brought together by this tragedy and not as one segregated because of bigotry and stereotypes. My heart goes out to the people who are suffering as a result of this man's actions.

Well, Crap

Ahmadinejad was on Larry King Live the other night. I can't explain how hilarious it was. I had just tuned-in in time to hear King ask the Iranian President about his views on the Holocaust. King, who is a Jewish man married to a Mormon woman, had family members die in the mass genocide against Jews, gypsies, the disabled, homosexuals, and other "undesirables." During Ahmadinejad's rant about the Holocaust, King had to take three commercial breaks and tried to move onto another topic several times. I felt really bad for him, but it was humorous to watch Ahmadinejad make a fool of himself. Basically, he tried to say that Jewish people made up the Holocaust in order to get the land of Palestine back until Jewish control. One of the more interesting points that he argued was that he couldn't understand how the Israeli people, who "supposedly" (his words not mine) went through a genocide and terrorist acts being carried out upon them could turn around and treat the people of Palestine in such a similar way. Now, I'm definitely not a Holocaust denier - far from it - but this point has been brewing in my mind for a few days now. I'm not entirely sure how to explain it. It's odd to find myself being able to understand Ahmadinejad's point, maybe even creepy?

Speaking of our favorite friend, Ahmadinejad, he admitted a few days ago that Iran has a second nuclear facility. Even more than that, they tested some missiles in the past few days. Could this lead to another world war? We'll have to see I suppose. Russia's Sergei Karaganov thinks Iran's situation is one of several roadblocks on the path to world peace right now.

In slightly related news, Israel went ahead and shut down for Yom Kippur. They are very worried about what Iran has been doing over the weekend, so I can see where it would be hard to do so. Part of what happens during these shut downs is that all soldiers are relieved of their posts to be able to spend time in Temple and with their families. It's such a nice thing for these people, except that the Palestinians who have to pass through checkpoints in order to get to school, work, home, hospitals, and other places, cannot do so without men at the gates. I'm glad for the Israelis that they get to enjoy their day, but when people are dying because they cannot get past a barrier in order to get medical attention, one has to ask the question whether or not Palestinians are viewed as people at all.

As a reminder, it is a Federal crime to threaten the president. Maybe someone should've posted that on Facebook.

Apparently they're making a movie about Candy Land? Entertainment Weekly wants to know which games are next. If you're looking for ridiculous movies, Justin Timberlake is going to star as one of the developers of facebook. Interesting. (h/t that one guy I'm constantly spending time with)

Oh, and speaking of my boyfriend, we went to this awesome Civil War reenactment Sunday. Look for more details tomorrow when I'm done writing two papers and working.

GAH

I feel so overwhelmed right now with school. Not only am I organizing this Palestinian Freedom Walk and working three jobs as of next week, but I am working on my capstone paper.

The topic? Israel and Palestine.

Honestly, what else did you expect me to write about?

So much homework. Gah.

Palestinian Freedom Walk, Milwaukee

If you are interested in learning more about this awesome event that I'm planning on behalf of the American Association for Palestinian Equal Rights, or AAPER, go to the official sign-up site or to our facebook page.

Here's the quick lowdown though:

What: Silent march

When: October 10, 2009

Where: Somewhere in Milwaukee (IDK yet)

Why: Because Palestinians deserve to be equal in their own country

Who: Anyone who supports human rights!

Also, if you're not in the Milwaukee area, you can find marches near you at the AAPER website.

Really?

I was always told that if I didn't have anything nice to say, I best not say anything at all. Apparently a lot of Israelis want Obama to (perhaps) violate that rule and speak to them directly. Here, have some commentary on the piece:

This policy of ignoring Israel carries a price. Though Mr. Obama has succeeded in prodding Mr. Netanyahu to accept the idea of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, he has failed to induce Israel to impose a freeze on settlements. In fact, he has failed even to stir debate about the merits of one: no Israeli political figure has stood up to Mr. Netanyahu and begged him to support Mr. Obama; not even the Israeli left, desperate for a new agenda, has adopted Mr. Obama as its icon.

Ah, yes, because everyone around the world is supposed to adopt Obama as its new icon for peace and change. I forgot about that one.

In Mr. Netanyahu’s narrative, the president has fallen under the influence of top aides — in this case Rahm Emanuel and David Axelrod — whom the prime minister has called “self-hating Jews.” Meanwhile, Mr. Netanyahu is the defender of national glory in face of unfair pressure, someone who sticks to the first commandment of Israeli culture: thou shalt never be the freier (that is, the dupe).

Kudos for using the word 'dupe.' Just because someone wants to see peace in the Middle East and understands that BOTH sides have to give up some stuff (Palestine being the only side that's really given up anything to date) doesn't make them self-hating Jews. It makes them Jews who understand that what Israel and supporting countries have done the people of Palestine is terrible.

A Jerusalem Post poll of Israeli Jews last month indicated that only 6 percent of those surveyed considered the Obama administration to be pro-Israel, while 50 percent said that its policies are more pro-Palestinian than pro-Israeli. Less scientifically: Israeli rightists have — in columns, articles and public statements — taken to calling the president by his middle name, Hussein, as proof of his pro-Arab tendencies.

Shouldn't the focus be on what is pro-peace and not pro-Israel? If you want a pro-Israel political ally, you really aren't going to get one anytime soon, at least in the United States.

Fourth, as far as most Israelis are concerned, Mr. Obama has made a mistake in focusing on a settlement freeze. For starters, mainstream Israelis rarely have anything to do with the settlements; many have no idea where they are, even when they’re a half-hour’s drive from Tel Aviv.

Oh good, so then it isn't just the United States that fails to get any news whatsoever from the Palestinian side of things due to bias media and suppression? How do you not know about problems in your own holy land? Wow.

In other related news, I bought a book about the conflict the other day, thinking that it would be informative, only to find out that it is very pro-Israel. I don't really have anything wrong with that point of view (when it's not extremist) but the world cannot ignore the atrocities being perpetrated on the Palestinian people - Arabs and Christians, women and children, young and old.

Your Body and You

Actually, this should be titled "Israeli Activists and Iran" but either way.

It happily amazes me when people actually get it. Here are my favorite highlights from this article:

There is a minority in Israel that is willing to risk life and limb to stand up to the occupation at its core. Multiple times a week, groups of Israelis venture through checkpoints into the West Bank in order to meet with Palestinian counterparts and help them maintain the basic necessities of livelihood and hold on to what little land they still legally own. We are continually attacked by settlers and harassed by Israeli authorities, which try to restrict our efforts and often use excessive force. Despite the constant obstacles and fear of arrest, court dates and injury, we continue to fight the occupation with nonviolence...

Iran and Israel are different countries with different systems of government, histories and values. The current regime in Iran is authoritarian while in Israel we have democratic systems, at least as far as the Jewish residents are concerned. But there are also similarities: both countries’ national characters stress the bond between religion and state and are ideologically driven, such that both societies necessarily have elements of oppression and movements against that oppression....

If you feel solidarity with the struggle in Iran over elections, don’t forget that in Israel we have our own resistance, a homegrown and genuine resistance. In both countries, law-abiding citizens are looking to reform their governments’ policies out of a commitment to make their country a better place to live in.

Where did I find this cool article? Only from my new favorite blog. As someone who is actually living the hell in Palestine that those of us in America can sit comfortably in our pajamas and read about on the internet, she is a valuable resource for anyone looking into the conflicts in that region.

Uncool Man

Israel PM is a douche.

Iranian students have to hold a rally in secret and still will fear being chased down, beaten, or worse.

If these pictures don't make you want to get involved somehow, then I don't know what will.

You can watch this site for more live tweets if you don't have a Twitter account.

No S#!t Sherlock

According to Nancy Pelosi, China has failed to make any progression towards the issue of human rights. There can be no such thing as political reform in China unless a revolution is staged or other countries step in to help solve the problem from the bottom up. She has asked the current Chinese President to release prisoners from the Tiananmen Square incident - people who have been jailed for 20+ years. There is no way that the Party will let him get away with that, even if he wanted to do so. I feel like she could've learned a lot from the politics class I took this last semester, in which we examined the gross violation of not only human rights but environmental safety as well in China.

Oh, and Israel is trying to make up BS again. Way to be, chosen people.

Happy 200th Post!

Obama is set to give a speech in Egypt on Thursday. It should be an interesting show, since he is thought to be focusing more on the Israel/Palestine crisis than addressing the Muslim world.

The president will be walking a fine line between reassuring Israel that America will remain a guarantor of Israeli security and between sounding a warning that he is getting impatient with the slow movement toward Palestinian statehood.

Also, if this is really the deadliest battle between Palestinian Authority forces and Hamas in two years, that's really not that bad.

Oh, Netanyahu...

You've been a busy boy.

Monday, the current Prime Minister of Israel met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to discuss the peace process in Israel/Palestine... Interesting. It seems like Netanyahu wants Egypt's help with a new crack at peace in the holy land (meant semi-sarcastically, trust me).

Thursday, he made a surprise trip to Jordan to meet with King Abdullah II:

Mark Regev, a spokesman for Mr. Netanyahu, said that the Israeli prime minister and the Jordanian monarch discussed bilateral issues and the peace process with the Palestinians. On the subject of Palestinian statehood, Mr. Regev said only that “the Prime Minister expressed his view that he is committed to moving forward and is committed to tangible steps that will benefit people on the ground.”

A statement issued by the royal palace after the meeting and quoted by news organizations said that the king had also asked Mr. Netanyahu to accept the Arab peace initiative, which offers Israel normal ties with the Arab world in return for a full withdrawal to its pre-1967 boundaries and a solution for the Palestinian refugees of 1948.

If that wasn't enough for the day, Netanyahu met with Pope Benedict XVI to ask for a denunciation of Iran from the Catholic Church.

In a closed 15-minute meeting in Nazareth, the northern Israeli city where tradition says Jesus lived, the pope and Mr. Netanyahu discussed “how to advance the terms of the peace process,” Father Lombardi said.

Mr. Netanyahu said he and the pope had discussed “the historic process of reconciliation between Christianity and Judaism.”

Father Lombardi said they had also discussed the continuing negotiations between the Vatican and the State of Israel over the Roman Catholic Church’s legal and taxation status in Israel.

Why is there a need to discuss the reconciliation between Christianity and Judaism? I guess I'm not important enough to say, but if there is a reason, it must be to try and figure out a way to bring about the same sort of phenomenon with the other monotheistic faith, Islam.

Throughout his visit to Jordan and Israel, Benedict has been calling attention to the plight of Christians in the region, whose numbers have been declining.

Unfortunately, Christians end up being grouped with Muslims as a minority in Israel. These same people who have experienced "reconciliation" with Judaism are forced into the most terrible parts of Israel/Palestine and are even made to use roads of a lesser quality because of their 'religious and ethnic inferiority.'

This upcoming Monday, Netanyahu visits DC in order to meet with President Obama. This is a major part of the Obama administration's stance on the conflict in the holy land - that there should be a two-state solution in Israel/Palestine:

The Obama administration has fired its own warning shots. It asked Congress to make minor changes in a bill to allow aid to flow to a Palestinian unity government that would include members backed by Hamas — a step away from a blanket refusal to deal with Hamas, which it labels a terrorist organization.

The changes ruffled lawmakers in Congress, who tweaked the wording to make it more restrictive. But the episode rattled Israeli officials, who recently waged a fierce military campaign against Hamas in Gaza to stem its rocket attacks on southern Israeli towns.

Adding to Israel’s qualms, a senior State Department official, Rose Gottemoeller, said at a recent conference in New York that the United States favored having Israel sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which would require it to declare and give up its nuclear arsenal.

We will see how well the talks go, but with the tension regarding Iran, it may be a trickier situation than the optimistic one many hope for. Netanyahu says, though, that Israel will not strike against Iran without Washington's approval. Let's hope they don't get it.

The Middle East

In the past few weeks, I have spent more time studying about the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Like a parent often thinks, I do not believe it is important to know who 'started' the conflict. Instead, the focus of my attention has been on something far more important - something worthy of my time. 

A few weeks ago, I attended a UNAFF showing of a film called "Faces." This film portrays the plights of artists from outside the country to post their art in very public places. This isn't your average art, either, which makes is even more difficult. You can see the trailer for it here. As much as I was against the Israeli occupation of the state of Palestine before, this film pushed me further outside of my comfort zone, teetering on the edge.

I attended a speech today given by a Jewish-American woman, not too much older than myself, who is pro-Palestinian. It was so relieving to see how many people attended the speech. I really hope that it helped to open the eyes of others. This woman's speech pushed me off the edge of that comfort zone. I feel that I can no longer stand by while innocent people are being killed and not being allowed to have the basic rights that I have as a free person.

I challenge each and every one of you to do some research about this conflict. Do not limit yourself to resources from the United States, because, as a nation, we side with Israel. Read about the Palestinians' plights and the horrors that they must endure just to exist. Put yourselves in their shoes.

If you are interested in learning more about Palestinians, please visit these links:

• Award-winning cartoon about Palestine
• US Aid to Israel
• Toolkits/Information on Activism for Palestine
• Five for Palestine
• Global BDS Movement (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions against Israel)
• End the Occupation
• United for Peace (focuses on many other human rights issues as well)
• International Solidarity Movement
• Michigan Peace Team
• Palestine/Israel 101 video
• If Americans Knew
• BBC History
• Global Policy Forum

Please do not be afraid to comment or share your input on this issue. The way to figure out possible solutions is through healthy discussion.