Pappy, in his everlasting quest to make life more interesting, has added a cohort to his blog. Me. I am his slightly more sarcastic, slightly less media savvy (read: I watch less television) co-conspirator. Though I'm not sure that's a good word to use, considering all the implications in this post-9-11, post-post modernist world we live in. But I digress.
Who am I? Good question. I am a recent graduate of the University of Washington in International Studies. I am a walking example of the effects of the economic recession on graduating college students. In short, I am wasting my mental acuity working a dead end retail job. But let's not focus on the negative here. Let's instead focus on what I'm interested in, since I have no specialties or experience to speak of. I wrote a whole lot of papers on Israel while I was in college, mostly relating to human rights. Let's summarize them all by saying it's a depressing specialty in a depressing field. Since then, I have found my focus shifting from Israel (and their human rights record) to other countries in the Middle East. Of most interest to me are what could be politely termed as the potential failed states, Yemen, Lebanon, Iran, and most recently Tunisia and Egypt.
When I say failed states, I do not mean Weber's legitimate use of force. Nor do I necessarily mean Foreign Policy's multitudinal spectrums of failure, which use mathematical equations to rank states along a spectrum of nastiness. I don't do math. Essentially what I mean by "failing states," which I understand is a loaded and controversial term, are states I see as teetering on the brink of chaos. What does chaos mean? Depends on the country. In Yemen, it means that Saudi Arabia violates your northern border in order to address revolutionary overspill. In Lebanon it means a fragile democracy where the head of government has to depend on a party which is his ideological opposite to stay in power. Or in the case of Lebanon, it means the head of government is ousted as a result of a report that has yet to be released on the subject of the previous head of government's death at the hands of a member of the more recent head of government's coalition [Ed.'s Note: Previous head of state was also his dad (/spins bowtie)]. That's a can of worms, isn't it? In Iran, it's the total subjegation of the rule of law to the will of the ruling whatever-they-are. Let's call them posse, just because I kind of assume Ahmadinejad and Khomeini wouldn't like being called a posse. And I find that entertaining, in a Muhammed-on-South-Park-in-a-Bear-Suit kind of way.
And I won't insult the readers intelligence by explaining why Tunisia and Egypt are potentially failed states. That seems intiutive at this point.
So to summarize: I'm an international affairs nerd. I geek out when people bring up the Cold War, ethnic minorities along the Af-Pak border (which I will henceforth refer to as Pak-Af, just because I read somewhere it pisses off the ISI, and one of my goals in life is to piss off foreign intelligence services), and all those -cracies (democracy, theocracy, autocracy, etc). Expect to hear more from me, and Pappy, since I've become his Nag In Chief.
Signing off for now.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
A Note on Being Bad Ass
NOTE: THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR VARIOUS BAD ASS TELEVISION SERIES AND FILMS.
Williams also currently portrays "Chalky" White on Boardwalk Empire, where he represents Atlantic City's black community at the beginning of Prohibition, leveraging votes to get benefits from Nucky Thompson and torturing KKK members.
Another example is any role Clint Eastwood played outside of Bridges Over Madison County and Space Cowboys. Eastwood's glare, even in his last role of Walt Kowalski in Gran Torino, where he NEVER EVEN FIRED A GUN, was just BAD AAAAASSSSSSS (and also extremely racist).
And finally, there are two that I, as a Jew, am very proud of. The Jewish brigade of Inglorious Basterds, led by Brad Pitt's Lieutenant Aldo Raine, torture Nazis in ways that are by no means worse than what the Nazis did in history, but still helps to make up for the disgusting genocide that was the Holocaust, especially the way the Jew Hunter was forced to live the rest of his life.
Eichmann shouldn't have been executed, he should have received this punishment. But my response to Arendt's Eichmann in Jerusalem will be later, I promise.
And the last movie I find to be extremely bad ass is Munich. Initially, I was told to boycott this movie by my parents because Tony Kushner is self-hating and whatnot, but the responsibility also lies with Spielberg, who wanted to inject some sort of humanity into the film, giving the main character, Avner, regret for his actions that helped put to justice those responsible for the massacre at the Munich Olympics in 1972. In reality, the team were not concerned with the moral implications, they were serving their country to the best of their abilities. Overall, this movie was Jews not backing down and taking on those that try to attack them, and that, dear readers, is bad ass.
And this brings me to the reason I wrote this post: the Turkish movie that was just released, Valley of the Wolves-Palestine, which portrays a revenge mission by the Turkish against Israeli operatives for the deaths suffered on the Mavi Marmara, which was part of the flotilla of ships that tried to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza this past May. While I have not seen this movie, I have a few reasons from the historical context to deem it to not be bad ass.
1.Historical Accuracy
The facts are out on the table: Golda Meir did call for this revenge mission to be carried out by Mossad, with extreme prejudice. This very public and very heinous crime would be punished using killings that would make each surviving member of Black September cringe and fear their own turn in the queue. This movie's plot, which involved such a ridiculous premise, just seems like it would never be a plausible outcome of this situation, mostly because Mossad would probably respond in kind to this Turkish response.
2. Political Legitimacy
The Israeli Navy was enforcing an embargo, and is not a terrorist organization (some would disagree, but its the army of a sovereign nation). If Israel had not enforced the embargo, they would have been seen as weak, which is not what Israel wants to do in the Middle East. So the passengers on an aid ship want to mess with a bunch of armed commandos? That is not something you seek revenge for.
3. Complete Implausibility
I know the Turkish want to seem bad ass and all, but let's get one thing straight: the counterintelligence abilities of the Shin Bet as well as the striking abilities of the Mossad make this scenario completely impossible. The only leaks from Israel have come courtesy of Mordechai Vanunu, who worked at the Dimona plant and then told about half of the story of the Israeli nuclear program before a honeypot got him stuck and brought back to Israel. Espionage is tough to do to Israel, just as Hizballah learned last year when they tried to blame Israel in their place for the assassination of Rafiq Hariri, and continue to blame them, just as the tribunal continues to move forward.
4. Revising the Future?
These two countries had previously had great relations up until the Gaza offensive at the end of 2009. They deteriorated further, with some help from Danny Ayalon and Avigdor Lieberman's complete lack of any diplomatic skill. Art can have a great influence on public opinion and can easily affect the way people think about another country, which in democracies can lead to changes in relations, and demonizing people can be a great multiplier.
Hopefully, these two governments can get together and become more understanding of each other. But in the mean time, Turkey looks a lot like Jaden Smith's "karate kid;" they bought themselves a Jackie Chan, but they don't know how to use it so it made them look like spoiled idiots.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Statecraft of this Nature Requires Good Wages
I'll admit that it looks like a pretty tough job right now to be a member of the Israeli Foreign Ministry. You're working for a minister who came to his position not by having any experience as a diplomat, but through the performance of his party in the previous election. And his tactics are a bit inappropriate, looking to destroy the reputation of counterparts and demean visitors, to go along with his penchant for speaking out of turn. Well, now the Foreign Ministry is doing neither, and it is hurting the Israeli reputation abroad.
The Foreign Ministry is on strike for better pay, and working for Lieberman is a hardship that should be taken into consideration for these negotiations to go along with the complaints of many expenses having to come out of pocket. In the mean time, all foreign ministry outposts, including embassies, missions to the UN, and consulates, are closed for the work stoppage. It is alienating Diaspora communities, damaging short-term support, but it's also hurting relations with larger countries not known for the support engendered in their Jewish communities. Not to mention Bibi will be stuck in Israel without the means to facilitate any sort of state visit. Not to mention that intelligence is not being facilitated due to its reliance on unionized Foreign Ministry workers.
Last week, Dimitri Medvedev became the first head of government in a very long time to cross the Allenby Bridge from Jordan into the West Bank and voiced his support for Palestinian independence. This follows the trend started by Latin American countries to recognize Palestinian independence in the lead up to a possible UN Security Council vote that could make this goal happen.
All of this could have easily been avoided had the Foreign Ministry workers received their fair pay. Lieberman has already charmed the Russians with his fluency, and he should take the blunt of the blame. If Medvedev had traveled through Israel before going into the West Bank, it is very likely that Lieberman could have stalled him in making this statement. It is the fault of the leadership that those who practice state craft are not being paid enough to do so. If Netanyahu wants to stop alienating allies, he needs to get the Foreign Ministry paid and back to work as soon as he can.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
What is this water falling from the sky?
Some news from outside the Middle East is my focus right now after my return to the States (more on that later). My attention was turned to Myanmar (and like Jay Peterman, "it will always be Burma to me") where Virginia senator Jim Webb, a big part of Obama's ability to take that state, left this week for the remote capital of the country now dominated by a military junta that has created a cult of personality around the armed forces. His purpose? To free a CRAZY AMERICAN, which he did. Yes, John Yettaw may be an American citizen and veteran, but he has made it even harder for democracy advocate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to try to make inroads against the authoritarian Myanmar(an)(ese) military regime, as she has been given an additional 18 months of house arrest for letting in a visitor who swam across a lake and happened to be very ill.
It may seem like things are looking down for the junta, but things seem to be mighty fine. China continues to support them, and they have been partially legitimized by Webb's visit. Sure, the State Department said that nothing changes, but Webb still wants changes, especially with the elections planned for next year.
The elections are where the junta will learn their roll. Aung San Suu Kyi will not be allowed to participate because she was once married to someone born outside of the country. Her National League for Democracy will still be able to participate, but she will have to watch from the sidelines as one of the most unfair constitutions comes into play, where the military can determine whether a coup is necessary (if the government isn't "democratic" enough). The Mon and Wa in the North are already planning to take up arms against the junta if the constitution comes into play since it will disarm the militias protecting these ethnic groups (and running an illegal drug trade on the hilly borders of China). The Burmese military usuall stays in the lowlands near Yangon or the worst-planned capital in the world, Napyitaw. I expect the junta to get some sort of air force with the help of the Chinese before implementing the constitution. If it does come to that, the US needs to seriously consider stepping in to protect these groups, and this will include having to take a firm stance with China on the matter.
In other news, the Israeli government (and Peace Now confirms this) has stopped giving permits to new settlements in the West Bank. This will make it so that permanent settlement will stop, but the IDF will still need to deal with groups like Youth for Israel, which likes to send in young religious Zionists to set up temporary camp on land in the West Bank, but are never too much for the IDF to handle.
Another big development comes with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's visit to Washington this week, where today he and Obama agreed to acquiesce to some demands from the Israeli government for the new Palestinian state. The question is whether other Arab states will also agree to the stipulation that the Palestinian state be demilitarized and the right of return be exchanged for monetary compensation. The next question will be Hamas, who look relatively moderate after dealing with a takeover of a mosque in Tunneltown, Gaza (Rafah) by the fundamentalist Warriors of God. This is still all relative, so I wouldn't bet my life savings on it (I would bet $10, if I can get some 10-1 odds, which makes me wonder, is there somewhere to bet on Middle East peace? Yessir).
And welcome the Swedish to the blood libel-style conspiracy fold. A Swedish paper claims that as part of the recent New York metropolitan area money laundering scheme, the IDF was killing Palestinians and selling their organs. They also have some testimony. This comes on the heels of the Romanian ova-trafficking claims, and don't forget what goes into matzah and hamentashen: that's right, the blood of your child! It's really sort of funny how this whole blood-libel thing works, because it is ALL PLAGIARISM (Even The Protocols of the Elders of Zion was.) So anyways, maybe finding something REAL and TANGIBLE will make things easier for you.
Finally, I'm back in the United States, and I have to say I am very sad, but there are just some things that are way better here (partial list: pickup basketball, DIM SUM, THAI FOOD, PRESENCE OF BURRITOS). But many of the people I met in Israel endeared the land to me and I can't wait to go back, and I am definitely considering making aliyah. This is also the first time I've spent more than a month abroad, and the shock of being back here was most evident in the jet lag, which lasted 4 days. WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME ABOUT THAT? Anyways, I'm going to keep up the blogging about the Middle East while I'm here, maybe with some occasional reports from my friend Peanut.
UPDATE: Today was the first time I have seen rain in 2 months. I decided to go umbrella-less in order to get the full effect after having missed it for so long. Still, I'm pretty sure I'll get sick of it by the next time it rains.
It may seem like things are looking down for the junta, but things seem to be mighty fine. China continues to support them, and they have been partially legitimized by Webb's visit. Sure, the State Department said that nothing changes, but Webb still wants changes, especially with the elections planned for next year.
The elections are where the junta will learn their roll. Aung San Suu Kyi will not be allowed to participate because she was once married to someone born outside of the country. Her National League for Democracy will still be able to participate, but she will have to watch from the sidelines as one of the most unfair constitutions comes into play, where the military can determine whether a coup is necessary (if the government isn't "democratic" enough). The Mon and Wa in the North are already planning to take up arms against the junta if the constitution comes into play since it will disarm the militias protecting these ethnic groups (and running an illegal drug trade on the hilly borders of China). The Burmese military usuall stays in the lowlands near Yangon or the worst-planned capital in the world, Napyitaw. I expect the junta to get some sort of air force with the help of the Chinese before implementing the constitution. If it does come to that, the US needs to seriously consider stepping in to protect these groups, and this will include having to take a firm stance with China on the matter.
In other news, the Israeli government (and Peace Now confirms this) has stopped giving permits to new settlements in the West Bank. This will make it so that permanent settlement will stop, but the IDF will still need to deal with groups like Youth for Israel, which likes to send in young religious Zionists to set up temporary camp on land in the West Bank, but are never too much for the IDF to handle.
Another big development comes with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's visit to Washington this week, where today he and Obama agreed to acquiesce to some demands from the Israeli government for the new Palestinian state. The question is whether other Arab states will also agree to the stipulation that the Palestinian state be demilitarized and the right of return be exchanged for monetary compensation. The next question will be Hamas, who look relatively moderate after dealing with a takeover of a mosque in Tunneltown, Gaza (Rafah) by the fundamentalist Warriors of God. This is still all relative, so I wouldn't bet my life savings on it (I would bet $10, if I can get some 10-1 odds, which makes me wonder, is there somewhere to bet on Middle East peace? Yessir).
And welcome the Swedish to the blood libel-style conspiracy fold. A Swedish paper claims that as part of the recent New York metropolitan area money laundering scheme, the IDF was killing Palestinians and selling their organs. They also have some testimony. This comes on the heels of the Romanian ova-trafficking claims, and don't forget what goes into matzah and hamentashen: that's right, the blood of your child! It's really sort of funny how this whole blood-libel thing works, because it is ALL PLAGIARISM (Even The Protocols of the Elders of Zion was.) So anyways, maybe finding something REAL and TANGIBLE will make things easier for you.
Finally, I'm back in the United States, and I have to say I am very sad, but there are just some things that are way better here (partial list: pickup basketball, DIM SUM, THAI FOOD, PRESENCE OF BURRITOS). But many of the people I met in Israel endeared the land to me and I can't wait to go back, and I am definitely considering making aliyah. This is also the first time I've spent more than a month abroad, and the shock of being back here was most evident in the jet lag, which lasted 4 days. WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME ABOUT THAT? Anyways, I'm going to keep up the blogging about the Middle East while I'm here, maybe with some occasional reports from my friend Peanut.
UPDATE: Today was the first time I have seen rain in 2 months. I decided to go umbrella-less in order to get the full effect after having missed it for so long. Still, I'm pretty sure I'll get sick of it by the next time it rains.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Separate is NEVER Equal, Avigdor Lieberman's Megalomania Begins to Catch Up, and a Disgusting Act in Tel Aviv
It's been tough to get this blog updated recently, mostly due to a lack of internet connection in my new digs, so now as I wait for a warm laffa with chicken among other treats inside, I update you on the important stuff since the last time I posted.
The biggest thing for me this week was watching this video on youtube and trying to put it into a context that Americans would understand:
As an American, the first two Supreme Court cases I learned about were Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education, which set precedents for segregation and integration of African-Americans respectively (African-Americans are still not completely integrated, as is any minority in any country due to the fact that racial/religious majorities will always be scared of an uprising that destroys their rule).
Palestinians are looking at a comparable situation, where the Israeli government evicts them from their homes in order to give them to Jewish families.
Palestinian statehood is a necessity to mollify these problems, but as I continue to say, Israel needs to help. Arab states are known for not being major financial donors in aiding Palestinian development, so Israel must help. For the security wall to work, for Abbas to have real power in the West Bank and possibly have it translate to Gaza, Israel needs to help Palestinian development by improving services such as hospitals and transportation along with basic infrastructure so that there isn't need for people to oppose the state and it can flourish.
This brings me to my next topic: the possible coming fall of Avigdor Lieberman from power. After the US response to the evictions, Lieberman decided to fight back against international opinion by advising the Foreign Ministry to circulate pictures of Hitler and and the former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, who had met with Hitler to help devise a plan for exterminating the Jews of the Middle East. Lieberman is essentially using the photo to blackmail Western countries into ceasing demands of stopping settlements and condemning the evictions.
This is all a nice distraction, since the Israeli police recently came out with a plan to indict Lieberman for some financial dealings that allowed him to pocket around 10 million NIS while serving in Knesset and as Foreign Minister. Lieberman was reportedly usually careful to not leave a paper trail behind him, but this time was unsuccessful. He had plans to avoid any sort of charges that he got with his deal to join Netanyahu's coalition by getting the Ministries that deals with legal matters under his party's control, but a minister from his party let it continue. So now Lieberman looks like he may be on the way out. Moshe Katsav never thought anything would happen to him, and now he sits as a blacksheep somewhere out of the public eye (probably better for him).
Also on Saturday, a man wearing black attacked a Gay and Lesbian center in Tel Aviv where a support group was meeting, killing 2 and injuring others. Netanyahu and Shimon Peres have come out deriding the incident (still haven't heard from National Religious or Shas, because they probably would say something extremely stupid). And this is definitely a hate crime. I will not pin blame on anyone, but this person was not that mad and blind, he obviousl had some sort of plan to terrorize innocent people who were in the process of coming to grips withtheir identity.
I was in the Golan this weekend, and I have to say, it is a beautiful place. I can't imagine what it would be like under Syrian control, as the Syrians loved to use the advantage in elevation to terrorize Israelis living in the North. But it has such great scenery and awesome hikes that have been incorporated so well into the Israeli National Park system. All I can say is
העם צריך להיות עם הגולן-The nation needs to be with the Golan.
The biggest thing for me this week was watching this video on youtube and trying to put it into a context that Americans would understand:
As an American, the first two Supreme Court cases I learned about were Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education, which set precedents for segregation and integration of African-Americans respectively (African-Americans are still not completely integrated, as is any minority in any country due to the fact that racial/religious majorities will always be scared of an uprising that destroys their rule).
Palestinians are looking at a comparable situation, where the Israeli government evicts them from their homes in order to give them to Jewish families.
Palestinian statehood is a necessity to mollify these problems, but as I continue to say, Israel needs to help. Arab states are known for not being major financial donors in aiding Palestinian development, so Israel must help. For the security wall to work, for Abbas to have real power in the West Bank and possibly have it translate to Gaza, Israel needs to help Palestinian development by improving services such as hospitals and transportation along with basic infrastructure so that there isn't need for people to oppose the state and it can flourish.
This brings me to my next topic: the possible coming fall of Avigdor Lieberman from power. After the US response to the evictions, Lieberman decided to fight back against international opinion by advising the Foreign Ministry to circulate pictures of Hitler and and the former Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, who had met with Hitler to help devise a plan for exterminating the Jews of the Middle East. Lieberman is essentially using the photo to blackmail Western countries into ceasing demands of stopping settlements and condemning the evictions.
This is all a nice distraction, since the Israeli police recently came out with a plan to indict Lieberman for some financial dealings that allowed him to pocket around 10 million NIS while serving in Knesset and as Foreign Minister. Lieberman was reportedly usually careful to not leave a paper trail behind him, but this time was unsuccessful. He had plans to avoid any sort of charges that he got with his deal to join Netanyahu's coalition by getting the Ministries that deals with legal matters under his party's control, but a minister from his party let it continue. So now Lieberman looks like he may be on the way out. Moshe Katsav never thought anything would happen to him, and now he sits as a blacksheep somewhere out of the public eye (probably better for him).
Also on Saturday, a man wearing black attacked a Gay and Lesbian center in Tel Aviv where a support group was meeting, killing 2 and injuring others. Netanyahu and Shimon Peres have come out deriding the incident (still haven't heard from National Religious or Shas, because they probably would say something extremely stupid). And this is definitely a hate crime. I will not pin blame on anyone, but this person was not that mad and blind, he obviousl had some sort of plan to terrorize innocent people who were in the process of coming to grips withtheir identity.
I was in the Golan this weekend, and I have to say, it is a beautiful place. I can't imagine what it would be like under Syrian control, as the Syrians loved to use the advantage in elevation to terrorize Israelis living in the North. But it has such great scenery and awesome hikes that have been incorporated so well into the Israeli National Park system. All I can say is
העם צריך להיות עם הגולן-The nation needs to be with the Golan.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Gates and Jones Come to Visit and Haredi Settlements and there is Hezbollah Again!
Big news right now out of Jerusalem is the arrival of US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and National Security Advisor James Jones with the primary subject of discussion being nuclear proliferation in Iran. Defense Minister Ehud Barak says no options are being taken off the table, but Obama's plan to wait for the UN General Assembly to convene in September may be too long for Israel (probably in the eyes of Mossad). This means that if Israel does choose to attack Iran, as recent movements into the Red Sea through the Suez Canal of submarines and warships seems to indicate, Israel may be looking at a PR disaster similar to the 1981 Operation Opera that took out the Iraqi nuclear reactor in Osirak and drew widespread international condemnation until the end of Desert Storm, which would have been a very different war had Iraq still had a nuclear capability.
However, it seems that Iran has been planning for this, with reports of facilities being spread out and being housed 80m below ground, which is hard to penetrate by even the most powerful of bombs. Iran also claims a working air defense system, which will also make this operation that much harder than going against what was basically the equivalent of burning ants with a magnifying glass by Saddam in Osirak.
On the edge of the West Bank, two Haredi settlements, Modiin Illit and Beitar Illit, are preparing to challenge the Obama administration demands that settlements not be allowed to expand naturally. Recent IDF estimates put the count of settlers in the West Bank at more than 304,569 with 2.3 million Palestinians in the territory as well. The number of settlers has grown 2.3% since January, but without the two Illit settlements, this number falls to 1.75%. Since January, Modiin Illit and Beitar Illit have grown 4.5% and 3.1% respectively.
The two cities are quite the contrast to the Haredi neighborhoods in Jerusalem and near Tel Aviv, which are usually characterized by a lack of upkeep. The Illits are well-kept, along with being well-developed by businesses. But still, poverty remains an issue, as charities such as the one run by Dov Fromowitz are supporting 1,200 families.
They also maintain good relationships with their Palestinian "neighbors," but not without issue. The Palestinians are able to access their agricultural fields that are in the valley in between neighborhoods of the one of the setllements by presenting an ID card and making a trek through a tunnel. The farmer interviewed by the New York Times seemed satisfied with the situation and hoped to pass down his fields to his son. However, other farmers were not happy with the development of the settlement, since runoff from a sweage treatment plant was going in the direction of their fields and contaminating it. The farmer asks who would want fruits and vegetables contaminated by sewage, and I must say no.
But a lack of attachment to the land is a good thing coming from the Haredi settlers, since if the time does come when they will be forced to leave in order to accomodate the new borders of a Palestinian state, there will not be an issue with these areas as opposed to the resistance put up by religious Zionists (best seen during the unilateral Gaza withdrawal and the Sinai withdrawal following the peace treaty with Egypt).
The recent discovery of a Hezbollah weapons cache in a UN Security Council-declared weapons-free zone near the Israel-Lebanon border (pretty easy to discover when, out of the blue, it explodes), has senior IDF officials putting up a message of deterrence for the terrorist organization that is probably still harboring resentment from the unsuccessful showing in Lebanese elections earlier this year.
Hezbollah is in a quandary trying to determine its next move. Nasrallah has made two aggressive claims: for Israel to return Lebanese prisoners, none of which are alive, and the body is said to be lost; and claims that Israel will invade Lebanon in the next year.
But Hezbollah has a lot to consider given the current instability in Iran, where President Ahmadinejad may be looking at a confidence vote in Parliament following the resignation of of Meshaei, his choice for his first deputy (who once said Iran was a friend of the US and Israel-the kicker though being that Ahmadinejad immediately hired him as his Chief of Staff), and the dismissal of another for taking issue with the appointment of the aforementioned. Iran is the main financial and material supporter of Hezbollah, and without a stable Iran to back them up, they seem to have fallen to a level where Israel does not see them as much of a threat.
Finally, this cellphone commercial is laughable. The original CellCom commercial DOESN'T HAVE ANY ARABS IN IT! One day you will learn.
However, it seems that Iran has been planning for this, with reports of facilities being spread out and being housed 80m below ground, which is hard to penetrate by even the most powerful of bombs. Iran also claims a working air defense system, which will also make this operation that much harder than going against what was basically the equivalent of burning ants with a magnifying glass by Saddam in Osirak.
On the edge of the West Bank, two Haredi settlements, Modiin Illit and Beitar Illit, are preparing to challenge the Obama administration demands that settlements not be allowed to expand naturally. Recent IDF estimates put the count of settlers in the West Bank at more than 304,569 with 2.3 million Palestinians in the territory as well. The number of settlers has grown 2.3% since January, but without the two Illit settlements, this number falls to 1.75%. Since January, Modiin Illit and Beitar Illit have grown 4.5% and 3.1% respectively.
The two cities are quite the contrast to the Haredi neighborhoods in Jerusalem and near Tel Aviv, which are usually characterized by a lack of upkeep. The Illits are well-kept, along with being well-developed by businesses. But still, poverty remains an issue, as charities such as the one run by Dov Fromowitz are supporting 1,200 families.
They also maintain good relationships with their Palestinian "neighbors," but not without issue. The Palestinians are able to access their agricultural fields that are in the valley in between neighborhoods of the one of the setllements by presenting an ID card and making a trek through a tunnel. The farmer interviewed by the New York Times seemed satisfied with the situation and hoped to pass down his fields to his son. However, other farmers were not happy with the development of the settlement, since runoff from a sweage treatment plant was going in the direction of their fields and contaminating it. The farmer asks who would want fruits and vegetables contaminated by sewage, and I must say no.
But a lack of attachment to the land is a good thing coming from the Haredi settlers, since if the time does come when they will be forced to leave in order to accomodate the new borders of a Palestinian state, there will not be an issue with these areas as opposed to the resistance put up by religious Zionists (best seen during the unilateral Gaza withdrawal and the Sinai withdrawal following the peace treaty with Egypt).
The recent discovery of a Hezbollah weapons cache in a UN Security Council-declared weapons-free zone near the Israel-Lebanon border (pretty easy to discover when, out of the blue, it explodes), has senior IDF officials putting up a message of deterrence for the terrorist organization that is probably still harboring resentment from the unsuccessful showing in Lebanese elections earlier this year.
Hezbollah is in a quandary trying to determine its next move. Nasrallah has made two aggressive claims: for Israel to return Lebanese prisoners, none of which are alive, and the body is said to be lost; and claims that Israel will invade Lebanon in the next year.
But Hezbollah has a lot to consider given the current instability in Iran, where President Ahmadinejad may be looking at a confidence vote in Parliament following the resignation of of Meshaei, his choice for his first deputy (who once said Iran was a friend of the US and Israel-the kicker though being that Ahmadinejad immediately hired him as his Chief of Staff), and the dismissal of another for taking issue with the appointment of the aforementioned. Iran is the main financial and material supporter of Hezbollah, and without a stable Iran to back them up, they seem to have fallen to a level where Israel does not see them as much of a threat.
Finally, this cellphone commercial is laughable. The original CellCom commercial DOESN'T HAVE ANY ARABS IN IT! One day you will learn.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Links
Noah Efron (he spells his name on books differently) gives perspective to the simmering tension between secular and religious Jews in Jerusalem that boiled over in the riots last week.
And the book linked from Amazon is the one that inspired me to start studying International Relations.
Steven Rosen on why Obama's stances on settlements end up harming the legitimacy of both sides.
Ehud Olmert thinks everybody has it all wrong.
Outreach to Israel from the Crown Prince of Bahrain.
Marc Lynch goes on NPR to talk about his insanely popular blog post about Jay-Z's position in the rap game being comparable to the US's in international politics.
And the book linked from Amazon is the one that inspired me to start studying International Relations.
Steven Rosen on why Obama's stances on settlements end up harming the legitimacy of both sides.
Ehud Olmert thinks everybody has it all wrong.
Outreach to Israel from the Crown Prince of Bahrain.
Marc Lynch goes on NPR to talk about his insanely popular blog post about Jay-Z's position in the rap game being comparable to the US's in international politics.
Two Stories from Two Sides of a Fence
This originally appeared here.
First off, I realize that my focus has been primarily directed towards Israel, but I will bring up this piece of news from last week: the Palestinian Authority shutting down operations at the Al-Jazeera offices in the West Bank after a guest on the network, Farouk Qaddoumi, accused Mahmoud Abbas of playing a part in the death of former PA chairman Yasir Arafat.
Of course this rivalry goes way back, but what's better is that Abbas admits that his criticism of the network is nearly baseless; he doesn't have time to watch TV (so maybe someone is telling him what they're saying?).
This also comes on the heel of the IMF's declaration that the West Bank has had one of its best years economically. Abbas and the PA have taken some steps to hegemony, but I have to agree with Dr. Lynch that this is not how you want to establish this power going forward. Government transparency is essential, and while the network won't be able to report directly, five of their top seven stories at the time of Lynch's post were about the expulsion and resulting effects.
At the same time, on the Israeli side, education is essentially being Americanized (just like this AP article, which is, for some reason, a direct translation from Yisrael Hayom aka Israel Today aka Bibi-Ton (during the run up to the election in February each word was like a tongue slowly licking the bottom of Netanyahu's feet) minus the added quotes from new Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman).
Minister of Education Gideon Saar told the Knesset, "No other country in the world, in its official curriculum, would treat the fact of its founding as a catastrophe." This is true, especially for third-graders. When was the last time a third-grade teacher in the US wasn't essentially feeding propaganda to his/her students? Never! The beginning of consideration of revisionist history theory in US public schools begins during high school, and it was something required quite a bit of adjusting for me (Smallpox blankets? DAYUMN!). So, whatever. Let the children believe, as they do in every country in elementary school, that their independence was a natural action that some supernatural force decided was just and opportune.
Let's look at this a little further in depth:
The decision applied to a third-grade textbook for Arab schoolchildren. Jewish textbooks make no mention of the term.
This sounds a lot like you're trying to make them forget it. Even though Saar noted that teachers are still "free to discuss the personal and national tragedies that befell Palestinians during the war," taking it out of a book is the equivalent of the deplorable revionist history that some Palestinian textbooks were employing during the Second Intifada and probably still to this day. And there is something to say about subtracting from a history book. The discussion may still be able to stand in, but to leave this injustice out of the book is to say it lacks truth. Another step towards hegemony that will not end well. And for the Jewish textbooks, they do not mention of the term, but falsely revise it to say it was a completely voluntary flight.
Avigdor Lieberman, at the time a Knesset member said Education Minister Yuli Tamir was "expressing a sort of political masochist spirit and ... a total lack of national pride." I think it was more reconciling with the truth and allowing an ethnic group that is treated pretty well compared to under the PA or Hamas. Compare this to black children in the US: Do teachers skip slavery and the civil rights movement and tell them everything was just hunky-dory? No, they give them some narrative that may not explain everything, but establishes some sort of basis for learning more about the movement and how it led them to their current position in society.
Yossi Sarid gives the quote I agree with the most in his response to Saar's actions:
"Zionism has already won in many ways, and can afford to be more confident. We need not be afraid of a word."
Revisionist history has already done so much for moving Israeli society forward and making sure that it doesn't become like totalitarian states that suppress any possibly negative historical facts from public acknowledgement. It looks like these kids are going to have to wait until they get to college.
First off, I realize that my focus has been primarily directed towards Israel, but I will bring up this piece of news from last week: the Palestinian Authority shutting down operations at the Al-Jazeera offices in the West Bank after a guest on the network, Farouk Qaddoumi, accused Mahmoud Abbas of playing a part in the death of former PA chairman Yasir Arafat.
Of course this rivalry goes way back, but what's better is that Abbas admits that his criticism of the network is nearly baseless; he doesn't have time to watch TV (so maybe someone is telling him what they're saying?).
This also comes on the heel of the IMF's declaration that the West Bank has had one of its best years economically. Abbas and the PA have taken some steps to hegemony, but I have to agree with Dr. Lynch that this is not how you want to establish this power going forward. Government transparency is essential, and while the network won't be able to report directly, five of their top seven stories at the time of Lynch's post were about the expulsion and resulting effects.
At the same time, on the Israeli side, education is essentially being Americanized (just like this AP article, which is, for some reason, a direct translation from Yisrael Hayom aka Israel Today aka Bibi-Ton (during the run up to the election in February each word was like a tongue slowly licking the bottom of Netanyahu's feet) minus the added quotes from new Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman).
Minister of Education Gideon Saar told the Knesset, "No other country in the world, in its official curriculum, would treat the fact of its founding as a catastrophe." This is true, especially for third-graders. When was the last time a third-grade teacher in the US wasn't essentially feeding propaganda to his/her students? Never! The beginning of consideration of revisionist history theory in US public schools begins during high school, and it was something required quite a bit of adjusting for me (Smallpox blankets? DAYUMN!). So, whatever. Let the children believe, as they do in every country in elementary school, that their independence was a natural action that some supernatural force decided was just and opportune.
Let's look at this a little further in depth:
The decision applied to a third-grade textbook for Arab schoolchildren. Jewish textbooks make no mention of the term.
This sounds a lot like you're trying to make them forget it. Even though Saar noted that teachers are still "free to discuss the personal and national tragedies that befell Palestinians during the war," taking it out of a book is the equivalent of the deplorable revionist history that some Palestinian textbooks were employing during the Second Intifada and probably still to this day. And there is something to say about subtracting from a history book. The discussion may still be able to stand in, but to leave this injustice out of the book is to say it lacks truth. Another step towards hegemony that will not end well. And for the Jewish textbooks, they do not mention of the term, but falsely revise it to say it was a completely voluntary flight.
Avigdor Lieberman, at the time a Knesset member said Education Minister Yuli Tamir was "expressing a sort of political masochist spirit and ... a total lack of national pride." I think it was more reconciling with the truth and allowing an ethnic group that is treated pretty well compared to under the PA or Hamas. Compare this to black children in the US: Do teachers skip slavery and the civil rights movement and tell them everything was just hunky-dory? No, they give them some narrative that may not explain everything, but establishes some sort of basis for learning more about the movement and how it led them to their current position in society.
Yossi Sarid gives the quote I agree with the most in his response to Saar's actions:
"Zionism has already won in many ways, and can afford to be more confident. We need not be afraid of a word."
Revisionist history has already done so much for moving Israeli society forward and making sure that it doesn't become like totalitarian states that suppress any possibly negative historical facts from public acknowledgement. It looks like these kids are going to have to wait until they get to college.
Not That Quiet of a Riot
This piece of news was not in the American papers at all (although the Hezbollah arms cache was, and for good reason, along with Iron Dome, both of which should be beneficial to Israeli security due to the fact that the Ministry of Defense didn't have to wait until Hezbollah started firing said munitions, and the system will be ready in a year), but this one has been dominating the Israeli press for the past couple of days. Earlier in the week, a Neturei Karta (a sect of Haredim that reject the existence of the state of Israel due to the fact that a Messiah has not arrived) child, one of 10, was taken to a hospital with physicians under the suspicion that the mother had been starving the child who at 2 years old only weighed 7 kilograms (15.4 pounds, which is healthy if you're less than a year old). It turns out they were right when they caught her on video removing the child's feeding tube, and they were able to arrest her. According to this article, the police suspect she could be diagnosed with Munchhausen Syndrome by proxy, meaning she takes injurious action against people close to her in order to gain attention from others.
Of course, the Haredim, even those whose views of the State of Israel clash with those of the Neturei Karta over the legitimacy of the state, saw this as a direct attack against them, just as they saw the parking lots near the Jaffa Gate being open on Shabbat as an attack against their beliefs and religious practices. This caused them to see the government as trying to "make baseless allegations against Haredi mothers" with no other purpose but to steal their children. So they took to the streets in Meah Shearim, a neighborhood that is sadly notorious for its extremist views towards clothing that shows skin and those that drive on Shabbat (although police blockades are now put up on Friday night and stay there until Saturday night, and you actually don't save that much time by driving through that neighborhood). The burning of garbage caused a stench to travel all the way to the classroom where I have my Hebrew class. But that was not enough, as they decided to take to the streets that are main arteries for traffic, especially Bar Ilan Road and Eshkol Tunnel, which they blocked with garbage. This lead to secular mayor Nir Barkat shutting off all services to the neighborhood, and my bus, which usually passes by Meah Shearim, to literally go around the city and not make any of its regular stops. Luckily this roundabout lead me right to .
Today the situation has cooled off, as my bus took its usual route and we were able to see the aftermath: some graffiti, but soldiers and police at every corner and streets with a few children loitering and nearly no adults.
Ami Kaufman summarized the recent flare-up of the secular-religious conflict, the last significant rise of which is profiled in the book that drove me to study Israeli politics, Real Jews: Secular vs. Orthodox: The Struggle for Jewish Identity in Israel. He also surprised me by mentioning that Yossi Deri, who was convicted of corruption in the late 1980's, is now planning a political comeback (I dare someone in the US to try that). However, while Efron remained neutral in his analysis, Kaufman, who previously participated in demonstrations against the "religious coercion" in the late 1980's, leaves us with quite the inflammatory statement:
The flames are still low, but I don't know. Is it just me, or is it getting hot in here?
Well, Mr. Kaufman, the answer will be yes if you continue to write editorials and preclude the occurence of these events, and criticize people who find the secular attitude and action against Haredim to be reminiscent of what many Jews say is analogous to Nazi policy, then yes. The confrontation could be the death of Israel, if the secular fuel of the economy becomes apathetic enough to let theocracy take over.
Of course, the Haredim, even those whose views of the State of Israel clash with those of the Neturei Karta over the legitimacy of the state, saw this as a direct attack against them, just as they saw the parking lots near the Jaffa Gate being open on Shabbat as an attack against their beliefs and religious practices. This caused them to see the government as trying to "make baseless allegations against Haredi mothers" with no other purpose but to steal their children. So they took to the streets in Meah Shearim, a neighborhood that is sadly notorious for its extremist views towards clothing that shows skin and those that drive on Shabbat (although police blockades are now put up on Friday night and stay there until Saturday night, and you actually don't save that much time by driving through that neighborhood). The burning of garbage caused a stench to travel all the way to the classroom where I have my Hebrew class. But that was not enough, as they decided to take to the streets that are main arteries for traffic, especially Bar Ilan Road and Eshkol Tunnel, which they blocked with garbage. This lead to secular mayor Nir Barkat shutting off all services to the neighborhood, and my bus, which usually passes by Meah Shearim, to literally go around the city and not make any of its regular stops. Luckily this roundabout lead me right to .
Today the situation has cooled off, as my bus took its usual route and we were able to see the aftermath: some graffiti, but soldiers and police at every corner and streets with a few children loitering and nearly no adults.
Ami Kaufman summarized the recent flare-up of the secular-religious conflict, the last significant rise of which is profiled in the book that drove me to study Israeli politics, Real Jews: Secular vs. Orthodox: The Struggle for Jewish Identity in Israel. He also surprised me by mentioning that Yossi Deri, who was convicted of corruption in the late 1980's, is now planning a political comeback (I dare someone in the US to try that). However, while Efron remained neutral in his analysis, Kaufman, who previously participated in demonstrations against the "religious coercion" in the late 1980's, leaves us with quite the inflammatory statement:
The flames are still low, but I don't know. Is it just me, or is it getting hot in here?
Well, Mr. Kaufman, the answer will be yes if you continue to write editorials and preclude the occurence of these events, and criticize people who find the secular attitude and action against Haredim to be reminiscent of what many Jews say is analogous to Nazi policy, then yes. The confrontation could be the death of Israel, if the secular fuel of the economy becomes apathetic enough to let theocracy take over.
Efron also wrote a piece on the episode, and I find him to be a bit more reasonable on the subject as he teaches at Bar-Ilan, an institution noted for its greater religious connection compared to other top Israeli universities. Efron understands the perspective of Haredim, who want to be isolated from the temptation of the secular sector, but cannot comprehend their squalid living conditions. They take welfare from the government with a quick reach, and when they are victimized in any way, they can't comprehend it. But their isolation is not perceived by the other side. When they see their imposition of religious restrictions, they see a society moving towards theocracy.
The tightrope of Israeli government seems to get thinner by the minute, and the coalition system seems to be the driving force. Government reform must be considered, or 20% of the population will ruin the country for the other 80%. Does that sound like a functional democracy?
Recording Liiiiive from Somewhere...
This was originally posted here.
I arrived yesterday at around 4:30 to Ben Gurion International Airport, and let's just say that it took me 20 minutes to get through customs control because my ears did mad poppin' off during the flight from Paris. Also, while going through security in Paris, I somehow was able to function without a translation necessary. And during the flight to Paris, I finally got to watch The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which is definitely a masterpiece, albeit the longest masterpiece. The makeup was just splendiferous. And how can one make a tragedy that long? David Fincher, you never cease to amaze me.
Sorry for that backwards chronology a la Memento, that one episode of Seinfeld, and AP US History inspired by that episode of Seinfeld, but back to my arrival. I got into a packed Sherut and we made our way to Jerusalem on an alternate path taking a route towards Modiin since Route 1 was bumper to bumper for kilometres. One of the more prominent things you see on this route is the construction of the barrier. It will continue to be a point of contention in negotiations especially because Israel may decide to take in settlements like Gush Emunim on its side, and especially because, when coupled with Netanyahu's condition of Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, will eliminate the right of return that is seen as essential to many Palestinians who are now refugees after having lived on land they believed they rightfully owned beforehand. So, where do we go from there? The problem is that someone will get disappointed in these negotiations, with no one deserving it any more than the other. However, Israeli disappointment should be kept to a minimum. Remember that Israel has won all those wars and in the case of one Israel's peace agreements with Arab countries, with Egypt, Israel has made concessions. Egypt received the Sinai, receiving popular tourist locales such as Mount Sinai and Sharm al Sheik, as well as having all land surrounding the Suez Canal (however, there doesn't seem to be any risk of Mubarak trying to nationalize like Nasser did in 1956) along with a peace guarantee, which was all Israel really wanted out of the negotiations ater the near disaster that was the Yom Kippur War. The treaty with Jordan was seen as just a normalization as Israel had left the Jordanian Army in shambles after the Six Day War.
But do the Israelis have a duty to help a refugee issue that the creation of their state made an issue? I believe so. As Arabs label the Israeli government as having characterisitics of the Nazi regime, Israel should look back to the time when Jews were made into a refugee situation by the Nazis and had to struggle to establish their own land. Netanyahu has taken the first step to helping them realize this goal, but Palestinian leaders must realize that Israel never was able to achieve all its aspirations as a nation in terms of territory and international standing. Hopefully, a peace treaty with the Palestinians will help Israel not be seen as a pariah within the UN (Security Council membership finally if they join a bloc?) and possibly make it easier to qualify for the World Cup (UEFA can be a bit of a doozy).
Other tidbits:
Most awkward situation of my life: Wearing a t-shirt and shorts in Har Nof, I learned I had to walk through a wedding hall to pick up my phone since the front door had a chain around it. I was unaware that a wedding was going on, so I basically got looked at like I was on a walk of shame while entering and exiting the phone store.
An Act of War: The relative with whom I was staying was unable to help me pick up my phone, so her significant other drove me to Har Nof in her place. He took me to get the most amazing pita ever: the Jerusalem, which has chicken, turkey, shwarma, and lamb. I know, right? But anyways, he also told me about his son's experience as part of the Mifgash (encounter) for Birthright. Reportedly, some "extracurricular" activities were going on between the Israeli soldiers and the American college students and, HAFTA-AH! (SURPRISE!-you just got your second piece of Hebrew vocabulary in ONE paragraph), an Israeli soldier got swine flu. Is this considered an act of biological warfare? I'll go with no, but seriously, scientists, we need to get this shit under control.
I'm signing off for now, but I'll try to get back on here tomorrow. I start class on Thursday, but there is mandatory orientation tomorrow.
I arrived yesterday at around 4:30 to Ben Gurion International Airport, and let's just say that it took me 20 minutes to get through customs control because my ears did mad poppin' off during the flight from Paris. Also, while going through security in Paris, I somehow was able to function without a translation necessary. And during the flight to Paris, I finally got to watch The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which is definitely a masterpiece, albeit the longest masterpiece. The makeup was just splendiferous. And how can one make a tragedy that long? David Fincher, you never cease to amaze me.
Sorry for that backwards chronology a la Memento, that one episode of Seinfeld, and AP US History inspired by that episode of Seinfeld, but back to my arrival. I got into a packed Sherut and we made our way to Jerusalem on an alternate path taking a route towards Modiin since Route 1 was bumper to bumper for kilometres. One of the more prominent things you see on this route is the construction of the barrier. It will continue to be a point of contention in negotiations especially because Israel may decide to take in settlements like Gush Emunim on its side, and especially because, when coupled with Netanyahu's condition of Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, will eliminate the right of return that is seen as essential to many Palestinians who are now refugees after having lived on land they believed they rightfully owned beforehand. So, where do we go from there? The problem is that someone will get disappointed in these negotiations, with no one deserving it any more than the other. However, Israeli disappointment should be kept to a minimum. Remember that Israel has won all those wars and in the case of one Israel's peace agreements with Arab countries, with Egypt, Israel has made concessions. Egypt received the Sinai, receiving popular tourist locales such as Mount Sinai and Sharm al Sheik, as well as having all land surrounding the Suez Canal (however, there doesn't seem to be any risk of Mubarak trying to nationalize like Nasser did in 1956) along with a peace guarantee, which was all Israel really wanted out of the negotiations ater the near disaster that was the Yom Kippur War. The treaty with Jordan was seen as just a normalization as Israel had left the Jordanian Army in shambles after the Six Day War.
But do the Israelis have a duty to help a refugee issue that the creation of their state made an issue? I believe so. As Arabs label the Israeli government as having characterisitics of the Nazi regime, Israel should look back to the time when Jews were made into a refugee situation by the Nazis and had to struggle to establish their own land. Netanyahu has taken the first step to helping them realize this goal, but Palestinian leaders must realize that Israel never was able to achieve all its aspirations as a nation in terms of territory and international standing. Hopefully, a peace treaty with the Palestinians will help Israel not be seen as a pariah within the UN (Security Council membership finally if they join a bloc?) and possibly make it easier to qualify for the World Cup (UEFA can be a bit of a doozy).
Other tidbits:
Most awkward situation of my life: Wearing a t-shirt and shorts in Har Nof, I learned I had to walk through a wedding hall to pick up my phone since the front door had a chain around it. I was unaware that a wedding was going on, so I basically got looked at like I was on a walk of shame while entering and exiting the phone store.
An Act of War: The relative with whom I was staying was unable to help me pick up my phone, so her significant other drove me to Har Nof in her place. He took me to get the most amazing pita ever: the Jerusalem, which has chicken, turkey, shwarma, and lamb. I know, right? But anyways, he also told me about his son's experience as part of the Mifgash (encounter) for Birthright. Reportedly, some "extracurricular" activities were going on between the Israeli soldiers and the American college students and, HAFTA-AH! (SURPRISE!-you just got your second piece of Hebrew vocabulary in ONE paragraph), an Israeli soldier got swine flu. Is this considered an act of biological warfare? I'll go with no, but seriously, scientists, we need to get this shit under control.
I'm signing off for now, but I'll try to get back on here tomorrow. I start class on Thursday, but there is mandatory orientation tomorrow.
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