In my latest article for CGNews’ special series on the impact of fear on the Arab-Israeli conflict, I explore the emotion of what I call “fear of the friend.” Less well known than fear of the enemy, fear of the friend can be equally problematic and harmful to peacemaking. I try to explain why this is so and what are the ways in which we can respond to and mitigate this fear. Hope you find it interesting.
You can read the article here. As always, if the spirit moves you, please let me know what you think.
In a controversial interview with Israel’s Channel II News, the father of Prime Minister Netanyahu, Professor Benzion Netanyahu, says that his son does not support a Palestinian state. The elder Netanyahu, claims that the prime Minister told him he deliberately placed impossible conditions before the Palestinians.
Here are excerpts from the interview. When asked if his son really changed his position concerning a Palestinian state, the 100 year-old historian unequivocally answered: (translation mine)
“He does not support. He supports such conditions that they (the Arabs) will never accept it. That is what I heard from him. I didn’t propose these conditions, he did. They will never accept these conditions. Not one of them.”
When asked about his own personal opinion about a Palestinian state, the senior Netanyahu stated:
Herzl and Nordau (fathers of zionist movement) did not labor to create a Palestinian state. This land is Jewish land and not a land for the Arabs. There is no place here for Arabs, and there wont be a place here for the Arabs. They will never agree to the conditions.
Quick comment: Kadima issued a statement declaring: “Today it is clear, even Bibi does not believe Bibi.” Tomorrow people are going to jump on these comments as proof positive that PM Netanyahu never was or will be interested in a two solution to the Zionist Palestinian conflict (what I have previously argued). After all, who knows him better than his father?
However, I am bothered here by one question: If Benzion knew that his son was deliberately sabotaging the peace process why state so in public? Is it possible that the father feared his son would actually do the unthinkable, thereby forcing him to make statements which would harm his son’s intentions? In other words, contrary to Kadima’s position, is this proof that Bibi is serious?
Doubtful, but I cant really make sense of why he would make these statements. Benzion could simply be a very old-man who lost the ability/desire to play the political game. Yet his words betray a lucid and sharp mind that knows what is at stake. Strange. Very strange.
In this month’s issue of Moment magazine, Gershom Gorenberg’s offers a good critique of (Jewish) fundamentalism. The million shekel quote:
Fundamentalism, as I said, is a modern creation. Historically, debate over the truth is basic to Judaism. Religious texts are ambiguous and contradictory; they evade a single authoritative reading. Rabbinic tradition rejects reading the Biblical text without the chorus of arguing interpreters who came afterward. Interpretations necessarily stress one part of the text and read others in its light.
If there is a common denominator in rabbinic ethics, it’s that God created human beings in the divine image, from one set of parents, and that all human life is therefore sacred. The strongest single statement that the Torah makes about the attitude one should take toward one’s enemy is what Jacob says of his brother and foe (for all enemies are also brothers or sisters): “To see your face is like seeing the face of God.
Did Michael Jackson convert to Islam? Doubtful, says writer Ali Eteraz.
One of the surprising traffic trends that I have noticed are the amount of Muslims from all over the world storming Muslim web-sites in the West hoping to a) find out whether all the rumors about Jackson being a Muslim were true and therefore whether he would receive a Muslim janaza or funeral prayer and b) wishing him well in loquacious ways. The question of Jackson’s relation to Islam is on the mind of many Muslims and a considerable number of them are either hopeful or convinced that he did convert. Therefore, I figured I would look into the matter a little bit. Most of my investigation has revealed that Jackson was not a Muslim and in fact most of the Muslim personalities who were allegedly responsible for his conversion all deny the possibility as well.
Last March, my older brother and I traveled to the West Bank. At some point we entered the settlement of Ariel. Overwhelmed by its size and maze-like streets, we managed to get lost in what can only be described as a little city. As we tried to leave, we found ourselves going in circles. In a moment of slight frustration, my brother, who was driving, turned to me and said, “I think we’re stuck here.”
The degree to which my brother’s observation is correct has become a major bone of contention between the Obama administration and Israel. In Cairo, Obama’s challenged the regional powers to prove that they are part of the solution, not the problem. For Israel, that meant a complete freeze on all settlement activity and an endorsement of the two-state principle.
Obama’s uncompromising position on the settlements and on peace left Netanyahu stuck between a rock and a hard place. Compliance with Obama’s demands meant losing political support. On the other hand, siding with the pro-settlement block, meant significantly damaging relations with the US (something the Israeli public will not forgive).
In an attempt to forge a way out of this impasse, Netanyahu delivered a speech yesterday in which he inched towards Obama by endorsing a two-state solution. “In my vision of peace,” Netanyahu said, “there are two free peoples living side by side in this small land, with good neighborly relations and mutual respect, each with its flag, anthem and government, with neither one threatening its neighbor’s security and existence.”
However, with a nod to his hawkish political bloc, Netanyahu’s vision was not without formidable qualifications. The prime minister made it clear that any future Palestinian state will a) have to be demilitarized (i.e. no army or control over air space), b) recognize Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish people, c) relinquish aspiration to a shared capital in Jerusalem, and d) unequivocally drop the right of return of Palestinian refugees into Israel proper.
The night before Obama’s historic speech to the Muslim world, a shocking video from Jerusalem captures a group of drunken American Jews bashing President Obama with racial slurs and physical threats. Not surprisingly, the video, entitled “Feeling the Hate in Jerusalem on the Eve of Obama’s Cairo Address”, has caused quite a stir. In just a few days it has garnered over 360,000 hits and thousands of passionate comments on YouTube – it has even gotten the attention of rapper 50 Cent.
Many have slammed the video for what they perceive is a gross misrepresentation: the suggestion that a small group of inebriated youths significantly represent Israeli and or Jewish American views on President Obama. Others argue – following the Latin proverb that what the sober man has in his heart, the drunkard has on his lips – that these youths represent (albeit crudely) the opinions of a growing minority of Israelis and Jews around the world. One of the video producers, and a critic, share their perspective with us.
Observer: Joseph Dana is an Israeli journalist and co-producer of the video “Feeling the Hate in Jerusalem on the Eve of Obama’s Cairo Address.”
“Max and I went on to the streets of Jerusalem at 10pm on a Wednesday to ascertain the feelings of the young population about Obama’s upcoming speech in Cairo. As is often the case, the streets of central Jerusalem were full of American Jews, many of which have Israeli citizenship. We asked people a simple question: “What do you think of Obama and Israel?”
The answers that we received were shocking. I believe that the answers reflect a form of racism, often directed at Arabs, that floats under the surface in small circles in Israel. The majority of Israelis are progressive and desire peace but we have elements of extremism and hate that our population must address. One of our goals was to expose this small slice of rhetoric in Israel in the hopes that a dialogue about how to fix it would ensue.”
Observer: Lahav Harkov is an Israeli student in Political Science and author of a video response to Dana and Blumenthal’s “Feeling the Hate” video.
“Had the video shown Israelis speaking in this way, that would be one thing. To show Americans in Israel, most of which look to me like 18-year-olds on their gap year, and say that they represent the opinions of young Israelis, is absurd.
I wouldn’t even say that this reflects the views of most young Americans in Israel! Sure, sometimes we can get drunk and loud – anyone who’s been in downtown Jerusalem on a Saturday night can’t deny that. Of course, one also cannot deny that alcohol often makes people behave in a more extreme and belligerent manner, a fact that Blumenthal and Dana chose to ignore.
One of Israel’s biggest problems today is Hasbara [Public Relations], and young Jews like Dana and Blumenthal are only aggravating the problem. Too many Jewish people have forgotten what Israel has done for their people. Instead, they try to fit in with the American liberal intelligentsia. Never mind that most Arab countries do the exact opposite of what the American left is fighting for.
Israel is not perfect, and I see no problem in criticising the country when it’s justified. This video, however, is not a warranted criticism. I’d like to remind Blumenthal and Dana that this is Israel, not Iran; therefore, people can get drunk and express their opinions without fear of persecution, even when their opinion is the minority.
I made a video response to “Feeling the Hate” in Jerusalem. I asked some of my fellow students at Bar-Ilan University what they thought of Obama’s speech. Everyone in the video is a first or second year student in Political Science and\or Communications.
Not surprisingly, all of the students had different things to say. Some liked Obama more, some liked him less, but they all had complex opinions that were based on legitimate facts and ideas. Not one of them made a racist comment.
I think that this video shows how wrong Dana and Blumenthal are.”
The sequel to “Feeling the Hate in Jerusalem on the Eve of Obama’s Cairo Address”. Max Blumenthal and Joseph Dana interview a group of peace warriors in Tel-Aviv. Lets call it “Feeling the Love in Tel-Aviv.
The Tug of War Tour is a thought-provoking and multi-dimensional artistic endeavor that explores narratives of conflict and co-existence between Muslims and Jews. The brainchild of M.C. Sneakas and M.C. Serch (of Third Bass fame and VH1’s White Rapper Show), the tour features the controversial rap group Most Hated (consisting of Sneakas and Muslim-Iranian rapper Mazzi), in addition to spoken-word poets Vanessa Hidary and Tahani Salah (both of whom have been featured on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam).
One of the unique features of the show is our artists’ commitment to eschew clichés and authentically express “hot button” issues without fear of offense or name-calling. The goal is to challenge our viewers (and ourselves) to see that subjects such as religion, identity, racism, terrorism, and peace have many sides to them. The artist on the tour often vigorously disagree with one another, but succeeding where politicians have failed, we are also united by a vision of respectful co-existence.
Check out the promo video for the tour and help spread the word.
In an excellent blog entry, Gershom Gorenberg points to a performative contradiction at the heart of Zevulun Orlev’s new bill which seeks to criminalize public denial of Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state. It would all be funny if it wasn’t so tragic.
President Obama declared May to be Jewish American Heritage month. A month in which Americans learn about and honor the contribution of Jewish Americans to the United States. “Jewish Americans have immeasurably enriched our Nation”, said the President, “unyielding in the face of hardship and tenacious in following their dreams, Jewish Americans have surmounted the challenges that every immigrant group faces, and have made unparalleled contributions.”
There is no doubt that American Jews, from their beginning in 1654 to the present day, have greatly enhanced every value spheres of American life. Their names are legendary: Louis Brandeis, Steven Spielberg, Philip Roth, Irvin Berlin, George Gershwin, Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, Bette Midler, Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Noam Chomsky, Allan Dershowitz, Allan Greenspan, Steven J Gould, Robert Openheimer, Carl Sagan, Thomas Friedman, Hank Greenberg, Sandy Koufax, Mark Spitz, Woody Allen, Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, and John Stewart. (Feel free to add [or subtract]your favorite Jewish American).
I have to admit that as an Israeli Jew I am jealous of this list. Though more than coveting America’s Jews, what I really want is America’s Judaism(s).
Israeli Jews, even secular ones, usually disparage American Judaism. Under the influence of an orthodox paradigm, Israeli Jews tend to see American Judaism (especially Reform) as a diluted and inauthentic expression of Judaism. But I am quit moved by it. I love the fact that in America a gay woman can become a rabbi. I also love the fact that if this offends you, you are free to join (or form) a less-progressive synagogue.
Living in the land of the free has turned the “chosen people” into the choosing people. And choice makes for a more persuasive, creative and vibrant form of religiosity. Therefore it is in the US that you find the flowering of Reform, Conservative, Modern Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Progressive and Renewal Judaism.
But can this happen in Israel? Structurally, Israel is not the most conducive place for religious pluralism. From the British mandate to modern times, Orthodox Judaism has had a government-sanctioned iron grip on the religious (and civil) activities of the land. (Thank you very much Mr. David Ben-Gurion!) This has meant that only one version of Judaism (as a religion) has been recognized and supported.
Yet the winds of change are blowing. Last week the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that the state must allocate funding for Reform and Conservative conversion classes (as it already does for private Orthodox conversion classes). The court concluded that when the state favored one stream of Judaism over another, it “acted in contradiction to its obligation to support a diversity of opinions and beliefs in accordance with the basic principles of the democratic state.”
While I would prefer that the state refrains from interfering in religious affairs all together, this ruling is an important move in legitimizing alternative forms of Judaism in Israel. It is consonant with Israel declaration of independence which promises, “complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture.”
Israelis need to know that secular and orthodox are not the only ways to be Jewish. At the top of this entry I stated that I coveted America’s Judaism(s). To be more precise, what I want for Israel is an environment that fosters religious equality and freedom. For this to happen a fundamental change needs to take place, and this ruling by the High Court is a good first step.
As you may know, I am a secular Jew. In matters of ultimate belief I am an agnostic – which I define as an atheist who does not like to argue with people. However, much to the chagrin of my godless friends, I also have a lot for respect for religion and spirituality. So when the Pope called for religion to be a force for peace in the Middle East, I penned the following article for Haaretz.
Pope Benedict XVI thinks the Middle East could use a little more religion. Not the religion that divides – the kind he practiced when he suggested that Islam was a religion of the sword, or when he re-sanctioned an ancient Good Friday prayer which calls on God to illuminate the hearts of the Jews that they might recognize their savior Jesus Christ – but the kind that binds members of the human family to one another.
During his recent meeting with Muslim leaders in Jordan, the Pope commented that in an age when religion is misused and maligned as a force of discord, it is imperative that religious practitioners live in accord with the highest virtues of their faith.
The Pope also stated that one of the main purposes of his pilgrimage is to help advance the cause of peace: “We [the Catholic Church] are not a political power, but a spiritual force, and this spiritual force is a reality that can contribute to advances in the peace process.” The Holy See explained that he plans on promoting peace by encouraging mass prayers, awakening the world’s conscience, and promoting a reasonable (i.e. two-state) solution to the conflict.
Perhaps the idea that a “spiritual force” can contribute to peace sounds a little puzzling. A typical secular Israeli reply could be, “Thanks but no thanks. We appreciate the good intention (and boost in tourism), but we have had enough spiritual forces to last a lifetime.”
Indeed, a repeated charge in the discourse over the Arab-Israeli conflict is that religion plays a central role in exacerbating and perpetuating the conflict. The conclusion being that removing religion from the scene will go a long way in solving the century-old conflict.
A somewhat comical example of this position comes Marwan Kanafani, special adviser to the late Yasser Arafat, who in 1994 replied to a question about the place of religion in the Oslo peace process by stating:
“The way to take care of religion in the dispute is to put the sheikhs in mosques, the rabbis in synagogues and priests in churches, and then lock the doors behind them and throw the keys away in the sea – they can only interfere with the process.”
This is a seductive but ultimately wrong-headed position. Religion can (and must) play a positive role in the peace process. All the more so in the Holy Land, where religion actually matters. A lot.
To read more, click here. As always, if the spirit moves you, please leave a comment.
