"Ballroom dance teacher returns to Israel on film
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22447820"
Israel is 62 years old -what now?
Israel has just celebrated 62 years of independence. During the first 3 decades which were Israel's formative years much had been achieved. Jewish immigrants from all corners of the earth were absorbed into a vital dynamic Israeli society with relative success within a short time. No success story is without its hurdles which still have to be overcome.
Industrially Israel has made remarkable progress in a relatively short time, especially in the hi-tech field. Science and medicine have also advanced dramatically. Israel is the home of many leading scientists and medical doctors which would be the pride of any country.
Unfortunately, all this progress has been marred by Israel's inability to make peace with its Palestinian neighbours. The reason, according to Israel's leaders, is that there is no partner with whom Israel can negotiate a peace treaty which would end the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. The situation has been complicated even further by the division of the occupied territories into two entities:
1. The Gaza Strip ruled by Hamas refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist and is not even prepared to negotiate with Israel under any conditions.
2. The West Bank is ruled by the Palestinian Authority which is moderate but its power base is shaky.
The latter does have a desire for reaching an agreement with Israel but is unable because of the extremist Islamists that tow the Hamas line and those terrorist groups who are more radical than Hamas in their hate for Israel. The fear of the radical Islamists' factions in the West Bank is an important factor hindering peace negotiations with Israel.
Despite this, the mistake of Israel's colonial policies in the occupied territories always remains a factor in hindering peace negotiations even from the Israeli perspective. The encouragement of Jewish settlers to build and settle in the occupied Palestinian territories is also a factor in the emergence of extremist Islamists groups in the territories. The usurping of Palestinian lands by Israel's settlers to make way for building homes and expansion of Jewish settlements triggered off a violent nationalism with a severe Islamist ideology in a new generation that grew up under occupation. The expansionist policies of Israel in the occupied territories does play a role in uniting the extremist, Palestinian groups in their common hatred for Israel and also advances Ahmadinajad of Iran’s interests in the region which is domination of the Middle East and destruction of Israel.
The Palestinians suffer from a bad leadership which in many respects is influenced by fantasies rather than reality. Israeli leadership is right wing and has racist elements which form part of the Likud led coalition. This is hardly a prescription for encouraging peace negotiations despite the impotent leadership in the West Bank and the intransigent hate-filled Hamas regime in Gaza. Making matters worse is the hatred between the Hamas and Fatah regimes which make a rapprochement between the two factions impossible.
Both Israel and the Palestinian leadership need to reevaluate their attitudes towards each other and accept reality as it exists and not the fantasies that drive them.
Israel must cease its illegal settlement activity in the occupied territories and start drawing up plans for a phased withdrawal in an orderly fashion and the Palestinians must come to terms with the reality of Israel's existence and negotiate with it so that there will be peace and the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
On the Israeli side there has been a change in priorities. Much of Israel's high ranking officials in the municipalities around the country have been involved in bribery and corruption while profiteering business entrepreneurs have been investing in property paying off city engineers, mayors and city planners to get shady building plans passed. The latest scandal rocking Israel now is the Holy Land Project. The ugliest building complex has been built in Jerusalem. No thought was spared for the environment. The only thought was motivated by GREED and nothing else. I would not be exaggerating if I say that this building is one of the biggest eyesores in Israel. Who can afford to buy apartments in this despicable complex? Rich diamond-studded, armchair Zionists from the Diaspora will live there only a few months of the year. They will come "on pilgrimage" to Israel to identify with their people at best or to speculate at worst. Is this the Zionism of today? A Zionism motivated by greed, profit and support for the occupation. Who knows what further eyesores will be built if there is no freezing of settlements?
The continuing occupation, the erection of illegal buildings in Jerusalem, bribery and corruption has the lowest common denominator - greed - and this is despicable! Those suspects involved in the Holy Land project are under arrest and will stand trial.
The pioneering spirit that was so much part of Israel's history is undergoing a transformation towards corruption that can be described as destructive and cancerous in Israel's society.
Industrially Israel has made remarkable progress in a relatively short time, especially in the hi-tech field. Science and medicine have also advanced dramatically. Israel is the home of many leading scientists and medical doctors which would be the pride of any country.
Unfortunately, all this progress has been marred by Israel's inability to make peace with its Palestinian neighbours. The reason, according to Israel's leaders, is that there is no partner with whom Israel can negotiate a peace treaty which would end the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. The situation has been complicated even further by the division of the occupied territories into two entities:
1. The Gaza Strip ruled by Hamas refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist and is not even prepared to negotiate with Israel under any conditions.
2. The West Bank is ruled by the Palestinian Authority which is moderate but its power base is shaky.
The latter does have a desire for reaching an agreement with Israel but is unable because of the extremist Islamists that tow the Hamas line and those terrorist groups who are more radical than Hamas in their hate for Israel. The fear of the radical Islamists' factions in the West Bank is an important factor hindering peace negotiations with Israel.
Despite this, the mistake of Israel's colonial policies in the occupied territories always remains a factor in hindering peace negotiations even from the Israeli perspective. The encouragement of Jewish settlers to build and settle in the occupied Palestinian territories is also a factor in the emergence of extremist Islamists groups in the territories. The usurping of Palestinian lands by Israel's settlers to make way for building homes and expansion of Jewish settlements triggered off a violent nationalism with a severe Islamist ideology in a new generation that grew up under occupation. The expansionist policies of Israel in the occupied territories does play a role in uniting the extremist, Palestinian groups in their common hatred for Israel and also advances Ahmadinajad of Iran’s interests in the region which is domination of the Middle East and destruction of Israel.
The Palestinians suffer from a bad leadership which in many respects is influenced by fantasies rather than reality. Israeli leadership is right wing and has racist elements which form part of the Likud led coalition. This is hardly a prescription for encouraging peace negotiations despite the impotent leadership in the West Bank and the intransigent hate-filled Hamas regime in Gaza. Making matters worse is the hatred between the Hamas and Fatah regimes which make a rapprochement between the two factions impossible.
Both Israel and the Palestinian leadership need to reevaluate their attitudes towards each other and accept reality as it exists and not the fantasies that drive them.
Israel must cease its illegal settlement activity in the occupied territories and start drawing up plans for a phased withdrawal in an orderly fashion and the Palestinians must come to terms with the reality of Israel's existence and negotiate with it so that there will be peace and the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
On the Israeli side there has been a change in priorities. Much of Israel's high ranking officials in the municipalities around the country have been involved in bribery and corruption while profiteering business entrepreneurs have been investing in property paying off city engineers, mayors and city planners to get shady building plans passed. The latest scandal rocking Israel now is the Holy Land Project. The ugliest building complex has been built in Jerusalem. No thought was spared for the environment. The only thought was motivated by GREED and nothing else. I would not be exaggerating if I say that this building is one of the biggest eyesores in Israel. Who can afford to buy apartments in this despicable complex? Rich diamond-studded, armchair Zionists from the Diaspora will live there only a few months of the year. They will come "on pilgrimage" to Israel to identify with their people at best or to speculate at worst. Is this the Zionism of today? A Zionism motivated by greed, profit and support for the occupation. Who knows what further eyesores will be built if there is no freezing of settlements?
The continuing occupation, the erection of illegal buildings in Jerusalem, bribery and corruption has the lowest common denominator - greed - and this is despicable! Those suspects involved in the Holy Land project are under arrest and will stand trial.
The pioneering spirit that was so much part of Israel's history is undergoing a transformation towards corruption that can be described as destructive and cancerous in Israel's society.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Basil Keilani on -
Israel looks victorious. It has annexed so much land, it has recently been accepted into the OECD, which to Palestinians, means Europe's politicians don't care that much about human rights or the fact that they are being disposessed. Palestinians, however, cannot be erased from the map and left stateless, and Israel has a 20% Arab population. Does it want to be always at odds with its neighbors? It's becoming more dogmatic and nationalistic. There may be one state if Israel keeps destroying the option of two states. Give us Israeli citizenship. We would take it over bantustans.
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Permalink Reply by Linda Feldman on -
Dear Shimon, As an outsider my point of view can of course be taken with a grain of salt. But all this waiting for ideal conditions to prevail reminds me of planned parenthood. If you wait for the right income, the right little house, and the right degree of job security, you may find yourself too old before ideal conditions arrive, if in fact they ever do.
Sometimes it's better to work with what is, rather than what should be.
What do you think?
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Permalink Reply by Shimon Z. Klein on -
Dear Clara,
You do have a point. However, what is available is not good enough. I think of the intransigence of both sides to arrive at a peaceful solution. Israel has a plethora of right wingers in the Netanyahu Government who have a large influence on the direction of peace. Foreign Minister Lieberman, instead of building bridges towards peace which is the duty of every foreign minister in every country, is breaking those bridges down by being insulting towards the Palestinian leadership rather than behaving as a diplomat should. He is also not averse to making derogatory remarks about Arabs in general when it comes to questioning the loyalty of Israeli Arab citizens and their attitude toward the Naqba or "catastrophe" of 1948 when Israel was declared an independent state.
There is that Shas Minister of the Interior, Eli Yishai, who makes statements about never freezing settlements in East Jerusalem and also the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes in Sheik Jarrah in Jerusalem to make way for Jewish settlements. All these measures is not conducive to any form of peace making. In fact, it serves the interests of extremists like Hamas and Islamic Jihad and weakens the moderate Palestinian camp with whom one can reach agreement. They jump on every intransigent statement made by Israel's leaders to prove that Israel does not want peace. This gives them an excuse to delegitimize Israel with an "I told you so" attitude towards the moderate and pragmatic Salam Fayad who is well respected and wants to build Palestinian infrastructures to make Palestine a viable independent state alongside Israel. Here we see Israel's leadership at fault in its attitude towards peace. It is peace with settlements encroaching on Palestinian lands or no peace at all.
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Permalink Reply by Irit Hakim-Keller on -
Shimon, my dear dear friend,
How true your words are!!!
But, we know these Netamiyahu and Yishai, they are both untrusted people, and let's not forget Liberman - the fascist. They are all corrupted, liars, and are doing anything to make the hope and the dream of peace - beyond reach.
Politicaly, we are in the worst situation we have ever had. The right winged government we have now is completely different to any one we had before - Begin was a wise, honest man. I didn't agree with his way and ideals, but I honored his personality.
We are facing now a very difficult situation, when any step fwd toward peace or any kind of a sign for agreement -are sabotaged by "our" leaders.
Every time I am thinking about that (well, there isn't any time when I am not) , what bothering my mind is that, those are the chosen leaders. this fact is telling much about our people.
I can't live in peace with this fact.
I was in Sheik Jarrah last Saturday, and my heart went out for the poor people who are evicted out from their homes, just for the will of bad arrogant people who believe they are the kings of this land, and - they have the support of the government.!!! do you know that the High Court of Justice had realized that the Tabu paper was faked? But this doesn't help - the people are living on the street!!! How come???????????
I do know so many good people who are thinking different, who are willing to do everything to achieve peace, who are willing to leave their homes for it (or to live under Palestinian government), people who are giving their hearts and souls and also their money, for the issue of Peace. So many of them. How come nothing is "moving the earth"???????
Hmmm, I must have been out-side of your discussion, Shimon, but it was a trigger for me to say my thoughts. Thank you.
Much love,
keep on posting your articles. you are an important voice of the sane part of this nation.
Irit xxxxxxxx
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Permalink Reply by Basil Keilani on
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Shimon,
As a man who carries the label of Palestinian American, I can say I feel the pain of Palestinians. I do for certain. However, I also feel for others including people who have been innocent victims whether it's people in Tel Aviv, Baghdad, Nablus, or Haifa. Some people may view Jews as connected to the misery, humiliation, dispossession of the Palestinian people, and this is unfair, stereotyping. The Jewish people are not one voice, one country. It's not exactly like South Africa and apartheid in the sense that not everyone who is white was responsible for what happened in South Africa, but it would be good to speak out against such things as a white person, as a human being. In the same sense, Jews of America in most cases were never Israeli, and many have had nothing really to do with Israel. However, Israel speaks in the name of Jews. Morton Klein said that Obama insulted all Jews. We must have liberation of all people who are oppressed in this world we live in. I am sure also people blame Arabs for some of the actions of some Arabs. It's good for Arabs to speak out for what is just as well, to show Jews and all human beings that Arabs mean good-will, not ill-will. We need more good will between all human beings including Jews and Arabs.
I am grateful for the Israelis who have gone to Sheikh Jarrah to protest. Israel's government speaks of peace, but hits Palestinians with a colonial stick, practices the kind of behavior of the Nakba still by trying to dispossess Palestinians. For me, peace down there is not simply desired because I have Palestinian relatives. I am interested in the security of the whole world, focusing on global sustainability and not so much focus on a conflict that we must end together. I also care for the Jewish inhabitants of Israel. There are many beautiful Israelis who I want to see us more and more for how we are the same as them. And for Israelis who see me as an enemy, what separates us is our thoughts. We need to find common ground in our thoughts to have space for both of us. When any of us gets killed, we kill each other.
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