or the art of reading newspapers
What Israel can read.
What Germany can read.
Point I: Haaretz is focusing on "The reaction has been positive, according to Roemer-Hillebrecht, except from neo-Nazis who have made disparaging remarks about it on the Internet." Tagesspiegel has no Neo-Nazis, but "Allerdings sei der Dienst von Juden nach Einschätzung von BjS-Gründungsmitglied Gideon Römer-Hillebrecht, Oberstleutnant im Generalstab beim Führungsstab der Streitkräfte, innerhalb der jüdischen Gemeinschaft in Deutschland wegen der nationalsozialistischen Mordtaten noch immer ein strittiges „Unthema“." [a controversial topic in the jewish community]
Point II. Haaretz has less "Fürst" and cuts off the surename of Römer-Hillebrecht. Sven Gideon. Fürst because "Aufgewachsen bin ich als deutscher Jude, aber nicht vorrangig mit jüdischer Identität." [Grown up as german jew, but not preferential as a jew - funny]. And Römer-Hillebrecht? A jew with the surename "Sven"? You can not sell that story in Israel!
Point ugly: Israelis can read: "The army's top soldier, Inspector-General Wolfgang Schneiderhan, sees the presence of Jews in the military as a signal of hope and an indication that "no terror will come from German uniforms ever again." Germans can read: "„hoffnungsvolles Signal“, das „zum Wohle“ des „deutschen Vaterlandes“ beitrage." [A hopeful sign for the sake of the German Fatherland]
Point PS: "Some 100,000 Jews fought for Germany during World War I. Thousands were decorated for bravery and 12,000 were killed in action." - "80 000 davon kämpften an der Front, 35 000 wurden für Tapferkeit ausgezeichnet, und 12 000 starben auf deutscher Seite." [On the german side. French jews, or british, or americans are not mentioned at Haaretz, cause they have not achieved 43.75% of decoration for bravery. The Tagesspiegel wants us to think that there are "other" jews that fougtht against Germany. Motives ... in the dark of stereotypes]
And don't forget: These people receive money for it.
Montag, 31. Dezember 2007
Sonntag, 30. Dezember 2007
On Holocaust hoaxes – Vol II – english version
[Note: I hope this second text can be understood. The first text was written very incomprehensibly. And I have no time to correct the failures of my bad english.]
Yesterday evening Israeli blogger Lirun posted a question on the net. The question itself is less intresting, cause Lirun ougth to discover at first sigth that the mail is a hoax. And exaclty that is intresting.
Are Israelis supposed to know how other countries like Germany deal with the topic „Shoa“? Or are they perhaps only victims of sporadic hoax-attacks? Well, the Israeli media reports [about Germany] solely of acute investations of Neo-Nazism, or about institutionalizations [like the holocaust-memorial in Berlin]. Afterwards, a stultifyed river of mind trash of so-called „pro-Israeli activists“ [of german-austrian descent] gushes into the comment sections that have only one goal: To romantizise the situation into a „the real Holocaust in on the brink“-situation. [1] I personally don't care if Israeli souls interfere appeasing or upheating. Nonetheless the raised question is still to debate, why educated people like Lirun can not detect cheap knitted hoaxes for themselves.
What went wrong?
Germany, that we have to see as the precursor for all western countries in the processing of the incidents around the Shoa[2] did not reached the access to the confidence of the jewish soul to date and it will never reach it. The reason is not the killing of the jewish nation itself, not the further on rifing antisemitsm, not the absent willingness to participate in the reminiscence of the holocaust. In principle we talk about two different models of mnemonic determination of cultural identity, that can unify their intersections only by direct contact. The German does not find his identity with the site-related endowing of identity [mnemonic transfer of history and codes at graves – Focus: Jerusalem], or out of over millennia adopted mnemonic techniques [Psalm 137 – experiance of diaspora and persecution] which are embedded in the collective memory. The German in this area [above areas] is like a foundling, who is found every day from another historic content. [He is found, not he finds.] Germans do not react collective, they react intuitive-instantly. It is not possible to demonstrate out of the german collective memory how Eichmann could have become what Eichmann was. Out of it you can not demonstrate how a large part of german-jewish intellectuals tried to arrange themselves with Hitler. But what is the principle that makes them react collective? „One fool makes a thousand fools“.[4] The principle of the leader.
Today we talk of two different models of the fixed collective principle of the leader: Traditional and constitution-partiotic. 62 years after the end of the Shoa you can talk about a success, because the constitution-partiotic model displaced essentially the traditional. The principle of the leader is today and daily arranged on the basis of the democratic system and in humanitarian space. The leaders of today represent the democratic system, or are even non-poltical figures in sports or entertainment.[5] With this version we can see a growing friendship between Israel and Germany and every year new ties and steps into a shared future in economy and of the sociteties. The leaders of today are responsible-by-law and the situation of the jewish minority in Germany enhances every year. Otherwise is it impossible for Germany even in this state to exclude the latencies of the traditional model. Germans are still affected with xenophobia and antisemitism at high numbers. The old-fashioned ethocentric codes of territorial and cultural predominance are still transported, cause the system of the fixed collective principle of the leader has not changed.[6] The country has no protection for „new forms“ that are assimilated like we can see in the behaviour of 3rd-generation muslims in germany. Living in a democracy in Germany protects other countries, it does not protect germans or people that live here.
The internal debates, from „Schlußstrich“ over „Möllemann“ to „Holocaust Ligtht“[7], or laudable efforts of very much regional constitution-patriots to give the the horror of the Holocaust a remembering face will not detach Germans Gordian Knot. And if we are looking into the miserable data of antisemitism, the knowlegde about the holocaust, or simply into the fact that the word „jew“ represents one of the most harsh abuses under schoolchildren, I have to say that I have no answer on how we can detach it. As a german, I have to wonder about myself. Why aren't I a german of german collective rememberance? The answer is simple: I had luck and at the rigth time the rigth persons that took me by the hand.
Is it possible for Israel to live with a germany that produces its identity like it produced it in the 20ties? I fear it has to.
Now back to the question: What went wrong?
Nothing. Lirun had the luck that a german that took him by the hand and told him that the mail is a hoax. Now, this is not only a lesson on how to achieve transparency in the complex processing of the holocaust. [Ask – Check – Talk] We can go further and say that this story teaches us that the germans have to understand that they must confront themselve with the fact that any stupid hoax-writer[8] can use items of german history to denigrate somebody. [In this case the ... university of Kentucky.] and poeple will belive. [There are still dozends of websites presenting the mail an „true“.] And they must understand that they receive letters from Ahmanidejad not because he is an antisemite. They receive them because the large part of the WORLD belives in this moment that the germans are antisemites and want to receive the letter, even he-Ahmanidejad- knows that this generalization is wrong. Only the germans themselve can escape out of this stupid game. The „new role of germany in the world“ is an illusion as long the „leader-principles“ reigns that country.
[1] Paranoid backlash after 9/11 that goes along with the hitlerization of political tasks. Not to confuse with anglo-american propaganda. And finds massive counter attacks of antisemits of all degrees in german political forums and texts. „Root-Iran“-Exapmle: The „root“ of the Iranian activities -Hezbollah/A-Bomb-Propaganda- lies in the Israeli settlement policy as paranoid counter argument to „The germans deliver goods into Iran cause they want the Mullahs to finish the work of Hitler“. Approximately 70% of the texts in german forums communicate on that level, which resuts in the increase of state traced hate-crime acts into the 10tsds per anno in germany.
[2] Not to confuse with the processing of the victims. Western countries could only change some rules, like International Law in the aftermath of WWII but the core-lessons for the human race must come out of the offenders processing. [German Constitution:] „Should never happen again“ is not an assignment to „never do it again“. Its an assignment to create results to avoid future genozidal acts. If we look at the situation of the world today we could speak of a total failure of german intelligentsia: Not german thinkers processed the act into the formulation of new human-systems. They found entry in the anglo-american bipolar-system of „good and bad“, „black and white“. See [8]
[3] Intersections like loyality in relation to the content of democratic systems. Direct contact: Especially the question of „The rigth of Israel to exist as a jewish state“ needs this.
[4] Grimmelshausen, „Simplicissimus“
[5] Ex: „Eye for an eye“. To claim for damages, or to counter the claims is one of the favorit german hobbies today. The courts are full of them. Germans are absolutly compatible to jewish concepts and they respect the concept. Opposed to that is the boosted use of of the concept in the way Martin Luther explained it: The jews killed Jesus and thats the reason Jews should be killed. The use today in Germanies paranoid debates try to explain that jews are natural killers that can not make peace with arabs. Even if the majority of germans live their life in that concept, the guideline of their leader Luther reigns their consciousness. Confronted with the „jewish sense“ of „Eye for an Eye“ a large part of germans react as constitution-patriots and refuse to use it again in the sense of Luther. The question here is why they have to be confronted, instead of knowing it before, or better: are knowing it cause its a part of their collective memory.
[6] Ex: Media Campaign „You are Germany“ – 2006
[7] „Schlußstrich“ – debate about claims of nationalistic-conservative thinkers that there should be an end of germanys institutionalized responsibility for the holocaust.
„Möllemann“ – about the question how far critisism of Israel can go and not become antisemitic. [Debate? More drama]
„Holocaust Ligth“ – about the ways to teach contents of the holocaust, boom of holocaust-films. „Schindlers Liste“= A film that showes history and tries to teach humanitarian behaviour. Or „train de vie“ vs „The last train“
[8] The bipolar anglo-american system can work here because of the entry of german thinkers in that system. One is good that has a good intention relating to a bad thing -Nazi- the symbol for bad germans and germany. The content of a bad german must be direcly prooved with the content of the NS-Regime, including the fact that the NS-Regimes myth is a derivate of german culture. To describe the failure of german thinkers to go their own way a simple example. In Heidelberg theres a place called the Thing-Stätte. A NS-building. At the opening ceremony with Joseph Goebbels about 20 000 Nazis appeared there. June 1995 Monserrat Caballe gave a concert there 40 0000 people. Statistical still 20 000 antisemits, or „from anti-jewish ressentiments affected people“. Goebbels is bad – Caballe good. Who cares about the stable number of antisemits? The anglo-american system was a chance for the german institutions to become a stable partner in NATO, EU and a chance for germans to get rich. To de-antisemitize [and much more things] is a chance germany can only realize with a changes system of collective rememberance.
Yesterday evening Israeli blogger Lirun posted a question on the net. The question itself is less intresting, cause Lirun ougth to discover at first sigth that the mail is a hoax. And exaclty that is intresting.
Are Israelis supposed to know how other countries like Germany deal with the topic „Shoa“? Or are they perhaps only victims of sporadic hoax-attacks? Well, the Israeli media reports [about Germany] solely of acute investations of Neo-Nazism, or about institutionalizations [like the holocaust-memorial in Berlin]. Afterwards, a stultifyed river of mind trash of so-called „pro-Israeli activists“ [of german-austrian descent] gushes into the comment sections that have only one goal: To romantizise the situation into a „the real Holocaust in on the brink“-situation. [1] I personally don't care if Israeli souls interfere appeasing or upheating. Nonetheless the raised question is still to debate, why educated people like Lirun can not detect cheap knitted hoaxes for themselves.
What went wrong?
Germany, that we have to see as the precursor for all western countries in the processing of the incidents around the Shoa[2] did not reached the access to the confidence of the jewish soul to date and it will never reach it. The reason is not the killing of the jewish nation itself, not the further on rifing antisemitsm, not the absent willingness to participate in the reminiscence of the holocaust. In principle we talk about two different models of mnemonic determination of cultural identity, that can unify their intersections only by direct contact. The German does not find his identity with the site-related endowing of identity [mnemonic transfer of history and codes at graves – Focus: Jerusalem], or out of over millennia adopted mnemonic techniques [Psalm 137 – experiance of diaspora and persecution] which are embedded in the collective memory. The German in this area [above areas] is like a foundling, who is found every day from another historic content. [He is found, not he finds.] Germans do not react collective, they react intuitive-instantly. It is not possible to demonstrate out of the german collective memory how Eichmann could have become what Eichmann was. Out of it you can not demonstrate how a large part of german-jewish intellectuals tried to arrange themselves with Hitler. But what is the principle that makes them react collective? „One fool makes a thousand fools“.[4] The principle of the leader.
Today we talk of two different models of the fixed collective principle of the leader: Traditional and constitution-partiotic. 62 years after the end of the Shoa you can talk about a success, because the constitution-partiotic model displaced essentially the traditional. The principle of the leader is today and daily arranged on the basis of the democratic system and in humanitarian space. The leaders of today represent the democratic system, or are even non-poltical figures in sports or entertainment.[5] With this version we can see a growing friendship between Israel and Germany and every year new ties and steps into a shared future in economy and of the sociteties. The leaders of today are responsible-by-law and the situation of the jewish minority in Germany enhances every year. Otherwise is it impossible for Germany even in this state to exclude the latencies of the traditional model. Germans are still affected with xenophobia and antisemitism at high numbers. The old-fashioned ethocentric codes of territorial and cultural predominance are still transported, cause the system of the fixed collective principle of the leader has not changed.[6] The country has no protection for „new forms“ that are assimilated like we can see in the behaviour of 3rd-generation muslims in germany. Living in a democracy in Germany protects other countries, it does not protect germans or people that live here.
The internal debates, from „Schlußstrich“ over „Möllemann“ to „Holocaust Ligtht“[7], or laudable efforts of very much regional constitution-patriots to give the the horror of the Holocaust a remembering face will not detach Germans Gordian Knot. And if we are looking into the miserable data of antisemitism, the knowlegde about the holocaust, or simply into the fact that the word „jew“ represents one of the most harsh abuses under schoolchildren, I have to say that I have no answer on how we can detach it. As a german, I have to wonder about myself. Why aren't I a german of german collective rememberance? The answer is simple: I had luck and at the rigth time the rigth persons that took me by the hand.
Is it possible for Israel to live with a germany that produces its identity like it produced it in the 20ties? I fear it has to.
Now back to the question: What went wrong?
Nothing. Lirun had the luck that a german that took him by the hand and told him that the mail is a hoax. Now, this is not only a lesson on how to achieve transparency in the complex processing of the holocaust. [Ask – Check – Talk] We can go further and say that this story teaches us that the germans have to understand that they must confront themselve with the fact that any stupid hoax-writer[8] can use items of german history to denigrate somebody. [In this case the ... university of Kentucky.] and poeple will belive. [There are still dozends of websites presenting the mail an „true“.] And they must understand that they receive letters from Ahmanidejad not because he is an antisemite. They receive them because the large part of the WORLD belives in this moment that the germans are antisemites and want to receive the letter, even he-Ahmanidejad- knows that this generalization is wrong. Only the germans themselve can escape out of this stupid game. The „new role of germany in the world“ is an illusion as long the „leader-principles“ reigns that country.
[1] Paranoid backlash after 9/11 that goes along with the hitlerization of political tasks. Not to confuse with anglo-american propaganda. And finds massive counter attacks of antisemits of all degrees in german political forums and texts. „Root-Iran“-Exapmle: The „root“ of the Iranian activities -Hezbollah/A-Bomb-Propaganda- lies in the Israeli settlement policy as paranoid counter argument to „The germans deliver goods into Iran cause they want the Mullahs to finish the work of Hitler“. Approximately 70% of the texts in german forums communicate on that level, which resuts in the increase of state traced hate-crime acts into the 10tsds per anno in germany.
[2] Not to confuse with the processing of the victims. Western countries could only change some rules, like International Law in the aftermath of WWII but the core-lessons for the human race must come out of the offenders processing. [German Constitution:] „Should never happen again“ is not an assignment to „never do it again“. Its an assignment to create results to avoid future genozidal acts. If we look at the situation of the world today we could speak of a total failure of german intelligentsia: Not german thinkers processed the act into the formulation of new human-systems. They found entry in the anglo-american bipolar-system of „good and bad“, „black and white“. See [8]
[3] Intersections like loyality in relation to the content of democratic systems. Direct contact: Especially the question of „The rigth of Israel to exist as a jewish state“ needs this.
[4] Grimmelshausen, „Simplicissimus“
[5] Ex: „Eye for an eye“. To claim for damages, or to counter the claims is one of the favorit german hobbies today. The courts are full of them. Germans are absolutly compatible to jewish concepts and they respect the concept. Opposed to that is the boosted use of of the concept in the way Martin Luther explained it: The jews killed Jesus and thats the reason Jews should be killed. The use today in Germanies paranoid debates try to explain that jews are natural killers that can not make peace with arabs. Even if the majority of germans live their life in that concept, the guideline of their leader Luther reigns their consciousness. Confronted with the „jewish sense“ of „Eye for an Eye“ a large part of germans react as constitution-patriots and refuse to use it again in the sense of Luther. The question here is why they have to be confronted, instead of knowing it before, or better: are knowing it cause its a part of their collective memory.
[6] Ex: Media Campaign „You are Germany“ – 2006
[7] „Schlußstrich“ – debate about claims of nationalistic-conservative thinkers that there should be an end of germanys institutionalized responsibility for the holocaust.
„Möllemann“ – about the question how far critisism of Israel can go and not become antisemitic. [Debate? More drama]
„Holocaust Ligth“ – about the ways to teach contents of the holocaust, boom of holocaust-films. „Schindlers Liste“= A film that showes history and tries to teach humanitarian behaviour. Or „train de vie“ vs „The last train“
[8] The bipolar anglo-american system can work here because of the entry of german thinkers in that system. One is good that has a good intention relating to a bad thing -Nazi- the symbol for bad germans and germany. The content of a bad german must be direcly prooved with the content of the NS-Regime, including the fact that the NS-Regimes myth is a derivate of german culture. To describe the failure of german thinkers to go their own way a simple example. In Heidelberg theres a place called the Thing-Stätte. A NS-building. At the opening ceremony with Joseph Goebbels about 20 000 Nazis appeared there. June 1995 Monserrat Caballe gave a concert there 40 0000 people. Statistical still 20 000 antisemits, or „from anti-jewish ressentiments affected people“. Goebbels is bad – Caballe good. Who cares about the stable number of antisemits? The anglo-american system was a chance for the german institutions to become a stable partner in NATO, EU and a chance for germans to get rich. To de-antisemitize [and much more things] is a chance germany can only realize with a changes system of collective rememberance.
IDF kills Two + One
In einem Krankenhaus in Gaza verstirbt ein Angehöriger der al-Quds-Brigaden an seinen am Donnerstag erlittenen Verletzungen. Am Morgen werden zwei Palästinenser am Grenzzaun zu Gaza erschossen. Zudem stirbt ein palästinensischer Insasse des Gilboa-Sicherheitsgefängnisses an mutmaßlicher medizinischer Unterversorgung. Seit dem letzten Post werden bislang ein Angriff mit Mörsergranaten auf Nazal Oz [Militär] und 2 Qassam-Abschüsse aus Sderot [Zivil] gezählt. Kleinere israelische Operationen finden in verschiedneen Städten im Gazastreifen statt. Die Hamas verbietet jedgliche Fatah-Aktivitäten in Bezug auf das kommende Neujahr und verhaftet zudem im Nuseirat-Camp verschiedene Fatahisten. Die Fatah verhaftet in der Westbank 14 Hamasniks. Am Samstag werden zwei Palästinenser die mit Messer bewaffnet waren an einem Checkpoint in Nablus verhaftet. Ebenso am Samstag veröffentlicht die IDF einen Schmuggelfund der einige Wochen zurückliegt: In Säcken der EU-Hilfe sollen 6,5t "potassium Nitrate" verbotenerweise in die Westbank geschmuggelt worden sein.
Nach dem Tod zweier IDF-Soldaten in der Westbank nutzt PM Ehud Olmert die Gelegenheit um die bereits seit längerem ergebnislosen Verhandlungen mit Ramallah und Sicherheitsrisiko einzustufen. Industrieminister Eli Yishai ruft zur Absage weiterer Verhandlungen auf. Während der Beerdigung in Kyrjat Arba kommt es zu separatistischen Äusserungen. Ramllahs Superminister Fayyad berichtet am Samstag von der Verhaftung verschiedener Verdächtiger im Zusammenhang mit den Morden. +++ Harel/Issacharov: "Blocking the escalation": The effort by the security forces to capture those who carried out the shooting attack where two Israel Defense Forces soldiers were killed west of Hebron on Friday is doubly important this time. It hopes to pay back the terrorists and keep them from attacking again, but it is also designed to nip in the bud the creation of a new Jewish terror organization in the West Bank.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert intends to refrain from authorizing further
construction projects in East Jerusalem, but will allow construction in the neighborhood of Har Homa, sources close to the prime minister told Haaretz Saturday. The sources added that Olmert is seeking to introduce stricter supervision of construction plans in the region. According to the sources, Olmert told Housing Minister Ze'ev Boim last week that he is interested in making it "understood that no construction is carried out in East Jerusalem." However, Olmert reportedly said that the current construction of 307 housing units in the south-eastern neighborhood of Har Homa, which is on the Palestinian side of the Green Line, will not be terminated. The sources added that Olmert intends to instruct the relevant ministers to alert the cabinet about possible future crises involving construction in East Jerusalem.
The hundreds of women and the few men who on Friday celebrated the 20th
anniversary of Women in Black didn't seem to know whether the event they were attending was a somber one, or a party. After all, the cause the movement has championed for the past 20 years has not been achieved. The Israeli occupation still exists.
Am Wochenende soll der als reichster jüdischer Mann geltende Sheldon Adelson mit Führerh der Shas unf Israel Beiteinu zusammentreffen um sie aus der Kolation zu ... kaufen. + Education Minister Yuli Tamir wants the High Court of Justice to approve a one-year postponement on a ruling that stops the ministry from funding ultra-Orthodox schools that do not teach core-curriculum subjects. Tamir faces opposition from Haredi school administrators, as well as politicians from Shas and United Torah Judaism.
Während die israelische Seite sich mit dem Gedanken trägt dem Syrischen System den Titel des "rouge states" abzuerkennen läßt dieses fünf vor Monaten inhaftierte Regimegegner frei. Zudem wird von einer Rückwanderungsbewegung berichtet: Syrian expatriates return home in hopes of new wealth: Many Syrian-Americans are leaving for Damascus, lured by the opportunities offered by a newly open economy.
State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza described as "inaccurate" reports in two local newspapers on Friday, An-Nahar and As-Safir, that referred to "new clues" surfacing in the investigation into the assassination of General Francois Hajj. Mirza said he has called for an investigation into the sources of information both papers used in their reporting. The papers reported that investigations have uncovered the identities of the owners of the BMW vehicle used in the assassination. Both papers said Friday that progress has been made in the investigation after the Leban-ese intelligence services obtained pictures of the two men who purchased the car that was used in the bombing.
Speaker Nabih Berri has postponed for the 11th time a parliamentary session to elect a new president to January 12, according to a statement issued by the General Secretariat of the Chamber of Deputies on Friday. The statement said there is no longer a need for a constitutional amendment to allow grade one civil servants to be elected to the presidency. It referred to an interpretation of Article 74 of the Constitution that waives restrictions on such candidates, as they would normally have to resign from their post before their election to the presidency.
Raghida Dergham, "The international court is coming quicker than everyone thinks": Photo-op diplomacy and the studied noise campaign to save the heads of states and regimes from accountability has failed, no matter how much they try to drug public opinion, which has also failed at true self-determination in many countries. This is thanks to the arts of putting the public to sleep and being lazy about precision in the strategies of nations and the tactics of governments. The US is a good example of the supremacy of these arts and the practice of toying with people's minds during election campaigns, especially when Congress or the White House carry out their duties This takes place with huge assistance from the media, and is not just a result of slick media and advertising campaigns. This is how public opinion is led in one direction or another, until a surprise appears, along with a date for holding US President George Bush accountable; Bush is perhaps now paying the price of the excessive use of the technology of words and pictures.
Und weil wirs gerade von Kawther hatten... ihr Lebensabschnittsgefährte Löwstedt veranstaltet in Wien.
"Israel has not made a strategic decision to make peace with the Palestinians," Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti said in an interview with the Saudi paper Al Wattan on Sunday. "What is demanded of Israel now is that it announce clearly that it is ready to end the occupation, retreat from occupied territories, remove settlements and checkpoints, stop seizing land, release prisoners, stop the siege of the Gaza Strip and stop killing and destroying activities," he added.
Charles A. Landsmann im Tagesspiegel: Eltern, Lehrer und Professoren, Schüler und Studenten wissen um die bildungspolitische Misere in Israel seit Jahren. Jetzt haben es endlich auch die Politiker gemerkt, die das Bildungsbudget bisher in jedem Jahr drei bis vier Mal gekürzt haben. Erstmals seit Jitzhak Rabins Zeiten erhöhten sie nun für 2008 die Ausgaben des Erziehungsministeriums. Wohl zu spät, denn das Pisa-Unterschichtenland Israel sinkt nicht nur im internationalen Vergleich immer weiter ab, sondern taumelt von einem Lehrerstreik zum zweiten: Seit nun schon zwei Monaten streiken die Dozenten der sieben israelischen Universitäten, fast so lange wie zuvor die Studienräte der Gymnasien und Mittelschulen, und ein Streikende ist nicht abzusehen. Vor allem, weil nicht oder kaum verhandelt wird. Einmal sahen sich die Kontrahenten neun Tage lang nicht. Noch immer halten die Dozenten an ihrer ursprünglichen Forderung von 30 Prozent Lohnerhöhung fest, während die Regierung sieben Prozent anbietet. Bis zu 2650 Euro zahlen Israels Universitätsstudenten im Moment also an Studiengebühren – für nichts. Sie zahlen dafür, dass sie zu Hause bleiben müssen. [Leider zu kurz.]
Nach dem Tod zweier IDF-Soldaten in der Westbank nutzt PM Ehud Olmert die Gelegenheit um die bereits seit längerem ergebnislosen Verhandlungen mit Ramallah und Sicherheitsrisiko einzustufen. Industrieminister Eli Yishai ruft zur Absage weiterer Verhandlungen auf. Während der Beerdigung in Kyrjat Arba kommt es zu separatistischen Äusserungen. Ramllahs Superminister Fayyad berichtet am Samstag von der Verhaftung verschiedener Verdächtiger im Zusammenhang mit den Morden. +++ Harel/Issacharov: "Blocking the escalation": The effort by the security forces to capture those who carried out the shooting attack where two Israel Defense Forces soldiers were killed west of Hebron on Friday is doubly important this time. It hopes to pay back the terrorists and keep them from attacking again, but it is also designed to nip in the bud the creation of a new Jewish terror organization in the West Bank.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert intends to refrain from authorizing further
construction projects in East Jerusalem, but will allow construction in the neighborhood of Har Homa, sources close to the prime minister told Haaretz Saturday. The sources added that Olmert is seeking to introduce stricter supervision of construction plans in the region. According to the sources, Olmert told Housing Minister Ze'ev Boim last week that he is interested in making it "understood that no construction is carried out in East Jerusalem." However, Olmert reportedly said that the current construction of 307 housing units in the south-eastern neighborhood of Har Homa, which is on the Palestinian side of the Green Line, will not be terminated. The sources added that Olmert intends to instruct the relevant ministers to alert the cabinet about possible future crises involving construction in East Jerusalem.
The hundreds of women and the few men who on Friday celebrated the 20th
anniversary of Women in Black didn't seem to know whether the event they were attending was a somber one, or a party. After all, the cause the movement has championed for the past 20 years has not been achieved. The Israeli occupation still exists.
Am Wochenende soll der als reichster jüdischer Mann geltende Sheldon Adelson mit Führerh der Shas unf Israel Beiteinu zusammentreffen um sie aus der Kolation zu ... kaufen. + Education Minister Yuli Tamir wants the High Court of Justice to approve a one-year postponement on a ruling that stops the ministry from funding ultra-Orthodox schools that do not teach core-curriculum subjects. Tamir faces opposition from Haredi school administrators, as well as politicians from Shas and United Torah Judaism.
Während die israelische Seite sich mit dem Gedanken trägt dem Syrischen System den Titel des "rouge states" abzuerkennen läßt dieses fünf vor Monaten inhaftierte Regimegegner frei. Zudem wird von einer Rückwanderungsbewegung berichtet: Syrian expatriates return home in hopes of new wealth: Many Syrian-Americans are leaving for Damascus, lured by the opportunities offered by a newly open economy.
State Prosecutor Saeed Mirza described as "inaccurate" reports in two local newspapers on Friday, An-Nahar and As-Safir, that referred to "new clues" surfacing in the investigation into the assassination of General Francois Hajj. Mirza said he has called for an investigation into the sources of information both papers used in their reporting. The papers reported that investigations have uncovered the identities of the owners of the BMW vehicle used in the assassination. Both papers said Friday that progress has been made in the investigation after the Leban-ese intelligence services obtained pictures of the two men who purchased the car that was used in the bombing.
Speaker Nabih Berri has postponed for the 11th time a parliamentary session to elect a new president to January 12, according to a statement issued by the General Secretariat of the Chamber of Deputies on Friday. The statement said there is no longer a need for a constitutional amendment to allow grade one civil servants to be elected to the presidency. It referred to an interpretation of Article 74 of the Constitution that waives restrictions on such candidates, as they would normally have to resign from their post before their election to the presidency.
Raghida Dergham, "The international court is coming quicker than everyone thinks": Photo-op diplomacy and the studied noise campaign to save the heads of states and regimes from accountability has failed, no matter how much they try to drug public opinion, which has also failed at true self-determination in many countries. This is thanks to the arts of putting the public to sleep and being lazy about precision in the strategies of nations and the tactics of governments. The US is a good example of the supremacy of these arts and the practice of toying with people's minds during election campaigns, especially when Congress or the White House carry out their duties This takes place with huge assistance from the media, and is not just a result of slick media and advertising campaigns. This is how public opinion is led in one direction or another, until a surprise appears, along with a date for holding US President George Bush accountable; Bush is perhaps now paying the price of the excessive use of the technology of words and pictures.
Und weil wirs gerade von Kawther hatten... ihr Lebensabschnittsgefährte Löwstedt veranstaltet in Wien.
"Israel has not made a strategic decision to make peace with the Palestinians," Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti said in an interview with the Saudi paper Al Wattan on Sunday. "What is demanded of Israel now is that it announce clearly that it is ready to end the occupation, retreat from occupied territories, remove settlements and checkpoints, stop seizing land, release prisoners, stop the siege of the Gaza Strip and stop killing and destroying activities," he added.
Charles A. Landsmann im Tagesspiegel: Eltern, Lehrer und Professoren, Schüler und Studenten wissen um die bildungspolitische Misere in Israel seit Jahren. Jetzt haben es endlich auch die Politiker gemerkt, die das Bildungsbudget bisher in jedem Jahr drei bis vier Mal gekürzt haben. Erstmals seit Jitzhak Rabins Zeiten erhöhten sie nun für 2008 die Ausgaben des Erziehungsministeriums. Wohl zu spät, denn das Pisa-Unterschichtenland Israel sinkt nicht nur im internationalen Vergleich immer weiter ab, sondern taumelt von einem Lehrerstreik zum zweiten: Seit nun schon zwei Monaten streiken die Dozenten der sieben israelischen Universitäten, fast so lange wie zuvor die Studienräte der Gymnasien und Mittelschulen, und ein Streikende ist nicht abzusehen. Vor allem, weil nicht oder kaum verhandelt wird. Einmal sahen sich die Kontrahenten neun Tage lang nicht. Noch immer halten die Dozenten an ihrer ursprünglichen Forderung von 30 Prozent Lohnerhöhung fest, während die Regierung sieben Prozent anbietet. Bis zu 2650 Euro zahlen Israels Universitätsstudenten im Moment also an Studiengebühren – für nichts. Sie zahlen dafür, dass sie zu Hause bleiben müssen. [Leider zu kurz.]
Freitag, 28. Dezember 2007
Westbank: Five killed in shooting attacks
Beide Fälle sind von gewisser Bedeutung, da es keine unbekannten trifft.
Two Israelis were killed and a third was wounded Friday in a drive-by shooting in the south Hebron Hills are of the West Bank. The two, who were on leave from the army, were hiking in the area of the Talam and Adura settlements with a female resident of Kiryat Arba when a group of four terrorists opened fire on them from a Jeep. [A large number of IDF forces raided a Palestinian hospital in Hebron Friday evening, Channel 10 reported. The forces were searching for terrorists wounded during an attack earlier in the day, in which two young Israeli men were killed.] The victims, named as David Rubin and Ahikam Amihai, managed to return fire, reportedly killing one of the terrorists. Both men were in elite units of the IDF, with Rubin serving as a sergeant in the Israeli Naval commandos and Amihai as a corporal in the Israel Air Force commandos unit. The victims, named as David Rubin and Ahikam Amihai, managed to return fire, reportedly killing one of the terrorists. Both men were in elite units of the IDF, with Rubin serving as a sergeant in the Israeli Naval commandos and Amihai as a corporal in the Israel Air Force commandos unit.
In einem zweiten Vorfall: Israel Defense Forces troops killed one of Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qureia's bodyguards on Friday during an arrest operation in Ramallah. On Thursday, Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qureia announced that peace talks would continue after a spat over Israeli settlements. But late Thursday, the Israeli military sent a team into a suburb of Ramallah, the seat of Abbas' government, to arrest one of Qureia's bodyguards, a member of the Palestinian security forces who the military said was implicated in armed activity against Israel and had provided weapons to other militants. [Ich bin beinahe versucht die Geschichte mit der Tötung eines Siedlers aus Shavei Shomron im November in Verbindung zu bringen.]
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he wants to be involved in any building expansion plan in order to ensure that it does not contradict Israel's Road Map commitments or understandings reportedly reached with United States' President George Bush. The prime minister met with Housing Minister Ze'ev Boim this week and the subject reportedly came up during their conversation. Olmert said he plans on changing the procedure for awarding building permits in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, in order to avoid international crises such as the one that occurred this week. The recent crisis broke out following the publication of a tender for the construction of 307 new homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Homa. +++ Rosner/Benn, "Whats the hurry?": The Annapolis summit and the efforts to revive the peace process have exacerbated the tension that already existed between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Olmert's personal charm doesn't work on Rice, and the Prime Minister's Office is anxious about her tendency to push ahead too quickly with political contacts. +++ Akiva Eldar, "Reconciliation begins in prison": "I came here today to extend a hand in peace to the Palestinian people and to our neighboring Arab states," the prime minister declared at the start of his speech at Annapolis on November 27. "I have no doubt that the reality created in our region in 1967 will change significantly," Ehud Olmert promised. He knows that "it will be as hard as Hell for some of those among us," but assured his listeners that "we are ready for it."
Eli Ashkenzai, "New version of old self-defense group guards Jewish farmlands"
The federal agency overseeing Russia's military exports on Friday denied
reports that the country is planning to deliver S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems to Iran.
The defense budget for 2008 will be NIS 51.3 billion, thereby setting yet another new record for defense spending. This figure represents over 16% of the entire NIS 314 billion state budget for next year, which the Knesset approved yesterday after passing the accompanying Economic Arrangements Law the day before. It also represents about 7% of gross domestic product. Of this sum, NIS 4.3 billion will go for pensions for those who have retired from the military, up from NIS 3.9 billion in 2007. Another NIS 1.2 billion is earmarked for the separation fence, and NIS 1.2 billion for bereaved families, widows and memorials for the fallen.
Tamar Rotem, "Interior Ministry ignoring High Court ruling on conversions" [Erneut ein "mahnendes Wort" nachdem Dorit Beinisch letzte Woche des defense Ministerium gerügt hatte, weil es Zeitvorgaben zur Vorlage von Daten in Sachen Gaza Strom-cut nicht einhält.]
Two Israelis were killed and a third was wounded Friday in a drive-by shooting in the south Hebron Hills are of the West Bank. The two, who were on leave from the army, were hiking in the area of the Talam and Adura settlements with a female resident of Kiryat Arba when a group of four terrorists opened fire on them from a Jeep. [A large number of IDF forces raided a Palestinian hospital in Hebron Friday evening, Channel 10 reported. The forces were searching for terrorists wounded during an attack earlier in the day, in which two young Israeli men were killed.] The victims, named as David Rubin and Ahikam Amihai, managed to return fire, reportedly killing one of the terrorists. Both men were in elite units of the IDF, with Rubin serving as a sergeant in the Israeli Naval commandos and Amihai as a corporal in the Israel Air Force commandos unit. The victims, named as David Rubin and Ahikam Amihai, managed to return fire, reportedly killing one of the terrorists. Both men were in elite units of the IDF, with Rubin serving as a sergeant in the Israeli Naval commandos and Amihai as a corporal in the Israel Air Force commandos unit.
In einem zweiten Vorfall: Israel Defense Forces troops killed one of Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qureia's bodyguards on Friday during an arrest operation in Ramallah. On Thursday, Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qureia announced that peace talks would continue after a spat over Israeli settlements. But late Thursday, the Israeli military sent a team into a suburb of Ramallah, the seat of Abbas' government, to arrest one of Qureia's bodyguards, a member of the Palestinian security forces who the military said was implicated in armed activity against Israel and had provided weapons to other militants. [Ich bin beinahe versucht die Geschichte mit der Tötung eines Siedlers aus Shavei Shomron im November in Verbindung zu bringen.]
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he wants to be involved in any building expansion plan in order to ensure that it does not contradict Israel's Road Map commitments or understandings reportedly reached with United States' President George Bush. The prime minister met with Housing Minister Ze'ev Boim this week and the subject reportedly came up during their conversation. Olmert said he plans on changing the procedure for awarding building permits in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, in order to avoid international crises such as the one that occurred this week. The recent crisis broke out following the publication of a tender for the construction of 307 new homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Homa. +++ Rosner/Benn, "Whats the hurry?": The Annapolis summit and the efforts to revive the peace process have exacerbated the tension that already existed between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Olmert's personal charm doesn't work on Rice, and the Prime Minister's Office is anxious about her tendency to push ahead too quickly with political contacts. +++ Akiva Eldar, "Reconciliation begins in prison": "I came here today to extend a hand in peace to the Palestinian people and to our neighboring Arab states," the prime minister declared at the start of his speech at Annapolis on November 27. "I have no doubt that the reality created in our region in 1967 will change significantly," Ehud Olmert promised. He knows that "it will be as hard as Hell for some of those among us," but assured his listeners that "we are ready for it."
Eli Ashkenzai, "New version of old self-defense group guards Jewish farmlands"
The federal agency overseeing Russia's military exports on Friday denied
reports that the country is planning to deliver S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems to Iran.
The defense budget for 2008 will be NIS 51.3 billion, thereby setting yet another new record for defense spending. This figure represents over 16% of the entire NIS 314 billion state budget for next year, which the Knesset approved yesterday after passing the accompanying Economic Arrangements Law the day before. It also represents about 7% of gross domestic product. Of this sum, NIS 4.3 billion will go for pensions for those who have retired from the military, up from NIS 3.9 billion in 2007. Another NIS 1.2 billion is earmarked for the separation fence, and NIS 1.2 billion for bereaved families, widows and memorials for the fallen.
Tamar Rotem, "Interior Ministry ignoring High Court ruling on conversions" [Erneut ein "mahnendes Wort" nachdem Dorit Beinisch letzte Woche des defense Ministerium gerügt hatte, weil es Zeitvorgaben zur Vorlage von Daten in Sachen Gaza Strom-cut nicht einhält.]
Donnerstag, 27. Dezember 2007
IDF kills Eigth
Zu diesem Zeitpunkt kursieren noch sehr unterschiedliche Versionen des akuten Gewaltausbruchs am heutigen Abend. Ich habe ja im letzten post von bereits "recht intensiven" Aktivitäten berichtet. Zuvor der wohl immer dienliche Hinweis nicht alles zu glauben was verbreitet wird. Heutiges Beispiel: "Security source: Top Jihad man killed in Gaza integral in Qassam production" Wenn DAS stimmt können die latenten Theorien das die Hamas die Qassam-Produktion unter Kontrolle habe und nach politischem Gutdünken die Raketen an die Splittergruppen weiter gibt nicht aufrecht erhalten werden.
*** Auslöser der Eskalation war eine Operation israelischer Soldaten nahe Khan Younis, die dem seit zwei Tagen anhaltenden Beschuß durch Qassams entgegen treten wollten. Der Versuch seitens palästinensischer Milizen mit Granaten und MG-Beschuß die IDF zu blockieren wurde mit massivem Feuer beantwortet: Zwei Tote unter der al-Quds-Miliz. Im Nachhinein kommt es zu Ausweitung der Aktionen der Luftunterstützung: Teils werden dabei zivile Gebäude zerstört. Dabei stirbt ein al-Qassam-Milizionär der Hamas. Unter den vermeldeten zehn Verletzten sind auch Zivilisten. *** Kurz danach erlegt die IAF ein fahrendes Auto im al-Bureij-Camp das wohl Nachschub an die Grenzstellungen des Islamic Jihad bringen soll. Zwei tote al-Quds-Mitglieder und drei verletzte Zivilisten. *** Am Abend werden in "central Gaza" bei einem IAF-Raketenangriff auf ein Auto drei al-Quds-Milizionäre getötet, darunter der als "head of the Islamic Jihad's armed wing" bezeichnete Muhammad Abu Abdullah, ergo ein Fall der extralegalen Tötung. Die Operationen beider Seiten sind nicht abgeschlossen.
Ein erneuter Erfolg für die Yesh-Din-Gruppe. Nach vielfachen Beschwerden erläutert heute die IDF das sie zumindest die Ermittlungsverfahren bezüglich Gewalt gegen palästinensische Zivilisten um 36% zum Vorjahr gesteigert hat. Rückwirkend wird allerdings nichts unternommen.
The Knesset Plenum on Thursday passed the 2008 State Budget in a 64 to 32 vote. The NIS 314 billion budget was passed in its third reading five days before the end of the fiscal year.
Palestinians have received Israeli permission to import 50 Russian-made armored personnel carriers into the West Bank next month, after resolving a dispute with Israel over arming the vehicles, the top Palestinian security official said Thursday. +++ PM to Abbas: Israel will not erect any new settlements in W. Bank
Israel will not build any new settlements and will stop expropriating land in the West Bank, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during a meeting in Jerusalem on Thursday. Olmert told Abbas that Israel "will take no steps that will hurt our ability to arrive at final status negotiations with the Palestinians," and added that Israel wants to carry out the negotiations "in good faith." The meeting between was the leaders' first since the Annapolis summit last month. It was called as an attempt to solve the so-called settlement crisis that has plagued negotiations since the Annapolis summit late last month.
Sami Moubayed on Syrian Christians.
*** Auslöser der Eskalation war eine Operation israelischer Soldaten nahe Khan Younis, die dem seit zwei Tagen anhaltenden Beschuß durch Qassams entgegen treten wollten. Der Versuch seitens palästinensischer Milizen mit Granaten und MG-Beschuß die IDF zu blockieren wurde mit massivem Feuer beantwortet: Zwei Tote unter der al-Quds-Miliz. Im Nachhinein kommt es zu Ausweitung der Aktionen der Luftunterstützung: Teils werden dabei zivile Gebäude zerstört. Dabei stirbt ein al-Qassam-Milizionär der Hamas. Unter den vermeldeten zehn Verletzten sind auch Zivilisten. *** Kurz danach erlegt die IAF ein fahrendes Auto im al-Bureij-Camp das wohl Nachschub an die Grenzstellungen des Islamic Jihad bringen soll. Zwei tote al-Quds-Mitglieder und drei verletzte Zivilisten. *** Am Abend werden in "central Gaza" bei einem IAF-Raketenangriff auf ein Auto drei al-Quds-Milizionäre getötet, darunter der als "head of the Islamic Jihad's armed wing" bezeichnete Muhammad Abu Abdullah, ergo ein Fall der extralegalen Tötung. Die Operationen beider Seiten sind nicht abgeschlossen.
Ein erneuter Erfolg für die Yesh-Din-Gruppe. Nach vielfachen Beschwerden erläutert heute die IDF das sie zumindest die Ermittlungsverfahren bezüglich Gewalt gegen palästinensische Zivilisten um 36% zum Vorjahr gesteigert hat. Rückwirkend wird allerdings nichts unternommen.
The Knesset Plenum on Thursday passed the 2008 State Budget in a 64 to 32 vote. The NIS 314 billion budget was passed in its third reading five days before the end of the fiscal year.
Palestinians have received Israeli permission to import 50 Russian-made armored personnel carriers into the West Bank next month, after resolving a dispute with Israel over arming the vehicles, the top Palestinian security official said Thursday. +++ PM to Abbas: Israel will not erect any new settlements in W. Bank
Israel will not build any new settlements and will stop expropriating land in the West Bank, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during a meeting in Jerusalem on Thursday. Olmert told Abbas that Israel "will take no steps that will hurt our ability to arrive at final status negotiations with the Palestinians," and added that Israel wants to carry out the negotiations "in good faith." The meeting between was the leaders' first since the Annapolis summit last month. It was called as an attempt to solve the so-called settlement crisis that has plagued negotiations since the Annapolis summit late last month.
Sami Moubayed on Syrian Christians.
Barak in Egypt II
Weiterhin schlägt der gestrige Besuch des israelischen Verteidigungsministers Barak in Ägypten hohe Wellen. Als konkretes Verhandlungsergebnis wird die Bildung eines gemeinsamen Sicherheitsteams zur besseren Bekämpfung des Schmuggels von Waffen in den Gazastreifen durch AP bestätigt, wobei ein dort verbreiteter technologischer und geheimdienstinformeller Transfer von Israel nach Ägypten mehr als fragwürdig erscheint. Die Ägypter möchten [mal wieder] mehr Polizei an der Grenze einsetzen. Thats all. Von irgendwelchen realen Projekten wie einer sicheren Grenzanlage, oder dem berühmten Bruggraben als Grenze, aber auch herzlich wenig über wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit ist die Rede. In den Kernfragen, einer Verbesserung der diplomatischen Beziehungen und eine stärkere Beteiligung der Ägypter in der Sanktionsfront gegen die Hamas gibt es keinerlei Annäherung. [Amos Harel, "Defense Minister Ehud Barak's visit here yesterday could have been entitled: "After Tzipi." Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni demonstrated a shocking lack of caution on Tuesday when she dared to speak the truth about Egypt's job performance in preventing weapons smuggling from Sinai into Gaza ("terrible and problematic"). The Egyptians were insulted to the depths of their souls - and Barak found himself in a rare position: The defense minister suddenly became the "good Israeli" in Arab eyes. The fact that Barak privately agrees with Livni changes nothing."] Meine Theorie bleibt: Die Kadima-Fraktion hat dem defense-minister die Show versaut um seinem innenpolitischen Aufstreben einen Dämpfer zu verpassen. Normalerweise wird Livni bei ihren Ausfällen und Alleingängen durch die Kadima-Technokraten zurück gepfiffen und erhält ab und an einen Maulkorb. Man schweigt dieses Mal vornehm und erhebt Livni über die Ankündigung eines Besuchs in Moskau in etwa drei Wochen in Sachen iranischem Atomwaffenprogramm zur Chefunterhändlerin nach dem die Sanktiongebrüllfront in der post-NIE-Berichtzeit zusammengebrochen ist. Worum es bei all dem Geträllere interner Eitelkeiten eigentlich geht ist längst klar: "Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's expressed refusal to resign following the upcoming publication of the final Winograd committee report on the Second Lebanon War has focused renewed attention on the fault lines within Olmert's main coalition partner, the Labor Party. Voices from within the faction are calling on Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who vowed during his campaign for party chairmanship to pull the party out of the government upon the report's release, to follow through on his pledge." Die Zeit für Barak ist reif eine Entscheidung zu treffen. Geht er aus der Regierung wird es Neuwahlen mit absehbarer Koalition Avoda-Likud geben. Nachteilig für den Königsmörder Barak ist das er auch hier nur die zweite Geige spielen darf. Livni zeigte ihm mit der "ägyptischen Rochade" was ihn in diesem Fall erwartet. Da Israel weiterhin ein Land unter Sicherheitsphobie ist sind andere Wahlkampfthemen als zB die Lage in Sderot kaum zugfähig um die No1 zu werden. Verbleibt er in der Koalition ist die Gefahr groß das er mit ihr unter geht, wie es schon seinem Vormann Peretz erging. Nun hat aber auch Barak sich nicht sonderlich im Bereich der Reformen der Avoda hervor getan. "The Labor Party must come to its senses and understand that it's not just another party," Pines-Paz said. "It has to lead and to create alternatives. If the party continues to be dragged along by others, if it says one thing and does the opposite on a number of issues, it will simply disappear because it will have outlived its usefulness." "This is the Labor Party's biggest test," Pines-Paz told Army Radio. "At the moment of truth, is it ready to pay the price for its beliefs, its promises, its obligations?"
Die weiteren Spekulation über den Besuch sind ... nur noch Spekulation: During his trip to Egypt Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has succeed in forwarding a deal between Israel and the captors of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit on Thursday after seven months without a breakthrough. Egyptian mediators convinced Israeli authorities to release 200 long-term Palestinian prisoners, many of whom are leaders in Palestinian military organizations. ++++ Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak presented Defense Minister Ehud Barak with a full plan to bring Syria and Israel back to the negotiating table, United Arab Emirates newspaper Al-Bayan reported Thursday morning. The plan, shown to the minister during their Wednesday meeting, calls for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights. The withdrawal of Israel from the Golan would be implemented over the course of 10 to 15 years after which American, Russian and Egyptian troops would be deployed, said the report.
Derzeit recht intensive Aktivitäten an den Kriegsfronten. Einige Mörsergranatenangriffe und Qassam-Abschüsse. Die al-Aqsa-Brigaden berichten von einem Toten in ihren Reihen. Die Fatah verhaftet dreizehn Hamas-Mitglieder in der Westbank [Austesten der Lage]. + Israel Defense Forces troops on Thursday captured two top members of the Islamic Jihad militant group in raids in the West Bank, Palestinian security sources and witnesses said. IDF troops arrested an Islamic Jihad leader, Mohammad Assayda, near the West Bank city of Nablus, the militant group said. Assayda, who was released from Israeli jail in September, is a lecturer at al-Najah University. Islamic Jihad commander in the West Bank city of Jenin, Samer al-Saadi was captured in a separate raid in a refugee camp in the city, a Palestinian security officer told Reuters. Troops arrested 20 Palestinian militants overnight in West Bank raids.
Security sources told Haaretz on Wednesday that as Turkey steps up its offensive operations against the rebel Kurdish forces operating in northern Iraq, there is increased suspicion in the Turkish government and its defense establishment toward the United States and Israel over the issue. According to the same sources, Turkey is following "very closely" every step and statement made by Israel and fears that Jerusalem is not supporting it in its action against the Kurds to the degree that it expects.
The Welfare Ministry announced Thursday that it would allocate NIS 400 million as part of a plan to aid at-risk youth with an emphasis placed on reaching out to Arab children. According to the initiative, 32 percent of the youth who will receive aid are from the Arab sector. The plan also stipulates that local Arab municipalities will be exempt from funding the program. [Naja, 24 Millionen €. Hm.]
Aluf Benn, "Hamas test of responsibility": Hezbollah has never recognized Israel or agreements with it, has not stopped using violence, and continues to get stronger and acquire rockets. Nevertheless, the situation in the North reminds us of the time before the Second Lebanon War. A balance of fear on both sides of the border between Hezbollah's long-range rockets and the Israel Air Force's firepower guarantees calm even without diplomatic agreements.
Amira Hass, "The rigth to explode in anger": The negotiations over the future of our land, from the sea to the river, and the two peoples living in it, are proceeding along two parallel channels. It has been that way since the Madrid and Oslo talks for 17 years now. One channel is between the Palestinians and Israelis - such as Tuesday's meeting in Jerusalem between chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qureia and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. The other is being conducted between the Israelis and themselves. Will the only genuine point of contact between these two channels be another explosion of blood, as occurred in 1996 and 2000?
Congratulations! Effi Eitam has finally decided to change his name.
Before: Effi from the National Religious Zionist Renewal Party, which ran as part of the National Union-National Religious Party in the last election.
Now: Effi from Ahi. [:-)))))))] [Ahi - so ungefähr "mein Bruder"]
The eleventh parliamentary session to elect a new president in Lebanon looks likely to be postponed until January next year, with the opposition rejecting the Cabinet's recent passage of a draft bill to amend the Constitution and calling the move a provocation. MP Ali Bazzi from Speaker Nabih Berri's Development and Liberation bloc, said the session, scheduled to take place on Saturday, could well be postponed. [next year? Das ist aber etwas sehr optimistisch]
Die weiteren Spekulation über den Besuch sind ... nur noch Spekulation: During his trip to Egypt Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has succeed in forwarding a deal between Israel and the captors of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit on Thursday after seven months without a breakthrough. Egyptian mediators convinced Israeli authorities to release 200 long-term Palestinian prisoners, many of whom are leaders in Palestinian military organizations. ++++ Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak presented Defense Minister Ehud Barak with a full plan to bring Syria and Israel back to the negotiating table, United Arab Emirates newspaper Al-Bayan reported Thursday morning. The plan, shown to the minister during their Wednesday meeting, calls for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights. The withdrawal of Israel from the Golan would be implemented over the course of 10 to 15 years after which American, Russian and Egyptian troops would be deployed, said the report.
Derzeit recht intensive Aktivitäten an den Kriegsfronten. Einige Mörsergranatenangriffe und Qassam-Abschüsse. Die al-Aqsa-Brigaden berichten von einem Toten in ihren Reihen. Die Fatah verhaftet dreizehn Hamas-Mitglieder in der Westbank [Austesten der Lage]. + Israel Defense Forces troops on Thursday captured two top members of the Islamic Jihad militant group in raids in the West Bank, Palestinian security sources and witnesses said. IDF troops arrested an Islamic Jihad leader, Mohammad Assayda, near the West Bank city of Nablus, the militant group said. Assayda, who was released from Israeli jail in September, is a lecturer at al-Najah University. Islamic Jihad commander in the West Bank city of Jenin, Samer al-Saadi was captured in a separate raid in a refugee camp in the city, a Palestinian security officer told Reuters. Troops arrested 20 Palestinian militants overnight in West Bank raids.
Security sources told Haaretz on Wednesday that as Turkey steps up its offensive operations against the rebel Kurdish forces operating in northern Iraq, there is increased suspicion in the Turkish government and its defense establishment toward the United States and Israel over the issue. According to the same sources, Turkey is following "very closely" every step and statement made by Israel and fears that Jerusalem is not supporting it in its action against the Kurds to the degree that it expects.
The Welfare Ministry announced Thursday that it would allocate NIS 400 million as part of a plan to aid at-risk youth with an emphasis placed on reaching out to Arab children. According to the initiative, 32 percent of the youth who will receive aid are from the Arab sector. The plan also stipulates that local Arab municipalities will be exempt from funding the program. [Naja, 24 Millionen €. Hm.]
Aluf Benn, "Hamas test of responsibility": Hezbollah has never recognized Israel or agreements with it, has not stopped using violence, and continues to get stronger and acquire rockets. Nevertheless, the situation in the North reminds us of the time before the Second Lebanon War. A balance of fear on both sides of the border between Hezbollah's long-range rockets and the Israel Air Force's firepower guarantees calm even without diplomatic agreements.
Amira Hass, "The rigth to explode in anger": The negotiations over the future of our land, from the sea to the river, and the two peoples living in it, are proceeding along two parallel channels. It has been that way since the Madrid and Oslo talks for 17 years now. One channel is between the Palestinians and Israelis - such as Tuesday's meeting in Jerusalem between chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qureia and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. The other is being conducted between the Israelis and themselves. Will the only genuine point of contact between these two channels be another explosion of blood, as occurred in 1996 and 2000?
Congratulations! Effi Eitam has finally decided to change his name.
Before: Effi from the National Religious Zionist Renewal Party, which ran as part of the National Union-National Religious Party in the last election.
Now: Effi from Ahi. [:-)))))))] [Ahi - so ungefähr "mein Bruder"]
The eleventh parliamentary session to elect a new president in Lebanon looks likely to be postponed until January next year, with the opposition rejecting the Cabinet's recent passage of a draft bill to amend the Constitution and calling the move a provocation. MP Ali Bazzi from Speaker Nabih Berri's Development and Liberation bloc, said the session, scheduled to take place on Saturday, could well be postponed. [next year? Das ist aber etwas sehr optimistisch]
Mittwoch, 26. Dezember 2007
Barak in Egypt
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Wednesday delivered a message to Defense Minister Ehud Barak from Syrian President Bashar Assad, according to the Agence France-Presse. Mubarak and Barak met Wednesday in the Sinai resort town of Sharm al-Sheikh. ... Barak: Israel, Egypt to continue joint struggle against terror. At the end of his meeting with Mubarak on Wednesday, Barak said Israel and Egypt would continue their joint struggle against terror and resolve future disagreements by means of unmediated negotiations. Barak added that while Israel is not lobbying the U.S. House of Representatives to halt American aid to Egypt, enquiries on the matter are being answered frankly considering Jerusalem's close relations with Washington. .. Egypt rejected Israeli complaints about weapons smuggling into Gaza on Wednesday, after talks between Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Egypt also accused Israel of trying to distract attention from its building activities at Jewish settlements. After the talks an Egyptian spokesman said Israeli actions had undone the achievements of last month's peace conference in Annapolis in the United States. .. Egypt: Israeli construction in and around J'lem threatens peace. Also in the talks between Mubarak and Barak, Cairo criticized Israel's renewed efforts to build houses in East Jerusalem and in West Bank settlements, calling them damaging to the peace process. Mubarak echoed Palestinian demands that Israel cancel a project to build 307 homes in the neighborhood of Har Homa, describing it as damaging to the peace talks, according to presidential spokesman Suleiman Awad. "This settlement activity will hijack the only outcome of the Annapolis conference, which was the re-launching of peace negotiations," he told reporters following the meeting. Zuvor: Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit on Wednesday accused the Israeli lobby in Washington of straining its relations with the United States by using the issue of smuggling across the Gaza border as an excuse to cut U.S. military aid to Cairo. The remarks came hours before a scheduled meeting between Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Defense Minister Ehud Barak at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik where they were expected to discuss the cross-border weapons smuggling to Gaza militants.
Ein erfolgreicher "historischer" Besuch sieht wohl etwas anders aus. Die zuvor lancierte "Schmeichelei" [Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is interested in appointing a prominent figure as ambassador to Cairo in order to "upgrade" the Foreign Ministry's influence in the strategic ties between Israel and Egypt.] tat ihr Übriges. Barak wird sicherlich die nächste Gelegenehit nutzen um Livni die Ohren lang zu ziehen. Der Dritte bekommt bald andere Probleme: Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is not planning to resign following the publication of the final Winograd report, Olmert said Wednesday during a meeting with Meretz faction members at his office in Jerusalem. [Speaking calmly before a packed hall of reporters, Olmert said the disease was caught early and that he would have surgery “over the next few months.” Vice Premier Haim Ramon said the surgery would be done after the conference.] Livni bringt sich wohl in Stellung.
Hudna-talk: Advancement in a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas and the release of abducted soldier Gilad Schalit depend on the results of Defense Minister Ehud Barak's visit to Egypt, a senior aide to Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh told the London-based Al Hayat newspaper on Wednesday. According to adviser Ahmed Yusef, exiled Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal is awaiting the outcome of Wednesday's meeting between Barak and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak before possibly sending his deputy or traveling to Cairo himself in the near future. "I believe that Mashaal's visit to Cairo is dependant on the results of Barak's visit," Yusef told the paper.
Achg~~tchen: Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit became enraged on Wednesday during a joint meeting of the Knesset Committee on Foreign Workers and the Subcommittee on the Trafficking in Women, after human rights organizations blamed the Population Registry for "Kafkaesque policy." The minister interrupted the meeting, gathered his things and accused Lea Greenpeter-Gold, director of the Toda'ah Institute for the study of prostitution, of slander. "I don't owe her answers. I can't listen to these attacks on the State," he said.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is scheduled to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday in an attempt to solve the so-called settlement crisis that has plagued negotiations since the Annapolis summit late last month. The Palestinians are upset over a tender by the Housing Ministry for the construction of 307 housing units in the southeast Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Homa, on the Palestinian side of the Green Line.
Palestinian medical sources said on Tuesday that 12 people were injured as a tunnel collapsed beneath the borders between Gaza Strip and Egypt in As-Salam area in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. The sources said that 12 Palestinians were hospitalized at Abu Yousif An-Najjar in Rafah. According to the medical sources, two of the victims were moderately injured while the rest suffered slight injuries as a result of suffocation as the tunnel colapsed. Nach dem derzeitigen Stand der Dinge sind über den heutigen Tag dreizehn Qassam-Raketen [als zusätzliche Belastung zum Barak-Besuch in Ägypten] und drei Mörsergranaten auf israelisches Territorium abgefeuert worden. In der Westbank werden in verschiednen Städten vierzehn Palästinenser verhaftet. Es kommt zu kleineren Schießereien. Fatah movement warned on Tuesday of the emergence of a new faction in Gaza Strip called "Fatah Al-Islam" especially after media outlets published reports about the new faction claiming responsibility for firing a homemade projectile at Israeli town of Sderot. Fatah's spokesperson Ahmad Abdul-Rahman described the infiltration of "Fatah Al-Islam" into Gaza Strip as dangerous development holding Hamas movement responsible for the repercussions of the arrival of that organization. "The current state of utter confusion was a result of the military coup which Hamas staged in Gaza Strip," Fatah's spokesperson said.
Personnel from Israel's Aerospace Industries are assisting the Turkish army in activating Israeli-issued unmanned aircrafts for use in military operations in Kurdish northern Iraq, Turkish sources were quoted as saying in a report to be published Thursday in the Turkish Daily News. Ten days ago, Turkish television reported that Turkey had begun using the Heron Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), which Israel leased to the Turkish army in a 2004 deal. [Seit dem Erscheinen des Berichts ist die Webseite der Turkish Daily News nicht mehr verfügbar.]
Russia has agreed to sell an S-300 anti-aircraft missile system to Iran, Iran's defense minister was quoted as saying on Wednesday in the Iranian Fars News Agency. S-300 missiles are longer-ranging than the TOR-M1 surface-to-air missiles which Russia, in a deal criticized by the West, earlier this year said it had delivered to the Islamic Republic under a $1 billion contract.
Johara Baker, "Settlements have to go": Unsurprisingly, the newly resumed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians stalled yet again, this time over the highly-charged issue of Israeli settlements, which despite past commitments, Israel has continued to expand. On December 24, the two sides met for the second time since the Annapolis peace conference in November, but came out of the meeting empty handed, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat describing the meeting as “very difficult.” No kidding. Even if we put a pin in all the other issues that have constituted major bones of contention between the Palestinians and Israelis such as the refugee problem, Jerusalem and borders, Jewish settlements alone are explosive enough to blow any negotiations to smithereens.
Hannah Mermelstein, "The end of Israel?": I am feeling optimistic about Palestine. I know it sounds crazy. How can I use "optimistic" and "Palestine" in the same sentence when conditions on the ground only seem to get worse? Israeli settlements continue to expand on a daily basis, the checkpoints and segregated road system are becoming more and more institutionalized, more than 10,000 Palestinian political prisoners are being held in Israeli jails, Gaza is under heavy attack and the borders are entirely controlled by Israel, preventing people from getting their most basic human needs met.
Ein erfolgreicher "historischer" Besuch sieht wohl etwas anders aus. Die zuvor lancierte "Schmeichelei" [Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is interested in appointing a prominent figure as ambassador to Cairo in order to "upgrade" the Foreign Ministry's influence in the strategic ties between Israel and Egypt.] tat ihr Übriges. Barak wird sicherlich die nächste Gelegenehit nutzen um Livni die Ohren lang zu ziehen. Der Dritte bekommt bald andere Probleme: Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is not planning to resign following the publication of the final Winograd report, Olmert said Wednesday during a meeting with Meretz faction members at his office in Jerusalem. [Speaking calmly before a packed hall of reporters, Olmert said the disease was caught early and that he would have surgery “over the next few months.” Vice Premier Haim Ramon said the surgery would be done after the conference.] Livni bringt sich wohl in Stellung.
Hudna-talk: Advancement in a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas and the release of abducted soldier Gilad Schalit depend on the results of Defense Minister Ehud Barak's visit to Egypt, a senior aide to Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh told the London-based Al Hayat newspaper on Wednesday. According to adviser Ahmed Yusef, exiled Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal is awaiting the outcome of Wednesday's meeting between Barak and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak before possibly sending his deputy or traveling to Cairo himself in the near future. "I believe that Mashaal's visit to Cairo is dependant on the results of Barak's visit," Yusef told the paper.
Achg~~tchen: Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit became enraged on Wednesday during a joint meeting of the Knesset Committee on Foreign Workers and the Subcommittee on the Trafficking in Women, after human rights organizations blamed the Population Registry for "Kafkaesque policy." The minister interrupted the meeting, gathered his things and accused Lea Greenpeter-Gold, director of the Toda'ah Institute for the study of prostitution, of slander. "I don't owe her answers. I can't listen to these attacks on the State," he said.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is scheduled to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday in an attempt to solve the so-called settlement crisis that has plagued negotiations since the Annapolis summit late last month. The Palestinians are upset over a tender by the Housing Ministry for the construction of 307 housing units in the southeast Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Homa, on the Palestinian side of the Green Line.
Palestinian medical sources said on Tuesday that 12 people were injured as a tunnel collapsed beneath the borders between Gaza Strip and Egypt in As-Salam area in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. The sources said that 12 Palestinians were hospitalized at Abu Yousif An-Najjar in Rafah. According to the medical sources, two of the victims were moderately injured while the rest suffered slight injuries as a result of suffocation as the tunnel colapsed. Nach dem derzeitigen Stand der Dinge sind über den heutigen Tag dreizehn Qassam-Raketen [als zusätzliche Belastung zum Barak-Besuch in Ägypten] und drei Mörsergranaten auf israelisches Territorium abgefeuert worden. In der Westbank werden in verschiednen Städten vierzehn Palästinenser verhaftet. Es kommt zu kleineren Schießereien. Fatah movement warned on Tuesday of the emergence of a new faction in Gaza Strip called "Fatah Al-Islam" especially after media outlets published reports about the new faction claiming responsibility for firing a homemade projectile at Israeli town of Sderot. Fatah's spokesperson Ahmad Abdul-Rahman described the infiltration of "Fatah Al-Islam" into Gaza Strip as dangerous development holding Hamas movement responsible for the repercussions of the arrival of that organization. "The current state of utter confusion was a result of the military coup which Hamas staged in Gaza Strip," Fatah's spokesperson said.
Personnel from Israel's Aerospace Industries are assisting the Turkish army in activating Israeli-issued unmanned aircrafts for use in military operations in Kurdish northern Iraq, Turkish sources were quoted as saying in a report to be published Thursday in the Turkish Daily News. Ten days ago, Turkish television reported that Turkey had begun using the Heron Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), which Israel leased to the Turkish army in a 2004 deal. [Seit dem Erscheinen des Berichts ist die Webseite der Turkish Daily News nicht mehr verfügbar.]
Russia has agreed to sell an S-300 anti-aircraft missile system to Iran, Iran's defense minister was quoted as saying on Wednesday in the Iranian Fars News Agency. S-300 missiles are longer-ranging than the TOR-M1 surface-to-air missiles which Russia, in a deal criticized by the West, earlier this year said it had delivered to the Islamic Republic under a $1 billion contract.
Johara Baker, "Settlements have to go": Unsurprisingly, the newly resumed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians stalled yet again, this time over the highly-charged issue of Israeli settlements, which despite past commitments, Israel has continued to expand. On December 24, the two sides met for the second time since the Annapolis peace conference in November, but came out of the meeting empty handed, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat describing the meeting as “very difficult.” No kidding. Even if we put a pin in all the other issues that have constituted major bones of contention between the Palestinians and Israelis such as the refugee problem, Jerusalem and borders, Jewish settlements alone are explosive enough to blow any negotiations to smithereens.
Hannah Mermelstein, "The end of Israel?": I am feeling optimistic about Palestine. I know it sounds crazy. How can I use "optimistic" and "Palestine" in the same sentence when conditions on the ground only seem to get worse? Israeli settlements continue to expand on a daily basis, the checkpoints and segregated road system are becoming more and more institutionalized, more than 10,000 Palestinian political prisoners are being held in Israeli jails, Gaza is under heavy attack and the borders are entirely controlled by Israel, preventing people from getting their most basic human needs met.
On Holocaust Hoaxes
Note: I have to write this text in german and I don't know if I have the time to translate it.
Gestern Abend stellte der israelische blogger Lirun eine Frage ins Netz. Die Frage selbst ist wenig interessant, da Lirun auf den ersten Blick hätte erkennen müssen das die mail ein hoax ist. Und genau das ist interessant.
Wissen Israelis eigentlich wie Länder wie Deutschland mit dem Thema Shoa umgehen? Oder sind sie etwa tatsächlich nur Opfer sporadischer Hoax-Attacken? Nun, die israelischen Medien berichten ausschließlich von akuten Fällen von Neonazi-Befall in deutschen Städten. Darauf hin ergießt sich in den comment-Bereich ein stupider Fluß von Gedankenmüll sogenannter pro-israelischer Aktivisten die nur ein Ziel haben: Das Verklären der Situation in eine "der Holocaust steht eigentlich noch bevor"-Lage. Mir ist es persönlich gleich [egal, wurscht] inwiefern es israelischen Seelen einfällt zu besänftigen oder anzuheizen. Trotzdem steht die Frage im im Raum warum sogar gebildete Menschen wie Lirun billig gestrickte Hoaxes nicht erkennen können.
Was ist schief gelaufen?
Deutschland, das wir als Vorreiter in der Verarbeitung der Ereignisse um die Shoa für alle westlichen Länder sehen müssen hat bis heute nicht den Zugang zum Vertrauen der jüdischen und israelischen Seelen gefunden und wird ihn nie finden. Dies liegt nicht etwa an den Morden am jüdischen Volk, dem weiterhin grassierenden Antisemitismus oder an fehlender Bereitschaft an der Erinnerung teilzunehmen. Im Grundsatz liegen zwei verschiedene Modelle der mnemotechnischen Identitätsfindung vor, die ihre Schnittmengen nur über den direkten Kontakt vereinigen können. Der Deutsche findet seine Identität nicht aus der örtlich bezogenen Identitätsstiftung [Grabstätten, Jerusalem-Religion], oder aus teiweise über Jahrtausende geübter Techniken die sich in das kollektive Gedächtnis eingebettet haben [Psalm 137-Beispiel: Der Deutsche schunkelt höchstens zu Rivers of Babylon ohne dabei den Gehalt für die jüdische Seele zu entdecken]. Der Deutsche ist in diesem Bereich wie ein Findelkind, das jeden Tag neu von einem geschichtlichen Inhalt gefunden wird. Er reagiert nie kollektiv, sondern intuitiv. Es ist eben nicht aus der kollektiven Erinnerung der Deutschen darstellbar wie Eichmann der Eichmann werden konnte der er wurde. Es daraus ist nicht darstellbar wie jüdische Intellektuelle zum Großteil sich mit Hitler arrangieren wollten. "Ein Narr macht Tausend Narren". Es gibt kein anderes Prinzip.
Arrangieren. Die kollektive Identitätsfindung der Deutschen [die Traditionale mit ihrem Führer-Prinzip, ethnozentrisch zum Abwinken und ein Zirkusspiel mit den territorialen und kulturellen "Stärken" die nicht Deutschland als Basis in sich trägt, sondern ... zB aus der jüdischen kollektiven Identität entwickelte Raum-Zeit-Konzepte. Nehmen wir als einfaches Beispiel die unterschiedlichen und gleichzeitigen Auswirkungen des "Auge um Auge"-Prinzips. Jeder Deutsche lebt täglich in dieser Talionsformel und man möchte den Tag sehen an dem er nicht von einem anderen Deutschen "Schadensersatz" fordert, respektive den Schadensersatz der dem anderen zusteht ablehnt. Und doch bedeutet in der kollektiven Erinnerung der Deutschen, ergänzt mit dem Führerprinzip, dem eigentlichen Kern der Sache, der Spruch gleichzeitig eine Abgrenzung zum jeweilig verfügbar Naheliegendsten. Wenn Luther die Formel auf auf die Juden münzt und einem kompletten Kulturkreis das Töten des Heilandes vorwirft wäre dies alleine bedeutungslos und einfach hirnrissig. Erst seine Bedeutung als Führer -die Evangelischen benutzten in ihrer Diaspora, in ihren Religionskriegen nichts anderes als Luther um sich zu identifizieren, wobei es die heutigen Lutheraner + andere gerade so geschafft haben sich von dem antisemitischen Müll von ihm zu distanzieren, jedoch nur um einem apokalyptischen Führerkult um einen Messias ihrer Vorstellung zu installieren- hob das Talionsprinzip aus seiner jüdischen Wurzel und deklarierte es neu.] findet heute im Wesentlichen im "verfassungspatriotischen" Raum statt. Das Führerprinzip wird täglich neu arrangiert, mal ist es der Bundes-Jogi, mal ein Politiker. Das wichtige für heute ist das "Verfassungspatriotismus" zwar einerseits einen grundsätzlich demokratischen und vergleichsweise humanitären Raum schafft [Wer würde nicht gerne für arme schwarzafrikanische Flüchtlingskinder spenden, es sei denn er sei kein Verfassungspatriot?] in dem auch Vertrauen zu den eigenen Wurzeln der jüdischen Entwicklungen aufgebaut werden kann: Israel und Deutschland sind befreundete Staaten, die jedes Jahr neue Schritte in mehr Zusammenarbeit, Freundschaft und gemeinsame Zukunft gehen. Andererseits kann dadurch das latente Problem der Fremdenfeindlichkeit und Judenfeindlichkeit das bis an die Hälfte der Deutschen heute noch aktiv befällt nicht lösen. Da erst wenige Jahrzehnte seit der shoa vergangen sind kann zwar von einer gewissen Erfolgsgeschichte gesprochen werden, aber "neue" Probleme, wie die bei Lirun diskutierten Probleme junger türkischer und arabischer Immigranten in Deutschland, oder der extrem hohe Infektionsgrad an antisemitischen Stereotypen über Schule und Internet für neue Generationen nicht.
Die geführten internen Debatten über "Schlußstrich" und "Möllemann", die "Holocaust-Ligth?"-Diskussion, oder die lobenswerten Anstrengungen vieler regionaler Verfassungspatrioten dem Horror des Holocausts ein Erinnerungsgesicht zu geben werden den gordischen Knoten der "deutschen Identitätsbildung" nicht zerschlagen und es tut mir Leid zu sagen das ich Angesichts der teilweise jämmerlichen Daten über Antisemitismus, oder Wissen über den Holocaust, oder einfach nur der Tatsache gegenüberstehnd das der Begriff "Jude" unter vielen Deutschen Jugendlichen als besonders deutliches Schimpfwort gilt in der Gänze meiner Existenz keine Lösung finde. Warum ich nicht so geworden bin? Ich hatte Glück und Leute die mich bei der Hand nahmen als die Zeit gekommen war.
Kann Israel mit einem Deutschland leben das die kulturelle Identitätsfindung nich anders gestaltet als 192-? Ich befürchte es muß.
Zurück zur Anfangsfrage: Was ist schief gelaufen?
Nichts. Denn Lirun hatte doch einen Deutschen, der ihn bei der Hand nahm und ihm sagte das die mail ein hoax ist.
Gestern Abend stellte der israelische blogger Lirun eine Frage ins Netz. Die Frage selbst ist wenig interessant, da Lirun auf den ersten Blick hätte erkennen müssen das die mail ein hoax ist. Und genau das ist interessant.
Wissen Israelis eigentlich wie Länder wie Deutschland mit dem Thema Shoa umgehen? Oder sind sie etwa tatsächlich nur Opfer sporadischer Hoax-Attacken? Nun, die israelischen Medien berichten ausschließlich von akuten Fällen von Neonazi-Befall in deutschen Städten. Darauf hin ergießt sich in den comment-Bereich ein stupider Fluß von Gedankenmüll sogenannter pro-israelischer Aktivisten die nur ein Ziel haben: Das Verklären der Situation in eine "der Holocaust steht eigentlich noch bevor"-Lage. Mir ist es persönlich gleich [egal, wurscht] inwiefern es israelischen Seelen einfällt zu besänftigen oder anzuheizen. Trotzdem steht die Frage im im Raum warum sogar gebildete Menschen wie Lirun billig gestrickte Hoaxes nicht erkennen können.
Was ist schief gelaufen?
Deutschland, das wir als Vorreiter in der Verarbeitung der Ereignisse um die Shoa für alle westlichen Länder sehen müssen hat bis heute nicht den Zugang zum Vertrauen der jüdischen und israelischen Seelen gefunden und wird ihn nie finden. Dies liegt nicht etwa an den Morden am jüdischen Volk, dem weiterhin grassierenden Antisemitismus oder an fehlender Bereitschaft an der Erinnerung teilzunehmen. Im Grundsatz liegen zwei verschiedene Modelle der mnemotechnischen Identitätsfindung vor, die ihre Schnittmengen nur über den direkten Kontakt vereinigen können. Der Deutsche findet seine Identität nicht aus der örtlich bezogenen Identitätsstiftung [Grabstätten, Jerusalem-Religion], oder aus teiweise über Jahrtausende geübter Techniken die sich in das kollektive Gedächtnis eingebettet haben [Psalm 137-Beispiel: Der Deutsche schunkelt höchstens zu Rivers of Babylon ohne dabei den Gehalt für die jüdische Seele zu entdecken]. Der Deutsche ist in diesem Bereich wie ein Findelkind, das jeden Tag neu von einem geschichtlichen Inhalt gefunden wird. Er reagiert nie kollektiv, sondern intuitiv. Es ist eben nicht aus der kollektiven Erinnerung der Deutschen darstellbar wie Eichmann der Eichmann werden konnte der er wurde. Es daraus ist nicht darstellbar wie jüdische Intellektuelle zum Großteil sich mit Hitler arrangieren wollten. "Ein Narr macht Tausend Narren". Es gibt kein anderes Prinzip.
Arrangieren. Die kollektive Identitätsfindung der Deutschen [die Traditionale mit ihrem Führer-Prinzip, ethnozentrisch zum Abwinken und ein Zirkusspiel mit den territorialen und kulturellen "Stärken" die nicht Deutschland als Basis in sich trägt, sondern ... zB aus der jüdischen kollektiven Identität entwickelte Raum-Zeit-Konzepte. Nehmen wir als einfaches Beispiel die unterschiedlichen und gleichzeitigen Auswirkungen des "Auge um Auge"-Prinzips. Jeder Deutsche lebt täglich in dieser Talionsformel und man möchte den Tag sehen an dem er nicht von einem anderen Deutschen "Schadensersatz" fordert, respektive den Schadensersatz der dem anderen zusteht ablehnt. Und doch bedeutet in der kollektiven Erinnerung der Deutschen, ergänzt mit dem Führerprinzip, dem eigentlichen Kern der Sache, der Spruch gleichzeitig eine Abgrenzung zum jeweilig verfügbar Naheliegendsten. Wenn Luther die Formel auf auf die Juden münzt und einem kompletten Kulturkreis das Töten des Heilandes vorwirft wäre dies alleine bedeutungslos und einfach hirnrissig. Erst seine Bedeutung als Führer -die Evangelischen benutzten in ihrer Diaspora, in ihren Religionskriegen nichts anderes als Luther um sich zu identifizieren, wobei es die heutigen Lutheraner + andere gerade so geschafft haben sich von dem antisemitischen Müll von ihm zu distanzieren, jedoch nur um einem apokalyptischen Führerkult um einen Messias ihrer Vorstellung zu installieren- hob das Talionsprinzip aus seiner jüdischen Wurzel und deklarierte es neu.] findet heute im Wesentlichen im "verfassungspatriotischen" Raum statt. Das Führerprinzip wird täglich neu arrangiert, mal ist es der Bundes-Jogi, mal ein Politiker. Das wichtige für heute ist das "Verfassungspatriotismus" zwar einerseits einen grundsätzlich demokratischen und vergleichsweise humanitären Raum schafft [Wer würde nicht gerne für arme schwarzafrikanische Flüchtlingskinder spenden, es sei denn er sei kein Verfassungspatriot?] in dem auch Vertrauen zu den eigenen Wurzeln der jüdischen Entwicklungen aufgebaut werden kann: Israel und Deutschland sind befreundete Staaten, die jedes Jahr neue Schritte in mehr Zusammenarbeit, Freundschaft und gemeinsame Zukunft gehen. Andererseits kann dadurch das latente Problem der Fremdenfeindlichkeit und Judenfeindlichkeit das bis an die Hälfte der Deutschen heute noch aktiv befällt nicht lösen. Da erst wenige Jahrzehnte seit der shoa vergangen sind kann zwar von einer gewissen Erfolgsgeschichte gesprochen werden, aber "neue" Probleme, wie die bei Lirun diskutierten Probleme junger türkischer und arabischer Immigranten in Deutschland, oder der extrem hohe Infektionsgrad an antisemitischen Stereotypen über Schule und Internet für neue Generationen nicht.
Die geführten internen Debatten über "Schlußstrich" und "Möllemann", die "Holocaust-Ligth?"-Diskussion, oder die lobenswerten Anstrengungen vieler regionaler Verfassungspatrioten dem Horror des Holocausts ein Erinnerungsgesicht zu geben werden den gordischen Knoten der "deutschen Identitätsbildung" nicht zerschlagen und es tut mir Leid zu sagen das ich Angesichts der teilweise jämmerlichen Daten über Antisemitismus, oder Wissen über den Holocaust, oder einfach nur der Tatsache gegenüberstehnd das der Begriff "Jude" unter vielen Deutschen Jugendlichen als besonders deutliches Schimpfwort gilt in der Gänze meiner Existenz keine Lösung finde. Warum ich nicht so geworden bin? Ich hatte Glück und Leute die mich bei der Hand nahmen als die Zeit gekommen war.
Kann Israel mit einem Deutschland leben das die kulturelle Identitätsfindung nich anders gestaltet als 192-? Ich befürchte es muß.
Zurück zur Anfangsfrage: Was ist schief gelaufen?
Nichts. Denn Lirun hatte doch einen Deutschen, der ihn bei der Hand nahm und ihm sagte das die mail ein hoax ist.
Updates
Egypt on Tuesday strongly rejected criticism by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni that Cairo is doing an awful job of securing its porous border with the Gaza Strip against smugglers, saying she did not understand the issues and should have remained silent. The diplomatic spat cast a cloud over an upcoming visit to Egypt by Defense Minister Ehud Barak. His talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak are expected to tackle a series of security matters, including cross-border weapons smuggling to Gaza militants.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert sent Syrian President Bashar Assad a message Tuesday, saying Israel is still awaiting an answer from Damascus on the possibility of reviving peace talks. Olmert met with United States Senator Arlen Specter and gave him the message, which will be delivered to Assad when Specter meets with the Syrian president on Thursday. Specter, a Jewish Republican from Pennsylvania, is considered one of his party's biggest supporters of reviving the dialogue with Syria. The senator told Olmert during their meeting that he intends to meet with senior officials in the Syrian regime, and asked whether the prime minister would be interested in advancing the diplomatic process with Damascus. [Meint Olmert etwa seinen Luftangriff im September mit "Friedensanfrage"? Oder die Verhinderung einer Aussprache während dem Untergang der MS-Annapolis? -While the Annapolis peace conference has yet to fulfill its promise of bringing Israelis and Palestinians together in peaceful harmony, it has apparently succeeded in bringing them together on another issue: both sides are deeply disappointed with the conference's results. A new survey conducted jointly by the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) in Ramallah revealed that only 16 percent of Israelis and 11% of Palestinians believe the conference will advance the peace process.-]
A reliable March 14 source has revealed that the parliament will very soon present to Lebanon’s speaker Nabih Berri a draft to amend the constitution in order to elect General Michel Suleiman as president.
Erneut verbreitet das türkische Militär bislang lokal dementierte Daten in einen Bericht in dem es die Aktivitäten jenseits der Grenze zum Iraq als hm... blutrünstige Schlachtorgie verkauft: Hunderte Rebellen habe man vornehmlich durch Luftangriffe getötet. Sehr undurchsichtig: Turkish airstrikes on Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq have killed more than 150 rebels and hit more than 200 targets in recent days, the Turkish military said Tuesday, countering Kurdish claims that only a handful of people were killed in the attacks.
Das israelische Central Bureau of Statistics legt die Anzahl von Christen die in Israel leben mit 152 000 [2.1% der Gesamtbevölkerung] fest, wovon 80% israelische Araber wären und an die 17 000 in Jerusalem leben würden. Der link auf der Website ist allerdings ein dead-link, so daß derzeit keine sachliche Überprüfung möglich ist.
Für den Dienstag werden am Abend eine Qassam-Attacke auf die israelischen Wüstenfüchse und ein Luftangriff auf eine Granatwerferstellung des Islamic Jihad gemeldet. Zwei Verletzte Jihadis. Nahe Beit Or Atnachta ballern israelische Vandalen in Uniform auf palästinensische Vandalen die versuchten mit Molotowcoctails Autos zu treffen. Im Vorfeld werden drei Qassam-Rakten abgeschossen. Eine davon trifft den Erez-Grenzübergang. Ein kleinerer Mörsergranatenangriff auf den Grenzzaun. Fast schon friedliche Weihnachten.
The defense budget fails to offer adequate measures to tackle the threat Iran poses to the home front, former deputy defense minister MK Ephraim Sneh said on Tuesday. Sneh told reporters at a press conference that he cannot put up with what he sees as neglecting the safety of the home front, and that he intends to vote against the budget unless large funds are allocated to it. "This is unacceptable," Sneh said. "The root of evil is the advancement of a macroeconomic policy of reducing government expenses at the expense of the security of the State of Israel. The citizens of Israel should know that there is a twisted priority scale. They are much less safe than they could be," he added. ... Sneh said the budget shortage adds up to roughly NIS 1.5 billion, and that the responsibility lies with the politicians, not the IDF. "Last night I voted against the budget in the defense budget sub-committee," Sneh said, "and I am going to do the same on Thursday night unless these flaws are corrected." ... He also said that the defense budget was cut from NIS 49.4 billion in 2007 to NIS 48.3 billion in 2008. [Diese Angabe liegt unter den verbreitetn NIS 51.5 billion anderer Quellen.]
Selten genug verbreitet die Haaretz solcherlei Nachrichten: Masked Jewish settlers beat and injured Palestinian farmers in a field near the West Bank city of Nablus on Tuesday, Palestinian witnesses and doctors said. The settlers sprayed four Palestinians who were planting wheat with pepper gas and then beat them with sticks, the witnesses said. Two were injured, one moderately, and treated at a local hospital, doctors said. Ich wehre mich gegen die Bezeichnung "Siedler". Bezahlte Schlägerbanden einiger irrer Siedlerbandenchefs. Mit Sicherheit gibts auch normale Siedler.
Shlomo Swirski, "The rich got more": Alongside the banner of economic growth, Israel must also fly the flag of social growth. This is the main conclusion of the annual report on Israeli society published last week by the Adva Center for Information on Equality and Social Justice.
Shahar Ilan, "Prisoner exchange rate: 400 Palestinians for every Israeli": "The question is not just what you tell the families of the kidnapped soldiers, but what you tell the families of the dead," says MK Yisrael Hasson (Yisrael Beiteinu), a former deputy chief of the Shin Bet security service. Hasson was referring to the potential casualties who will die as a result of actions initiated by senior members of terror organizations released in the expected deals to free the hostages.
Da ich noch einen eigenen Text schreiben möchte bitte ich die bemerkenswerten updates bei Miftah.org selbst durchzustöbern.
Kim Howell, "Lebanon - A very precious and fragile treasure": Waiting in the departure lounge for my plane after my recent visit to Beirut, I was looking for a Christmas gift to take home when a security official from the army bid me farewell, adding with a smile: "All we need for Christmas is a President - a Christmas President". While this is now looking over-optimistic, the sentiment summed up in a nutshell the aspirations of all the sides I had talked to during my visit. Or at least their stated aspirations. Everybody I met recognised the importance of filling the political vacuum left by the departure of President Lahoud on 23 November with no replacement and resolving the worst political crisis since the 1975-90 war. Everybody wanted to find a way of unlocking the political process and moving towards a functioning government capable of addressing the issues that really matter to the ordinary Lebanese -security, stability and the economy. Many of those I spoke to shared common views about the political formulas that could move the agenda forward. But hanging over it was a cloud of pessimism about the very formidable obstacles standing in their path.
The Bush administration's arrogant bunker mentality has been counterproductive at home and abroad. American foreign policy needs to change its tone and attitude, open up, and reach out. In particular, it should focus on eliminating Islamist terrorists, stabilizing Iraq, containing Iran, and toughening its stance with Pakistan. MICHAEL D. HUCKABEE, former Governor of Arkansas, is a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert sent Syrian President Bashar Assad a message Tuesday, saying Israel is still awaiting an answer from Damascus on the possibility of reviving peace talks. Olmert met with United States Senator Arlen Specter and gave him the message, which will be delivered to Assad when Specter meets with the Syrian president on Thursday. Specter, a Jewish Republican from Pennsylvania, is considered one of his party's biggest supporters of reviving the dialogue with Syria. The senator told Olmert during their meeting that he intends to meet with senior officials in the Syrian regime, and asked whether the prime minister would be interested in advancing the diplomatic process with Damascus. [Meint Olmert etwa seinen Luftangriff im September mit "Friedensanfrage"? Oder die Verhinderung einer Aussprache während dem Untergang der MS-Annapolis? -While the Annapolis peace conference has yet to fulfill its promise of bringing Israelis and Palestinians together in peaceful harmony, it has apparently succeeded in bringing them together on another issue: both sides are deeply disappointed with the conference's results. A new survey conducted jointly by the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) in Ramallah revealed that only 16 percent of Israelis and 11% of Palestinians believe the conference will advance the peace process.-]
A reliable March 14 source has revealed that the parliament will very soon present to Lebanon’s speaker Nabih Berri a draft to amend the constitution in order to elect General Michel Suleiman as president.
Erneut verbreitet das türkische Militär bislang lokal dementierte Daten in einen Bericht in dem es die Aktivitäten jenseits der Grenze zum Iraq als hm... blutrünstige Schlachtorgie verkauft: Hunderte Rebellen habe man vornehmlich durch Luftangriffe getötet. Sehr undurchsichtig: Turkish airstrikes on Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq have killed more than 150 rebels and hit more than 200 targets in recent days, the Turkish military said Tuesday, countering Kurdish claims that only a handful of people were killed in the attacks.
Das israelische Central Bureau of Statistics legt die Anzahl von Christen die in Israel leben mit 152 000 [2.1% der Gesamtbevölkerung] fest, wovon 80% israelische Araber wären und an die 17 000 in Jerusalem leben würden. Der link auf der Website ist allerdings ein dead-link, so daß derzeit keine sachliche Überprüfung möglich ist.
Für den Dienstag werden am Abend eine Qassam-Attacke auf die israelischen Wüstenfüchse und ein Luftangriff auf eine Granatwerferstellung des Islamic Jihad gemeldet. Zwei Verletzte Jihadis. Nahe Beit Or Atnachta ballern israelische Vandalen in Uniform auf palästinensische Vandalen die versuchten mit Molotowcoctails Autos zu treffen. Im Vorfeld werden drei Qassam-Rakten abgeschossen. Eine davon trifft den Erez-Grenzübergang. Ein kleinerer Mörsergranatenangriff auf den Grenzzaun. Fast schon friedliche Weihnachten.
The defense budget fails to offer adequate measures to tackle the threat Iran poses to the home front, former deputy defense minister MK Ephraim Sneh said on Tuesday. Sneh told reporters at a press conference that he cannot put up with what he sees as neglecting the safety of the home front, and that he intends to vote against the budget unless large funds are allocated to it. "This is unacceptable," Sneh said. "The root of evil is the advancement of a macroeconomic policy of reducing government expenses at the expense of the security of the State of Israel. The citizens of Israel should know that there is a twisted priority scale. They are much less safe than they could be," he added. ... Sneh said the budget shortage adds up to roughly NIS 1.5 billion, and that the responsibility lies with the politicians, not the IDF. "Last night I voted against the budget in the defense budget sub-committee," Sneh said, "and I am going to do the same on Thursday night unless these flaws are corrected." ... He also said that the defense budget was cut from NIS 49.4 billion in 2007 to NIS 48.3 billion in 2008. [Diese Angabe liegt unter den verbreitetn NIS 51.5 billion anderer Quellen.]
Selten genug verbreitet die Haaretz solcherlei Nachrichten: Masked Jewish settlers beat and injured Palestinian farmers in a field near the West Bank city of Nablus on Tuesday, Palestinian witnesses and doctors said. The settlers sprayed four Palestinians who were planting wheat with pepper gas and then beat them with sticks, the witnesses said. Two were injured, one moderately, and treated at a local hospital, doctors said. Ich wehre mich gegen die Bezeichnung "Siedler". Bezahlte Schlägerbanden einiger irrer Siedlerbandenchefs. Mit Sicherheit gibts auch normale Siedler.
Shlomo Swirski, "The rich got more": Alongside the banner of economic growth, Israel must also fly the flag of social growth. This is the main conclusion of the annual report on Israeli society published last week by the Adva Center for Information on Equality and Social Justice.
Shahar Ilan, "Prisoner exchange rate: 400 Palestinians for every Israeli": "The question is not just what you tell the families of the kidnapped soldiers, but what you tell the families of the dead," says MK Yisrael Hasson (Yisrael Beiteinu), a former deputy chief of the Shin Bet security service. Hasson was referring to the potential casualties who will die as a result of actions initiated by senior members of terror organizations released in the expected deals to free the hostages.
Da ich noch einen eigenen Text schreiben möchte bitte ich die bemerkenswerten updates bei Miftah.org selbst durchzustöbern.
Kim Howell, "Lebanon - A very precious and fragile treasure": Waiting in the departure lounge for my plane after my recent visit to Beirut, I was looking for a Christmas gift to take home when a security official from the army bid me farewell, adding with a smile: "All we need for Christmas is a President - a Christmas President". While this is now looking over-optimistic, the sentiment summed up in a nutshell the aspirations of all the sides I had talked to during my visit. Or at least their stated aspirations. Everybody I met recognised the importance of filling the political vacuum left by the departure of President Lahoud on 23 November with no replacement and resolving the worst political crisis since the 1975-90 war. Everybody wanted to find a way of unlocking the political process and moving towards a functioning government capable of addressing the issues that really matter to the ordinary Lebanese -security, stability and the economy. Many of those I spoke to shared common views about the political formulas that could move the agenda forward. But hanging over it was a cloud of pessimism about the very formidable obstacles standing in their path.
The Bush administration's arrogant bunker mentality has been counterproductive at home and abroad. American foreign policy needs to change its tone and attitude, open up, and reach out. In particular, it should focus on eliminating Islamist terrorists, stabilizing Iraq, containing Iran, and toughening its stance with Pakistan. MICHAEL D. HUCKABEE, former Governor of Arkansas, is a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination.
Dienstag, 25. Dezember 2007
Bethlehem quite, after ...
An teilweise schauerlich politisierendes Gequatsche zu Weihnachtsmessen in Bethlehem werde ich mich nie gewöhnen können. Zum Glück bin ich nicht in deren Fraktion: "This land belongs to God. It must not be for some a land of life and for others a land of occupation and a political prison." That was the message of Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah at the Christmas mass, held in Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity. +
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told pilgrims in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve that "the new year, God willing, will be a year of security and economic stability." Thousands gathered in Bethlehem on Monday for a Christmas mass promoted by and Western powers as a chance to highlight the benefits of peacemaking. "We pray next year will be the year of independence for the Palestinian people," Abbas continued.
Israeli blogger Lirun verbrachte den gestrigen Abend bei einer Veranstaltung mit Amira Hass und berichtet von seinen Eindrücken. Syrian blogger Ehsani war in Syrien auf Besuch und berichtet von seinen Eindrücken. Bitterlemons haben ein Interview mit Hanan Ashrawi geführt.
Isabel Kershner, "Israel won't prosecute for use of cluster bombs in Lebanon": sraeli military prosecutors announced Monday that they would not press charges over the army's use of cluster bombs during the war against Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon, actions that had been widely criticized by human rights organizations. The announcement came as Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams met here Monday evening for the second time since the American-sponsored peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland. [The second round of peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams were bogged down in a dispute over settlement building near Jerusalem.] The special ministerial forum examining the criteria for releasing Palestinian security prisoners seems to have a majority in favor of relaxing the conditions, which were set by the Shin Bet security service in the prisoner exchange of 2004 that freed Elhanan Tannenbaum.
The Syrian administration is waiting out the Bush presidency, and only intends to enter a serious diplomatic process with Israel when the next United States administration takes over in 2009, according to the Foreign Ministry's intelligence assessment. "Damascus is interested in an agreement with Israel, but only according to Syria's conditions and with American involvement," Nimrod Barkan, who heads the ministry's political research department, told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday. ... Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Monday that Egypt is doing an "awful" job of blocking arms smuggling into the Gaza Strip, thus hampering Israeli efforts at proceeding with the political process. Speaking to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Livni said the activity of Egyptian forces guarding the border is "awful and problematic." The reports of tapes showing Egyptian soldiers assisting Hamas were leaked in order to sabotage Defense Minister Ehud Barak's meeting with visit Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Sharm e-Sheikh, a top Defense official was quoted as saying Tuesday. The Post reported last week that Israel had transferred the tapes to the US in order to push Congress to withhold part of the foreign aid it gives to Egypt. [The Knesset Defense Budget Committee approved late Monday a budget of NIS 51 billion for 2008. In addition, the committee approved the allocation of NIS 200 million for civilian emergency expenditures, as well as NIS 145 million for operations in the territories. Damit liegt die Größe des Verteidigungshaushalts bei 16.3% des Gesamtbudgets. Mit umgerechnet €9.12 Milliarden hat damit Israel nicht ganz ein Drittel des Verteidigungsetats der BRD erreicht.] Fearing the possibility that airfields will be bombed and destroyed during a war, the Israel Air Force has expressed interest in purchasing a squadron of Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) with vertical take-off and landing capabilities. In September, the IDF announced its plans to purchase at least 25 F-35 jets, with the option to purchase up to dozens more. Delivery was initially scheduled for 2014, but The Jerusalem Post revealed in October that the Pentagon had in principle agreed to work to move up delivery of the fifth-generation and stealth-enabled aircraft to Israel by as early as 2012. The agreement was reached during Defense Minister Ehud Barak's visit to Washington.
Über Nacht insgesamt acht Qassam-Raketen-Abschüsse auf israelisches Territorium. Ein Palästinenser wird bei der Siedlung Beitar Illit in der Westbank durch die IDF schwer verletzt. Er und drei andere hatten Reifenstapel in Brand gesetzt. In der Westbank werden sechs Palästinenser durch die IDF verhaftet. Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilna'i kündigt weitere Aktionen der IDF gegen Qassam-Raketen an.
The next race for the Knesset does not appear to be in sight, but Likud MKs are already busy defending their turf against several well-known public figures who are said to be interested in running for the Knesset with the party. Former IDF chief of General Staff Moshe Ya'alon, former ministers Dan Meridor and David Levy, former IDF spokeswoman Miri Regev, former basketball star Tal Brody and a number of CEOs of Israel's top companies have all been rumored to be exploring their options with the Likud, which polls predict will more than double its mandates.
... Peyman (not his real name) is a 27-year old Iranian computer-science student from Tehran. He has been publishing a blog (web log) for several years now through which tells anyone who is interested what it means to be a young Iranian living under the tyrannical reign of the ayatollahs. Peyman was asked by Ynet to send a letter to the citizens of Israel concerning the harsh attitude and comments of President Ahmadinejad against Israel.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told pilgrims in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve that "the new year, God willing, will be a year of security and economic stability." Thousands gathered in Bethlehem on Monday for a Christmas mass promoted by and Western powers as a chance to highlight the benefits of peacemaking. "We pray next year will be the year of independence for the Palestinian people," Abbas continued.
Israeli blogger Lirun verbrachte den gestrigen Abend bei einer Veranstaltung mit Amira Hass und berichtet von seinen Eindrücken. Syrian blogger Ehsani war in Syrien auf Besuch und berichtet von seinen Eindrücken. Bitterlemons haben ein Interview mit Hanan Ashrawi geführt.
Isabel Kershner, "Israel won't prosecute for use of cluster bombs in Lebanon": sraeli military prosecutors announced Monday that they would not press charges over the army's use of cluster bombs during the war against Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon, actions that had been widely criticized by human rights organizations. The announcement came as Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams met here Monday evening for the second time since the American-sponsored peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland. [The second round of peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams were bogged down in a dispute over settlement building near Jerusalem.] The special ministerial forum examining the criteria for releasing Palestinian security prisoners seems to have a majority in favor of relaxing the conditions, which were set by the Shin Bet security service in the prisoner exchange of 2004 that freed Elhanan Tannenbaum.
The Syrian administration is waiting out the Bush presidency, and only intends to enter a serious diplomatic process with Israel when the next United States administration takes over in 2009, according to the Foreign Ministry's intelligence assessment. "Damascus is interested in an agreement with Israel, but only according to Syria's conditions and with American involvement," Nimrod Barkan, who heads the ministry's political research department, told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday. ... Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Monday that Egypt is doing an "awful" job of blocking arms smuggling into the Gaza Strip, thus hampering Israeli efforts at proceeding with the political process. Speaking to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Livni said the activity of Egyptian forces guarding the border is "awful and problematic." The reports of tapes showing Egyptian soldiers assisting Hamas were leaked in order to sabotage Defense Minister Ehud Barak's meeting with visit Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Sharm e-Sheikh, a top Defense official was quoted as saying Tuesday. The Post reported last week that Israel had transferred the tapes to the US in order to push Congress to withhold part of the foreign aid it gives to Egypt. [The Knesset Defense Budget Committee approved late Monday a budget of NIS 51 billion for 2008. In addition, the committee approved the allocation of NIS 200 million for civilian emergency expenditures, as well as NIS 145 million for operations in the territories. Damit liegt die Größe des Verteidigungshaushalts bei 16.3% des Gesamtbudgets. Mit umgerechnet €9.12 Milliarden hat damit Israel nicht ganz ein Drittel des Verteidigungsetats der BRD erreicht.] Fearing the possibility that airfields will be bombed and destroyed during a war, the Israel Air Force has expressed interest in purchasing a squadron of Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) with vertical take-off and landing capabilities. In September, the IDF announced its plans to purchase at least 25 F-35 jets, with the option to purchase up to dozens more. Delivery was initially scheduled for 2014, but The Jerusalem Post revealed in October that the Pentagon had in principle agreed to work to move up delivery of the fifth-generation and stealth-enabled aircraft to Israel by as early as 2012. The agreement was reached during Defense Minister Ehud Barak's visit to Washington.
Über Nacht insgesamt acht Qassam-Raketen-Abschüsse auf israelisches Territorium. Ein Palästinenser wird bei der Siedlung Beitar Illit in der Westbank durch die IDF schwer verletzt. Er und drei andere hatten Reifenstapel in Brand gesetzt. In der Westbank werden sechs Palästinenser durch die IDF verhaftet. Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilna'i kündigt weitere Aktionen der IDF gegen Qassam-Raketen an.
The next race for the Knesset does not appear to be in sight, but Likud MKs are already busy defending their turf against several well-known public figures who are said to be interested in running for the Knesset with the party. Former IDF chief of General Staff Moshe Ya'alon, former ministers Dan Meridor and David Levy, former IDF spokeswoman Miri Regev, former basketball star Tal Brody and a number of CEOs of Israel's top companies have all been rumored to be exploring their options with the Likud, which polls predict will more than double its mandates.
... Peyman (not his real name) is a 27-year old Iranian computer-science student from Tehran. He has been publishing a blog (web log) for several years now through which tells anyone who is interested what it means to be a young Iranian living under the tyrannical reign of the ayatollahs. Peyman was asked by Ynet to send a letter to the citizens of Israel concerning the harsh attitude and comments of President Ahmadinejad against Israel.
Montag, 24. Dezember 2007
IDF kills Two
In der Nähe des al-Bureij-Lagers werden zwei Hamas-Angehörige wegen verdächtiger Bewegung im Grenzstreifen getötet. Ein weiterer Hamsnik wird schwer verletzt. Die Hamas spricht von einer regulären Grenzpatroullie.
Derweil sind die bislang friedlich und mit mäßigem Touristen-Besuch ausgestatteten Feierlichkeiten in Bethlehem und Jerusalem angelaufen. Die IDF hat ihre Truppenpräsenz und Operationen im Raum Bethlehem eingestellt. Es wird mit etwa 60 000 Touristen gerechnet was etwa nur ein Viertel des eigentlichen Potentials ausmachen dürfte. Trotzdem veröffentlichte heute das ramallahnische Tourismus-Ministerium das die Anzahl von Touristen die Bethlehem 2007 besuchten gegenüber dem Vorjahr sich verdoppeln wird. Die Stadt selbst ist dieses Jahr wohl besser herausgeputzt als zuvor und viele palästinensische Verteiler von Süßigkeiten und Willkommensbriefen sind auf den Straßen. Die Zusammenarbeit zwischen palästinensischen und israelischen Sicherheitsorganisationen scheint zu funktionieren.
In der Westbank verhaftet die Hamas einen regionalen Fatah-Führer, läßt aber den Direktor der Gaza Electricity Distribution Company (GEDC) Suleiman Abu Samhadana frei, der im Juli festgenommen wurde. Ob dahinter eine ägyptische Forderung steht wird sich zeigen: Abu Samhadana darf als Architekt eines nie ersthaft umgesetzen deals in Sachen Energielieferungen seitens Ägyptens in den Gaza-Streifen gelten. Die Fatah verhaftet nach langer Abstinenz zwei Hamasniks in Hebron und Jenin.
Husam At-Tawil, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) urged the European Union (EU) to stop Israel's aggression against the Gaza Strip on Saturday. In a letter to European Parliament Vice President Luisa Morgantini, At-Tawil expressed his "deep shock" at the international community's silence regarding Israel's ongoing bombardment of the costal Strip. In the face of the world's relative silence regarding Gaza, At-Tawil, an independent representing Gaza City, wondered "if the world has grown accustomed to the smell of Palestinian blood." In Sachen "Hudna" nur die üblichen Zeitungsenten: Hamas wants the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Schalit to be part of a package that would include, among other things, a mutual cease-fire with Israel and guarantees that Israel will not target Hamas leaders, sources close to Hamas said Sunday. The sources said Hamas also wanted the package to include the reopening of the border crossings in the Gaza Strip and an end to international sanctions that have been in effect since Hamas came to power in January 2006.
The Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams are set to meet on Monday for the second time since the regional peace conference held last month in Annapolis, Maryland. The talks on Monday will focus on Israel's plans to build close to 1,000 new apartment units in East Jerusalem and another environ east of the Green Line, Army Radio reported. The plans have raised the ire of Palestinians, who said Israel has sabotaged the positive relations established between the two sides in Annapolis. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised on Sunday to do everything possible to make the negotiations successful. "The cabinet is maximizing its efforts to reignite the political process to bring an ultimate end to the peace process with the Palestinians," he said. Nevertheless, Army Radio reported on Monday that associates of the prime minister have said they are pessimistic about the chances of reaching a permanent settlement with the Palestinians by the end of 2008 - a goal set by U.S. President George Bush at the summit last month. +++ Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni met with Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee (FADC) members late Monday morning to discuss the government's current position on possible future prisoner releases. FADC members stepping out of the meeting quoted Livni as saying the government was reevaluating what the classifications for prisoners were and how Israel should negotiate with the Palestinians. "By being so flexible and pragmatic, the government is helping increase terrorism and foils the international fight against it," Israel Radio quoted FADC member and Likud MK Yuval Steinitz as saying. ... Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilna'i said that the release of imprisoned Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti should also be considered, if a future deal signed with the Palestinians "would be a proper one." According to Vilna'i, Barghouti "may be a leader of murderers, but he never committed murder with his own hands. He is a leader, and should be treated accordingly." Barghouti had been frequently mentioned in Israel in recent years as a possible alternative to unpopular Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. He is currently serving five life sentences for masterminding the murder of Israeli civilians.
Participants at the International Conference on Contemporary Reform Judaism, opening in Jerusalem Monday, will tackle such issues as the concept of homosexuality in Reform halakha (Jewish law), changes in synagogue ritual and the difficulties of integrating Reform Judaism into Israel.
If a nuclear war between Israel and Iran were to break out 16-20 million Iranians would lose their lives - as opposed to 200,000-800,000 Israelis, according to a report recently published by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), which is headed by Anthony H. Cordesman, formerly an analyst for the US Department of Defense. The document, which is largely theoretical due to the lack of verified knowledge in some areas - specifically in terms of Israel's nuclear capability - paints various scenarios and attempts to predict the strategies of regional powers, as well as the US. +++ Tehran will soon announce an international tender for building 19 nuclear power plants, an Iranian MP was quoted as saying on Monday, a week after Russia said it had begun fuel deliveries to the Islamic state's first such facility. [Zu teuer. So viel Geld hat der Iran nicht.]
U.S. President George W. Bush's remarks last week that he has lost patience with the Syrian leader are "arrogant and bode ill" for the region, a Syrian newspaper said Monday, adding that the U.S. administration was attempting to push Lebanon into a crisis like in Iraq and Afghanistan. An editorial in the state Tishrin daily, which reflects government thinking, said Bush's statements demonstrate that his administration is determined to end its term as it started, with "aggression, occupation and power."
Akiva eldar, "Where are Labor and Meretz?": On the eve of the trip to the Annapolis summit, a penetrating debate was held at the Muqata on the question of whether Mahmoud Abbas should participate in the George W. Bush and Ehud Olmert show. At the last moment the Palestinians discovered that the Israeli prime minister had retracted his promise that the conference document would address at least one of the core issues specifically, and in a binding manner. The opponents said that they were tired of the Israelis' empty promises to dismantle roadblocks, evacuate outposts and be more generous about freeing prisoners. They warned that another fruitless peace gathering would be a disappointment that the Palestinian public would not be able to tolerate, and spoke about how Hamas would celebrate the farce in Annapolis. The argument that tipped the balance in the end was that without the conference in Maryland, there would be no donors conference in Paris. Economic distress overcame political distress. ...
Gideon Levy, "Meanwhile in the Westbank": Don't let the quiet fool you: It is imaginary. While all eyes are on Gaza, the impression has been created, under the aegis of a media turning a blind eye, that the West Bank is quiet. That's where the "good guys" are in charge, those with whom we went to Annapolis, those who will be getting the money from the donor nations, and life there is great, so it seems. Well, that is not the case. The lives of the Palestinians in the West Bank are also intolerable, blood is being shed there too. For the Israel Defense Forces it is business as usual, with a frighteningly quick finger on the trigger. The spirit of Annapolis and the lofty words of the prime minister do not prevail there.
Robert F. Worth, "Home on holiday, the Lebanese say, what turmoil?": Lebanon may seem an unlikely holiday spot: the government has collapsed, car bombs go off periodically and foreign envoys warn of an impending civil war. And yet, so many people have been streaming into this tiny, embattled country in recent days that the flights are all overbooked, and some well-heeled travelers are driving 18 hours from the Persian Gulf. Beirut's restaurants, bars and malls are all packed with revelers. Why? The answer is that the Lebanese diaspora reverses itself on holidays, as the migrants who sustain the war-shattered Lebanese economy all year return from jobs across the globe to spend time with their families. Nothing will deter them — not bad weather, not interminable flights and certainly not the Grinch-like mood of Lebanon's endlessly feuding politicians.
Und natürlich.... After the United States has spent more than $5 billion in a largely failed effort to bolster the Pakistani military effort against militants from Al Qaeda and the Taliban, some American officials now acknowledge that there were too few controls over how the money was spent, and that the strategy to improve the Pakistani military needs to be completely revamped. Da wirds Zeit an den hier zu erinnern.
Derweil sind die bislang friedlich und mit mäßigem Touristen-Besuch ausgestatteten Feierlichkeiten in Bethlehem und Jerusalem angelaufen. Die IDF hat ihre Truppenpräsenz und Operationen im Raum Bethlehem eingestellt. Es wird mit etwa 60 000 Touristen gerechnet was etwa nur ein Viertel des eigentlichen Potentials ausmachen dürfte. Trotzdem veröffentlichte heute das ramallahnische Tourismus-Ministerium das die Anzahl von Touristen die Bethlehem 2007 besuchten gegenüber dem Vorjahr sich verdoppeln wird. Die Stadt selbst ist dieses Jahr wohl besser herausgeputzt als zuvor und viele palästinensische Verteiler von Süßigkeiten und Willkommensbriefen sind auf den Straßen. Die Zusammenarbeit zwischen palästinensischen und israelischen Sicherheitsorganisationen scheint zu funktionieren.
In der Westbank verhaftet die Hamas einen regionalen Fatah-Führer, läßt aber den Direktor der Gaza Electricity Distribution Company (GEDC) Suleiman Abu Samhadana frei, der im Juli festgenommen wurde. Ob dahinter eine ägyptische Forderung steht wird sich zeigen: Abu Samhadana darf als Architekt eines nie ersthaft umgesetzen deals in Sachen Energielieferungen seitens Ägyptens in den Gaza-Streifen gelten. Die Fatah verhaftet nach langer Abstinenz zwei Hamasniks in Hebron und Jenin.
Husam At-Tawil, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) urged the European Union (EU) to stop Israel's aggression against the Gaza Strip on Saturday. In a letter to European Parliament Vice President Luisa Morgantini, At-Tawil expressed his "deep shock" at the international community's silence regarding Israel's ongoing bombardment of the costal Strip. In the face of the world's relative silence regarding Gaza, At-Tawil, an independent representing Gaza City, wondered "if the world has grown accustomed to the smell of Palestinian blood." In Sachen "Hudna" nur die üblichen Zeitungsenten: Hamas wants the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Schalit to be part of a package that would include, among other things, a mutual cease-fire with Israel and guarantees that Israel will not target Hamas leaders, sources close to Hamas said Sunday. The sources said Hamas also wanted the package to include the reopening of the border crossings in the Gaza Strip and an end to international sanctions that have been in effect since Hamas came to power in January 2006.
The Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams are set to meet on Monday for the second time since the regional peace conference held last month in Annapolis, Maryland. The talks on Monday will focus on Israel's plans to build close to 1,000 new apartment units in East Jerusalem and another environ east of the Green Line, Army Radio reported. The plans have raised the ire of Palestinians, who said Israel has sabotaged the positive relations established between the two sides in Annapolis. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised on Sunday to do everything possible to make the negotiations successful. "The cabinet is maximizing its efforts to reignite the political process to bring an ultimate end to the peace process with the Palestinians," he said. Nevertheless, Army Radio reported on Monday that associates of the prime minister have said they are pessimistic about the chances of reaching a permanent settlement with the Palestinians by the end of 2008 - a goal set by U.S. President George Bush at the summit last month. +++ Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni met with Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee (FADC) members late Monday morning to discuss the government's current position on possible future prisoner releases. FADC members stepping out of the meeting quoted Livni as saying the government was reevaluating what the classifications for prisoners were and how Israel should negotiate with the Palestinians. "By being so flexible and pragmatic, the government is helping increase terrorism and foils the international fight against it," Israel Radio quoted FADC member and Likud MK Yuval Steinitz as saying. ... Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilna'i said that the release of imprisoned Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti should also be considered, if a future deal signed with the Palestinians "would be a proper one." According to Vilna'i, Barghouti "may be a leader of murderers, but he never committed murder with his own hands. He is a leader, and should be treated accordingly." Barghouti had been frequently mentioned in Israel in recent years as a possible alternative to unpopular Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. He is currently serving five life sentences for masterminding the murder of Israeli civilians.
Participants at the International Conference on Contemporary Reform Judaism, opening in Jerusalem Monday, will tackle such issues as the concept of homosexuality in Reform halakha (Jewish law), changes in synagogue ritual and the difficulties of integrating Reform Judaism into Israel.
If a nuclear war between Israel and Iran were to break out 16-20 million Iranians would lose their lives - as opposed to 200,000-800,000 Israelis, according to a report recently published by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), which is headed by Anthony H. Cordesman, formerly an analyst for the US Department of Defense. The document, which is largely theoretical due to the lack of verified knowledge in some areas - specifically in terms of Israel's nuclear capability - paints various scenarios and attempts to predict the strategies of regional powers, as well as the US. +++ Tehran will soon announce an international tender for building 19 nuclear power plants, an Iranian MP was quoted as saying on Monday, a week after Russia said it had begun fuel deliveries to the Islamic state's first such facility. [Zu teuer. So viel Geld hat der Iran nicht.]
U.S. President George W. Bush's remarks last week that he has lost patience with the Syrian leader are "arrogant and bode ill" for the region, a Syrian newspaper said Monday, adding that the U.S. administration was attempting to push Lebanon into a crisis like in Iraq and Afghanistan. An editorial in the state Tishrin daily, which reflects government thinking, said Bush's statements demonstrate that his administration is determined to end its term as it started, with "aggression, occupation and power."
Akiva eldar, "Where are Labor and Meretz?": On the eve of the trip to the Annapolis summit, a penetrating debate was held at the Muqata on the question of whether Mahmoud Abbas should participate in the George W. Bush and Ehud Olmert show. At the last moment the Palestinians discovered that the Israeli prime minister had retracted his promise that the conference document would address at least one of the core issues specifically, and in a binding manner. The opponents said that they were tired of the Israelis' empty promises to dismantle roadblocks, evacuate outposts and be more generous about freeing prisoners. They warned that another fruitless peace gathering would be a disappointment that the Palestinian public would not be able to tolerate, and spoke about how Hamas would celebrate the farce in Annapolis. The argument that tipped the balance in the end was that without the conference in Maryland, there would be no donors conference in Paris. Economic distress overcame political distress. ...
Gideon Levy, "Meanwhile in the Westbank": Don't let the quiet fool you: It is imaginary. While all eyes are on Gaza, the impression has been created, under the aegis of a media turning a blind eye, that the West Bank is quiet. That's where the "good guys" are in charge, those with whom we went to Annapolis, those who will be getting the money from the donor nations, and life there is great, so it seems. Well, that is not the case. The lives of the Palestinians in the West Bank are also intolerable, blood is being shed there too. For the Israel Defense Forces it is business as usual, with a frighteningly quick finger on the trigger. The spirit of Annapolis and the lofty words of the prime minister do not prevail there.
Robert F. Worth, "Home on holiday, the Lebanese say, what turmoil?": Lebanon may seem an unlikely holiday spot: the government has collapsed, car bombs go off periodically and foreign envoys warn of an impending civil war. And yet, so many people have been streaming into this tiny, embattled country in recent days that the flights are all overbooked, and some well-heeled travelers are driving 18 hours from the Persian Gulf. Beirut's restaurants, bars and malls are all packed with revelers. Why? The answer is that the Lebanese diaspora reverses itself on holidays, as the migrants who sustain the war-shattered Lebanese economy all year return from jobs across the globe to spend time with their families. Nothing will deter them — not bad weather, not interminable flights and certainly not the Grinch-like mood of Lebanon's endlessly feuding politicians.
Und natürlich.... After the United States has spent more than $5 billion in a largely failed effort to bolster the Pakistani military effort against militants from Al Qaeda and the Taliban, some American officials now acknowledge that there were too few controls over how the money was spent, and that the strategy to improve the Pakistani military needs to be completely revamped. Da wirds Zeit an den hier zu erinnern.
Sonntag, 23. Dezember 2007
Sunday news
My dear friend Tsedek has a great post about social activist Sa'adia Marciano.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday rejected Hamas' offer of a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, saying the government would not hold talks with the Islamist group until it recognizes Israel. Olmert's comments came as three Qassam rockets fired by Palestinian militants struck the western Negev, causing no damage or injuries. "The State of Israel has no interest in negotiating with entities that do not recognize the Quartet demands," said Olmert during the weekly cabinet meeting. .. Defense Minister Ehud Barak briefed the cabinet ministers on security developements in Gaza and, contrary to Olmert, hinted at the possibility of a cease-fire with Hamas. "If they stop firing, we won't be opposed to quiet," the defense minister said. "Hamas' consideration of a hudna [truce] stems from our effective operations and targeted killings." .. Defense Minister Ehud Barak is scheduled to meet Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Sharm el-Sheikh on Wednesday to discuss efforts to reach a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas. .. Dr Ahmad Yousif, a Political advisor to the deposed Palestinian Prime Minister Isma'il Haniyeh said on Saturday that Hamas movement would be willing to reach a ceasefire with Israel including stoppage of launching homemade projectiles if Israel lifts the siege on Gaza Strip, opens the crossings and end the humanitarian crisis. Yousif told Ma'an via telephone that some international sides suggested a ceasefire which will increase the chances for dialogue in order to end the conflict. However, he said, that would need a period of appeasement during which the siege should be lifted and Israel's grip on Gaza Strip should come to an end. Yousif said, "We do not refuse appeasement aiming to end the boycott, however, that appeasement can not be for nothing." .. Five Kassam rockets fired by Palestinians from the Gaza Strip landed in Israel on Sunday with the latest rocket landing near a building in central Sderot after it had apparently failed to explode. Derweil wurde der Sufa-crossing zum Gazastreifen nach monatelanger Schließung wieder geöffnet. ++++ Isabel Kershner: Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel rejected Sunday overtures by Hamas, the militant Islamic group ruling Gaza, for discussions about a temporary cease-fire. At the same time, Olmert's government raised the ire of Palestinian representatives from the West Bank, with whom Israel is embarking on negotiations for a permanent peace, seeking budget approval to build more housing for Jewish residents in areas the Palestinians claim for their future state....
Gaza's tiny Christian community is keeping a low profile during Christmas this year, traumatized by the killing of a prominent activist after Hamas' takeover of the coastal territory. Few Christmas trees are on display, churches are holding austere services and hundreds of Christians hope to travel to the West Bank to celebrate the holiday in Bethlehem. Many say they don't plan on returning to Gaza. "We have a very sad Christmas," said Essam Farah, acting pastor of Gaza's Baptist Church, which has canceled its annual children's party because of the grim atmosphere. About 3,000 Christians live in Gaza, an overwhelmingly conservative Muslim society of 1.5 million people. The two religions have generally had cordial relations over the year.
The General Commander of the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the armed group affiliated to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine PFLP, Mu'in Al-Masri aged 40 died on Saturday night of his wounds sustained in an internal explosion in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip months ago, Ma'an's reporter said. Palestinian medical sources mentioned that Al-Masri was hospitalized after he was seriously injured months ago, yet he died last night of his injury. +++ The Israeli forces on Sunday morning arrested a leader of Fatah's Al-Aqsa Brigades in the northern West Bank village Muthallath Ash-Shuhada south of Jenin after raiding his home, and injuring him. Ma'an's reporter quoted eyewitnesses as saying that more than 12 Israeli military vehicles raided home of Rabi' Asa'sa at 2:30 am and called the residents through loudspeakers to evacuate the home. After the evacuation, the Israeli troops stormed the house using police dogs and shot Asa'sa in the foot before they seized him. Aus Hebron werden sieben zusätzliche Verhaftungen gemeldet.
The number of new immigrants arriving in Israel in 2007 was 19,700 - a decline of 6 percent over last year, according to the Absorption Ministry end-of-the-year statistics released on Sunday. This is the lowest number of immigrants since 1989, after the wave of immigration following the fall of the Iron Curtain. Forecasts for 2008 do not show an increase in newcomers.
A position paper published Sunday by the Reut Institute states that Israel must incorporate Arab citizens in its negotiations with the Palestinian Authority and with the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and be prepared for shifting political views within the Arab public. The position paper submitted by the Reut Institute, an Israeli think tank which advises different government offices, also warns that a change in Arab public opinion could limit the PA representatives in their negotiations with Israel. [Der Text erscheint wohl bald hier auf english]
The United States will conduct confidential assessments of whether Israel and the Palestinians are meeting their peacemaking commitments and share the results privately with the parties, U.S. and Western officials said. Israel has sought to keep the U.S. process of judging compliance with the long-stalled "road map" peace plan largely secret. Palestinians say they favour disclosure of judgments on whether Israel is halting all settlement activity and whether the Palestinians are curbing militants as the plan demands. Morgen treffen sich die Herrschaften wieder... The Israeli and Palestinian Authority negotiating teams, headed by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Ahmed Qureia, respectively, are to meet tomorrow ahead of Tuesday's meeting between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and PA President Mahmoud Abbas. However, a senior adviser to Olmert said Israel may come into conflict with the United States over increased pressure by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to advance the talks. ... Israel has expanded plans to build new homes in a disputed East Jerusalem neighborhood as well as in a nearby settlement, according to the Housing Ministry's proposed budget for 2008. Israel angered Palestinians and drew criticism from the United States earlier this month when it announced plans to build 307 new apartments in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Homa. However, the proposed budget includes funding for the construction of 500 apartments in Har Homa as well as 240 apartments in the nearby settlement of Ma'aleh Adumim. Israel intends to hold on to Ma'aleh Adumim, home to more than 30,000 settlers, in any final peace deal with the Palestinians. Minister for Jerusalem Affairs Rafi Eitan told Army Radio that Israel never promised to halt construction within the municipal borders of Jerusalem, whose eastern sector Israel annexed in 1967 after capturing it in the Six-Day War.
The security cabinet approved Sunday funding for the development of the "Iron Dome" rocket defense system, which is designed to intercept short- and medium-range rockets such as Qassams and Katyushas. Developing the system is expected to cost NIS 811 million over the next five years. According to the defense establishment estimate, the first operational version of the system will be deployed in Sderot in two and a half years. + Israel Beiteinu on Sunday has decided to donate NIS 100 million from its budget for the fortification of hospitals in Ashkelon, Nahariya, Safed and Tiberias. During a press conference, hospital officials expressed their satisfaction over Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman's decision to donate the money.
Rabbi Eric Yoffie, the leader of the U.S. Jewish Reform movement, lashed out at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations for reaffirming its support for a united Jerusalem, saying the U.S. Jewish community must not oppose Israeli compromise on the capital.
Akiva Eldar, "Secular settlement being swallowed up by religious outposts": The report of an illegal outpost on Palestinian land is already a dog-bites-man type of story, but the tale of Tal Menashe and Heinanit has all the makings of a man-bites-dog tale. Tal Menashe is an illegal outpost that has taken over a more veteran Jewish settlement, Heinanit, on the other side of the Green Line. The settlers of Heinanit have hired none other than attorney Michael Sfard, who works for the leftist organizations Peace Now and Yesh Din and is despised by the Yesha council of settlements, to represent them. Last week, Sfard approached the attorney general, the Interior Ministry and the Shomron Regional Council, to demand that the local government at Heinanit not be allowed to fall into the hands of the neighboring outpost.
Joshua Landis, "The US has NO Lebanon policy" + Raghida Dergham, "Lebanon is a Good Example for Removing the Impression of Suspicious Deals from the Bush Administration" + Mostafa Zein, "Elliot Abrams victories in Lebanon"
Local politicians dismissed on Sunday a French offer to host a meeting between Speaker Nabih Berri, parliamentary majority leader MP Saad Hariri Saad-Hariri-Profile Sep-07 and Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun. France had made the offer over the weekend to host the inter-Lebanese dialogue in a last-ditch effort to resolve the political crisis and elect a president.
Karen DeYoung: The Iranian government has decided "at the most senior levels" to rein in the violent Shiite militias it supports in Iraq, a move reflected in a sharp decrease in sophisticated roadside bomb attacks over the past several months, according to the State Department's top official on Iraq. Tehran's decision does not necessarily mean the flow of those weapons from Iran has stopped, but the decline in their use and in overall attacks "has to be attributed to an Iranian policy decision," David M. Satterfield, Iraq coordinator and senior adviser to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, said in an interview.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday rejected Hamas' offer of a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, saying the government would not hold talks with the Islamist group until it recognizes Israel. Olmert's comments came as three Qassam rockets fired by Palestinian militants struck the western Negev, causing no damage or injuries. "The State of Israel has no interest in negotiating with entities that do not recognize the Quartet demands," said Olmert during the weekly cabinet meeting. .. Defense Minister Ehud Barak briefed the cabinet ministers on security developements in Gaza and, contrary to Olmert, hinted at the possibility of a cease-fire with Hamas. "If they stop firing, we won't be opposed to quiet," the defense minister said. "Hamas' consideration of a hudna [truce] stems from our effective operations and targeted killings." .. Defense Minister Ehud Barak is scheduled to meet Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Sharm el-Sheikh on Wednesday to discuss efforts to reach a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas. .. Dr Ahmad Yousif, a Political advisor to the deposed Palestinian Prime Minister Isma'il Haniyeh said on Saturday that Hamas movement would be willing to reach a ceasefire with Israel including stoppage of launching homemade projectiles if Israel lifts the siege on Gaza Strip, opens the crossings and end the humanitarian crisis. Yousif told Ma'an via telephone that some international sides suggested a ceasefire which will increase the chances for dialogue in order to end the conflict. However, he said, that would need a period of appeasement during which the siege should be lifted and Israel's grip on Gaza Strip should come to an end. Yousif said, "We do not refuse appeasement aiming to end the boycott, however, that appeasement can not be for nothing." .. Five Kassam rockets fired by Palestinians from the Gaza Strip landed in Israel on Sunday with the latest rocket landing near a building in central Sderot after it had apparently failed to explode. Derweil wurde der Sufa-crossing zum Gazastreifen nach monatelanger Schließung wieder geöffnet. ++++ Isabel Kershner: Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel rejected Sunday overtures by Hamas, the militant Islamic group ruling Gaza, for discussions about a temporary cease-fire. At the same time, Olmert's government raised the ire of Palestinian representatives from the West Bank, with whom Israel is embarking on negotiations for a permanent peace, seeking budget approval to build more housing for Jewish residents in areas the Palestinians claim for their future state....
Gaza's tiny Christian community is keeping a low profile during Christmas this year, traumatized by the killing of a prominent activist after Hamas' takeover of the coastal territory. Few Christmas trees are on display, churches are holding austere services and hundreds of Christians hope to travel to the West Bank to celebrate the holiday in Bethlehem. Many say they don't plan on returning to Gaza. "We have a very sad Christmas," said Essam Farah, acting pastor of Gaza's Baptist Church, which has canceled its annual children's party because of the grim atmosphere. About 3,000 Christians live in Gaza, an overwhelmingly conservative Muslim society of 1.5 million people. The two religions have generally had cordial relations over the year.
The General Commander of the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the armed group affiliated to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine PFLP, Mu'in Al-Masri aged 40 died on Saturday night of his wounds sustained in an internal explosion in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip months ago, Ma'an's reporter said. Palestinian medical sources mentioned that Al-Masri was hospitalized after he was seriously injured months ago, yet he died last night of his injury. +++ The Israeli forces on Sunday morning arrested a leader of Fatah's Al-Aqsa Brigades in the northern West Bank village Muthallath Ash-Shuhada south of Jenin after raiding his home, and injuring him. Ma'an's reporter quoted eyewitnesses as saying that more than 12 Israeli military vehicles raided home of Rabi' Asa'sa at 2:30 am and called the residents through loudspeakers to evacuate the home. After the evacuation, the Israeli troops stormed the house using police dogs and shot Asa'sa in the foot before they seized him. Aus Hebron werden sieben zusätzliche Verhaftungen gemeldet.
The number of new immigrants arriving in Israel in 2007 was 19,700 - a decline of 6 percent over last year, according to the Absorption Ministry end-of-the-year statistics released on Sunday. This is the lowest number of immigrants since 1989, after the wave of immigration following the fall of the Iron Curtain. Forecasts for 2008 do not show an increase in newcomers.
A position paper published Sunday by the Reut Institute states that Israel must incorporate Arab citizens in its negotiations with the Palestinian Authority and with the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and be prepared for shifting political views within the Arab public. The position paper submitted by the Reut Institute, an Israeli think tank which advises different government offices, also warns that a change in Arab public opinion could limit the PA representatives in their negotiations with Israel. [Der Text erscheint wohl bald hier auf english]
The United States will conduct confidential assessments of whether Israel and the Palestinians are meeting their peacemaking commitments and share the results privately with the parties, U.S. and Western officials said. Israel has sought to keep the U.S. process of judging compliance with the long-stalled "road map" peace plan largely secret. Palestinians say they favour disclosure of judgments on whether Israel is halting all settlement activity and whether the Palestinians are curbing militants as the plan demands. Morgen treffen sich die Herrschaften wieder... The Israeli and Palestinian Authority negotiating teams, headed by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Ahmed Qureia, respectively, are to meet tomorrow ahead of Tuesday's meeting between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and PA President Mahmoud Abbas. However, a senior adviser to Olmert said Israel may come into conflict with the United States over increased pressure by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to advance the talks. ... Israel has expanded plans to build new homes in a disputed East Jerusalem neighborhood as well as in a nearby settlement, according to the Housing Ministry's proposed budget for 2008. Israel angered Palestinians and drew criticism from the United States earlier this month when it announced plans to build 307 new apartments in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Homa. However, the proposed budget includes funding for the construction of 500 apartments in Har Homa as well as 240 apartments in the nearby settlement of Ma'aleh Adumim. Israel intends to hold on to Ma'aleh Adumim, home to more than 30,000 settlers, in any final peace deal with the Palestinians. Minister for Jerusalem Affairs Rafi Eitan told Army Radio that Israel never promised to halt construction within the municipal borders of Jerusalem, whose eastern sector Israel annexed in 1967 after capturing it in the Six-Day War.
The security cabinet approved Sunday funding for the development of the "Iron Dome" rocket defense system, which is designed to intercept short- and medium-range rockets such as Qassams and Katyushas. Developing the system is expected to cost NIS 811 million over the next five years. According to the defense establishment estimate, the first operational version of the system will be deployed in Sderot in two and a half years. + Israel Beiteinu on Sunday has decided to donate NIS 100 million from its budget for the fortification of hospitals in Ashkelon, Nahariya, Safed and Tiberias. During a press conference, hospital officials expressed their satisfaction over Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman's decision to donate the money.
Rabbi Eric Yoffie, the leader of the U.S. Jewish Reform movement, lashed out at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations for reaffirming its support for a united Jerusalem, saying the U.S. Jewish community must not oppose Israeli compromise on the capital.
Akiva Eldar, "Secular settlement being swallowed up by religious outposts": The report of an illegal outpost on Palestinian land is already a dog-bites-man type of story, but the tale of Tal Menashe and Heinanit has all the makings of a man-bites-dog tale. Tal Menashe is an illegal outpost that has taken over a more veteran Jewish settlement, Heinanit, on the other side of the Green Line. The settlers of Heinanit have hired none other than attorney Michael Sfard, who works for the leftist organizations Peace Now and Yesh Din and is despised by the Yesha council of settlements, to represent them. Last week, Sfard approached the attorney general, the Interior Ministry and the Shomron Regional Council, to demand that the local government at Heinanit not be allowed to fall into the hands of the neighboring outpost.
Joshua Landis, "The US has NO Lebanon policy" + Raghida Dergham, "Lebanon is a Good Example for Removing the Impression of Suspicious Deals from the Bush Administration" + Mostafa Zein, "Elliot Abrams victories in Lebanon"
Local politicians dismissed on Sunday a French offer to host a meeting between Speaker Nabih Berri, parliamentary majority leader MP Saad Hariri Saad-Hariri-Profile Sep-07 and Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun. France had made the offer over the weekend to host the inter-Lebanese dialogue in a last-ditch effort to resolve the political crisis and elect a president.
Karen DeYoung: The Iranian government has decided "at the most senior levels" to rein in the violent Shiite militias it supports in Iraq, a move reflected in a sharp decrease in sophisticated roadside bomb attacks over the past several months, according to the State Department's top official on Iraq. Tehran's decision does not necessarily mean the flow of those weapons from Iran has stopped, but the decline in their use and in overall attacks "has to be attributed to an Iranian policy decision," David M. Satterfield, Iraq coordinator and senior adviser to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, said in an interview.
Ninet has cut her hair!!
Das ist ja mal eine schreckliche Bescherung! One of my favorite jewish girls, famous Israeli popstar Ninet Tayeb ... hat ihre Haare abgeschnitten! Ehud Asheri, "What is Ninet worth?" Na, die wachsen wieder, hoffe ich.
Video Hi Yoda'at
Lyrics translated by George Yakubovitz:
She knows, people always tell her
people just interfere with her
what to wear, what to eat
what is right, what is not right
They whisper what they think
they take part in as they want
how is it forbidden, how much is allowed
if it's possible or not
You shall do and go, learn
and you'll see how in a moment,
in a moment one captures the world
scream out, be quiet,
just come, come, return to me
Yes, she knows
that he always listens to her
that he's the one showing her
showing her the truth, what to take what to give
and if you're listening, maybe you know
how one continues from here
You shall do and go, learn...
Samstag, 22. Dezember 2007
Truceometer now at 18%
Die Wahrscheinlichkeit eines überraschenden Waffenstillstands an der grenze Israel-Gaza ist zwar sehr niedrig anzusetzen. Trotzdem weisen einige Faktoren in diese Richtung. So unternehmen seit der Ankündigung von Hamas-Führer Haniyeh das Schweigen von Waffen in Betracht ziehen zu wollen die ramallahnischen Fatah-Horden in der Westbank keine Verhaftungen mehr und die IDF hat ihre Aktivitäten merklich zurück geschraubt. Selbstverständlich kann dies auch in Zusammenhang mit dem Opferfest und Weihnachten gebracht werden. Das eine Diskussion in beiden Lagern statt findet ist jedoch ohne Zweifel. Hamas could offer Israel an unconditional 'hudna' - meaning temporary ceasefire - a senior Gaza official from the group was quoted as saying Saturday. However the official, who chose to remain anonymous, denied that the group had already made an official offer to Israel, Ashark Alawsat reported. "Discussions over the 'hudna' have resurfaced in a serious manner, both within Hamas and between Hamas and Palestinian factions. We hope the discussions will prove successful," said the official, adding that "there will be no conditions to it - it would be a ceasefire on our part and on Israel's part." [Die English-Edition der a-sharq al-awsat hat eine recht flüssige Qassam-Enzyklopädie veröffentlicht] Da die Qassam ein militärisch bedeutungsloses politisches Instrument ist wird für den weiteren Verlauf der Waffenstillstandsgedanken das Verhalten der militanten Splittergruppen des Widerstandes wichtig sein. Hier hat die IDF mit ihrer Aktion gegen den Islamic Jihad, auf dessen Konto ein Großteil der Qassam-Abschüsse gehen diese woche eher negatives Potential erzielt: However, a senior member of Islamic Jihad said Hamas had not approached his group on the idea of a truce. "We think efforts should be exerted to confront this (Israeli) aggression," said Islamic Jihad's Nafez Azzam, adding that any truce offer should be directed at Israel, not his group. Hier liegt auch der Hund begraben, wenn es um die vielen [selbsternannten] Experten auf israelischer Seite + Bagage geht die eine Schwächehandlung der Hamas aufgrund des militärischen Drucks attestieren. Die Hamas stieg nicht ins politische Geschäft mit den Wahlen 2006 ein um sich daraus durch Armeeoperationen jeder Größenordnung drängen zu lassen. Das eigentliche Ziel der Hamas ist die Fatah-Regentschaft, wobei Israel nicht als Konstante sondern als flexibles Instrument im palästinensischen Machtpoker auftritt. Seither ist den Israelis nichts anderes eingefallen als sich zum Steigbügelhalter der Hamas über die Methodik Blockadepoltik und militärische Optionen instrumentalisieren zu lassen. Die Vernichtungsphantasien der Hamas in Bezug auf Israel sind auf Kriegspropagnada-Niveau geschrumpft, das dringlich in direkten Verhandlungen zur Lösung der realen Probleme übergehen werden muß. Die Theorie sich einen Teil der Palästinenser über westliches Geld zu kaufen ohne politische Zugeständnisse oder gar Rückzugsfakten auf den Tisch zu legen mag die Olmert-Koalition vor dem Kollaps bewahren. Frieden schafft man damit nicht. Israel muß letztlich erwachen und selbstbewußt agieren und nicht wie im Fall Libanon-Krieg, oder Iran, oder Hamas den Hasen im Hase-und-Igel-Spiel geben. Die im Vorfeld des anstehehnden Besuchs [Also Saturday, Amos Gilad, head of the Defense Ministry Diplomatic-Security Branch, confirmed that Defense Minister Ehud Barak would travel to Cairo next week to meet Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the country's intelligence chief Omar Suleiman and Egyptian Defense Minister Mohammad Tantawi. Nevertheless, Gilad said that the talks would not deal with the Hamas 'hudna' offer and said that a ceasefire was not even on the agenda.] von Barak in Ägypten zur Schau getragene Interesselosigkeit ist gerade für die Bürger von Sderot bis Ashkelon neben den geplanten Gatling-Gun- und Schutzbunkeraktion als Offenbarungseid israelischer Politik zu werten. Einer muß das Prinzip der Gewalt, die berühmte Gewaltspirale beenden. Und es muß der Stärkste sein. Davon kann Mitteleuropa ein lautes Lied singen.
"If Syria feels threatened by Israel, it will be hard to stop our missile operators from responding to the Israeli aggression by attacking the Dimona nuclear reactor," Syrian legislator Muhammad Habash was quoted as saying Saturday. In an interview with Al-Quds Al-Arabi, Habash emphasized that the Dimona reactor is "within range" of the Syrian missiles. Habash told the London-based newspaper that Syria did not rule out a violation of its sovereignty by Israel and said Damascus was "prepared" for this eventuality.
Quartet special envoy Tony Blair converts to Catholicism
Amotz Asa-El, "In praise of Yossi Beilin": First, a word to that portion of our offshore talk-backers for whom this headline constitutes blasphemy: Better one naïve Jewish humanist in Zion than a thousand fascist Jews around the Diaspora's fleshpots.
Beyond this, Yossi Beilin, who this week announced his resignation as leader of Meretz, does not need this relativist appreciation to win a place of honor in a public arena where he loomed so much taller than the countless cynics, cronies, gofers, ignoramuses, briefcase carriers, second-generation hacks, verbose generals and retired secret agents who have come to crowd it in recent decades. Beilin's has been a tragic career. Launched at 26 the morning after the Yom Kippur War, it is drawing to a close on the eve of his 60th birthday, with the peace for which he labored all these decades as elusive as the electoral victories he so quixotically tried to hand his political baptizer, Shimon Peres. Beilin may still enter the next Knesset, maybe even join this or that cabinet - perhaps once again through Labor - but having failed once to win Labor's leadership, then to just win a seat on its Knesset list and now to rally behind him a party as compact as Meretz, he is likely to humbly concede that he just was not born to lead.
"If Syria feels threatened by Israel, it will be hard to stop our missile operators from responding to the Israeli aggression by attacking the Dimona nuclear reactor," Syrian legislator Muhammad Habash was quoted as saying Saturday. In an interview with Al-Quds Al-Arabi, Habash emphasized that the Dimona reactor is "within range" of the Syrian missiles. Habash told the London-based newspaper that Syria did not rule out a violation of its sovereignty by Israel and said Damascus was "prepared" for this eventuality.
Quartet special envoy Tony Blair converts to Catholicism
Amotz Asa-El, "In praise of Yossi Beilin": First, a word to that portion of our offshore talk-backers for whom this headline constitutes blasphemy: Better one naïve Jewish humanist in Zion than a thousand fascist Jews around the Diaspora's fleshpots.
Beyond this, Yossi Beilin, who this week announced his resignation as leader of Meretz, does not need this relativist appreciation to win a place of honor in a public arena where he loomed so much taller than the countless cynics, cronies, gofers, ignoramuses, briefcase carriers, second-generation hacks, verbose generals and retired secret agents who have come to crowd it in recent decades. Beilin's has been a tragic career. Launched at 26 the morning after the Yom Kippur War, it is drawing to a close on the eve of his 60th birthday, with the peace for which he labored all these decades as elusive as the electoral victories he so quixotically tried to hand his political baptizer, Shimon Peres. Beilin may still enter the next Knesset, maybe even join this or that cabinet - perhaps once again through Labor - but having failed once to win Labor's leadership, then to just win a seat on its Knesset list and now to rally behind him a party as compact as Meretz, he is likely to humbly concede that he just was not born to lead.
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