Jezebel 
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New York, 7:05 AM
Wed Dec 9
67 posts in the last 24 hours
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08/10/09
07/27/09
They are so shiny and new and big--it makes me wonder when Israel will provide some of its Palestinian residents with running water. Hell, it makes me wonder when Israel will decide to renovate all the crumbly buildings in my neighborhood in Tel Aviv.
07/27/09
07/27/09
07/27/09
07/27/09
07/27/09
So, assuming you weren't looking for a justification that includes a concern for BASIC MORALITY, here's your justification.
07/27/09
07/27/09
Since the majority of Israelis are fairly secular, I've always been confused by the leeway given to the Haredi (the ultra-Orthodox, the settlers most often come from this group). I think the reason is twofold. First, the Haredi represent traditional Jewish life and they are preserving traditions that many Jews have let go (and that Hitler tried to erase from the face of the earth). That accords them some respect, which they use to great advantage in influencing Israeli politics. The second thing is that they have lots and lots of babies, which will eventually change the face of Israel but right now is more important in that there is a fear that Jews will become a smaller and smaller group both within Israel and globally. Add on top of that the religious tenet that God gave the Jews Israel and it becomes really politically difficult for the Israeli government to justify forcibly removing the settlers (which has been done in the past and was not great PR). That's why the settlers are still there- they are religious fundamentalists who the Israeli government has a hard time standing up to politically. Its like standing up against your crazy grandpa- you might think he's nuts, but he's still your grandpa.
07/27/09
So instead of settlers being your crazy grandpa, they're your slightly problematic teen who you decide to help by buying drugs for them. In this sense, if Israel was a mom, it'd be Dina Lohan.
07/27/09
http://www.globallawforum.org/ViewPublication.aspx?ArticleId=101
07/27/09
07/27/09
http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/07/palestinian_rights_a_warning.html
07/27/09
07/27/09
07/27/09
You can find historical justifications for anything, the only thing that is really important is the now. And you're on the wrong side.
07/27/09
07/27/09
this sums it up:
http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/2009/07/palestinians-blame-arab-leaders-for-the-nakba
07/27/09
This is also why its almost impossible for any real progress to be made, everyone on both sides is so caught up in history and propaganda that no one can take a step back.
07/27/09
07/27/09
We ethnically cleansed the shit out of the Palestinians in 47/48. I'm pretty sure that's the cause of the Palestinian refugee problem.
Nothing justifies the way the Israeli government treats the Palestinian people, both those that hold Israeli passports and those that live in the territories. If any justice could emerge from the legacy of anti-semitism it would be that we might finally learn that asserting brutal might is not moral, and that treating others as we were treated in the past does not somehow rectify the wrongs done to us as a people.
07/27/09
Compared to living in a Palestinian village living in a settlement is a piece of cake- protection from the Israeli army, running water, electricity, getting waved through check points, having the right to use the roads in the West Bank. And the settlers have a choice of where to live, while Palestinian in the territories do not.
07/27/09
I'm not saying there's nothing to be said for the importance of a Jewish homeland, but to say Jews have EARNED it and DESERVE it because of continued oppression, you're opening up a lot of moral leeway.
07/27/09
07/27/09
The Justification: The 6 Days War (1967) - The story: The Arab countires all ganged up and attacked Israel. Israel fought back and kicked their collective asses. This left Israel in the possession of a lot of "Arab" land including Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights.
Henceforth, Rule #363, otherwise referred to as "Winner's Keepers, Loser's Weepers" took effect.
07/27/09
@deeemer: Everyone needs to let go of what they owned in 1948 and this would be a lot easier for the Palestinians to do without the settlers.
I don't think anyone thinks Isreal is the only one at fault for the current cluster fuck, but they are the ones with the greater power over what goes on in the West Bank.
Along with that, I don't consider Daniel Pipes at all a reasonable source. The man claimed that Obama was a Muslim
07/28/09
07/28/09
I'm blushing a little...
07/21/09
Also I want to be bff with the kid in the pink helmet.
07/21/09
Please explain this "abomination".
07/21/09
Heat turned on Israel over east Jerusalem settlements
(linking not working for some reason)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hDGi58CTKf_tT6PLc8L4cC_J...
Despite the criticism, Israel insisted that its "right" to all of Jerusalem was not up for discussion.
That's what I call bargaining in good faith.
07/21/09
07/21/09
If your argument is that those nations are hypocritical colonizer states as well, then hey, I'd have no problem getting a drink with ya.
Lets just not have any illusions here, or wonder why world public opinion (not all frothing Jew-haters) finds Israel's conduct intolerable.
07/21/09
Jerusalem is one city, maintained and within Israel borders. It is not in the West Bank. There are some people that have decided that, for some reason, it belongs to Palestinians, simply due to its proximity to the West Bank. I find that strange. I also find it questionable that Israel isn't allowed to make new apartments to house its residents. Is no one allowed to have children now? Is the population supposed to kill off every new member of the city?
I find it questionable that the whole world is watching Israel's evil "occupation", but no one calls out other countries for the same actions. And those other countries are the ones doing the accusations! Even Jordan has revoked thousands of Palestinian passports, and stripped those living there of their rights. But they're not on the chopping block.
I also found this very helpful:
http://www.globallawforum.org/ViewPublication.aspx?ArticleId=101
07/21/09
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1072813.html
Continuing to demolish Palestinian homes in East Jersusalem in violation of Israel's commitment to 'the roadmap' is not helpful. I just can't believe that you really agree with your own logic, that Israel has a moral license to do this because there are other border disputes and oppressive conditions in the world. Bringing up Corsica, as strained an analogy as it is, shows how tenuous you think the ground Israel walks on really is. Corsica, Puerto Rico... Gaza?
Like many neighborhoods in Jerusalem, the homes reflect a mixture of architectural styles from the Ottoman era to the present, although the Israeli government contends that these homes have been built "illegally" because they have not been granted permission to be built in the first place, a permission that is next to impossible for Palestinians regardless of whether they have an Israeli residency ID or citizenship. Such is the logic of colonialism and ethnic cleansing in Palestine over the last 61 years. And accordingly, a number of Israeli colonists have been confiscating and taking over homes and buildings to pave the way for the wholesale seizure of Palestinian neighborhoods.
07/21/09
07/21/09
07/17/09
07/17/09
07/18/09
I don't know about this specific protest, but here's the deal with Bil'in in general:
There have been protests there every week (they are on Fridays now, I'm not sure if they have always been) against the separation barrier, which is very close to the village. It's usually a mixture of villagers, international activists, and Israelis. My understanding is that they often get kind of scary (anti-wall demonstrations are generally pretty nasty affairs). My impression is also that Israeli soldiers will often use force when things are perfectly calm, and instigate things going from peaceful to not. Keep in mind, the protestors are equipped with rocks, if they choose to be violent, and are surrounded by armed soldiers who routinely use rubber bullets and tear gas, and have on occasion actually shot protestors.
Just to put this in perspective, this is what I know as someone involved with the Israeli peace movement. I've often considered going to these protests, but decided against it because I'm genuinely afraid of the brutality of my own country's army (I would also really like to avoid getting detained by them while I am trying to get the to give me an exemption from service). There will probably be people freaking out and saying all of this is wrong, that the Palestinian protestors and their allies are barbaric savage people who love killing Israelis and try to do so every week in Bil'in, but what I see around me is that Israeli soldiers are regularly ordered to be cruel and violent, and have no investment in keeping these protests peaceful at all.
07/18/09
I forgot to include this detail (I think its pretty interesting)- the protests have been happening weekly since 2005.
07/18/09
I forgot to include this detail (I think its pretty interesting)- the protests have been happening weekly since 2005.
07/18/09
ack! it submitted 3 times! damn my dysfunctional internet.
07/18/09
07/16/09
Thanks for the photo of a destroyed apartment building...your photo has to be commended because we have seen no such photos in the MSM.
07/15/09
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1246443821039&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
07/15/09
07/15/09
07/15/09
07/15/09
07/16/09
07/15/09
Oh, what am I thinking? Palestine isn't a country!
07/15/09
07/15/09
Children weren't just "throwing rocks at tanks". Hamas and Hezbollah were throwing missiles and bombs at cities.
07/15/09
however, their qassam rockets, which are homemade, and "missiles", which are soviet era, hardly seem a fair match against F16s, white phosphorous, tanks, and the largest per capita military force in the world though, does it?
07/15/09
we can certainly agree that it's offensive to believe that israel has no right to exist, but isn't also offensive to create a situation in which palestinians cannot exist, and refuse to recognize their right to their own state in turn?
07/15/09
Also, Palestinians were offered their own country many times over the last 60 years and turned it down just as many times (since you're bringing up Golda Meir I'm assuming it's ok to reference past palestinian political stances as well).
The palestinians have done a lot to create their own poor living situation. Isreal has has an influence but the situation cannot be blamed 100% on Israel. Using children and innocent civilians as shields puts those people directly in harms way. Using schools and apartment buildings to build rockets and hold militant meetings puts all of those people at risk. Please stop blaming Israel for all of the Palestinian problems. They may be to blame for some of them, but not all!
07/15/09
07/16/09
07/15/09
07/15/09
07/15/09
"We didn't see a single house that was not hit. The entire infrastructure, tracks, fields, roads -- was in total ruin," a soldier says. "Nothing much was left in our designated area … A totally destroyed city."
From American Prospect an article by Israeli author and settlement expert Gershom Gorenberg (not sure how to embed links in the new system, but I'll try this:
Two organizations in which former Israeli soldiers are working to make things right are Combatants for Peace, an Israeli-Palestinian organization of former combatants who work today toward co-existence, and Shovrim Shtika (Breaking the Silence), former soldiers who document the damage the Israeli military has done.
As an Israeli, I'll say it again: How Israel thinks that this level of destruction and collective punishment can in any way serve peace and/or security is beyond me.
07/15/09
07/15/09
By the way, the Gershom Gorenberg that I mention here has his own, fabulous blog (with Haim Watzman) called South Jerusalem. Very worth the visit.
07/15/09
07/16/09
And now, here's MY favorite blog:
http://backspin.typepad.com/backspin/2009/07/unanswered-questions.html
07/16/09
I'm guessing they chose to be anonymous because of the really nasty consequences of speaking out against the Israeli military. I don't blame them. As it stands, organization like Shovrim Shtika are quite subversive, and often targeted by the government. The ideal is that sources would always be credited, but in this situation its not always possible, mostly due to the actions of the Israeli government itself. When the day comes that it is possible to speak out in Israel against the military without worrying that your organization will get shut down, that you as an individual will not be ostracized from your community, then I will expect all sources to be credited. But we're never going to get to that point if people refuse to listen to these stories, and begin to accept what is being done by the Israeli government/military.
07/15/09