What's all the fuss? Life is good.

This video is an ad for Cellcom, Israel's largest cell phone company.

Frankly, it leaves me speechless.

Well, not quite, as I am about to show. But it did evoke a "What where they thinking?" moment.

For those of you who don't speak Hebrew, here is a very rough translation:

(Object hits jeep. Shouting:) - "Watch out! Watch Out! Watch Out!"

(Voice 1:) "Oh its just a ... Return the ball to them."

(Voice 2:)"Common guys, lets go"

(Ball hits jeep again. Soldier 1 says:) - "Ya-allah! Guys!! Party!!!"

(Music starts. Soldier 2 dials on cell phone.) "Unit 3. Spread the word. There's a game."

(Song starts lyrics end with chorus) - "Oh its wonderful funderful (yoffi toffi) together"

(Voice Over) - "What do we all want after all: That there be a bit of fun (keif). New! Cellcomedia, an entire world of games, music, video, and internet. Enter: it will be wild! Cellcom.

So what where they thinking? That young people are the target market? Sure? That most Israeli youngsters are, or have been, in the army? Sure? That soccer, fun and pretty girls sell products? Sure?

But the really insidious thing is how normal the security wall has become. And how the assumption is that the Palestinians on the other side are having a fun soccer game too - and presumably dialing their friends on their cell phones. The wall has made life better for everyone! We are all happy now.

This is worse than "out of site out of mind." It indicates a complete blindness to the reality of the harsh life on the other side of the wall - partly caused by the wall itself.

No wonder Israelis have so little understanding of why Palestinians might violently attack them; of why Palestinian militants might be more than just hateful bloodthirsty anti-Semitic caricatures. Why, after all would anyone reasonably want to attack fun loving Israelis who not only return the ball, but play soccer with happy Palestinian kids. And the wall? Rather than separate, it has brought us all together for a wild fun party.

Twenty years ago, Ehud Barak could say, that if he had been born a Palestinian he would have probably joined a militant organization and attacked Israel. Israelis growing up today will have no such understanding, nor even Barak's minimal level of sympathy.

But what the heck. Israel does make a better cell phone!!

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After writing the above, I came across a discussion of the same ad on the blog, "Promised Land". Its worth a read to see how a thoughtful Israeli "peacenik" sees the significance of this ad.

The Religious Right

Last month, Moment Magazine published a shocking opinion. (Well, perhaps only shocking for those who do not follow Israel/Palestine issues closely.) It asked ten Rabbis: "How Should Jews Treat Their Arab Neighbors." (The question itself belies a semi-racist attitude in my opinion, as it assumes that all Jews are living in Israel and it lumps together Egyptians, Lebanese, Syrians, Jordanians, Saudis, etc with the Palestinians in Israel proper and the West Bank and Gaza. What they wanted to ask was "How Should Israeli Jews Treat the Palestinians ." or more specifically "How Should Israeli Jews Treat Palestinians in the Occupied Territories")

The "shocking" opinion was from the representative of Chabad:

I don’t believe in western morality, i.e. don’t kill civilians or children, don’t destroy holy sites, don’t fight during holiday seasons, don’t bomb cemeteries, don’t shoot until they shoot first because it is immoral.

The only way to fight a moral war is the Jewish way: Destroy their holy sites. Kill men, women and children (and cattle).

The first Israeli prime minister who declares that he will follow the Old Testament will finally bring peace to the Middle East. First, the Arabs will stop using children as shields. Second, they will stop taking hostages knowing that we will not be intimidated. Third, with their holy sites destroyed, they will stop believing that G-d is on their side. Result: no civilian casualties, no children in the line of fire, no false sense of righteousness, in fact, no war.

Zero tolerance for stone throwing, for rockets, for kidnapping will mean that the state has achieved sovereignty. Living by Torah values will make us a light unto the nations who suffer defeat because of a disastrous morality of human invention.
Rabbi Manis Friedman
Bais Chana Institute of Jewish Studies
St. Paul, MN

We should all thank Moment for shining light on what is common currency in many Jewish schools, yeshivot and synagogues both in Israel and the Diaspora.

This month, Moment has published an intelligent response from Gershom Gorenberg, author of The Accidental Empire: Israel and the Birth of the Settlements, and himself an Orthodox Jew. It reads, in part:

Friedman’s comments fit a context. Chabad has taken a conspicuous role on the religious right in Israel, and Chabad rabbis Shalom Dov Wolpo and Yitzhak Ginsburg are among the right’s most extreme spokesmen. Last year Wolpo suggested that then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert should be hung for his peace contacts with the Palestinians. Ginsburg wrote an infamous defense of Baruch Goldstein, who massacred 29 Muslims at the Tomb of the Patriarchs on Purim, 1994. That said, the dynamics of fundamentalism, including denigrating the value of Arabs’ lives, extends far beyond Chabad on the religious right in Israel and among its supporters elsewhere in the Jewish world.

Fundamentalism, ... is a modern creation. Historically, debate over the truth is basic to Judaism. Religious texts are ambiguous and contradictory; they evade a single authoritative reading. Rabbinic tradition rejects reading the Biblical text without the chorus of arguing interpreters who came afterward. Interpretations necessarily stress one part of the text and read others in its light.

If there is a common denominator in rabbinic ethics, it’s that God created human beings in the divine image, from one set of parents, and that all human life is therefore sacred. The strongest single statement that the Torah makes about the attitude one should take toward one’s enemy is what Jacob says of his brother and foe (for all enemies are also brothers or sisters): “To see your face is like seeing the face of God.”

... Friedman reminded us that before rushing to condemn the fundamentalist distortions of other religions, we should see that our own is not immune. Unintentionally, he reminds us that we must defend the soul of Judaism.

"Defend the soul of Judaism." Yes indeed! Unfortunately, I see the rot as more extensive than just Jewish nationalist fundamentalists. While they directly represent no more than 10% of the Jewish people, (and even in Israel no more than 15%) their indirect influence has spread much wider, both in the religious and secular Jewish communities. Instead of kowtowing to their faux authenticity ( Rabbi Freidman - see his smiling face above - is one of Chabad's most successful and respected "outreach" workers,) the rest of the Jewish community should be confronting racist, xenophobic, and anti-humanistic tendencies at every opportunity.

Has Michelle Seen This Yet

Barak's gonna have some 'splaining to do.

Niki? Na, he's French, there used to this sort of thing.

And the young lady in the wine coloured dress? She is a delegate to the junior G8 from Brazil - Mayara Tavares, age 16. She has become an instant celebrity in her native country, already interviewed on several T.V. shows.

Israel Lobby Is Nothing If Not Thorough

Newsweek has published a link to a handbook put out by "The Israel Project", part of that amalgam of pro Israel-No-Matter-What groups loosly labelled "The Israel Lobby".

It is a masterpiece!

Its title is "Global Language Dictionary" and its goal is to teach the reader how to frame the discussion around Israel/Palestine so that the reader - presumably an ardent supporter and lobbier on behalf of Israel - is guaranteed to win all arguments.

For example, from page 19 (of 116!):

For the first time in our communication effort, we have provided an A-Z glossary of specific words, phrases, and concepts that should form the core of any
pro-Israeli communication effort.

• “Accountability.” It is surprising that the value Americans want most in their own government has not been used by Israeli spokespeople to describe what’s needed in the current dialogue. Stop using “confidence building measures” and start using “accountability” to describe what’s needed most within the Palestinian government(s).

• “Building”: Never talk about “giving” the Palestinians something. It sounds too paternalistic. Instead, talk about “building” because it suggests a step-by-step, layer-bylayer improvement in conditions. Giving reminds people that you’re in the stronger position and that creates more sympathy for the plight of the Palestinians.

• “Children”: As often as possible, make the stakes of achieving peace about providing a future for both Palestinian and Israeli children in which they can live, learn, and grow up without the constant fear of attack.

• “Come to Jerusalem to work for peace”: The visual symbolism isn’t lost on American ears. It’s an active challenge to turn words into deeds.

• “Cooperation, collaboration, and compromise”: This is how Americans believe the conflict must be solved. When you give a little, you get a lot.

And its chock full of good tips on how to make effective arguments, with lots of examples, like this, from page 22:

Over 78% of Americans support a two-state solution.

So when you’re talking to Americans, you need to know that when you don’t support a two-state solution you risk having a major public relations challenge in America and Europe. The new Israeli government knows this but feel so strongly about security concerns that they arewilling to take this risk for the long-term security of their people. ...

Thus, at least for now, the new Israeli leaders have not articulated support for a two-state solution .... That said, it is important to note that there are effective ways to uphold the ultimate goal of a Palestinian self-government while legitimately questioning how soon the solution can be reached. This is the rhetorical area [SN emphasis added, see my note below] in which you need to operate.

(1) Identify the goal, and be authentic. Given the overwhelming American support for a two-state solution, it will make support much easier and faster if you if set the tone for all discussions by articulating Israel’s shared vision for the ultimate goal of two peoples, living side by side in a lasting and secure peace. In the name of gaining credibility for why you might later say that a two-state solution isn’t achievable overnight, you should start with language like the following to signal how your goals align with the public’s.

WORDS THAT WORK

Two homelands for two peoples living side-by-side in peace and security is not a fake slogan, but a real necessity for the stability in the entire region. Each homeland should provide a solution to the national aspiration of its people – Israel, as a homeland for the Jewish people, and the creation of a Palestinian homeland, as a fulfillment of their national desire.

Saying “is not a fake slogan, but a real necessity” sets the tone for the entire paragraph. It conveys authenticity and will keep the listener tuned in to what else you have to say. ... particularly now that a “two-state solution” has been bandied about for years, people want to hear that you support Palestinian rights.

(2) Peace first. Political boundaries second. One solution that would clearly be welcomed by the majority of Americans is, after articulating the long-term goal of a two-state solution, giving examples of why a two-state solution can’t happen overnight.

While these [points below] are essentially “anti” two-state arguments, you can and must still frame them positively [SN emphasis added, see my note below] if you want support of the majority of Americans. ...

Is this just good salesmanship or is it sleazy and insidious?

I believe it is both!

And it is not just good salesmanship, it is excellent salesmanship! Everyone interested in presenting winning arguments re Israel/Palestine, no matter if on the right or the left, should read this manual. (If on the left, to know what you are up against.) In fact, anyone interested in presenting winning arguments in any forum on any topic should read at least Chapter 1: 25 Rules For Effective Communications.

Is it sleazy and insidious? It is, if the writers of the manual believe that what they are telling their readers to say is untrue or misleading. (If they believe it the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, then they are merely wrong - not sleazy.) While they don't come out and say that what they advise is lying, they occasionally let it slip that they are deliberately misleading, or stretching or shaving the truth. Certainly winning the argument is more important to them than honesty and full disclosure. The highlighted - in bold - sections above are only two examples of this disingenuousness that is scattered throughout the document.

This is fascinating read, whether you are an Israel/Palestine junkie, interested in learning how really good PR organizations work, or interested in honing your own sales and argumentation skills.

You can read the full document at the Newsweek site.

Israeli Minister Openly Advocates for Apartheid

Israel, inside the green-line anyway, is not be an aparthied state, though there is a lot of descrimination against non-Jews. And most (though not all) of this is de-facto descrimination not mandated by law, just manipulated to be that way by biased / racist officials and citizens.

But that would change if Israel's Minister of Housing had his way. Haaretz quotes Minister Ariel Atias of the Shas party as saying - in a speech to the Israel Bar Association no less - that:

"If we go on like we have until now, we will lose the Galilee. Populations that should not mix are spreading there. I don't think that it is appropriate [for them] to live together. Look at what happened in Acre,"

Atias was apparently referring to violent protests that broke out on the Eve of Yom Kippur last year over Jewish-Arab tensions in the mixed town. He continued:

"The mayor of Acre visited me yesterday for three hours and asked me how his town could be saved. He told me 'bring a bunch of Haredis and we'll save the city, even if I lose my political standing. He told me that Arabs are living in Jewish buildings [sic!] and running them out."

The article goes on to say:

Atias argued that lands should be marketed to each sector separately, in
order to create segregation, not just between Jews and Arabs but also
between other sectors, such as ultra-Orthodox and secular Jews.

And though the government will never be so stupid as to make Atias' suggestion into a law, (thats what the JNF is for) I have no doubt that, for the immediate future at least, the defacto policy of the Israel Lands Authority will be implemented as he Minister Atias has oulined - since his people now control the ILA.

This should give the Israel Apartheid Week folks tons of new ammunition.

Read the full story here.

* * *

By the way, while looking for pictures of Minister Ariel Atias to go with this article (that's him at the top - nice hat!) I came across MANY pictures of Israeli actress Moran Atias (at the right). I wonder if they are related ?

The Biggest Threat Facing The Jewish People

Whats the bigest threat facing the Jewish People?

No its not terrorism, or Arabs armies, or "the demographic time bomb", or assimilation, or the sorry state of Israeli and Jewish political ethics. Its not even the threat of an Iranian Bomb.

It's Climate Change! - aka Global Warming.

Jews are first and foremost human beings, and climate change is likely to destroy (or at least radically change) all human civilization as we know it. It might take 100 years, but for a People who likes to thinks in millenia, that is not a long time. And climate change will directly affect all Jews in both Israel and in the Diaspora.

Two stories I read today highlight this point. The first, in the Globe and Mail, points out how this year's severe drought on the Canadian prairies may be the new normal. In many counties 100% of the crops are being written off. Farmers are getting by on crop insurance. But can crop insurance hold up if droughts become regular? The second story is from the JTA. It reports that Israel will soon be introducing a drought tax. The punitive tax on water consumption kicks in at about 83% of current per capita average usage. The average Israeli will have to cut his or her water consumption by 1/6th or pay up.

Israel/Palestine, of course, is already in a severe water deficit. Israel gets by, in part, by taking more than its fair share of water from combined Israel/Palestine aquifers. But things are only going to get worse - whether Israel shares the water or not. According to NASA simulations, Israel (and the Mid East in general) only really began to be effected by global warming in the mid 1990s, whereas the Canadian prairies have been slowly feeling the effects since the 1950's at least.

Neither Canada nor Israel are doing much to prevent climate change nor prepare for it (though Israels drought tax indicates it is doing more than Canada!) Both peoples are hiding their heads in the sand. In Canada's case it is because of greed - we benefit in the short term from our oil and gas industries, and no one wants to impact their life style to drive less, or pay more to insulate their homes, or do much else that would cost them in money or comfort. In Israel's case, it is likley because they are distracted by "more important" matters, and Israeli society is noteriously short sited - typically focused on a planning horizon of months, not years - let alone decades.

I will try to write more about climate change in upcoming blog entries. It is easy (for me at least) to get focussed on the outrages of the Israel Palestine conflict and forget that the whole world - Jews and Palestineans included - is headed over a cliff and no one seems to be doing anthing serious about it.

My Hero

Well not quite!

But still, one must give credit where credit is due. Under the Netanyahu government the Israel army has significantly removed checkpoints within the West Bank, and eased various other travel restrictions. Israelis are now allowed to travel to Palestinian cities and towns on Saturdays.

Some will say this is like loosening the shackles on the prisoners - but the prisoners are still in jail. True. But just like in a prison there is no justification for excessive harshness.

This is a positive move, that has already had a salutary effect on the Palestinian economy. It is little reported in the Western press or the anti-Israel blogosphere. Since I doubt there will be peace and an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories soon, any move that makes life more livable in the mean time needs to be applauded.

Ezra Nawi's Sentencing Postponed

Ezra Nawi's (see my previous two blog entries) sentencing has been postponed until August 16th.

The following account was posted on MuzzelWatch.

Aug 16! this gives us more time to write more letters.

Ezra’s lawyer, the great human rights lawyer Leah Tzemel, told the judge how many letters had been sent (nearly 14,000!) and the judge reacted by saying, “wow! that many!.” Leah thinks it really helps Ezra for the court to know that so many people are following the case. We need to triple that number by august 16th!

ezra says that he is overwhelmed and humbled by all the letters sent in his support.

as an aside, the case that was heard before ezra’s is a settler who is suing his rabbi for slapping him across the face. a friend of Ezra’s from the group New Profile, said to the rabbi, “usually you slap Palestinians around, so of course now you start to slap each other.” the son of the rabbi, a soldier in uniform, said, “no, we shoot Palestinians.”

My comments:

1) You can write letters by going here. There is also a part of that site that lets you ask your friends to send letters on Ezra's behalf.

2) In the article published in The Nation (see previous blog entry) it says 140,000 letters where sent. Above it says 14,000. What a difference a zero makes! I have no idea which number is correct, though the smaller number sounds more realistic. On the other hand, in the age of the internet who knows what is realistic for this sort of thing

3) Remarkably the judge commented, and seemed openly impressed by the number of letters of support Ezra received. Are judges supposed to take this sort of thing into consideration? (That they secretly do, I have no doubt. But are they supposed to admit it. Isn't Justice supposed to be above the whims of "the mob"?) Frankly I thought the letters, if they where to have any effect, where more likely to influence the prosecution - which is under political control - to ask for a lighter sentence, to avoid embarrassing the government.

4) The comment from "Ezra's friend from the group New Profile" [an Israeli pacific group] was rude! The answer from the soldier is shocking!! The fact that he is a rabbis son is tragic.