Why, In An American Museum, Is It Easier To Acknowledge The Suffering Caused by America in Iraq, Than the Suffering Caused By Israel in Gaza?

The headline says it all?

The fact that it is considered wrong or dangerous to publicly acknowledge the pain and suffering of Palestineans is very sad and very disturbing.

Read the story of how an Oakland museum banned children's art from Gaza in this story from the San Fransisco Chronicle.

There will be no solution, and certainly no reconcilliation, until each side can acknowledge the pain of the other. And Americans can't hope to be honest brokers until they acknowledge the fears and suffering of both sides.

Beyond that, to refuse to see - or to be shown - suffering, is simply to be less human.

You can see more of the children's pictures that were banned at the facebook page of the Middle East Children's Association.

Only In Israel

Close to half a million march for social justice.

The sign on the Golden Calf reads "Privatization."

It may or may not come to anything, but you gotta love the imagery.

A Treasure Trove Of History

I just stumbled across a treasure trove of historical photos of the Middle East, mostly of historic Palestine.

The one above - dated 1900 to 1920 - shows Jews praying at the wailing wall. Note the apparent lack of gender separation, with the man and woman next to each other in the foreground!

The collection, at the Library of Congress was taken by members of the "American Colony" between 1898 and 1946. It contains over 22,000 images. Hours (maybe years!) of fun, if you are into old photos of Israel/Palestine.