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Final Post

I enjoyed this blogging assignment because it forced us to stay on top of Israeli politics and news specifically during a time when the election was taking place. As a global studies student, I am constantly trying to keep up with what is occurring in the world but it can get overwhelming. This assignment allowed us to check in weekly with Israel and Palestine and compare news from a variety of sources. It also facilitated discussions on different elements of this conflict. Overall, I think it was definitely beneficial for our learning and I would definitely recommend it for future classes. 

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I think its really interesting to see the US taking the role of mediator in this specific conflict. When one thinks of a mediator, the notion is of one that is unbiased and willing to work with both sides for the best interests of them both. The United States however, does not fulfill this role in a traditional sense. I personally do not understand how Palestine will ever be able work with the United States without being wary of the fact that the US is strong allies with the opposition. I think it adds an extra layer to these peace talks that complicates the situation even further. 

The Palestinian government is mobilizing to shoot down “The Deal of the Century” before it even takes off. I can definitely see where they are coming from. The peace deal isn’t even out yet and it already asks so much of Palestine, but rather little of Israel. No two-state solution, annexing areas of the West Bank, deducting from tax and tariff revenues that Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinians. Also, a really fascianting aspect of this conflict to me is that Israel and Palestine can’t seem to duke it out themselves. Israel has the US as support and Palestine is, according to this article, in search of worldwide support. It makes me wonder who they are looking to specifically since not many countries are keen on opposing the US.

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Yeah I think it’s really interesting to compare the way Israel is set up as a democracy but uses really undemocratic methods of restraining Palestinians during this conflict. Typically this kind of action is not associated with democracies (unless it’s done in secret). I do find it interesting that Palestinians are willing to openly celebrate this prisoners day because I know that a lot of Israel’s anger lies in the fact that they feel Palestinian celebrate their terrorists. It is interesting to note that Israel could be trying to suppress Palestinians’ celebration of their prisoners as a way to cover up the fact that they continue to illegally in prison and detain innocent Palestinians.

Today is mourned as Prisoners’ Day which honors those Palestinians who find themselves held, legally and illegally, in Israeli prisons.  Thousands of Palestinian men women and children find themselves held in Israeli prisons, but they are not forgotten.  These people are held as political prisoners and have no set date for release.  This is an incredibly daunting struggle for these Palestinians who are held by Israeli forces and the international community, except the U.S., find this imprisonment strategy inhumane.  The prisoners have it very hard but their families also struggle.  Many of the imprisoned Palestinians were the main source of income for these families, which puts a financial strain on these families now that their bread winners are in prison.  I find this strategy hard to justify in a humanitarian way.  It is one thing to imprison suspected terrorists, but to imprison so many with such weak claims shows that the Israeli government is willing to do anything to protect and expand its borders.

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I agree with you that our first day of simulations today displayed many of the themes discussed in this article. Israel has all the power; they have no reason to need to negotiate with Fatah/Hamas/Palestinians, especially in real life. Netanyahu has made claims such as that Israel will annex the West Bank because he can and no one will stop him. The United States will support him, and this bias is the reason they cannot be a third party negotiator. As the article states, they also do not understand Palestinian politics. Palestinians are completely divided within themselves and this is one of the most significant reasons that has kept Israel and Palestine from resolving this conflict. 

A pretty nihilistic piece in Vox - although I can understand the arguments being made here. The major thing is that the US has blind spots in these negotiations that make it an ineffective third-party negotiator. That’s what I’ve argued a lot in these blog posts. Something I think this article points out about the US’s influence is the fact that it treats Palestinian politics like a uniform bloc and ignores the political pressures and bargains that leaders inside Palestine have to make in order to come to the negotiating table. I also think this article makes a good point about the fact that Israel and Palestine are really not on equal territory. I think our discussion in class today made that clear. Israel has a lot of power and leverage over Palestine that Palestine simply doesn’t have. And the US’s inability to effectively moderate that power discrepancy leads to in Israeli ‘victory’ more than a real agreement.

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I think this article was really eye-opening in regards to just how little Netanyahu cares for the lives or people of Gaza. This is exemplified in his incredibly dehumanizing comments such as, “[Israel]...has killed over 300 Palestinian terrorists at the border over the last year, while preventing them from “trying to kidnap and kill our soldiers.” This kind of rhetoric exemplifies that fear-mongering and dehumanizing rhetoric that has allowed the abuses and murders of peoples throughout history. As a leader, Netanyahu has basically insinuated here that the Palestinian people 1) have the power to kidnap IDF forces (plural) and 2) are all considered terrorists if they are protesting at the border. I have only seen one article about Palestinians apparently trying to kidnap IDF soldiers and this was reported by the IDF chief of staff. Its probable that this kind of rhetoric is used to cover up the abuses and murders happening at the border, identified in the recent UN report on Israel and IDF. 

Long story short, I really attached onto this one quote from Netanyahu from this article because it displayed to me just how cold and terrifying a leader can be when they don't view the “others” as human. Words like this matter. We have to pay attention now more than other to the actions of Israel and its abuses against Palestinians. 

Quite the read here. Netanyahu’s statement here clearly is more of a “sweet-nothing” in my opinion to gain traction for those who have long advocated for the annexation of Gaza but there is still some possible teeth here as he has put it in this article to be a last resort, which reads to me as a power move saying “Palestine, get it together or we’ll take it and fix it ourselves”, which might not be entirely accurate but how I first perceived it. 

It is confusing however to me his statements about how no body wants Gaza, I would think that that would be ideal land that Gaza would wish to take control over again, and that they just don’t know how to deal with the Hamas problem. I am still fuzzy on the complexity of which regions and the borderlines of wanted lands on both sides but there is options that it seems Israel is disregarding.

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This is a really helpful summary to understand before today’s elections. I find it interesting that the threshold is 3.25% for parties to cross before they actually are a valid option for people to vote for. I think this creates an interesting dilemma for the big parties to have to barter with these smaller parties and figure out who will actually be crossing that threshold. I am also really impressed with Israel’s voter turn out and I wish the United States could be up at a percentage so high. 

I am interested to see how the election plans out today. I saw that Gantz helped a man in a motorcycle accident in a street in Israel. I wonder if that was a publicity stunt or not. If Netanyahu gets reelected, he will be the longest sitting Prime Minister ever in Israel and will the first to be first to be indicted on corruption charges. Netanyahu has said some really scary things about Palestinians and is known for his toughness. I am curious to see how this conflict changes and continues if he is reelected and continues to work with President Trump. 

If you ever feel a little lost in the world of politics, like me, then this is the article for you! Sometimes elections in Israel can be hard to follow along if it’s something you are new to. There are always new parties being created along with controversial rumors; however, the main contenders for this year’s election include Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu and Benjamin “Benny” Gantz. The article gives a breakdown on each candidate and what you should know about them. Something I found interesting is that Netanyahu used to be a fan of Gantz. He once praised him as an “excellent officer” but as soon as Gantz became competition, he was labeled as a “weak leftist.” I am curious to see how this election goes since votes are balloted in a few days. Gantz seems like a better fit since he has spoken about wanting to fix the controversial issues for the Jewish nation, but we are always hearing politicians making promises that they never end up following through with.  

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Like our professor has stated many times, there’s a large difference and gap between the common people and government officials. Its easy for the Palestinian prime minister to state that they will not trade food for politics. But if you ask a common Palestinian, I am sure their starvation and incredible need for food is significant enough that they would be willing to cooperate and compromise with Israel/US in certain facets. These are life and death situations. However, its not fair that they are put in a position where they must choose between access to food and staying firm on their political positions and goals. This sort of deprivation of access to resources is terrifying, especially when it is willfully happening at the hands of two democratic countries. 

Palestinian civil servants will only get half pay for the second month in a row. Many will only receive $500. According to this article and video, it is due to reduced international aid, a cut in millions of dollars in funding from the United States, and Israel’s decision to withhold taxes that typically go to the Palestinian Authority. According to Palestine’s Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, the Trump administration is cutting funding to pressure the Palestinian Authority into accepting a deal. He says that they won’t trade food for politics. Palestinians and the PA are doing what they can to cut costs although everyone is worried. Some residents are beginning to look for work abroad to support their families.

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This is good news for the people of Gaza. When we did our most recent simulation, I was on the Palestine Resources team. I did a lot of research about the fishing resources for the people in Gaza because I too did not comprehend how important it is. When Israel restricts the fishing zones, it has detrimental impacts on not only Palestinians’ access to food but also the already struggling economy. There is also so much conflict between fisherman and Israeli armed forces on the water such as continued abuse, harm, and deaths. I am hopeful that this slight increase in fishing zones may ease a little of the horrible struggle that the Gaza people face every day. Like you, I am not sure how long this will last. In a perfect world, Gaza would have much larger fishing areas, atlas what the Accords agreed to. I just am not sure when we will ever get there. 

Before reading this article, I did not know how important fishing is the the people of Gaza. It is one of the few industries available to them to make money. According to the article, Israel is now allowing them to fish 28 km from the coast instead of just 11km, but this most likely will only last for a few months before it is reduced again. Reducing the fishing area has a huge impact on the people of Gaza and it seems like a way for Israel to control what is going on. I think constantly reducing the area they can partake in fishing, their main way to make money, will continue to create hostility and negative images of the Israelis. The article also explains that under the Oslo Accords, Gaza is supposed to have access to 37 km off the coast, but this has obviously never happened. 

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This was a really interesting article to read after receiving clarification on Israel’s governmental structure in our class discussion today. I’ll admit that the parliamentary government was confusing to me before class today. But now that it’s clear, its easier to understand the competition between Gantz and the blue and white party and Netanyahu. 

While Netanyahu may be indicted soon, Gantz is also in hot water about a company he used to have that may have done some bad things including exaggerating its experience and clientele to win a contract. Its interesting to see all of this coming to light before the election. These combined with the rocket attacks and Trump’s acknowledgment of Golan Heights has made for an interesting turn of events. However, as we saw in class today, the polls and expected outcomes of this election remain the same. I wonder what it would take for the voters to change their votes or opinions. I am curious to see what will happen with the seat allotment and Netanyahu’s indictment. 

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I think its incredibly reckless for Israel to be shooting rockets into areas with so many citizens in an attempt to hopefully hit a couple of buildings that terrorists might be in. This is a potentially deadly illustration of Israel’s lack of regard for human life and for the civilians of Gaza. However, this is on point with most other actions that the Israel military has done. I do believe its important to get rid of Hamas but I don't believe this is the way to do it. We know that terrorist groups can be taken out through on the ground military action and information exchange. Rockets, bombs, or anything else that causes mass damage, harm, or casualties is not the way to handle this situation. This is coming from a person who’s number one concern is the protection of human rights and human life. Even though the medical points have been set up, we cannot pretend that Gaza has the same access to medical care and resources that Israel has. And we can't pretend that that’s enough to help the civilians post-rocket attacks. 

The Israeli military has begun striking rockets towards Gaza in efforts to eliminate Hamas. Many reporters have found that the strikes have been targeted towards several empty buildings that are associated with the terrorist group, one of them being “right in the middle of (a) densely populated Gaza city.” Civilians have been warned to prepare for what will come next followed by hospitals and medical points ready and alert. All of this occurred hours after seven Israeli’s were injured when a rocket struck a home in Tel Aviv. It has been announced that the rocket was launched by Hamas so, a series of rockets begin launching.  

It’s difficult for me to come to a solid opinion on this matter. It seems like it’s going to become a “back and forth” ordeal with rockets being launched at one another creating more harm than good. I understand that Israel wants to diminish Hamas after the attack however hurting the innocent citizens in Gaza should not be part of the process. I would like to hear everyone else’s opinion. Could things have been handled better or was this the only solution?  

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This article is extremely relevant to the discussions we had both Tuesday and today. It details the daily experience of people that have to go through Israel’s most infamous checkpoint to get from the West Bank to work in East Jerusalem. Israel completely controls these checkpoints, and this one in particular is said to have the worst conditions of all of them. People begin lining up around 3 AM just to make it to work on time for the day. They are often severely injured, such as broken legs or ribs from the pushing of the crowds, and one refugee was even killed. According to the article, conditions have been deteriorating even more than normal in the past two months. 

The timing of this article is spot on with our simulation and discussion today. On  Tuesday, we discussed the possibility of having both Israel and Palestinian work at these security checkpoints in order to reduce tension and create a fairer and safer experience for Palestinians. Interestingly enough, a source at the Palestinian District Coordination Office stated that even if Israel were to ask for Pals. help at these checkpoints, they would refuse. The Palestinians do not want to be the target of the anger and tension from the West Bank workers. I am curious whether that statement however, is reflective of what all Palestinian citizens actually think or just the authorities. This is also a really negative interaction that Israeli and Palestinians are forced into every day. How can either side be expected to respect each other or humanize each other when such tension fueled experiences occur every day without regard from Israel’s government?

In all reality, the structure of these checkpoints is not fair nor is it safe or effective. Israel needs to actually implement the changes they have been saying they are going to implement. Or people will continue to be treated like animals and they will continue to get injured or die. 

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 I think this is definitely a scary thing for Netanyahu to say. As we have discussed in class, since Israel’s creation, its supposed to have existed as a pluralistic state. Even Israel’s founding documents indicate this. So for Netanyahu to completely erase this reality is confusing to me. I also think that this kind of rhetoric will do nothing but aggravate the Arabs even further. I agree with you that while the Arab citizens have the same rights on paper, they do not in reality. I am saddened that all of these Arab citizens have had their realities and identities erased by this comment from Netanyahu. As we discovered in our class negotiation rounds, this conflict is already complicated and heated enough without the inflammatory comments of Israel’s leader. Its possible he could have said something this outright in order to rally his supporters before this election. I am curious to see how this election plays out. 

This is definitely a shorter article but the theme of Netanyahu’s discrimination and racism continues here. Netanyahu has made several statements about his belief that Israel “is the national state, not of all its citizens, but only of the Jewish people.” He continually disregards the fact that Israel is made up of about 20% of Arabs and comments like these belittle and put in danger the rights of said Arab citizens. As we have discussed in class in regards to the topic of citizenship, Arab citizens, on paper, have all of the same rights as their Israeli counterparts. However, well renown politicians like Netanyahu who perpetuate this type of language that suggests that Jews are greater, which in turn implies that Arabs are “less than”, then there will be a continued cycle of bad treatment towards Arab citizens and instill into the Jewish citizens a lower acceptable standard of treatment towards their Arab neighbors.

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I agree with you that it is important for the international community to be aware of exactly which companies are located in this illegal Israel settlements. However, I do believe that there is a degree of responsibility that must be claimed by these business because in all reality, they are intertwined and involved with the human rights abuses committed in the illegal settlements, as the article states. Its important for us to recognize that the business are putting money and profit before the ethical decision to respect both international law and the illegality of these settlements. It’s my belief that these companies value economic gain more than they value protecting human beings against abuses; a theme we have seen time and time again throughout the world and throughout history. 

I do not understand why it is controversial to release a list of companies that are in the Israeli settlements. In my opinion, these businesses are open to the public, and they made the decision to put their company on settlements that are considered to violate international law. I do not think publishing the names of these companies will cause them to be held responsible for human rights abuses that take place in that area. However, I think it is reasonable knowledge for people to have (in Israel and internationally), to know what companies are openly disobeying international law. The citizens can then choose to boycott these companies as well. 

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I agree with you. It’s incredibly frustrating that the human rights abuses committed by Israel and in particular, IDF, are so incredibly ignored or dismissed by our country or those that support Israel. As we discussed in class, it does not diminish the struggle of Jewish people to also admit that Palestinians are absolutely and completely struggling. To say that the Jewish people deserve a safe place and have historically suffered DOES NOT take away from the fact that the exact same is true for the Palestinians. One does not negate the other. Especially for children! A U.N. report stated that IDF had killed something like 35 children in Palestine. Its unacceptable. Especially abuses at a school where children should feel safe. These are not members of Hamas, they are not terrorists, they are children trying to access an education. I know how complex this situation is but Israel 100% needs to get control of the IDF if any form of cooperation or level of safety is to be established within this region. The bottom line is that IDF is aggressive, violent, and prejudice. Progress can't be made without a change to Israel’s army. 

The al-Sawiyeh al Lebban school, occupied in the West Bank, serves about 500 students with nearly 20 of them being girls. The school provides education from sixth grade until the twelfth, however many don’t even make it past their first semester. A typical day for these students involves being in a constant state of panic and fear as the school is often targeted by the Israeli army. For these students it’s normal for them to experience tear gassing on the school playground, interrogation by the soldiers, and being shot by rubber-coated steel bullets. The school has taken great precautions to protect these children by practicing drills every day, training the teachers and students, and making numerous announcements throughout the day on the Israeli army being nearby – but it still isn’t enough.  

Throughout the article, Al Jeezra speaks to students and faculty on what their daily lives are like. For many of us in the United States, our fears during school will never compare to what these children go through. It angers me to know that many of these children will gain little to nothing during their educational years. A student gave a quote to Al Jeezra stating, “Instead of paying attention to the lesson, we are constantly thinking about what’s going to happen to us when we leave school. Will I be hurt, detained, or maybe even killed? We are never safe.”  

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In the 25 page report, the UNHCR declared that Israeli security forces have killed 189 Palestinians, including 35 children, and injured more than 9000. People shot by the forces include non-threatening Gaza demonstrators, journalists, health workers, children and people with disabilities. The Israeli government blames Hamas for this violence, stating that Hamas uses civilians as human shields. They also believe the UN officials that wrote this report do not understand the security aspects of the conflict. The commission drew on 325 interviews and more than 8,000 documents.

I believe this report is really scary. As an apparent democracy, Israel and its forces should not be committing literal war crimes against children, journalists, etc. It is terrifying to see these numbers because they quantify the terror and death and suffering that it happening in this area. And we cannot be sure that these numbers are not underestimates because reporters are not even allowed there. Fortunately, reports like this are informative and essential for true oversight and accountability. It’s incredibly important to pay attention to reports such as this and be aware of the loss of human rights in Israel for the Palestinians. Even in the midst of conflict, civilians should not be being shot at, specifically children and protestors that are not posing a threat. Even if they do pose a threat, other forms of control such as tear gas and rubber bullets absolutely must be the go-to instead of live ammunition. 

This reminds me of the Intifada of Stones that we have discussed in class. As children were throwing stones at armed Israeli forces during the Intifada, the world’s understanding of the oppressed Palestinian people was altered. We are seeing that here again. The Palestinian people lack resources, they are discriminated against and abused, and many are permanent refugees without homes. I am not discounting the Jewish struggle, but I believe it essential to be honest about what is happening to arabs in Gaza/West Bank, etc. The world is paying attention but it seems that this conflict has just been stuck for a long time with no hope of change. I hope for the sake of all people in Israel and the refugees that the Trump Administration’s proposed peace plan that will come out after Israeli elections is actually effective. 

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This article and video touch on a slightly different type of problem related to the Israel-Palestine conflict but are able to demonstrate so many of the foundational arguments and dilemmas between both sides. This video involves six people and their views surrounding a particular organization, Birthright Israel, that provides opportunity for Jews all around the globe to travel for free to their homeland. It is a live newscast that involves conversation, sometimes heated, between these 2 newscasters and their four guests, all with differing viewpoints and opinions on the debate. 

Personally, I found this article and video profound. When I began watching it, it seemed slightly trivial. But after listening to the guest speakers, two in support of Israel/Birthright and two against, I was more able to understand the foundations of this conflict. The entire problem with Birthright Israel is that many believe the trip whitewashes and completely disregards the plight of the Pal. peoples. Yet others believe that is an enlightening experience for Jews of all walks of life to come face to face with their homeland and their people. While this newscast was playing and discussion centered on a simple travel organization, I could see that the picture was much larger. 

Do Jews all over the world have a right to feel safe? Absolutely. Is this organization providing opportunities for Jews that they would otherwise be unable to afford? Yes. But is it ethical for this to occur as it corresponds with the erasure of the Palestinian people? No. Does it matter? Im not sure. In the face of such deeply-rooted conflict that seems so complex, I wasn't sure that the itinerary of Jewish travel mattered. Yet, it must matter, because to erase the Palestinians, to pretend that their struggle hasn't existed, to pretend that they don't have a connection to this land or that their rights as humans are not being abused, is to completely rip away their human dignity. Birthright Israel must be wiling to not only show Jewish people their homeland, but to have real, honest conversations about the occupation and the struggles of both sides. To avoid doing this is to completely disregard history and the present. 

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This article is really interesting as it focuses on quantitative polling data and the opinions of actual peoples in Israel. I was also saddened by the low percentage, 3%, of people who wanted Palestinians to have full rights. This quantity demonstrates the tensions in this region between the different people groups and what each side believes the other deserves. I agree that equality and peace will be hard to obtain while each side is so hostile towards the other. With a conflict so rooted in history, culture, religion, etc, I am not surprised that emotions and tensions are constantly so high. I am surprised however, that the prioritization of the conflict is not high with only 11% of voters caring most about it. To me, it seems like Israelis and Palestinians are only discussed in the media when someone is talking about their conflict or the many facets of it. To see the statistic that not many Israeli voters prioritize this conflict is really contradicting to what we know about the seriousness of the conflict. I wonder how Palestinians would prioritize this conflict. 

I suggest giving this article a read. The results of this survey really demonstrates a way that Israelis perceive the Palestinian-Israeli conflict for a couple reasons. I found the fact that 32% of voters care most about the cost of living in Israel, but understandable. I think what shocked me most was the fact that only 11% prioritize the Palestinian conflict. The Israeli NGO, Commanders for Israel’s Security is an NGO that supports the two state solution. One of the most interesting findings i got out of this was this, “When asked about their preferred solution to the conflict, the largest amount of those polled, 28%, stated that they wanted a two-state solution based on the pre-1967 lines.” Obviously there is a large portion of Israelis who would prefer a two state solution, or a solution where the IDF remained in the West Bank with the Palestinians being placed there. “ Some 22% stated that they supported annexation, with only 3% of that number offering to give the Palestinians full citizenship rights in Israel and the remaining 19% wanting to offer the Palestinians partial rights. “ I did find this one to be a little saddening, I think it shows that the chance for Israeli-Palestinian equality is really impossible without an act of God, noting that only 3% of the Israelis surveyed would prefer full citizenship for Palestinians.