#pols477

[peacelovepositivitysworld]

Following the recent hostage releases, letters and videos have been circulating regarding the hostages’ accounts of what occurred. While the letter released earlier this week is fake, and was not written by an Israeli hostage, I expect to see an increase in related media.

Ofir Engel’s grandfather, Yosef Engel provided this account of Ofir’s experience with Hamas. After reuniting on Wednesday, Yosef claimed he had lost a lot of weight, but he is recovering and is happy.

Ofir was visiting his girlfriend when he and his girlfriend’s father were taken to Gaza, where Ofir claimed to be moving from several above-ground locations. Yosef asserts that Ofir was treated well during his captivity and returned unharmed.

It is relieving to hear that hostages were not mistreated. Nonetheless, I am struggling to fully believe the media when the statements are not coming directly from the hostages themselves. I hope it is the case that no Hostages were harmed, but it appears to be unlikely, especially with the return of three hostage corpses earlier this week.

[yourcousinthrockmortonskates]

I am too tired of reading about atrocities to go into the meat of the actual conflict rn.

But jfc so many people are justifying their bigotry. Gallant said they were fighting against "human animals" before saying they would be cutting off resources to Gaza. Considering acts like that affect not just Hamas, but the civilians trapped there - it's completely inhumane. And it's not just Israelis either - just a little bit of time on social media you'll see Americans too calling for the mass destruction of Gaza and continued comparison to animals.

And there's the antisemitism too. Suddenly those nazis you manage to avoid on social media start popping up again to talk about how the Holocaust wasn't enough. The article I linked has the example of the protests in Sydney, but there's images circulating of a protestor in NYC with a swastika too.

Protest organiser Palestine Action Group Sydney defended its right to protest "apartheid" in Israel but said a small number of "vile antisemitic attendees" had no place in their movement.

I'm glad to hear that there were condemnations for the antisemites in the crowd after the fact, but it should be stated up front that it's not welcome in the first place. No antisemite should be made to feel safe and proud about their beliefs.

[zyx204]

Israel and Palestine

All of the information I know about Israel and Palestine strictly comes from what I have seen of them whenever they are in the media. The way the media portrays this area is one of extreme conflict and high tensions.

Both Israel and Palestine have laid claim to this land due to strong historic, ethnic, and religious precedence. This is a conflict going back many generations and does not have a simple solution. These conflicts about the control of this holy land go back even as far as the Crusades around 700 years ago.

The media I always watched with my parents growing up always depicted the Palestinians as not good people trying to occupy the land that belonged to the Israelis. It was not until I started developing my own opinions and doing some of my own research that I understood that this is a much deeper and much more confusing situation. Not only this, but it was unfair of me to categorize an entire group of people based solely on the limited information I knew.

From what I have gathered, it seems that both sides have committed atrocities against one another, and nothing positive has truly come of it all. Israel also has nuclear weapons, which adds another layer of confusion on top of it all, because with how intense this conflict gets, it is horrific to think about what could happen as a result of the wrong person being in power in this area. 

[radio-rebel-477]

First Blog Post: Initial Impressions of Israel/Palestine

Before sharing any of my ideas, I must be honest and disclose that my knowledge and awareness of the situation are severely limited, and any impression I have is guided by observations and thoughts made from posts seen on social media, the occasional mentions I have heard from the news, and my takeaways from the feelings of my peers. However, an understanding that I have in full confidence is that behind the ongoing situation in Israel and Palestine there is a deep history, colored with varying hues of hurt, hate, healing, and hope. Each of which paints the experiences of those who live in the area and those who are related to it in other ways.

Upon hearing Israel/Palestine," my mind first runs to the political tensions of the Mediterranean. I see large weapons being transported in the desert, crying children, large protests, journalists rushing to the scene of the crisis, and the subsequent noise on social media. This is all stereotypical imagery that I know does not capture the entire reality of the region. However, when these initial thoughts pass, I begin to see people of differing faiths walking down the same street, children playing and going to school, skyscrapers and busy cities, culture in every corner, and other similar scenes I am familiar with here in America.

The conflict seems to occur on many layers beyond politics, such as on the planes of religion, economics, history, and geography. At its center, there is a matter of "illegal occupation and settlement," but whoever is at the receiving end of such an accusation is passed back and forth between Israel and Palestine. There is an issue of how to divide the land, should that even be possible, but also how to navigate the relocation of people from a land they too claim.

Overall, my impression of Israel and Palestine is that the meaning of these two words is not just a heated debate topic, the name of a conflict, or just the names of two nations, but two very real groups of people that, despite any perceived difference or similarity, are first and foremost people just like us.

[yourcousinthrockmortonskates]

Hard disagree here. Freedom of speech and freedom to have a large public demonstration of bigotry are different things. They could also not have a giant demonstration and perhaps keep their homophobia to themselves in smaller private areas. Do you know what kind of message it sends as a mayor to sanction of demonstration of this kind?

"I am not here to protect you."

And that you is directed at every member of the LGBTQ+.

I'm with Yorai Lahav-Hertzanu and Yasmin Sacks-Friedman here - “homophobia is not an opinion, but rather a dangerous incitement.”

Do you see the Mayor Baird putting her stamp of approval for public parades against groups of people? For Nebraska specifically, let's say she approved a nice loving parade for the Nebraska Freedom Coalition, and they said their parade was all about stopping the groomers controlling the unicameral. This parade is going to go through the part of south Lincoln with the most Democrat political signs too (I don't know my neighborhoods well enough to name a specific one.)

Hmmmmm. Nope still sounds like a bad idea. Do you know where organizations on the fringes hold events? Typically, private venues. Sometimes these private venues face back lash, but the fall comes down on them when they allow a hate filled group to have a get together. Looks like the NFC is actually having a "Freedom Fest" on some fair grounds. Totally fine. Whatever. No one is forced to witness their idiocy. When someone like the mayor of a city sanctions these events in public and, specifically in the case of this article and Beersheba, in an area with likely a higher concentration of those being targeted, it's a real bad image for not just the mayor, but the city.

And if you allow this one because it is peaceful, where do you draw the lines? Should the mayor start sanctioning and protecting people who think all LGBTQ+ people should be "lovingly and compassionately executed" (quote is from someone I have had the displeasure of interacting with) ? Ya know, if they're just peacefully carrying signs of murdered trans people, Bible quotes, and damnations to hell? No one is getting hurt by some words and pictures right? Scared of large groups of people who want you dead, pffft why worry they're being peaceful.

This time.

For now.

Until they aren't.

Two members of the Israeli government wrote a letter to the mayor of Beersheba, with the intention of making sure that there is not a permit provided for a demonstration by the anti-LGBT party Tzir Ne’eman. The two lawmakers who head a liberal party, say that extremist activity is provoked by such demonstrations, and that it has no place in Israel. I believe that freedom of expression is an extremely salient right, especially in Israel, where they are surrounded by countries that do not share the same privilege. Despite the fact that the ideas of Tzir Ne’eman are at the very least inflammatory, I think that their peaceful demonstration should be allowed, just as counter protests should be as well. It is a delicate issue to be able to balance, as the Israeli government still has to ensure the safety of all parties involved. It will be interesting to see as to whether or not the demonstration will be permitted, as if not, it is likely that far-right backlash could compromise the safety of LGBT persons even further.

[peacelovepositivitysworld]

Shiva is not only Gaza’s largest hospital but also the most equipped. The article points out that Israel is claiming that Hamas is using the hospital and its residents for military purposes with no visual evidence that Hamas is in fact occupying the hospital. The existence of the advanced system of tunnels and command center below the hospital is also denied by Gaza health officials and Hamas. There are also reports of the IDF firing at patients and staff attempting to leave the hospital after the Israeli Government said they would allow them to evacuate.

This conflict is difficult to understand due to the lack of credibility in reports. Hamas has every incentive to lie about what is occurring in Gaza. Hamas has a history of using human shields and launching missiles from schools and hospitals. Thus, Hamas occupying Shiva Hospital is not an absurd notion and I do not think Israel would waste resources, especially to attack a hospital if they did not think Hamas was actually in there.

We know there is a history of their use of the tunnel system. Additionally, we know that it is even being used for military purposes because of the relationship between Hamas and Egypt. Under the former Egyptian President, Mohamed Morsi, Egypt allowed Hamas to use the tunnel system. It is believed Hamas is still using the tunnel system because that is how they smuggled in a lot of their resources.

[yourcousinthrockmortonskates]

I found this article fairly interesting. The bar is already on the floor, and the US still isn't impressing. Urging Israel to kill less civilians does not mean they will, and without any kind of threat, this just reminds me of that Musk & Grimes interaction on Twitter:

Israel can promise to try and kill less civilians (should you not have been trying to avoid that earlier though?), but that's only words and that's only "trying." The US saying that killing civilians is bad does not really have a strong effect on the

I did appreciate the detailed plan laid out by Blinken to avoid killing civilians, but there's no guarantee Israel will follow that. And looking at how many people have died in the past couple days - I do not see any evidence Israel is seriously working to kill less civilians in their attacks.

[yourcousinthrockmortonskates]

I found this article really interesting. The fact that Khari seems to be against "bias" in the IPBC's media (and even posts from journalists on Twitter) is ironic, considering he then says the "West Bank" is not a term rooted in reality and that it is a "divisive geographic distinction".... which to me reads as someone who is pretty biased and saying that the West Bank is just part of Israel. He also stated using the term West Bank goes against the prevailing views of people in Israel. But is that not also bias in itself? It seems more like he's concerned with only showing what he sees as what Israelis believe already or what he wants them to believe - believe that there is no West Bank, ignore the conflict, ignore the occupation. For my AtLA fans, it feels very "There is no war in Ba Sing Se" to ban the term West Bank and paint an alternate reality of Israel. After all, the media Khari is commenting on is reality TV - and reality is not without bias.

The article I read is about Israel's communications minister, Shlomo Khari, telling the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation that they have violated the law by showing what he has deemed political content. The program in question showed footage of the protests that Khari deemed as politically biased, saying in a statement,

"[In] the collection of episodes that took place in Tel Aviv, the editors repeatedly included excerpts from the left-wing demonstrations, while the narrator refers to those demonstrations as if they were characteristic, God forbid, of the city of Tel Aviv."

This comes as protests still rage on about the judicial reform that Netanyahu and his party Likud, of which Khari is a member, are trying to push through the government. The article then goes on to detail Khari's attempts to control the media in Israel.

I think this reflects the values that Likud seems to maintain while holding onto the majority government. Khari has also done things like prohibit the use of the term "West Bank" on the IPBC, and other things that would be expected of a far right party in Israel. I think this situation is concerning, and that the people of Israel should be concerned as well. The censorship of media about prominent protests could very well lead to further and more dramatic control of state media and broader news publications that could affect the flow of free information. I would be interested to see what a left leaning party in Israel would think about banning terms like "West Bank" and other phrases and ideas that Likud had deemed "too political."

[bootzwithfur]

Michael Che SNL Joke

https://www.foxnews.com/media/nbcuniversal-bigoted-israel-snl-msnbc-media-watchdog

On Saturday Night Live this past weekend Michael Che had made a joke about Israel’s milestone of having half of the population vaccinated. He said, “Israel is reporting that they have vaccinated half of their population, im gonna guess it’s the Jewish half.”

CAMERA’s Israel Director Tamar Sternhal had written to NBC executive today asking for them to address this joke. Che’s joke is seen engaging in antisemitic humor and perpetrating hatred against this group. Having one of the major American TV networks joining those who claim Israel favors only a portion (the Jewish portion) creates larger consequences. Many on social media are showing their reactions to this blatant antisemitism.

2/22 11pm

[radio-rebel-477]

This article examines the recent events between Hamas and Israel and questions what the United States’ endgame in Gaza could be. More specifically, the article brings to attention the United States’ failure to call for a ceasefire, with President Biden speaking on behalf of the country claiming that he does not wish to see the conflict expand whilst supplying Israel with arms. Without much substance, the article repeatedly circles the question of what will become of Gaza should Hamas fall, but prior to that, it prompts the reader to think of what US-backed-Israel's plan for the territory could be. Using various statements from think-tanks and worst-case hypotheticals, the article fails to rise above anything greater than a conjecture. 

Although my article summaries are usually longer and informative, during my reading, I simply could not find more to write about. That is, it seemed that this article took its imagination and ran with it when reporting about the conflict, leaving nothing newsworthy. I must admit that I am quite disappointed since usually I am able to find something worth thinking and reading about, however from this experience I will take a much needed lesson: speculation is not anything substantive. 

I will note that the article seeks to catch the United States in a moment of hypocrisy where they are denouncing violence yet actively participating in it. However as our class discussions have revealed #CeasefireNow has no meaning whatsoever. It is too vague and any possible ceasefire would accomplish nothing since Israel would still be left to face off with with a terrorist group that no ceasefire would actually solve for. Despite not being receptive to the article’s content, I was still able to make some observations in my reading regarding general grammar and word choice. In this article, Hamas is referred to as a “Palestinian group” and there is no mention of their label as terrorists. Furthermore, the word “atrocities” was used in scare quotes to refer to Hamas’ violence in Israel, as if the terror they have caused is alleged and not real. Although these are minor things, they truly change how we view and therefore understand material.

[abiogeneticeel]

Human rights experts in the United Nations have begun warning that violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank has “increased substantially” in recent months. The experts claim that the majority of the violence has been ideologically motivated and intended to terrorize and prevent Palestinians from accessing rural land. A reported 771 incidents of violence resulting in harm to around 130 Palestinians were recorded in 2020, leading experts to urge the Israeli military and police to launch investigations and prosecute those responsible. Experts have invoked the Fourth Geneva Convention to urge Israel to protect the population under occupation in adherence with international law. Experts also noted the extensive number of Palestinians in East Jerusalem newly facing the threat of eviction—this is namely an issue in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, home to over 3,000 refugees as a result of the 1948 Nakba.

[tumbleweed1080]

Post 14: The Case of Pollard

Jonathan Pollard was a duel citizen of Israel and America who leaked information to the Jewish government that he believed was “crucial to their security.”

While initially unsympathetic, the jewish community has recently come out stating that his life sentence is unduly harsh.

Pollard himself remains unrepentant after being paroled in 2015, and has repeatedly stated that Jews who believed themselves a part of America were “deluding themselves.” His own backstory is much more complicated and less “morally ambiguous,” but the affect on his leak made the American intelligence apparatus wary of Jews with duel citizenships.

However, it’s clear that Pollard also leaked information to other countries besides Israel and was payed handsomely. His case being used against two staff members in the AIPAC leads one to worry if this newfound mistrust is entirely sound.

One should remember, as cliche as it sounds, not to judge a book by it’s cover. As one should not judge someone by their nationality, one should also not judge a liar for what they claim to be noble aspirations, the true answer is often less so.

 https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/pollard-jews-will-always-have-dual-loyalty-and-should-consider-spying-for-israel-663285

https://www.jpost.com/israel/pollard-gave-info-to-pakistan-australia

[thatonegirl000]

Israel Supplying COVID Vaccine to Palestinians

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/palestinians-give-first-vaccines-after-israel-shares-supply/2021/02/02/da304136-6571-11eb-bab8-707f8769d785_story.html

Accompanying our Peace Summit talks regarding the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, I thought this was a very interesting article. The article explains how Israel has given hundreds of COVID-19 vaccines to Palestine, in response to the widespread vaccines that have already been given in Israel. Some argue that it is Israel’s responsibility to supply the vaccine since they share the West Bank and Gaza strip, and I agree to some extent. It is smart for Israel to help vaccinate Palestinians, due to both parties being in such close proximity to each other. However, it is not necessarily Israel’s responsibility. It is the responsibility of the World Health Organization to supply enough vaccines for both territories. 

[futuristicalpacawizard]

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/12/in-meeting-with-us-israel-slams-iran-as-fanatical-regime

This article is about U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  Netanyahu called Iran a fanatical regime and declared as long as he is Prime Minister of Israel. His duty is to protect his people from Iran, carrying out their goal, which is the destruction of Israel and their people in his eyes. There were reports of a cyberattack at an underground nuclear site in Iran. The Israeli news said that they were the ones orchestrating the attack, but Netanyahu denied such claims. Interestingly, the Biden Administration says they have the Iran Nuclear Deal on the top of their list of issues they want to reverse what the Trump Administration had put in place. Israel is extremely against the Iran Nuclear Deal; I am surprised that Netanyahu has not been more critical of the Biden Administration. Although the Biden Administration has been extremely slow on reversing Trump's extremely pro-Israel policies, that has received some backlash in the international community. Another part of the article I found interesting is that Austin met with Israel's Defense Minister Benny Gantz, which would not seem all that unusual except that Gantz had just run against Netanyahu in the Israeli election weeks prior. Israeli politics seemingly get more confusing by the day, and the longer these elections get drawn, the murkier the water gets.

[batsaturnian]

POLS477 In the News Post, 03/01/2021

A fifteen-year legal battle in Israel’s High Court of Justice ended today when the Court’s expanded nine-justice panel ruled to recognize Jewish Reform and Masorti (Conservative) conversions for the purpose of Israeli citizenship. Eight of the nine justices agreed with the ruling fully, but Justice Noam Sohlberg expressed his wish to delay the ruling’s application until 12 months after the installation of a new Israeli government. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Likud Party denounced the ruling, along with state’s Orthodox political parties who have threatened to overturn the ruling through legislation and now refuse to enter coalitions without the promise to do so. Left-wing political parties and Reform/Masorti leaders, on the other hand, praised the decision, calling it a “victory for democracy” and a win against Israel’s Orthodox religious establishment. This case’s foundation was built in 1988, when the High Court ruled that non-Orthodox conversions performed outside of Israel would be recognized for the purposes of aliyah and citizenship without extending such recognition to non-Orthodox conversions in Israel. In 2005, the Reform and Masorti movements filed a petition in the High Court which argued citizenship should be granted to several non-Israeli nationals who utilized conversion systems in Israel itself. This article provides interesting insights on the religious conflicts sparked by this movement, as well as the legal innerworkings of Israeli matters concerning religion and State.

[peacelovepositivitysworld]

This week I chose to investigate Israel’s elite because I (and I’m assuming other Americans) was under the false assumption of a limited Israeli economy. With little to no reasoning at all, I simply assumed that the continuous conflict meant other sectors were struggling as well. I could not have been more wrong.

First, the Israel economy is ranked 27th among the major economies (as of 2022) with $522.03 Billion USD.

One of the reoccurring names amongst Israeli elites is Eyal Ofer, son of Sammy Ofer who died in 2011, leaving Ofer a hefty inheritance. Eyal’ s net worth (2018) is $9.3 billion dollars.

Most of Israel’s elite got their money either from inheritance, tech companies, real estate, or shipping / trade. It was interesting to learn of Israeli success and the ways in which they get there.