zaterdag, juli 29, 2006
Perpetual Refugee
http://perpetualrefugee.blogspot.com/2006/07/home-is-where-bomb-is.html
The Perpetual Refugee was my first virtual encounter with "a Lebanese" (how exotic that sounds, hahaha) - that aroused that special core of feelings that catches someone in a different way - that makes you pay attention.
His tender, super-sensitive words telling about his feelings "about the other side" - which I sensed to be highly traumic, and trying to come to terms with ghosts of the past: Israel & Israeli's, while he had been thrown straight into the lion's den (Israel - and the Israeli's) - first raised my attention to "the benadam" - behind the Lebanese, the people that got the worst part of someone elses war and that was including Israel, who was drawn into it by the PLO at that time - with the consequences we all know.
It forced me to look behind the smokescreens of the "image". I mean, really - how many times does an average Israeli woman living in a regular Israeli town get to hear about that? Hmm?
Therefore it hurts me to see that this blogger seems, although understandably, to have turned off the two-way road by closing his comments-section. Since I don't know how to reach him else, and because I'm rather a nudnik :) I address him here, on my blog... Maybe he'll read it, sometime...
Above url links directly to the story of an old man who lost his dignity because he had to leave his home. The home he had spent his whole life in together with his belated wife, as everyone can read if you link through... Instantly(!) I remembered Sabba XXX (forgot his name) - who was filmed during the Gaza disengagement. Sabba sat on the couch of his soon-not-to-be home anymore between his very sad familymembers, while soldiers were all around moving things out and told the camera with a happy face:
"What are four walls? I've been taken out of my home in Warsaw before the holocaust started in which most of my family perished, I arrived to -he named a town here that was later captured by Jordan in 1948, but I forgot the name- and was taken out of my home again. In the meanwhile I started a family, have children and grandchildren and arrived to live here (Gaza), where I am -for the third time- being taken out of my home. But look: (pointing at his family-members around him) what are four walls compared to this?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's strange how stories of completely different people in completely different situations in different countries can make you remember stories you saw on tv for 3 minutes orso more than a year ago and never thought about again.... Go figure: the human mind :)
Come back to the dialogue road, Refugee...
( = Peace in Japanese - maybe it'll have more effect if we use a "neutral" language we can't understand, LOL)
Tse.
The Perpetual Refugee was my first virtual encounter with "a Lebanese" (how exotic that sounds, hahaha) - that aroused that special core of feelings that catches someone in a different way - that makes you pay attention.
His tender, super-sensitive words telling about his feelings "about the other side" - which I sensed to be highly traumic, and trying to come to terms with ghosts of the past: Israel & Israeli's, while he had been thrown straight into the lion's den (Israel - and the Israeli's) - first raised my attention to "the benadam" - behind the Lebanese, the people that got the worst part of someone elses war and that was including Israel, who was drawn into it by the PLO at that time - with the consequences we all know.
It forced me to look behind the smokescreens of the "image". I mean, really - how many times does an average Israeli woman living in a regular Israeli town get to hear about that? Hmm?
Therefore it hurts me to see that this blogger seems, although understandably, to have turned off the two-way road by closing his comments-section. Since I don't know how to reach him else, and because I'm rather a nudnik :) I address him here, on my blog... Maybe he'll read it, sometime...
Above url links directly to the story of an old man who lost his dignity because he had to leave his home. The home he had spent his whole life in together with his belated wife, as everyone can read if you link through... Instantly(!) I remembered Sabba XXX (forgot his name) - who was filmed during the Gaza disengagement. Sabba sat on the couch of his soon-not-to-be home anymore between his very sad familymembers, while soldiers were all around moving things out and told the camera with a happy face:
"What are four walls? I've been taken out of my home in Warsaw before the holocaust started in which most of my family perished, I arrived to -he named a town here that was later captured by Jordan in 1948, but I forgot the name- and was taken out of my home again. In the meanwhile I started a family, have children and grandchildren and arrived to live here (Gaza), where I am -for the third time- being taken out of my home. But look: (pointing at his family-members around him) what are four walls compared to this?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's strange how stories of completely different people in completely different situations in different countries can make you remember stories you saw on tv for 3 minutes orso more than a year ago and never thought about again.... Go figure: the human mind :)
Come back to the dialogue road, Refugee...
( = Peace in Japanese - maybe it'll have more effect if we use a "neutral" language we can't understand, LOL)
Tse.
zondag, juli 23, 2006
On the way of reaching an opinion.....
I think Israel made a mistake by attacking Lebanon. I'm getting more and more convinced that the Lebanese could have taken better care of the hizb themselves in their own way. It goes without saying that I wish the hizb to be wiped from the face of the earth (unless they change their ideology of wishing to destroy my existence, which is hardly likely) but I think while (coldbloodedly) analyzing the situation - the most effective way to get the best results (because wiping them from the face of the earth even the IDF admits is impossible) would have been -probably indirectly through the US, for Israel is formally still at war with Lebanon since the '80's orso even before this latest shit began- to back up Lebanese government and make it stronger, overflood them with hi-tech weapons.
That's the result of reading through Lebanese and Israeli blogs and following the news for 12 consecutive days in which I took no stance because I just couldn't make up my mind being smashed from one side of the spectrum to the other following my frustrated emotions.
This article is a confirmation to that theory, but more interesting are the talkbacks underneath that article in which you can weight the opposite theories against each-other and construct a more clear analysis within your head.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/739977.html
Once again I'd like to repeat that there is no doubt whatsoever in my mind that the hizb is the only one guilty of this whole war, but I'm just convinced that the people dying now from Israeli bombs would have been exactly those people that could have turned against that evil which calles itself hizballah (the chutzpah: party of God with a deathwish for His Creatures).
I see how easy it is to get radically one-sided from my own experience of, for example, participating on Dutch forums where Israel is verbally attacked and made out to be a devil (the only devil and everyone else of this region, even terroristorganizations they can "understand") and I stand up against these accusations which I know are not true. Fellow-Israeli's are no devils, they are nice people (well, once you know how to read them, for they are terribly blunt - BUT, at least no hypocrites like so many westerners with their nice manners hiding their true feelings)
... Those foreigners on those forums just don't know. They take everything out of their element and put it into a context that suits their own (mostly hateful although they play the "peaceful" trick-method) feelings. And with that they judge us. That's so unfair in my eyes that I become less and less objective and stand by the Israeli's on each front, every front - protecting and defending the society I've come to know here.
If discussions on Dutch forums have such effect of radicalization on me, I just can't imagine what bombing my city would do..... And for what? Reaching the same objective that could be reached in a peaceful way?
Yesterday I saw on tv a father in the Dahiya area coming back to look at the rubbles of his home - he was accompanied by his 3 young children of which the eldest is 6 years of age. He said he taught his children to the destruction of Israel-ideology (so his hate stems from before this war) because Israel was built on "muslim-land"... He told the camera with a big grin on his face that he would be proud to send his children as Zelzal's loaded with explosives towards Israeli cities and bomb them, each of his children, no matter their young age.
I hope he is representing a small minority. I wouldn't like to have such person living in my society, and - if he would - I'd complain about it to my government and have them lock him up and take the children outta his custody. Not only is he a danger to his own children - he's hijacking Lebanese society, its children as well. That's what I thought of when I saw the photo of this Lebanese toddler with that unbearable amount of hurt in his eyes that was hit by Israeli weapons that should be targetting a father that wish to fire his children as living rockets into Israel......
Tse.
zaterdag, juli 15, 2006
Losing faith in Israel's objective.....
Beirut is one of the world's hottest spot with its legendary nightlife, incredible beaches and magical history
Beirut: Dangerous Destination?
Beirut is dangerous, indeed, but not in the way you expected it. Beirut can be dangerous for your wallet
http://cedarfree.blogspot.com/
July 7. Interacting by internet with above blogger. Talking about hotspots on earth for a night out... Chances how Israeli's will be viewed there, would there be a chance Israeli's could roam around town in Beirut. Looking into the future.........................
Laila, in the comments box of above posting wrote:
nice post, yalla hopefully our tourism will recover soon
********************************************
July 15th:
http://lebop.blogspot.com/
Israel to Bomb Beirut
Jesus Christ, it sounds like they just bombed a building behind me. That's the downtown!
Becoming a Refugee
We have no sympathy for Israel's position right now. None.
Hezbollah has lost morale. The Shia have lost morale. The Lebanese have lost their country.***************************************
I'm not oblivious. I know Israel has to hit the Hizb hard. I wish Israel could strike them from the face of the earth. Send them on one of those hi-tech turbo rockets straight to hell. I wish Nasrallah hell. I'm not a softy. Bad people deserve the worst. But Israel isn't targetting bad people anymore. They are targetting my future (well, I always was optimistic) friends for a night on town.... HOW can I forgive the country that says to take care of my protection (which they do, I know) when it targets my future friends?
I saw the lady in Tsfad on tv, whose house got hit by a Katushiya rocket. She was shaken. Her little boy was looking for his puppy that ran outside on the streets after the blast. She poured out her direct anger and started cursing Nasrallah "שיפציצו את האימ...אימ...אימא שלך לגהנום" (that they may bomb your mo-mo-mother straight to hell) - and I agree... fully!
Then the news of this grandmother who got killed together with her 5-year old grandchild at home, where the family thought they'd be safe.
While, opposite me on my pc-screen - I read the desperate, heartbreaking postings of my ex- future Lebanese friends.
And yes, I know - we also saw the Shia neighborhoods in Lebanon where people were celebrating the death and kidnapping of our soldiers that took place without any acts of aggrevation from Israeli side.
I know all that. But still. Something was growing. Now it's back to pieces. How can I, as I've done at the beginning, still justify the IDF's actions if they are targetting people that have been the ultimate victims of wars not theirs so often and do not have any grudge against my being here, in Israel - let alone want to destroy me or something?
I'm so confused. I just know that MY army is targetting people that I might have called MY friends one time. Why????
Tse.
donderdag, juli 06, 2006
As a Jew????
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3272021,00.html
Arabs out?? I'd prefer living next to an Arab a billion times more than living to a racist. F* him! F* that whole neighborhood as a matter of fact. GRRRRRR. At least the ones that agree with this shameless behaviour. It are incidents like this that make me feel Israel is not worth it to be called a Jewish State. If this racism stands for Jewish it can not ever be seen anymore as having humane values.
I saw it before when in the printed newspaper there was a story about religious Ashkenazi jews not wanting Mizrachi jews buying houses in their religous town in order to "keep our own culture and identity" - for cryin' out loud: haven't the past taught "us" anything???
Anyway, here it comes, hold your chair - cause you might just fall off it:
Tse.
"There are some who say that this is pure racism, but as a Jew I am happy to be racist.This kinda scum should not connect their jewishness to their superior individual racial feelings. GRRRRRR. I as a Jew am proud and happy to be NOT racist. How dare he?
Arabs out?? I'd prefer living next to an Arab a billion times more than living to a racist. F* him! F* that whole neighborhood as a matter of fact. GRRRRRR. At least the ones that agree with this shameless behaviour. It are incidents like this that make me feel Israel is not worth it to be called a Jewish State. If this racism stands for Jewish it can not ever be seen anymore as having humane values.
I saw it before when in the printed newspaper there was a story about religious Ashkenazi jews not wanting Mizrachi jews buying houses in their religous town in order to "keep our own culture and identity" - for cryin' out loud: haven't the past taught "us" anything???
Anyway, here it comes, hold your chair - cause you might just fall off it:
Arabs out!
East Jerusalem residents try to find better life in west Jerusalem, but their new neighbors won't let them. 'French Hill in Danger,' published a group ready to take a stand. 'We don't want Arabs in our neighborhoods'
Haim Levinson
Arabs from east Jerusalem, trying to buy or rent apartments in west Jerusalem neighborhoods, meet with resistance among activists and neighbors. "We don't want Arabs in our neighborhoods," say Jewish residents.
The migration of Arabs to west Jerusalem neighborhoods has become a well-known phenomenon, and along with it, the creation of groups of residents anxious to stop the migration. Their effort includes 'snitches' to report on apartment rentals to Arabs, boycotts of real estate agents selling to Arabs and a struggle with the Hebrew University, whom they claim intends to sell 13 apartments to Arabs.
As part of the conflict, local newspapers published announcements this month begging residents to report any attempt by Arabs to buy west Jerusalem apartments. "The French Hill is in danger, we need your help," they write. "We would be happy to receive any written or spoken information regarding the purchase or rental of buildings in the French Hill for any purpose (residential, commercial, business) by residents of East Jerusalem, or the attempt of such purchase or rental."
'I want to preserve my identity'
The information is consolidated by activists, among them Arieh King, who, as part of the "Living in Jerusalem" group, works to increase the Jewish presence in Jerusalem. According to King, based on a survey he took, there has been a large increase in the migration of Arabs to west Jerusalem. Twelve Arab families live on Jaffa St., in the center of town, with scores more living in the nearby Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood. Twenty two additional families live on Etzel St. in the French Hill neighborhood.
"There are some who say that this is pure racism, but as a Jew I am happy to be racist. If I won't be one, it's unclear what my children's future will be. Just as most Jews in Jerusalem don't send their children to Arab schools and don't allow them to intermarry, I too want to preserve my identity."
The Battle on Etzel St.
The focus of the current struggle is the building at 11 Etzel St., where the Hebrew University, which owns the property, is auctioning off 13 apartments. The highest bid was given by an Arab man, who is willing to pay 230 thousand dollars for each apartment, 20 percent more than the apartments are worth.
Three days ago, there was a conference for residents of the French Hill who wish to combat the entry of Arab tenants. Among other things, it was decided to put pressure on the Hebrew University not to sell the property to Arabs by appealing to Jewish donors to buy the apartments and sell them to Jews.
(Name withheld), who lives at this address, is worried by Arabs moving to her neighborhood: "Arabs are trying to take over the neighborhood. You walk outside and hear only Arabic. I've lived here 35 years and I don't want to start living with Arabs. Do I need them here on my doorstep? There are real estate agents here who, for the right price, are willing to sell apartments to Arabs."
The University released the following statement: "The Hebrew University is selling apartments that it owns in the French Hill. It is managing the auction in a fair, honest, and unprejudiced manner."
Tse.
maandag, juli 03, 2006
Afraid
A blogster I tremendously admire although she's having totally different views as mine is Ihath
http://www.ihath.com/index.html
that I don't read anymore at all since the subjects she is writing about now are not that much interesting me anymore, but if you roam around her side-bar -especially under the subject "losing it" - can expect the most sensitive straight from the heart written stories you've ever read (also, if you don't share the same opinions with her, as I don't). I admire her for her talent of puting feelings into words, direct feelings - real emotions...
Two odd years ago orso she came to this blog - that I never mentioned to anyone (until a few weeks ago) - and wrote in the comments section under a beginners posting of mine, in which I terribly doubted if blogging was "my thing" : "just write what you feel".
Now, and only now, I know what she meant. That came about when I was reading and posting in the comments section of the Sandmonkey, here:
http://www.sandmonkey.org/2006/07/02/a-quick-gaza-round-up/#comments
After all that's been written and re-written over and over again over the conflict I'm part of -willingly or unwillingly by just living here, suddenly I felt a question creeping up in my head "why do we react as we do and for what purpose, if everybody that is reacting anyway only wants peace?" (or at least they say so).
Why do we insist on keeping to blame "the other"? Why do we speak lightly about the atrocities "we" (well, "our side") are perpetrating and keep on writing about the atrocities of the "other side" to justify "our own"? And then my heart answered me:
Fear.
So, I'll write about my fear, of what I'm afraid of. I hope that passers-by on this blog will take one moment and write about their fears, of what they are afraid of - just straight from the heart...
The 1967 borders issue and retreat from those areas by Israel: I'm afraid that the terror organizations will keep on having the upperhand in the general approach and Palestinian consensus towards Israel and Israeli's if and when they will - say become part of an independent state under the borders of 1967. I'm afraid they will launch more and more attacks on Israel (certainly if Israel would not be in control of land, air and sea entries) and will get stronger. The thing that bothers me also with this is that trading land for more violence this way is that Israeli's that genuinely love certain parts in the WB will be robbed of the object of their love for more hurt, more bloodshed.
The right of return: I just don't think it's fair to flood a country with the grandchildren of people that were forced to leave this country during a war in which every party know they can either win or lose. Having lost - you should carry the consequences. This is not because I'm a person without a heart or so, but because Israeli's also are people with feelings and they live here now for more than 3 generations and this is their motherland (fatherland?). Why to discard feelings of today for feelings of 3 generations ago? Anyway, this I mention because I'm afraid that jews won't have the power to defend themselves anymore if such a thing would become reality (return of fugitives). And, you can dug it or face it: jews WERE attacked for what they were over the centuries without being able to defend themselves. No organized lot.
If I see which shameless lies are still being told about jews (blood, matzes, protocols, canibalism, stealing and selling organs - you name it) I do think I've got a good point here.
But, not only that. I'm afraid the society structure would change dramatically if it would happen. Although Israel is most certainly not the most human country in the world with the minimum percent of racism or discrimination, I still think it's society is far, far better than many other societies and given that they've been under attack for all of its existence, I think if there would be peace, it would be by far a much better country to live in than certain countries that call themselves "progressive". I love the east/west mixture we've got here, the social conditions are based on fair values and could be exploited, if properly steered, towards a just society for everyone. I'd just hate to lose it to a religious or stronger influenced religious society. (I mean: look at it, in Gaza things intern are not that swell either, right?)
Of this I am afraid. I hope someone will add their fears that are reason for leaning more to one side of the pal/isr. conflict than the other, here. Cozzz, I really would like to know. That way I might relevate - and change my views, or become even more stuck with them ^_^
Tse.
http://www.ihath.com/index.html
that I don't read anymore at all since the subjects she is writing about now are not that much interesting me anymore, but if you roam around her side-bar -especially under the subject "losing it" - can expect the most sensitive straight from the heart written stories you've ever read (also, if you don't share the same opinions with her, as I don't). I admire her for her talent of puting feelings into words, direct feelings - real emotions...
Two odd years ago orso she came to this blog - that I never mentioned to anyone (until a few weeks ago) - and wrote in the comments section under a beginners posting of mine, in which I terribly doubted if blogging was "my thing" : "just write what you feel".
Now, and only now, I know what she meant. That came about when I was reading and posting in the comments section of the Sandmonkey, here:
http://www.sandmonkey.org/2006/07/02/a-quick-gaza-round-up/#comments
After all that's been written and re-written over and over again over the conflict I'm part of -willingly or unwillingly by just living here, suddenly I felt a question creeping up in my head "why do we react as we do and for what purpose, if everybody that is reacting anyway only wants peace?" (or at least they say so).
Why do we insist on keeping to blame "the other"? Why do we speak lightly about the atrocities "we" (well, "our side") are perpetrating and keep on writing about the atrocities of the "other side" to justify "our own"? And then my heart answered me:
Fear.
So, I'll write about my fear, of what I'm afraid of. I hope that passers-by on this blog will take one moment and write about their fears, of what they are afraid of - just straight from the heart...
The 1967 borders issue and retreat from those areas by Israel: I'm afraid that the terror organizations will keep on having the upperhand in the general approach and Palestinian consensus towards Israel and Israeli's if and when they will - say become part of an independent state under the borders of 1967. I'm afraid they will launch more and more attacks on Israel (certainly if Israel would not be in control of land, air and sea entries) and will get stronger. The thing that bothers me also with this is that trading land for more violence this way is that Israeli's that genuinely love certain parts in the WB will be robbed of the object of their love for more hurt, more bloodshed.
The right of return: I just don't think it's fair to flood a country with the grandchildren of people that were forced to leave this country during a war in which every party know they can either win or lose. Having lost - you should carry the consequences. This is not because I'm a person without a heart or so, but because Israeli's also are people with feelings and they live here now for more than 3 generations and this is their motherland (fatherland?). Why to discard feelings of today for feelings of 3 generations ago? Anyway, this I mention because I'm afraid that jews won't have the power to defend themselves anymore if such a thing would become reality (return of fugitives). And, you can dug it or face it: jews WERE attacked for what they were over the centuries without being able to defend themselves. No organized lot.
If I see which shameless lies are still being told about jews (blood, matzes, protocols, canibalism, stealing and selling organs - you name it) I do think I've got a good point here.
But, not only that. I'm afraid the society structure would change dramatically if it would happen. Although Israel is most certainly not the most human country in the world with the minimum percent of racism or discrimination, I still think it's society is far, far better than many other societies and given that they've been under attack for all of its existence, I think if there would be peace, it would be by far a much better country to live in than certain countries that call themselves "progressive". I love the east/west mixture we've got here, the social conditions are based on fair values and could be exploited, if properly steered, towards a just society for everyone. I'd just hate to lose it to a religious or stronger influenced religious society. (I mean: look at it, in Gaza things intern are not that swell either, right?)
Of this I am afraid. I hope someone will add their fears that are reason for leaning more to one side of the pal/isr. conflict than the other, here. Cozzz, I really would like to know. That way I might relevate - and change my views, or become even more stuck with them ^_^
Tse.
