Comments on: The Day In Israel: Wednesday Mar 10th, 2010

By: Margie

Margie — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 07:41:08 +0000

Don't blame Obama or Clinton for the Jerusalem 'settlement' idea. It was Barak who added areas of Jerusalem as a sweetener, to his 2000 peace proposal.
Given this sort of proof of our hunger for peace is it any wonder that the PA refuse it, hoping for ever more goodies?

Great compilation article here, Dave, excellent topical links.

By: juvanya

juvanya — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:30:03 +0000

I think it's taught by an Israeli, but even so…

I took a history course of the Jews until 1400 last semester. Very good stuff and did note that life was not all fun and games under Islamic rule, although it was overall better than Christian rule.

By: Michael Zvi Krumbein

Michael Zvi Krumbein — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:59:17 +0000

I'll be happy to help correct the biases.

Between me and my father, we have the history past the start of the state. The cute bit in Israel, is that almost EVERYTHING precedes the State.

By: Y.K.

Y.K. — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:36:17 +0000

It's true Nathanyahu played his cards well, yet he is still at the mercy of events. The threat in this scenario is less the settler parties than Israel Beithnu or (less likely) a backbencher revolt in the Likud. If Israel Beithnu decides to leave too (planning to run to the right of Likud), this would make Nathanyahu dependent on the fractious Labour and/or (unlikely if it hasn't happened until then) defecting Kadima members. That's rather risky (Labour is internally divided and would be pressed hard from the Left), and will force him to the Left more than he likes.

In short, I believe this is not an empty threat (they can harm Nethanyahu), but it's a double-edged one for all the parties involved. I expect the coalition to survive for another year at least, after that everything is unpredictable (though this coalition is indeed more stable than most).

By: Michael Zvi Krumbein

Michael Zvi Krumbein — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:57:24 +0000

I believe the term is from the French, franc-tirier, free-shooter, for someone who does not follow the rules of war. But my source is fiction, so I could be wrong.

At any rate, I'll take a look the next time I see the reference and report if it does not involve soldiers.

By: juvanya

juvanya — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:57:11 +0000

Aw that's awesome. I love the Druze, as I think I've said before. I should really get a book on them… Just so cool. In 1948, they immediately picked up arms and joined the Israelis from what I've read.

By: juvanya

juvanya — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:55:41 +0000

Not as much as they will then.

By: juvanya

juvanya — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:53:57 +0000

Yeah that's pretty much what I figured. In my roleplay, which I think I mentioned once before, when I played Israel, I had Herskovitz's group leave over continued settlement freezes, but kept Netanyahu for the whole term.

They better have that Israeli Politics course next semester.

By: juvanya

juvanya — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:58:56 +0000

Well arguably someone shooting a gun at a soldier is a militant, while one attacking civilians to provoke fear is a terrorist. And then you can also talk about militant (belief) that doesnt necessarily mean violence. But even so, I still refer to Hamas fighters as terrorists.

By: stv

stv — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:06:51 +0000

The Syrian video is hardly surprising, there is a programme on the BBC called 'syrian school' that is a perfect example of how they are brainwashed as Children (although the BBC doesn't present it that way).
I felt sorry for them, mostly because they are made to study poetry and have to stare at Bashar Assad all day (or as he likes to be called, 'dear leader').

The way they go on you would think ' Palestine' was the cradle of civilisation- not just a made up place like Never Never land.

The programme includes a link at the end asking British people if they would like to create links with schools in the Arabic world……Not the entire Middle East then?

Maybe the BBC only likes to foster a certain type of understanding. British kids should be linking with the children of Sderot and Ashkelon, see what understanding is like in the Middle east.