I Was Strangled By A Checkpoint But Not In The West Bank
Diana Krall in Raanana
A post by Brian of London.
Have you ever heard this phrase?:
“a system of checkpoints that strangles economic and social life in the West Bank”
You may remember a few months ago that Elvis Costello, Lord of the Idiots and singer of such great lines as “London is full of Arabs” refused to come to Israel to sing. Well, in the words of the comic messiahs, “He has a wife you know!”
His wife, Diana Krall, a renown jazz singer, came to Israel and played a concert Wednesday 4th August. It was, technically, outside Tel Aviv, but she didn’t appear to know that. The concert was so-so. I’ve not seen her play anywhere else so I’m not sure if she always seems that disinterested. It was a hot, humid night but she didn’t play for very long (90 mins max), the tickets were damned expensive and worst of all, she didn’t play my wife’s favorite songs. Add to that the traffic to get there being a nightmare and, well, there was more than enough to kvetch about in the car on the way home once we’d sat in the car park for 20 mins waiting for the traffic to clear.
And then, almost at midnight, just as I’m 800m from my home and have to cross the boundary from Ramat HaSharon back to Tel Aviv, the traffic on my side of the 6 lane road grinds to a halt. Three lanes of seriously impolite Israelis then crawl, fight and push their way into one lane so we can all take turns to physically stop while a policeman shines a torch in our faces. The unlucky ones have to pull aside to have their papers checked.
How, exactly, is that different from what goes on in Judea and Samaria? I’ve no idea. Was I humiliated? Nope. Was I a little bit pissed off, yes. Am I trying to sue anyone? I wish, but no. Did that non West Bank checkpoint strangle my economic or social life? I think not.
About the Author
Brian of London is not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy. Since making aliyah in 2009, Brian has blogged at Israellycool. Brian's interests include world peace and an end to world hunger.Besides blogging here, Brian of London now writes for PJ Media. Brian of London also hosted Shire Network NewsFiled Under: General
[...] from near where the assassination took place.11:18AM: Israellycool correspondent Brian of London describes his experience at – and after – the recent Diana Krall concert in Israel.9:14AM: The [...]
In Israel we have checkpoints at malls, parking lots, supermarkets, banks, official buildings…should I mention that some of the security guards at these checkpoints are arabs?
Boy, are we strangled…
Exactly my point!
Apartheid!
I love when they ask if I have weapons.
Me to… I keep thinking they're going to break a glass bottle and hand me the stem and tell me "here, you'll need this"
I point to one of my troublemaking children tagging along.
Here in New York, the police try to be as unobtrusive as safely possible knowing that we are a favorite jihad target. Instead, the watchword is, "If you see something, say something," and tipsters have been an effective front line of defense.
Apartied, juvanya? Nothing compared to the gender and dihmmni apartied of the pisslamic world. And there are many pisslamic neighborhoods in Israel where Jews are not allowed: no go zones in their own country, but this too is typical of what is happening in pisslamic neighborhoods throughout the free world. If you have a better idea on how Israel can protect itself and its people, then write your Knesset rep and suggest it. Until the pisslamic world quits torturing and suppressing their own people, especially women, through their totalitarian theocracies and dictatorships, then you have no ground on which to stand.
Way to go Diana! You withstood threats and much propaganda and kept the concert date that you agreed to originally. You have my complete respect, if not my understanding on how you can live with such a confused man who would betray a democratic country and ally himself with a pisslamic world that is the epitomy of darkness and evil.
I live in Toronto, and have been lucky? enough to see Diana Krall in concert twice.
Both times she played for around 90 minutes, and both times she seemed very bored with it all. I think that’s just how she looks. I don’t know if she’s even capable of smiling.
I am really happy she performed in Israel though.
If you were to go through this everyday and then not be able to get onto the highway randomly some days on the way to work, then it would just start approaching the conditions in yehudah and shomron.
Also remember these are Israeli police who you (on some level) look up to and trust. These are people who you know are trying to protect you from the other, these aren't the people you feel are controlling your life and protecting "the other" from you.
Just because things are blown out of proportion doesn't mean there aren't real problems.
Sad to say, I agree with you. An occasional roadblock is an annoyance. When done too often, it becomes something different entirely.
However much we (being firmly in the pro-Israel camp) try to say that all is fine in Gaza, it obviously is not all fine. It's not as bad as made out in the worlds press, but it sure 'aint perfect.
And if the residents of Ramat HaSharon were routinely trying to blow up North Tel Aviv I'd be more upset with those terrorists in Ramat HaSharon than the police and security services trying to keep North Tel Aviv safe.
Bottom line, stop trying to blow stuff up and life gets easier. That's what's happened now in Judea/Samaria while Gaza has got tougher.
Pity we have to treat these adults as if they were three year olds, but it seems to be the only solution that works.
While there is some point to ehat you say, I am HAPPIER when a checker takes his time and looks through my things thoroughly.I wish more of them would do that.
There are two fundamental problems with your comparison. First of all, being stuck in traffic is an inevitable part of urban life, just like long lines at the checkout or crowded beaches or small apartments. Checkpoints are imposed on Palestinians by Israel. That by itself is a source of humiliation and it is componded by their treatment at the checkpoints themselves, which is arbitrary and often insulting. Secondly, traffic backups, whether they are caused by concerts, poor infrastructure or checkpoints, have an economic cost (high transport costs, reduced labor hours, which is why governments are always widening roads and building bridges), so yes they do strangle the economy of the West Bank. Since there are so many and they operate at all hours of the day (not just at rush hour or when concerts let out) their impact is especially big. Israel has legitmiate reasons for operating the checkpoints (although I suspect there is no need for so many), but that doesn't undercut the argument that they are hurting the West Bank economy or are degrading to Palestinians.
When they close checkpoints (as they are doing now), people die.
The PA calls us the enemy. In other words, they are at war with us. I think they should be happy we are as restrained as we are.
So you are Davros BEFORE you recreated the Daleks?
Continued from previous: In light of these two points your comparison of post-concert traffic to checkpoiints is trivial and insulting, akin to someone saying "what's all the complaining about that the poor donot getting enough to eat. I'm on a diet and suffering, too."
Thanks for your comment Davros1957, I hope you take a look at the rest of Israellycool while you're here.
I was trying to make a serious point with some mild humour. Of course the inconvenience to Israelis like me of a little extra traffic (and note that this road block was already a long way from the concert so had nothing to do with that) is minor and I am well aware that the checks they carry out on Arabs are more odious than a torch in the face.
The simple fact, however, is that the Arabs have on many occasions tried and succeeded in blowing up our children. Just yesterday it was the 9th anniversary of the Sbarro pizza restaurant bombing. The woman in prison who openly admitted pride in carrying the bomber to the target she had selected is wanted back by Hamas in return for Shalit. Every single restriction the Arabs face stems from their belligerency. Every single restriction I face be it road blocks or security checks at malls stems from Arab belligerency.
Get over it already, Jews are back in their original home of Israel, the Caliphate is not coming back. Live as a minority under Jews or get out. If Islam doesn't allow that, tough luck.
That woman should have been executed. WHY are Israelis so European? I have both a friend and a relative who almost died in Sbarro, and I didn't even live here then.
FIFY
You've got to be the angriest guy on here, Shy Guy, or at least the most caustic. You really think Christianity is the basis for the hostility some in Eurpoe exhibit towards Israel?!!? Why stop there (as if you really have)? You're problem really is with all of us non-Jews, isn't it? I'll let you in on something that may change your life–you're surrounded by non-Jews–in the Middle East, here in America, and around the world. And its not going to change. So accept that fact and live with us non-Jews in peace.
There–FIFY with two snaps.
Go buy yourself an out-of-publication book – written by a Catholic, BTW.
I wasn't brought up Catholic, so I'm not so guilt-ridden as to attempt this Shy Guy book-of-the-month club summer read. Sounds like a lot of fun though. I think I'll stick with those William Wegman coffee table books with his weimeraners captured in funny poses. But thanks for the recommendation just the same.
I'm beginning to get the feeling that I am not getting through to you though, Shy Guy. Is anything I'm saying making sense to you at all?
The book covers Protestantism just the same. But never mind.
Sure! Yet one can make sense and still not be correct. ^_^
"I'm beginning to get the feeling that I am not getting through to you though, Shy Guy. Is anything I'm saying making sense to you at all?"
Which of course is how I felt with you, until I realized it wasn't worth trying. If a guy is going to swallow anti-semitic publications, then that's his choice.
I never swallow.
Just to clarify what I meant in my original post, let me quote an old article written by Manhigut Yehudit's Moshe Feiglin:
"Christianity doesn´t consider the possibility that the stronger party won´t exploit his strength for evil. It is therefore logical that evil and strength go hand in hand, while weakness represents justice. This was the origin of the Christian concept of offering the other cheek. The weaker and more despised you are, the more righteous and pure you will be. Of course no Christian ever actually offers the other cheek, only Jews do. Jews who want the world to know that they are more catholic that the Pope. We thus end up with this mad policy of "restraint" which seals the fate of yet another Jew every day.
Our adoption of the moral rules of the nations grants them the last word on every issue. They decide who is a terrorist, who is a freedom fighter, who is murderer, and who is a brave soldier defending his people and his homeland. Arafat murdered women and children, and the fighters of the Irgun avoided doing so, but they were all terrorists. And who is to say that the killing of a British sergeant is part of a war of independence and not just a despicable murder?"
Yes. I know. Our Supreme Court imposes (they said as much) the values of anti-semitic Christian Europe on us. Makes the U.S. Supreme Court look almost democratic.
Brian, In doing an internet search, it would appear that you are the only one who has written any kind of review on the concert? I find that strange? How come no Israeli magazines/newspapers have written about it? Given the despicable treatement Israel received at the hands of Elvis Shitello, I would think that his wife not standing by her man might have been a bigger story than it has turned out to be?
Just curious.
I believe there was a review in Haaretz but maybe only in Hebrew. Anyway it'sthee left that writes Jazz reviews so I don't know how they react to a wife having a different view from her husband over whether to play a concert in Israel.
Come to think of it I did read something so it must have been in English but I don't know where.
I guess in the end we're fairly unaffected by who does or does not decide to honour commitments to tour here. I mean if you're so ideologically opposed, why let your agent book the gig in the first place!
Exactly Brian. It was grandstanding. I believe it was all premeditated. Did you get a look at the load of publicity he got from it? It went on for weeks! And still the stories continue. I too believe that it does not affect Israel. It only made him look like a complete ass. Hell, in Israel, he could have stood there and spoke his, imo, stupid poltical views without any censorship whatsoever! And, while he denies he was threatened in any way, that IS the coercive mo of pisslamicists and the propaganda I read calling on him to boycott was pretty heavy stuff. It alone would have ticked me off so much that I would have played just to spite their audacity. But … if Elvis has been consistent in anything, it's been his leftist views and penchant to bite the hand that feeds him. And I have to say, as someone who has put a lot of money in his pocket in the past, … it's a two-way street Elvis, and American or National Ransom (whatever Elvis) will be the first EC album that I will not buy. Ain't gonna support no terrorist loving, misguided dope any more. Shame on him.
Had to break this in two to get it to post! Forgive me for going on so, but I just have to say: long live Israel. My thoughts and prayers are with all Israelites as I read more and more each day about Hezzbullshitla digging their tunnels and stockpiling chemical warhead missles. Lots of rumors that the shit is going to hit the fan by the end of the month, that they feel emboldened by Obama's support. Be safe, be strong, all of you who live there. It is my hope that America will do the right thing and stand by Israel, and come November, I'll be bolstering that hope by voting a complete GOP ticket, something that would have been unfathomable to me in the past!
“He has a wife you know!”
Do you know what *she's* called?
Um, Jonathan, I'm a little perplexed by your question, … unless, of course, it's a joke, in which case, my answer would be: "Intelligent," or "A goddess," or, " A woman who stands not by her man but with her tribe and rightousness!" I could go on. Obviously my respect for Diana has skyrocketed in diametrical opposition to my feelings for her husband.