Netanyahu's Speech to the American Congress

As some of you have heard about the Israeli prime minister's visit to the American congress.
In his speech, he just declared himself and the Israeli government views to the world. 


"Jerusalem will never be divided"
"will not return to the indefensible borders of 1967."
"The right of return is not to be discussed"


This is a very interesting article on Haaretz, the Israeli main newspaper about Netanyahu's speech


http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/netanyahu-has-declared-himself-ready-to-challenge-obama-1.363887

Publications

http://maan-ctr.org/FactSheets.php

The link above is for Ma'an Development Center, a Palestinian Non Governmental Organization. If you are interested you can find several publications regarding the community development in Palestine as well as the Apartheid wall (Means of Displacement) and (By-Pass Roads).

BBC Censorship

The link below is about a very interesting article. BBC radio station tried to increase the sound effect when an American rapper was singing a song entitled as "Free Palestine".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/may/13/bbc-palestine-lyric-mic-righteous

Obama demolished Palestinian chances for statehood

"Benjamin Netanyahu may as well have canceled his trip to Washington: Barack Obama did the work for him, or most of it."


http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/obama-demolished-palestinian-chances-for-statehood-1.362895


This is a recent article by the Israeli Jewish writer Gideon Levi commenting on President Obama's speech and its promise to the Israeli government. An article that is worth reading.


"The 1,500 new apartments in Jerusalem will be built, speech or no speech. The real test for that speech, as for any other, is what happens next, and the suspicion is that nothing will happen at all."

Architecture and Pyalara

Pyalara is a well known organization/group of youths from Palestine that is known to the Palestinian community. Unfortunately i did not have the chance to join and engage in Pyalara while i was living in Palestine, although my parents always wanted me to join.
"PYALARA is an independent Palestinian youth organization that seeks to create young Palestinian leaders who are aware of their rights and duties as equal citizens, capable of incurring social and political change, and effectively participate in building a democratic society through specialized media, lobbying and advocacy.". This is Pyalara's mission, a valuable mission and an important one that will empower the Palestinian youth.
Questions:
Q1) What are the activities planned for this summer? 
Q2) Can anyone join the Pyalara's activities and what is the process of doing so?
Q3) Did Pyalara's visual and artistic media plans and projects had the chance to be delivered in any other country beside Palestine? Are there any activities or plans for the organization to grow globally? 


While reading the article "Seizing locality in Jerusalem", i passed by a line that says "the traditions in the culture and professional formation of the generation of architects, which was entrusted with the national mandate of israelizing Jerusalem", this made me wonder how the Israeli architectures and the Israeli architects were able to Israelize Jerusalem? Because political wise, it is one of the top priorities for the ISraeli government to Israelize Jerusalem. Reading this article shows how some Jewish or Israeli architecture tried and is still trying to "Israelize" Jerusalem, a mission that contradicts the Pyalara mission for example, as Payalra's mission of architecture is not to "Palestinize" Palestine, but to empower a leadership sense within the community based on respect and education. I also wonder about the plan of the Israeli government in "remodeling"  one of the oldest gates to the Old City in Jerusalem, Demascus Gate, which is a plan that is intended to "Israelize" the city more and more than it is really intended to remodel or re build the gate. 
In the "West Bank", the Palestinian government with other youth organizations are working more and more in remodeling the old houses/institutes and the architecture in the area, in order to keep the old tradition and to maintain the sense of belonging to the land. One of the recent projects were in Ramallah, to remodel yet maintain the old appearance of the Hamrra Palace, as well as the re-opening of the Hamra cinema in East Jerusalem. 

Women's Testimonies of the Nakba סיפורן של נשים על הנ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRFk1iF8QWc&feature=player_embedded#at=37

The link above is a 10 minute video about testimonies of Palestinian womens who were displaced and expelled from their lands and houses 63 years ago. Today, May 15th, marks the 63 years of the Palestinian greatest catastrophe, one of the oldest and biggest refugee problem in recent history. 63 years ago, there were 1.4 million Palestinian living in the land of Palestine, in May 15th 1948, 84% were annexed by force and move out to neighboring countries. More than 70 massacres took place by the Zionist groups as the Haganah. More than 15,000 Palestinians were killed. More than 517 Palestinian villages were ethnically cleansed. More than 840,000 Palestinians became refugees outside their lands.

Isn't it time for the international community and humanity to wake up? If 63 years of destruction, apartheid, uprooting, ethnic cleansing, occupation, denial of freedom, justice and equality are not enough, when is it then?

Graffiti on Walls

I was not able to open or view the content of the article entitled “Old and New walls in Jerusalem”.

Regarding the Julie Peteet article, “The writing on the Walls: The Graffiti of the Intifada” is a very interesting article. As a Palestinian youth born and raised in Palestine and the occupied territories, this is not a new thing for us. As Peteet said, almost every inch of the walls of the stores, houses, etc have something written on them. It is a way to let others see and remember what is going on, or what have happened. Some of the writings could be statements about the conflict, names of martyrs who were killed by the Israeli occupation forces, or a name of a political party, etc. Although it might not look “nice” for some people, including me personally, but the writings have served during the past periods of the two Intifadas in 1987 and 2000. As some times writing on the walls will deliver some kind of messages to either the Palestinians themselves or the occupation forces when they invade the city/village.

One can also find not only writings or statements or names, but drawings. For example, after Mahmoud Darwish the Palestinian well known poet died, many people went after his funeral and start drawing his pictures and writings under it on walls. Another example is after the death of Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader, pictures of him, and his sayings were all over the place. Drawings of the map of Palestine with the Palestinian flag, etc can also be found on the walls. And now, after the eruption of the Apartheid Wall within the West Bank, Palestinians, Israeli peace activists and American activists started writing and drawing on the wall with statements as “the wall will fall”, or “ we need bridges not walls”, etc.

Peteet mentioned the relationship between graffiti and resistance. And I think this is very interesting and true to a great extent. Graffiti on the walls are now seen as part of the Palestinian struggle and resistance against the occupation, also a sign of international solidarity by non-Arabs who come to the oPT that draw and write on the wall as a sign of sympathy and solidarity with the Palestinian people.  Looking at the web site, one can see some examples of drawings and writings on the walls in Palestine. The videos in the site explain the exact message behind writing on walls.

It might look somehow “not civilized” or “not accepted” to draw on walls. Imagine going on campus and drawing on some walls, that does not sound a good or something to be done. But for the Palestinian conflict, it served its context, it delivered a message and now it is a sign or international solidarity against the occupation.

 This quote is written on the apartheid wall between The city of Ramallah, all the way to the wall at East Jerusalem, cutting through the main road that used to connect Ramallah with Jerusalem. This quote was said to be the longest quote on a wall ever, taken from some speech of Nelson Mandela at the time of apartheid.

This is another graffiti writing on the apartheid wall on Qalandia checkpoint, that separates Ramallah from Jerusalem. Many of the drawings are funny as this one. 

Right to Return

Below is a link to a 2 minute plus video about the Palestinian right to return.
Maybe you have heard about the planned global demonstrations that are taking place in NY, DC, Montreal, Canada, Boston, Europe, Palestine, and the Arab countries in May 15th, the day that marks the 63 year of the Palestinian Catastrophe, The Nakba. You might not have heard about the deletion of the Facebook groups that had more than 355,000 member, or have not herd about the Israeli government pressure on Facebook admins to delete the groups of the May 15th demonstration, that were and are planned to be NON-VIOLENT. This is how power works, it is in one world, censorship of the weak.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEIbUoSSiV4&feature=player_embedded
"You (the occupation) deny me my rights, you colonize my land, you steal my home, you murder my loved ones, then ask me to surrender, to forgive, and forget, dont you realize that for every action there is a reaction? This is how thing are, this is how our world works, it is only natural to be, to exist, to resist, it is only humane to feel, to act, to fight,, for justice in Palestine. Join the resistance."

Items that talk for itself

My final project will be about the history of the Israeli conflict since 1948, the first point where the problem of refugees was created, going until our recent day of the conflict. I will introduce what is the Nakba (Palestinian Catastrophe that in May 15^th marks its 63^rd year), the Naksa or the 6 day war of 1967, the first Intifada in 1987, the second Intifada in 2000, the eruption of the apartheid Wall within the West Bank lands (1967) with a focus on East Jerusalem, from an economic perspective to a humanitarian one including the house demolishing in East Jerusalem. I will end up in the possible solutions to the Palestinian – Israeli conflict and the International law responses to the conflict. I will include facts, pictures, maps and statistics and data about the conflict.

Regarding the things that represent who am I as Palestinian, I will choose two things, the Kuffyeh or the Palestinian traditional scarf and an image that represent any loyal Palestinian and the culture, which is Handalah, the kid that in 1948 was 10 years old, and till now did not turned his face to the public and is still 10 years, who did not grow, and wont until he returns to his home in Palestine. I will talk more about Handalah as a symbolic image of Palestine and the refugees.

For this week’s assignment, about LGBT rights and movements in Israel and Palestine, I stand in support for any human being regardless race, sexual orientation, ethnicity or nationality that is fighting non-violently for a decent recognition of his/her identity. I have nothing against LGBT movement no matter where it is, but if the movement is being used politically against one nation, then I will stand against it. As I mentioned earlier in class, some Israeli journalists are using this phenomenon against the Palestinians, and are saying that Palestinians non-straight people are being discriminated against within the Palestinian society. We have to understand the culture of the Arab countries and Palestine included, in the United States for instance, gays/lesbians were not accepted easily within the American society, and it took few years for them to be “accepted” yet, are still feeling kind off isolated from the rest of the public. In Palestine or the Arab countries, this issue is so sensitive and not yet accepted within most of the Arab societies. Although there are organizations that ask for the right of gays in Palestine as Al-Qaws, but it is still not accepted as a “new movement” in Palestine. I do respect the culture and do understand as well the point behind not yet accepting the LGBT movement, as there are still other more important issues and topics to be focused upon by the Palestinians within their own society.

http://www.pinkwatchingisrael.com/israels-gay-propaganda-war/
this article is entitled as Israel’s Gay Propaganda War by Jasbir Puar, an American queer theorist.

Alqaws for sexual and gender diversity in the Palestinian society is an organization that work collaboratively to break down gendered barriers. It seeks to create an open space for all its members so that they may be engaged in the struggle for equality and inclusion. It is a new organization within the Palestinian society, that is still growing, and I believe is still facing problems of being accepted within the Palestinian society.

This is Handalah, the Palestinian symbol of resistance yet hope and belief of returning to the land one day. This is the image i am choosing that represent me personally. 

Questions to Yonatan Gher:
Q1) To what extent is the LGBT movement is accepted in Israel?
Q2) What do you think about the Israeli war propaganda of “pinkwashing” ?
Q3) Do you think that the members of JOH are also interested in the violations of Israel to the human rights and international laws, since such organization is calling for equality and acceptance of the other?

Monday Readings

“Not the Mother of All cities” is an interesting feminist perspective of Jerusalem, the holy city. In the article by Hsan-Rokem, she Is saying how Jerusalem should not be seen as a female figure. In my own perspective, I see Jerusalem as a mother and a beautiful female, what is better than seeing Jerusalem as a mother, as a women who is facing all kinds of division and discrimination, destruction and apartheid. We all pray for a just peace in Jerusalem based on human rights, international laws and equality. I can understand the view of Hasan-Rokem as feminist and how she views Jerusalem, after all, Jerusalem is the beloved, whether it is viewed as male or female.

Questions to Miss Hasan-Rokem:
Q1) Does it really matter if Jerusalem is seen as female or male? Isn’t it of best interest for everyone to view it as a city that is deprived from equality, freedom, peace and justice?

Q2) Regarding the Jerusalem Link project, where is it now? And what are its contribution to the just peace between Israel and Palestine?

Q3) From a feminist perspective, how do you see the future of Jerusalem, the city?

“Sharon and My Mother in Law” by Suad Amiry is a story from Palestinian real lives. Although Amiry is mentioning the brutality of the curfew, but you can sense the laughs of the people. من رحم الاوجاع تلد الضحكه meaning in English that from the suffering, laugher is born, this is how Palestinians are, we have been facing harsh situations, but the sense of fun and laugh never left our stories. I remember once I asked my mother about all the duct tapes surrounding the holes of the doors of our house in Ramallah, she told me that they were afraid of chemicals getting into our house, at the times of the gulf war. When reading the first chapter about the Gas Masks, I thought for a while that she is telling the story of the 40 day curfew to the West Bank in 2003. And curfew for those who haven’t witnessed it means, that no person is allowed to leave his/her house under no circumstance, until the Israeli soldiers remove it. Meaning, no one is allowed to leave the house to neighbors, markets, schools, hospitals or work, otherwise he/she are putting their lives at risk of being killed.

The “Dog’s Life” chapter is a humorous one. The difference between me and Amiry, is that although my family and I can go into Jerusalem, but we preferred to have Dr. Hisham himself to seek our 4 dogs back in 2005! How small the world is!!! In this chapter, if you look beneath the lines, you can see how much Palestinians who have the Jerusalem ID which differs than the Israeli passport are facing. My family and I have the Jerusalem IDs, and for that we had to buy a house in Jerusalem to keep an address so the ID wont be taken from us, and although we have had the American Greencard since 1996, but if we dare and took the American passport, then the ID will be taken from us by the Israeli Interior ministry. This is how we as Palestinians of Jerusalem are discriminated against by the Israeli policies and regimes. 

Empower your knowledge

As we are moving towards May 15th, a day that shaped the future of millions and millions of Palestinians, and a day that created the problem of Palestinian refugees. 63 years later, in 2011, Palestinians did not lose hope, and are certain more than ever, that one day, they Will Return to their lands and country.

These two videos are done by Benny Brunner, who have produced and directed documentary films internationally since mi n 1980s. The two movies below are about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

http://vimeo.com/3714871   A documentary that presents the historical event that lead to the creation of Palestinian refugees around the world.
http://vimeo.com/8080908  Israeli activists that are against the brutality of the Israeli occupation to the Palestinian lands, where their voices are rarely heard outside Israel, are talking and standing with humanity and justice.

Music, can it really unite opponents?

Music is a universal language that unites all people under one umbrella, the umbrella of university, socialization and peace. As Palestinian, music plays an important role in our culture; music is not only a form of rest or joy, but also resistance. Palestinians uses their tradition and culture and impede it within the music and songs. Sabreen for example is a well known Palestinian musical group that was formed in Jerusalem 30 plus years ago. Sabreen as a name means “to stay patient”, meaning that we as Palestinian will stay patient regarding every oppression and injustice that we have been through.

The Jerusalem Music Center is a center to provide the excellence of music and talents within the Israeli community and society. The Heartbeat – Jerusalem project is another kind of projects that have Palestinians and Israeli youth involved. The idea behind the project is to empower both side’s youth to hear and understand each other. I personally is a bit conservative regarding such projects and programs that involve Palestinians and Israelis under the name of music. I will not give my opinion regarding because I am not sure of who is behind such ideas.

Hip hop on the other side is another form of music. In Palestine Hip Hop is increasing and growing, but most of the Hip Hop singers from Palestine write and sing their songs about Palestine, the culture, the conflict and daily stories under occupation. We can see how music in Palestine is imbedded within the conflict and the beliefs that we as Palestinian youth have and were raised upon.

Regarding the Oud Festival, Link 1 – Confederation House, under the Who We Are, it says how Jerusalem is populated by people from different backgrounds and religions, ignoring the fact that there are Christians in Jerusalem as well, they were enough by saying “ver 100 ethnic groups and communities live side by side in Jerusalem: Jews and Muslims, secular and orthodox, members of all religions from every continent.”

Music does play an important role in any conflict in this world, and music is also a mirror of one’s culture. And regarding the Palestinian Israeli conflict, musical centers that combine both youth from the two sides is in my opinion “Okay”, and I  would rather stay conservative regarding my personal opinion about such projects. Because again, our conflict will never be solved through music or talks or violence, but through international laws, human rights, justice, equality and freedom.

History of Palestine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm_aH6q02sc&feature=player_embedded#at=20

This is a 9 minute video about the History of Palestine told by some american and Jewish activists, writers and historians.

Week Five

This week’s readings are focused all on music and the love and passionate to the art. Many important names were mentioned, who years ago practiced and taught others about the love of music. And today, in Palestine, these people are still remembered especially Khalil Al-Sakakini’s Institute/ Center in Ramallah that still hosts musical festivals and artistic plays.

While reading this week’s articles, I found the most interesting part about “Sultana and Khalil” and their romantic love. Although I have been many time to Khalil Sakakini’s institute in Ramallah, but I never knew about the love story between Khalil and Sultana. Another interesting fact is that he was displaced from the Katamon, a Palestinian neighborhood that was taken by the Israelis in the 1948 war, and the interesting thing, is that my own grandfather’s house was also in the Katamon, where he bought it in 1945.

Another part of the article I found really interesting is Chapter 9, “Ishaq Shami and the Predicament of the Arab Jew in Palestine”, as it goes in describing the difference between the Jews who were at the “middle East location” at that time, including, Palestine, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. The article talks about how everyone was living peacefully with the ‘other’, up to a point where the idea of Zionism was moving inwards toward the Palestinian community at that time, and to the Ashkenazim Jews who were living in Palestine, under the British Mandate.

The other part of this week’s assignment is writing few questions to address to Dr. Tamari. Dr. Tamari has a PhD in sociology and for that I thought of a question about the sociological changes that happened and is taking place within the Palestinian society.

Q1- How do you view the sociological the main social changes in the Palestinian society in the last decade?

Q2- Do you think that the two state solution is still reliable with the presence of more than 400 thousand settler in the West Bank? Is the idea of two state solution is acceptable after the Israeli government decides to isolate the Palestinian villages who are mostly the holders of the Jerusalem IDs outside of the Jerusalem area?

Q3- How do you view as a sociologist the development in the Palestinian society, especially in the rural areas taking into consideration the settlements and area C?