Wednesday, August 1, 2007

The Magnes Zionist Visits The City of Herzl

All right, it is also the city of Mozart, Strauss, Freud, Mahler, Franz Joseph, Wienerschnitzel, Sacher Tort, and sehr viel antisemitismus.

In a few hours, I am off to Vienna for a week of research and relaxation. Posts will continue but will be somewhat erratic. I am hoping to feature selections from Avrum Burg's new Hebrew book.

I also hope to begin a new series called, "Give Justice a Chance; Give Peace a Rest" in which you will see how I have broken with the so-called Peace camp in Israel after Camp David II and Intifada II. No, I did not join the ranks of the so-called "disappointed left" (i.e., the disappointed nationalists who because of the twisted terminology in this country considered themselves left but who really belong to what Haim Baram calls the "chavinistic center" (ha-merkaz ha-leumani)).

In the meantime, I leave you with Amira Hass's opinion piece today in Haaretz. She, like I, am very nervous about what appears to be the "Groundhog's Day" eternal return in this country -- violence, peace process, violence, peace process, etc., etc., in which the West keeps backing a Fatah government that does not seem to have learned anything from its corrupt past.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I like the idea of "give peace a rest", "pursue justice" (or, as I call it, international law).

IF--
all concerned (Palestinians, Jews, etc.) called loudly for the occupation of Golan and the West Bank (including all occupied East Jerusalem) to be conducted strictly legally according to international law, and for all "peace negotiation" to be suspended at least until ALL settlers were removed (to within the green line) and the wall removed (and rebuilt if Israel should decided to do so within the green line),
THEN--
(I say THEN)
it would be reasonable to start again such things as confidence-building and peace-negotiations
(and no sooner).