An easy fast to my Jewish readers. May we be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life for a good and peaceful year.
This will be the last blog post until tomorrow night, after I break my fast. I am as crabby as a three-year-old when I get really hungry. You don’t want to be around me until I’ve eaten. Trust me on that one.
If I have offended or wronged anyone in the last year, I apologize, and ask your forgiveness.
A happy and sweet New Year to all of the Jews who read my blog (and those who don’t).
Have a Glorious Fourth!
This year, more than others, we should remember this:
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
May the words of freedom give heart to those struggling under tyrannies everywhere, but especially in Iran.
The Weekly World News, as always, got the dish on what really happened at the White House Seder:
A team of Rabbis, Jewish Scholars, and Project Runway winner Christian Siriano were brought in to design the event.
At the beginning of the service a plate of traditional and symbolic foods will be at the head of the table. Fresh organic horseradish root will provide the bitter herbs symbolizing the bitterness of slavery, handmade adzuki paste will symbolize the mortar slaves worked with, along with three matzos symbolizing “slaves bread” made by Mario Battali and each costing $400.
To represent the tears of the Jewish slaves, there will be glasses of actual tears collected in Jerusalem from widows watching Yentl.
The Haggedah, the story of the Jewish exodus from slavery, will be read aloud by the President while behind him it is projected on a screen in a CGI animation designed by George Lucas’ Industrial Light and Magic studio and presented in 3-D. All necessary 3-D glasses have been blessed by a Rabbi and deemed kosher.
Here’s my favorite part:
For added effect, a 4 square foot section of the Wailing Wall has been brought in from Israel. Guests will pour small amounts of Manischewitz at its base in remembrance of those who have died along the way, while the Washington Men’s choir sings a Hebrew translation of the Bone Thugs ‘n Harmony song Crossroads.
I love the Weekly World News. It’s gotta go on my sidebar.
On this holiday, we celebrate the survival of the Jews against yet another enemy who would have killed us all—this one, in ancient Iran.
May the Holy One, Blessed be He, keep the modern-day Hamans of Iran from harming today’s Jews.
Happy New Year, everyone.
I’ll be back later.
This year, I’m going to enjoy my first New Year’s Eve in my new home. And at midnight, I’m going to open the door and listen to the absence of guns being fired.
Yes, my old apartment complex got that bad.
Tonight, I had a lovely time with the R. family, whom I met the first year I moved to Richmond. Daughter Mara was one of my two teaching assistants, and her mother and I hit it off from the get-go. For the last few years, I’ve spent many holidays at the R. home, joining them for Rosh Hashanah, Passover, Yom Kippur, and just for a nice dinner. So it’s a great pleasure to me to be able to return the hospitality. My apartment really wasn’t a good place for hosting dinners, but my condo is a perfect place for it. And, it turns out, a good place for Wii bowling, as well.
We had latkes, of course, and the roast chicken came out perfect. Sam brought his home-made chocolate chip cookies for dessert (very good. Unfortunately, Tig and Gracie hid upstairs. I got Tig out by bribing him with Fancy Feast, so Sam and Mara did get to meet him. Their parents met him last time. I think there were just too many new people for the cats to absorb. But Sam’s going to come over again tomorrow, and help me get the hard top on my Jeep, so it’s highly likely that Tig will come out for him.
In the meantime, the last virtual menorah picture until next year.
I’m off to bed. It’s been a long day.
Almost forgot.
And here’s the sixth light, which I forgot to post yesterday.
On the fifth night of Hanukkah, my readers gave to me… an orange boy in a Christmas tree.
See, my orange boy can’t climb on this. Well, he could, but he definitely wouldn’t do it more than once.
OrangeToo is brought to you by: Reader Pamela. Thanks for sharing!
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
(Okay, I’ll be posting later, probably. But the sentence really works, y’know?)
You have no excuse not to add comments to posts tonight and tomorrow.
Something different from my usual virtual menorah: Pictures from a Chanukah party I attended tonight. Four of my seven students from last year were there, as well as one of my favorites from three years ago. And there were new children to meet. There was a ton of food, nearly all of it fried. My contribution was my home-made potato chips, which were gone long before dinner. Hours to make, minutes to eat.
It was a BYOM party: Bring your own menorah. Josh’s parents didn’t notice that line on the invitation, so I let him light my menorah. I love the look of utter concentration on his face.
This is all of the younger kids. The grinning boy in the back is my guy Andy, the host of the party, who is a lot sweeter than the tough-guy act he puts on. (The smile really gives him away.) Which is not to say he can’t be tough. Just that he can’t fool me. Andy has a motorcyle menorah. Very cool. Emily is going to be annoyed that her face is half-hidden, but this was the best of the group shots. Minus two points to Megan (tall girl, back row) for forgetting that Shehechiyanu is only said on the first night. Next to half-hidden Emily is Megan’s sister Alana, who should have been my student last year but who went to a different synagogue, and in the front row is Libby, Josh’s twin. Libby and Josh were the fifth set of boy-girl twins I had in six years of teaching. What are the odds of that? (Sorry, don’t recall the names of the other two boys, who are friends/neighbors and weren’t former students of mine. Wait–the little one is Anthony, I think.)
One more picture of Josh concentrating. Lighting candles is serious business when you’re a fifth grader.
I had a wonderful time. I’m still smiling. And the kids all got (sigh) taller. But it was lovely seeing them and their parents.
As always, we have my virtual menorah:
And a reprise of what I found to be a very funny Dreidel song.
Yippee-ai-oh-chai-yay!
Today, I give thanks for the many, many blessings in my life.
In the last year, I lost and found a Tigger, gained a new, wonderful job, and was able to buy—for the first time in my life–my own home. I’ve seen my friendships grow even more than they have in the last few years, and seen my nephews and nieces grow into amazing young men and women (you should see my brother’s son, with his soul patch, getting more handsome by the day). ((Oy. He’s shaving. He’s growing beards. Oy. I swear, he was four years old just last week.))
I have two tremendous co-bloggers (although one has been rather busy lately). Thank you, Soccer Dad and Snoopy, for keeping this blog going when I’ve been too tired or too busy or too depressed to post much. And for supplying a different point of view. (Not so different, but then, I’m not interested in point/counterpoint on this blog.)
I’m thankful for my readers, too, and of course that includes those of you who read and never comment. I used to call you my “invisibles” when I was running a BBS. I always thought the word “lurker” has too much of a negative connotation. In this world, some people talk, and many people listen. Same for blogging, BBSing, and message boards.
And I’m thankful, as always, that I live in these United States—the world’s most hospitable nation to Jews this side of Israel, and the world’s greatest democracy. I’m thankful to the servicemen and women who risk their lives to keep us that way. Long may America prosper. And the same for Israel. Am Yisrael Chai.
On the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish year, I can find only one AP story referring to it: The one about the Israeli version of “Big Brother” shutting down for the holiday. I have found no Reuters pieces on the holy day.
Compare this with the number of negative stories referring to Israel during Christmas season.
What anti-Israel media bias?
The AP couldn’t manage to write a Rosh Hashana story without criticizing Israel. Because gee, when they write Ramadan stories, the first thing they do is bemoan Muslim terrorist attacks. Oh, wait. No they don’t. Here’s what went ’round the world:
Israelis ushered in the Jewish New Year on Monday with festive family dinners – and a warning from their outgoing prime minister that they’ll have to return virtually all the land captured in 1967 to win peace with the Palestinians and Syrians.
Ehud Olmert, who is giving up his office amid a corruption investigation, also exchanged holiday greetings with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas. The Jewish New Year, or Rosh Hashana, coincides this year with Eid el-Fitr, one of the holiest days on the Muslim calendar.
Let’s see what the AP says the Palestinians have to do.
Palestinians, meanwhile, prepared for Eid el-Fitr, the three-day holiday marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Eid el-Fitr will start here Tuesday.
In Gaza, outdoor markets were selling nearly all the supplies needed for the holiday, but prices were up sharply, compared to the period before the start of the blockade. Gazans get many of their supplies through smuggling tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border.
A tunnel operator, who would identify himself only as Abu Nidal, said he had been working double time in the run-up to the holiday.
“Before we used to enter 1, 2 tons a day of goods in general,” he said. “These days, from 5 to 6 tons.” He added that the smuggled goods range from clothes and chocolate to balloons.
Got the narrative? Israel will have to give up all the territory captured in 1967. Because Ehud Olmert, the unelected Prime Minister of Israel, who is operating without any kind of mandate and is being forced out of office due to corruption investigations, said so. The Palestinians, meantime—have to smuggle Eid food into Gaza. Lots of it.
Now let’s look at the holiday itself. The AP can’t simply describe Rosh Hashanah. Nope. Gotta have the narrative.
Rosh Hashana, which began at sundown, ushers in 10 days of soul-searching capped by Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. But the New Year holiday itself is a time for festive meals, which traditionally include an apple dipped in honey to symbolize a sweet new year.
Israel closed off the West Bank until late Wednesday, barring Palestinians from entering Israel. It is a measure common during Jewish holidays, to deter possible attacks by Palestinian militants.
The Gaza Strip, the other Palestinian territory, has been virtually sealed off since June 2007, when the Islamic militant group Hamas seized control by force. The vast majority of the territory’s 1.4 million Palestinians have been trapped there since then.
Got it? While Israelis will be having festive meals, after days of soul-searching, the Gazans are trapped inside the Gaza Strip (and there’s almost no context save for the reference to Hamas above), and working double-time to smuggle in Eid feast goods.
File this under, “Why we hate the AP.”
A sweet and healthy new year to my fellow Jews.
Posting will be light for the next 24 hours.
In a few hours, I’ll be at the G. household, with apple cake in hand. It’s the one and only baked good I make from scratch. Then we’ll all go to their synagogue tonight. I’m going to visit my old synagogue tomorrow and see how the new rabbi does. She’s a she. I’ve had women cantors before, but not rabbis. (I think it’s the year of the woman or something.)
I never get tired of posting this:
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
I will not be going to Fort Lee this year. I’ll be celebrating at Chesterfield County Fairgrounds with Sarah and family. (My big job of the day: Going to Chesterfield Berry Farm, an awesome produce place, and getting the corn.)
I have checked my email for the day, and will be filling out my electronic timesheet as soon as this post is done. For the rest of the day, well, it’s a holiday. I’ll be back after the fireworks. I hope my cobloggers are taking a break as well.
Writing about an industrial zone on the border of Gaza set to open nearly ten years ago, William Orme of the New York Times reported:
Now, hailed by all sides as the first tangible achievement of the current phase of the tortuous Israeli-Palestinian negotiating process, the Gaza Industrial Estate is expected to be operating before the end of the year. It will employ up to a thousand Palestinians, and eventually more, in several small-scale manufacturing ventures.What was hailed here as a diplomatic and economic breakthrough would almost anywhere else in the world be an unexceptional, small step in industrial development.
Still, it is a measure of the Gaza Strip’s isolation and economic desperation that this tentative, modest project looms so large for Palestinian planners.
Orme, of course, notes how Israel was likely to render the success of such a project unviable.
Gaza’s exports are routinely obstructed by border closings and security checks, further skewing a chronic trade imbalance. For every five trucks that arrive here from Israel, only one goes out, and it typically goes out very slowly.On a recent afternoon at the border checkpoint next to the industrial park, six Israeli customs inspectors examined a truckload of Gaza potatoes for hours, pallet by pallet, bag by bag, with hand-held metal detectors.
Unfortunately, one of the industrial zones bordering Gaza, Karni, was often the focus of terrorism.
In 2004 after Israel arrested an organizer of a terrorist attack in Ashdod where the terrorists were transported through Karni, Israel released some relevant information about the suspect:
Atallah noted that in the weeks prior to his arrest, the Hamas and Al-Aqsa Martyr Brigades tried to carry out another double suicide bombing into Israel, using the Karni crossing as the route for smuggling the suicide bombers. Atallah was responsible for arranging the release of the containers from the crossing; the suicide bombers were to be hidden under a double floor within a container. Atallah said that the terrorist organizations view the Karni crossing as a weak point, lacking full security checks, and providing an attractive route for smuggling terrorists into Israel. For that matter, the Hamas, assisted by Atallah, was planning to purchase trucks and establish a company for transporting containers from the Gaza Strip into Israel and use it as a guise for smuggling terrorists into Israel.
(emphasis mine)
In a 2006 briefing a UNRWA official said:
Recent incursions into the Karni industrial zone have left the infrastructure severely damaged. This usually vibrant area is now empty and quiet. Many of the companies will struggle to get started again. Some of them might not survive. Last month the offices of many Karni based Gazan companies were demolished, even the motherboards of their computers were taken away.”If violence stops there are other things to be done. This industrial zone has to be working again. Otherwise reconstruction will be unsustainable in Gaza”, Mr Grandi said.
The problem is that Karni became a focal point for attack because of its vulnerability. In fact the idea – logical on the face – that facilitating commerce and economic opportunity between the Palestinians and Israel would cement peace between them, has worked out quite the opposite so far.
I bring you this background because Tony Blair knows that he can bring peace to the Middle East by following this path right now.
Mr. Blair, a former British prime minister and now the representative of the so-called quartet of Middle East peacemakers — the United States, the United Nations, Russia and the European Union — announced plans for economic, social and security measures at a news conference. He said it would be “a mistake to think” that the political negotiations could work without changing the reality on the ground.That, he said, meant easing conditions for Palestinians in their daily lives while assuring Israelis their security.
Among the measures, which Mr. Blair said he had been discussing with Israeli defense officials, were efforts to ease the movement of Palestinian people and goods; the development of two industrial parks; approval for new building in Palestinian villages in areas under Israeli control; and the creation of a special Palestinian economic and security zone in and around Jenin, in the north, as a testing ground for the rest of the West Bank.
Will Mr. Blair’s initiatives pay off? The experience in Gaza shows that rather improving the lives of the Palestinians, the economic zones may well become targets for opportunistic terrorists. This is not to say that his effort will fail. Still past experience tells us that Mr. Blair’s good intentions notwithstanding, the implementation of his plan may well make matters worse.
Crossposted on Soccer Dad.
Way to conduct negotiations, Hamas.
Hamas has threatened an “unprecedented escalation” against Israel if it does not agree soon to the Egyptian-mediated cease-fire offer, the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat reported Sunday.
[...] “All options are open. The ball is in the Israeli court,” Abu Zuhri said, adding that if Israel continues its procrastination, aggression and blockade of Gaza, “it may lead to unprecedented escalation.”
Gee, it’s almost as if they didn’t hear a word Jimmy Carter said to them.
Then again, it’s not like they haven’t used these tactics in the past.
In the meantime, the kassam rocket fire continues. And terrorist groups say they won’t agree to the truce, and leave themselves a loophole wide enough to drive a car-bomb through. They “reserve the right” to respond to “Israeli aggression,” code for the IDF taking out terrorists who, say, launch kassams into Israel. The thing that PIJ does all the time.
The thing that bothers me is that Olmert is apparently going to accept this truce, knowing full well Hamas wants only to rearm and regroup.
On the other hand, Olmert may finally be facing a scandal big enough to force him out. Since Israelis don’t think he’s worth getting rid of for his abysmal defense record, maybe his corruption will finally do it.
Here’s hoping. Israel deserves better leadership than she’s got.
A happy and kosher Passover to all of my Jewish readers.
“In every generation, they rise up against us, but the Holy One, blessed be He, rescues us from their hands.”
We will recite those words tonight. They have never lost their meaning. I’m afraid they never will.
But we’re still here. And we’ll still be here, when Hamas is as obscure—and dead—as the Hittites.
The week in review of the NYT Jan 17 – 23, 1993 reported on the law that allowed Israelis to talk to the PLO like this:
On the right, the dismayed opposition warned that a group bent on Israel’s destruction had been handed legitimacy. Indeed, even before Parliament acted, the P.L.O. was looking relatively good to Israelis who worry more about Hamas, the militant fundamentalist rivals of the P.L.O.
Or consider this analysis from the same time from the Christian Science Monitor. ( US Policy Can Curb Arab Extremes, Richard C. Hottelet., Feb 10, 1993)
Five years of the Arab uprising, the intifada, have shown that military power is no solution. Instead, force has helped to build the Frankenstein’s monster of Islamic extremism. It menaces not only Israel but also Arab states whose economic distress, population pressure, incompetence and corruption have made them vulnerable to demagoguery in the cloak of religious revival. In fact, Israel , moderate Arabs, and the PLO have a common deadly enemy in Islamist radicalism.
The PLO was presented as a moderate bulwark against the extremism of Hamas. Of course, what was perhaps relative moderation (the PLO or its main constituent Fatah and its leader Yasser Arafat was willing under certain circumstances to claim that he was willing to live in peace with Israel; Hamas never made such pronouncements.)
Now the question that is before the Washington Post is whether Israel (and the world) should deal with Hamas.
Rice’s actions underscore the nuanced series of signals that are typical of Middle East diplomacy, but they also highlight the central role today of Hamas, formally called the Islamic Resistance Movement, in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Now some experts — and even Israelis — are questioning whether the isolation of Hamas continues to make sense.A bipartisan group of foreign-policy luminaries, including former national security advisers Zbigniew Brzezinski and Brent Scowcroft, issued a statement before the Annapolis peace talks in November that said, “As to Hamas, we believe a genuine dialogue with the organization is far preferable to its isolation.” The group suggested that an initial approach could be made by envoys for the United Nations or the Quartet, a peace-monitoring group. “Prompting a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza would be a good starting point,” the statement said.
Rice’s predecessor, Colin L. Powell, last year told National Public Radio that some way must be found to talk to Hamas, arguing, “I don’t think you can just cast them into outer darkness and try to find a solution to the problems of the region without taking into account the standing that Hamas has in the Palestinian community.” An aide said last week he retains that view.
So in fifteen years Hamas has gone from being beyond the pale to being essential. This begs two questions: Has Hamas changed and has Israel’s decision to talk to the PLO benefited Israel at all?
The answer to the first question is “yes.” Hamas has changed. Now it has territory and rockets, two things that it didn’t have 15 years ago. In other ways it hasn’t changed. It still seeks Israel’s destruction unwilling to offer more than a temporary truce to Israel.
Haniyeh said “all of the factions are involved,” signaling that Hamas’ call for a halt to the fighting has the support of smaller militant groups that have often scuttled cease-fire attempts in the past.Haniyeh used the word “tahdia,” or calm, to describe the informal cease-fire he sought. He did not use the Arabic word “hudna,” which is interpreted as a more formal truce. Both terms denote a temporary cease-fire rather than a permanent peace, but even the subtle differences between the words has led to fierce debate among Arabs in past cease-fire efforts.
So Hamas’s “moderation” now doesn’t even come to the level of Fatah’s selective recognition of Israel’s right to exist. And yet now dealing with it is being touted as essential to stability in the Middle East.
Did negotiating with the PLO and the subsequent Oslo Accords help Israel? The answer is almost certainly, “no.”
Using a simple measure, terrorist fatalities in Israel since 1967, we see that since Oslo, the quietest time for Israel was from 1997 to 1999 and again since 2006. The immediate effect of Oslo hurt Israel’s security. Arafat who was bound to fight terror, instead cultivated Hamas, Islamic Jihad and of course, groups affiliated with Fatah to carry out terror against Israel. Despite his promises and his rehabilitation, he remained committed to armed struggle against Israel.
Also since Oslo the standard of living of Palestinians has decreased because Arafat was too involved in accumulating power and wealthy for himself and his cronies and not building a peaceful infrastructure. So it’s not only Israel that’s suffered.
Now the world is arguing that Israel ought to deal with Hamas. Not because it’s moderated its stance but because it’s the only way to avoid worse violence. Well Israel tried that route 15 years ago and demonstrated that empowering a terror group will not moderate it. It will empower and embolden it to continue its violent ways.
Fatah, to many, now is powerless and I’m guessing that there’s a reason for that. After 2002, terror deaths in Israel declined. This was due to Israel’s Operation Defensive Shield. Israel facing a terror war, fought back. The toll was high. But Israel effectively destroyed the terror infrastructure in the West Bank. In other words, there was a military solution to the terror. If Fatah had not been committed to terror in the post-Oslo period, it would still be at near or full strength. Last year’s revolt of Hamas against Fatah in Gaza demonstrated the degree to which Fatah was weakened by Israel.
Writing in Time Magazine, Tim McGuirk argues:
For Olmert, negotiating a deal that stops rocket fire with organizations regarded as terrorists by Israel and the U.S. certainly beats the alternative: another air and ground offensive in Gaza that would end up with scores of Palestinian civilians and many Israeli soldiers dead, but wouldn’t necessarily stop the rockets.
If Israel’s experience with Fatah is instructive, it shows that terror groups can be defeated militarily. It also shows that negotiating with terror groups gives the terrorists the opportunity to organize, arm and attack. Talking with Hamas will not bring peace. It will bring a stronger Hamas. Israel needs to make a decision to wipe out Hamas, not coddle it.
Crossposted on Soccer Dad.
A happy and a healthy new year to all my readers.
I am rejoicing in the fact that I found no need to drink myself silly last night. I was up at 9 a.m. this morning (and a late morning that is for me!), completely hangover-free.
There’s something to be said for middle age.
(Ow. It hurt me to type those words.)
I also have some happy news: Tig has regained more than half a pound, and spent several hours yesterday sleeping in my lap. And he once again purrs when I ask him if he wants a “snug” (that’s when I pick him up and hold him for a minute or two while he purrs; it’s a snuggle and a hug), and he purrs when I pick him up. He wasn’t purring much at all the last week. He was also outside most of the day yesterday after we got back from the vet. They gave him another dose of subcutaneous IV fluids, which help wash some toxins out of his kidneys.
He is obviously feeling better. Plus, we have finished with his course of antibiotics. Phew. No more pills.
I’m off to the movies today with Heidi and Sorena. Juno movie review to follow.
I saw Sweeney Todd this afternoon, in a theater that had a decent-sized crowd. I can see why Steven Sondheim gave the movie his blessings. It’s quite good. It has its flaws, but overall, I enjoyed it immensely.
Flaw number one is that Helena Bonham Carter is a great actor, but she can’t sing for squat. Tim Burton really needed to give the role of Mrs. Lovett to someone who can actually sing. Johnny Depp isn’t a great singer, but his voice was good enough for the film.
Flaw number two was that I was immensely peeved that the introduction and finale were both skipped. The film ended too abruptly, and I really, really missed the finale.
Other minor quibbles: I thought most of the songs were sung too slowly. The comedic songs, especially, weren’t as quick and funny as they could have been. And Helena Bonham Carter either doesn’t do comedy well, or didn’t get that Mrs. Lovett wasn’t a dark, tired, sad woman all the time. I guess I really can’t compare her to the Angela Lansbury version, since Angela won the Tony for her role. But she could have been a little funnier.
Really, though, I did like the film. I’ll probably see it again, or maybe even buy it, spurting blood from throats and all. Tim Burton might not have wanted to make it so bloody, though. I’ll bet a PG would have gotten him legions of Johnny Depp tween fans. It’s rated R. Sorena couldn’t get in to get us seats early; she had to come get me to get her past the ticket-taker.
Overall, today was a very good day. And I got some cash in the karma bank because we discovered someone had left his keys hanging out of the door of his Toyota convertible, so I left a note on the windshield and the keys at the box office. I imagine someone got a nice little present when they got out of their movie.
A merry Christmas to all of my Christian readers.
And a happy Festivus to all the Seinfeld fans out there.
I will be doing, for the first time in my life, a traditional Jewish Christmas dinner: I’m meeting a bunch of Jewish friends for Chinese food tomorrow night.
After going to the movies tomorrow afternoon, of course.
You can’t make stuff like this up.
BETHLEHEM, Dec 20 (Reuters) – Offended Bethlehem residents have painted over a satirical mural by graffiti artist Banksy that was meant to highlight their plight.
The elusive British street artist painted six images around the town revered as the birthplace of Jesus to help drum up tourism ahead of Christmas and to illustrate the hardships faced by Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
But the irony behind a painting of an Israeli soldier checking a donkey’s identity papers — a jab at the Jewish state’s strict security measures — was lost on some locals, who found it offensive and painted over it.
“We’re humans here, not donkeys. This is insulting. I’m glad it was painted over,” said restaurant owner Nasri Canavati. Comparing someone to a donkey in Palestinian society is like calling them an idiot.
Banksy’s images have fetched hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction. His London spokeswoman said a U.S. buyer had reportedly offered $150,000 for a piece of wall in Bethlehem bearing another of his paintings, and estimated the donkey mural was worth at least tens of thousands of dollars.
This is on the heels of multiple stories discussing how great the tourism season is in Bethlehem this year. Let’s think as to why this year is different from the past seven years. Hm. What’s different? Thinkthinkthinkthinkthink.
According to the AFP, these are the reasons:
But falling levels of violence, revived peace talks and what Batarseh credits as encouragement from churches in promoting support for one of the holiest sites in Christendom is encouraging the tourists back en masse.
Hm. Let’s see. Church support? Naaah. That’s not it. Revived peace talks? Feh. Tourists don’t give a damn about Annapolis. Falling levels of violence? Gee, ya think? The fact that bombs aren’t going off on buses and in cafes and markets, bullets aren’t flying in Manger Square, and molotov cocktails aren’t being tossed at passing cars might—just might—have something to do with it.
Before the Palestinian uprising broke out in September 2000, nearly a million tourists and Christian pilgrims visited Bethlehem each year.
Astonishing, isn’t it, how the media refuses to credit the real reason with the tourism revival? Just as the editors and writers must be dying this year because they can’t write their typical “Israel is killing Christmas” stories if the damned tourists show up in droves.
But fear not. They’re still pumping out the anti-fence stories, and pretending that Joseph and Mary (two nice Jewish kids with a baby Jewish boy) were Palestinians. And then there’s the Anti-Israel Nativity Scene available this year, complete with separation fence keeping the Wise Men out of Bethlehem.
I am officially done with winter. Even though it’s still autumn. And I live in a much milder climate than I used.
I will have more substantive things to say later today, but it’s work/dentist/work/work/work day, following a day and a half in Alexandria and NorVA for meetings, meetings, and party (with even some work thrown in).
Janet and Chris and I had a late Chanukah latkes party on Monday to make up for Janet having missed a few days the week before. I may be able to squeeze in one more excuse to make latkes before the end of the year. That would be my cooking them three times, and eating someone else’s latkes once. Score.
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