tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63387692024-03-05T11:31:00.270+02:00War and peace in Israel/PalestineA Jewish-Israeli peace activist's reflections on the conflict and experience with Jews and Palestinians in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian TerritoriesDavid Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-79473455609972043892014-02-21T13:11:00.000+02:002014-02-21T13:11:49.404+02:00Sign of the timesConversation overheard in an organic food shop in Haifa (an outpost for greenie lefties if ever there was one)
Customer with a strong American accent : "I don't like buying products from the (occupied) territories"
Saleswoman: "But it's from the Golan Heights"
Customer: "Yes, that's occupied territory"
Saleswoman: "But it's ours - we annexed the Golan already"David Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-53122966588820234922014-02-13T06:59:00.001+02:002014-02-13T06:59:13.132+02:00Hospitals in East Jerusalem don't exist12/2 there has been a big fuss in the Israeli media these last few days about the grave financial problems of Jerusalem's biggest hospital, Hadassah. In news items on radio and TV, the reporters stress that Jerusalemites have only one other alternative hospital , Shaarei Tsedek. They don not even mention for one moment that there are two other hospitals in Jerusalem, but in East David Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-76042588324775724752014-01-28T22:07:00.001+02:002014-01-28T22:07:37.643+02:00Middle East Peace....according to Google Maps Google Maps is not letting a few minor geopolitical complications get in its way....
While researching a vacation in Russia I indadvertedly asked Google Maps to find me driving directions from my home in Haifa, israel to Moscow. To my amusement it proposes 3 alternative routes , one via Iraq and Iran, one via Syria and Turkey and one via Libya, Tunisia and Italy. The shortest of the 3 (83 drivingDavid Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-29267740016802590422009-07-03T16:46:00.001+03:002009-07-03T16:46:47.907+03:00"US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation" seeks new Executive Director Lest I be branded a traitor (and therefore not worthy of Israeli citizenship) by the Liebermanites, I attach the following without comment…. JOB OPENING—EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, a national coalition of nearly 300 organizations working to change U.S. policy toward Israel/Palestine to support human rights, international law, and equality, isDavid Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-12925861436005458132009-06-27T00:18:00.001+03:002009-06-27T00:18:59.926+03:00Israeli schizophrenia I heard a report on the radio yesterday that former Israeli Chief Justice (of the Supreme Court) Aharon Barak said at a conference in Tel Aviv yesterday “If you would ask Israelis if they want equality for Arabs in Israel, they would say yes. If you would ask them if they want to throw the Arabs into the sea, they would also say yes. And they don’t see any contradiction between the David Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-26931785220282538862009-06-20T05:34:00.002+03:002009-06-20T23:26:02.352+03:00David, We're home finally and so I've had a chance to read this... I could hardly bear it...My stomach began to feel weird and I felt shame for the human race. The sense of power that this gives the IDF is appalling and undermines the integrity of the situation. The excuse that it has to do with Shalit doesn't ring true for me. It feels totally punitive. I actually felt ashamed reading it. David Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-2305312830464330832009-06-14T22:53:00.000+03:002009-06-14T22:54:23.120+03:00Bibi's speech - an analysis Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech this evening at Bar-Ilan University in Israel will doubtless be analyzed to pieces by all those with infinite patience for miniscule steps on the path to an Israeli-Palestinian peace. Bibi’s points: <![if !supportLists]>1. <![endif]>He’s ready to start with ‘unconditional’ David Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-40035082723427455102009-06-13T19:51:00.002+03:002009-06-13T20:05:59.044+03:00 The following article appeared in the magazine of the Haaretz weekend edition yesterday. There is something terrible in the banality and organization of this oppression and ghettoization. Once again memories of another past which totally escape the Jewish public in Israel. Last update - 16:04 11/06/2009 By Yotam Feldman and Uri BlauEvery week about 10 officers from the Israel Defence David Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-11057119229117273222009-01-14T19:54:00.000+02:002009-01-14T19:55:01.169+02:00AN ISRAELI CALL FOR URGENT HUMANITARIAN ACTION IN GAZA A Clear and Present Danger A Call for Urgent Humanitarian Action in Gaza by 9 Israeli Human Rights Organizations January 14, 2009 Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Defense Minister Ehud Barak Chief of Staff Lieut. Gen. Gaby Ashkenazi OC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant Atty. Gen. Menachem Mazuz RE: Warning of a clear and present danger to the lives and David Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-37942312443463282772009-01-14T14:45:00.002+02:002009-01-14T14:49:21.786+02:00AN INTERFAITH DECLARATION FOR PEACE (from Boston)We, members and leaders of the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities in Greater Boston - all having deep and symbolic ties to the land and peoples of the MiddleEast - are anguished by the events unfolding in Israel and Gaza. Recognizing the legitimate needs of all peoples, including all those living in David Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-52437038876578471922009-01-14T11:54:00.002+02:002009-01-14T11:57:03.031+02:00Israeli and Palestinian narratives Although it’s difficult at an emotional time like this to study the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, it’s important. Some valuable work has been done by the Peace Research Institute in the Middle East . One can download and read workbooks they have produced which present (side by side) the Palestinian and David Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-86492496017477100632009-01-14T09:58:00.003+02:002009-01-14T10:13:10.568+02:00A letter from a Rabbi The following is a letter send by a British rabbi to members of his congregation:Tuesday 13 January, 200917 Tevet, 5769Dear CommunityI have never before written to the community twice in one week. But so many people, of many different opinions, all full of anguish over the present and hope for a David Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-90592449701900082562009-01-14T09:51:00.002+02:002009-01-14T09:57:08.512+02:00Wednesday's letter from Gaza Dear friend 14/1/2009Due to the rejection by Hamas of the Egyptian initiative yesterday, I was expecting a hard night , but I was wrong and I gained a long night's sleep , until I woke up on a very big bombardment from an F16 at 5:00 early morning .I thought that this was in our area only , but I discovered that David Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-43241220330543442172009-01-13T18:18:00.004+02:002009-01-13T18:26:39.428+02:00Today's letter from GazaDear friend , As quiet as was the Israeli Southern town ( Sederot ) last night, so was it a terribly violent night for Gaza City , especially the South West , and North West parts of the City !! It was so horrible , I believe that it was the most horrible and heaviest bombardment nights since 27/12/208 .I am living in the South West part of the City , where the David Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-58712335092348565322009-01-12T20:40:00.004+02:002009-01-12T21:33:28.113+02:00Israel bans Arab parties from running in upcoming election This is the headline of a article on the Ha'aretz website reporting that the Central Elections Committee in Israel's Knesset voted to ban 2 Arab political parties from running in the upcoming Israeli general election. I was truly shocked until I heard on a news item on Israel's Channel 10 TV news explaining that the same thingDavid Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-53917118116889432212009-01-12T19:08:00.005+02:002009-01-12T19:34:20.545+02:00YouTube wars Just a few minutes ago I received the following email:The IDF ("Israeli Defence Force", i.e. the Israeli Army) have set up broadcasts on U Tube explaining what's going on. U Tube wants to remove the IDF site, using the excuse that too few people are logging in to view it. Please visit the site and encourage all your friends to do so as David Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-2932476154714114552009-01-12T18:55:00.002+02:002009-01-12T19:02:10.993+02:00Just Imagine....Just in case this cartoon is unclear, it depicts, under the headline "Just Imagine..." a Hamas jet fighter bombing Tel Aviv as the Hamas fighter pilot speculates "Ha! This will make the Israelis turn against their government! "Think about it, friends, especially my Israeli friends, think about it....David Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-51108698217067065042009-01-12T09:48:00.003+02:002009-01-12T09:54:35.660+02:00Today's letter from Gaza My friend from Gaza writes today:Last night can be considered quieter than the night that preceded it, especially in the South-Western side of Gaza City .... But this night was marked by heavy machine-gun fire from the helicopters, in addition to other arms such as tanks , Navy artilleries and F16 David Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-27196296608148738312009-01-11T18:34:00.003+02:002009-01-11T18:40:58.248+02:00 An Open Letter to an Israeli Friendby Samir El-youssef, a Palestinian living in EuropeDear Friend Yet again we find ourselves on opposite sides of a divide where people believe that their own action is totally justified while the reaction of the other side is sheer aggression. Yet again we find ourselves resorting to silence fearing that what we might say could be interpreted as a statement of David Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-79730752765281225762009-01-11T17:26:00.002+02:002009-01-11T17:31:57.988+02:00 A letter from Gaza A friend from Gaza sent this email today:Dear friend Last night passed as a hell on our area , where I live (For the one who knows Gaza : The house of President AbuMazen is the 2nd House adjacent to my House , where I live ) .From my point of view , may be the Israeli Army started it's 3rd stage , or Israel wanted to send a message to Hamas and Egypt by escalating the David Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-90880934983115436842009-01-11T14:25:00.004+02:002009-01-11T15:00:55.705+02:00The "Other Voice" A week ago I travelled down to the town of Sderot near the Gaza border with a group of activists from the Forum of Peace NGOs . Not something most people in Israel would do these days because Sderot is still (or rather once again) on the receiving end of improvised Qassam rockets fired from Gaza. We went to meet a local group David Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-14525700846215006662009-01-11T07:35:00.005+02:002009-01-11T14:23:48.881+02:00State of Israel = State of WarAlthough I have lived in Israel for 35 years now and participated (passively) in 4 wars and 2 Intifadas, the penny has only now dropped for me that Israel is actually is a permanent state of war with only rest periods in between. This is amusingly (and terribly) illustrated by Doron Rosenblum's column in last Friday's weekend magazine of the Ha'aretz newspaper .David Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-28142235707518732122009-01-10T23:24:00.001+02:002009-01-10T23:28:13.319+02:00Tel Aviv - Gaza, 08.01.09 by Adi Ophir, Professor of Philosophy at Tel Aviv University The assault on Gaza started on Saturday morning, December 29th. In the early afternoon some activists used emails and sms to call for a demonstration in down town Tel Aviv. Almost 2000 people gather that evening in front of the cinemateque and then walked to the defense ministry compound. Almost every day David Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-3457327542062684142009-01-10T23:18:00.002+02:002009-01-10T23:24:18.931+02:00Balance of aweOne of my extended family (over dinner): We (Israel) should create a balance of awe with them (the Palestinians in Gaza). For every rocket they shoot at Israel we should kill 100 of themDavid Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6338769.post-42110037135556309012009-01-10T10:28:00.004+02:002009-01-10T11:00:27.135+02:00The Home FrontIn the "good old days" of the early 20th century and before most wars were proxy affairs as far as the civilian population was concerned, fought by regular armies on battlefields usually conveniently far from population centres. In the Second World War both sides learnt the "value" of inflicting casualties and damage on the civilian population. And so was born the concept of the David Lisbonahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14520964526277735892noreply@blogger.com0