Building an Arab house

On 19th May, Irit, Einat, my girls, my Dad and I joined our friends Ibtisam and Subchi in the village of Faradis to celebrate building of their new house.

We wish them all happiness and success for the completion of the house and the peace center that Ibtisam plans there.

Salamaat
david2@lisbona.com

You can see pictures of the celebration at http://www.flickr.com/photos/dlisbona/sets/72157600261869364/

Just discovered this similarly named Arab-Israeli Peace Blog - must check it out....David

This illustration of Iran's Presdident Ahmedinajad (seen at an exhibition at the Museum of Illustration in New York) is a classic demonisation of an unloved foreign leader. Note the missiles as sharp molar in his mouth. Not exactly peace oriented.... 

Diwan bookshop in Cairo

The most attractive bookshop I found in Cairo for English (and other European language ) books is Diwan. It is in the upper middle class district of Zamalek. The shop is very attractive with a wide range of books in English, CDs and a small cafe. An island of Western culture and modernity in Cairo

Address: 159,26th of July st.Zamalek

Phone: +202- 7362578

Visit to Israel of the Dalai Lama

Once again the Dalai Lama is visiting Israel and it seems to be creating a huge buzz. Even though I have only briefly looked at the television news and the newspapers in the last few days, the amount of attention that is giving to this man's visit seems amazing.

I admit that my connection to the Buddhist peace camp in Israel in these last few years, mostly through the Middleway NGO www.middleway.org does increase my interest in and awareness of this remarkable man. Even (or maybe especially) in a cynical society, it seems that he touches some parts that rational and emotional argument do not reach.

A friend of mine in Jerusalem was due to participate in a meeting yesterday with the Dalai Lama which was "sold out" ahead of time. Apparently, the last time he came to Israel a few years ago he filled the Cinerama in Tel Aviv - quite a large hall.

The buzz that I feel exists around his current visit leads me to think that, beneath the layer of self-confidence that so many Jewish Israelis profess, there is deep yearning for a saviour, a Messiah. The religious are literally waiting for a Messiah, for some it maybe was the Lubavitcher Rabbi Meyer Schneerson founder of the Chabad movement www.chabad.org who died a few years ago. Us "secular" Jews will not admit that we seek salvation. The disappearance of our father figure Ariel Sharon and the victory of the Hamas in the recent Palestinian elections do not add to our inner peace.

For more about the Dalai Lama, see
http://www.tibet.com/DL
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalai_Lama
http://www.dalailama.com

Koby Huberman, chairman of Israel2020 speaking at a presentation of Israel2020 to Arab sector in Israel - Nazareth March 2005

Panel of speakers from Israel2020 at Nazareth Cinematheque - March 2005 

It's strange how some suicide bomb attacks get to to you more than others. The day before yesterday, a religious Palestinian mother of 2 infants Reem Salah Riashi (22) exploded a bomb around her waist at a security checkpoint between the Gaza strip and the Israeli- managed Erez industrial zone. In addition to killing herself, she killed 3 Israeli soldiers serving at the checkpoint and a civilian Israeli security guard.

For a report of the attack see http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/383217.html and for a report "The sick,crying terrorist" on how this will affect the lives of Palestinians seeking work in Israel, see http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/383711.html

Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the "spriitual" leader of the Hamas religious extreme Palestinian organisation, announced with pride that this was the first time the male-dominated Hamas had sent a "shahida" (woman sucide bomber) to a deadly mission against Israelis.

It is not the first time that women suicide bombers have killed Israelis. But recently our faith in human (and womanly) compassion is called ever more into question. No longer the raging hormones of angry young men but more and more recently fathers, professionals and now a mother. OK, so the Palestinians are angry, many leave miserable lives, tens of thousands have had family members killed and injured in the El-Aksa Intifada but these kind of attacks serve no useful purpose.

It may be a more Western (rather than Arab) orientation to think that one's actions must have an aim that fulfill a useful purpose rather than just venting rage and hate. From the point of view of the Hamas which seems to be opposed to any kind of agreement or rapproachement with Israel, maybe it does serve a purpose. It will yet further harden the increasingly hardening hearts of Israelis and it will result in harsher, less compassionate attitudes by Israeli soldiers at the checkpoints.

More later.....