incredible interview with "the most hated man in Israel"

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This comes across as the most honest description of Israel I've read yet. There are so many painful insights into Israeli society.

"The facts are clear. Israel has no real intention of quitting the territories or allowing the Palestinian people to exercise their rights. No change will come to pass in the complacent, belligerent, and condescending Israel of today. This is the time to come up with a rehabilitation program for Israel."

just to piss any militant zionists off

Despite my antitheism and sceptical regard for the paradoxical trinity of Jewish religion, culture and ethnicity, I am an advocate of a secular 2 state solution as I find it both acceptable and not utterly implausible. However reports like this make me not alittle angry. Still, in the interests of peace and an end to the apartheid, I think the 2 state solution is the only plausible one. Not only that but it would be a kick in the teeth to all the Jewish exceptionists as it would endow Arab citizens equal rights to Israeli ones, therefore legitimising immigration of families and allowing true democratic representation into Israeli politics. Cultural integration would be inevitable.

Jews and Judaism

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I was thinking the other day about how I got burned in a few places for suggesting that zionism is implicitly racist (which is not the subject of this post).

So: If being Jewish is not just a religion, but a cultural orientation (i.e. you can convert to Judaism and become a Jew), or a nationality (i.e. you can- exclusively- become an Israeli by being a Jew), or an ethnic minority (you can be born one and reject all other aspects of Jewishness but still be considered, by some, to be Jewish). Then, if no other nation-state or ethnicity, or religion in the world promotes this trinity of human phenomena; why should the Jews?

In my eyes Judaism is a religion, to be scorned as I scorn all god-botherers, irrelevant of the details of their superstition. From Mohammed to Thor to Isis they are all denying reason. So why is there such a thing as 'atheist' Jews? This is, to me, an oxymoron. I would like someone to explain it to me. I might go to Little Green Soccer Balls and ask them.

why Palestinians should not recognize Israel's right to exist

http://www.antiwar.com/orig/cook.php?articleid=10171

A couple of interesting points here.

1. That the Israelis demand that the Palestinians recognise their nation-state but make no such concession to the Palestinians.
2. (And I am aware that this is highly contentious but, with respect to the continuing domination of the Knesset by parties that promote exceptionalism for Jews I will include it here). That recognising Israel's "right" to exist condones the concept of a Jewish state and not just another secular nation i.e. an exceptionalist state where everyone but Jews are untermenschen.

Eye on the Middle East

Jonathan Steele has a few well-chosen words on the Shrubbery's (Bush administration, that is) intentions towards our Persian friends.
His point about the British and French nuclear arsenals is particularly poignant in light of Tony's unilateral push to spend billions of pounds on weapons of mass destruction instead of advancing world peace or real solutions to climate change. I hate that little weasel.

More Guardian-stylee reporting (you know- that thing where you get presented with interesting facts and analysis) can be found here with a fascinating resume of the secret talks held between Israel and Syria that were- predictably- scuppered by the Shrubbery. Dick Cheney, in particular, seems to be the culprit here- there appear to be no depths to the man's inhumanity.