Despite many indications that Israel is a country that appears to promote gender equality more than most other countries around the world, there have been worrying signs of greater gender segregation creeping into some aspects of Israeli society recently.  Israel’s Golda Meir was only the third female prime minister in the world, and Israeli women are required to serve in the Israeli army in the same way as their male counterparts.  Yet this is the same country which closes entire streets off to the use of women, and requires them to sit at the back of the bus while their male counterparts sit at the front.

Ultra-Orthodox groups in Jerusalem and elsewhere around Israel, have been increasingly trying to enforce greater gender segregation.  There is also already fairly strict gender segregation enforced in ultra-Orthodox neighbourhoods such as Jerusalem’s Mea Shearim.  This is tolerable inasmuch as those who are subject to the segregation, are those who subscribe to it.  For the people living in Mea Shearim, gender segregation is part of their belief system and lifestyle.  Women are raised with this from birth, attend separate schools and are readied to take on separate traditional roles in the home and society.  Visitors to Mea Shearim know that this is the way in which things work in this neighbourhood, and are invited to stay away if this is objectionable to them.

The problem arises when supporters of gender segregation allow this to creep out into the general public, thereby affecting those who do not subscribe to it.  This has already long been the case in Jerusalem, with advertisers refusing to show images of women on buses and billboards for fear of them being defaced by ultra-Orthodox protestors.  Despite a court order prohibiting gender segregation in specific streets, even in ultra-Orthodox neighbourhoods, residents of Mea Shearim set up separation barriers on Mea Shearim Street and Shivtei Yisrael Street during the recent Succot holiday.  The hard-line Toldot Aharon Hassidic sect were holding events relating to the holiday on locations in these streets, and were prohibiting women from approaching even near to these locations.

Two recent events have brought the gender segregation to a head, and have forced politicians and religious leaders to speak out on the issue.  The first event was a walkout of a military ceremony by religious soldiers when women soldiers began to sing at the ceremony.  The protestors subscribe to the so-called “kol isha” prohibition, which forbids males from hearing women sing.  The IDF’s general staff has refused to back down on this issue.  The protesting soldiers were not given permission to leave the ceremony , and have been disciplined for their behaviour.  The military authorities have refused to heed calls to ban singing by women in future ceremonies.  This has brought the military into direct conflict with some ultra-Orthodox groups.

The second incident took place on a bus that was designated as a gender-separate service, something that has become more popular in Israel in recent years.  This means that women are required to sit at the back of the bus, while their male counterparts get to sit in the front.  Upon entering the bus, Tanya Rosenblit was requested by one of the religious males to sit in the ladies’ section at the bank.  In a protest which was reminiscent of the actions by Rosa Parks in Montgomery, Alabama in the 1950s, Tanya refused to relocate to the back of the bus.  This sparked a stand-off in which the bus was halted and the police called.  In a statement after the incident, Rosenblit said that she had shown respect by dressing modestly because she knew she was going into a religious area.  She refused, however, to be humiliated by being forced to sit at the back of the bus.  She has taken on a somewhat heroic status in the eyes of many, by being prepared to stand up to the religious coercion, something that few women have been prepared to do.

Israeli Chief Rabbi, Yona Metzger, came out recently saying that religious people are entitled to live their lives as they see fit, but they have no right to impose their views on the general public and in public areas.  Prime Minister Netanyahu announced at the Sunday morning cabinet meeting that Israel is a liberal democracy, and that public spaces are made available to men and women to use equally in a safe and open way.  The police will arrest those who spit, raise their hand or harass others.  These statements will sadly have no bearing at all on those who perpetrate gender segregation.  They do not respect these leaders, nor take note of anything they say.  They subscribe only to the leadership of the rabbinical leaders of their sects, and will only be guided by their statements.

It is ironic that these events take place at the same time that it is announced that no fewer than 5 female pilots and navigators, the most ever, will graduate from this year’s air force flight instruction course.  It is only 16 short years since Alice Miller succeeded in challenging the prohibition on women being admitted to the flight instruction course.  Since then, many women have graduated from this course to serve their country with great distinction.  This year, 5 more women will join their distinguished ranks.  This is closer to the Israel that most of us know, a country which does support the equality of women in our society and which does encourage women to play a full role.

Despite the insistence by religious groups to enforce greater gender segregation and become more extreme in their views and actions, it seems unlikely that the greater public and the politicians will tolerate this.  While this does not mean that religious groups will be forced to dilute their religious observance, it simply means that they will be forced to limit their extreme views to their own environments, while allowing others to live their lives without being dictated to.  Surely this is the correct answer.

Image by www.mizozo.com

Gender Segregation Pushed Too Far is a post from: The Israel Situation

Related posts:

1. Religious Bus Lines

The Jewish Agency recently took a decision to make a change to their usual activities to attract Jews to come and live in the Jewish homeland. Until now, the activities of the Jewish Agency have been focused towards attracting Jews who have lived their lives in the Jewish Diaspora, to come and make their homes in Israel.  They have concentrated on two main targets.  Firstly,  they have concentrated on Jewish communities at risk or in need, such as the Jews in Morocco, Yemen, Russia and Ethiopia who were shipped to Israel in large projects, and sometimes in some haste. The Jewish Agency has also focused on attracting the attention of Jews in communities which were not under threat, such as Jews in the USA, the UK, South Africa, Australia, South America and other locations. The tactics employed in these communities has largely targeted the youth and the young adults to experience the vibrancy that Israel offers people of this age, in the hope that parents and other family members will follow the youngsters to Israel.

The new campaign that the Jewish Agency has embarked upon recently is aimed at an entirely different community. This time, the Jewish Agency is trying to attract former Israelis to come back home. In some parts of the world, and particularly around the USA, fairly large groups of former-Israelis (or yordim as they are sometimes known) have established themselves. It is estimated that as many as half a million Israelis live in the USA, and that this number has grown by 30,000 in the past ten years alone.  Most yordim continue to have a close connection with Israel, and visit members of their family on a fairly frequent basis. Although many voice an intention to return to live in Israel at some point in the future, the numbers of yordim continues to grow.  The link to Israel for these people is stronger during times of security crisis. They obviously have a strong concern for individual friends and family who may be at risk during times of unrest, and those who are serving in the IDF during periods of war.  There is a concern, however, that their link to Israel and Judaism gets weaker the longer they live outside of Israel.

The Jewish Agency campaign to try to convince yordim to return home, has caused a great deal of negative reaction in the USA where adverts have appeared on billboards in areas where large communities of Israelis reside.  This has been supported by online video adverts that have been launched. The campaign focuses largely on the fact that the intermarriage of children of yordim may result in assimilation. One video advert shows Israel grandparents communicating with their grandchild, in the USA on Chanukah. The parents ask what holiday the child is celebrating, to which he answers “Christmas”. In another advert, a yored father is upset by the fact that his child is calling him “daddy” rather than “abba”. The message is clear. The longer these people stay in their current environments, the more assimilated they become.

The Jewish community in the USA has come out in strong objection to the advertising campaign.  The main reason for their objection is that the assimilation referred to in the adverts is not limited to Israelis who marry non-Jews.  It also  includes the situation where Israelis marry Diaspora Jews.  This is particularly reflected in advert which shows a young Israeli woman watching a Yom Hazikaron ceremony on-line, while her American husband is seeing asking her to go out to a party.  The insinuation that  American Jews are somehow disconnected, is seen as being a slap in the face of the Jewish community in the USA, and their attempts to maintain their Judaism and their links to Israel.  I can understand the insult felt by the USA Jewish communities.  Apparently the Israeli government has also understood this as they have pulled the campaign since the uproar flared up.

As much as the campaign is disparaging towards the American Jewish community, it also contains a great deal of truth.  There can be no doubt that assimilation has ravaged the world’s Jewish population in the period following the Shoah, particularly that in the USA.  Recent statistics suggest that 40-50% of American Jews marry non-Jews.  Of these, only 33%  provide their children with a Jewish upbringing.  This means that there is an increasing number of “Jewish” children who are not halachically Jewish due to their mothers not converting to Judaism.  There are also a large number of children who are simply lost to Judaism as a result of their Jewish parent marrying a non-Jew,  and the family not identifying with the Jewish community at all.  This trend will have an impact on the Israeli community in the USA as well, even those who have a strong national identification with the State of Israel.

Israel has one of the few Jewish communities in the world that are growing.  This is not only because of aliyah and population growth.  It is also because there is much less of a problem of assimilation in Israel.  It is sometimes amusing to note the effect of the Jewish and Israeli national holidays, even on the non-Jewish foreign workers in Israel.  It is simply impossible for a child in Israel, even those raised in homes that don’t have a strong sense of Jewish identity, to miss a Jewish festival or not to be familiar with its main aspects.  This must surely be a strong reason why it is right to do all that we can to attract Israelis back home, as much as we wish to attract others to make Israel their home.  While I have a great deal of respect for the efforts made by the Jews in the USA and elsewhere to identify with Judaism and Israel, I feel that the only way to assure ourselves of Jewish continuity is to have as many Jews in Israel as possible.

How to Bring Israelis Home is a post from: The Israel Situation

Related posts:

1. Israelis Stone Terrorist’s Home
2. Baharain King: Jews Come Home
3. Holiday at Home

My son,

For the past fourteen years, we knew that this day would eventually come.  Somehow, I did not imagine that it would be like this.   When we decided all those years ago to make our home in Israel, you were only 6 years old.  The notion of you becoming a soldier in the Israel Defense Force (IDF) seemed so far removed from the reality of our everyday lives. We were living in the post-Oslo period, which gave us all a false sense of security that peace was about to break out in the Middle East.  The advantages of moving our lives to the Jewish homeland, seemed to far outweigh the disadvantages.  This was true even when we considered the fact that you would be obliged to serve in the Jewish army.  Now that your draft date has arrived,  I find myself revisiting those decisions taken on your behalf, and the events that have occurred since then.

Over the years, we have discovered that the hopes that we all had for peace, were simply a false facade for the duplicitous dealings of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.  We have been forced to endure wars, terror attacks and continued threats to destroy Israel and the Jewish people.  We have witnessed how any young man or woman in the IDF uniform has become a target for attack or kidnap by our enemies.  All of these things contribute to making your service in the IDF a much more dangerous and risky prospect than was previously the case.  In a perverse sort of way, it is also these events that make your service of greater value and importance to Israel and the Jewish people than before.

During the course of your schooling in Israel, you have learned about the numerous attempts to annihilate the Jewish people.  You have visited Auschwitz and other death camps in Poland where millions of Jews were put to death, only because they were Jews.  You understand very well, the context of the service that you are about to render in the IDF.  You know that 6 million Jews would not have lost their lives in the Holocaust if a Jewish army had existed at that time.  You also know that new Hitlers arise in every generation.  Given the chance, Ahmadinejad, Nasrallah and others would follow in Hitler’s footsteps to try to wipe the Jews off the earth, even in our day and age.  There is only one thing that stops them from doing so, and this is the IDF.  The IDF not only ensures the safety and survival of Israel and her citizens, it also gives freedom to Jews around the world to exist as Jews in relative safety, freedom and security.  As a soldier in the IDF, you will continue to protect all Jews around the world against the numerous enemies that seek to destroy the Jews.  You understand the importance of agreeing to serve in order to ensure that the IDF continues to be a strong force and protector of the Jewish people, even in the future.

Even though the big picture is clear and a great motivating force, it does not necessarily make the day-to-day realities of military life any easier.  You feel unsure of what the future holds for you, and are not clear what your task in the IDF will be or where you will serve.  We feel nervous with you and for you, as you contemplate this great unknown venture ahead of you.  We all know that the army cannot necessarily accommodate every individual’s needs and requests, and place each person in the position that is best suited to them personally.  The army’s needs come first, and you will be forced to undertake a role which is not one that you would have chosen for yourself.  In spite of all of this, we have watched you approach your military service with tremendous maturity and a positive attitude.  You have done all that you can to guarantee that your rights are protected, and to try to find your way to a role that will keep you interested and well-utilised.  We have equally seen your willingness to do whatever is needed, even where this does not necessarily match what you want.

Today, as I watch these events before my eyes, and contemplate the next three years in which you will be a soldier in the IDF, I feel a tremendous pride.  I am enormously proud of the fact that you and your friends are willing to sacrifice three years of your life to serve your country and your people.  At a time when only one in two eligible Israelis are actually being drafted, every man and woman counts for a great deal.  You have stood up and been counted.  I am extremely proud of the fact that you are determined to undertake a role that will keep you challenged and allow you to make a real contribution.  Many have decided that they prefer to lay low and do as little as possible to allow the three years to pass in any uneventful way.  This is not for you.  You are determined to have a job that will keep you interested, and will allow you to make some use of the tremendous talents and skills that you have.  I am proud of the fact that you understand the necessity for you to play your role, at a time when many others are finding ways to escape this.

You have benefited over the past fourteen years from all the good things that Israeli society has to offer its children.  You have had the opportunity to walk the streets in relative safety whenever you wish, and to learn the independence that is typical of Israeli youth.  You have explored all corners of Israel, and connected to the Jewish homeland that was inhabited by your forefathers.  You have celebrated Jewish festivals and Israeli national holidays amongst your fellow Jews.  You have explored and developed your technical skills in an environment that is amongst the most technologically advanced in the world.  You have represented your country in an international competition, bringing great credit to your country, city, school and family.  You have volunteered to help underprivileged youth, and experienced the difficulties that so many people in Israel are suffering.  And now you are ready to take this further in making a commitment to safeguard your country and your people.

We wish you success and happiness during the time that you will serve.  We hope that you will find a way to make a meaningful contribution, and that will allow you to develop yourself in the process.  We pray for your health and safety, in mind and in body, and for the safety of those serving alongside you.  No matter where you are or what you are doing, we will be supporting you all the way, and eagerly awaiting the hours that you will be allowed to spend with us at home.  May Hashem guide and protect you in all that you do, wherever you may be.  I am extremely proud to be your father.

Message To My Son is a post from: The Israel Situation

Related posts:

1. Why I Want my Son to Serve
2. Obama’s Message of Hope
3. Hamas Leader’s Son Converts, Supports Israel

Two Palestinian teens have confessed to murdering five members of the Fogel family in Itamar in March. The teens made chilling comments to Israeli security forces regarding the murders.

Amjad Mahmad Awad, 19, and Hakim Mazen Awad, 18, are both affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a well known terrorist group.

The two distant cousins reenacted the murder for the Shin Bet after telling officials that they intended to become “martyrs” when they entered Itamar. The Shin Bet said that the two were unremorseful and cold and that the reenactment was one of the most chilling things they had ever witnessed.

The murderers also said that they would have killed the other two members of the family that were sleeping in the house if they had known they were there.

The terrorists will almost surely receive a life sentence in an Israeli prison. The death penalty in Israel has only been carried out once and is reserved for those guilty of committing genocide.

Itamar Update: Fogel Family Murderers Brought to Justice is a post from: The Israel Situation

Related posts:

1. Tamar Fogel Speaks About Family Murder in Itamar
2. Shin Bet Blog
3. Murder Most Horrid in Itamar

Image via Wikipedia

Iran had quietly faded into the spotlight after the Stuxnet virus put a serious dent in the Islamic Republic’s nuclear efforts, but President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad couldn’t give up the spotlight for long.

In the midst of the world focusing its attention on demonstrations in Egypt, Yemen, and Bahrain, Iran tried to sneak two warships through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea. The ships are said to be on the way to Syria, and Defense Minister Ehud Barak is not thrilled with the situation.

There are two important implications of Iran’s move. The first is the timing; the second is the long term implication of the actions.

Iran could not have picked a more heated moment to send the ships through Egypt’s Suez Canal. Former Egyptian President Mubarak was about as good of a friend as Israel had in the Middle East. Sure, Egypt has a relatively hostile atmosphere toward Israel, but Mubarak worked toward stability and peace in the region.

Just days after Mubarak is gone, Iran is using Egypt as a safe passage for warships to sail by Israel’s coast. These ships have heavy artillery that can be easily fired at Israel’s most densely populated region. The coastal plain houses 57% of Israel’s population in large cities such as Tel Aviv and Haifa.

Iran is also undermining and attempting to influence a major shift in the Middle East. The Egyptian and Tunisian Revolutions have sparked demonstrations across the Islamic world and have led to violent demonstrations in Bahrain and Yemen. Similar, though more peaceful, sentiments have arisen in Syria. Syria is an important pawn ally of Iran and a threat to that relationship is serious for Iran.

Iran is ultimately under the power of the dictator Ayatollah Khomeini, who calls the shots for Ahmadinejad and every other government body. If the anti-dictator sentiment around the Middle East spreads East into Iran, the power structure of that country is going to be threatened. Khomeini and Ahmadinejad have reason to do everything that can to keep power isolated.

I don’t know what will happen next, but be sure Israel is watching very closely.

Iranian Provocation is a post from: The Israel Situation

Related posts:

1. Iranian and Syrian Presidents Meet And Hate Israel Together
2. Wikileaks: Syria Will Not Join Iranian War
3. Iranian Revolution 3

Things are not going great for Iran’s president this week.  A plan was developed by a group of Iranian parliamentarians to impeach Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.  The plan was halted by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni.

While I have been calling Ahmadinejad an anti-Semite for years, this is the first concrete view into a division in the Iranian regime’s leadership.  The report accused Ahmadinejad of breaking laws and withdrawing government funds without authorization.   He was also accused of acting on his own when he was required to gain legislative approval.

According to Iranian law, however, Khameni has final say in all official state matters.  So, technically, as long as Khameni approved Ahmadinejad can do whatever he wants.  However, as history shows, people are not willing to live under the rule of a dictator forever if he does not act in the best interest of the people.  Civil unrest against Ahmadinejad began after the last election.  This public disproval from legislative leaders may spark a new wave of anti-government protests.

On another front, the Iranian nuclear program is struggling to keep going.  I have not read if it is related to the computer virus alleged to have come from Israel.  Either way, reports say that the centrifuges and refinement systems are not working.

Good news on all fronts.

Ahmadinejad’s Fall and Nuclear Struggles is a post from: The Israel Situation

Related posts:

1. Iran Predicts the Fall of Israel
2. Ahmadinejad May Call it Quits
3. Ahmadinejad Wins Big in Iran

photo © 2008 Terren | more info (via: Wylio)After the recent election, the United States will have 12 Jewish senators and 27 Jewish house representatives.  12% of the senate and 6% of the house is not bad for a minority that makes up about 2.2% of the country.  I expect that those 39 men and women will work hard for their constituents.  I also expect that they will support Israel.

As I have written in the past, continued United States support for Israel is vital to the stability of Israel and the Middle East.  While different leaders have different ways of showing it, the United States has maintained a commitment to Israel continued existence since the Jewish state was born in 1948.

That is not just because politicians want to support Israel, it is because Americans support Israel.  A recent poll showed that 56% of Americans support Israel where only 5% support the Palestinians.  The remainder were undecided or did not show strong support either way.

I imagine the reason for this goes beyond religion.  The United States supports Israel because it is a friend and a democracy in a region filled with hatred, religious dictators, faked elections, and a common desire to destroy both Israel and the United States.

It is easy to tell friends how why we support Israel.  As much as I like to think that I can solve our problems with this blog, it takes concrete steps from many more people to make a continued difference.  I urge every American reader of this blog to make a step today to show your friends, family, and elected officials that you support Israel.

Here is an easy step you can take today:

Write your senators and house representative and tell them why you support Israel and their support is important.  Write about Israel’s contributions to the world and Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts for peace.

Need the address or phone number to get in touch with your congressional representatives?  Here is a list of contact information for every senator and a search form for every house representative.  If your state elected new congress members that are not listed, you can easily find them with a quick online search.

It is easy to talk.  Get up and do something.

United States Support for Israel is a post from: The Israel Situation

Related posts:

1. Should United States Jews Support A Pro-Israel Candidate?
2. United States and Israel Squable Over New Homes
3. United States Congress Commends Israel

The newspapers have been filled with outrage over the remarks made by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his address to the United Nations General Assembly meeting. The US delegation walked out of the meeting during his address, and they were followed by representatives of other countries. A number of European countries have come out in condemnation of the statements made during his speech.

The whole sequence of events gives me a feeling of déjà vu. It is like an autumnal circus that takes place each year surrounding the UN General Assembly meeting. The Iranian juggernaut rolls into New York City (along with those from many other countries). There is the usual round of talk show appearances and press conferences. It all culminates in Ahmadinejad’s address to the General Assembly which criticises the USA and other western democracies. It uses every opportunity to delegitimise the State of Israel and warn of her pending downfall and destruction. The address is traditionally accompanied by a walkout by one delegation or another, and is followed by condemnations from countries who support the concept of mutual respect between nations. Once all the noise has died down for this year, we can expect the same behaviour and reactions next year. Surely there is something flawed in the whole ridiculous episode.

Having the right to address the United Nations and to say what you wish, is a right to freedom of speech afforded to all member nations. As with most rights, the right to freedom of speech is also accompanied by an obligation. The obligation is to use your freedom of speech in a way which does not blatantly make untruthful, disrespectful or inflammatory statements towards other nations. The charter of the UN also requires member countries to respect the human rights of other member countries, including their right to exist as a sovereign country and member of the UN. There is clear evidence that the Iranian president has repeatedly violated this, and with it, the charter of the United Nations. So why is he allowed to continue to behave in this way without any attempt to call him to account?

In spite of his behaviour, Ahmadinejad continues to enjoy the rights that are afforded to nations that abide by the rules of the UN. He is invited to the General Assembly meeting each year and allowed to make his address from the podium. He is given free rein to appear on talk shows and hold press conferences to further promote his vitriol and hatred. Not only is he allowed the freedom to do this, he is also afforded all the attention and the headlines as newspaper editors once again clamber to express alarm at his hateful statements. Each year, he is forced to step up the hate in order to ensure that he will succeed in making the front pages. This year, he decided to encroach upon the “holy of holies” in terms of the American people, the events surrounding the 9/11 attacks on New York City and other locations around the USA.

The fact that Ahmadinejad had the audacity to suggest that the US government had somehow been behind the events of 9/11 in order to support the continued survival of the State of Israel, clearly crossed a red line for the American government and its citizens. Besides making statements which can clearly not be supported by the facts, his accusation is absurd. How the events of 9/11 can be shown to support Israel is beyond my understanding. Other than making this ridiculous accusation, Ahmadinejad did not make any attempt to explain how such action on the part of the American government may have helped Israel. It is almost as if his sole intention was to insult and enrage the Americans and the Israelis. This is the same person who is being allowed to continue to enrich uranium and pursue the development of an extensive nuclear program that could produce nuclear weapons.

The world’s reaction on this occasion seems to be the same as before. It will simply make a few comments of objection, and then invite him to address the General Assembly again next year. By not taking more decisive action against this unacceptable and objectionable behaviour, the world essentially sends a message that it is acceptable to behave in this way. I accept that it may not be appropriate to take actions against Iran, as this is likely to punish the innocent people of Iran who have already been cheated at the ballot box to force this man upon them as their president. I do believe, however, that action should be taken personally against Ahmadinejad. This is personal, and the world’s response should mirror this fact. The time has come for Ahmadinejad to be banned from addressing the UN, and to be barred from entering the USA and other western democratic countries. We should deny him the headlines which keep him in power in Iran, and which support his evil rhetoric and actions. There are precedents for actions against individual leaders such as Mugabe, and I would not hesitate to place the Iranian president on this list of unwanted and undesirable personalities in the same way.

Many years of trying have shown that a policy of engagement does not work. It affords the opportunity for Ahmadinejad to pull the wool over the eyes of western countries even further. The only results that have been yielded thus far are to strengthen his world standing. Sanctions have not helped the situation in any way, other than to buy Ahmadinejad more time to develop his nuclear weapons under the noses of the inspection teams. Even though action is already very late, it is better now than never. Decisive action is now required, and fast.

If we are to leave our children a world that is safer than the one we live in today, the influence of leaders like Ahmadinejad needs to be killed off without hesitation. It is time for the world to stand up and to take action against those who threaten freedom and mutual respect. By alienating this evil man and making him a persona non grata in all countries that value real freedom of speech, it may help to bring his downfall in Iran where the majority has already shown itself opposed to him.

Even Freedom of Speech Has Limits is a post from: The Israel Situation

Related posts:

1. Freedom of Speech in Jeopary: Mohammed and South Park
2. Celebrating Freedom
3. French Freedom

The Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams have finally arrived in Washington and already held their first meetings in the process of direct peace talks. Newspaper reports are filled with stories about how little Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas had to say to each other during the official dinner held on Wednesday evening. But the real question is whether the process can deliver a real peace for the two nations, or whether the teams are simply going through the motions to satisfy those who have been exerting significant political pressure on the two leaders.

It is true that, until now, I have been extremely sceptical about the value of the process of direct talks. The Palestinian Authority president has been dragged kicking and screaming, and wholly against his will to the negotiating table. Netanyahu was not elected on a platform of peace-making, and is not regarded as Israel’s most likely peace-maker. The Obama administration took more than a year until it even got around to showing any interest in Middle East peace-making. When adding these factors to the lack of success in the past of reaching any meaningful progress towards an agreement, there is little surprise that the prospects for peace look remote.

There is a well-known phrase that is often used to convince sceptics that peace may well come from an impossible situation – “you make peace with your enemies, not your friends”. This is, of course, very true and serves to remind us that peace only comes out of extreme situations, and not out of circumstances where the parties are close to each other. We have seen the seemingly impossible when Israel signed peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan. These examples, and others involving other countries, serve to prove that peace can be achieved when it appears most unlikely. On this basis, we should feel optimistic that there is at least a dialogue taking place. While there is dialogue, there is hope. Without the channels being open, there is no prospect of peace.

When looking back on the peace agreements that were reached with Egypt and Jordan, there seems to be one common factor which allowed these agreements to be reached. In both cases, the countries capitulated in their rigid position of refusing to recognise Israel. Their willingness to recognise Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state was surely the turning point in facilitating a peace agreement. For me, this is the most fundamental requirement without which a peace agreement can never be achieved. Up to now, the Palestinians have not agreed to recognise Israel, and this has been the most significant obstacle to peace. Although Hamas has made it clear that they have no intention to recognise Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, even Fatah has not done enough to make this acknowledgement clear. When Yassir Arafat agreed to recognise Israel and to change the charter of the PLO to remove the clause which denies Israel’s right to exist, he reneged on this commitment. The offending clause still remains part of the PLO charter. It is hardly surprising that, under these circumstances, peace between the two nations has been out of reach.

Despite the fact that I have been doubtful about the prospects for a real and long-term peace, I feel more optimistic about the fact that dialogue is currently underway. This gives at least a chance, no matter how remote, for peace to be reached. My new-found hope is predicated on the assumption that the Palestinians will be prepared to give public acknowledgement to Israel’s right, and to make statements internally to their own people and to the world to recognise this right. Netanyahu has demanded this of Abbas as a pre-condition, and I anticipate that this acknowledgement will be forthcoming. Once both parties have established the basic tenet that the other has a right to exist, the peace negotiation has some basis. It shows the most basic respect for the other party, no matter how distant their respective positions may be. It seems ridiculous to be negotiating with somebody who does not recognise your right to be there, as much as this has been the strange situation until now.

Announcements have been made from Washington stating that one year has been allocated to reach an agreement. For an agreement to be reached, and in this time frame, the path is long and difficult, but not impossible. Both sides will be forced to make significant concessions, but these will need to be made in the spirit of honest negotiations and mutual respect. In the event that this is not achieved, severe damage could be done. It may serve to reinforce the fact that this peace may just be too difficult to conclude.

It is my hope and my prayer for the new year that some significant progress is made. Even to the sceptics like me, the prospect of this not happening is too painful to contemplate.

Is Peace Really Achievable? is a post from: The Israel Situation

Related posts:

1. Palestinian Peace Perpetuates Regional Conflict
2. Israel Offers Peace Talks, PA Says No
3. Abbas Calls For Peace With Israel, From Both Sides, Kind Of

At the start of each summer season, the seas off the coast of Israel are inundated with jellyfish. July usually marks the start of the annual invasion of jellyfish which can stretch for a hundred kilometres or more off the Israeli coast, stinging bathers and frightening tourists and locals away from the beaches.

The jellyfish are believed to have arrived in the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal in the mid 1970s, and since the 1980s have been “flotillas” (excuse the pun) off the coast of Israel each summer. Their lifespan is about three months, and they spend their entire lifespan around the Mediterranean Sea around this time of year.

Despite the significant scientific studies that have been done on these jellyfish, most Israelis hold the belief that the jellyfish magically disappear from the Israeli coastal waters after Tisha B’Av. This belief does not take into account the possibility of Tisha B’Av falling earlier in the calendar (as it did this year). If science is correct, the jellyfish should still be around long after we have fasted for Tisha B’Av.

Here is the somewhat strange part of the story. With Tisha B’Av falling earlier this year, there were reports of jellyfish being sighted off the coast much earlier than usual. The first reports were already being received in the first week of June, about two weeks earlier than last year. Could this have happened to tie in with the early occurrence of Tisha B’Av this year?

I have not yet been to the beach, but I plan to head out there soon and I will be able to confirm whether or not the coast is clear now that Tisha B’Av has passed.

Do the Jellyfish Disappear after Tisha B’Av? is a post from: The Israel Situation

Related posts:

1. On Tisha B’Av
2. A Look Back at Tisha B’Av
3. Tisha B’Av Publication Erases Dome of the Rock