RESEARCH SHOWS that one of the most often used words in Hebrew is "Shalom". Israelis greet each other with "shalom" and many of them do the same when parting. (The others use the two slang words "yallah bye", the one Arabic, the other English.)
Shalom is not a synonym of the European word "peace", as many believe. It is far more. It is based on the root "whole" and conveys the sense of wholeness, safety, wellbeing. In no European language can you say "our soldiers attacked the enemy and returned to their base in shalom".
LATELY, THE words "Crusaders" and "Zionists" have been appearing more and more often as twins. In a documentary about ISIS I just saw, they appeared together in almost every sentence uttered by the Islamist fighters, including teenagers.
Some sixty years ago I wrote an article whose title was just that: "Crusaders and Zionists". Perhaps it was the first on that subject.
IF THE British parliament had adopted a resolution in favor of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, the reaction of our media would have been like this:
"In an atmosphere of great enthusiasm, the British parliament adopted with a huge majority (274 for, a mere 12 against) a pro-Israeli motion…Over half the seats were occupied, more than usual…the opponents of Israel were in hiding and did not dare to vote against…"
Unfortunately, the British parliament voted this week on a pro-Palestinian resolution, and our media reacted almost unanimously like this:
"The hall was half empty…there was no enthusiasm…a meaningless exercise…Only 274 Members voted for the resolution, which is not binding…Many Members stayed away altogether…"
Yet all our media reported on the proceedings at length, many related articles appeared in the newspapers. Quite a feat for such a negligible, unimportant, insignificant, inconsequential, trivial, petty act.
About a month ago, on the eve of the Jewish New Year, the government statistical office published a set of interesting items about the population of the state. It is intended as a gift for the citizens. The population is growing, it is getting richer and it is satisfied.
One of the items lists the most popular names given last year to newborn boys and girls
WHEN A high-ranking official of one country calls the leader of another country "chickenshit", it may be assumed that the relations between the two countries are not at their best. In fact, they may be considered somewhat less than cordial.
This week, It happened. An unnamed very high-ranking US official said this in an interview with the respected American journalist who bears the very Jewish name of Jeffrey Goldberg.
No high-ranking official would use such a term for publication without the express permission of the President of the United States of America. So here we are.
IF ISIS had approached the borders of Israel this week, nobody in the country would have noticed. Israel was riveted to a court-room drama.
There, in the Jerusalem District Court, former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert faced his erstwhile secretary, Shula Zaken. No one could take his or her eyes off them. It was the stuff soap operas are made of
KAFR KANNA, a village near Nazareth, is probably the place where Jesus – according to the New Testament - turned water into wine. Now it is the Arab village where the Israeli police is turning stones into blood.
On the fateful day, the police was confronting a group of young Arabs protesting against the Israeli efforts to change the status quo on the Temple Mount (known to Muslims as "the Noble Sanctuary"). Such demonstrations were taking place that day in many Arab towns and villages all over Israel, and especially in occupied East Jerusalem.
Ruvi Rivlin, who was recently elected to the high but largely ceremonial post, is far from being a leftist. On the contrary, this scion of a family that has been living in Jerusalem for seven generations, believes in a Jewish state in all the country from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan river.
ISRAELIS ARE fed up with Binyamin Netanyahu. They are fed up with the government. They are fed up with all political parties. They are fed up with themselves. They are fed up.
That is the reason for the disintegration of the government this week. It did not fall because of any particular issue. Certainly not because of irrelevant matters like peace and war, occupation, racism, democracy and nonsense like that.
Curiously enough, this has happened to Netanyahu once before. His first government disintegrated in 1999, and the whole country breathed an audible sigh of relief. Indeed, the general feeling was of liberation, as if a foreign invader had finally been expelled. Like Paris in 1944.
ON MONDAY, the 19th Knesset voted to dissolve itself, less than two years after its election. For many of its members it was a sad day, a kind of political hara-kiri. They have no chance of re-election. Some of them are so forgettable, that I do not recognize their names or faces.
The day after, a political bomb exploded on the TV news. Channel 10 – slightly more liberal than the two others - published the results of a quick public opinion poll by a respected pollster.
ALMOST A thousand Israeli personalities have already signed an appeal to European parliaments for their governments to recognize the State of Palestine.
I am honored to be among the signatories, which include former ministers and members of the Knesset, diplomats and generals, artists and businessmen, writers and poets, including Israel's three outstanding writers Amos Oz, David Grossman and A. B. Yehoshua.
The EU General Court has ordered that the Palestinian militant group Hamas be removed from the bloc’s terror blacklist. The move comes over four years after Hamas appealed its terror designation before the EU.
WHEN I was 15 years old and a member of the Irgun underground (by today's criteria, an honest-to-goodness terrorist organization), we sang "(In the past) we had the heroes / Bar Kochba and the Maccabees / Now we have the new ones / The national youth…" The melody was a German military marching song.
Why did we look for heroes in the remote past?
We were in desperate need of national heroes to emulate. For 18 centuries, Jews had not fought. Dispersed throughout the world, they saw no reason to fight for emperors and kings who mostly persecuted them. (Though some of them did. The first authentic hero of the new Zionist entity in Palestine was Josef Trumpeldor, one of the few Jewish officers in the Czar's army, who lost an arm in the 1905 Russian-Japanese war and was killed in a skirmish with Arabs in Palestine.
Opening speech at the Kinneret College conference on the connection between Archeology and Ideology.[*]
FIRST OF ALL, let me thank you for inviting me to address this important conference. I am neither a professor nor a doctor. Indeed, the highest academic title I ever achieved was SEC (Seventh Elementary Class).
But like many members of my generation, from early youth I took a profound interest in archeology.
I shall try to explain why.
WHEN ASKING themselves about my connection with archeology, some of you will think about Moshe Dayan.
Ah, If I Were 25
RESEARCH SHOWS that one of the most often used words in Hebrew is "Shalom". Israelis greet each other with "shalom" and many of them do the same when parting. (The others use the two slang words "yallah bye", the one Arabic, the other English.)
Shalom is not a synonym of the European word "peace", as many believe. It is far more. It is based on the root "whole" and conveys the sense of wholeness, safety, wellbeing. In no European language can you say "our soldiers attacked the enemy and returned to their base in shalom".
In Arabic, Salaam has the same meaning.
Stronger than words
US criticises Israel over settlements
Gaza: Media, myths and the mainstream
Crusaders and Zionists
LATELY, THE words "Crusaders" and "Zionists" have been appearing more and more often as twins. In a documentary about ISIS I just saw, they appeared together in almost every sentence uttered by the Islamist fighters, including teenagers.
Some sixty years ago I wrote an article whose title was just that: "Crusaders and Zionists". Perhaps it was the first on that subject.
Israel blockade cripples Gaza's economy
Dr. ILAN PAPPE KPFA INTERVIEW: ISRAEL ZIONISIM (1/3)
A Talk with Jeff Halper - The Struggle
Decent Respect
IF THE British parliament had adopted a resolution in favor of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, the reaction of our media would have been like this:
"In an atmosphere of great enthusiasm, the British parliament adopted with a huge majority (274 for, a mere 12 against) a pro-Israeli motion…Over half the seats were occupied, more than usual…the opponents of Israel were in hiding and did not dare to vote against…"
Unfortunately, the British parliament voted this week on a pro-Palestinian resolution, and our media reacted almost unanimously like this:
"The hall was half empty…there was no enthusiasm…a meaningless exercise…Only 274 Members voted for the resolution, which is not binding…Many Members stayed away altogether…"
Yet all our media reported on the proceedings at length, many related articles appeared in the newspapers. Quite a feat for such a negligible, unimportant, insignificant, inconsequential, trivial, petty act.
"Making Sense of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict" presented by Miko Peled
Miko Peled on Comcast Channel 17 in Memphis
Muhammad, Where Are You?
IT SOUNDS like a joke. But it isn't.
About a month ago, on the eve of the Jewish New Year, the government statistical office published a set of interesting items about the population of the state. It is intended as a gift for the citizens. The population is growing, it is getting richer and it is satisfied.
One of the items lists the most popular names given last year to newborn boys and girls
Treaty with Israel yet to impress Jordanians
Al-Aqsa Lockdown: Middle East on brink of new Intifada?
Why Recognizing a Palestinian State is NOT Progressive - Miko Peled
Chickenshit
WHEN A high-ranking official of one country calls the leader of another country "chickenshit", it may be assumed that the relations between the two countries are not at their best. In fact, they may be considered somewhat less than cordial.
This week, It happened. An unnamed very high-ranking US official said this in an interview with the respected American journalist who bears the very Jewish name of Jeffrey Goldberg.
No high-ranking official would use such a term for publication without the express permission of the President of the United States of America. So here we are.
Uri Avnery speaking at UCLA 10/7/1970
Turmoil at Al-Aqsa Mosque
Is ISIS Coming?
IF ISIS had approached the borders of Israel this week, nobody in the country would have noticed. Israel was riveted to a court-room drama.
There, in the Jerusalem District Court, former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert faced his erstwhile secretary, Shula Zaken. No one could take his or her eyes off them. It was the stuff soap operas are made of
Palestinians remind world of their own wall
The Stream - Tension in the holy city
Unrest spreads after more killings in Israel
Agents of Israel
Miko Peled in Washington
Palestinians protest in West Bank town
Wine, Blood and Gasoline
KAFR KANNA, a village near Nazareth, is probably the place where Jesus – according to the New Testament - turned water into wine. Now it is the Arab village where the Israeli police is turning stones into blood.
On the fateful day, the police was confronting a group of young Arabs protesting against the Israeli efforts to change the status quo on the Temple Mount (known to Muslims as "the Noble Sanctuary"). Such demonstrations were taking place that day in many Arab towns and villages all over Israel, and especially in occupied East Jerusalem.
IN ITS long and checkered history, Jerusalem has been occupied by dozens of conquerors.
The Unholy City
House Demolitions in the Israeli Occupied West Bank
Israel: Jewish state vs democracy?
Palestinians in 'demographic war' with Israel
THE PRESIDENT of Israel was aghast.
Ruvi Rivlin, who was recently elected to the high but largely ceremonial post, is far from being a leftist. On the contrary, this scion of a family that has been living in Jerusalem for seven generations, believes in a Jewish state in all the country from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan river.
The Son of my Eyes
Labor Beat: Steven Salaita and Ali Abunimah at University of Chicago
Must see!! Miko Peled Israeli Jew tells the Real Truth about Israel
The Plebiscite
ISRAELIS ARE fed up with Binyamin Netanyahu. They are fed up with the government. They are fed up with all political parties. They are fed up with themselves. They are fed up.
That is the reason for the disintegration of the government this week. It did not fall because of any particular issue. Certainly not because of irrelevant matters like peace and war, occupation, racism, democracy and nonsense like that.
Curiously enough, this has happened to Netanyahu once before. His first government disintegrated in 1999, and the whole country breathed an audible sigh of relief. Indeed, the general feeling was of liberation, as if a foreign invader had finally been expelled. Like Paris in 1944.
Head to Head - Time to boycott Israel?
Can the Duke become King?
ON MONDAY, the 19th Knesset voted to dissolve itself, less than two years after its election. For many of its members it was a sad day, a kind of political hara-kiri. They have no chance of re-election. Some of them are so forgettable, that I do not recognize their names or faces.
The day after, a political bomb exploded on the TV news. Channel 10 – slightly more liberal than the two others - published the results of a quick public opinion poll by a respected pollster.
Can a UN resolution end Israeli occupation?
ALMOST A thousand Israeli personalities have already signed an appeal to European parliaments for their governments to recognize the State of Palestine.
I am honored to be among the signatories, which include former ministers and members of the Knesset, diplomats and generals, artists and businessmen, writers and poets, including Israel's three outstanding writers Amos Oz, David Grossman and A. B. Yehoshua.
Splendid Isolation
Shlomo Sand on 'Why I stopped being a Jew' & 'racism in Israeli society'
Conflict overshadows Bethlehem's Christmas
EU court removes Hamas from terror blacklist
The EU General Court has ordered that the Palestinian militant group Hamas be removed from the bloc’s terror blacklist. The move comes over four years after Hamas appealed its terror designation before the EU.
Ilan Pappe, The One state Solution, A new roadmap to Palestine, Litterature House, Oslo
Continuing plight of Palestinian Christians
My Glorious Brothers
WHEN I was 15 years old and a member of the Irgun underground (by today's criteria, an honest-to-goodness terrorist organization), we sang "(In the past) we had the heroes / Bar Kochba and the Maccabees / Now we have the new ones / The national youth…" The melody was a German military marching song.
Why did we look for heroes in the remote past?
We were in desperate need of national heroes to emulate. For 18 centuries, Jews had not fought. Dispersed throughout the world, they saw no reason to fight for emperors and kings who mostly persecuted them. (Though some of them did. The first authentic hero of the new Zionist entity in Palestine was Josef Trumpeldor, one of the few Jewish officers in the Czar's army, who lost an arm in the 1905 Russian-Japanese war and was killed in a skirmish with Arabs in Palestine.
Palestine signs up to ICC, Israel threatens to 'take measures'
Palestinian statehood: a lost cause?
Jeff Halper: The Two state solution is gone!
Christian Zionism in Canada part 1 of 2(The speech isn't given by an Israeli or Palestinian, but it's still interesting)
Palestinians submit application to join ICC
The Rock of our Existence
Opening speech at the Kinneret College conference on the connection between Archeology and Ideology.[*]
FIRST OF ALL, let me thank you for inviting me to address this important conference. I am neither a professor nor a doctor. Indeed, the highest academic title I ever achieved was SEC (Seventh Elementary Class).
But like many members of my generation, from early youth I took a profound interest in archeology.
I shall try to explain why.
WHEN ASKING themselves about my connection with archeology, some of you will think about Moshe Dayan.
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