Does not compute …

A lot of blogs have been talking about the recent 60 Minutes piece that aired about the situation in Jerusalem and specifically about the City of David archeological project and the Arab neighborhood of Silwan in which it is located.

If you haven't seen the 60 Minutes clip, I highly recommend that you check it out. It does an ok job of laying out some of the tension in the city and doesn't completely gloss over the complexity of the situation.

One of the themes from the piece is that Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat, and many other Israeli leaders, believe that Jerusalem cannot be divided. They believe this for many reasons, most of them practical and logistical.

As Barkat claims in the video, "show me one example of a divided city that works, it doesn't exists."

This echoes some of the work done by Israeli blogger and historian Yaacov Lozowick. I pointed it out before, but you should read up on his posts about why Jerusalem can't and shouldn't be divided.

I used to be very much in favor of the Clinton parameters as the solution here, including the division of Jerusalem. Now I'm not so sure. Why I still believe firmly in a two-state solution, I'm coming around to the position that Jerusalem simply cannot be divided.

While I was influenced by Lozowick's position and his postings, I think the time I have spent in Jerusalem has been more persuasive. What that time has convinced is that Israel cannot divide Jerusalem because it doesn't belong to Israel. It doesn't belong to the Arabs either, nor does it belong to the Jewish people as we might wish to believe.

Jerusalem, more than any other group, belongs to the Haredim. You see it when you walk down the street in that city. The Haredim are the one community that has shown a complete and total commitment to the city. I'm not trying to place a value judgment on this fact; I'm simply describing the situation as I see it. The Haredim will never let Jerusalem, and by that I mean more or less the old city and the holy basin, slip out of Jewish control.

On the other hand, the reaction of the anti-Israel community to the 60 Minutes piece has been predictably nonsensical. Exhibit A, not surprisingly, is the headline from this post over at Mondoweiss.

‘60 Minutes’ marks the end of the two-state solution

This is a common staple of anti-Israel propaganda; that the failure to divide Jerusalem would render the two-state solution unworkable. To this I ask: why? Certainly the Palestinians would not agree to a peace treaty that didn't include Jerusalem. However, the lack of an agreement does not in any way render two-states an impossible outcome of the problem here.

I have recently been of the thinking that a Palestinian state will be created long before it reaches a peace agreement with Israel. Certainly a happy and peaceful division of Jerusalem would be preferable to the Palestinians. But I fail to see, and no one has made a logical (or truthful) argument as to why a Palestinian state would be unviable if it didn't include Jerusalem.

This argument necessitates the same logic that said that the inclusion of Ma'ale Adumim in Israel would somehow prevent a contiguous Palestinian state. It takes only a split second glance at a map to disprove that argument, and it takes only the most cursory examination of the situation here to know that a Palestinian state that didn't include Jerusalem would still be a completely viable basis for a state.

But hey, the anti-Israel crowd hasn't been making any sense for the last 60 years, why should they start now?

Mondoweiss; promoting the Palestinian narrative at the expense of the truth …

I had already come to this conclusion, but a recent post at Mondoweiss demonstrates just how that site has become the epicenter for anti-Israel bigotry and Jewish self-hatred on the web.

The post is remarkable for its frankness, as is much of the content at Mondoweiss. The writers there, while completely dishonest in their discussions about Israel, are remarkably honest about their intentions.

The writer laments the pro-Palestinian Israeli left, complaining that they are somehow dishonest about their intentions because they are living on "stolen" Palestinian land. The following excerpt displays both the writer's hatred for Israel, and his profound ignorance of the truth.

Every time I would tell my girlfriend (she's Palestinian) about a famous Israeli activist or writer or she would ask why they still call themselves Israeli. She tells me things like, 'See. They still call themselves Israeli. When they use that word they are automatically erasing Palestine.'

Later on the writer continues …

But I have to ask Israelis the question: "If you feel so strongly about what is being done to the Palestinians, how can you continue to live in their stolen country?"

How can you go from a West Bank protest back to your Tel Aviv home, which very well may have belonged to a family member of your friends in the West Bank? Can you really be supporting someone when you live on the land which was violently seized from them?

If these Israeli activists truly believe what they say they should move to the occupied territories and live as a Palestinian.

Where do I begin???? Let's start with Tel Aviv as I happen to be a resident of that city.

The chances that an Israeli living in Tel Aviv is living in the former home of a Palestinian are remarkably slim. Tel Aviv, quite possibly the most authentic Israeli city in Israel, truly exemplifies the Israeli narrative. This city was built on empty sand dunes north of Jaffa. This is not a myth but is the unquestionable reality of this city. Additionally, the land that was used to build Tel Aviv was overwhelming land that was purchased specifically for the purpose of Jewish settlement.

Additionally, anyone familiar with the architecture of Tel Aviv and it's often unique style of building (read ugly), knows that the overhwelming majority of the city was built after the establishment of the state in a mad rush of building to accomadate the multitude of Jewish refugees who were settling in the country.

Tel Aviv is the single worst example of the Palestinian narrative in which Jews "stole" their country through force. Yet, this is specifically the city in which the writer chose to focus his accusations against "thieving" Israelis.

But, truth be told, I could tolerate blanket distortions of the truth if I believed that it somehow brought us closer to peace and reconciliation with our neighbors. Of course, as was so clearly demonstrated in the opening quote from the writer's girlfriend, the Palestinians and their international, American, and even Jewish supporters have no intention of making peace with Israel. They seek to dismantle it.

This is the equation that the Palestinians are offering to Israel, this is their version of "peace." This is what they are saying to Israelis:

Give up, surrender. One way or the other we are going to destroy your country. Your only option is to join our side and do as you're told, otherwise …

And it’s that last point that's left to our imaginations. Well, I have a rather vivid imagination, I don't much like what I see.

While we're on the subject of this whole Jewish state business ...

There are two great articles out there today about why it is fundamental that the Arabs, and the world in general, recognize Israel as a Jewish state.

The first comes from Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren. His article in the New York Times articulately lays out why this is a critical step for peace. A highlight:

Affirmation of Israel’s Jewishness, however, is the very foundation of peace, its DNA. Just as Israel recognizes the existence of a Palestinian people with an inalienable right to self-determination in its homeland, so, too, must the Palestinians accede to the Jewish people’s 3,000-year connection to our homeland and our right to sovereignty there. This mutual acceptance is essential if both peoples are to live side by side in two states in genuine and lasting peace.

The second great argument in favor of this course of action comments from, of all places, Haaaretz. Left-leaning commentator Ari Shavit lays out seven reasons why recognition is crucial. Another highlight:

Second reason: This is the heart of the conflict. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict stems from the fact that for a century, the Jewish national movement and the Palestinian national movement refused to recognize each other. In 1993, Israel recognized the Palestinian people and its rights. But to this day the Palestinians have not recognized the Jewish people and its rights.

Indeed. Hat tip Yaacov Lozowick.

Thanks for the traffic ...

Well it looks like I got someone's attention. I checked Google Analytics this morning and saw a considerable spike in traffic. By spike I mean there actually was traffic since practically no one reads this blog in the first place.

I checked for the source and apparently it came from Ali Abunimah's twitter stream. He was reacting to this post that I wrote about two earlier tweets of his. Here's what he wrote:

"The kind of racist defamation Zionist settlers sink to: 'Abunimah sees Jews as his dogs with no rights whatsoever" http://j.mp/c4oWZL'"

Coming from him I'll take that as a compliment. To be honest I don't see how my comment could be construed as racism, considering I was referring specifically to Abunimah and not to any particular group of people. It could theoretically be viewed as defamation, although based on Abunimah's twitter stream alone I believe my description of him to be accurate.

I also find it amusing that I have somehow been elevated to the status of settler. Apparently Abunimah now views central Tel Aviv as a settlement. I suppose that says something about his perspective on the situation here.

In case anyone reading Abunimah's twitter stream is confused by his rhetoric I will state here clearly my opinion of the Palestinians. They are a people, and like all peoples should be afforded the right to live in peace and dignity. I believe that they deserve a state of their own, and I have no problem recognizing their legitimate right to self determination.


It would be nice if they, and Abunimah, were willing to confer the same right to the Jewish people. I believe that their denial of the Jewish peoples' legitimate right to self determination is the primary obstacle to peace in the region. But that's just my humble opinion.

At any rate, Abunimah did get one thing right. I am indeed a Zionist, and I'm proud to be one.

Ali Abunimah's hypocrisy …

Rabid Israel hater Ali Abunimah posted the following tweets yesterday in response to the Obama administration's endorsement of Israel as a Jewish state and the homeland of the Jewish people.

He changed the White House statement in order to paint Israel as some sort of racist state.

#    "We recognize the special nature of the [Northern Irish] state. It is a state for the [Protestant] people." http://j.mp/9P6QZJ #Israel     about 14 hours ago  via bitly

# "We recognize the special nature of the [South African] state. It is a state for the [White] people." http://j.mp/9P6QZJ #Israel #apartheid

I humbly offer my own alternative and hope to see Abunimah post it on his twitter account in the near future.

"We recognize the special nature of the [Palestinian] state. It is a state for the [Palestinian] people."

I have to admit, I don't see anything wrong about that last statement. It actually makes a lot of sense to me.

Perhaps that's because I see Palestinians as human beings with legitimate aspirations for statehood, while Abunimah sees Jews as his dogs with no rights whatsoever.

About that Jewish and democratic state thing ...

In case I wasn't clear yesterday, I don't support the proposed amendment to the citizenship law as it currently exists for several reasons. It seems to me unnecessary, ineffective, and it seems to be overly demanding of Israel's non-Jewish citizens.

However, none of my reasons include opposition to Israel's definition as a Jewish and democratic state. That is a completely non-controversial statement and definition, and one which has many parallels throughout the rest of the world.

But just in case there are people who do oppose that definition, I would like to propose several alternative texts to establish Israel's relationship to Judaism.

Proposal #1:

RELATIONS OF SYNAGOGUE AND STATE 

The prevailing religion in Israel is that of the Orthodox Jewish Rabbinate. The Orthodox Jewish Rabbinate, acknowledging the G-d of Israel, is inseparably united in doctrine with the Orthodox Jewish Rabbinates and with every other Orthodox Jewish community of the same doctrine, observing unwaveringly, as they do, the holy and sacred traditions as ordained in Halacha.

Well perhaps that might be too strong.

Proposal #2:

In the Name of the G-d of Israel, from Whom is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States must be referred,

We, the people of Israel,

Humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our Divine Lord, the G-d of Israel, Who sustained our fathers through centuries of trial,

Gratefully remembering their heroic and unremitting struggle to regain the rightful independence of our Nation,

And seeking to promote the common good, with due observance of Prudence, Justice and Charity, so that the dignity and freedom of the individual may be assured, true social order attained, the unity of our country restored, and concord established with other nations,

Do hereby adopt, enact, and give to ourselves this Constitution.

Well, again that might be too many obligations to the Jewish G-d. Perhaps something simpler and more straightforward?

Proposal #3

The Israeli Government supports the Jewish religion.

Well, maybe I should take a look at what Israel's Declaration of Independence has to say on the matter. It is after all the founding document of the country that, along with the basic laws, has been interpreted as Israel's constitution. I'll include two key components of the declaration.

ACCORDINGLY WE, MEMBERS OF THE PEOPLE'S COUNCIL, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF ERETZ-ISRAEL AND OF THE ZIONIST MOVEMENT, ARE HERE ASSEMBLED ON THE DAY OF THE TERMINATION OF THE BRITISH MANDATE OVER ERETZ-ISRAEL AND, BY VIRTUE OF OUR NATURAL AND HISTORIC RIGHT AND ON THE STRENGTH OF THE RESOLUTION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, HEREBY DECLARE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A JEWISH STATE IN ERETZ-ISRAEL, TO BE KNOWN AS THE STATE OF ISRAEL. …

THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be open for Jewish immigration and for the Ingathering of the Exiles; it will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

You know what, that's pretty good. I think we should stick with that and forget about the alternatives. Of course you may be wondering where the alternatives came from. Well I thought maybe Israel should take a page from other countries, and base its laws on theirs. So I borrowed text from the constitutions of other countries.

Proposal #1 – Greece:

SECTION II RELATIONS OF CHURCH AND STATE

Article 3

1. The prevailing religion in Greece is that of the Eastern Orthodox Church of Christ. The Orthodox Church of Greece, acknowledging our Lord Jesus Christ as its head, is inseparably united in doctrine with the Great Church of Christ in Constantinople and with every other Church of Christ of the same doctrine, observing unwaveringly, as they do, the holy apostolic and syn- odal canons and sacred traditions. It is autocephalous and is administered by the Holy Synod of serving Bishops and the Permanent Holy Synod originating thereof and assembled as specified by the Statutory Charter of the Church in compliance with the provisions of the Patriarchal Tome of June 29, 1850 and the Synodal Act of September 4, 1928.

Source: http://www.hri.org/docs/syntagma/artcl25.html#S11

Proposal #2 – Ireland:

In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States must be referred,

We, the people of Éire,

Humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ, Who sustained our fathers through centuries of trial,

Gratefully remembering their heroic and unremitting struggle to regain the rightful independence of our Nation,

And seeking to promote the common good, with due observance of Prudence, Justice and Charity, so that the dignity and freedom of the individual may be assured, true social order attained, the unity of our country restored, and concord established with other nations,

Do hereby adopt, enact, and give to ourselves this Constitution.

Source: http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/attached_files/Pdf%20files/Constitution%20of%20Ireland.pdf

Proposal #3- Argentina:

Section 2.- The Federal Government supports the Roman Catholic Apostolic religion.

Source: http://www.argentina.gov.ar/argentina/portal/documentos/constitucion_ingles.pdf

Avigdor Lieberman is a douchebag ...

There has been a lot of shrill discussion, as there usually is, in Israel's media lately about the proposed amendment to Israel's citizenship law. The amendment would require individuals seeking Israeli citizenship to pledge loyalty to Israel as a "Jewish and democratic state." This amendment has been labeled as racist and fascist and all sorts of other "ists" by individuals within and outside of Israel.

When I stop to think of it, this amendment really doesn't seem that controversial to me. Israel has long defined itself as a Jewish and democratic state, so asking prospective citizens to swear allegiance to Israel as such should be obvious, right?

Well not necessarily. This bill seems largely superfluous and unnecessary. The amendment will apply almost exclusively to non-Jews who are seeking to immigrate, and won't apply to Jews making aliyah according to the law of return. Why shouldn't Jews also be required to take this oath? I'm not alone in feeling lukewarm about this amendment. Even members of the conservative Likud party are uncertain about its effect.

"This is the Jewish people' state. We've inscribed that in our Basic Laws. Do we really have to keep repeating it? It creates detrimental tensions," he said.

The second ramification Meridor warns of is the possible harm to Israel's international image: "We are in the midst of fighting a de-legitimization campaign against Israel, which is a huge danger. This fight has to be managed carefully and this is not helping us. No other nation mandates such a thing, why give anyone another thing to use against us?

I think the real reason this bill is seen as controversial is because of its source: Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beitenu party. Lieberman, and his party, have the uncanny ability to make even reasonable ideas sound racist and fascist. I personally believe this is related to Lieberman's embarrassing, amateurish, stupid, and thuggish performance as Foreign Minister. The man seems hell bent on making Israel seem as uncivilized and boorish as possible and Prime Minister Netanyahu has inexplicably given him the perfect office to do so.

At any rate, I believe a reasonable compromise will be reached. It will happen because most Israelis and most of their leaders are reasonable people. They are proud to live in a Jewish state, while recognizing the need to be sensitive to the minority population that lives amongst us. As for Lieberman, I pray every day that someone in this country comes to their senses and fires his stupid ass.

Actually, there is good news ...

For a long time the only positive news out of Israel was economic news. Then the global financial crisis hit and Israel was pulled down just like everyone else.

Well, now it seems that Israel has pulled itself back up again. Even the IMF has noticed.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts 4.2% GDP growth in Israel in 2010, up from 0.8% growth in 2009. The optimistic forecast is contained in the IMF's bi-annual World Economic Outlook report which was published today on the eve of the IMF conference in Washington DC.


The IMF forecast is higher than the Bank of Israel's 4% prediction, which was issued on September 29, having been revised upwards from its 3.7% forecast in April.

Read the whole thing.

It happens once in a hundred years ...

Plastered throughout Tel Aviv there are larger banner ads promoting a mysterious and unnamed product. They feature different attractive looking people (and one dog) from various age groups looking happily towards the sky at some unseen magnificent sight.

What they're looking at is left to the imagination and they only clue given is the tag line "it happens once in a hundred years."

Well with a little searching I figured out this is an ad for "Gindi Tel Aviv," a new apartment project under development in Tel Aviv.

The Gindi project is part of the massive Wholesale Market Compound, a huge lot in central Tel Aviv that until a few years ago was occupied by the aforementioned wholesale market. A development plan was drawn up for the lot including four tall apartment towers, about ten low-rise apartment buildings, commercial space, and green open areas. All in all, the plan calls for some 1,125 residential units. You can read all about the project at the Tel Aviv Info website.

The Gindi Tel Aviv project represents the first stage of the plan, calling for the construction of the ten low-rise buildings. I have a hobby of reading about urban developments and towers here in Tel Aviv so I wandered over to the website and Facebook page of the developer.

They had some nice renders of the project and a photo gallery from their "gala announcement." It's all very classy. Of course any apartment in this project is certain to be super expensive so only a very select group of people will ever be able to even think about buying an apartment there.

This project is another example of how the Israeli economy continues to grow at a prodigious speed. Israeli is now outpacing most of the other developed economies in terms of growth. The situation here is certainly more robust than in the U.S. and I feel it when I talk to my friends and family back in the states.

But there is something about this project and its ads that … poked me somewhere inside my head. I realize that's a clumsy analogy but it’s the best I could do. This apartment project was advertised as if it were a rock concert. They weren't selling homes; they were selling a very clear idea, an idea that says "wealth, success, and opportunity."

It says something about the mindset of people here. I sit around most days worrying about all the people who hate Israel. Most Israeli's could care less, they're to busy living their lives and building an amazing, vibrant, and dynamic country.

Ummm? Actually no ...

I'm sure Desmond Tutu is a good man. He has worked tirelessly for the cause of freedom and human rights, and for that he deserves to commended. However, when it comes to Israel he has proven himself to be profoundly ignorant.

He recently supported a call for a South African university to sever ties with an Israeli university. Here is the justification he provided.

"Israeli universities are an intimate part of the Israeli regime, by active choice," Tutu wrote in an essay that appeared in a South African newspaper Sunday. "While Palestinians are not able to access universities and schools, Israeli universities produce the research, technology, arguments and leaders for maintaining the occupation."

I'm sorry, but anyone who knows even the slightest bit about Israeli universities knows that they are the sources of the most vocal criticism of Israeli society, of the Israeli government, and of Israel's policies vis-a-vis the Palestinians.

To suggest that Israeli universities "are an intimate part of the Israeli regime," whatever that means, shows a total failure to form even a rudimentary understanding of Israeli society. It shows a perspective that is based on the propaganda and distortions of Israel's most hateful critics, rather anything related to truth or fact.

Like most universities, Israel's institutions of higher learning are bastions for Israel's most liberal and progressive thinkers. They serve Jews and Arabs alike and provide a vital forum for the free flow of ideas and democratic values. Israel's universities have recently come under attack by more radical right-wing elements in Israeli society for the often biting criticisms and viewpoints that are produced there.

Anyone who attacks these institutions merely sets back those members of Israeli society seeking to promote dialogue and reconciliation, and ultimately harms the chances for peace.

There are two cooks in Israel's kitchen ...

Earlier today Israeli Foreign Minister and all around schmuck Avigdor Lieberman gave an address to the U.N. in which he laid out his plans for peace. His vision includes a swap of populated territories in which Arab communities in Israel would become part of the new Palestinian state and Jewish communities in the west bank would become part of Israel.

A short while later Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that he had not approved Lieberman's speech and that he alone was in charge of the negotiations. As described in Haaretz:

The PMO's statement Tuesday essentially put Netanyahu and Lieberman on a public collision course, after the foreign minister effectively expressed his disagreement with Netanyahu's peace-talks policies. While aides to the prime minister admitted that Lieberman's scheme has come up during internal discussions, no official decision as to his stance have been made, they said.

Hopefully Bibi will fire his idiot FM and we can finally have someone represent Israel who can speak English and isn't thought of as a racist fascist by the rest of the civilized world.

Uplifting ...

Several weeks ago the pro-Israel blogosphere covered the story of Cliona Campbell, a young Irish woman who came to Israel to volunteer to help the IDF. She didn't serve as a soldier but rather spent her time preparing army bags and painting bases and other such activities.

Upon her return to Ireland she was met with a wave of anger and hatred, and she was ridiculed and reviled in the press. Well, she has written an outstanding post at CiF Watch about her experience and it is a must read for anyone looking to understand the atmosphere of hatred that surrounds the people who are opposed to Israel.

Yet when I returned home to Ireland after two months of packing kitbags and painting warehouses on Israeli army bases, I was, for all purposes, the devil incarnate. As punishment for making public my volunteering in Israel, I was met by an onslaught of savage attacks and condemnation from my fellow countrymen. They called for the confiscation of my passport, claiming that I had already revoked my Irish identity the minute I volunteered for Israel. As far as they were concerned, I was a “baby killer”, a “terrorist” and a traitor to Ireland.  Many Irish people openly voiced their disappointment that I had not been raped and shot by the Israeli soldiers of whom I had worked alongside ...

To see the country of one’s birth become the feeding ground for Islamists and extremists is in no small way soul-destroying. I simply hope that someday people will wake up and realise that Ireland’s history of decades of bloody terrorist activity was never noble and never justifiable. As a nation which has endured the agony of years of terrorism, we should be on the frontline campaigning in opposition to such barbaric tactics. Has it been so long that we have forgotten that armed resistance is not the precursor to peace, but a foretaste of more savage brutality?

I always say that I understand why Jews support Israel, we have to deal with the hatred and the danger, we have no other country and no other choice. But I fail to understand how brave non-Jews can come here and tolerate the level of hatred that is directed at Israel. Perhaps I don't need to understand and rather simply say thank you.

Receiving blessings ...

I'm not particularly religious. On the Israeli scale I fall somewhere between Hiloni and Masorti, that is, somewhere between secular and traditional. I grew up going to a conservative synagogue in the U.S. and that is a pretty good label for my Jewish identity.

Living here in Israel it's hard to find a religious community that accurately represents my view. There are only a handful of conservative shuls in Tel Aviv and the more progressive ones are just a bit too "shanti" for my taste. But nevertheless I've found places to celebrate the holidays with friends and neighbors and I feel very much at home here.

Having grown up in a conservative shul in the states I had never witnessed a ceremony called the "Birkat Ha'Kohanim," which is practiced during major Jewish holidays. The first time I saw it was when I went with my father to a Chabad service for Rosh Ha'Shana. It is a fascinating service in which all the Cohens in the congregation gather together to perform the "Priestly Blessing." This blessing is commonly known amongst many communities in its English translation:

May the Lord bless you and keep you:

May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you:

May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

In the service all the men lift up their Talitot and cover themselves in them. Fathers will cover their children and it is customary not to look at the Kohanim as they perform the blessing. What is not seen is that under their Talitot the Kohanim are extending their hands in a very specific way. It is this same hand signal that was later immortalized by Leonard Nimoy in his Vulcan hand salute.

A few years ago I stumbled upon a video of this ceremony being performed by tens of thousands of people at the Western Wall (Kotel) in Jerusalem. I had never seen anything like it in my lifetime of Judaism, and I found it be hauntingly powerful. Here is a video from this year's ceremony:



The ceremony is performed twice a year at the Kotel during the festivals of Sukkot and Passover. These are two of the traditional pilgrimage festivals in which all of the nation of Israel would gather in Jerusalem to pray at the temple.

Last week I realized that the "Birkat Ha'Kohanim" was approaching, and I decided I wanted to attend. So on Sunday I woke up at 5:45 in the morning, which is for me a miracle in itself, and took the bus to Jerusalem. The city was bustling with people making their way to the Kotel for the ceremony. The bus was overflowing with people, and the bus company had clearly made special arrangements for the large crowd that was coming. The closest feeling to the atmosphere is the push before a major concert or sporting event. Moving tens of thousands of people around, all headed to one central location, is complicated and stressful. Nevertheless, most people were calm and friendly, including the nice Haredi man on the bus sitting next to me who asked me where I was from and pinched my cheek after he found out that I had made aliyah.

The "Birkat Ha'Kohanim" is now one of the closest things we have to how Jews practiced their religion during the time of the temple. It is a profound statement about the effect that Israel has on the Jewish people and how they practice their religion. When I saw this ceremony I couldn't help but feel that this is what a people looks like when it is returned to its land.

Why I don't care about Jonathan Pollard …

There has been a lot of rumbling in the Israeli press and in the pro-Israel blogosphere that the U.S and Israel may agree to a three-month extension of the settlement freeze in exchange for the release of convicted spy Jonathon Pollard. It may sound insensitive, considering Pollard has been in jail since 1987, but I don't really care about what happens to him.

Pollard is a U.S citizen and passed on secret U.S. information to Israel. Now, it may be true that the U.S. and Israel are allies and that the information probably pertained to Arab countries and other enemies of Israel. But that doesn't make it ok.

Pollard broke the law. He is an American and his loyalty should lie with the U.S. More than that, I learned long ago a rule to live by: don't frak with Uncle Sam.

Now many may question how I can say this with such confidence considering I left the U.S. and now live in Israel. "Don't you have dual loyalties?" they might ask.

Yes, I do have dual loyalties. I have dual citizenship. I have to respect the laws of both countries and support the wellbeing of both countries. And you know what, it's not hard. The U.S. and Israel ARE allies and their interests tend to coincide.

Yes the countries have differences of opinion about policy. But those differences are no greater than what can be found among the elected representatives of both countries. I don't agree with a lot of Obama's policies, but that doesn't make me disloyal to the U.S. I disagree with a lot of Netanyahu's policies, and I absolutely loathe Avigdor Lieberman, but that doesn't make me disloyal to Israel.

But Pollard was an employee of the U.S. government and he had an obligation to uphold the law. He failed, and he was tried and sentenced fairly. He deserves his fate.

The worst comparison in the history of comparisons …

For some inexplicable reason the comparison of the Arab-Israel conflict to the problems in Northern Ireland keeps popping up again and again. I touched on this subject briefly before, but I haven't addressed it in great depth.

I think I'll leave it to others, probably smarter than I am and certainly better informed, to tackle this issue head-on.

There was a great refutation of the comparison in Slate, and the Z-Word blog has run several posts on the subject.

I have some more thoughts on this but so far not enough time to organize them.

Smoke on the water ...

Several weeks back, pro-Israel blogs pointed out that there was a water park in Gaza, and that it was proof that there certainly isn't a dire humanitarian catastrophe there.

Well it looks like Hamas is working hard to make sure that life in Gaza is absolutely as miserable as possible.

Gaza's aquapark attraction "Crazy Water Park" was vandalized and partially set ablaze by on (sic) Sunday morning, the seaside resort's management said.

Around 40 unidentified militants stormed the tourist resort, breaking and destroying items and setting fire to its restaurant and administration buildings.

Go read the whole thing.

It needs saying ...

I've said this before in other places but it should be said here as well. Jeffrey Goldberg is my new intellectual hero. His insight into the conflict here is balanced, informed, intelligent, and mercifully moderate.

In a blog post today he sums up his feelings on the current round of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians with the brevity the subject deserves. It just so happens that his thoughts closely mirror my own.

In other words, the maximum the Israelis can afford to offer is less than the minimum the Palestinians can accept. Maybe things will change if Hamas rule of Gaza, and settler rule of the West Bank, come to an end. But I'm not seeing that right now.

I'm not one for brevity, however, so I will elaborate a bit on the big issues and the huge gulf that exists between the sides.

1. Palestinian Refugees: The Palestinians continue to insist, publicly at least, that they will never relinquish the so called right of return. On the other hand, there is practically zero support to concede on this issues amongst Israel's leadership or the Israeli public.

If somehow a Palestinian leader agreed to concede on this issue, there is no evidence that the Palestinian public, both in the territories and across the world, would accept this concession.

2. Jerusalem: The standard formulation for peace calls for a division of Jerusalem. Well that sounds easy enough until you actually start to think about what that means. While most Israeli won't have too much trouble giving up the city's Arab neighborhoods, the really tricky part is the Old City.

How do you divide between two countries something not much larger than Disneyland? How do you split up the Temple Mount and all the other sensitive religious spots? I've seen some of the compromises people have come up with and none of them seem realistic.

Yaacov Lozowick has written a series of posts on this subject and their worth checking out.

3. Borders: This is probably the easiest issue to resolve and yet it's still a nightmare. While both sides would be willing to accept mutual and agreed border exchanges, the extent of those land swaps are still highly debatable.

One big question, for example, is the West Bank city of Ariel. Most Israelis consider it a settlement in the consensus, while the Palestinians say it's a non-starter because it would break up the continuity of their state, even though it wont.

It short, there is much more room for pessimism than there is optimism here.

Why I don't support the settlement freeze (right now) …

The big talk out on the Interwebs is whether Israel will continue with its self imposed settlement freeze. The Obama administration has been pushing hard for Israel to continue with the building moratorium, while Abbas has claimed that any continued settlement construction will cause him to pull out of the peace talks.

I'm not a big supporter of the settlements. I think Israel needs to start delineating its borders and the settlements don't help in that regard. I also believe strongly in a two-state solution to the conflict and that will inevitably require Israel to withdraw from many settlements.

There are many Israelis who think like I do, but there isn't that much support for the freeze. The reason is that Israelis understand that these negotiations are a game. A deadly game to be sure, but they are a game. One of the rules of negotiations is that you don't give up something for nothing. Israelis made an unprecedented concession by declaring a freeze on settlements and they got nothing in return.

This sets a dangerous pattern for the negotiations. Israel's leaders need to come out and say we are willing to go a long way for peace, but we're not going to give, and give, and give, and get nothing in return.

The media keeps talking about gestures the Israelis can offer to show that they are serious to the Palestinians. Well I and many other Israelis are still waiting for a single Palestinian gesture to show that they are serious.

People are visiting ...

Well the tourist numbers are out and they keep going up. This year has so far been a stellar one for the Israeli tourist industry and it looks like we're on pace for a new record.

This is nothing but good. Tourists do many things. They give the economy a boost and they go back to their home countries to spread the good word about Israel.

The last part is critical in my opinion. The best PR Israel can get is by people coming here and seeing the country. People who come here are often surprised by how normal Israel is, and anyone who comes here with an open mind generally goes away with a new found appreciation for the country.

It looks like this year I'm gonna connect with at least four tourists to Israel. My mom and sister came in July to celebrate my 30th birthday with me. At the same time my friend's brother came for the first time on a Birthright trip. In October, my cousin will be coming for a visit also with Birthright.

Each one of these people will go back with a better picture of reality here, and will help spread the image to the people they know.

Also, just in case you're looking for some good tourist information about Israel, I highly recommend the site igoogledisrael. It's a great resource for some real inside information on visiting the country.

Palestinian Vengeance Porn ...

When Hamas says they want to destroy Israel, most Israelis take them at their word, interpreting the statement as a call for the violent destruction of Israel. We are only left to speculate as to what will happen to the Israelis themselves.

Some people, notably certain pundits and analysts in the west, have argued that the Israel needs to begin a dialogue with Hamas, and that the Islamist terror organization needs to be involved in the peace process.

Some people who make this argument genuinely believe that Hamas can become moderate. Others simply make the argument because fundamentally they agree with Hamas' goal of destroying Israel, although not necessarily with its tactics.

However, it's important to look at what Hamas actually has to say about their goals. Fortunately, they are fairly clear about it and have provided us with a great visual demonstration of what the destruction of Israel will look like.

The video, which is particularly popular in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, was created by two Hamas operatives from Gaza and the West Bank.

It shows a graphic simulation of the burning down of the High Court of Justice and the Bank of Israel buildings in Jerusalem, and cars with Palestinian flags driving across Ayalon Highway.

The beginning of the video shows a Palestinian refugee saying "Inshallah, the Jihad will take back the homeland."

The next image is of Palestinian students telling their teacher they want to become part of the resistance; followed by an image of an armed Palestinian outlining the liberation operation.

After Israel is successfully attacked and "liberated," Palestinians are shown walking along the Tel Aviv promenade and on its streets.

At the pinnacle moment of the video, the opening credits to Channel 2's nightly news edition appear, but anchorwoman Yonit Levy's place is taken by a Palestinian anchorman, depicted getting ready for the news broadcast declaring the "liberation of Tel Aviv and Palestine."

While this is not a surprising vision from Hamas, it should throw cold water on anyone who believes that a one-state solution is possible. Many leftist anti-Israel activists somehow believe that simply ending Jewish sovereignty will make everything "all better" and that Hamas and other Palestinian radicals will let go of their thirst for vengeance.

This belief is prominent amongst many of the anti-Israel Jews who post at sites like Mondoweiss. I suppose it's possible that Jews actually believe in that fantasy. After all, there are many people who believe that 9-11 was an inside job, or that the moon landings were faked, or that leprechauns exist.

But when I see this video, I can't help but believe that this is what the Palestinian activists have in mind when they envision a one-state solution. They may not be as blunt about it as Hamas, but their rhetoric is in many ways no less hateful or full of rage.