A lovely piece of commentary by the very well-informed Israeli journalist Amira Hass in HaAretz today, pointing out that over the years the settlement of Netzarim in Gaza, which was finally evacuated today, cost the neighboring Palestinian community of Sheikh Ajlin, “114 lives, 1,900 dunams of ploughed-under crops, and 105 homes.”
And on another page of the paper, this truly amazing report about a youth orchestra that Daniel Barenboim pulled together to play in Ramallah. What was amazing about that? The performers playing together came from Israel, Palestinian, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. According to the writer of the piece, Noam Ben Zeev, Barenboim managed to get permission for the Syrians to take part from President Asad himself.
(The families of the performers from both Syria and Lebanon would have been highly unlikely to let them participate without an assurance from the Syrian government that it would be okay to do so.)
ben Zeev wrote:
- Musicians expressed palpable joy and excitement at the rehearsal, in addition to fatigue. Barenboim stressed precision and final instructions as he fought their exhaustion. “Anyone who is tired is free to go home!” he roared at the orchestra, when it lagged behind the galloping tempo of Beethoven’s Symphony.
During a backstage break, a Syrian violinist remarked, “Palestine is `Neverland’ to us. I thought I would never be able to see it.”
The violinist is a Palestinian refugee whose family comes from Acre. “That’s why I was moved to tears. I woke up last night and looked out the window. I couldn’t believe I was looking at the scenery that I have heard my parents talk about throughout my life.”
“When are we taking a tour of the city?” asked an impatient Israeli musician, as two other Syrian musicians’ faces lit up while they discussed the visit, and the opportunity to play music together. Fear and astonishment were expressed only in response to the high separation fence that intersected their journey.
Thank you so much, Amira Hass and Daniel Barenboim. Amira for upholding incredibly strong values of human equality under very tough circumstances. And Daniel for showing that the most amazing acts of grace and inspiration are indeed possible.
next we may read that Israeli musicians have been invited to perform in Damascus, inshallah.
“next we may read that Israeli musicians have been invited to perform in Damascus”
Not until one of two things happens. Either Israel gives up its illegal occupation and colonization of Syrian land, or it occupies Damascus.
PS I noticed that WmPeele does not suggest that Israel take the radical step of inviting Syrian musicians into Israel.
Israel would love to host Syrian musicians…why would you think otherwise?
Perhaps when Syria stops sponsoring genocidal terrorist groups in its capital, Israel might consider relinquishing all or part of the Golan Heights. Of course, Syria lost all rights to the Golan when, unprovoked, it consistently bombarded Israeli towns and farms from the Golan prior to and during the 1967 war. Some Arabs seem to think naked aggression comes without a price. If you want your alleged land back, you’d better be prepared to offer more than you’ve offered until this point.
Whew, Phil, have you ever read any actual history about the Israel-Syria broder issues (as opposed to Zionist agit-prop)? The whole question of what was happening along the Israel-Syria border prior to 1967 has been very well documented by Gen. Odd Bull, who was head of the UN’s military monitoring team there at the time, Avi Shlaim, and others.
Strangely they and other neutral observers tell a story very different from the one you tell. Check out the history sometime!
… Meantime,in the spirit of Daniel Barenboim’s wonderful endeavor (which you didn’t even deign to mention), could you please quit using my site to regurgitate divisive and unsubstantiated propaganda.
So what did you think of Barenboim’s project, anyway?
Syria lost all rights to the Golan
Typical we are in 2005 and we hear this words outrages and nonsense from the ONLY DOMCRATIC STATE IN ME (As most of Pro-Israeli like to say).
How on earth any one can argue with this kind of person he believes there is no law just his law?
Most Israeli and pro-Israeli accusing the Arab not looking for peaceful solution, what we see from Phil Reeves comment (I believe he is Israeli from his name) this is Arab experiencing and suffering from this odd thinking.
David, I wish you show me how to fix this as you said in the past that Iraqi Eduction system needs to be fixed….
BTW, NYT
The second-highest diplomat at the United States
Embassy in Baghdad is one of the anonymous government officials cited
in an Aug. 4 indictment as having provided classified information to
an employee of a pro-Israel lobbying group, people who have been
officially briefed on the case said Wednesday.
avid M. Satterfield, deputy chief of the United States mission in
Baghdad, is accused of giving classified information to a pro-Israel
lobbyist.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/18/politics/18inquire.html?oref=login
David M. Satterfield. Hmmmm…. From his name, I beleve his is Israeli. laysh la?
Thanks Salah for soliciting my input, even though I was out of this thread. On the Syrian issue Israel should annex the Golan heights. It was captured as part of purely military operations in a war largely instigated by Syria, and it represents the strategic depth needed to protect northern Israel. There are minimal population ramifications, and even on the Syrian side they turned Kuneitra into a ghost town on their own volition.
Syria attacked again in 1973 and caused many Israeli deaths. As once said here, the land for peace equation is not balanced per se unless you consider the deaths you caused in the process of attacking. Can’t sat oops, my bad and go back in time. Agressors like Germany lost land in WWII to France and Poland and borders didn’t just go back in time.
Does this narrative match what you learned in Iraq Salah, or did they tell you that the Israelis were shelling Syrian civilians pre-1967?
Incidentally, the Israeli-Syrian border has been a model of peace and respect (unlike Syria-Iraq) so why fix what ain’t broken.
David
Salah, when a pro-Israeli breach occurs, information leaks to an ally. When a pro-insurgency breach occurs (and they do occur daily only God knows) Americans die.
From Iraqi policemen, through translators, and on to CPA employees. Imagine hiring a Shirin type of character for her local expertise and having to trust her loyalty. Hats off to the Americans facing these complexities in Iraq day in and day out.
David
David, in regards to “insurgency” I think this is the best I read, in fact it
“Imagine hiring a Shirin type of character”
Please do tell us, David, what precisely IS a “Shirin type of character”.
Her we go..
Most of these “experts” are retired military officers, former FBI agents, ex-special forces toughies, or very marketing-savvy journalists or researchers. Their main qualifications seem to be their impressive square jaws, or ability to qualify every sentence they speak with “it seems,” “we suspect,” or “it is likely that?”