Cool movie my brother made

BAWT Move From SF from Aaron Schwab on Vimeo.

Not my normal post, but I like the music!

His blog is http://a-schwab.blogspot.com/

Images from Gaza

tp://www.flickr.com/photos/30837739@N04/

This link takes you to see Sharif Sarhan's photos of the current Gaza tragedies (this is his photo). He is a Palestinian artists who works and lives in Gaza.

With the virtual closure to most reporters and media, not much news or images manage to get out. Sarhan is one of the few.

For further visual understanding, here's another look into the Gaza-Southern Israel attacks. This is a Arte France project, showing short clips from both sides. Done beautifully and professionally. The last movies were made a couple weeks ago, but thanks to money from B'Tselem (where I work), there will be more movies soon.

"Talkback"

I really try to avoid reading the "talkback" section at the bottom of online articles--the people that feel compelled to write in this space are usually the most extreme, reactionary, and ignorant.*

I was just reading this article, "Report: 7 family members killed in IDF shelling," and then went down to the bottom, to read the awful, incendiary comments, because sometimes I can't help myself. This is one of the comments:

	9. Time has come
			I want to say we must vote some new laws to deal with traitors. First, this concerns arabs and leftists who demonstrate against our State during war. Second, we have to deal against journalists who work for the ennemy's propaganda. I feel very painful to see journalists as Charles Enderlin, and even Ali Waked saying whatever they want, without contradiction from our side. יואל , רעננה (01.05.09) Recommend this talkback click here Add talkback Close

I am amazed and shocked at this. Is he basically calling for an end to Free Speech?? Specifically, the line where he writes "this concerns arabs and leftists who demonstrate against our State during war."

Without people demonstrating against war or other kind of government policy, where would we all be today? The great tradition of protest got the US out of Vietnam and has brought some sanity to the situation in Guantanamo Bay , just to mention a few.

I more and more come to realize that, perhaps, Israel has a long way to go in terms of understanding the importance and necessity of criticism and analysis of its own government's decisions and actions.

If we don't ask why and demand answers, then what's the use in thinking?

*(If you're someone who does this, and happens to read my blog, you're probably not like that!)

More on Gaza

Fascinating article by Robert Fisk in the Independent. Here is an interesting excerpt from it:

"Quite a lot of the dead this weekend appear to have been Hamas members, but what is it supposed to solve? Is Hamas going to say: "Wow, this blitz is awesome – we'd better recognise the state of Israel, fall in line with the Palestinian Authority, lay down our weapons and pray we are taken prisoner and locked up indefinitely and support a new American 'peace process' in the Middle East!" Is that what the Israelis and the Americans and Gordon Brown think Hamas is going to do?

Yes, let's remember Hamas's cynicism, the cynicism of all armed Islamist groups. Their need for Muslim martyrs is as crucial to them as Israel's need to create them. The lesson Israel thinks it is teaching – come to heel or we will crush you – is not the lesson Hamas is learning. Hamas needs violence to emphasise the oppression of the Palestinians – and relies on Israel to provide it. A few rockets into Israel and Israel obliges."

(I pray for peace).

Irony: Of the 3 or 4 Israelis killed by Gazan rockets, 2 are Arabs.

Sergeant Major Lutafi Nasraladin, 38, was from Daliat al-Karmel, a Druze town near Haifa. He was killed Monday evening by mortar fire on a military base in the Negev.

Also, Hani al Mahdi, a 27-year-old construction worker from the Bedouin village of Aroer, was killed while working at a building site in Ashkelon. He was fatally wounded by shrapnel from a Grad rocket when he was caught in the open en route to a protected area.

Gaza

While Israel's attacks on Gaza are legal, are they moral?

I understand that many Israelis feel we had no other choice but to attack and kill, and that may be reality, but

...so many human beings are dying...

Hebron Evacuation

This past Thursday, the Israeli Army and Police evacuated Jewish settlers from Hebron, in the West Bank. It was all over the Israeli media--tv, print, and more. It was an extremely tense time (albeit quick), and resulted in settlers rioting, setting olive trees on fire, and vandalism. From my sense, many Israelis (who live within internationally recognized borders) were embarrassed and ashamed at the behavior of other Jews in Hebron.

A settler even shot 2 Palestinians. B'Tselem (where I work) field workers, captured this on.
It can be downloaded: http://rcpt.yousendit.com/631443484/697192997f170707c66c1790caefec62

Hopefully from all this, something peaceful will come. This photo, which is beautiful and seems hopeful, is from a NY Times article, "From an Israeli Settlement, a Rabbi’s Unorthodox Plan for Peace"


Here is an interesting article, presenting some alternative thoughts on what's going on in Hebron.
"Hebron like you've never imagined it"

SMSing in Palestine

It's been almost a month since last posting--busy busy! I was in Southern California for Thanksgiving with family. Lots of fun! Will post pics soon.

I got back in at 3 am this morning, and am back at work. I dont have much motivation to write now, but here's a link to an amazing project!

Text Messaging in Palestine for jobs and aid.
http://souktel.org/

Translation: Souk means market, tel refers to phone: phone market?