Well, actually it's only 13 minutes, but well worth watching. It kind-of glorifies Livni (who I don't trust as far as I can throw her, and I'm not as strong as I look) but otherwise presents a pretty good, if basic, picture of the situation in the West Bank. It even questions the almighty Two-State Solution, and gives some good interview time to Mustafa Barghouthi, whom I interviewed many times and have great respect for.
I highly recommend watching this - and, if you appreciate it, contacting CBS with your support! (Many of the comments allege reporting bias on the Palestinian side. Please.)
Watch CBS Videos Online
January 26, 2009
January 19, 2009
Change for Israel?
Someone "joked" recently that the only reason a black man is president is because no one else wanted the job. I think it's because he is the best person for the job. But that job is insanely difficult these days. Obama is inheriting the worse world economic mess in generations, a global image as a unilateralist bully, and an unparalleled deficit.
The funny thing is that I have the hope that he spoke about in his remarkable campaign -- at least about most of the challenges facing this country.
But I do not have optimism about an issue very close to my heart: the occupation of the Palestinian people and their land. I have started a dozen blog posts about Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip over the past three weeks. But my words have seemed pithy, insignificant and inadequate for the magnitude of the suffering of 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza.
Obama's silence throughout the onslaught spoke volumes. Behind the excuse -- because that's what it is, an excuse -- that there is only one president at a time, Obama was telling us what his policy will be: continued blind support of Israel. I'm not the first to suggest that Israel's actions in Gaza were (and are) illegal, immoral, and dispicable, nor that its policy of occupation is reminiscent of the deplorable Apartheid regime in South Africa. It is often Israelis that criticize Israel most eloquently and truthfully.
The funny thing is that I have the hope that he spoke about in his remarkable campaign -- at least about most of the challenges facing this country.
But I do not have optimism about an issue very close to my heart: the occupation of the Palestinian people and their land. I have started a dozen blog posts about Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip over the past three weeks. But my words have seemed pithy, insignificant and inadequate for the magnitude of the suffering of 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza.
Obama's silence throughout the onslaught spoke volumes. Behind the excuse -- because that's what it is, an excuse -- that there is only one president at a time, Obama was telling us what his policy will be: continued blind support of Israel. I'm not the first to suggest that Israel's actions in Gaza were (and are) illegal, immoral, and dispicable, nor that its policy of occupation is reminiscent of the deplorable Apartheid regime in South Africa. It is often Israelis that criticize Israel most eloquently and truthfully.
Politicians don't get re-elected if they are even the slightest bit critical of the state of Israel. I'm positive that Obama will not risk challenging this trend during his first term. But maybe his conscience will kick in during his second term. Hey, a girl can dream.
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