I'm Here!
I'm in Israel having a really good time. The conference is fun and I like the people that are on it. My roommate is good (I know her from school) and I've met a nice girl who we hang out with - Katie. A bit scary, a bunch of Jewish (not all) teachers from across the country all talking about Jewish education, but cool.
So far we've been running all over the place, but I'll start with a visit from Dr. Sari Nusseibeh, President of Al-Quds University. He didn't say anything spectacular, but really it was interesting to hear what he had to say. He believes in a two-state solution all Palestinian refugees would go to the Arab state, and he believes in compromise from both sides.
Didn't sound terrible (or new) but I'd done research on him prior and found that supposedly there's a memorial to a suicide bomber at the university. I couldn't figure out how to ask him about the memorial since he'd out and out deny it, and I have no proof. So I figured I'd ask a question based on what he'd said.
I asked like this: I know what territorial compromises that Israel is willing to make, but what kind of compromises are the Arabs willing to make? He surprised me by asking what kind of compromises I wanted them to make. So I sidestepped the question like he did and answered a different question. I said that true peace would be when both sides get along and there doesn't have to be something given in exchange in order to have peace.
I said that to have friends you don't have to give them something to stay friends with you. I said that I didn't see what the Arabs were giving up outside of killing Jews. Peace is not by pointing a gun at someone and telling them what you want. The word "blackmail" was going through my head while I was saying my piece, but I was trying to avoid saying that word - altho' it would've made it easier.
His reaction was that he paused and told me that he agreed with me. But that's not the way it works. (Surprise) He said that the two state solution was something that Israel wanted if it wanted to stay a Jewish and democratic state, otherwise known as the demographics problem. He's right about that. He said a bunch of other stuff too, but nothing substantial.
I'm going to continue this hopefully tomorrow but it's a bit expensive unfortunately, I'm trying to spread this out over a bit a day. Love you all, and have a great Shabbos.
Comments
Well, shocker of all shockers (not really), he actually gave you a final answer that was blackmail - without using the word.
The two-state solution is something Israel wanted (a.k.a. will have to do) if it wants to stay a Jewish state... What a pleasant, unassuming, clever way to say, "If Israel wants to remain Jewish and democratic, it will have to do what we, the Arabs, want them to do (otherwise, they will neither me Jewish nor Democratic)."
Posted by: Talya | July 4, 2006 12:54 AM