Egypt

AOG, Madrid

It looks like the winds of change have begun to blow in the Arab world. 

The events which unfolded in Tunisia two weeks ago ousted a Government, and, like wildfire, the same spirit for change and democratic reform seems to be sweeping across other Arab countries. 

Particularly Egypt, where its presidential dictator, Hosni Mubarak, has been in power since 1981.

Given the state of affairs, he has said he will not stand for reelection in the Fall. Isn't it amazing how the powerful will do anything to stay in power no matter what? His country, it would appear, will have to put up with him until then. 

However, it seems like the people of Egypt are not having it. They want him out. Or at least the majority do.

 

 Will this affect the rest of the region? It would seem so. Jordan, one of the most stable states in the Middle East for decades, has had a change of Government. There have been protests in Yemen. 

Even Iran -not an Arab country but yes an Islamic nation-, seems preoccupied with these events.

Closer to home, the West, that is Europe and the US, have been more lukewarm in their appraisal of the situation. As an example, these kind words from the former British Primer Minister, Tony Blair, who assures us that Mubarak has been "immensely courageous, and a force for good."

In the case of President Obama, also disappointing, as this article from the Huffington Post points out.

The word in the street is that no one thought in Europe that Mubarak was a dictator.

I guess that kind of thinking belongs in the 'No one thinks Hitler is Austrian' school of thought. 

Let us not kid ourselves, the West, for all its pro-democracy demagogy, is quite happy to let sleeping dogs lie. Such is the case with notorious human rights violators such as Cuba, and China. 

Of course, the West only takes issue with such regimes when they begin to rock the boat, as is the case with North Korea.  But even then, all that we ask for is that you remain quiet and move along quickly. 

As usual, trade and vested interests are more powerful than any democratic ideology we in the West might want to peddle. And, of course, these regimes know it. 

I've read in the press that the only country which has shown some concern about the whole situation is Israel. According to some press reports, they rather have a dependable dictator to deal with, than... well, nobody knows for sure what will come next. 

So the lesser of two evils, is still pretty evil. 

Time to find a new motto?

2010 recap

AOG, London

The year 2010 is over. What a year it has been. I think the older I get the easier it is to take the good with the bad. Perhaps because one eventually realizes that there is just nothing else to do! 

Maybe this is wisdom of some kind.

Although only 365 years long, I have to say that, for the most part, I can't really remember a lot of what went on this year. Perhaps I can think of the grand themes of the year.

It started in a very humanitarian way with a natural disaster in Haiti early on. Moving on to a historical (but only for the British and no one else) general election in the UK which gave the country its first coalition-Government since the 1940s and the Winter Olympics in Vancouver which completely passed me by.

Later, I can recall the up-and-coming post UK election quagmire regarding the state of British finance; rioting students in London, and....well....little else in that country.

As for the rest of the planet, there was the Chilean miners story, the (pretend) Coup in Ecuador, Cuba's ever growing spiral into the abyss whilst pretending that all is well closely resembles the same idea, although with a local flavor, in Venezuela.

North Korea attacking South Korea, the US shunning the EU a few times, the Spanish economy heading for disaster,  the odd political corruption scandal in Spain, the Nobel peace prize winner (from China) and the Nobel prize for Literature (from Peru, though the Spanish press treat Vargas Llosa as though he were domestic), turmoil in Africa and, again, in the Middle East (by this I mean that there is no progress in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict).

On a personal note, this year was eventful in many ways, and subdued in others. 

Job went well, colleagues at work were all nice, made some friends, discovered one enemy (odd, right?), tried to find a new career path but was derailed early on and until further notice, and went to Turkey.

A new baby came into my partner's family, and thus, somehow, into mine. I had a good year for my photographs though not so good for my short-story writing. 

Health wise, well, I could be better. I've read some good books, and some good short stories. I've become (finally) a fan of Gaga, even though her concert in Madrid left me a bit lukewarm. I'm just not her little monster. Nor her little freak.

And, finally, I got to visit the place where I was born and to where I'd never returned since, not even once. And it was an odd experience.

I end the year realizing that, perhaps, I am a little ahead that from where I was this time 2009. 

I think that, all in all, this is a good thing.

Obama Shoe Photo Seen As "Insult" By Some Israelis

AOG, Madrid

From the sublime to the ridiculous. Is the sole of Obama's shoe such a major event that Israel can no longer go ahead with the peace plan?

Will Palestine no longer be a state because of this photograph?

I think this is all about trying to distract from the main issues. Fine. Whatever. Get a grip and get on with things. Peace awaits. Sole or no sole.

About Israel
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

The Story You Aren't Hearing About Israel

AOG, Barcelona

I have always supported the state of Israel. Despite everything else, it is the only democracy in the area.


However, it is also true that it is fighting a monster, and in so doing, has become a monster itself.


Mort Zuckerman writes:

"The response has been rocket fire, terrorism ...not to mention an ongoing historic campaign to defame, denounce, denigrate, and delegitimize Israel in every international forum."


All I can say is that, unfortunately, Israel does seem to be providing a lot of the ammunition its enemies use for free.


When referring to Hamas, he says it is: "a terrorist organization dedicated to killing Jews".


I think Hamas is a terrorist organization dedicated to killing people.


Please don"t anybody say only "Jews" die because of Hamas" actions.

Many Palestinians die because Hamas often hides its members amongst the civilian population.

If, as Mr. Zuckerman says, "we are much closer to the establishment of two Palestinian states" than to reaching a two-state solution then we only have the Palestinians and Israel to blame.

It would be a great mistake if this were to happen. The ensuing desire to unite both Palestinian states henceforth is a tragedy waiting to happen.


I don't envy Israel's present situation, but I cannot abide by many of its actions. Unfortunately, they are often as brutal as the actions of those who wish to destroy Israel.


I had a Sociology teacher in Texas who always said "You don"t cover dirt with mud".

About Israel
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

German in the Knesset

AOG, Madrid

A good day for Germany and Israel. Or so it would appear.

"The Shoah fills us Germans with shame. I bow before the victims. I bow before the survivors and before all those who helped them survive." So said Angela Merkel at Israel's Knesset in German, using the Hebrew word for Holocaust.


Her visit to the Knesset has proven to be controversial. It is the first time that a German Chancellor visits and her use of German has, alone, ensured that some of its members were not present in protest to this dispensation- something which was heatedly debated last week.

Merkel's visit was emotionally charged due to the memory of the Holocaust, and in her address the Chancellor said the murder of six million Jews at the hands of the Nazis continues to be a source of shame for Germans.

"The mass murder of six million Jews, carried out in the name of Germany, has brought indescribable suffering to the Jewish people, Europe and the entire world," she said.

A few of these MKs have declared that although Germany is Israel's friends, the memory of the victims should be respected.

National Union-National Religious Party MK Arieh Eldad said in response to the committee resolution that he would stand up and leave the hall during Merkel's speech. "I can't bear the thought of hearing German in the Knesset," he said. "This is the language my grandparents were murdered in."

Until today, I was not aware that one could be murdered in a particular language. I always thought one could be murdered, period.

However, the circumstances surrounding the common histories of Germany and Israel are not easy to dismiss, nor should they be.

I for one am all for using whatever language in a political forum so long as communication is ensured.

Step in the right direction for Israel

AOG, Madrid

The Israeli government has approved by a large margin the apointment of Raleb Majadele (aka Galeb Magadla) as Minister of Science, Culture and Sport. He is Israel's first Arab Muslim minister since the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. Majadele told Israeli Army Radio that the move would help Israel's Arab citizens identify more strongly with the Jewish state. "The first step has been taken and this has given Israeli Arabs a feeling of belonging", he said.

Needless to say, his appointment has caused more than just raised eyebrows in Jerusalem. MP Esterina Tartman, a member of the ultranationalist party Ysrael Beiteinu (Israel is our home), criticised Mr. Majadele´s appointment calling it a "lethal blow to Zionism" and saying it went against "the Jewish character of the State".

Her comments, thankfully, have been dismissed as a "racist" declaration by Israel's parliament. Mr. Yoram Marciano, leader of Labour's parliamentary block, demanded of Israel's Prime Minister, Yehud Olmert, the expulsion of Ms. Tartman's party from his government coalition following her comments.

Mr. Majadele, who belongs to Israel's arab community- over one million strong (and 90% Muslim) in a country of only seven million people- was first put forward by Mr. Amir Peretz, leader of the Labour Party and Minister of Defense, to take up a place within Israel's Council of Ministers.

I can but congratulate Israel for having taken this great step forward. I hope it only serves as precedent and that Mr. Majadele's appointment will help the political situation between Israel and the Palestinians. Well done Israel! (for once!)