The different forces of the Israeli army terrorized the Gaza Strip all day with more than 40 attacks, destroying more homes and targets. The biggest attack, however, came at around 5PM during evening prayers. Israeli missiles slammed into the Ibrahim Maqadma mosque in Beit Lahya, killing 16 worshippers: men, women, and children. Tens of others, as evidenced by coverage from inside al-Shifa hospital, suffered horrific injuries, including deep burns, shrapnel wounds and loss of limbs. The doctors have very little anesthesia, and the dead and injured are being treated all over the floor because of a lack of space.

Again, Israel destroys a place of worship, with unarmed civilians praying inside, killing and maiming, and does so with impunity. Despite the uplifting protests across the Arab world, Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and Latin America (and in one of the largest protests, 150,000 Palestinian citizens of Israel took to the streets in Sakhnin), the official response of the international community has been sickening in its timidity. The American School, Gaza’s best private school, whose students were almost entirely children of the Fatah elite, was completely flattened by another air strike. This war is NOT against Hamas. It is against all Palestinians regardless of their political affiliation. It is against schools and universities, mosques and homes. It is terrorism defined.

At around 7PM, all the electricity suddenly went out in and around Gaza City. The Israeli army fired light flares all over Beit Lahiya in the north. Just before 8PM, the ground invasion began. A very large amount of Israeli troops entered the Gaza Strip from three points: Beit Lahiya in the north-west, Jabalya, and the Mintar area from the Karni crossing to the east.

As of now (just before 10PM), it is extremely difficult to determine exactly what is happening. What I can confirm, however, is that huge explosions have been rocking Gaza City and, in the dark, huge plumes of smoke can be seen rising over the skyline. The Israeli government has ordered Israelis around Gaza to stay in their shelters for the next 48 hours as protection from home made rockets fired by Palestinian fighters. The refugees of Gaza have no choice but to sit in their homes and wait for the most advanced, high tech, multi-million dollar US-supplied precision guided missiles to be precisely guided onto their homes.

The Israeli army on the border with Lebanon has been placed on the highest state of alert; but, in Gaza, the most cowardly war waged in recent history has entered the horrific phase that the people of Gaza have been expecting. The Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak, the war criminal, has said the invasion is intended to stop the rockets and those families who protect Palestinian fighters. Again, Israel openly admits to attacking civilians with no consequence.

As I am writing this, I am watching a live feed from Gaza City. An absolutely tremendous explosion hit the Zatoun neighborhood, just south of the city. The entire sky was bathed in a blinding light for several seconds, and it has become clear that an absolutely huge inferno is now raging at the point of the attack. Nobody is sure yet what the target was.

It is worth noting that, until now, the number of Palestinians murdered in this war had exceeded 460, and the number of wounded more than 2,300. Things are only going to get worse.

There are no cellphone lines to Gaza City. It is not that the network is busy, there simply is no coverage. I managed to get through to my uncle Mahmoud in Khan Younis. There is no invasion east of Khan Younis yet, but that entire area has been completely evacuated for a week. The airstrikes in the area, however, are continuous. There is no power, and the bombardment has been relentless all day.

The Israeli forces have now entered from another two points: the Shoka area in the south-east, and Beit Hanoun crossing (Erez) in the north-east.

The live images of the Gaza City skyline are terrifying. The explosions are continuous, loud and fiery.

Take heed of the fact that, over the past eight days, Israel has carried out more than 800 air-raids over the Gaza Strip. Over 400 tons of explosives have been dropped on the most densely populated region on earth. The asymmetry is breathtaking. The quiet or complicity of the world is disgusting.

The land-lines are still working in Gaza City; I was only just speaking over the phone with my uncle Mohammad there. Apart from the consistent bombardment, there is the continuous, droning sound of helicopter machine-gun fire. I asked him if he knows where the machine guns are hitting, but he said there is no way to know, the explosions are everywhere. I asked him if he knew what the target of the huge explosion had been half an hour ago. He said the news had come over the radio that it was a gas station supplying heating gas to homes. Again, a civilian target.

I asked about the kids, and he said he thinks they’re asleep, but it’s only out of exhaustion. His wife is too terrified to try sleeping, and the neighbors have gathered at his apartment.

He tells me the radio is reporting that Israeli tanks and troops have entered from a new point in the east: the Bureij refugee camp.

Diana talked to a friend of hers also in Gaza City. She just emailed me:
“They are absolutely terrified. My friend is crouched in her neighbour’s apartment and while I was on the phone with her (for 2 minutes) there were 5 blasts. She said that they are attacking from air and from sea and I heard one of the large explosions. She said that the building shook.

She is terrified that they are going to kill her or her brother (who is neither Hamas, nor Fatah, and doesn’t have any political affiliations) and fears that they are going to bomb her building because she lives opposite UNRWA and near Saraya.”

I will post this now, and update in an hour.

UPDATE

It is now 1:20AM. Tonight is probably the fiercest, most violent night in Gaza’s history. Israeli troops have no entered from Beit Lahiya (northwest), Beit Hanoun (north), the Zatoun neighborhood, Jabalya refugee camp, and Mintar crossing (all in just to the east of Gaza City), and the Shoka neighborhood (south-east).

The live feeds from Gaza broadcast by Arab news channels (Israel has been banning foreign journalists from entering Gaza) show the territory to be completely dark, without electricity. The skyline is lit up every now and then by an Israeli air strike (although none have been as breathtakingly massive as the attack on Gaza’s gas depot which turned day into night for a few long seconds). Over the voices of the reporters however, the most persistent sound is that of the fierce gunfire coming from the areas where Israeli forces have entered and are fighting the resistance. No matter where you are in Gaza, you can hear the gunfire which tells you just how fierce the face to face combat is.

I managed to get through to my uncle Mohammad again in Gaza City. For the duration of the phone call, an explosion would be heard every 20 seconds or so. In the bitter cold of the night, terror is blanketing the people of Gaza, and Gaza City in particular. The gunfire and explosions are framed against a background of a blackened sky buzzing with invisible war planes and attack helicopters. Nobody knows what is being hit. My uncle tells me there have been explosions all around them, near and far, from all sides, but even the local radio, which so far has been excellent at reporting what happe
ns on the ground, cannot determine what the targets are that are being hit. Nobody is sure if the airstrikes are targeting homes, buildings, mosques or previously bombed sites, therefore nobody knows if any change in tactics has occurred. In war, for civilians as much as for soldiers, there isn’t much that is more terrifying than not knowing.

He could tell me, however, that the Zatoun neighborhood just south of Gaza City and Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya in the north were sites of real battles. The resistance was fighting the ground forces in those areas and the Israeli air force and artillery were concentrating their bombing and shelling in those areas.

He told me that his youngest daughter, Dina, woke up screaming at the sound of the explosions, but he had just managed to put her back to sleep. His wife, Areej, was sitting nearby with their baby son Yazeed. She was absolutely terrified, but was half-asleep from exhaustion. The neighbors had all gathered at his apartment for the night. I keep repeating the words terror and fear, but that is because they are the only words that kept coming through in the voice over the phone.

There is, however, a quiet confidence that the resistance will be able to turn the invasion of Gaza into a hell for the invaders. Nobody is expecting the Palestinian fighters to destroy the Israeli occupation forces, but in Gaza, under the bombing and shelling and fire, the people seem sure that Israel will pay a price for this.

Despite that, it was extremely difficult to make the phonecall. There is nothing to say, nothing you can do to drag them out of the terror. Our nightly conversations had usually gone on for more than 20 minutes every night, but this one was over in five. I told him to have faith in God, that I and millions of people around the world would be praying for their safety. He told me to make sure I don’t stop praying. It is all we have.

I tried calling my uncle Mahmoud in Khan Younis but he wasn’t picking up. I called Jasim instead, who sounded extremely tired. He told me, amazingly, there had only been one airstrike on Khan Younis today, killing two. But he said the warplanes never left the sky, and that he could hear the wall of gunfire to the east. I told him I could imagine it, that I could hear it on TV from central Gaza City. He told me that he couldn’t sleep, even though Khan Younis seemed much quieter than Gaza City, the north, or the east. He talked about the reports over the radio that Israel’s Channel 10 TV network had confirmed 9 Israeli soldiers had been killed. I told him I wasn’t sure, that while the Palestinian fighters were claiming they had killed several soldiers, Haaretz was reporting dozens of Palestinians fighters had been killed. Neither side could provide any proof, and we both agreed that both sides were waging psychological war, each trying to disrupt the morale of the other side and raise that of their own. I told him that I was hoping, however, that the resistance was managing to inflict real damage on the occupiers, but there was no way to know.

He told me it was odd, having Khan Younis be so (relatively) quiet while the rest of the Strip seemingly burned with gunfire and explosions. I told him I was praying tomorrow would bring a better day than tonight, and to try to sleep while he could. He doubted he would, but told me to keep praying.

The UN Security Council is due to meet in the upcoming hours, and I expect absolutely nothing to be done to stem the flow of blood in Gaza. The United States, that bastion of democracy, is putting the replacement of the democratically elected rulers of Gaza with the PA as a condition for passing a resolution calling for a ceasefire. But that is just feet dragging. As it was doing during the war on Lebanon in 2006, the international community is buying Israel time to achieve its murderous goals. But like it did in Lebanon, Israel will fail in Gaza. Even if it manages to kill its way through the Strip’s overcrowded and impoverished refugee camps until it has complete control, the Palestinians will not stop fighting Israel until it accepts the rights of Palestinian to liberty, freedom and life in their homeland.

Tonight, more than any other time in Palestinian history, that fight is centered in Gaza. If you believe in God, I ask you tonight, more than any other time before, to pray for the people of Gaza.

Remember Gaza.

Not only did those comments and the conjoined hurling of shoes spark what would later be known as “shoe-gate,” but it created a flurry of chatter in Western media about the symbolism of “the sole of the shoe in Arab culture,” with sweeping, unfounded monolithic anthropologically-oriented assumptions about “Arab culture” reminiscent of Orientalist fascinations of yester-year. Here are some I made note of in Western broadcast news realm:

ITN: “The biggest insult in the Arab world, to slap your shoe on somebody”

Patty Culhane of MSNBC: “Now people at home might be wondering, “what is the importance of the shoe?” Well in arab culture that’s considered, the sole of the shoe is considered an insult. So it was this reporter’s way of insulting President Bush during his surprise visit to Baghdad.” Were people at home really asking themselves, “hmmm, there must be a REASON why he threw his shoes at Bush. There has be some Arab cultural symbolism I’m missing, and thus, I need media outlets to explain it to me.”

BBC World News does one worse by rolling footage of “the angry arab mob” slapping the toppled Saddam statue with their shoes as the reporter explains the “importance of the sole of the shoe in arab culture”: “But in the Arab world, a shoe branded against anyone is a huge symbolic insult.”

Comparatively these culture claims sound eerily similar to ones made in the 19th century by british orientalists writing on the Middle East. For example, in Anna H. Jessup’s 1897 article “Children in Palestine” for The Biblical World, she makes the profound observation that, “A nursing baby is promptly given anything it cries for –from cooked food to raw vegetables and unripe fruit.” Yes, because responding to a crying baby is only specific to “Palestinian/Arab culture.”

However, for the slippery puddle produced by the attar-like Orientalism seeping through these MSNBC, ITN and BBC off-the-cuff, on-the-spot reports, they seem less offensive when compared to the following New York Times article that appeared two days after the incident. The opening line to the article written by Timothy Williams and Abeer Mohammed “In Iraqi’s Shoe-Hurling Protest, Arabs Find a Hero. (It’s Not Bush.)” is testament to this: “Calling someone the “son of a shoe” is one of the worst insults in Iraq.” I find this analysis more troubling given that the writers of this article had time to sit and cogitate about such a ludicrous claim, and EVEN with such afforded time, to find sources to support their claim! But still they didn’t. Therein lies the most illuminating aspect of this story: Even respected news outlets like the NY Times and BBC see no need to justify essentialist views on the Middle East or Arabs because they see what clearly are opinions as facts about an entire population of people. Even when they get it all wrong.

Actually the most insulting part of his action was not what he did, but said. As he hurled the shoes, he yelled “Ibn Kalb.” Many an Arabic-speaking students are familiar with the dramatically different reaction one gets with the slip of the “Kaf” in place of the “Qaf.” They can tell you the hard lesson they learned. Also, as Will pointed out in his post “A New Arab Hero Emerges,” most likely, it is what you say or don’t say that gets you in more trouble. I mean, throwing a shoe at your rowdy kids is so commonplace that it really has lost a lot of loathsome weight. But, not greeting a relative, that is so rare it warrants the severest of rebukes! I remember refusing to give salaams to my aunt once and, as a result, causing a civil war within my extended family. It was already under frequent discussion that I was very inconsistent with my cheek kisses, and this one incident sent all 30 of my cousins and 10 plus uncles and aunts into a passionate fit against me and my parents. I was literally assigned a hearing with a jury of my peers, waited for a deliberation and was delivered an official sentence-all nine yards! Balah, ma bmzah!

But the best part of shoe-gate was not the throwing of the shoe or Bush’s impressive dodging skills, but his half-wit jokes and political analysis geared at minimizing the historic and political importance of this event:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RFH7C3vkK4]
Bush sounds more like a Kindergarden teacher than a president of 8 years as he explains the Al Baghdadiya journalist’s motivations in a less than subtle attempt to dodge not just a shoe but also the original question posed by a journalist about the so-called political success in Iraqi back to the incident: “Well, to get back to the shoe. It’s one way to get attention…like driving down the street and have people gesture with not all 5 fingers…I don’t know the guy’s cause was…but that’s what happens in free societies.” That’s right Bush, your legacy as President of the US will be reduced down to starting two losing wars, jeopardizing world security in the process, turning a blind eye to the death of conservatively a million Iraqis and the displacement of at least 5 million Iraqis stemming from you “liberation” efforts, a failed economy, choking on a pretzel and now, dodging two shoes at a press conference centered around the “Iraqi victory.”

But in all seriousness, I am not trying to downplay the special place the “sole of the shoe” has or doesn’t have in the soul of the Arab or in his or her “mind,” but there are far more nefariously-regarded things throw. As such, KABOBers created a list of top ten plus “Things to throw…Worse than a shoe” (list originally composed by Fayyad-all the uncredited ones are his contributions):

1. A Rock
2. First Born
3. IED
4. Falafel Sandwich
5. A Zionist
6. A Smart Bomb
7. A bucket of labne (Sunbala)
8. A stack of 3 Million Syrian Lira’s
9. man2ooshe (Emily)
10. Saeb Erekat (Diana)
11. The words “stupid” and “ihmar” (me)
12.Bacon n’ Eggs (Sunbula)
13. A #1 license plate (me)
14. A molotav cocktail (Mohammad)

Lastly, the bigger point that has been missed about these Anthropologists du jour, at the end of the day, getting a shoe thrown at you is undesirable in EVERY culture. Unless of course it’s part of some obscure martial arts training I’m not aware of. Fadi’s comment speaks directly to this point: “Today i threw my shoes at two of my bosses and a coworker; thankfully, hurling a shoe at somebody is considered an insult in only the Arab world.”

Known in an Egyptian TV interview and through viral mass emails as “The Egyptian Hulk,” Alexandria-based Sayyed Muhammad was born with abnormal strength, medically diagnosed to be 240 Horsepower-that’s 239 more horsepower than the average human folks. He has four wives to distribute his excessive virility between, drinks melted butter, AND there’s more:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIVCpzSQTPc]
After watching the video, one question arose in my mind considering his strength as a liability; if his strength is so potentially destructive that he is banned from gainful employment and army service (because he can’t be put in a position to be riled up), what happens when he unleashes his 240 horsepower on his wives bodies? I can’t imagine that much force would be pleasurable

As you might imagine, this video sparked some interesting dialogue on the K-fest listserv. Questions concerning the report arose. K-fest blogger Nimr asked:

I really wonder how MEMRI goes about deciding which videos to translate. Is this supposed to embarrass the Arabs? I think it is great TV! I would love to be a fly on the wall at one of their meetings:
“What should we ‘translate’ today?”
“The video on music, corruption, islamic fundamentalism?”
“naw, how about the egyptian hulk video!”

Seriously, they have a lot of these wacky videos on their site. I actually kinda like ‘em.

Diana problemitized an Al Mihwer reporter’s insistence about EH using his strength for “good purposes” or “giving back,” pointing out that there is little to no support of that claim in the Egyptian TV interview. In response Will and I offered some hidden benefits this man’s super powers might have on the Egyptian economy and military prowess:

Will:

By destroying so many coins he has made demand for Egyptian currency stronger, thereby keeping its value higher in the international community. He’s the best thing in the Egyptian economy.

Me:

They’re probably talking about the prospect of EH donating his 35 kids to serve in the Egyptian army. Egyptian Hulk or Soldier-making machine? I mean that’s the least he could offer for leeching off of government welfare to feed his 35 kids and four wives, support his melted butter and raw mutton habit, and accommodate his rampant daily sex practice.

Sam, a KF reader, submitted a constructive comment in response to a recent post about the use or unuse of maps by Palestinian negotiators trying to trade “peace for land” with the Israelis (ironically, Palestinians lost both in the end).

KFers wrote that the Palestinian team did not have maps. Sam argues they had them available, based on his research, but whether they used them is another question. He also makes the point that this is indicative of the negotiating team’s failure to tap our national resources, or people power and intellect.

In the spirit of exchange…

Dear KABOBfest

I really enjoy the blog but wanted to reach out after reading Mohammad’s
post (“Incompetence in the Face of Oppression“). I also posted this as a comment, so please pass this information on to QuiQui and the others.

From what I can tell, the statement from QuiQui’s professor was based on a comment by Edward Said (likely in Peace and Its Discontents) that Arafat signed Oslo without looking at a map. Excusing Said’s penchant for hyperbole when discussing Arafat post-Oslo, the PLO-and Arafat in particular-not referencing a map is different from the PLO “not having a map.” The Palestinian negotiating team at Madrid (which was of course sidelined and undermined by the signing of Oslo) had maps that they referred to including those of settlement growth since 1967 and other demographic information. One of the cartographers for this effort was Khalil Tufakji who worked for Feisal Husseini in the Orient House in Jerusalem. He is well quoted in the main stream Western and Middle East press and has published articles in numerous places.

After Oslo was signed, the PA/PLO team used some of these maps and other supporting information from the Madrid group in the follow-up negotiations to implement Oslo and then Oslo II (the West Bank “withdrawal”) again from Tufakji and the Orient House. Whether Arafat and the others chose to use the maps or not is a different story.

My understanding is that in the lead up to Oslo II the final sticking points of the negotiations were inevitably resolved by Arafat and Peres (after Rabin was assassinated) in one-on-one negotiations. So it is not correct to say they didn’t have maps, they absolutely did – but again choosing to use the maps and how they
are used is a different matter.

Moreover, in reference to Diana’s point, if the only maps that were used during the initial negotiations were Israeli maps that the Palestinian team got only a glancing look at and were written in Hebrew, the issue is not the “illegality” of the Palestinian team being in possession of maps of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem but the wisdom of the Palestinian leadership to engage in such a process.

Moreover, considering the number of Palestinians who speak and read Hebrew fluently, why one would not be part of the negotiating team again reveals that this is not
an issue of lack of competent resources, but the incompetent application of available resources to what is arguably the single most important series of negotiations for the Palestinian national movement. Sadly, the issue of maps as part of the Oslo negotiations, is but one of many where the Palestinian leadership ignored or neglected the human and material resources that could be leveraged from the broader Palestinian professional and academic community and chose to rely on the instincts of Arafat and his cronies and the good graces of the U.S. and Israeli negotiating teams. The results are self-evident.

Keep up the good work, Kabobfest is an enjoyable read.

The PLO didn’t have maps throughout the Oslo process.

Is this true?! Whoa. I’m wondering if, then, I can get some guidance on reading material. I’ve never run across this before, but I don’t doubt the prof is right. I keep forgetting to ask her.

Diana: The short answer is: yes. The longer answer is that all maps were ‘security classified’ information by the Israelis that was not allowed to be in the possession of anyone other than security officials. Possession of a map (by a Palestinian) was a criminal offence. While general road maps etc were likely available, the details of where military bases (including some settlements) were not available. This does not excuse Palestinian incompetence (i.e. why not create a fuss about maps) but explains Israel’s control.

Now for an interesting fact: did u know that NOT A SINGLE MAP EXISTS OF EAST JERUSALEM (outside the old city)? This is a remnant of Israeli policy not to clearly define Palestinian areas.

PB: I remember reading somewhere in Ashrawi’s “This Side of Peace,” that for many of the meetings they didn’t have anyone on hand who was 100% fluent in English either.

Fadi: This is precisely why “A critical Fatah conference should be held soon to allow a new generation to take charge of the Palestinian national movement.” Fatah owns the Palestinian national movement, right. The quote is taken from Abbashole’s op-ed in the WSJ today.

Random falafel seller: Who lied to Abbasshole and told him he’s still relevant?

May: Wait-hold up! “Possession of a map by a Palestinian criminal offence”!??!?

is that right? how can that be? How does Israel have the legal
jurisdiction to ban the possession of maps?

Diana: Used to be…West Bank and Gaza Strip were ‘military areas’ and hence no maps were allowed.
(You also couldn’t wear the colours of the Pal flag or carry a flag).

During the negotiations, they would roll out maps and show the Hebrew labelled maps to the Palestinians and then roll them back up and take them away! A friend was once imprisoned 6 months for being suspected of handing over a map of Gaza to Faisal Husseini!

Mohammad: Did this ban get lifted in time for Oslo II and subsequent negotiations?

Diana: Not sure. The Ministry of Planning started in ’94 and it took them years to create a database of maps. I don’t what they used to create their maps or how they did it but I can certainly ask.

Mohammad: Speaking of Oslo incompetence, my favorite will always be the agreement
that settlements have the right to expand but Palestinians towns and villages can’t (am I right about the second part Diana?).
Anyway, this pretty much explains why the PA has never been able to curb
settlement expansion. They agreed to it.

Diana: Not exactly but that’s what happened. Arafat believed Rabin (stupidly) who promised him that they would not build new settlements and would not expand existing ones. He couldn’t (he claims) get it in the Agreements because Rabin’s govt would have collapsed (true) and he wanted to keep Rabin in office. Arafat believed that Rabin would stick to his word. Settlements did expand, though but Arafat always believed it was temporary. There are vague provisions in all agreements that are interpreted to refer to settlements but nothing hard. After Rabin’s assassination, I think Arafat probably let out a huge DOH!

Quiqui: This is so fascinating. THIS IS HUGE!

As Edward Said wrote: “…the censorship of geography, in this most geographical of conflicts… “

Fayyad: As good as Ed Said’s quote… So prophetic in light of this conversation:

Here’s our own Diana’s take on the topic-she saved me the bother of trying to coherently write out my own thoughts:

To be honest, I actually do not buy the “two-state solution is nearly dead” argument. The argument is premised on the fact that, with the growing number of settlements, separation between Israel and the WB becomes impossible. The problem with that argument is that it focuses on the infrastructure of the West Bank and assumes that either (a) Israel will not evacuate from the settlements and (b) that all that is needed is for a “viable” Palestinian state (an awful term coined by a friend of mine who shall remain anonymous). Under this theory, a “viable” state is the goal and can be achieved provided that the settlement construction doesn’t go out of whack. Tons of pontificators have come to the West Bank and declared the two-state solution “dead” and yet none have been able to answer a simple question: when did it die? In other words, at what point did Israeli cross the threshold of destroying the two-state solution and making a “viable” Palestinian state an impossibility? And for those who advocate that the two-state solution is “nearly dead” the question becomes many settlements have to go up before the state is considered “not viable”? And, isn’t it possible to dismantle settlements just as they were erected?

Don’t misunderstand me: I am not an advocate of the two-state solution (indeed, I think any talk of “solution” is escapism). That said, to me, the “death” of the two-state solution came on the very day that Israel chose to allow settlers to take hold of the West Bank (incl East Jerusalem) (ie. within 2 weeks of the start of the occupation). For me, it has little to do with the physical presence of settlements (for indeed they can be dismantled) but has everything to do with: (a) a mindset that allows settlements to be erected without repercussion (in fact now there is a case before the Supreme Court in which settlers argue that it would be inhumane not to extend water and electricity to the outposts) with the concomitant unwillingness on the part of the government to tear them down (b) a political mindset that is obsessed with controlling the Palestinians and (c) a government system that necessitates that deals be struck with fascist parties in order to pass the budget (over the past 20+ years, governments have fallen only due to corruption scandals or to failure to pass the budget; hence they make sure to court the fascists so they have enough votes to pass the budget). Being unwilling (or unable) to challenge that mindset means that Israel will perpetually seek to maintain control over the Palestinians (whether in the form of two states or one).

As for the article, the only fool who would call Livni a “master negotiator” is our favourite sell-out: Saeb. I have seen virtually all of the meeting notes from the negotiation sessions and the only thing that she is skilled at is erecting obstacles to ensure that the negotiators don’t make it to Jerusalem on time. (Abu Ala was once held for 3 hours at a checkpoint on the day that they were to meet for a “negotiation session”). I think he was peeved (poor thing).

Shoutout to Lowfields: I caught you schooling the Zionuts on Cif as well as you do here.

The recent prisoner exchange between Hezbollah and Israel was a historic event, returning all Lebanese prisoners in Israeli jails to their homeland, as well as the bodies of close to 200 fighters killed in Israel over the last three decades. Even more importantly, it fulfilled Hezbollah’s stated goal when it captured two Israeli soldiers in 2006.

The deal inspired praise and criticism across the political and social spectrum, not just amongst the countries involved, but across the world. That diversity present even amongst us here, so rather than post personal reactions, we held another one of our Spitfireside Chats on the topic:

Sunbula: i feel divided at times about supporting Hizballah or not. yes they are like the only people who in the recent past have given the Israelis a run for their money, but i often feel doubtful about their adopting of the Palestinian cause. when nahr el-barid was being destroyed last year, they cheered for the Lebanese army. i respect their tactical brilliance but in the larger picture they are a conservative religious party that wants to fight israel for its own interests and has a reactionary socio political vision, so i think when supporting their small victories we as leftist/progressive people should keep this in mind.

Quiqui: Hear, hear.

Kalash: I’m a little confused by the prisoner swap… The only thing that makes sense to me is that the Israelis are trying to lull Hezbollah into sleep so they can come after them later (not necessarily militarily). I don’t trust those bastards but if they truly are willing to make peace with Syria that would be a major blow. If they were to give up Shebaa farms, they’d take away Hezbollah’s last solid claim to being a resistance group. The other major issue is prisoners, and that’s now been addressed, to a certain extent. So while this is a symbolic victory for Hezbollah, in the long run, it could prove to be part of a greater victory for the mf Israelis… I don’t see them being particularly vulnerable.

As far as Kuntar is concerned, the whole issue is getting the same old cookie-cutter coverage we have become all too familiar with – only one side of the story is told. In one article he was referred to as sporting “a Hitlerian mustache and haircut” at his reception! I think Kuntar and the other freed prisoners are the only real winners.

On some of the other things that were said:
- I wouldn’t give so much credence to Christian support for Hezbollah. Sadly for us, most Lebanese are blind followers of their political masters. I can’t help but frown at a Aoun supporter who stands up for Nasrallah when a year before that he was hoping for his downfall. With the fucked up sociopolitical climate in Lebanon, Hezbollah does need other groups (especially after what happened in May).
- As far as their interests and those of their constituents are concerned, Hezbollah does work well in Lebanon’s messed up sectarian government. However, I don’t think that’s true in a general sense. Right now, Hezbollah is the singe most divisive issue in Lebanon. While it may not be in the open politically, the question of Hezbollah’s status is a major obstacle to the way the country is governed.
- Hezbollah’s reaction to what was happening at Nahr el Bared was understandable given the profile of Fatah Al Islam. Look at what’s happening in Tripoli. While both sides support the Palestinian cause, politically (and religiously) they don’t see eye to eye.

Sunbula: i agree with Kalash that the only victors are the freed prisoners who can go back to their families, finally.
as far as hizballah’s nationalism is concerned, they are nationalist when they feel like it and when it suits them. and their nationalist discourse, at least if you watch al-manar is not one that i like. plus most of their rah rah military songs really suck. the only exception was “hala ya saqr libnan” which was done by a boy band in ramallah!

Diana: I am very disappointed that Dalal was not buried in Palestine as her family wished (there were also 3 from the Galilee)…but maybe I am just being sentimental.

I cannot decide whether Hezb agreed to their release to Lebanon so that they could firmly demonstrate that they are the only real resistance movement and gain political points or for other reasons.
At least in the minds of most here, Hezbollah is a nationalist ARAB movement (indeed the only nationalist movement) defending not only Lebanon but Palestine. I was recently chatting with some PLO/Fatah folks who recounted the ‘good old days’ of the movement in the 70s. For them, the swap was like finally admitting that your cancer-ridden family member is dying and worthless while at the same time watching his/her spouse run off with a new younger, more attractive (wo)man.

I must admit that I have been impressed with Manar TV – especially their detailed reports about the inner workings of the swap and its aftermath. That said, I still believe that Hezbollah acts in its interests, not in mine.

Quntar’s speeches were awesome and he kicked Haniyeh and Abbas’s asses on TV. (he publicly decried Haniyeh on Aqsa TV and called for Pal unity).

Tarik: The most disgusting part of it all is the kuntar dude. sick bastard– and the media is truly demonizing him as a viscous murderer (which he probably is), however the “reception” he received back in lebanon was that of a “hero”? can anyone confirm that? i cant believe that lebanese would be proud of a fool who basically hit several “soft” targets- it just seems so foolishly vengeful to me… to kill a family, that is- and the whole debacle gives the zio-media machine hella material to falsely portray israel as a truly benevolent, honest “neighbor” who makes painful sacrifices to the enemy in the name of “peace” and “reconciliation”- RIGHT?

Kalash: Kuntar’s release has important symbolic value for Lebanon – it’s not about him and his alleged crimes, it’s about the longest serving Lebanese prisoner in Israel. The Israelis are good at shaping news to their advantage and this time is no exception.

Part of the unfolding drama here has people stepping up pressure on Syria to release the Lebanese prisoners being held there. I can’t help but wonder if the Israelis had that in mind when they accepted to release Kuntar and company…
BTW, the latest product of the conspiracy theorists is that Israel released him so he could assassinate Nasrallah (or at least work as spy of some sort).

Nimr: Clearly the returned lebanese were subjected to a mind control project (a la Project MK Ultra http://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/ Project_MKULTRA). Next time things start getting a little hectic with the good ole party of god they will be activated!!! I mean come on… everone was thinking it. no? really?

Kalash: Not only that – after the release of these guys, there are no more Lebanese prisoners in Israeli jails! Even countries like Jordan have some of their citizens locked up over there… Hezbollah showed that liberating Arab prisoners from Israel is not incumbent on any sort of
‘peace’ agreement… not only that, it can be achieved with blatant defiance of the Zionist regime. That is nothing to squawk at and should help comfort anyone who is taken aback by the official reception that Kuntar and co received.

Remember also that there was no Hezbollah in Lebanon back in 1979…

Fayyad: So that makes Marwan Bargouthi a Manchurian Candidate?

Tarik: Marwan Barghouti… haha- ya I though he was the de facto president of the west bank? oh… wait… he isnt done with his mossad training yet…. woops

Will: My only comment is that we have to remember that Israel has internal
politics as well. The families of the soldiers mounted public campaigns pushing for some sort of deal to resolve it. Ehud Olmert is pretty weak politically and may have just moving with prevailing political winds. And since Hezbollah’s about to get hung out to dry with US-Israel moves against Iran and Syria, little deals like this are more likely now than later. Rather than see this as a win for Hezb, it could be a harbinger of their geopolitical isolation.

Fayyad: I see the swap in the same light all the other deals took place in. Once Hezbollah captured the soldiers, the deal was going to take place, despite the tought talk of “we don’t negotiate with terrorists” that followed from the Israel’s, and especially after launching a foolish war and several commando raids to free them but failing.

It was just a matter of time, and the timing of this one, is just what Will explained, Olmert is very weeks, and public pressure was very strong in Israel, and accepting of swap deal, especially after the populations became diselusioned by invinsibility of their army and the ability to walk in, slap Hezbollah around and leave with the captured soldiers.

However, there are two minor detailes that make this swap unique. 1) Hezbollah fucked up earlier this year when it used force against other Lebanese, it lost much of its credibility, and having been provoked by western puppits like Hariri Jr. is no excuse. So it needed this deal to re-introduce itself as a “Resistance Movement”, the fanfare and the list of returning prisoners and remains point in that direction. Samir Kuntar is Durzi, and was a member of the PLO, Hezbollah’s march in celebration was joined by Durzi leader Walid Junblat, not exactly a friend over the last year or two. The remains include many Plaestinian and other Arab PLO fighters, including Dalal Almugrabi. Their funerals will be turned into massive shows of support and “affirmation of resistance” to “Israeli occupation”. The receptiopn at Beirut airport already included all Hezbollah’s political nemessis, including PM Senioran and Hariri. So this was a great tactical win for Nasrallah and co.

2) When Israel agrees to a such a deal, it turns gloomy for a few days, you can sense a mood of surrender, and the try to foget it a few days later, especially as they celebrate their wins from the deal. This time, instead of the gloomy mood being relieved by the return of the soliders, it go even worse as Israel’s got to see on TV that their returning soldiers are only remains in black coffins. They felt played by Hezbollah, whcih is evidant in the speaches of Israel leaders after the swap, several cabinet members who voted for the swap called for the assassination Kuntar, and Olmert himself launched a salvo of threats of attacking and destroying Hezbollah. Not t mention the phone calls the israeli military placed to residents of Southern Lebanon threatening them of attacks of they celebrate with Hezbollah.

1. Norelco beard trimmer

2. Apple pie

3. A Lynard Skynard’s Greatest Hits CD

Hanaan: 

1. A limited-edition Armani orange jumpsuit for when they inevitably get sent to Guantanamo.

2. A Photo shoot with Barack Obama for the cover of “The New Yorker” magazine.

Maytha: 

1. Avatar dark-tinted sunglasses (preferably Ray Ban’s)

2. A haute couture hijab

3. FBI pens and notebooks (extra supply leftover from AAI and ADC banquet gift-bags).

4. A Larry King phone-in question opportunity.

5. Waterproof protective covering for his/her Qur’an.

6. A reality series on E! with potential for Lohan and/or Kardashian cross-over episodes.

7. A cameo on “Sleeper Cell.”

Diana: 

A “once-in-a-lifetime” offer to be a blogger on KABOBfest.

tarik: 

A $100 GAS CAR (for driving the prices so high)!!!

Here is Saree’s op-ed in the Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/
article/2008/06/06/AR2008060603066.html

Banned in the U.S.A. (Almost)

I didn’t think America was a place where bookstores barred people for their viewpoints, until it happened to me, right here in Washington, D.C., the city of my birth.

I was scheduled to speak at Politics & Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse last month about my latest book, “Palestine Inside Out: An Everyday Occupation.” My appearance was canceled when the bookstore owners realized that my book concludes by questioning the viability of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Instead it proposes a single democratic, secular and multicultural state in which Israelis and Palestinians live peacefully as citizens with equal rights.

“I do not believe that your book will further constructive debate in the United States,” one of the owners wrote to me in an e-mail. “A single state is not a solution.” I was dismayed that my invitation was rescinded because I express a different point of view from the one sanctioned by a supposedly independent bookstore. Yet the cancellation seems to fit into a larger pattern of nationwide censorship about this issue.

Stanford professor Joel Beinin had been invited to speak about Israel and Palestine at a Silicon Valley school last year; his appearance was canceled when the school was criticized for booking the event. Tony Judt of New York University was invited to speak about Israel and Palestine at the Polish Consulate in New York last fall; his talk was canceled after the consulate came under pressure from the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee.

The fact that senior scholars are prevented from speaking in well-known forums because they do not toe an official line suggests that the civic culture on which our country was founded has broken down, at least when it comes to Palestine and Israel.

Yet citizens can object to the muzzling of ideas. After receiving letters of protest and eloquent entreaties by bloggers, Politics and Prose decided last week to reissue my invitation. This reversal is an important step forward but questions still linger. Can we afford not to hear each other out as we evaluate our Middle East policies? Should Palestinians not be allowed to speak unless their erstwhile audience gets to tell them what to say? What, then, is the point of a conversation? What is the alternative to conversation?

What is so unspeakably wrong with saying that justice, secularism, tolerance and equality of citizens — rather than privileges granted on the basis of religion — should be among the values of a state?

– Saree Makdisi

The writer is a professor of English literature at UCLA.

Tarboush tip for cartoon: Nimr