Monday, August 29, 2022

 


Politics – August 2022 

 

Israel should do whatever it can to bring home Avraham Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed as well as the remains of Hadar Golden and Shaul Aaron. 


It is no less than state duty and, of course, the just and decent thing to do.


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Reflections on Last Newsletter


Consequences of Biden’s Visit to the Middle East


Saudi Arabia-Israel


Possible Solution to the Russian-Ukraine Conflict


Three Days of Violence: Israel v. Islamic Jihad


Positive: Newish Israeli Gaza Policy


Don’t Say You Did Not Know


Israeli Economy Struggles


Peace Research


Palestinian Authority Leadership Battles


Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars


New article: “Freedom of Expression v Social Responsibility: The Charlie Hebdo Affair”, in Richard Keeble (ed.), It’s the Media, Stupid: Essays in Honour of Brian Winston Festschrift (Bury, St Edmunds: Abramis, 2022).


Movie of the Month: Life Itself (2018)


Gem of the Month: National Gallery of Art


Gem of the Month: The Phillips Collection


Monthly Poem



Light Side: English A Funny Language




Reflections on Last Newsletter


Dr Yoav Javier Tenembaum wrote from Tel Aviv:

 

Rafi,

 

I have read your July 2022 Newsletter.

 

It's very interesting!

 

Congratulations on your newly-published article!!

 

I liked the detailed review of Biden's visit to Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Saudi Arabia and your thought-provoking analysis of populism.

 

Regarding the latter, I couldn't agree more with you about Boris Johnson's handling of the COVID crisis in the UK. In my humble view, it was a disaster.

 

I knew Boris Johnson from my period at Oxford University. I was pursing my DPhil in Modern History while he was reading for his undergraduate degree. He could be friendly and funny, and had a singular capacity to elicit the attention of people around him. In a sense, the Boris Johnson we see today is a very similar version of the Boris Johnson I knew at Oxford.

 

I am glad you devoted some lines to David Trimble. I have always had a soft spot for him.

 

I liked your poem…

 

All the best,

 

Yoav



Consequences of Biden’s Visit to the Middle East


It does not take a long time to witness some results of the visit. The Times of Israel reported that the Biden administration approved two massive arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to help them defend against Iran. The deal is estimated to be more than $5 billion. Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been hit in recent months by rocket attacks from the Iran-backed Houthi rebel movement in Yemen. The new sales include $3 billion for Patriot missiles for Saudi Arabia specifically designed to protect itself from rocket attacks and $2.2 billion for high-altitude missile defense for the UAE. 


In addition, Associated Press reported that Yemen’s warring parties agreed to renew an existing truce for two more months after concerted international efforts. The already 4-month-old cease-fire has been the longest nationwide ease in fighting since the war began in the Arab world’s poorest country nearly eight years ago.




Saudi Arabia-Israel


I was asked a hypothetical question: What if the Saudi convey the message that they are wiling to join the Abraham Accords if Israel agrees to a sovereign Palestinian State and immediately implement two-state solution. Would Israel agree to this?


My quick answer: I do not think so. Not now.



Possible Solution to the Russian-Ukraine Conflict


What is a possible way out of the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, one that might be acceptable to Putin?


President Volodymyr Zelenskiy steps down. His place in history is curved. He will be replaced by someone that Putin is willing to engage with, directly or via UN (or other) facilitator. Violence stopped. Negotiations start. Compromise be reached. Relevant items for negotiations will include territory, energy, security, commerce, other resources. 



Three Days of Violence: Israel v. Islamic Jihad


Another round of violence between Israel and Gaza is hardly surprising. Less so on eve of elections. What was somewhat surprising, at least to me, was that Israel fought the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, alone. Hamas did not join in support of its smaller sister terror organization.


On Monday, August 8, 2022, a cease-fire brokered by Egypt, entered into force. It all started when Israel killed one of the military leaders of the Islamic Jihad (IJ). IJ responded with rocket fire that was largely ineffective, still terrorizing Israeli towns and cities who rushed to shelters when the siren was heard.  44 Palestinians were killed, among them 15 children and four women. Israel said some of them were victims of IJ ineffective rockets that fell inside Gaza.


Since the last round of hostilities in May 2021, Naftali Bennett and Lapid have tried to create more incentives for Hamas to maintain quiet, with the understanding that this would cement Hamas’ rule. Israel issued permits for 12,000 Gaza workers to enter Israel, with the promise of handing out more if the situation remains calm. Qatar and Egypt have also been engaged in rebuilding Gaza, with Israel’s support. The Israeli work permits are a lifeline for Gaza’s economy, battered by widespread destruction from Israeli strikes over the years and crippling movement restrictions. The permits are “definitely very important to Hamas as it governs Gaza and has governing responsibilities,” said Hossam al-Dajani, political scientist at the Islamic University of Gaza. Thus, the violence was confined to war between Israel and IJ, not to Gaza at large. IJ target were carefully chosen, and the amount of destruction was limited.


Israeli anti-rocket and defence systems were proved effective, though not 100% effective. Some 1,100 rockets were fired. 20 per cent of them landed inside the Gaza Strip.  470 rockets were fired towards populated Israeli areas and were successfully intercepted by the Iron Dome system. The IDF claimed a 97 per cent success rate. 


Some rockets did land in Israel. Citizens were alerted to rush to shelters. The result of both measures was zero casualties on the Israeli side.


On August 8, Israel partially reopened Gaza crossings that had been closed during the fighting, signaling a quick return to the understandings that were in place before the fighting.


See Analysis: Israeli PM’s Gaza gamble seems to have paid off, Associated Press, 8 August 2022

By TIA GOLDENBERG and EMILY ROSE


https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-africa-elections-israel-general-1647b74a2e7be21f7bdfd42b61475099?utm_source=S.+Daniel+Abraham+Center+for+Middle+East+Peace+List&utm_campaign=841a88f643-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_07_22_12_06_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_929d521884-841a88f643-138680861



Positive: Newish Israeli Gaza Policy

 

Israel has adopted a policy of one-sided overtures to Gaza residents, advanced by Defense Minister Gantz, claiming positive results. The policy, which has been in place for the past eight months, has shown improvement to the Gaza economy and the 2.2 million residents there, in disregard of the ruling Hamas’ actions, Israeli officials said. The Head of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said that quarterly results already show a 5.5% drop in unemployment in the Strip, which now stands on 44.7%, a 14% rise in employment inside Gaza, and a slight rise in average daily earnings. The officials noted that for the first time since the violent conflicts with Gaza began, 7,000 Gazan's remained in Israel for work. The officials added that Hamas had warned the Islamic Jihad that they would not join in their fight against Israel in the recent conflict and that if violence is renewed, it would remain uninvolved. 


Source: Ynet



Don’t Say You Did Not Know


I was saddened to read the recent Supreme Court decision that authorized the appropriation of land from Palestinians in the West Bank’s Mitzpeh Kramim. A 4-3 majority allowed a settlement to stay on land privately owned by Palestinians. The majority said that the legal owners should get other land as compensation — and the outpost should stay. I was hardly surprised. Former Justice Minister Shaked et al learned from the American bad system and implemented the same in Israel, bringing to the court judges who are known for holding certain political views and ideologies. The Supreme Court changed its face dramatically and is continuously shifting to the ideological right, as Israel does.


Injustice prevails with the authorization of the Supreme Court of Justice.



Israeli Economy Struggles


Israel's annual consumer price index (CPI) rose to a higher than expected rate of 5.2% in July, the most since October 2008 and following a 4.4% rate in June, as more aggressive interest rate hikes loom. Policymakers have blamed much of the inflation spike on supply chain disruptions, gains in oil and other commodities prices, and a weaker shekel, as well as rising domestic demand and a full-employment economy with wage pressures in most private sector industries. The jobless rate rose to 3.7% in July from 3.4% in June; official data showed that Inflation in Israel is still far below rates of 8.5% and 8.9% in the United States and Euro bloc, respectively, but with prices rising rapidly and anger among Israelis growing, the issue of the cost of living has become the main issue for candidates running the general election in November. 


Source: Reuters



Peace Research


I continue with my research on the peace process between Israel and the PLO. The research is based on in-depth interviews with people who contributed to the peace process. My most recent interviews were with Rob Malley. I continue to gather information and learn with the aim of getting closer to the truth. The research is fascinating and each and every interview contributes another important pieces of information.


In my research, I analyse the peace junctions from Oslo 1993 until today, outlines the keys for successful mediation, facilitation and negotiations, and analyse the options for peace resolution. This is the largest research project that I have ever conducted, with hundreds of pages of primary material.


I am looking for a place to write the book. All suggestions/ideas welcome.



Palestinian Authority Leadership Battles


Tawfik Tirawi, a former head of the Palestinian Authority (PA) General Intelligence Service, has been removed from his job as chairman of the board of trustees of Al-Istiqlal (Independence) University in the latest sign of mounting tensions among the top brass of the Palestinian leadership. Tirawi, a senior member of the ruling Fatah faction’s Central Committee, was dismissed by PA President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) days after he reportedly bad-mouthed PLO Secretary-General Hussein al-Sheikh in an audiotape leaked to social media platforms. The 61-year-old Sheikh is seen by many Palestinians as a leading candidate to succeed Abbas. Tirawi, too, is seen by his supporters as a suitable candidate to step into Abbas’s shoes. Abbas, 87, also ordered the withdrawal of the security guards stationed outside Tirawi’s residence for his protection, Palestinian sources said.


Source: Jerusalem Post



Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars


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I had a delightful and enriching time at the Wilson Center. I love the people, the work environment, the standard of professionalism, the values and the ethos. I very much liked my office. I enjoyed coming to work each morning, with a song in my heart.



New article: “Freedom of Expression v Social Responsibility: The Charlie Hebdo Affair”, in Richard Keeble (ed.), It’s the Media, Stupid: Essays in Honour of Brian Winston Festschrift (Bury, St Edmunds: Abramis, 2022).


Abstract

This paper analyses the terror attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices through several prisms: freedom of expression; the principle of profound offence; the fallacy of universal liberalism; globalisation, and the era in which we live of violence and terror. It is argued that after the violent episodes of “The Satanic Verses”, The Danish Cartoons and the Hebdo Cartoons we understand that freedom of speech has a price. Responsible people should weigh the consequences of their conduct – action and speech. We should learn from these affairs, take offence seriously, acknowledge the fallacy of universalism and the reality of globalisation where speech in a liberal part of the world may provoke negative and violent reaction worldwide. We should fight for our principles while being cognisant of the price tag which might be high and bloody. 


Key words: Charlie Hebdo, freedom of expression; offence; social responsibility; terror


John is standing in the city square and sings loudly. He holds a baseball bat and carries a big sign that says: “I dare you to criticize my singing”. John is 2-meter-tall and his physics suggests that he spends many of his free hours in a gym. It seems he enjoys many free hours. The expression on his face leaves little doubt as to the likely consequences of such a dare. You have the freedom and choice to ridicule him, even more so because you do find his singing most disturbing. Still, would you dare him?


Available at

https://hull.academia.edu/RaphaelCohenalmagor/Invited-Articles



Did you know?

Winston Churchill was hit by a car and nearly killed during a New York lecture tour in December 1931. Churchill was struck by a car while crossing Fifth Avenue. Fortunately for the world, especially for world Jewry, he survived. 



Movie of the Month: Life Itself (2018)

 

This is the best film I have seen for a long time, a rare ***** on Rafi’s scale.

 

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Written by Dan Fogelman, this is a wonderful tale about love, death, and humanity with all its strengths and weaknesses. 

 

With a stellar cast that includes Oscar Isaac, Olivia Wilde, Antonio Banderas, Annette Bening, Mandy Patinkin, Olivia Cooke, and Laia Costa, this wonderful movie tells the family stories of people in Spain and the United States who became connected through tragedy and love.  The tale is presented as short stories, each focusing on one hero at a time. And when “life itself” happens to them, they become to know each other. The story is filled with twists and turns and is full of surprising, most touching moments. Some of the dialogues are masterpieces.

 

I saw this film only now. I am grateful for not continuing to miss it. If you have not watched it until now, you are for a magical treat. Enjoy!!

 

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Dan+Fogelman+life+itself&view=detail&mid=9DE26FB898C562FABA

 

***** on Rafi’s scale



Gem of the Month: National Gallery of Art


I love the Smithsonian museums and have spent a lot of my time enjoying some of America’s gifts to the world. They are all state-of-the-art museums that enrich my mind and soul.



One of my favorites is the National Gallery. This time I want to share with you one picture: The Dinner Horn by Winslow Homer.



Gem of the Month: The Phillips Collection



Renoir’s Luncheon at the Boating Club is a masterpiece. It is my favourite all-time photo. A copy of this marvelous picture has been on one of the walls of my different homes. The original is kept at the Phillips Collection and I was very glad to see it, again. 




Monthly Poem


Simultaneously, I have been writing two books of poetry: one in Hebrew; the other in English. The book in Hebrew is titled Old News and now has 60 pages. The book in English is titled Between Love and Death and is now 92 pages long. I wish to publish both books and would very much appreciate pertinent constructive ideas.

Here is my weekly poem.


Waiting

27 July 2012

Albufeira, Portugal


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Waiting

For the bus

In the doctor clinic

For your book to be translated to Chinese, to Thai, to German, to Hindu, to Martian

To meet my banker

For the waiter to bring much-needed glass of cold water

For unforgettable meal

For orange sunset on the Albufeira beach

For the kids to come home

To fulfil themselves in a way that would fulfil your hopes for them

For your wife to dress with the right one, put on the makeup, find the shoes, and the bag, the keys, the phone, the brush, finalizing the last orders, return, and again with the more comfortable shoes, and something on her lips. 


Raphael Almagor



Light Side: English A Funny Language


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Peace and Good Health to you all

Rafi



My last communications with all the photos and illustrations are available on Israel: Democracy, Human Rights, Politics and Society, http://almagor.blogspot.com


People wishing to subscribe to this Monthly Newsletter are welcome to e-mail me at r.cohen-almagor@hull.ac.uk

Twitter at @almagor35