I made this during Cast Lead:
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
Elder of Ziyon
The sister of Hamas Prime Minister in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh recently entered Israel along with her husband, who received urgent treatment at the Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, Ynet has learned.I know, I know. I'm engaging in "terrorist-washing," publicizing how Israel treats the families of terrorists in a vain attempt to distract the world from their daily attacks against, uh, terrorists.
Four months ago the husband of Suhila Abd el-Salam Ahmed Haniyeh suffered a serious cardiac episode which could not be treated at any hospital in Gaza. After the couple filed an urgent entry request with Israeli authorities, a Palestinian ambulance transported the husband to the Erez Crossing, where he was moved to a Magen David Adom vehicle and taken to the hospital in Petah Tikva along with his wife.
The husband was hospitalized in Israel for about a week, during which his condition was stabilized. Following the treatment, the couple returned to Gaza.
(h/t GM)
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
Elder of Ziyon
From Al Manar:
(Or, as commenters have noted - why is he the one hiding in a bunker?)
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said that the main threat for Israel in the world is Hezbollah and not the Arab regimes whose decision-making is within the United States.If Israel is so scared of his might, then why doesn't he just grab the Shebaa Farms area that he claims is so important?
“The number one threat for Israel in the world is Hezbollah,” His eminence assured, indicating that the Zionist entity does not worry when some Arab countries buy advanced and expensive weapons and warplanes. “Israel feels comfortable in front of some Arab countries' huge armies because the decision-making of these regimes is within the US.”
Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that the main concern for ‘Israel’ is Lebanon, because of the existence of a strong Hezbollah which is incubated by huge part of the Lebanese people , "this is a natural result and comes due to their [Zionists] crushing defeats in 2000 and 2006. “This explains why Israel didn’t exploit the incidents in the region and launch an attack on Lebanon despite its history of attacks.”
“Have Israel’s ambitions ended? Will Israel be satisfied with its oil and gas resources amid remarks that it will only generate $250 billion?” His eminence wondered.
(Or, as commenters have noted - why is he the one hiding in a bunker?)
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
Elder of Ziyon
From Ian:
Exclusive excerpts from Cameron's speech on Munich victims, 6th August 2012
‘Shame on you!’ Ankie Spitzer tells Olympic president
Video: Israelis Remembered at Memorial for Munich
Netanyahu sought dialogue with Erdogan, but was rejected'
Palestinian PM calls for West Bank elections
No plans to elope: Romney shows his support for Israel in public
CIFWatch: CiF Watch ‘Style’ Guide to the Middle East for the Perplexed: A to Z
Al Qaeda trio arrested in Spain 'wanted to attack busy Gibraltar shopping centre from the air during the Olympics'
1,000 days in a Cuban prison, Alan Gross dreams of ribs and baseball
Standard Chartered bank 'in $250bn scheme with Iran'
The Attacks on Israelis You Won’t Read About Anywhere Else, August 3-6
NGO Monitor: What are you hiding? NGO's, funding and websites
PMW Video:
Israel is in the final stage of destroying Al-Aqsa Mosque, says Israeli-Arab Islamic leader – Raed Salah
Israel spreads chemicals under Al-Aqsa Mosque to destroy it, on PA TV news
Terrorist who stabbed 76-year-old man glorified by Fatah official on PA TV
Israel Daily Picture: Bnei Brak, 2,000 Years Ago Home to Talmudic Scholars, Reborn in 1924 as an Agricultural Village, Today, an Ultra-Orthodox City
Also, a very interesting NYT magazine account of the intrigue behind the Aleppo Codex (h/t CHA)
Exclusive excerpts from Cameron's speech on Munich victims, 6th August 2012
“Tonight, David Cameron will address the Official Memorial Ceremony for the 40th Anniversary of the terrorist attack at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. The Commentator brings you an exclusive preview of his speech tonight, that will serve to commemorate the lives of the 11 Israeli athletes murdered.”
‘Shame on you!’ Ankie Spitzer tells Olympic president
Widows of murdered Israeli athletes excoriate IOC president Jacques Rogge at London Jewish community’s memorial for Munich massacre victims
Video: Israelis Remembered at Memorial for Munich
Netanyahu sought dialogue with Erdogan, but was rejected'
Officials say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached out to his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in bid to reconcile with Turkey, but Erdogan responded that "there is nothing to talk about" until Israel apologizes for Mavi Marmara raid.
Palestinian PM calls for West Bank elections
Salam Fayyad doesn’t want to wait for reconciliation with Hamas[Also, reports that Abbas refused to meet with Meshal in Cairo. -EoZ]
No plans to elope: Romney shows his support for Israel in public
Thomas Friedman has long been a critic of conservative support for the State of Israel. But his most recent article attacking Mitt Romney gets it all wrong
CIFWatch: CiF Watch ‘Style’ Guide to the Middle East for the Perplexed: A to Z
A: Abu Mazen, leader of the Palestinian Authority and its chief non-negotiator. Last heard to say: “I am perfectly prepared to meet with the Israelis as soon as they agree to all my demands. Unless I can think of some more in the meantime”
Al Qaeda trio arrested in Spain 'wanted to attack busy Gibraltar shopping centre from the air during the Olympics'
1,000 days in a Cuban prison, Alan Gross dreams of ribs and baseball
American convicted of espionage for importing equipment to provide internet access to Jewish community
Standard Chartered bank 'in $250bn scheme with Iran'
Standard Chartered bank illegally "schemed" with Iran to launder as much as $250bn (£161bn) for nearly a decade, a US regulator says.
The Attacks on Israelis You Won’t Read About Anywhere Else, August 3-6
NGO Monitor: What are you hiding? NGO's, funding and websites
PMW Video:
Israel is in the final stage of destroying Al-Aqsa Mosque, says Israeli-Arab Islamic leader – Raed Salah
Israel spreads chemicals under Al-Aqsa Mosque to destroy it, on PA TV news
Terrorist who stabbed 76-year-old man glorified by Fatah official on PA TV
Israel Daily Picture: Bnei Brak, 2,000 Years Ago Home to Talmudic Scholars, Reborn in 1924 as an Agricultural Village, Today, an Ultra-Orthodox City
“Mentioned in the Book of Joshua, the town of Bnei Brak was well known in Talmudic days as home to the famous Rabbi Akiva (second century, CE). The town is also mentioned in the Passover Seder service as a meeting place for the leading rabbis of the Talmud.”
Also, a very interesting NYT magazine account of the intrigue behind the Aleppo Codex (h/t CHA)
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
Elder of Ziyon
Last week I reported on the Emirates Photo Competition (EPC), sponsored by the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP). Both the cotest and the FIAP have strict anti-discriminatory rules.
And yet the EPC did not have a way for Israelis to register for the competition.
A number of my readers contacted the president of the FIAP, and he responded quickly with a very nice letter saying that
That was Friday.
As of today, the EPC website still does not allow Israelis to register and it still claims it is under FIAP patronage. And the president of FIAP, Mr. Emile Wanderscheid, has not responded to emails asking him to update what he is doing about this.
Wanderscheids's email is e.wanderscheid@fiap.net . He also uses wanefiap@pt.lu . His response emails were copied to Jacky MARTIN (j.martin@fiap.net), Riccardo BUSI (busi.fiap@gmail.com), and "Willy A. Suys" (suyswill@pt.lu).
The director of the competition, who has also ignored all emails, is Mr. Bader Al Nomani, bader.alnomani@gmail.com .
FIAP's Facebook page might be a nice place to raise the issue as well.
It is entirely possible that FIAP is doing everything possible and that the EPC is ignoring them. There is no mention of this competition on the FIAP website. Really, the only thing FIAP can do it to announce publicly that EPC is violating its rules and to publicly demand a response.
UPDATE: Mr. Wanderscheid was true to his word; the patronage for this contest was withdrawn:
And the EPC site is now lying about the patronage.
Thanks for those who wrote in.
And yet the EPC did not have a way for Israelis to register for the competition.
A number of my readers contacted the president of the FIAP, and he responded quickly with a very nice letter saying that
As this is a clear discrimination and an infringement with the FIAP rules, the FIAP Patronage Service wrote two hours ago an E-mail to the organiser telling him that he is formally requested within 24 hours to add all the countries including Israel to the drop down country list or to delete this list completely from the online entry form.
In case of refusal, the FIAP Patronage will immediately withdrawn.
That was Friday.
As of today, the EPC website still does not allow Israelis to register and it still claims it is under FIAP patronage. And the president of FIAP, Mr. Emile Wanderscheid, has not responded to emails asking him to update what he is doing about this.
Wanderscheids's email is e.wanderscheid@fiap.net . He also uses wanefiap@pt.lu . His response emails were copied to Jacky MARTIN (j.martin@fiap.net), Riccardo BUSI (busi.fiap@gmail.com), and "Willy A. Suys" (suyswill@pt.lu).
The director of the competition, who has also ignored all emails, is Mr. Bader Al Nomani, bader.alnomani@gmail.com .
FIAP's Facebook page might be a nice place to raise the issue as well.
It is entirely possible that FIAP is doing everything possible and that the EPC is ignoring them. There is no mention of this competition on the FIAP website. Really, the only thing FIAP can do it to announce publicly that EPC is violating its rules and to publicly demand a response.
UPDATE: Mr. Wanderscheid was true to his word; the patronage for this contest was withdrawn:
And the EPC site is now lying about the patronage.
Thanks for those who wrote in.
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
Elder of Ziyon
The mission of the MFO [Multi-National force and Observers) is to supervise the implementation of the security provisions of the Egyptian-Israeli Treaty of Peace and employ best efforts to prevent any violation of its terms.
So where were they when people in Egyptian Army uniforms broke through the border between Egypt and Israel on Sunday night?
Judging from their website, nothing has happened of note in the Sinai since they received a sizable donation from Sweden in 2011.
But they have pretty good facilities:
The MFO does its best to provide for the education, welfare and recreation of all of its members. Education facilities and programs from several colleges and universities, postal services, internet and telephone services are available at both of our camps. Chaplains, medical and dental professionals are present at both camps. Should the need arise arrangements are also in place for treatment of serious illness or injury in cooperating regional hospitals.And a magazine.
›› Sports facilities are available to cater to most sports. The gymnasia at both camps are run by professional staffs, and are well equipped. At our northern camp is a swimming pool and in our southern camp a beach facility on the Red Sea.
›› The libraries at both camps contain a large selection of books and periodicals in all of the national languages represented in the Force. DVD's, videos and music CD's are also available for loan. Two Force Exchanges (FX) provide a range of necessities as well as sundry items, magazines, electronics and clothing at a reasonable prices.
›› The profits from the FX and MFO sponsored Clubs fund our morale support programs. Morale Support tour and travel programs offer a wide range of excursions and accommodations throughout Egypt and Israel. Feature films are shown in the theaters, and satellite TV/Radio stations provide programming from various sources and in several languages.
›› Beyond these activities directly supported by the MFO is a spontaneous and entirely welcome system of individual and contingent sponsored recreational activities and Contingent clubs.
It is not a UN organization - but the MFO seems to be as bloated and useless as any UN agency is.
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
Elder of Ziyon
According to numerous Arab websites (including UPI Arabic), the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs sent out an alert to mosque imams not to pray for the destruction of Jews and Christians in their Friday sermons, noting that the "correct" prayers should be against "aggressors" only.
Apparently, religious incitement in Saudi mosques is so widespread that even the government has to get involved to tone it down.
And these are the "moderates."
UPDATE: New reports are saying that the Saudi ministry has denied sending out such an alert.
I couldn't find any such mention on the Ministry's website.
Apparently, religious incitement in Saudi mosques is so widespread that even the government has to get involved to tone it down.
And these are the "moderates."
UPDATE: New reports are saying that the Saudi ministry has denied sending out such an alert.
I couldn't find any such mention on the Ministry's website.
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
Elder of Ziyon
Who is besieging Gaza again?
Gaza officials confirm that Kerem Shalom is open today.
According to various security and official sources, in his meetings with top security, intelligence and military aides this morning, Morsi had to succumb to their suggestions of imposing a tight security grip on the borders with Gaza.But meanwhile, in the state whose civilians were actually was the target for the terrorists at the crossing:
Morsi reluctantly agreed to shut down the Rafah crossing point – the only non-Israeli controlled border for the otherwise enclosed and besieged Gaza.
The president had recently promised Hamas leaders, effectively in control of Gaza since 2007 away from the clout of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, to reduce the tough security measures on the borders between Gaza and the Egyptian territories. Today, these and other relevant promises would have to be at least suspended.
A day and a half after the attack, Israeli defense officials decided to reopen the Kerem Shalom border crossing.Keep in mind that the Kerem Shalom crossing itself was under mortar attack in an apparent attempt to distract Israel from the terror attack from Egypt, which is one of the reasons Egypt concluded that the attack was coordinated by Gazans.
Gaza officials confirm that Kerem Shalom is open today.
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
Elder of Ziyon
Ma'an reports:
UPDATE: Video of the anti-Israel protest:
At 1:20 they say "ya safir al khanazir" which means "the [Israeli] ambassador is a pig".
At 2:00 they chant "Khaybar Khaybar ya YahÅ«d, jaysh Muḥammad saya‘Å«d which translates to "Khaybar, Khaybar o Jews, the army of Muhammad will return".
(h/t Yoel)
Sinai tribes say they repeatedly warned the Egyptian government about a jihadi threat in the peninsula, before Sunday's attack which left 16 Egyptian police officers dead.Such protests are already happening, according to Palestine Press Agency:
"Military intervention came late after we warned the Egyptian authorities about extremism and terrorism in Sinai, especially after the revolution," Sheikh Khalaf al-Maniei, from the Al-Sawarka tribe said Monday.
A deputy from the al-Fawakhreyeh tribe, Abed al-Hamid Salmi, told Ma'an's correspondent that Sinai tribes had met Egyptian intelligence officials on Monday.
"We know that there are Israeli plans to re-occupy parts of the Sinai as Israeli authorities seek to protect its state from terrorism," Salmi said.
"This might happen if the Egyptian army fails in fighting terrorism in the Sinai which will lead Israel to legitimately control all the way between Sinai and el-Arish. Therefore, we warned the Egyptian security from such plans, and we will protest, and will plan for a public uprising, as well as closing the Rafah crossing," he added.
A resident of Sheikh Zuwaid who refused to be named told the Agency: the people of El Arish and Sheikh Zuwaid and Rafah, forced the Palestinians since yesterday to return to their homes and beat them.But one protest was inevitable:
Egyptian news sites said that protesters torched tires, yesterday, on the 'Arish Rafah' road east of Sheikh Zuwaid, in protest at the lack of deployment of police so far in the Sheikh Zuwaid and Rafah areas since January 28 last year.
The protestors demanded the closure of tunnels under the border, and the opening of the Rafah crossing in for commercial traffic and the prosecution of law breakers.
Dozens of members from Youth for Freedom and Justice, the April 6 Youth movement, and Kefaya, The Egyptian Movement for Change, organized a march to the home of the Israeli Ambassador in Maadi to protest the killing of 16 security officers near the Egyptian-Israeli border on Sunday afternoon.Because despite decades of Muslims killing other Muslims by the millions, it is always easier to blame the Jews.
The protesters called for the expulsion of the Ambassador and to punish those who perpetrated or colluded in the attack.
Officials from Egypt and Israel said the attackers belonged to extremist Islamist groups in Sinai, but Islamist politicians and observers in Egypt said they suspect that Israel was behind the incident.
The protesters chanted slogans against Israel and raised black banners that read "in mourning."
UPDATE: Video of the anti-Israel protest:
At 1:20 they say "ya safir al khanazir" which means "the [Israeli] ambassador is a pig".
At 2:00 they chant "Khaybar Khaybar ya YahÅ«d, jaysh Muḥammad saya‘Å«d which translates to "Khaybar, Khaybar o Jews, the army of Muhammad will return".
(h/t Yoel)
Monday, August 06, 2012
Monday, August 06, 2012
Elder of Ziyon
Good news from last week:
I could not find this story of co-existence with Jews anywhere in the Arabic press.
Co-existence might exist sometimes, but the Arab media and leadership do not want people to know about it.
Towering platters of watermelon and Israeli cheeses brought together Jews and Arabs in the Musrara neighborhood this week as part of the first annual “Between Green and Red” festival in Jerusalem.Ha'aretz also covered this, The bad news?
The festival, which began on Monday and continues until Saturday, is a throwback to what the neighborhood, close to the Old City walls, used to look like in the days after the Six Day War in 1967 and for the two decades after that, participants said.
Matan Israeli, the festival’s artistic manager and the brains behind the entire production, said, “The idea of a watermelon stand is not new; we just revived it. This is a place where everyone in the neighborhood would gather. When the people who remember those summer nights talk about it, their eyes still sparkle.”
The summer of ‘67 marked a critical turning point in Jerusalem. Israel had just recaptured Jerusalem’s Old City and what had been considered “no man’s land,” the area that had once divided the city, became an open space of opportunity.
Without permits or planning, watermelon sheds and stands, or bastas in Arabic, transformed the desolate space into a center of culture and refuge. At night, once the bastas had closed, the parties would begin, sometimes lasting all night, as Jews and Arabs came out, bringing with them watermelons, cheeses, coffee and pastries to share. Later, the stands set up videos and TVs, and martial arts movies would play into the small hours.
But in the late 80s, with the first intifada, came violence and tension, Israeli noted. The watermelon stands were shut down, the municipality began to enforce new regulations, and the area became something of a no man’s land again.
That was until this year, when several organizations came together with the Jerusalem Season of Culture to organize a watermelon festival, in conjunction with the Under the Mountain public art festival.
I could not find this story of co-existence with Jews anywhere in the Arabic press.
Co-existence might exist sometimes, but the Arab media and leadership do not want people to know about it.
Monday, August 06, 2012
Elder of Ziyon
A great article by Richard Landes in the WSJ:
Mitt Romney caused a firestorm last week in Jerusalem by commenting on the cultural dimensions of Israeli economic growth. Palestinian spokesman Saeb Erekat, correctly seeing an implied criticism of Palestinian culture, called Mr. Romney a "racist" and complained that Palestinian economic woes are really caused by the Israeli occupation. Analysts said Mr. Erekat's reaction was a sign that Mr. Romney has disqualified himself as a broker for peace. The episode reveals as much about the dynamics of the Middle East conflict as about presidential politics.
In making his brief case, Mr. Romney cited two books: "Guns, Germs and Steel," by geographer Jared Diamond, and "The Wealth and Poverty of Nations," by economist David Landes (my father). As in other fields of social "science," economists argue about whether development derives from cultural advantages or from natural ones such as resistance to disease and access to primary resources. Prof. Diamond, whose book focuses on societies' natural advantages, last week wrote an op-ed in the New York Times emphasizing both culture and nature and trying to draw Prof. Landes in with him.
But Israel (which neither book examined) and the Arab world (which only the Landes book examined) illustrate the primacy of culture as both necessary and sufficient for economic development. Israel, a country with no natural resources, an economic backwater even in the Ottoman Empire, rose to the top of the developed world in a century on culture alone. The Arab nations, on the other hand, illustrate the necessity of a certain kind of culture: Even those with vast petrodollars still have among the least productive economies in the world.
Americans tend to assume that everyone shares their cultural attitudes—that everyone strives to get to "yes," to positive-sum, win-win, voluntary relations; that everyone holds productive work in high respect and prizes the principles of fairness embodied in the meritocratic principle of "equality before the law"; that everyone encourages criticism, treasures intellectual capital, promotes risk-taking, prizes transparency and fosters innovation. With institutions built on such values—with a culture dedicated to making, not taking, money—a society can make use of whatever primary products a land offers.
But there are cultures whose favored mode is not voluntary but coerced and zero-sum relations, where the principle of "rule or be ruled" dominates political and economic life. The elites in such cultures hold hard work in contempt, and they distrust intellectual openness and uncontrolled innovation as subversive. They emphasize rote learning and unquestioning respect for those in authority. Protection rackets rather than law enforcement assure the public order and bleed the economy. Public criticism brings sharp retaliation. Powerful actors acquire wealth by taking, rather than making.
Few cultures on the planet better illustrate the latter traits than the Arab world, a fact outlined in painful detail by a 2002 United Nations report written by Arab intellectuals. As "The Wealth and Poverty of Nations" points out, Arab culture intensifies these problems with its attitude of hyper-jealousy and misogyny toward women, which turns out entitled sons and cloistered daughters.
Even the huge influx of petrodollars did not change the basic contours of Arab economies: Rather than fueling economic development that benefited all, it bloated corrupt and opaque elites. Oil-rich countries like Libya and Iraq have social structures akin to those of oil-bereft Egypt and Syria. Change may occur, but it is hindered by an authoritarian culture that fears it. Such societies impoverish the masses, while elites thrive on their debasement.
Strikingly, Palestinian culture compares favorably with that of other Arabs. Palestinians have higher education, a strong work ethic and successful entrepreneurs. Much of that comes from their close association with the Zionists, who (unlike Western imperialists) settled the land without conquest, by dint of making everyone more prosperous.
From the late 19th century, Arab populations grew and prospered where Jews settled (Tel Aviv, Hebron, Jerusalem) and remained stagnant and poor where they didn't (Gaza, Nablus, Nazareth). Many Arabs found the presence of Jews a great advantage. Thus the Palestinian diaspora is among the best-educated and most competent in the Arab world—and under Israeli rule (the notorious "occupation") the West Bank was one of the 10 fastest-growing economies in the world in the 1980s.
Other Palestinians, however, found Jewish economic leadership an unbearable blow to their pride. Said one to the British Peel Commission in 1936: "You say we are better off: you say my house has been enriched by the strangers who have entered it. But it is my house, and I did not invite the strangers in, or ask them to enrich it, and I do not care how poor it is if I am only master of it."
Sooner rule in hell than share in heaven. These actors have dominated Palestinian political culture, and terrorized Israeli and Palestinian alike, for generations.
In calling Mr. Romney's remarks "racist" and blaming Palestinian economic difficulties on Israel's "occupation," Mr. Erekat illustrated one of David Landes's major points: Blaming others for one's own failures prolongs failure. Even though his own government daily chooses a culture of death, not life, Mr. Erekat wants to blame Israel for Palestine's woes; no admission here that he and his colleagues might have some role in the suffering of their own people.
So when Westerners denounce Mr. Romney for his "gaffe," they actually do a great disservice to the Palestinians. Palestinian entrepreneurs and administrators—the ones who wept when Yasser Arafat rejected Israel's peace offer at Camp David in 2000—know well the costs to their people's well-being engendered by their political leaders.
Had Western observers criticized Mr. Erekat for his silly and dishonest response, they might have strengthened those Palestinians who could lead their people to the promised land of independence and prosperity. Instead, they threw the real progressives, the ones who could put an end to the occupation by good faith negotiations, under the bus.
Mitt Romney caused a firestorm last week in Jerusalem by commenting on the cultural dimensions of Israeli economic growth. Palestinian spokesman Saeb Erekat, correctly seeing an implied criticism of Palestinian culture, called Mr. Romney a "racist" and complained that Palestinian economic woes are really caused by the Israeli occupation. Analysts said Mr. Erekat's reaction was a sign that Mr. Romney has disqualified himself as a broker for peace. The episode reveals as much about the dynamics of the Middle East conflict as about presidential politics.
In making his brief case, Mr. Romney cited two books: "Guns, Germs and Steel," by geographer Jared Diamond, and "The Wealth and Poverty of Nations," by economist David Landes (my father). As in other fields of social "science," economists argue about whether development derives from cultural advantages or from natural ones such as resistance to disease and access to primary resources. Prof. Diamond, whose book focuses on societies' natural advantages, last week wrote an op-ed in the New York Times emphasizing both culture and nature and trying to draw Prof. Landes in with him.
But Israel (which neither book examined) and the Arab world (which only the Landes book examined) illustrate the primacy of culture as both necessary and sufficient for economic development. Israel, a country with no natural resources, an economic backwater even in the Ottoman Empire, rose to the top of the developed world in a century on culture alone. The Arab nations, on the other hand, illustrate the necessity of a certain kind of culture: Even those with vast petrodollars still have among the least productive economies in the world.
Americans tend to assume that everyone shares their cultural attitudes—that everyone strives to get to "yes," to positive-sum, win-win, voluntary relations; that everyone holds productive work in high respect and prizes the principles of fairness embodied in the meritocratic principle of "equality before the law"; that everyone encourages criticism, treasures intellectual capital, promotes risk-taking, prizes transparency and fosters innovation. With institutions built on such values—with a culture dedicated to making, not taking, money—a society can make use of whatever primary products a land offers.
But there are cultures whose favored mode is not voluntary but coerced and zero-sum relations, where the principle of "rule or be ruled" dominates political and economic life. The elites in such cultures hold hard work in contempt, and they distrust intellectual openness and uncontrolled innovation as subversive. They emphasize rote learning and unquestioning respect for those in authority. Protection rackets rather than law enforcement assure the public order and bleed the economy. Public criticism brings sharp retaliation. Powerful actors acquire wealth by taking, rather than making.
Few cultures on the planet better illustrate the latter traits than the Arab world, a fact outlined in painful detail by a 2002 United Nations report written by Arab intellectuals. As "The Wealth and Poverty of Nations" points out, Arab culture intensifies these problems with its attitude of hyper-jealousy and misogyny toward women, which turns out entitled sons and cloistered daughters.
Even the huge influx of petrodollars did not change the basic contours of Arab economies: Rather than fueling economic development that benefited all, it bloated corrupt and opaque elites. Oil-rich countries like Libya and Iraq have social structures akin to those of oil-bereft Egypt and Syria. Change may occur, but it is hindered by an authoritarian culture that fears it. Such societies impoverish the masses, while elites thrive on their debasement.
Strikingly, Palestinian culture compares favorably with that of other Arabs. Palestinians have higher education, a strong work ethic and successful entrepreneurs. Much of that comes from their close association with the Zionists, who (unlike Western imperialists) settled the land without conquest, by dint of making everyone more prosperous.
From the late 19th century, Arab populations grew and prospered where Jews settled (Tel Aviv, Hebron, Jerusalem) and remained stagnant and poor where they didn't (Gaza, Nablus, Nazareth). Many Arabs found the presence of Jews a great advantage. Thus the Palestinian diaspora is among the best-educated and most competent in the Arab world—and under Israeli rule (the notorious "occupation") the West Bank was one of the 10 fastest-growing economies in the world in the 1980s.
Other Palestinians, however, found Jewish economic leadership an unbearable blow to their pride. Said one to the British Peel Commission in 1936: "You say we are better off: you say my house has been enriched by the strangers who have entered it. But it is my house, and I did not invite the strangers in, or ask them to enrich it, and I do not care how poor it is if I am only master of it."
Sooner rule in hell than share in heaven. These actors have dominated Palestinian political culture, and terrorized Israeli and Palestinian alike, for generations.
In calling Mr. Romney's remarks "racist" and blaming Palestinian economic difficulties on Israel's "occupation," Mr. Erekat illustrated one of David Landes's major points: Blaming others for one's own failures prolongs failure. Even though his own government daily chooses a culture of death, not life, Mr. Erekat wants to blame Israel for Palestine's woes; no admission here that he and his colleagues might have some role in the suffering of their own people.
So when Westerners denounce Mr. Romney for his "gaffe," they actually do a great disservice to the Palestinians. Palestinian entrepreneurs and administrators—the ones who wept when Yasser Arafat rejected Israel's peace offer at Camp David in 2000—know well the costs to their people's well-being engendered by their political leaders.
Had Western observers criticized Mr. Erekat for his silly and dishonest response, they might have strengthened those Palestinians who could lead their people to the promised land of independence and prosperity. Instead, they threw the real progressives, the ones who could put an end to the occupation by good faith negotiations, under the bus.
I just stumbled across a chapter of a book called "Two journeys to Jerusalem, vol. 1" from 1759. The chapter is entitled "The fatal and final Extirpation and Destruction of the Jews out of the Empire of Persia, begun in 1663 and continuing until 1666, and the Occasion therof."
This chapter seems to have been written in 1666 itself, and it has a story I cannot find anywhere else.
According to the book, during the reign of Shah Abbas I, a prince of Persia had the idea to open up trade between Persia and neighboring countries, by making it easier for traders to travel and make agreements. Naturally, the Jews from within and without Persia took advantage of this loosening of restrictions and prospered. This made their competitors jealous so they complained to the Shah.
Abbas had to come up with a way to keep the benefits of the trade while stopping the Jews from profiting. So he came up with a plan and summoned the Jewish religious leaders.
The Sophy (I think he is a prince and grandson who succeeded Abas I) asked them what they thought of Jesus. Frightened, they answered that they did not believe in him and expected their own messiah to come to deliver them from their oppressors.
He then became angry, saying that even the Koran writes favorably about Jesus, and calling them names. He then asked what they thought about Mohammed. This question scared them even more, and after conferring they said that since Mohammed was an Ishmaelite they do not consider him a false prophet, although they do not believe in him.
The Sophy then asked them to come up with a date by which the Jewish messiah would arrive. If he did not appear, they would be subject to death or conversion; if he did, then the Emperor would convert to Judaism.
Thinking it over, they gave a date seventy years in the future, calculating that in that time period al lof them would be dead and by then the Jews would come up with a plan to either pay off the Emperor or th eedict would be forgotten. The emperor accepted the term, and even added five years to it.
Decades later, the great-grandson of this Emperor - Abas II - came upon the old edict. At that same time there were rumors about a Jewish messiah who had appeared (the false messiah Shabbatai Tzvi) and this frightened the later emperor into deciding to destroy the Jews of Persia.
A proclamation was written, sounding much like the story of Esther, where any citizen was allowed to kill every Jewish man, women and child unless they converted to Shia Islam. The edict was first put in place in Isfahan and later in all of Persia, between 1663 and 1666.
According to this book, the Persians accepted the edict with relish, and they attacked the Jews who did not convert or manage to escape Persia (many to India, Turkey and elsewhere.)
This ends the story in the book.
According to other sources, however, things happened a little differently, with a different chronology. From The Jews Under Muslim Rule: The Case of Persia, by David Littman, 1979:
I don't know which account is more accurate.
This chapter seems to have been written in 1666 itself, and it has a story I cannot find anywhere else.
According to the book, during the reign of Shah Abbas I, a prince of Persia had the idea to open up trade between Persia and neighboring countries, by making it easier for traders to travel and make agreements. Naturally, the Jews from within and without Persia took advantage of this loosening of restrictions and prospered. This made their competitors jealous so they complained to the Shah.
Abbas had to come up with a way to keep the benefits of the trade while stopping the Jews from profiting. So he came up with a plan and summoned the Jewish religious leaders.
The Sophy (I think he is a prince and grandson who succeeded Abas I) asked them what they thought of Jesus. Frightened, they answered that they did not believe in him and expected their own messiah to come to deliver them from their oppressors.
He then became angry, saying that even the Koran writes favorably about Jesus, and calling them names. He then asked what they thought about Mohammed. This question scared them even more, and after conferring they said that since Mohammed was an Ishmaelite they do not consider him a false prophet, although they do not believe in him.
The Sophy then asked them to come up with a date by which the Jewish messiah would arrive. If he did not appear, they would be subject to death or conversion; if he did, then the Emperor would convert to Judaism.
Thinking it over, they gave a date seventy years in the future, calculating that in that time period al lof them would be dead and by then the Jews would come up with a plan to either pay off the Emperor or th eedict would be forgotten. The emperor accepted the term, and even added five years to it.
Decades later, the great-grandson of this Emperor - Abas II - came upon the old edict. At that same time there were rumors about a Jewish messiah who had appeared (the false messiah Shabbatai Tzvi) and this frightened the later emperor into deciding to destroy the Jews of Persia.
A proclamation was written, sounding much like the story of Esther, where any citizen was allowed to kill every Jewish man, women and child unless they converted to Shia Islam. The edict was first put in place in Isfahan and later in all of Persia, between 1663 and 1666.
According to this book, the Persians accepted the edict with relish, and they attacked the Jews who did not convert or manage to escape Persia (many to India, Turkey and elsewhere.)
This ends the story in the book.
According to other sources, however, things happened a little differently, with a different chronology. From The Jews Under Muslim Rule: The Case of Persia, by David Littman, 1979:
I don't know which account is more accurate.
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Elder of Ziyon









