DOCSLIB.ORG

Arab Israelis Are Reaping the Benefits of the Abraham Accords and These May Redound to Palestinians As Well. Mas Watad Hit on A

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Arab Israelis Are Reaping the Benefits of the Abraham Accords and These May Redound to Palestinians As Well. Mas Watad Hit on A Selected articles concerning Israel, published weekly by Suburban Orthodox Toras Chaim’s (Baltimore) Israel Action Committee Edited by Jerry Appelbaum ( [email protected] ) | Founding editor: Sheldon J. Berman Z”L Issue 8 86 Volume 2 1 , Number 1 8 Parshias Emor | 34th Day Omer May 1, 2021 Arab Is raelis Are Reaping the Benefits of the Abraham Accords By Marc Sievers and Jonathan Ferziger foreignpolicy.com April 18, 2021 And these may redound to Palestinians as well. conference in the UAE this month. In downtown Dubai’s Mas Watad hit on a weight - loss method years ago that glittering Grand Hyatt Hotel, the 56 - year - old attorney met she tailored to Arab women. On the menu were stuffed with E mirati investors and spoke on a panel about his grape leaves, cardamom - seasoned chicken kofta, and even efforts to build an Israeli - Arab incubator and industrial a reduced - calorie version of cheesy knafeh for dessert. zone for budding technology companies. While Israel’s From her home in Baqa al - Gharbiyye, an Arab city programming talent has attracted Microsoft, Intel, Apple, northeast of Tel Aviv, Israel, Watad built a thriving and other giants to set up research an d development dietician’s practic e. Her approach to weight loss, based on centers, only 4 percent of Israel’s technology workforce is natural ingredients and an eating - and - exercise regimen Arab. Much of that is due to the fact that computer driven by a mobile phone app, found a growing local engineering talent is cultivated and connections are made clientele. largely in Israeli army units such as the vaunted Unit 8200 Watad has since taken her slimming system intelligence corps, which ices out most Arab graduates international, founding a company called Dawsat with because they are exempt from serving in the military. of fices in her hometown, London, Bahrain, and the While the peace accords are popular with the Israeli Palestinian city of Nablus. The business is aimed in Arab business community, most Arab members of the particular at women in the wealthy Persian Gulf states, Knesset voted against them. where diabetes, hypertension, and other obesity - related “As Arabs in Israel, we’ve a lways been a bridge to illnesses have grown out of control. “Weigh t Watchers encourage peace between Israelis and Palestinians,” Badir works fine in Europe, but here you need something said, fresh from his maiden venture into the Gulf. “We are connected to our tastes and culture,” Watad said. “Our happy to play that role now with Arab countries that have program comes directly from the Arab kitchen.” opened to us through the Gulf accords.” The Hebrew University - educated diet guru is one of The mayor’s willin gness to be an emissary for Israel is the pioneers among Israel’s Arab citizens in playing to a notable in part because his city is synonymous with one of vast potential market in the Arabian Peninsula, with which the ugliest incidents in the country’s history. What is commercial ties were initiated last year through peace known as the Kafr Qasim massacre occurred when Israeli agreements — known as the Abraham Accords — between border police, operating under martial law on th e eve of Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. If relations Israel’s 1956 war with Egypt, shot and killed almost 50 of grow and mature, i nvestment from the UAE and its the town’s Arab residents returning from work at dusk in petroleum - rich neighbors should lead to greater economic violation of a curfew of which they hadn’t been aware. As opportunities and prosperity for Israel’s Arab population. close as the incident is to his heart, Badir doesn’t dwell on Palestinians, in turn, may also benefit through the West the past. H is mission, he said, is advancing the economic Bank’s proximity to and relative integration with Ar ab potential of his city and Israeli Arabs in general. That is communities in Israel, not least through family ties. one reason he is enthusiastic about the peace deals and the Israel’s 1.9 million Arab citizens make up slightly more new opportunities they could bring. than one - fifth of the Jewish state’s population and are a Coverage of the Abraham Accords in the Western slowly growing force in both politics and business. After media has focused on Israel’s strategic relations with the the fourth inconclusive el ection in only two years, both UAE and Bahrain, and to a lesser extent on the waves of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Israeli tourists eager to visit Dubai, ride to the top of the opponents, for the first time, are now openly courting the 163 - story Burj Khalifa, and cruise the vast malls to shop country’s Arab parties to help them break the political till they drop. deadlock and form a governing coalition. Israeli Arabs The large n umber of Arab Israelis who also are eager have an emerging professional class concentrated heavily to enjoy the sights and sounds of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and in the medical sector. Arab - owned businesses, which figure Manama have largely been overlooked. Besides the ease of prominently in Israel’s construction and trucking sharing language and culture, the fact is that they are able industries, are increasingly moving into the realm of to circulate in Israel’s new Abraham Acc ords partner technology start - ups, which have become t he country’s countries more freely than in, say, Egypt, where they are calling card. generally subjected to scrutiny and sometimes harassment. That’s what took Mayor Adel Badir from Kafr Qasim, As for the evolving business connections, they should have a satellite town east of Tel Aviv, to the Cybertech Global a significant economic impact that may eventually even Focus o n Israel May 1, 2021 Page 2 spread to the West Bank, given the many extended family Israel’s acceptance in the region. If that happens, it may ties between Israeli Arabs and West Bank Palestinians. also influence Palestinians. While the Gulf - Israel accords are popular with the With such ventures as Watad’s Gu lf - targeted diet Israeli Arab business community, most Arab members of business and Badir’s technology park, Israel’s Arab citizens the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, voted against them. In are seizing opportunities and helping to deepen their that, Arab lawmakers followed the lead of the Palestinian country’s integration in a region where it has long been Authority leadership in Ramallah, rather than their own seen as an enemy, and where their status as Arab citizens Israeli Arab voters. These voters, by all indication, want of Israel made them be seen as politically and culturally their elected representatives — such as Badir — to focus suspect. more on lobbying the gover nment to attend to issues of It’s safe to say that Palestinians don’t see economic critical concern to Arab communities, especially cracking peace as a substitute for an independent state. Nor will down on organized crime and violence in Arab towns in greater prosperity and the opportunity to travel freely to Israel, improving the quality of education, and investing in Arab Gulf states resolve the complex identity issues and infrastructure and social services. The traditional fo cus by continuing discrimination faced by Israel’s Arab minority. Arab lawmakers on supporting the Palestinians in the West But the new opportunities for Israeli Arabs opened up by Bank and Gaza and condemning the Israeli government the Abraham Accords, along with the many other benefits hasn’t done anything to improve the quality of Arab life in to the region that the agreements offer, could be a for mula Israel. Indeed, the lawmakers have fed into the narrative of for a more mutually beneficial co - existence between the the Israeli right that Arabs are a fifth column who can’t be majority and minority in Israel. Eventually, that may even trusted. pave the way for a political settlement between Israelis and Not that the Emiratis and Bahrainis need Israeli Arabs Palestinians. as middlemen to develop trade and business relations with Mr. Sievers is a Muscat - based nonresident senior fellow at th e Israel. It’s pretty clear that those relations are taking off Atlantic Council and a former U.S. ambassador to Oman. Mr. directly. But within Israel, the Abraham Accords could add Ferziger is a Jerusalem - based non - resident senior fellow at the momentum to the process of normalizing the status of Atlantic Council and a former Middle East correspondent for Arabs in society by giving them an economic stake in Bloomberg News . Israel’s Relations with Its Arab Neighbors and Its Arab Citizens Are Undergoing Normalization. Could the Palestinians Be Next? By Dan Diker and Khaled Abu Toameh jcpa.org April 21, 2021 T he pandemic created a sense of un ity between still campaigning with the hard - line, anti - Israel anti Jewish and Arab Israelis. normalization messages that have characterized his Fatah Israel’s March 2021 parliamentary elections and those party for decades. scheduled for the Palestinian Authority on May 22, 2021, Israel’s Internal “ Abraham Accords?” in the West Bank have focused international attention on Mansour Abbas’s success has positioned him as a two Arab leaders; Mansour Abbas, leader of Israel’s United prospective kingmaker in determining Israel’s governing Arab List faction (Ra’am), and Mahmoud Abbas, leader of coalition. Shelving nationalist and Palestinian slogans, the West Bank - based Palestinian Authority and Chairman Mansour Abbas, while a devout Muslim representing an of its ideological “parent,” the Palestine Liberation Islamic party, has pursu ed a pragmatic political path to Organization (PLO).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Israeli History "From Below" the Role of Children & Youth, Immigrants, Minorities and Professionals in the Shaping of a New Society 1948-1977
    Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Ben-Gurion Research Institute for the Study of Israel and Zionism The Israel Studies International MA Program Spring Semester 2013 Israeli History "From Below" The Role of Children & Youth, Immigrants, Minorities and Professionals in the Shaping of a New Society 1948-1977 Thursday 13:00 – 16:30 Sede Boqer Campus Dr. Tali Tadmor-Shimoni Email: [email protected] Office hours: Sde-Boqer Campus, BGRI, Moran Building – Thursday 10:00-12:00 Dr. Paula Kabalo Email: [email protected] Phone: 08 659 6962 (office) Office hours: Sde Boqer Campus, BGRI, Moran Building – Thursday 10:00-12:00 Course Description and Objectives : This research seminar sheds light on the unheard voices of Israeli history. Individuals and groups that acted behind the scenes and shaped the Israeli cultural and social mosaic between 1948 – 1970s. At the center stage of the course, stand people with distinct class, cultural, ethnic, religion and generational characteristics. Throughout the course these people will serve as the voices of the new Israeli society, and their actions, challenges and struggles will provide an in depth understanding of Israel's social history. Amongst the groups and individuals that will be examined we can mention: immigrants, children and youth, Arab citizens, professionals from various fields that served as mediators between the state and its marginalized groups (educators, community activists and nurses ). Junctions in Israel's civic and constitutional history will be analyzed through the lens of these groups, such as – the struggle on the nature of the immigrants education, the Wadi Salib Riots, the students struggle against corruption, Al-Ard movement and the struggle for Arab rights of association, the first settlement actions in the Golan Heights and Gush-Etzion after 1967, grassroots political activism, in the radical left and right – Mazpen and the Jewish Defense League in Israel , the Israeli Black Panthers, the events and background the Land Day and more.
    [Show full text]
  • Statement of H.E. President Mahmoud Abbas President of the State of Palestine UN General Assembly General Debate of the 75Th Session 25 September 2020
    Statement of H.E. President Mahmoud Abbas President of the State of Palestine UN General Assembly General Debate of the 75th Session 25 September 2020 In the name of God, the Merciful H.E. Mr. Volkan Bozkir, President of the General Assembly H.E. Mr. António Guterres, Secretary General Ladies and Gentlemen, Heads and Members of delegations, I wondered while preparing this statement what more could I tell you, after all that I have said in previous statements, about the perpetual tragedy and suffering being endured by my people – which the world is witness to daily – and about their legitimate aspirations – which are yet to be fulfilled – to freedom, independence and human dignity, as enjoyed by the peoples of the world. Until when, ladies and gentlemen, will the question of Palestine remain without a just solution as enshrined in United Nations resolutions? Until when will the Palestinian people remain under Israeli occupation and will the question of millions of Palestine refugees remain without a just solution in accordance with what the United Nations has determined over 70 years ago? Ladies and Gentlemen, The Palestinian people have been present in their homeland, Palestine, the land of their ancestors, for over 6000 years, and they will continue living on this land, steadfast in the face of occupation, aggression and the disappointments and betrayals, until the fulfilment of their rights. Despite all they have endured and continue to endure, despite the unjust blockade that targets our national decision, we will not kneel or surrender and we will not deviate from our fundamental positions, and we shall overcome, God willing.
    [Show full text]
  • Briefing Notes 23 September 2013
    Information Centre Asylum and Migration Briefing Notes 23 September 2013 Afghanistan Attack on state representative On 15.09.13, a senior female criminal police officer was shot at by unknown gunmen in southern Helmand province. One day later, she died from her wounds. Her female predecessor had been assassinated in the same way. Women comprise no more than one percent of all Afghan police officers. They and their families are regularly threatened by Islamists. On 18.09.13. the head of the independent electoral commission for northern Kunduz province was shot dead by Taliban insurgents. After the beginning of the preparations for the presidential elections, the Taliban had announced attacks on election officials and organisers. Increase of attacks on aid organisation staff The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports a sharp increase in attacks on staff members of humanitarian and medical aid organisations. A total of 25 incidents have been reported, with eight people losing their lives. Most of the attacks on medical organisations and their workers have occurred in the eastern parts of the country, namely in Nangarhar, Laghman, Logar and Kunar provinces as well as in northern Balkh province. Other aspects of the security situation According to information provided by the German Federal Armed Forces, operations led by Afghan security forces have been carried out since 04.09.13 in the northern provinces of Badakhshan and Kunduz, aiming at pushing the rebels out of the area and securing their own mobility. On 18.09.13, a police unit ran into an ambush of the Taliban in northeastern Badakhshan province (Wardooj district), with approx.
    [Show full text]
  • Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas: Overview of Internal and External Challenges
    Order Code RS22047 Updated March 1, 2005 CRS Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas: Overview of Internal and External Challenges Aaron D. Pina Analyst in Middle East Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary On January 15, 2005, Mahmoud Abbas (a.k.a. Abu Mazen) was sworn in as President of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Many believe that the Abbas victory marks the end of an autocratic era dominated by the late Yasir Arafat and the increased possibility of improved prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace. This report details Abbas’s policy platform and potential challenges he may face from within and without the Palestinian political landscape as power-sharing becomes a reality. Domestically, Abbas must address violent anti-occupation elements, calls for economic, judicial, and security reform, as well as a paralyzed economy. Externally, Abbas faces multiple obstacles in creating a viable Palestinian state based on a secure peace with Israel. To accomplish this, Abbas must address the requirements of the ‘Road Map,’ Palestinian violence toward Israel, and final status issues, such as Jerusalem, refugees, and political borders. For a more detailed analysis see CRS Report RS21965, Arafat’s Succession, by Clyde Mark and CRS Report RS21235, The PLO and its Factions, by Kenneth Katzman. This report will be updated as necessary. Palestinian Centers of Power Fatah. Under Arafat, Fatah became the most prominent political party in the Palestinian territories. The leading political body within Fatah is the Central Committee (CC), elected by the general membership. Fatah’s Revolutionary Council (RC) parallels the CC as a decision-making body and does not exclude armed resistance as an option.
    [Show full text]
  • El Paso Del Ebro Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo
    EL PASO DEL EBRO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Trimestral sobre el red OOOOOOOOOO La primera guerra mundial, la segunda guerra mundial, l'actual guerra colonial, la próxima guerra del imperialismo americano-sionista y el revisionismo histórico OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Numéro 20, otoño de 2006 y invierno de 2007 000000000000000000000 <elrevisionista at yahoo.com.ar> ooooooooooooooooooooooooo http://revurevi.net http://aaargh.com.mx ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo El argumento de los negadores del Holocausto proviene de un adagio muy conocido: "La historia la escriben los vencedores". Humberto Caspa (Diario La estrella. Texas) Los intelectuales sostienen que la "verdad del Estado" no es "la verdad histórica" SUMARIO El Holocausto, según Teherán, Ana Carbajosa Conferencia de Teherán : vease http://aaargh.com.mx/fran/livres7/teheran/teheran.html o http://revurevi.net La conferencia de Teherán y los Faurisson [1] proisraelíes, Bruno Guigue Faurisson enfrenta al aparato judicial francés a un nuevo desafío Otra historia del Holocausto, César Hildebrandt Holocausto a debate, Henri Tincq Conferencia sobre el Holocausto, Thomas Erdbrink Sale el sol: es de noche, por Manuel Rodríguez Rivero ARMH pide que ley Memoria pene el 'negacionismo' de los crímenes franquistas Los palestinos, víctimas del holocausto y del negacionismo, Miguel Ángel Llana La religión cristiana y la Conferencia iraní sobre el Holocausto Carta abierta al Papa Benedicto XVl, Paul Grubach El yugo de Sión, Israel Adán Shamir ENTRE VICTORIA Y
    [Show full text]
  • Is Israel Facing War with Hizbullah and Syria? by David Schenker Published April 2010 Vol
    Is Israel Facing War with Hizbullah and Syria? by David Schenker Published April 2010 Vol. 9, No. 22 6 April 2010 • Concerns about Israeli hostilities with Hizbullah are nothing new, but based on recent pronouncements from Syria, if the situation degenerates, fighting could take on a regional dimension not seen since 1973. • On February 26, Syrian President Bashar Assad hosted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Damascus. Afterward, Hizbullah's online magazine Al Intiqad suggested that war with Israel was on the horizon. • Raising tensions further are reports that Syria has provided Hizbullah with the advanced, Russian-made, shoulder-fired, Igla-S anti-aircraft missile, which could inhibit Israeli air operations over Lebanon in a future conflict. The transfer of this equipment had previously been defined by Israeli officials as a "red line." • In the summer of 2006, Syria sat on the sidelines as Hizbullah fought Israel to a standstill. After the war, Assad, who during the fighting received public assurances from then-Prime Minister Olmert that Syria would not be targeted, took credit for the "divine victory." • Damascus' support for "resistance" was on full display at the Arab Summit in Libya in late March 2010, where Assad urged Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to abandon U.S.-supported negotiations and "take up arms against Israel." • After years of diplomatic isolation, Damascus has finally broken the code to Europe, and appears to be on the verge of doing so with the Obama administration as well. Currently, Syria appears to be in a position where it can cultivate its ties with the West without sacrificing its support for terrorism.
    [Show full text]
  • Stifling Surveillance: Palestinians: Its Goal Has Always Been to Drive Them Out
    Israel has never intended to control the Stifling Surveillance: Palestinians: Its goal has always been to drive them out. However, during Israel’s Surveillance the Mandate era, as part of their effort and Control of the to disorganize the Palestinian society, Zionist organizations established various Palestinians during the surveillance bodies to examine and monitor Military Government Era various aspects of Palestinian society. These related to the demographic, religious, Ahmad H. Sa’di tribal, and hamula (extended family or clan) composition of the Palestinians, their spatial distribution, political behaviors, and military capabilities, as well as their resources, chiefly lands and water sources. These activities were part of an all-inclusive effort to establish a Jewish state against the will of the indigenous Arab population. Yet, when the 1948 war ended, Israel leaders found that, contrary to their expectations, a number of Palestinian communities, primarily in the Galilee, had eluded the ethnic cleansing conducted by Jewish forces. The incomplete character of the expulsion of the Palestinians subsequently became subject of much speculation and distortion.1 However, internal discussions among Israeli leaders indicate that the continued presence of these Palestinians within the state of Israel was unintentional and undesired.2 Although a system of political control which relied on the British Defense (Emergency) Regulations was imposed on the Palestinians and a military government to rule them was established already during the war, in addition to various ad hoc practices of surveillance, driving the Palestinians out continued to be Israel’s main objective.3 Although expulsion remained Israel’s favored goal – and various schemes to effect it were contrived during the 1950s and 1960s4 – as early as 1951 Israeli leaders [ 36 ] Stifling Surveillance began realizing that these Palestinians might stay longer than expected.
    [Show full text]
  • S/PV.8717 the Situation in the Middle East, Including the Palestinian Question 11/02/2020
    United Nations S/ PV.8717 Security Council Provisional Seventy-fifth year 8717th meeting Tuesday, 11 February 2020, 10 a.m. New York President: Mr. Goffin ..................................... (Belgium) Members: China ......................................... Mr. Zhang Jun Dominican Republic ............................. Mr. Singer Weisinger Estonia ........................................ Mr. Jürgenson France ........................................ Mr. De Rivière Germany ...................................... Mr. Schulz Indonesia. Mr. Djani Niger ......................................... Mr. Aougi Russian Federation ............................... Mr. Nebenzia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ................... Ms. King South Africa ................................... Mr. Mabhongo Tunisia ........................................ Mr. Ladeb United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland .. Ms. Pierce United States of America .......................... Mrs. Craft Viet Nam ...................................... Mr. Dang Agenda The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the translation of speeches delivered in other languages. The final text will be printed in the Official Records of the Security Council. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room
    [Show full text]
  • European Commissioner Johannes Hahn Visits the Gaza and the West Bank
    Jerusalem 14.06.2016 European Commissioner Johannes Hahn visits the Gaza and the West Bank Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, visited Gaza and the West Bank today. Commissioner Hahn met President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, travelled to Gaza, and visited a number of EU-funded projects. The Commissioner concluded his visit by co- hosting an Iftar with the Ministry of Social Development at the SOS village in Bethlehem. Commissioner Hahn is responsible for deepening the EU's relations with neighbours of the EU to the south and east, in the EU's interest and in the interests of our partners. In this context, Commissioner Hahn oversees the EU's assistance to the Palestine people. The EU remains the largest donor to Palestine by providing approximately 300 million Euros annually. Commissioner Hahn started his visit from Gaza. He visited the EU-funded seawater desalination plant in southern Gaza. Commissioner Johannes Hahn signed with UNICEF a financing agreement for the second phase of the desalination plant for a total amount of 10 Million EUR. This brings the total EU investment in this plant to 20 Million Euros. Once the two phases are completed, the desalination plant will provide 12,000 cubic meters of with safe drinking water to 150,000 Palestinian in the Gaza Strip. The construction of the plant is carried out in partnership with UNICEF, the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) and Gaza’s Coastal Municipalities Water Utilities (CMWU). The Commissioner then visited UNRWA headquarters in Gaza and was briefed there about UNRWA's efforts to promote economic development.
    [Show full text]
  • U.S. Security Assistance to the Palestinian Authority
    U.S. Security Assistance to the Palestinian Authority Jim Zanotti Analyst in Middle Eastern Affairs January 8, 2010 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R40664 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress U.S. Security Assistance to the Palestinian Authority Summary Since shortly after the establishment of limited Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the mid-1990s, the United States has periodically provided assistance to the Palestinian Authority (PA) for civil security and counterterrorism purposes. Following the death of Yasser Arafat in late 2004 and the election of Mahmoud Abbas as his successor as PA President in early 2005, then-U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice created the office of U.S. Security Coordinator (USSC) for Israel and the Palestinian Authority to help reform, train, and equip PA security forces which had been personally beholden to Arafat and his political allies. Previous Israeli-Palestinian efforts at security cooperation collapsed during the second Palestinian intifada that took place earlier this decade. Since Hamas gained control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007, Lieutenant General Keith Dayton, head of the USSC since November 2005, and the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) have helped with the “gendarmerie-style” training of West Bank-based PA security personnel. As of June 2009, approximately 400 Presidential Guardsmen and 2,200 National Security Forces troops have been trained at the Jordan International Police Training Center (JIPTC) near Amman. All troops, new or already serving, are vetted for terrorist links, human rights violations, and/or criminal records by the State Department, Israel, Jordan, and the PA before they are admitted to U.S.-sponsored training courses at JIPTC.
    [Show full text]
  • Israel and Hamas: Conflict in Gaza (2008-2009)
    = 87&*1=&3)= &2&8a=43+1.(9=.3=&?&=,**28,**3== .2=&3499.`= 447).3&947= 3&1>89=.3= .))1*=&89*73=++&.78= &741=.,)&14;.9?= 5*(.&1.89=.3= .))1*=&89*73=++&.78= *7*2>=_=-&75= 5*(.&1.89=.3= .))1*=&89*73=++&.78= &8*>=_=)).8= 3&1>89=.3= .))1*=&89*73=++&.78= -7.8945-*7=_=1&3(-&7)= 3&1>89=.3= .))1*=&89*73=++&.78= -4)&=&7,*8843= 5*(.&1.89=.3=39*73&9.43&1=:2&3.9&7.&3=41.(>= *'7:&7>=+3`=,**3= 43,7*88.43&1= *8*&7(-=*7;.(*= 18/1**= <<<_(78_,4;= .*+*+= =*5479=+47=43,7*88 Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress 87&*1=&3)= &2&8a= 43+1.(9=.3=&?&=,**28,**3== = :22&7>= On December 27, 2008, Israel launched a major military campaign dubbed “Operation Cast Lead” against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli offensive came in response to markedly increased Palestinian rocket fire following the expiration of a six-month cease-fire on December 19. On January 3, 2009, Israel began a ground offensive into Gaza. Despite international pressure to halt the fighting (including the passage of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1860 on January 8), the conflict continued until January 18, when Israel unilaterally ceased fire and Hamas followed suit shortly thereafter. Israel’s technological superiority and reliance on heavy armor and firepower contributed to a wide disparity in casualties—approximately 1,440 Palestinians have died (with some organizations estimating that at least half of the dead are civilians), compared with 13 dead (including four civilians) on the Israeli side.
    [Show full text]
  • Portraying the Antagonist the Depiction of Zionism and Israel in a Syrian Education Textbook
    Lund University Center for Language and Literature Department of Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies ARAK01 – Arabic: Bachelor‟s Course – Thesis Supervisor: Maria Persson Portraying the Antagonist The depiction of Zionism and Israel in a Syrian Education Textbook By Johan Rosell 2 Abstract This bachelor thesis is a discourse analysis of a chapter about “the Arab-Zionist conflict” in a Syrian upper secondary school textbook in the subject of National Socialist Education. The purpose of the thesis is to examine if Zionism and Israel are described in an unbiased or biased way to Syrian students. The analysis is performed by examining contexts in which the words “Zionist”, “Israeli”, and “Jewish” are used, and if these contexts and the used terminology contribute to a biased and value- laden meaning. The thesis concludes that the words Zionist, Israeli, and Jewish are used in contexts that are value-laden and biased and that the contexts contribute to a biased narration of the conflict in general, and Zionism and Israel in particular. 3 Table of Contents 1. Introduction.............................................................................................................................4 1.1 Purpose and Research Question....................................................................................4 1.2 Current Research .........................................................................................................4 1.3 Relevance of Study ......................................................................................................6
    [Show full text]