DOCSLIB.ORG

Digital Edition

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

AUSTRALIA/ISRAEL REVIEW VOLUME 45 No. 8 AUGUST 2020 AUSTRALIA/ISRAEL & JEWISH AFFAIRS COUNCIL AXIS OF AGGRESSION? The implications of the mooted Iran-China alliance PANDEMIC PITFALLS “AS IS, WHERE IS” WORLD’S LOUDEST NOT QUITE HEAVEN SILENCE Israel stumbles in dealing with its The demographics A Palestinian filmmak- of the West Bank The insupportable er’s charming movie second wave of coronavirus ........ PAGE 20 and the Trump Ad- claim that critics of has some controversial ministation peace Israel cannot get their subtexts .......... PAGE 30 plan ...............PAGE 32 voices heard ...PAGE 26 NAME OF SECTION 311 HEALESVILLE – YARRA GLEN ROAD, YARRA GLEN, VIC 3775 +61 3 5962 3311 WWW.TARRAWARRA.COM.AU 2 AIR – August 2020 AUSTRALIA/ISRAEL VOLUME 45 No. 8 REVIEW AUGUST 2020 EDITOR’S NOTE NAME OF SECTION his AIR edition’s cover story analyses the potential consequences of a mooted deal es- ON THE COVER Ttablishing a long-term economic and strategic alliance between Iran and China. Iran’s President Hassan Rou- Amotz Asa-El looks at the terms of the deal and what both Iran and China may be hani with Chinese President Xi seeking to achieve, while Lahav Harkov of the Jerusalem Post explores the worrying conse- Jinping at a summit in Shang- quences of such a deal for both Israel and the wider world. Meanwhile, in the editorial, hai, May 21, 2014. (Photo: Colin Rubenstein suggests that this “axis of aggression” that seems to be developing will Mark Ralston/Reuters) require some major policy rethinking in Canberra, Jerusalem and other capitals. In addition, Australian academic Ran Porat reveals the increasing takeover of Iranian politics by former and current members of the radically ideological Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Also featured this month are leading Israeli columnist Haviv Rettig Gur on the Israeli Government’s recent stumbles in dealing with the coronavirus crisis, and leading academic demographer Sergio DellaPergola’s look at West Bank population data in the context of the Trump Administration peace plan. And don’t miss Naomi Levin on the mythmaking of Israel critics who say they are being silenced, Jeremy Jones on recent revelations about antisemitism in Australian public schools and Allon Lee’s review of a Palestinian director’s charming movie, with a sting in the tail. As always, we invite your feedback on this edition at [email protected]. Tzvi Fleischer CONTENTS FEATURE STORIES REGULAR COLUMNS A TEHERAN- FROM THE EDITORIAL CHAIRMAN BEIJING AXIS? COLIN RUBENSTEIN ....................................................................... PAGE 4 ................................................. PAGE 5 BY AMOTZ ASA-EL WORD FOR WORD Chinese and Iranian representatives have SCRIBBLINGS held talks in recent months over an ambitious, long-term deal TZVI FLEISCHER ............................................................................ PAGE 6 that would focus ostensibly on trade, but create serious potential DECONSTRUCTION ZONE geopolitical consequences ..................................................... PAGE 12 DAVID HOROVITZ ........................................................................... PAGE 7 WHY THE CHINA-IRAN DEAL IS CONCERNING BY ASIA WATCH LAHAV HARKOV ...................................................................... PAGE 14 MICHAEL SHANNON ...................................................................... PAGE 8 BLASTS EXPOSE SHAKY FOUNDATIONS BY RAZ ZIMMT ............................................................................. PAGE 15 EUROPA EUROPA DOUGLAS DAVIS ............................................................................ PAGE 9 THE IRGC IS TAKING OVER IRAN BY RAN PORAT ............................................................................. PAGE 16 BEHIND THE NEWS .............................................. PAGE 10 PANDEMIC PITFALLS STRANGER THAN FICTION ........................ PAGE 11 Netanyahu’s COVID-19 stumbles BY HAVIV RETTIG-GUR ................................................................ PAGE 20 NOTED AND QUOTED ..................................... PAGE 35 A COUNTRY IN PROTEST IN PARLIAMENT ...................................................... PAGE 36 BY HERB KEINON ......................................................................... PAGE 23 MEDIA MICROSCOPE LEBANON’S NEW ‘GREAT SATAN’ ALLON LEE ................................................................................... PAGE 39 BY KHALED ABU TOAMEH ............................................................ PAGE 24 THE LAST WORD THE WORLD’S LOUDEST SILENCE JEREMY JONES ........................................................................... PAGE 40 BY NAOMI LEVIN .......................................................................... PAGE 26 PANDEMIC, PANCASILA & RELIGION HOW TO USE OUR INTERACTIVE EDITION BY GIORA ELIRAZ ......................................................................... PAGE 28 CINE FILE: NOT QUITE HEAVEN • Tap/click to return to the Contents page BY ALLON LEE .............................................................................. PAGE 30 • All listed articles link to their page. ESSAY: AS IS, WHERE IS • Best viewed in your desktop browser or the Books (iOS) or Demographics and the Trump Peace Plan equivalent e-book reader app in portrait mode. 3 BY SERGIO DELLAPERGOLA ....................................................... PAGE 32 AIR – August 2020 Australia/Israel Review A journal of analysis and opinion published by the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) Editorial Chairman EDITORIAL Dr COLIN RUBENSTEIN AM Editor-in-Chief Dr TZVI FLEISCHER Senior Contributing Editor THE IRAN-CHINA AXIS JEREMY JONES AM Staff Writers ALLON LEE, JAMIE HYAMS, AHRON eports from mid-July indicate that Iran and China are on the verge of entering into SHAPIRO, SHARYN MITTELMAN, NAOMI LEVIN, OVED LOBEL, JUDY MAYNARD, Ra 25-year strategic, security and economic partnership that would vastly expand JACK GROSS China’s presence in Iranian banking, telecommunications, ports, and railways – as well Publishing Manager MICHAEL SHANNON as foster military cooperation. This is a development that should deeply trouble the Correspondents Morrison Government and all Australians, as well as cause a serious rethink in Israel. ISRAEL: AMOTZ ASA-EL EUROPE: DOUGLAS DAVIS The deal should come as no surprise, given the propensity for the world’s revolution- NEW ZEALAND: MIRIAM BELL ary actors to seek alliances to help each other withstand diplomatic and economic pres- National Editorial Board KEITH BEVILLE, RABBI RALPH sure aimed at changing their problematic behaviours. GENENDE OAM, GARY HERZ, MIRIAM China’s interference in Australian affairs, its mishandling of the outbreak of the CO- LASKY, STEVE LIEBLICH, RABBI JOHN LEVI AM, Hon. HOWARD NATHAN AM, VID-19 pandemic, its ongoing South China Sea aggression, and now its indefensible IAN WALLER SC changes to the status quo in Hong Kong, in violation of treaty obligations and other com- mitments, are just the latest chapters in Beijing’s increasingly menacing foreign policy and AIJAC grave human rights record. National Chairman MARK LEIBLER AC At the same time, China, together with Russia, poses the biggest obstacle to restrain- NSW Chairman ing Iran’s nuclear enrichment program through the UN Security Council. This ongoing PAUL RUBENSTEIN Executive Director permissiveness effectively enables Teheran’s growing violations of the woefully inadequate Dr COLIN RUBENSTEIN AM and ephemeral 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal, as well as Director of International & Community Affairs its recently exposed violations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. JEREMY JONES AM For Israel, the prospects of an Iran-China deal that could potentially see Beijing invest Senior Policy Analysts AHRON SHAPIRO, JAMIE HYAMS, up to US$400 billion in Iran over the next 25 years should be a sobering wake-up call. ALLON LEE, NAOMI LEVIN, SHARYN Like many other countries, Israel’s Government has long tried to balance its relation- MITTELMAN Policy Analysts ship with China. Yet Jerusalem has nonetheless too strongly highlighted the benefit side OVED LOBEL, JUDY MAYNARD of the cost-benefit equation, all the while confident it could contain the potentially deep Associate Director of Public Affairs JOEL BURNIE risks extensive Chinese involvement might have for the nation’s security. National Media & Public Affairs Officer Israel even awarded some major infrastructure projects to Chinese Government-linked ARIEL ZOHAR firms, including, especially egregiously, the automation and management of Haifa Port Events Coordinator HELEN BRUSTMAN OAM over the next quarter-century, beginning in 2021. Administration At least there is little chance a similar contract would be awarded today. MELBOURNE: ROSEMARY SANDLER, RENA LANGBERG As Yossi Melman, an expert on Israeli-Chinese relations, wrote last year, “The Is- SYDNEY: LOUISE DE MESQUITA raeli Government ignored China’s behaviour for too long, but lately it has begun to pay Israel Liaison PETER ADLER attention.” Founding Chairmen Last October, Israel’s security cabinet established an advisory committee to examine ISADOR MAGID AM (OBM) ROBERT ZABLUD (OBM) national security issues as part of the approval process for foreign investments. In May, Israel chose an Israeli company over Chinese firm Hutchison to construct the HEAD OFFICE Level 1, 22 Albert Road, world’s largest desalination plant. South Melbourne, VIC 3205, Australia Telephone: (03) 9681 6660 In June, Israel’s Communications
Recommended publications
  • I-Press Isbn 978-83-938524-5-1

    I-Press Isbn 978-83-938524-5-1

    Australia w XX i XXI wieku Polityka, historia i kultura Australia w XX i XXI wieku Polityka, historia i kultura redakcja naukowa Agnieszka Kandzia-Poździał Joanna Siekiera Katowice 2017 Redaktor naukowy Agnieszka Kandzia-Poździał Joanna Siekiera Copyright © 2017 by Wydawnictwo i-Press isbn 978-83-938524-5-1 Wydanie pierwsze Katowice 2017 Wydawnictwo i-Press www.i-press.pl Spis treści Wprowadzenie ...................................................................................................................7 Maria Wincławska Australijski system wyborczy w kontekście wyborów federalnych w 2010 i 2013 roku .............................................................................................................9 Aleksander Dańda Monarchia czy kryptorepublika? Monarcha i gubernator generalny we współczesnym systemie ustrojowym Związku Australijskiego ................... 39 Joanna Siekiera Partnerstwo tasmańskie — zarys relacji Australii z Nową Zelandią .............57 Dariusz Zdziech Polityka zagraniczna Australii wobec Kiribati ..................................................... 79 Tomasz Okraska Stosunki australijsko-chińskie. Historia, stan obecny, perspektywy ...............93 Justyna Łapaj Stosunki australijsko-izraelskie w latach 1948–2013 ..........................................123 Agnieszka Kandzia-Poździał Królewska Australijska Marynarka Wojenna ......................................................157 Katarzyna Szmigiero Trzy obrazy szaleństwa we współczesnej prozie australijskiej .........................185 Ilona Zdziech
  • As Israel's Political Parties Fight for Role of Kingmaker, Religious

    As Israel's Political Parties Fight for Role of Kingmaker, Religious

    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 8 1 Volume 2 1 , Number 1 2 Parshas Vayikra March 20 , 20 2 1 As Israel’s Political Parties Fight for Role of Kingmaker, Religious - Secular Divide Comes to the Fore By Haviv Rettig Gur timesofisrael.com March 15, 2021 Two very different parties have found in each other lawmakers and some Haredi party activists sharing p hotos the perfect enemies. of emaciated bodies being carried on wheelbarrows during Eight days to election day, the race between the pro - the Holocaust. and anti - Netanyahu camps is close. So close, in fact, that The video clip of that line went viral on Hebrew - neither side can hope to piece together an effective language social media. Few noticed the exchange that government. followed, in which Liberman went on to explain If Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu manages to something important about his campaign strategy — he eke out a slim majority, it will likely b e so slim that he will needs to boost support by driving secular voters to the find himself forced to cater to the whims of the most polls. right - wing lawmakers on the ballot. Netanyahu’s Challenged again by Asayag that he cannot push both opponents, meanwhile, theoretically led by Yair Lapid of Netanyahu and the Haredi parties out of government Yesh Atid, may well be too divided and diverse to produce simultaneously and will end up “hugging [Shas leader a manageable coa lition.
  • Israel: Background and U.S

    Israel: Background and U.S

    Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief Updated September 20, 2019 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R44245 SUMMARY R44245 Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief September 20, 2019 The following matters are of particular significance to U.S.-Israel relations: Jim Zanotti Israel’s ability to address threats. Israel relies on a number of strengths—including Specialist in Middle regional conventional military superiority—to manage potential threats to its security, Eastern Affairs including evolving asymmetric threats such as rockets and missiles, cross-border tunneling, drones, and cyberattacks. Additionally, Israel has an undeclared but presumed nuclear weapons capability. Against a backdrop of strong bilateral cooperation, Israel’s leaders and supporters routinely make the case that Israel’s security and the broader stability of the region remain critically important for U.S. interests. A 10-year bilateral military aid memorandum of understanding (MOU)— signed in 2016—commits the United States to provide Israel $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing annually from FY2019 to FY2028, along with additional amounts from Defense Department accounts for missile defense. All of these amounts remain subject to congressional appropriations. Some Members of Congress criticize various Israeli actions and U.S. policies regarding Israel. In recent months, U.S. officials have expressed some security- related concerns about China-Israel commercial activity. Iran and the region. Israeli officials seek to counter Iranian regional influence and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. In April 2018, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu presented historical information about Iran’s nuclear program that Israeli intelligence apparently seized from an Iranian archive.
  • Shire of Derby/West Kimberley Local Planning Strategy Was Endorsed by the Western Australian Planning Commission in April 2013

    Shire of Derby/West Kimberley Local Planning Strategy Was Endorsed by the Western Australian Planning Commission in April 2013

    The Shire of Derby/West Kimberley Local Planning Strategy was endorsed by the Western Australian Planning Commission in April 2013. Disclaimer This document has been published by the Shire of Derby/West Kimberley. Any representation, statement, opinion or advice expressed or implied in this publication is made in good faith and on the basis that the Shire, its employees and agents are not liable for any damage or loss whatsoever which may occur as a result of action taken or not taken (as the case may be) in respect of any representation, statement, opinion or advice referred to herein. Professional advice should be obtained before applying the information contained in this document to particular circumstances. one introduction 1 1.1 Overview of locality 2 1.2 Elements of a Local Planning Strategy 2 1.3 Local Planning Strategy process 3 1.4 Consultation process 3 two key issues 5 three strategic plan 9 3.1 Objective of the Strategic Plan 9 3.2 Strategies and Actions – Derby 10 3.3 Strategies and Actions – Fitzroy Crossing and Fitzroy Valley 12 3.4 Strategies and Actions – Camballin and remote Aboriginal communities 12 3.5 Land for heritage, culture and the environment 13 3.6 Natural Resource Management (shire context) 14 3.7 Mining, pastoral and agricultural lands 14 3.8 Tourism 15 four implementation, monitoring and review 17 five state and regional planning context 21 5.1 State Planning Strategy 21 5.2 Liveable Neighbourhoods 22 5.3 State Planning Policies 23 5.4 Kimberley Transport Towards 2020 (1997) 25 5.5 Roads 2025 Regional Road
  • Israel-Palestine Through the Lens of Game Theory

    Israel-Palestine Through the Lens of Game Theory

    University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Economics Department Working Paper Series Economics 2021 Land for peace? Israel-Palestine through the lens of game theory Amal Ahmad Department of Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/econ_workingpaper Part of the Economics Commons Recommended Citation Ahmad, Amal, "Land for peace? Israel-Palestine through the lens of game theory" (2021). Economics Department Working Paper Series. 301. https://doi.org/10.7275/21792057 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Economics at ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Economics Department Working Paper Series by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Land for peace? Israel-Palestine through the lens of game theory Amal Ahmad∗ February 2021 Abstract Why have Israel and the Palestinians failed to implement a \land for peace" solution, along the lines of the Oslo Accords? This paper studies the applica- tion of game theory to this question. I show that existing models of the conflict largely rely on unrealistic assumptions about what the main actors are trying to achieve. Specifically, they assume that Israel is strategically interested in withdrawing from the occupied territories pending resolvable security concerns but that it is obstructed from doing so by violent Palestinians with other objec- tives. I use historical analysis along with bargaining theory to shed doubt on this assumption, and to argue that the persistence of conflict has been aligned with, not contrary to, the interests of the militarily powerful party, Israel.
  • Palestinian Forces

    Palestinian Forces

    Center for Strategic and International Studies Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy 1800 K Street, N.W. • Suite 400 • Washington, DC 20006 Phone: 1 (202) 775 -3270 • Fax : 1 (202) 457 -8746 Email: [email protected] Palestinian Forces Palestinian Authority and Militant Forces Anthony H. Cordesman Center for Strategic and International Studies [email protected] Rough Working Draft: Revised February 9, 2006 Copyright, Anthony H. Cordesman, all rights reserved. May not be reproduced, referenced, quote d, or excerpted without the written permission of the author. Cordesman: Palestinian Forces 2/9/06 Page 2 ROUGH WORKING DRAFT: REVISED FEBRUARY 9, 2006 ................................ ................................ ............ 1 THE MILITARY FORCES OF PALESTINE ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 2 THE OSLO ACCORDS AND THE NEW ISRAELI -PALESTINIAN WAR ................................ ................................ .............. 3 THE DEATH OF ARAFAT AND THE VICTORY OF HAMAS : REDEFINING PALESTINIAN POLITICS AND THE ARAB - ISRAELI MILITARY BALANCE ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 4 THE CHANGING STRUCTURE OF PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY FORC ES ................................ ................................ .......... 5 Palestinian Authority Forces During the Peace Process ................................ ................................ ..................... 6 The
  • Sociographie De La Doxa Coloniale Israélienne

    Sociographie De La Doxa Coloniale Israélienne

    Université de Montréal Se représenter dominant et victime : sociographie de la doxa coloniale israélienne par Michaël Séguin Département de sociologie Faculté des arts et sciences Thèse présentée en vue de l’obtention du grade de Philosophiae Doctor (Ph.D.) en sociologie Août 2018 © Michaël Séguin, 2018 Université de Montréal Faculté des études supérieures et postdoctorales Cette thèse intitulée : Se représenter dominant et victime : sociographie de la doxa coloniale israélienne Présentée par : Michaël Séguin a été évaluée par un jury composé des personnes suivantes : Deena White, présidente-rapporteuse et représentante du doyen Paul Sabourin, directeur de recherche Yakov Rabkin, codirecteur de recherche Barbara Thériault, membre du jury Rachad Antonius, examinateur externe Résumé Dans un monde majoritairement postcolonial, Israël fait figure d’exception alors même que se perpétue sa domination d’un autre peuple, les Arabes palestiniens. Tandis qu’un nombre grandissant d’auteurs, y compris juifs, traitent de la question israélo-palestinienne comme d’un colonialisme de peuplement, et non plus comme d’un conflit ethnique entre groupes nationaux, se pose la question : comment une telle domination est-elle possible à l’ère des médias de masse ? Plus précisément, pourquoi cette domination est-elle si peu contestée de l’intérieur de la société israélienne alors même qu’elle contredit le discours public de l’État qui tente, par tous les moyens, de se faire accepter comme étant démocratique et éclairé ? Pour y répondre, cette thèse procède à une analyse de la connaissance de sens commun israélienne afin de détecter à la fois le mode de connaissance, issu des relations sociales, privilégié pour faire sens des rapports ethnonationaux, mais aussi la manière dont cette doxa vient légitimer la domination des Palestiniens.
  • Helping to Shape the Policy Discourse on Palestine

    Helping to Shape the Policy Discourse on Palestine

    Helping to Shape the Policy Discourse on Palestine Al-Shabaka in 2016 and into 2017 Al-Shabaka, The Palestinian Policy Network, is an independent, non- partisan, and non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and foster public debate on Palestinian human rights and self- determination within the framework of international law. Contents Letter from the Executive Director 1 1. Policy Insights and Options 2 2. Fielding the Policy Team in Strategic Locations 5 3. Expanding the Global Palestinian Think Tank 9 4. Outreach & Engagement 11 5. Financial Report and List of Donors 13 6. List of Publications 2010 - 2016 15 7. List of Al-Shabaka Analysts 22 Letter from the Executive Director With key anniversaries for Palestine and The network has grown by 30% since the Palestinians on the calendar in 2017 2015, with new policy members reinforcing and 2018, Israel’s aim to consolidate its existing areas of expertise as well as occupation went into overdrive. Over the providing coverage in additional geographic past year this has included a ramped- areas (see Section 3). Al-Shabaka’s reach up effort to erase the use of the term has also expanded through well-placed op- “occupation” from the public discourse eds in both the Arabic and English media, while multiplying settlement activity; the increased use of English and Arabic social drive to occupy key positions on United media, speaking engagements in many Nations committees while violating different locales, and translation of policy international law; and cracking down on free content into French and Italian, among speech and non-violent activism.
  • Malaysia: the 2020 Putsch for Malay Islam Supremacy James Chin School of Social Sciences, University of Tasmania

    Malaysia: the 2020 Putsch for Malay Islam Supremacy James Chin School of Social Sciences, University of Tasmania

    Malaysia: the 2020 putsch for Malay Islam supremacy James Chin School of Social Sciences, University of Tasmania ABSTRACT Many people were surprised by the sudden fall of Mahathir Mohamad and the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government on 21 February 2020, barely two years after winning the historic May 2018 general elections. This article argues that the fall was largely due to the following factors: the ideology of Ketuanan Melayu Islam (Malay Islam Supremacy); the Mahathir-Anwar dispute; Mahathir’s own role in trying to reduce the role of the non-Malays in the government; and the manufactured fear among the Malay polity that the Malays and Islam were under threat. It concludes that the majority of the Malay population, and the Malay establishment, are not ready to share political power with the non- Malays. Introduction Many people were shocked when the Barisan National (BN or National Front) govern- ment lost its majority in the May 2018 general elections. After all, BN had been in power since independence in 1957 and the Federation of Malaysia was generally regarded as a stable, one-party regime. What was even more remarkable was that the person responsible for Malaysia’s first regime change, Mahathir Mohammad, was also Malaysia’s erstwhile longest serving prime minister. He had headed the BN from 1981 to 2003 and was widely regarded as Malaysia’s strongman. In 2017, he assumed leader- ship of the then-opposition Pakatan Harapan (PH or Alliance of Hope) coalition and led the coalition to victory on 9 May 2018. He is remarkable as well for the fact that he became, at the age of 93, the world’s oldest elected leader.1 The was great hope that Malaysia would join the global club of democracy but less than two years on, the PH government fell apart on 21 February 2020.
  • Hamas Attack on Israel Aims to Capitalize on Palestinian

    Hamas Attack on Israel Aims to Capitalize on Palestinian

    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 8 7 Volume 2 1 , Number 1 9 Parshias Bamidbar | 48th Day Omer May 1 5 , 2021 Hamas Attack on Israel Aims to Capitalize on Palestinian Frustration By Dov Lieber and Felicia Schwartz wsj.com May 12, 2021 It is not that the police caused the uptick in violence, forces by Monday evening from Shei kh Jarrah. The but they certainly ran headfirst, full - speed, guns forces were there as part of security measures surrounding blazing into the trap that was set for them. the nightly protests. When the secretive military chief of the Palestinian As the deadline passed, the group sent the barrage of Islamist movement Hamas emerged from the shadows last rockets toward Jerusalem, precipitating the Israeli week, he chose to weigh in on a land dispute in East response. Jerusalem, threatening to retaliate against Israel if Israeli strikes and Hamas rocket fire have k illed 56 Palestinian residents there were evicted from their homes. Palestinians, including 14 children, and seven Israelis, “If the aggression against our people…doesn’ t stop including one child, according to Palestinian and Israeli immediately,” warned the commander, Mohammad Deif, officials. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel “the enemy will pay an expensive price.” has killed dozens of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad Hamas followed through on the threat, firing from the operatives. Gaza Strip, which it governs, over a thousand rockets at Althou gh the Palestinian youth have lacked a single Israel since Monday evening.
  • An Idiot's Guide to the Nation-‐State Controversy

    An Idiot's Guide to the Nation-‐State Controversy

    An idiot’s guide to the nation-state controversy A bird’s-eye view of the facts, arguments and motivations behind the proposed legislation that is roiling Israeli politics The Times of Israel By Haviv Rettig Gur December 1, 2014 So much has been written about the nation-state bills, and so much of it has been wrong on the basic facts, that a straightforward primer on the existing versions and a brief sketch of the arguments around them may provide readers with basic tools to grapple with the issue. A government-sponsored bill is currently being written at the direction of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and under the supervision of Attorney General Yehudah Weinstein. Contrary to reports in both Israeli and foreign media, from a New York Times editorial to the world’s largest wire services, the cabinet did not pass a nation-state bill two weeks ago. Rather, it passed a 13-page decision that committed the government to supporting two right-wing versions of the nation-state bill in a preliminary vote in the Knesset, “but only,” the cabinet decision reads, “on condition that the proponents [of the two bills] agree that their bills will be attached [Israeli legislative terminology for ‘subsumed’] in a government-sponsored bill that will be proposed by the prime minister on the matter, which will be drafted on the basis of the principles contained in the appendix to this decision, and which will be adapted to it [the government bill].” Much of what has been said about the nation-state bill — that it “narrows” Israel’s democracy, that it changes the formal legal standing of Israel’s minorities — referred to the right-wing bills superseded by the government decision.
  • Interrogating National Identity Ethnicity, Language and History in K.S

    Interrogating National Identity Ethnicity, Language and History in K.S

    Dashini Jeyathurai Interrogating National Identity Ethnicity, Language and History in K.S. Maniam's The Return and Shirley Geok-lin Lim's Joss and Gold DASHINI JEYATHURAI University of Michigan at Ann Arbor AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY Dashini Jeyathurai is from Malaysia and received a B.A. in English from Carleton College in Minnesota. Jeyathurai is a first year student in the Joint Ph.D. for English and Women's Studies at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. Introduction organization believes that the Malay ethnic majority are In this paper, I examine how two Malaysian authors, the rightful citizens of Malaysia and deserve to be given ethnically Chinese Shirley Geok-lin Lim and ethnically special political, economic and educational privileges. Indian K.S. Maniam, challenge the Malay identity that Then Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, a Malay the government has crafted and presented as the himself, created this concept as well as the practice of national identity for all Malaysians. In their novels in giving special privileges to Malays. He also coined the English Joss & Gold (2001) and The Return (1981) term bumiputera (sons/princes of the soil) to refer to respectively, Lim and Maniam interrogate this Malays. Both the term and practice came into official construct through the lenses of ethnicity, history and use in 1965 and are still in existence today. Two years language. In critiquing the government’s troubling later, the predominantly Malay government established construction of a monoethnic and monolingual Malay as the national language of the country. In 1970, national identity, Lim and Maniam present both the the government made Islam the state religion.