San
Diego Jewish World
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Along
with then Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak
Rabin and then Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, then Foreign Minister Peres
was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1994, chiefly on the basis of the
accords the three signed at the White House at then President Bill Clinton's
urging in September 1993.
Commentary
"Israel has become resigned to the demise of Fatah in the Gaza Strip.
Officials said Israel's military and government agree that the Jewish state
should not be involved in the Fatah-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. They said
foreign military aid to Fatah would not reverse Hamas gains in the Gaza Strip."
(Middle East Newsline - MENL) WASHINGTON, DC (JINSA)—The Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs previously said it is unrealistic to expect Palestinians (Fatah) to kill other Palestinians (Hamas) on behalf of security for a State of Israel that they did not accept as legitimate. We stand by that. But it is now abundantly clear that there are Palestinians willing to kill other Palestinians in order to create a bigger and better platform for killing Jews. Hamas was not formed to govern either in a coalition or by itself - its determination to take over the PLO was always prelude to using the organization to pursue its end game: the destruction of the State of Israel. To believe otherwise is delusional. This is important by itself; it is more important as a principle for Israel and the United States. There are organizations - non-state actors - that have as their goal the acquisition of territory only as a means of extending a broader agenda. They are willing to beggar and kill their own people - women, children or the insufficiently enthusiastic - to achieve their ends. Hamas, Hezbollah, Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, Ansar al-Islam, PIJ and groups we haven't heard of yet are un-nationalist, but take their support from states - Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria. This understanding presents lessons:
And don't abandon the idea that consensual government is an absolute necessity, even in the Middle East and especially in the Middle East. Gaza is ruined because the moderate, serious, capable people fled or were killed, leaving the playing field (killing field) to the destitute and dastardly. Gaza is over. If we are supremely skillful and very lucky, there may still be time to save the West Bank - maybe in confederation with Israel and Jordan - but it is running out quickly.
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“If the Human Rights Commissioner thinks it’s a ‘good thing,’ to consider these shameful boycotts, she is unfit to hold such an important office and should be dismissed immediately,” Rep. Weiner concluded. Under the proposal by UNISON, its 1.6 million members would boycott Israeli goods in Britain, a move aimed at hurting Israel's foreign exports. According to news reports, UNISON worked closely with the fiercely anti-Israel Palestinian Solidarity Campaign in crafting the boycott. The vote by the British Union of Colleges & Universities to boycott Israeli Academics could potentially sever academic interaction and end the exchange of professors and academics between British and Israeli universities, seriously hampering academic freedom and the free exchange of ideas. Weiner is an original co-sponsor of a new House resolution which unequivocally denounces these boycotts. The preceding article was provided by the office of Congressman Weiner
NEW YORK (Press
Release) –
The American Jewish Committee today voiced deep and growing concern over the
escalating Palestinian violence in
“Tragically, the
culture of hatred and death that has permeated Palestinian society has now
brought Gaza, a territory ruled by the Palestinian Authority, past the point of
political failure and to the threshold of civil war,” said AJC Executive
Director David A. Harris. “The chief victims of this tragedy are the Palestinian
people themselves, and the chances for a durable peace with
The immediate challenge of achieving order in Gaza, and ending the chaos that has taken more than 50 Palestinian lives this week alone, will require the ascendancy of responsible and decisive Palestinian leadership – and the active assistance of Arab nations that for too long have supported, celebrated and armed the extremist elements now brutalizing each other in Gaza and threatening stability in the West Bank.
Less than two years
ago,
Given its proximity,
“While successive
Israeli governments have demonstrated, in word and deed, their commitment to a
negotiated agreement based on the two-state principle, the absence of a
Palestinian partner – of a functional Palestinian Authority capable of meeting
its people’s political, social and security needs – puts the hope of such an
agreement tragically out of reach for the foreseeable future,” Harris said.
Hilde was a living link with the German Jewish past MEVASSERET ZION, Israel—My father’s cousin, Hilde, was 97 years old when I visited her the last time. Like him, she grew up in Hamburg in the 1920s, but left her home to settle in what was then Palestine in 1932, before Hitler came to power. Widowed at the age of 80, she remained fiercely independent, and insisted on living on her own to the end, accepting only minimal help. As a young woman she joined a Zionist youth group and trained as a dental technician. The Hamburg Jewish community wisely housed all its youth movements under one roof, enabling the different ideological views to mingle. It was there that Hilde met her future husband, who was studying agriculture. When he was granted a certificate to go to the Land of Israel they decided to get married and go together. Hilde was already old and bent when I first visited her about ten years ago, though I could see from her photographs that she had once been a handsome young woman. She and her husband had both worked hard, she in her profession and he in his, though once their children were born she stopped working as a dental technician and worked alongside her husband, who was one of the first in Israel to grow flowers commercially. Hamburg always remained close to Hilde’s heart. Even at her advanced age she could remember the Friday night family gatherings in her grandparents’ home, the subjects of conversation and the cakes and delicacies her grandmother baked. She even sang me the song her uncle (my grandfather) had written in honour of his parents’ golden wedding, her eyes twinkling and her voice still clear.
To have
total recall at the age of 97 is a mixed blessing, as many of Hilde’s memories
were painful. Although I had fully expected her to join her in celebrating her
centenary, the end came, suddenly and without warning just a few days ago. For
me it is as if the last link with the past I have endeavoured to get to know has
gone.
*Los Angeles School Board President Marlene
Canter postponed a vote on whether to close Discovery Preparatory
Charter School in the Pacoima area after hearing conflicting testimony from
parents who said the school is sending many of its students on to college,
district officials who said its tests scores are low, and attorneys who said
there may be problems with the school's application. The
story by Howard Blume is in today's Los Angeles Times.
Date: June
13, 2007 QUESTION: Sean, the whole Middle East is in flames now from Iraq to Gaza to Lebanon. How do you view this situation and what are you trying to do? MR. MCCORMACK: Well, each of these
individual cases have their own particular circumstances. But there is one
common thread, I think, that you see that runs throughout all of these
circumstances, whether it's in Iraq or Lebanon or the Palestinian areas, and
that is that there are those in -- those people in the Middle East who are
seeking to undermine the progress that has been made in various areas in
expanding human freedom, expanding the right of people that freely choose who
will govern them, the right of people to speak freely about their opinions on no
matter what subject, the right of people to worship as they wish. This is a
fight that we are in, and that the -- those people who seek to promote freedom
and democracy in the Middle East are in. QUESTION: My apologies as well if I'm taking you back a little bit, but there's a secret UN report that was leaked to The Guardian newspaper and it was by Alvaro de Soto and essentially he said that the U.S. is to blame for the failure in the Middle East. The U.S. and American pressures pummeled into submission the UN's role as an impartial negotiator. I'm wondering if you can respond to some of those allegations in this report. MR. MCCORMACK: It's a -- an alleged secret UN report. You know, I haven't seen it. I'll leave it to the UN to comment on whether or not these are the personal views of the former envoy or the corporate views of the UN. QUESTION: He said it was his own view and it was an End of Mission report and he said it was just, you know, the failed diplomacy in the region and the breakout of the Palestinian government, you know, really led to much of the feeling of the internal violence. MR. MCCORMACK: Put it down to the views of an individual. >>> QUESTION: Sean, any update on the situation in Gaza and are you concerned about the Palestinian Authority? MR. MCCORMACK: An update, there's still violence ongoing. The "military wing" of Hamas is still attacking legitimate security institutions of the Palestinian Authority and particularly those who report to President Abbas. It's a -- you know, it is a fluid situation as I understand it now. Everybody wants to see the violence end. But let's be clear about who triggered this latest wave of violence and the context in which they did that. As I said, it is this so-called military wing of Hamas that launched these attacks, started these rounds of violence that has swept up innocent civilians in firefights and gunfights and the shelling and the mortaring just as Egyptian envoys were working to try to bring together elements of Hamas and Fatah -- political elements of Hamas and Fatah to come to some sort of political accommodation so they can lower the violence. It also came in the context of not a stop but a reduction in the number of Qassam rockets that were being fired out of a Gaza. Quite clearly there are those who are irreconcilable to any political process that would result in negotiations with Israel to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They're quite clearly trying to undermine that by undermining any sort of political accommodation within the Palestinian political process. It's -- you know, the victims -- the real victims in all this are the Palestinian people and the Palestinian people who want their children to be able to take their high school exams, to take their university exams, want to go to work, who just want to be able to provide a better living for their family and for those Palestinians who want to live in Palestine. So we are continuing to support President Abbas. We have called on others in the region to express
their support for President Abbas and those Palestinian moderate political
elements who have foresworn the use of violence and who have an interest in
reaching a political settlement with Israel via the negotiating table and we're
going to continue to support those elements and we're going to continue to
support President Abbas. MR. MCCORMACK: Well, this is -- thus far you have not seen any spread of the violence to the West Bank. You know, certainly everybody welcomes that. You want to see an end to the violence in Gaza. It's an attack upon those legitimate Palestinian institutions that are struggling to provide some law -- some semblance of law and order in the Palestinian areas, who are trying to come up to international standards of behavior whether that's in the areas of finance or governance or security. These are extra governmental groups who want to put an end to that and want to reverse course and who are committed to the use of violence not only against Palestinians but against Israelis. QUESTION: Sean, twice today you've -- once this morning and once just now, you said that everybody wants to see an end to the violence. MR. MCCORMACK: Right. QUESTION: But isn't that inaccurate because obviously not everybody wants -- there wouldn't be any violence if everybody wanted to see the end of it. MR. MCCORMACK: True enough. QUESTION: And based on that, or given that and what you said earlier -- MR. MCCORMACK: I'll -- let me revise and extend, all of those who have an interest in a more peaceful Middle East and -- QUESTION: Okay. MR. MCCORMACK: -- who want to see a political settlement to the Israel-Palestinian track.
_________________________________________________________ Arts in Review by Carol Davis ___________________________________________________________ Hamlet and the moral dilemmas that lie therein COSTA MESA, Calif.—Honor thy father and thy mother. Thou shalt not murder. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife. Those commandments are a pretty tall order, if you’re either Hamlet, Claudius or Gertrude, three of the main characters in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. You see, the king is dead, (Hamlet) the king’s brother (Claudius) has married his sister-in-law (Gertrude) and the ghost of the now dead king wants his son (young Hamlet) to avenge his death. It’s murky. No one in the court of the Danish royal castle of Elsinore, sans young Hamlet, seems suspicious of the sudden death of the King of Denmark, nor of the nature of his death (snake bite, they say while he was sleeping), nor of the hasty marriage of his mother and the king's brother three days later. Not the court’s counselor, Polonius, not Hamlet’s friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, nor Ophelia, Polonius’ daughter and Hamlet’s love interest. No one seems the least bit phased. It’s business as usual. Young Prince Hamlet is pretty upset besides being disgusted, suspicious, disillusioned and at odds over the past events surrounding his father’s death as he hears about the ghost of his father appearing at night outside the castle from his friend Horatio, and the sentry, Marcellus who's on watch (who sees the ghost of the King and who is quite spooked to say the least.) And when Hamlet sees the ghost himself, who talks to him about revenge, “foul and most unnatural murderer” and Hamlet questions the ghost and it replies “I am thy father’s spirit/doomed to walk the night…”, Hamlet faces a moral dilemma. He knows that killing is wrong. He knows that vengeance is condemned. On the other hand, he feels it’s his moral right to kill, “He that hath killed my king and whored my mother,/ Popped in between the election and my hopes”. (Act IV, Scene 2.) Let’s recap: death; suicide; fratricide, incest, murder, feigned madness and revenge . “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” (Act I, Scene 4). The stage is set, the players are in place. Lights! Camera! Action! Let the players begin. Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, now in a fine production at The South Coast Repertory Theatre in Costa Mesa is like a magnet to theatre critics, arts patrons and Shakespeare aficionados.
Right
now in Souther California there are several reasons for celebration. Hamlet
is one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies and Hamlet is a tragic figure whose
moral dilemmas no sane person would envy. Tony Award Winning Daniel Sullivan
directs this particular production. Hamish Linklater (Hamlet) is a recognizable
TV and film name (Live From Baghdad, Gideon’s Crossing, The New
Adventures of Old Christine. Brooke Bloom (Ophelia) is no novice to TV and film having appeared in Without a Trace, Jack and Bobby, and Cold Case. It’s a damn good play (and quotes taken from it abound), and The Old Globe in San Diego is mounting Hamlet as its first production on The Festival Stage on the 30th with Darko Tresnjak directing. So there will be lot’s to compare. Sullivan’s casting of this show is, in many ways genius. That Linklater as the young Hamlet is himself young, good looking, agile, funny and serious at the same time gives another dimension to this altogether complicated character. Linklater hops, slides, wanders and jumps around the stage like an animal seeking out his prey. And he is. His interactions with his friends change like the wind depending on whether he thinks they are friend or foe. Most of them, in his mind, are foe. And when he pretends to be mad, he is more than convincing, pouring out the Bard’s words as they belonged to him. His “To Be or Not to Be” soliloquy was a little disappointing, however. Linklater seemed to have lost the musical rhythm that belongs to that soliloquy. It lacked the impact that it should have had. Other than that, he soared. In contrast, Robert Foxworth’s Claudius is calm, collected, mature and not deterred in his mission to lead his kingdom whether Hamlet stays in Denmark, goes back to school, goes mad or disappears (read gets killed off). He’s cool, and gives a reassuring atmosphere to the rest of the court. One might argue that just below the surface, he’s burning with rage because Hamlet is so difficult, but one would hardly notice. His Gertrude, Linda Gehringer, is another one who seems unperturbed by the events that just happened. She casts a worried eye on her son, but never lends an explanation, only a reassurance that what she’s done is OK. Claudius’ support system is in the body of his counselor, Polonius (Dakin Matthews) who is at his utmost best as the loquacious and comical (without his knowing, of course) advice-giver and general flatterer in the court. His daughter is Ophelia and his intentions are to make sure she does not end up with Hamlet. He sees to the king's every wish even to the point of plotting against Hamlet with the king. Matthews, an Old Globe Associate and oft times dramaturge, is such a fine balance between the old the young, the experienced and the beginner, the confident and the hopefulm and the soothing and the prickly, that even as one wishes he would stop his pontificating already, (it’s in the script) it’s such fun to watch and listen as he recites in beautifully balanced cadences, Shakespeare’s words. We wouldn’t have him any other way. Back to the young and the restless, Michael Urie as Hamlet’s friend Horatio, offers fine support as the only person Hamlet trusts. Again, his presence is strong and convincing. And as for Ophelia, Brooks Bloom is perfectly cast as the beautiful but fragile young love interest who, through no fault of her own, is spurned by Hamlet. When she can take it no longer, her mad scene (and she really does go mad as opposed to Hamlet’s feigned madness) is absolutely, tragically, agonizing to watch. At the end of the play as well, when Horatio holds the young prince in his arms, after his duel is fought and he has drunk the poisonous wine that kills his mother and Claudius, and he says “good night, sweet prince” there weren’t too many dry eyes in the house. A strong ensemble make up the rest of the players who wander in out and about on the raised thrust stage with thick wooden planks that extends into the audience. Set designer Ralph Funicello’s set is so that the players sit on the sidelines when not in the play and become spectators In essence, most of the cast is in sight most of the time. Props are minimal and used sparingly. In the background is a huge canvas reproduction of Pieter Brueghel the Elder’s Dulle Griet (Mad Meg). The picture of a mad woman in the center, reminds us of the madness going on on stage. Ilona Somogyi’s costumes are a mixed bag with some courtly looking outfits on some of the characters and not on others. Must be a director's choice. Pat Collins lighting is beautifully cast as characters come and go and especially when the ghost appears and when Hamlet kills Polonius and we only see the shadow of the act from behind a curtain. Sullivan and his crew have cast new light on this vigorous production of the young Hamlet. Most of the time it worked, sometimes it didn’t, but not for lack of talent. It’s well worth the trip north. In Hamlet, as in so many of his works, Shakespeare deals with universal themes, major issues and problems dealing with broad human understanding. That they should be relevant today, is only one of Shakespeare’s legacies. Hamlet continues through July 1. For more information log on to www.scr.org See you at the theatre. _____________________ Three Jewish 'Stars' Feted at Annual Tribute to Volunteers By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO—The San Diego Performing Arts League Annual Tribute to Volunteers in the Arts took place Tuesday, June 12, at the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina. This is the 16th year the organization has held this event. “This is the time of the year we can recognize the part that volunteers play in keeping our arts community thriving” explained Dea Hurston, who chaired the event. Of those honored, the Jewish community can be proud of: * Caryn Rosen Viterbi— Viterbi began volunteering backstage with J*Company Youth Theater 10 years ago and quickly took a leadership role as volunteer chair and coordinator. She is currently the treasurer of the SDCJC Board and sits on the Theatre Facilities Committee, Executive Committee, and Finance Committee.*Rita Bronowski is the La Jolla Playhouse STAR recipient. Bronowski has been a part of the Playhouse for more than 25years. As Emerita Trustee, her continued support has helped with the fulfillment of the Playhouse's mission. *Roberta Wagner Berman—At The San Diego Center for Jewish Culture, Roberta Wagner Berman is the STAR recipient for her volunteer work as librarian for the past 11 years at the Samuel and Rebecca Astor Judaica Library. There she oversees the cataloging, circulation and acquisitions, creates displays and coordinates a team of volunteers. She is a member of the Library Committee and the San Diego Jewish Book Fair committee. If you need something done, always ask a busy person. Mazal Tov to our Jewish STAR honorees! |