Category Archives: Israel

Riz Khan Interviews Amos Oz On Al Jazeera

Intellectualism, Israel, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Journalism, Literature

And an ‘A’ For Al-Jazeera Again.

Two exceptionally bright men, Riz Khan and Amos Oz, talk. If I’m stating the obvious, it’s because it’s rare to see an example of such objective, intelligent journalism in the American news media.

I’m an admirer of Oz’s work. His early books I devoured back in Israel, in Hebrew, naturally. (The man was extremely handsome). Oz is an exceptional writer; his books translate well too. I recommend them.

I’ve always thought of Oz as a dove–a man of the Left. But this is what the old Left used to be: reasonable, patriotic, fair (and manly).
Oz’s use of the English language—a second language—is charming, precise, and colorful. He exemplifies the older Israeli intelligentsia.

It’s a shame I can’t get Al Jazeera. American “news” channels are an example of cretinism (and the “V” factor) in action.

Part I:

Part II:

‘We Are All Socialists Now’

America, Israel, Left-Liberalism And Progressivisim, Media, Political Philosophy, Socialism

The editors of the left-liberal NEWSWEEK are congratulating themselves for “accepting” and then “thinking clearly ” about the America of 2009 becoming a more socialist country. What Golda Meir once said to someone who needed a poke in the eye applies: “Don’t be so modest, you’re not that great.”

I was under the distinct impression that Newsweek’s agitprop actively helped change hearts and minds so as to bring about the “shift that began not under a Democrat but a Republican … a trend that began under President Bush, not President Obama.” At least that last fact our agitpropists got right.

The complete editorial is “We Are All Socialists Now.”

'We Are All Socialists Now'

America, Israel, Left-Liberalism And Progressivisim, Media, Political Philosophy, Socialism

The editors of the left-liberal NEWSWEEK are congratulating themselves for “accepting” and then “thinking clearly ” about the America of 2009 becoming a more socialist country. What Golda Meir once said to someone who needed a poke in the eye applies: “Don’t be so modest, you’re not that great.”

I was under the distinct impression that Newsweek’s agitprop actively helped change hearts and minds so as to bring about the “shift that began not under a Democrat but a Republican … a trend that began under President Bush, not President Obama.” At least that last fact our agitpropists got right.

The complete editorial is “We Are All Socialists Now.”

Updated: ‘Who Won In Israel’s Elections?’

Democracy, Individual Rights, Iraq, Israel, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Natural Law

Writes Daniel Pipes: The real winner was the politically and personally unpredictable figure, Avigdor Lieberman, 50, of the Yisrael Beiteinu Party, who raised the specter of the country’s increasingly hostile Arab citizens:

“Tzipi Livni, the head of the Kadima party, can credibly claim victory in the elections on Tuesday because her party won the most seats. Binyamin Netanyahu of the Likud party can also claim victory as the head of the largest party in the larger of the two coalitions, the national camp.

Both Livni and Netanyahu can plausibly claim ‘I won’ the elections this week – but neither did.

But the real winner was the politically and personally unpredictable figure, Avigdor Lieberman, 50, of the Yisrael Beiteinu party. A Moldovan immigrant who started his career in Likud and as then served as director-general of Netanyahu’s prime ministerial office, he founded Yisrael Beiteinu in 1999.

Lieberman has introduced a new issue into Israeli domestic politics – the place of the country’s Arab citizens. Noting their increasingly public disloyalty to the state, he has argued that they should lose their citizenship and their right to live in Israel unless they declare their loyalty to the Jewish state.

This topic has clearly struck a nerve among the Israeli Jewish electorate and prompted responsible Arab voices to acknowledge that Israeli Arabs have ‘managed to make the Jewish public hate us.’ As I wrote in 2006, Israel’s ‘final enemy’ may finally, be joining the battle. The consequences of this for the Arab-Israeli conflict as a whole could well be profound.”

By Daniel Pipes, Wednesday 11, Feb 2009

Related: “When I Am The Stronger, I Take Away Your Freedom, Because That Is My Principle”

Update (Feb 12): In response to the always provocative Myron hereunder: As a classical liberal, I’m wary of conflating the vote, for what it’s worth, with natural rights. I agree with you that the latter must be inviolable. But the vote? That’s a political right. Neither is citizenship a natural right. Talk about taking away property or denying due process: those are unconscionable, and violate natural rights.

Preventing more hostile Arabs from migrating into Israel proper is perfectly legitimate in natural law. It’s non-aggressive self-defense.