Germany and Israel on Palestine

Until this morning, Germany together with the USA, Canada, Guatemala and let’s not forget Micronesia were the only countries that were about to vote against the Palestinian bid to become a non-member-observer-state at the UN. Now it seems that Germany has decided to abstain.

Senior Israeli government spokesmen – in various tones of brutality - have warned that if Abbas would go to the UN it would be the end of the Palestinian Authority. But then, the Israeli government has been doing its utmost to dismantle the Palestinian Authority anyway. The way the vote is going, Israel is being shown what the world thinks of its conduct and its policies. It is sadly fast becoming a pariah state. 

It must have been a hard decision for Mrs. Merkel. Supporting Israeli governments has been one of the means by which German governments have attempted to make reparation by supporting the Jewish people after the Holocaust. Yet, had Germany voted against the Palestinian bid, it would have done so against German public sentiment. Israeli policy vis-à-vis the Palestinians, its arrogant obstinacy and its deteriorating moral values have become too much even for Germany. Germans are becoming more and more anti-Israel.

Not only Germany, Israel too - instead of opposing - should vote for the Palestinian bid. 

Is Israel morally entitled to wage its current war in Gaza?

On the face of it, this should be an easy one. After all, Hamas who control the Gaza strip have been bombarding Israel with rockets and missiles for a long time. Hundreds of rockets emanating from Gaza have been making life miserable for the residents of many southern Israeli towns.

On the pragmatic level, the question should be asked what is achieved by such wars?  Will they bring down Hamas or will they convert it to recognise Israel’s right to exist? Going by past experience, this will not happen. 

This, however, assumes that the Israeli regime wants a two-state solution. If – despite its rhetoric - its purpose is to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state and to continue with its colonisation of the West Bank, then such attacks on Gaza make sense. To that end, the Israeli government has systematically weakened the moderate leader Mahmoud Abbas and thereby proven to the Palestinians that moderation does not get them anywhere. The result is the strengthening of the alternative body - Hamas.

The misery of its own population shot at from Gaza is the price Israel seems to be willing to pay in order to entrench in the West Bank.

Israel may have the legal and even moral right of self-defence vis-à-vis the Hamas – However, as this seems to be part of a bigger picture, the morality of Israel’s war in Gaza is questionable. 

Anecdotes from German Reading Tour

I have recently travelled around Germany reading from ”Ist es noch gut, für unser Land zu sterben?” Had interesting discussions and generally enjoyed the hospitality of the organisers.

It actually started in Basel, which of course is in Switzerland, not Germany. Before my reading event, friends invited me for tea at Les Trois Rois. As a special treat they arranged for me to see the room that was used by Theodor Herzl during his 1897 stay in Basel for the first Zionist Congress.

Occasionally things did not go to plan. The purpose of a reading tour is to promote book sales. I was therefore, not amused when on reaching the venue in Baden-Baden, I was greeted by the local bookseller who proudly showed me stacks of the… wrong book. Would I be willing to sign them?

To continue with my trip, I had planned to take the train, then I saw it and took up a friend’s offer to travel by car.

On reaching the northern town Kiel, I was greeted by a poster that invited me to an open day at the Crematorium. Bizarre is the friendliest word I can come up with.

The German term is Tag der Offenen Tür, which translates to Open Door Day. I wonder what happens if a not so young member of the public forgets or has not noticed that the Open Door Day ends at 16:00, and stays longer? At 16:00 sharp the efficient caretaker closes the door…

From there to Mainz where I had to correct the misnaming of my book on a blackboard outside the event’s venue. They decided to change the name of my book to “Lohnt es sich noch …” instead of “Ist es noch gut…” 

The one question that is repeatedly asked after such reading events is why the book has not yet been published in Israel. 

Pay Up

Nine men and women stood bail totalling £114,000 to guarantee that Julian Assange (the wikileak man) who is wanted by Sweden on rape charges would not run away. Assange, if you forgive the pun, screwed his friends, ran away, and is now hiding inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Tail between their legs, the guarantors asked the court to allow them to keep the money.

They must have felt very grand when they signed bail. They must have enjoyed applause at dinner parties at which they will have explained how important it was to keep Julian Assange free from Swedish justice.

Why the hell should they not pay up? Standing bail for someone or something you believe in is honourable and admirable but it is only honourable if you are willing to pay up. Otherwise, you are no more than a loudmouth. 

The court showed compassion because of the hardship paying in full would cause some of the guarantors and reduced the amount to £93,500.   

Readings/Lectures October-December 2012

Here are some dates for my lectures and readings in Germany. Please come, if you can and please forward to friends who may be interested.

17 October            Basel

19:30 at the Gemeindehaus der Israelitischen Gemeinde Basel, Leimenstrasse 24.

18 October            Baden Baden

19:00 at the Spiegelsaal, Kurhaus.

22 October            Berlin

19:00 at the Akademie der Konrad Adenauer-Stiftung

23 October            Kiel

19:00 at the Literaturhaus, Schwanenweg 13.

25 October            Bonn

18:00 at the Friedrich Ebert-Stiftung, Godesbergerallee 149.

26 October            Mainz

19:30 at the LOMO Buchbar, Am Ballplatz 2.

29 October            Saarbrücken

18:00 at the Rosa Luxemburg-Stiftung, Futterstr. 17-19.

6 November            Berlin

18:00 at the Rosa Luxemburg Salon, Franz-Mehring Platz 1, Berlin

7 November            Kiel

14 November          Magdeburg
19:30 at the Stadtbibliothek Magdeburg

3 December            Dresden

19:00 at the Militärhistorisches Museum, Olbrichtplatz 2.

5 December            Frankenberg (Eder)

19:30 at the Burgwald-Kasino, Marburgerstr. 75.

6 December            Kassel

19:00 at the VHS, Willemshöher Allee 19-21.

Circumcision II

The Cologne court’s ruling that circumcision is tantamount to committing bodily injury continues to cause unrest. German politicians needed this ruling like a hole in the head. If they could, they would probably have the Cologne judge circumcised without anaesthetics. 

Everybody, rabbis, politicians and blog writers like me, are all chewing on the forbidden foreskin. Mrs. Merkel has warned that Germany might become a laughing stock of the world for banning circumcision. Her ministers are searching for ways to pass legislation that will allow such bodily harm (i.e. circumcision) for reasons of “religious freedom”.

Israel’s President Peres has also given it a tug: In a letter to his German counterpart Gauck, Peres explained that circumcision was a “crucial” Jewish custom, “a central aspect of our nation’s Jewish identity.” Now, 79-year-old Charlotte Knobloch, a former chairperson of the Central Council of German Jews, has come out with a bitter howl published by the Süddeutsche Zeitung. For Knobloch, who survived Nazi Germany and life in post-War yet Nazi-ridden Germany, this ruling is more than she can swallow.

This general panic is a shame, as the issue deserves unhurried consideration. Everyone is talking about religious freedom – whatever that is - instead of going for a serious investigation into the fascinating questions of a baby boy’s rights and the extent to which circumcision is indeed harmful and/or traumatic.

Circumcision, Germany, Israel, Merkel, Peres

A Land to Die For?

Theo Press has considered the various suggestions sent in by participants in the title competition and has decided to name my book that is due to be out at the end of October:

A Land to Die For?   Soldier Talk and Moral Reflections of Young Israelis

The prize winner has been notified.

Prince Harry's (Not so) Secret Balls

Princes have always behaved like that, only that nowadays, modern media enable us all to participate voyeuristically. If one of the functions of the royal family is to act as role models, then Prince Harry may not be so far off the mark: Do we really think that it is wrong for an unmarried young man to party as Harry does? Do we just have a problem because he is the third in line to the British throne? Or are we just jealous? Don’t we all (well, perhaps, not all) crave to frolic around and enjoy ourselves in wild parties?

It has been reported that lawyers acting for the Prince of Wales have warned the British press not to publish the photos of his naked son, photos that are circulating all over the internet showing Prince Harry partying in Las Vegas. 

Prince Charles, an adulterer who was incapable of disciplining himself, who like his father is on record with his own stupid behaviour, has failed in disciplining his son. He now tries to bully the press: pathetic. 

Israel calls South Africa “An Apartheid State”

South Africa has shown good moral judgment in issuing a directive that calls for the labelling of goods or products emanating from the Occupied Territories to prevent consumers being led to believe that such goods come from Israel.

Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Danny Ayalon, reaction was "South Africa remains an apartheid state." More than that, referring to the recent killing of 34 striking miner by SA police, he added "Instead of deciding to label Israeli products, South Africa should have acted courageously towards the 34 innocent miners that were just asking for an improvement in working conditions."

He who lives in a glass house… Considering the growing number of xenophobic and racist crimes in Israel, Ayalon, should just shut up. Yet, as his behaviour seems to find favour with his superiors as well as his constituency  - perhaps he is not that stupid, just an offensive moron.

It should be notes that South Africa is not alone: many Israelis also boycott products manufactured by Settlers in the Occupied Territories. 

In Search of a Title

Finally.

The end is near.

All we need is the right title.

Put on your creative hats and come up with a title for the English edition of Ist es noch gut, für unser Land zu sterben?

There is a competition and the prize for the winner is $100.

For more information on how to participate go HERE.