Dear Mr. President,
Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas has stated that he will dissolve the Palestinian government and force Israel to take responsibility for the West Bank. Abbas is clearly a much better poker player than I would have given him credit for.
If Israel does not stop settlement construction, Abbas would be wise to follow through on this threat. Abbas is correct when he says that he cannot be expected to lead, to be responsible for a territory he has no real control over. Israel bears little of the financial or regulatory responsibility for its occupation, and forcing the government to pay (literally and figuratively) for its policies is the only way to compel change. The threat may frighten Israeli leadership enough to get an actual settlement freeze or could pave the way to a more just single-state solution, should the Palestinians begin lobbying not for statehood but suffrage.
I certainly don't envy the headache Prime Minister Netanyahu must be suffering as a result of this announcement.
With Israeli and Palestinian firefighters working together to battle a forest fire, I hope that government officials on both sides recognize the potential for all of the people in this region to live side by side, to work together, in peace. It can happen, but such an outcome is absolutely contingent upon civil rights, economic stability and personal security for all people, regardless of race, religion or ethnicity. It cannot happen under occupation, and I am glad that Abbas, at least, recognizes this. I hope that peace talks resume in a manner that is fair and respectful of both sides, but, should the intractable commitment of the Israeli right to continue the construction of the settlements prove to be insurmountable for Netanyahu, I fully support the return of administrative responsibilities for the West Bank to the Israelis. Palestinians have long been punished (often violently) for the actions of extremists within their midst while Israel has empowered, protected and elected their own fundamentalists. The price of this hypocrisy ought to be the social, financial and political burden of the occupation and oppression supported by those fundamentalists and spearheaded by settlers in the face of international law, the interest of peace and basic common sense.
Abbas has slid his chips across the table. Netanyahu must go all-in with him, or fold and face the consequences. As Israel's ally and an advocate for peace, (not to mention a leader familiar with the costs of occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan,) I'm sure you can appreciate just how difficult Netanyahu's decision will be. Netanyahu should learn from history, freeze the settlement construction and return to the table for peace talks more willing than ever to compromise for the sake of peace. Call your friend, Mr. President, and tell him it's time to fold.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Showing posts with label Middle East. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Middle East. Show all posts
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Day 272- A short note on the first day of school (because I need sleep)
Dear Mr. President,
Today was my first day of classes in over a year. While most nights at this time find me wide awake and worried about getting enough sleep, my chronic insomnia seems to be on hold for the evening, because all I want to do is crawl into bed and shut my eyes. It's a feeling I really don't want to discourage, so I'll make this brief.
In the coming months, you can be sure I will write to you about my classes and the subject matter we're covering, be it American Indian law or water security issues in the Middle East. But today was just the first day, and, for the most part, we just covered the syllabus and did introductions. My name's Kelsey. I'm a NELC major. I'm a senior. I'm in this class because I think it will help me understand the rest of the world. Etc.
One of my favorite professors suggested today that we could be optimists or we could be pessimists. Maybe being a pessimist was our right, and we could write our "ugly blogs about the sky falling" but it wasn't as productive, in general, as a positive outlook. And so, for the record, let me say that I do not think the sky is falling. Forgive me, but that is all I have for tonight.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Today was my first day of classes in over a year. While most nights at this time find me wide awake and worried about getting enough sleep, my chronic insomnia seems to be on hold for the evening, because all I want to do is crawl into bed and shut my eyes. It's a feeling I really don't want to discourage, so I'll make this brief.
In the coming months, you can be sure I will write to you about my classes and the subject matter we're covering, be it American Indian law or water security issues in the Middle East. But today was just the first day, and, for the most part, we just covered the syllabus and did introductions. My name's Kelsey. I'm a NELC major. I'm a senior. I'm in this class because I think it will help me understand the rest of the world. Etc.
One of my favorite professors suggested today that we could be optimists or we could be pessimists. Maybe being a pessimist was our right, and we could write our "ugly blogs about the sky falling" but it wasn't as productive, in general, as a positive outlook. And so, for the record, let me say that I do not think the sky is falling. Forgive me, but that is all I have for tonight.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Day 198- Octavia Nasr
Dear Mr. President,
I wasn't going to write to you about the unfair dismissal of Octavia Nasr from CNN. Your responsibilities may be varied and numerous but, clearly, making HR decisions at CNN is not one of them. Thomas Friedman's column today linked this decision to the Bush-era mentality that requires loyalty over skill or qualification. He asserts that, in a time when we are hindered by our lack of understanding in the the Middle East and Afghanistan, we need people like Octavia Nasr to help us better understand these societies and people. I don't think Mr. Friedman goes far enough; I would extend this indictment beyond the staffing of the Iraqi green zone, to most of our foreign policy decisions, especially toward the Middle East. We prop up or install parties and regimes based on their loyalty to us and not their abilities. The Lebanese cleric Fadlallah, whose death Nasr was fired for publicly mourning, is a perfect example of this. A man who spoke for women's rights in the home and in society; a man who wanted to see the worst beliefs of the organization he founded moderated; this man might have had opinions America disagreed with, and he might have overlooked or even encouraged violence, something that many of us and I personally could not condone. However, by reducing him to a Terrorist, by simplifying and distilling the complexities of this man to a single noun that makes it inexcusable to mourn his passing, we failed to see what we might have learned from him. But this isn't why I changed my mind about writing to you.
What signal are we sending young people? Trim your sails, be politically correct, don’t say anything that will get you flamed by one constituency or another. And if you ever want a job in government, national journalism or as president of Harvard, play it safe and don’t take any intellectual chances that might offend someone. In the age of Google, when everything you say is forever searchable, the future belongs to those who leave no footprints.
This passage changed my mind. I have often joked at my own inability to enter professional politics due to the radical opinions I have expressed as a young person. George Bush could walk away from an undistinguished life story, business failures, drug and alcohol problems, and who knows how many crazy frat stories, because he never said anything too offensive. Elena Kagan has a senate confirmation hearing that is as easy as it is boring, because she has kept her opinions moderate and acceptable, or entirely silent. It reminded me of something my department advisor recently told me, about how a class I'd taken at a previous school was "too political" to count toward my degree.
I think this is why progress seems like such a constant uphill fight. I think we need outspoken, courageous public servants, academics and journalists, even if what they say is challenging and controversial and disagreeable. I think we need to listen, to engage, and learn from those we might otherwise write off as too radical or too extreme. I'd rather disagree honestly than avoid difficult conversations entirely. And, while you probably can't get Octavia Nasr her job back, you can encourage us all to keep the courage of our convictions by demonstrating that you have the courage of yours. As for me, I may change my mind as I get older, but I'm never going to walk away from the mistakes I've made in the past. Even if it means I could never sit in the Oval Office or work for CNN. And, just for the record, I think that Nasr's sentiments were incredibly human and full of compassion. I think a journalist keeping her humanity and appreciation for the complexities of human nature is a minor mirale, but certainly not grounds for dismissal.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
I wasn't going to write to you about the unfair dismissal of Octavia Nasr from CNN. Your responsibilities may be varied and numerous but, clearly, making HR decisions at CNN is not one of them. Thomas Friedman's column today linked this decision to the Bush-era mentality that requires loyalty over skill or qualification. He asserts that, in a time when we are hindered by our lack of understanding in the the Middle East and Afghanistan, we need people like Octavia Nasr to help us better understand these societies and people. I don't think Mr. Friedman goes far enough; I would extend this indictment beyond the staffing of the Iraqi green zone, to most of our foreign policy decisions, especially toward the Middle East. We prop up or install parties and regimes based on their loyalty to us and not their abilities. The Lebanese cleric Fadlallah, whose death Nasr was fired for publicly mourning, is a perfect example of this. A man who spoke for women's rights in the home and in society; a man who wanted to see the worst beliefs of the organization he founded moderated; this man might have had opinions America disagreed with, and he might have overlooked or even encouraged violence, something that many of us and I personally could not condone. However, by reducing him to a Terrorist, by simplifying and distilling the complexities of this man to a single noun that makes it inexcusable to mourn his passing, we failed to see what we might have learned from him. But this isn't why I changed my mind about writing to you.
What signal are we sending young people? Trim your sails, be politically correct, don’t say anything that will get you flamed by one constituency or another. And if you ever want a job in government, national journalism or as president of Harvard, play it safe and don’t take any intellectual chances that might offend someone. In the age of Google, when everything you say is forever searchable, the future belongs to those who leave no footprints.
This passage changed my mind. I have often joked at my own inability to enter professional politics due to the radical opinions I have expressed as a young person. George Bush could walk away from an undistinguished life story, business failures, drug and alcohol problems, and who knows how many crazy frat stories, because he never said anything too offensive. Elena Kagan has a senate confirmation hearing that is as easy as it is boring, because she has kept her opinions moderate and acceptable, or entirely silent. It reminded me of something my department advisor recently told me, about how a class I'd taken at a previous school was "too political" to count toward my degree.
I think this is why progress seems like such a constant uphill fight. I think we need outspoken, courageous public servants, academics and journalists, even if what they say is challenging and controversial and disagreeable. I think we need to listen, to engage, and learn from those we might otherwise write off as too radical or too extreme. I'd rather disagree honestly than avoid difficult conversations entirely. And, while you probably can't get Octavia Nasr her job back, you can encourage us all to keep the courage of our convictions by demonstrating that you have the courage of yours. As for me, I may change my mind as I get older, but I'm never going to walk away from the mistakes I've made in the past. Even if it means I could never sit in the Oval Office or work for CNN. And, just for the record, I think that Nasr's sentiments were incredibly human and full of compassion. I think a journalist keeping her humanity and appreciation for the complexities of human nature is a minor mirale, but certainly not grounds for dismissal.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Day 145- Tin-foil hats and Scud missiles
Dear Mr. President,
Is something happening to Lebanon soon? I don't mean to sound like some crazy, tin-foil-hat wearing conspiracy theorist, but I couldn't help but notice you and Vice-President Biden have reached out to Prime Minister Hariri twice in as many days. This seemed odd, in and of its self, but then I read about the missile drills Israel is staging this week, which are being taken by the Lebanese government as preparation for war. Hizbollah's ties to Iran might also indicate that something is possibly about to happen to Iran, instead. Either way, I hope I'm just being paranoid. If I'm not, just in case it doesn't go without saying, I'm hoping that you exhaust all of our options to help avoid another conflict that will only cause the innocent to suffer.
When I worked at Borders in downtown Washington, I once rang up a woman for all of our remaining copies of Killing Mr. Lebanon, a book about the assassination of Rafik Hariri. Her distress was evident, and so I asked her about Mr. Hariri, who, she said, had been her boss. She tearfully told me about working in his government, how much she'd admired him, and how much she missed him still. It was moving to see her affection for this man, both on a personal and on a political level. Her grief came, in part, at the immense loss her country had suffered. This was not long after the 2006 war that destroyed so many lives and so much of her country. Maybe it's easy to say this, when the tragic history of this place is given a face in my memory, but I think Lebanon has been through enough. We (and, more importantly, our allies,) could maybe let Beirut stand for more than 4 years before trying to knock it all down, again.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Day 136- Za'atar
Dear Mr. President,
Tonight I baked bread topped with olive oil and za'atar. I bought the spices from a shop in Pike Place market, along with some dates. The old man who runs this shop was born in Jerusalem, and when I go there, we discuss the things I have seen and the things he remembers. We don't talk politics; the tragedy of me, a white American with no ancestral ties to that land, being allowed to move more freely through it than he who was born to a family that had lived there for generations would be too much for either of us to acknowledge. Instead, we stick to the small things; the smell of bread baking on the street corners by Damascus gate, the shapes of the rolls and the sesame seeds on the outside. The beauty of the sun on the dome of the rock, the superior quality of the olive oil or hummus or tomatoes. The conversation is short, and I, at least, leave his shop feeling closer to a land that I love as though it were my own.
The taste of tonight's meal, each round of flat bread sizzling in the oven with an egg on top, smothered in the fragrant blend of thyme and other spices that make za'atar so addicting, reminds me of the first time I ate this. It was our morning meal, the bread carried along in insulated bags to keep it warm, eaten about 2 miles in to our hike. We rested near a cave, marveling at the scenery and the heat; just beginning to emerge from the shyness that still made us strangers to one another. It is amazing to me, the way a scent and a flavor can bring back these small moments, make them so real I can almost feel same sun, hear the same voices.
Sometimes it is easy to explain why I feel the way I feel about Palestine. There are certain events, certain injustices, slogans that fit nicely onto tag-board signs, which make it easy to illustrate why my values require me to feel the way that I do. Sometimes, it is not about politics or values or anything more than the smell of za'atar and fresh olive oil bread, about enjoying the memories of some one else's home. One bite, and I am back at every kitchen-table mezze, being urged to eat more.
A military and a government like Israel's can do many things; it can take away rights, and lives, and livelihoods. It can take away freedom, restrict movement and education, it can keep out old men for fear of their ideas; it can reduce identity to the color of a card. It can demolish homes and shoot protesters and wall off every piece of land worth cultivating. It can change history and re-tell stories and pretend that a whole nation has never and will never exist. But it cannot harm the smell of bread baking, the taste of dates. It cannot change za'atar. Palestine is real, Mr. President, all five of my senses and my heart tell me so. It is time that maps and globes and laws reflected this truth, as well.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Tonight I baked bread topped with olive oil and za'atar. I bought the spices from a shop in Pike Place market, along with some dates. The old man who runs this shop was born in Jerusalem, and when I go there, we discuss the things I have seen and the things he remembers. We don't talk politics; the tragedy of me, a white American with no ancestral ties to that land, being allowed to move more freely through it than he who was born to a family that had lived there for generations would be too much for either of us to acknowledge. Instead, we stick to the small things; the smell of bread baking on the street corners by Damascus gate, the shapes of the rolls and the sesame seeds on the outside. The beauty of the sun on the dome of the rock, the superior quality of the olive oil or hummus or tomatoes. The conversation is short, and I, at least, leave his shop feeling closer to a land that I love as though it were my own.
The taste of tonight's meal, each round of flat bread sizzling in the oven with an egg on top, smothered in the fragrant blend of thyme and other spices that make za'atar so addicting, reminds me of the first time I ate this. It was our morning meal, the bread carried along in insulated bags to keep it warm, eaten about 2 miles in to our hike. We rested near a cave, marveling at the scenery and the heat; just beginning to emerge from the shyness that still made us strangers to one another. It is amazing to me, the way a scent and a flavor can bring back these small moments, make them so real I can almost feel same sun, hear the same voices.
Sometimes it is easy to explain why I feel the way I feel about Palestine. There are certain events, certain injustices, slogans that fit nicely onto tag-board signs, which make it easy to illustrate why my values require me to feel the way that I do. Sometimes, it is not about politics or values or anything more than the smell of za'atar and fresh olive oil bread, about enjoying the memories of some one else's home. One bite, and I am back at every kitchen-table mezze, being urged to eat more.
A military and a government like Israel's can do many things; it can take away rights, and lives, and livelihoods. It can take away freedom, restrict movement and education, it can keep out old men for fear of their ideas; it can reduce identity to the color of a card. It can demolish homes and shoot protesters and wall off every piece of land worth cultivating. It can change history and re-tell stories and pretend that a whole nation has never and will never exist. But it cannot harm the smell of bread baking, the taste of dates. It cannot change za'atar. Palestine is real, Mr. President, all five of my senses and my heart tell me so. It is time that maps and globes and laws reflected this truth, as well.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Friday, April 9, 2010
Day 99
Dear Mr. President,
This week, the national conversation about nuclear proliferation has fractured (predictably) along party lines. That there might be reasonable disagreement about an issue as complex as the START treaty and nuclear arms is not surprising; that the criticism from some on the right deviates so sharply from reality is mildly impressive. Your response to Sarah Palin's criticism made me incredibly proud to have voted for you. I trust your judgment and your good intentions when it comes to this kind of arms control; I would like to live in a world where there are no nuclear weapons, but, for now, we have to live in the real world.
The news that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will not be attending next week's summit on nuclear security is disappointing. That he is so afraid of confronting, directly, the criticism from Egypt, Turkey, and other nations, about Israel's unacknowledged nuclear capabilities speaks volumes, both about the courage of his convictions and the hypocrisy of Israel's (and, for that matter, our own) position on Iran. Israel's nuclear program, (which, by the way, poses a legitimate threat to Iran and, might, conceivably, have something to do with Iran's own nuclear ambitions,) their refusal to sign the nonproliferation treaty, and their reluctance (as demonstrated by PM Netanyahu) to have frank discussions about the reality of their status as a nuclear power ought to elicit criticism from the US. That we offer nothing but complicit silence or even support undermines our leadership and credibility when discouraging other states from gaining their own nuclear weapons.
Israel is a country that, at the time of its creation, had legitimate cause to fear for its own survival. This simply is not the political reality of the present. Israel has long exaggerated the threat posed by the Palestinians and hostile neighboring countries; it has an incredibly capable military and weapons unrivaled by any other country in the Middle East, and its existence is, frankly, a forgone conclusion. Even Hamas officials have walked back the rhetoric, indicating that they would acknowledge Israel's right to exist were the sentiment reciprocated for Palestinians. While Israel may have had very real fears driving it to become a nuclear power in years past, we have to live in the real world now; acknowledging the threat that Israel itself poses to its neighbors is an important step in maintaining our credibility on arms control issues. We ought to use our influence with Israel to encourage responsible conduct as a nuclear power, so that we can continue to lead the world toward a nuclear-free future.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
This week, the national conversation about nuclear proliferation has fractured (predictably) along party lines. That there might be reasonable disagreement about an issue as complex as the START treaty and nuclear arms is not surprising; that the criticism from some on the right deviates so sharply from reality is mildly impressive. Your response to Sarah Palin's criticism made me incredibly proud to have voted for you. I trust your judgment and your good intentions when it comes to this kind of arms control; I would like to live in a world where there are no nuclear weapons, but, for now, we have to live in the real world.
The news that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will not be attending next week's summit on nuclear security is disappointing. That he is so afraid of confronting, directly, the criticism from Egypt, Turkey, and other nations, about Israel's unacknowledged nuclear capabilities speaks volumes, both about the courage of his convictions and the hypocrisy of Israel's (and, for that matter, our own) position on Iran. Israel's nuclear program, (which, by the way, poses a legitimate threat to Iran and, might, conceivably, have something to do with Iran's own nuclear ambitions,) their refusal to sign the nonproliferation treaty, and their reluctance (as demonstrated by PM Netanyahu) to have frank discussions about the reality of their status as a nuclear power ought to elicit criticism from the US. That we offer nothing but complicit silence or even support undermines our leadership and credibility when discouraging other states from gaining their own nuclear weapons.
Israel is a country that, at the time of its creation, had legitimate cause to fear for its own survival. This simply is not the political reality of the present. Israel has long exaggerated the threat posed by the Palestinians and hostile neighboring countries; it has an incredibly capable military and weapons unrivaled by any other country in the Middle East, and its existence is, frankly, a forgone conclusion. Even Hamas officials have walked back the rhetoric, indicating that they would acknowledge Israel's right to exist were the sentiment reciprocated for Palestinians. While Israel may have had very real fears driving it to become a nuclear power in years past, we have to live in the real world now; acknowledging the threat that Israel itself poses to its neighbors is an important step in maintaining our credibility on arms control issues. We ought to use our influence with Israel to encourage responsible conduct as a nuclear power, so that we can continue to lead the world toward a nuclear-free future.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Day 83- Jedi chess
Dear Mr. President,
It appears as though the press corps is giving Robert Gibbs quite a rough time about your meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu. This is one of those moments where, watching from the outside, being privy to nothing but what the media and the White House reveals, I have to concede I don't know enough to be certain about what you're doing. It seems as though you might be taking private steps toward toughening our stance on Israeli settlement activity. It seems as though you might be leveraging this latest incident into legitimate efforts at peace talks. But this could just be speculation.
Not long ago, when the battle for health care reform seemed to be getting the best of you, Jon Stewart said "I can’t tell if he’s a Jedi master playing chess on a three-level board way ahead of us, or if this is kicking his ass." I sometimes feel the same way about our Middle East policy. I know that my letters often include unbridled anger, disappointment and outrage. I know that, even if you make radical steps toward restarting the peace process, our foreign relations with Israel will likely still be too close for my comfort. I understand, Mr. President, that we will probably never agree on this. I think that my role as your constituent is to continue asserting my position, asking for more than I expect you to do, in the hopes of somehow balancing the AIPACs of the world. Much of my argument is based on the premise that there are absolute rights and absolute wrongs, and that gross oppression of human rights is an example of the latter. I do understand that the nuanced world we live in does not often lend itself well to absolution, and that you may be justifying certain means to an end I can't see or understand yet.
What I mean, sir, is that while I may be sick with grief at the death and suffering, at the injustice and oppression, while I may be exhausted with the fight and frustrated with our hypocrisy, I have faith that you know what you're doing and that you know what is right. I do not surrender my judgment to your own, but I do believe it is possible that you're seeing more than you're willing to let on.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
It appears as though the press corps is giving Robert Gibbs quite a rough time about your meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu. This is one of those moments where, watching from the outside, being privy to nothing but what the media and the White House reveals, I have to concede I don't know enough to be certain about what you're doing. It seems as though you might be taking private steps toward toughening our stance on Israeli settlement activity. It seems as though you might be leveraging this latest incident into legitimate efforts at peace talks. But this could just be speculation.
Not long ago, when the battle for health care reform seemed to be getting the best of you, Jon Stewart said "I can’t tell if he’s a Jedi master playing chess on a three-level board way ahead of us, or if this is kicking his ass." I sometimes feel the same way about our Middle East policy. I know that my letters often include unbridled anger, disappointment and outrage. I know that, even if you make radical steps toward restarting the peace process, our foreign relations with Israel will likely still be too close for my comfort. I understand, Mr. President, that we will probably never agree on this. I think that my role as your constituent is to continue asserting my position, asking for more than I expect you to do, in the hopes of somehow balancing the AIPACs of the world. Much of my argument is based on the premise that there are absolute rights and absolute wrongs, and that gross oppression of human rights is an example of the latter. I do understand that the nuanced world we live in does not often lend itself well to absolution, and that you may be justifying certain means to an end I can't see or understand yet.
What I mean, sir, is that while I may be sick with grief at the death and suffering, at the injustice and oppression, while I may be exhausted with the fight and frustrated with our hypocrisy, I have faith that you know what you're doing and that you know what is right. I do not surrender my judgment to your own, but I do believe it is possible that you're seeing more than you're willing to let on.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Day 79
Dear Mr. President,
Today a 16-year-old boy was shot and killed. His death, which will escape notice of your office or comment from you entirely, is due largely to the fact that he was Palestinian. He had no guns, he had no knives, he had no bombs. This boy, this child was shot by the Israeli military because he threw stones at men with flak jackets and automatic weapons. Tell me, Mr. President, if this boy were not a Palestinian, would throwing rocks be justification enough for his murder? Where is our outrage now, Mr. President? Where is the diplomatic scandal, where is the phone call from Secretary Clinton? Have we lost so much perspective, so much humanity, that we are willing to summon more anger and the slighting of our Vice-President than we are at the murder of a child?
These riots will only continue, the anger will only grow worse. The Palestinians cannot sit idly by while their children are being shot in the streets. He was 16 years old, Mr. President. His name was Muhammad Qadus, and he was murdered in the streets of Nablus today because we allow the weak to be oppressed, because we look the other way as their rights and their land and their dignity are taken by the bullies we fund and arm and support, because we give them nothing but stones. Today, I am so ashamed of the world we have created.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Today a 16-year-old boy was shot and killed. His death, which will escape notice of your office or comment from you entirely, is due largely to the fact that he was Palestinian. He had no guns, he had no knives, he had no bombs. This boy, this child was shot by the Israeli military because he threw stones at men with flak jackets and automatic weapons. Tell me, Mr. President, if this boy were not a Palestinian, would throwing rocks be justification enough for his murder? Where is our outrage now, Mr. President? Where is the diplomatic scandal, where is the phone call from Secretary Clinton? Have we lost so much perspective, so much humanity, that we are willing to summon more anger and the slighting of our Vice-President than we are at the murder of a child?
These riots will only continue, the anger will only grow worse. The Palestinians cannot sit idly by while their children are being shot in the streets. He was 16 years old, Mr. President. His name was Muhammad Qadus, and he was murdered in the streets of Nablus today because we allow the weak to be oppressed, because we look the other way as their rights and their land and their dignity are taken by the bullies we fund and arm and support, because we give them nothing but stones. Today, I am so ashamed of the world we have created.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Day 73- Wha?
Dear Mr. President,
I'm shocked. I'm dumbfounded. The forces for transparency and justice seem to be winning! Secretary Clinton is upset, demanding answers. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is setting up a team to investigate this egregious offense. The scandal is all over the news.
No, it's not about the blockade of Gaza that's punishing 1.5 million people for the actions of a handful of militants. It's not about the arrests and attacks on peaceful protesters in Bil'in. It's not even about the illegal construction of 1600 Jewish-only settlements in East Jerusalem. This uproar is over the fact that the settlements were announced during Vice President Biden's visit to Israel. Wait, what? THAT is what we're upset about? THAT is what PM Netanyahu is asking a team to investigate? The timing of the announcement.
Mr. President, please tell me we are all still grown-ups. Who cares if VP Biden was there when it was announced? Would it have been any less awful if he hadn't been? Why are we mustering so much outrage over the impoliteness of this and not the injustice? Forgive me if this letter is just a series of questions, sir, as I am so appalled by the pettiness of my own government that I can't muster an articulate statement about this. This is like being invited to feast on poisoned food and complaining that we weren't given the right dinner fork. Excuse my bluntness, sir, but we pay for them to violate international law, and then cover for them at the UN when it gets ugly- are we really going to cry foul because they dare do it in our presence?
Respectfully yours in utter disbelief,
Kelsey
I'm shocked. I'm dumbfounded. The forces for transparency and justice seem to be winning! Secretary Clinton is upset, demanding answers. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is setting up a team to investigate this egregious offense. The scandal is all over the news.
No, it's not about the blockade of Gaza that's punishing 1.5 million people for the actions of a handful of militants. It's not about the arrests and attacks on peaceful protesters in Bil'in. It's not even about the illegal construction of 1600 Jewish-only settlements in East Jerusalem. This uproar is over the fact that the settlements were announced during Vice President Biden's visit to Israel. Wait, what? THAT is what we're upset about? THAT is what PM Netanyahu is asking a team to investigate? The timing of the announcement.
Mr. President, please tell me we are all still grown-ups. Who cares if VP Biden was there when it was announced? Would it have been any less awful if he hadn't been? Why are we mustering so much outrage over the impoliteness of this and not the injustice? Forgive me if this letter is just a series of questions, sir, as I am so appalled by the pettiness of my own government that I can't muster an articulate statement about this. This is like being invited to feast on poisoned food and complaining that we weren't given the right dinner fork. Excuse my bluntness, sir, but we pay for them to violate international law, and then cover for them at the UN when it gets ugly- are we really going to cry foul because they dare do it in our presence?
Respectfully yours in utter disbelief,
Kelsey
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Day 31
It's been one month. Tonight, as I have several times this week, I've canceled plans in order to write my letter. I should probably just get better at time management. It's disheartening to have no response to anything I've written, yet, but I'm hoping that including my e-mail address will facilitate this. Anyway, on to today:
Dear Mr. President,
I took a break from reading The Audacity of Hope to finish Joe Sacco's Footnotes in Gaza. I don't imagine you have much time for reading, but if you do have an opportunity, it is an important book.
One of the things Sacco mentions is "story fatigue" with the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. This is something I relate to, as I commonly encounter it in friends and strangers; their tendency to sigh, or to stop listening when I talk about Palestine. I find this more exasperating than the ideologues who simply disagree with me. At least they care enough to have an opinion, are aware enough not to feel themselves victimized by the news of another tragedy. It is such a luxury, to be tired of hearing about the conflict. I try not to imagine how it compares to the unending fatigue of living this conflict for decades, because that just makes me angry. With every day that passes, with every story lost in the cacophony of similar-sounding stories, with every canned, talking-point answer, my frustration grows.
The reprehensible treatment of human life in Gaza is unacceptable. Every dollar we give to Israel, every day spent spouting our unending and unconditional support ties the United States more closely to these crimes. And still, you say nothing. Still, you do nothing. Yes, Mr. President, you have an incredibly difficult domestic agenda that must be negotiated and implemented. People in this country are losing jobs, losing health care, losing their livelihood and you're working day and night to turn this around. I understand this. But you're our representative to the world in many ways, and your silence on the complete lack of progress or improvement on the situation in the Middle East is disappointing.
I know we disagree on this issue, Mr. President, but, unlike the GOP leadership, I don't get a debate on it. I'd like you to publicly defend our official position and its consequences; the housing demolitions, the blockade, the random arrests, the collective punishment of innocents, all in the face of criticism from the UN, ICRC and other international organizations. Explain to me, to the rest of the country, and to Palestine why questioning these acts is tantamount to "demonizing" Israel. Explain to me why America supports Democracy everywhere except the Gaza strip. I don't question your right to disagree, Mr. President, but I do wonder if your convictions on this are strong enough to defend the grim reality, and not just to cover up these crimes with the same old platitudes.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
Dear Mr. President,
I took a break from reading The Audacity of Hope to finish Joe Sacco's Footnotes in Gaza. I don't imagine you have much time for reading, but if you do have an opportunity, it is an important book.
One of the things Sacco mentions is "story fatigue" with the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. This is something I relate to, as I commonly encounter it in friends and strangers; their tendency to sigh, or to stop listening when I talk about Palestine. I find this more exasperating than the ideologues who simply disagree with me. At least they care enough to have an opinion, are aware enough not to feel themselves victimized by the news of another tragedy. It is such a luxury, to be tired of hearing about the conflict. I try not to imagine how it compares to the unending fatigue of living this conflict for decades, because that just makes me angry. With every day that passes, with every story lost in the cacophony of similar-sounding stories, with every canned, talking-point answer, my frustration grows.
The reprehensible treatment of human life in Gaza is unacceptable. Every dollar we give to Israel, every day spent spouting our unending and unconditional support ties the United States more closely to these crimes. And still, you say nothing. Still, you do nothing. Yes, Mr. President, you have an incredibly difficult domestic agenda that must be negotiated and implemented. People in this country are losing jobs, losing health care, losing their livelihood and you're working day and night to turn this around. I understand this. But you're our representative to the world in many ways, and your silence on the complete lack of progress or improvement on the situation in the Middle East is disappointing.
I know we disagree on this issue, Mr. President, but, unlike the GOP leadership, I don't get a debate on it. I'd like you to publicly defend our official position and its consequences; the housing demolitions, the blockade, the random arrests, the collective punishment of innocents, all in the face of criticism from the UN, ICRC and other international organizations. Explain to me, to the rest of the country, and to Palestine why questioning these acts is tantamount to "demonizing" Israel. Explain to me why America supports Democracy everywhere except the Gaza strip. I don't question your right to disagree, Mr. President, but I do wonder if your convictions on this are strong enough to defend the grim reality, and not just to cover up these crimes with the same old platitudes.
Respectfully yours,
Kelsey
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