Israel: Back against the wall

I don't know what to say. We are in the 20th day of this fucked up onslaught of killing. Over 1,000 people killed. Thousands more injured. People are starving and scared.
Are we not human beings or what? This makes my blood boil! Just imagine if this was being done to you and your family. It would make me want to go and hurt somebody(putting it nicely).

As a Jew, I have always been taught to have empathy for others and I think that's a basic principle for any human being. This type of killing and oppression is not the Jewish trait I was brought up to believe in.

From what I hear, the majority of Israeli's support this "war". Now why would they feel like this? Is it that they are scared? Is it that they feel guilty for oppressing other people? Are they confused that they have built a foundation on quicksand?
I can imagine it being confusing when you are a second or third generation person being brought up in Israel and you are thrown into this mix, but it takes a lot of courage to look at yourself and say, "maybe I don't belong here", "maybe I should look a mile away and see what's really going on".

Is it realistic that "Israeli's" are going anywhere, anytime soon? Probably not. But if they want to stay there, I think some serious ego checks are in order from the Israeli government. I think the people of Israel are reasonable people(at least I hope) and would go with serious concessions to restore their faith from the rest of the world.

Rant rant rant..........

CJ and Max from Tacoma, Washington sum up the evening

Although Barack has said he stands with Israel, he seems to be much more open to listen to all sides on this issue. Let's hope this leads to real positive change for human rights worldwide. Having elected him can really help to restore our standing in the world.

Looking foward to our days ahead.......

Here's a song with a great message and dope break!

Skull Snaps-"It's A New Day"

An intro:

So what is an American Jewish kid doing creating a blog about New Orleans and Palestine, you might wonder? Well it's pretty simple. Human rights!!!! Do all human beings deserve to have self-dignity and freedom? I think so. The connection between the people (mostly of color) of New Orleans and Palestine is uncanny.

Once Hurricane Katrina hit, most of the people in the "projects" were not allowed home and were relocated to FEMA trailer parks that are surrounded by wired fences and armed officers. The people of Palestine are controlled by checkpoints and walls. The government in New Orleans has been looking for a way to force the people out of the projects for years because the land it sits on is near the French Quarter and therefor perfect for tourism. The palestinians lived on land in and around Jerusalem that is claimed by Jews as a home land. The similarities go on and on......

I do not stand by what I see as blind support for Israel by America and my Jewish brothers and sisters. I think that if the people that are affected the most in Palestine and New Orleans were white, than it would be a different story. Race and class has always been the underlying factors in prejudices we see around the globe.

Now, I consider myself to be a very spiritual person in nature, but how can I expect to elevate myself in spirit if I am ignoring what's happening to my fellow human beings on the ground? How can I not make the connection between a closed-in ghetto in Germany and a walled-in Gaza? There is a bit of irony there.

This blog is intended to share my opinions on the struggles of these two human populations (and others), and hopefully start a dialogue with you, while remaining positve so we can make it better for our fellow humans and future generations.

Thanks!


Here's a clip from a documentary called "Big Easy to Big Empty" that I found quite insightful.



More written info on that here .

Also, I couldn't resist. Since the presidential election is in 2 days; here's a song by New Orleanian native, Lee Dorsey called "Yes We Can".

Lee Dorsey-Yes We Can