This Land Is Mine

Have you ever wondered when and why did the whole Middle Eastern conflict start exactly? It just seems to have been going on ever since the beginning of times. Today I came across this brilliant short movie, showing all the endless bloodshed from a more objective and humorus perspective. Simple, funny and - unfortunately - true.

Knowledge is power

Dear All,

I've recently promissed you to write an article on kibbutzim, the bygone socialist Israeli utopia, but  I'm afraid I'm going to let you down on this one. The kibbutz communities are fascinating indeed. However, given the current situation in the Middle East, getting all excited about books and lectures as if nothing was happening just wouldn't feel right. The situation is getting more and more serious and cannot be left without a commentary.

I don't feel in a position to present you with summaries, analysis nor opinions - I don't want to stuff you with some second-hand, subjective mash of 'events in a pill'. I would like to encourage you all to  get some in-depth knowledge about the issue and (re?)shape your very own point of view. The Internet is literally crammed with biased news, fierce arguments and thoughtless statements. Not only that people quarrel about their opinions, they also tend to disagree about the reality. Which is why... please, do not rely on one single source of information. Read as much as you can, search for the facts, understand the position of both sides. I don't know how it is in your countries, but in Poland the media tend to simplify things a lot, omitting many seemingly inconsequential details that are an essential part of the whole picture. My advice is to read either the Middle Eastern newspapers (they will give you firsthand, immediate information but may be quite biased, accordingly to their country of origin and political stance) or the Western ones that focus exclusively on the international affairs.

Here's a couple of useful links:

Haaretz - the oldest Israeli newspaper, left-winged and critical about the Israeli policy

Israel National News - quite the opposite 

Israel Herald - somemwhere in the middle, criticizing aggression towards civilians

Palestine News Network and Palesstine Chronicle - the most popular Palestinian media available online in English

Ma'an News Agency - a Palestinian News Agency, slightly more moderate, provides with detailed news from every district of the PA

Middle East Monitor - seems to have a non-sensational, research approach (*correction: as I started to follow it on daily basis, it turned out to be strongly pro-Palestinian)

Foreign Policy - my favorite global affairs news agency with a decent Mideast Brief daily newsletter

These are just a few suggestions how to get access to news of various, contrasted perspectives. Of course, in the online media world, there is much more: BBC, CNN, Al-Jazeera, etc. I wholeheartedly recommend you to use some of them and get deeper into this ongoing conflict. Sure, it takes a lot of time and effort and you will probably start to take it all personally, getting very irritated, terrified or touched. But at least you will form your own, independent opinion and get a little bit closer to the tricky truth. I believe it is worth a lot. 

Pope Francis in the Middle East

The Pope's first official visit in the region is something I cannot forget to mention. During the last few days, this topic was present in the news all around the world. Not surprisingly at all: Pope Francis is a significant religous and poltical leader, enjoying great popularity thanks to his open-minded, humble and joyful attitude. His recent speeches and meetings in the Middle East seem to prove that he does deserve this opinion.

Refering to the main values that Christianity stands for, he put a greatest emphasis on the issue of peace. His visit itself served as a great opportunity to unite people. The Catholic communities from Israel got a permission to attend the pope's speech in PA, entering which is usually impossible for them. The division, marked clearly by the infamous wall, was somewhat diminished by the common prayer of Arabs and Jews.

What also impressed me was the clarity and skillfullness of the Pope's diplomatic approach. As a person from the outside of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he clearly wanted to avoid being associated with one of its sides. He didn't come there as another actor with certain ecnomic or political interests. The aim of his visit was to remind people how essential is it to bring peace to the Holy Land. With respect and empathy, he acknowledged the national tragedies and problems of each of the two countries. He firmly stated that each of them has a right to exist in peace and sovereignity and condemned all the unacceptable actions that slow down the negotiation process.What's more, he invited both the president of the Palestinian Authority Mahmud Abbas and the president of Israel Simon Peretz to join him in the common prayer for peace in the Vatican. This may be an occasion for the two to meet on a "no-man's-land", in a less tense political atmposphere. 

Of course, I would be far from saying that this is a ground-breaking step that will be able bring these two countries to a completely different path. Many things stay the same: you still get the violence and 'price-tag ' attacks, the far-right and the terrorists don't care, both sides keep breaking the agreements. But I greatly hope the Pope's invitation might be this tiny little gesture that will contribute to altering their policies a bit. And that is something bigger than you may think.

*I really recommend you to read the transcript of his speech:

http://www.timesofisrael.com/full-text-of-pope-franciss-speech-on-arrival-in-israel/

Omer Adam ft. Arisa – Tel Aviv

Listen to this song.

Yes, I am aware, this is Hebrew pop. Indeed, this might not be the genre you listen to every day. I do agree, the cover photo is horribly kitschy. On the other hand… WHO CARES?

Listen once more. Ignore your inner critic, inner snob, inner melomaniac or whoever inside of your head wants to make a fuss about a pinch of electro-oriental disco. Embrace the simple beat, enjoy the energy bursting out from every line, let the quivering Mizrahi melody flow...

Nakba, May 15

May 15 is not a day for fierce political debates nor exchanging arguments about which side of the whole Israeli-Palestinian issue is right. It is the day of recognition. Acknowledging the darkside of the short Israeli history: all the personal human suffering caused by its establishment in 1948. Denying this fact won't bring Israel any peace nor glory.

 Let me just quote what Saeb Erekat wrote in today's Haaretz:

"Today is the anniversary of what we Palestinians refer to as the Nakba, our catastrophe – although a single word cannot begin to explain it, and a single day cannot begin to commemorate it.(...) Israel can't erase Nakba from it's history"

Hamsa or Middle East united by a symbol

Although legally Israel grants religious freedom, calling it an entirely secular state would be a sweeping bias.  Judaism has played a major role in preserving the Diaspora’s identity over the years and there’s plenty of traditionally religious symbols that have become national ones. Take the flag with the star of David in the very center or the menorah in the national emblem. Even though a vast majority of the society- be it Orthodox or secularized- does identify with both of them, this somehow seems to exclude religious minorities, such as Muslims or Christians. Fortunately, there is one symbol that unites everybody in the Middle East. It is called Hamsa (five).

I’m sure you are familiar with this one: the palm with an eye in the Middle, coming in a great variety of shapes, colors and decorations. You can see it pretty much everywhere from North Africa to Turkey, which is probably why it’s associated mostly with Islam. However, it’s history is way more ancient. Some scholars trace it back to Mesopotamia, others search for the sign’s origins in Egypt or Phoenicia. It was later adopted by the Muslims, Jews and Christians (presumably in that order). Each of the three major monotheistic religions associates Hamsa with the palm of a sacred woman from its tradition. This is why it can be called either the hand of Fatima (Muhammad’s beloved daughter), Miriam (the sister of Moses) or Mary (Christ’s mother). Note that all of these religions were initially patriarchic, so women  are rather unlikely to play a major role as prophets or religious authorities in their tradition. However, that doesn’t mean they are neglected. It’s quite the contrary: they are loved and admired by the believers, as they represent this more subtle, caring and nurturing side of the Almighty. I find it really beautiful how the feminine kindness and purity is believed to protect from the evil. Because this is what Hamsa is made for: protection. Keeping evil spirits away, bringing good luck, wealth and fertility. The number five is believed to represent various things, depending on the religion. It may stand for the Five Pillars of Islam or the five Books of the Torah.

Historically Hand of Miriam was popular mainly amongst Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews, in the present-day Israel it can be found pretty much everywhere, sold as a charm or souvenir. Moreover, it has spread all over the world as a trendy, Oriental shape, perfect for decorating T-shirts or jewelry. My friend has recently called me to say she had bought me a tiny gift she thought I might like (so sweet of her, isn’t it?). It turned out to be a Hamsa ring, produced by Tally Weijl – an international company addressed to “young, self-condident, sexy and trendy women”. Funnily, that’s quite far from the Middle Eastern ideal represented by Fatima or Miram. But in spite of that, I wear it every single day.

If any of you is planning a travel to Israel, Hamsa is hands down (pun intended) the best thing to bring back home.