OPINION & EDITORIAL
Middle East more complex
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Also by Natalie Mikhail:
- No more excuses for Israel (November 12, 2004)
- Bush appears poised to claim 2nd term (part one) (November 3, 2004)
- A messy situation in Haiti cries for international help (October 21, 2004)
- Saudi women barred from voting in upcoming election (October 14, 2004)
- Darfur genocide needs end (September 23, 2004)
Related Stories:
- Zionists disregard human rights (March 4, 2005)
- Israeli sympathizers present false truths (March 3, 2003)
- Riots and Reconciliation (November 8, 2002)
- War is Arafat's choice (February 21, 2002)
- The problems are the leaders -- not the people (April 10, 2002)
by Natalie Mikhail
Friday, September 17, 2004
Tuesday’s column by Mac VerStandig, entitled “Two Roads Diverged … ,” unfairly lays blame for the failure of the peace process and the ongoing bloodshed solely on the Palestinians. The piece focuses on Palestinian crimes against Israelis and completely ignores well-documented Israeli violations of and contempt for international law and human rights, including forced removal of Palestinians from their homes and land, razing of villages, collective punishment, mass arrests, torture of prisoners, confiscation of land and a brutal occupation.
I point these out not to keep tabs of who did more violence to the other, because both sides have innocents’ blood on their hands and keeping score is also a large part of the problem and an obstacle to moving forward with the peace process. I say it only to make the point that placing total blame on one side of any conflict, as the editorial does, is always suspect.
The truth is that the Palestinian National Authority has been corrupt and did not abandon violent struggle against Israel after its leaders announced they would seek a settlement through peace negotiations and even signed peace accords with Israel. But Israel is equally to blame for the failure of the peace process.
Shortly after Oslo and Madrid, it violated the ground rules of the understanding and closed off the Palestinian territories, restricted movement of Palestinians even between their own towns and villages, cut Jerusalem off from the West Bank, expanded illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories (land which was to be part of a future Palestinian state) and dragged its feet on withdrawing its forces and ending the occupation. It also kept delaying final status negotiations dealing with Jerusalem, borders, refugees and water rights.
And while former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak of the Labor Party at first seems more conciliatory, his offer at Camp David in July 2000 was not as “sweet” as it has been portrayed by the United States, the media and Israel’s supporters. According to Rashid Khalidi, director of the Middle East Institute at Columbia University, in his recent book, “Resurrecting Empire”, Barak made a “stingy take-it-or leave-it offer to Arafat that was predictably rejected.”
It was also a stiff concession: “The offer, which would have divided the West Bank into three disconnected segments, and gave Israel complete control over the borders of a state that would thereby have been much less than sovereign, was ludicrously described in the ensuing mythology that grew up around Camp David as ‘generous.’”
Barak pushed for a summit on critical and complicated final status issues, almost overnight after Israel had resisted such discussions for so long, when the details had not been worked out, a must before any summit.
Likud prime ministers Benjamin Netanyahu and Ariel Sharon likewise share blame, for both opposed Oslo and Madrid from the beginning and gave only lip service to ending the conflict peacefully. And since 2000, the neoconservatives in the Bush administration embraced the hard-line Likud position, opting not for negotiations to end the conflict, but for the use of force against the Palestinians and rejecting the idea of a Palestinian state.
Furthermore, the fact that Arafat and other PNA officials are corrupt and incompetent leaders who are guilty of violence against Israeli civilians and the fact that Arab countries refused to take in the Palestinians who were displaced by Jews and later by the Israelis, are not valid arguments against recognizing the nationalistic aspirations of and granting the Palestinians an independent state with attendant political and civil rights. These circumstances only prove that the Palestinian people have been, and are still being, victimized by both Arab leaders and Israel, making it an even greater imperative to address their grievances, alleviate their suffering and grant them independence.
The piece also attempts to discredit Palestinians’ historical claims to the land of Palestine and even denies the existence of a Palestinian people. But these arguments have long been abandoned even by most Israelis and their government and reflect more the idea of Israel’s supporters in the United States, particularly the Christian right (hence the editorial’s use of the Biblical term “Israelite”), who are far removed from the realities on that ground. It is reminiscent of the days when the Palestinians and all the Arab countries denied the existence of Israel. Neither point is useful in discussing the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as it exists today.
Israeli and Palestinian leaders must take bold actions for peace. Both have failed miserably. The United States must aggressively seek a resolution of the impasse in order to bring some stability to a region vital to our interests. The United States must become an active partner and take a fair and evenhanded approach and must stop giving Israel unequivocal and unqualified support, with impunity, even when Israel acts contrary to U.S. interests, and criticizing and blaming only the Palestinians and punishing their leaders for their misdeeds. An honest broker must have credibility.
Natalie J. Mikhail (nmikhail@badgerherald.com) is a senior majoring in journalism and international studies.
Anonymous (September 17, 2004 @ 5:55am):
Natalie, take your anti-Semitic article and shove it up your ass! You hate Jews and your stupid, biased article proves it. Look how long Israelis has put up with their loved ones being blown apart. Who could rightfully blame them for retaliating? Try libing over there for a month and then we'll see just what you opinion is. Bitch!
Anonymous (September 17, 2004 @ 1:25pm):
Removing people from their homes by blowing them up is a tad worse, dontchathink?
Remember, the Arab lands expelled the Jews that had lived there for many years.
Didn't Kuwait expell the Palestinians?
The other Arab countries have sure provided wonderful hospitality to those who fled Israel, NOT!
Anonymous (September 17, 2004 @ 5:27pm):
Natalie, if you even bothered to study Middle-East history, you would see for yourself that it was the Arabs who uprooted the Jews from Israel a long time ago. You would also find that the British, who sided with the Arabs to drive Jews back out of Israel when they tried to settle there after the Holocaust, utilized and armed the Palestinians to fight against the Jewish refugees.
And the only motivation for the British to do so was to keep that cheap oil flowing. It was all about greed. The British didn't care about "that shitty little country" then and they still don't care now.
As for the Palestinians, too bad! They continue to provide Islamic extremists with "willing martyrs", or should I say "brainwashed idiots", to die for the cause of a few deranged assholes.
So if you really want to major in Jounalism and International Studies, I strongly recommend you study some history. You need to understand the past in order to understand the present. Otherwise, you'll come off as just another left-wing fascist, let alone an anti-Semitic punk!
By the way, I'm a liberal.
Anonymous (September 18, 2004 @ 7:31pm):
Natalie, are you still on your little anti-Jewish kick? You've been at it all summer long. Look, if you want to spread bullshit about the doing in the Middle East, just like you've been spreading that bullshit about young Jewish girls starting out as "Lolitas" before they're old enough to drive, then maybe a bunch of us Jewish women ought to just come down there and kick your perky little ass if you want to experience "collective punishment" of a similar kind!
As for your boyfriend: dump this bitch A.S.A.P., pal! Save yourself a lot of embarrassment, because her ass is going down!
Anonymous (September 18, 2004 @ 11:18pm):
You know, I remember when liberals were the big oppressors on this campus. After reading the posts here, it sure is nice to see the liberals finally get what's been long overdue.
Haven't Jews been put through enough crap for the last 2000 years? Now we've got this bitch named Natalie Mikhail putting out her B.S. when we all know she just another left-wing anti-Semite. When Palestinian terrorists blow themselves up in Israel and kill innocent Jewish women and children, the liberals just clam up and disappear. But when the Israelis retaliate, THAT'S when liberals come out in throngs to bash Jews. And they keep claiming that "this is not an anti-Jewish movement." SHUT UP!!! How else can they explain the timeliness of the anti-Semitic grafitti on the Hillel Center?
Natalie, whatever wild hair you got growing out of your ass, I suggest you pluck it out real soon. What else are you prejudiced against? Or should I bother to ask?
Anonymous (September 18, 2004 @ 11:24pm):
Natalie, why don't you concentrate on your weight problem instead of making a Nazi piece of crap of yourself? You're such a bitch! Go find some co-op to hole up in, get a boyfriend-or girlfriend or whatever-and leave the intelligent commentary to the folks who have something meaningful to write about.
Anonymous (September 18, 2004 @ 11:26pm):
Muslims are kidnapping people and decapitating them, bombing buildings, murdering innocent children, and all you can bitch about is Jews fighting back the only way that works. Natalie, fuck off!
Anonymous (September 18, 2004 @ 11:36pm):
The more liberals make fools of themselves, the better the chances that conservative candidates will get elected...or re-elected. Let's bring back the Reagan-era eighties. Everyone is so sick and tired of this garbage.
Liberals: grow up, get your hair fixed, graduate and get a damn job! No wonder you all suck nowadays. Do us all a favor and move to Oregon. And take thos goddamn low-rise bell-bottom jeans with you!
Anonymous (September 18, 2004 @ 11:39pm):
natalie your face is fat please diet right away.
Anonymous (September 19, 2004 @ 12:27am):
Why is it that when all you poor oppressed liberals get bored with your own pathetic lives, you have to turn around and bash Israel and the Jews? Do you honestly think that we can't see all your bullshit for what it really is?
Where are the multitudes of Muslims to protest against terrorist acts committed by Islamic extremists? If terror is not the way of the Koran then why aren't they joing the rest of us in condemning it?
As for the Palestinians, I really couldn't care less. If those assholes can't reign in the suicide bombers then why should we care what the Israelis do to them. Maybe if we allow the Israelis to finish building that wall then the bombings will stop. Then all you liberal assholes over here who are always whining about the $3.5 billion Uncle Sam gives them in military aid every year can watch the figure get smaller.
Natalie, I'm not sympathetic to you or Muslims and I don't see why I should be. Every day some mosque somewhere in the US is raided and they find that Muslims who worship there were secretly funding terrorist activities here and abroad. How many Jews have ever blown anything up? How many Jews have ever hijacked a jet and flew it into a skyscraper? How many Jews have ever taken over a school and killed innocent women and children?
I'll tell you right now, I feel a lot safer around a Jewish person who's concerned about earning an honest livinglike I'm trying to do than I'll ever be around a Muslim who's probably about to explode and take me along with him. And that's the #1 reason we have a seperation of church and state in this country.
So keep your hatred of Jews to yourself. And don't try to tell us you have Jewish friends who agree with you either. We know you don't.
Anonymous (September 19, 2004 @ 12:31am):
Nataly can I see your boobies?
Anonymous (September 19, 2004 @ 12:48am):
Natalie, you know what the problem is with you liberals? Everything the US Government is for, you're against. Everything the US Government is against, you are for. That's the way it's always been. Every once in a while, the Government actually does something right, but it doesn't seem to matter to liberals at all.
Even when Bill Clinton, a liberal himself, was in office, you were all screaming and yelling about most of his policies. Strangely enough, you all ran and hid when the big sex scandal with Monica Lewinsky made headlines.
Why?
The selectivity you practice on every issue clearly gives it all away. You just like to disagree for the sake of disagreeing. You're in college, kiddo. It's time to start learning.
Anonymous (September 20, 2004 @ 9:09am):
Ouch, not a lot of substantive discussion here. Look people, if you want to disagree with Natalie you could at least provide some arguments instead of all the ad hominem attacks. It reflects poorly on the UW that so many people view this as acceptable debate style. As to the Israel/Palestine question, it's pretty obvious to most people that both sides are fucked up and extremely racist. Palestine is fucked up because no one there seems to realize that they're not going to get anywhere unless they crack down hard on the terrorists, although it could be argued that no one there has the political strength to do so. On the other hand, I can't believe that anyone is supporting the idea of a majority Jewish state, which would obviously come at the expense of the Palestinians. What if the white people in the United States declared to the world that they wanted a majority white (caucasian) people state...I don't think that would go over very well. Anyway, it's really sad to see the state of mind of many people who post here. Try to take a step back and make an argument based on some sort of evidence or reasoning.
Anonymous (September 20, 2004 @ 9:14am):
Also, I think it's really ironic that the person who told Natalie to: "leave the intelligent commentary to the folks who have something meaningful to write about" directly preceeded it with "You're such a bitch! Go find some co-op to hole up in, get a boyfriend-or girlfriend or whatever". Yeah, thanks poster, we'll leave the intelligent commentary to...um....not you.
Anonymous (September 20, 2004 @ 9:42am):
To whom it may concern and anyone else: Most Israelis are biologically the same race-Semitic-as the Palestinians. Jews are not a distinct race. That is an old myth that has been around since the days of Nazi Germany. No one can be racially Jewish any more than they can be racially Muslim or racially Christian.
To call the Israelis racist completely skews the original political aspect of the conflict. And what's more, the conflict is only political. For you and others of your misinformed ilk to try to inject race into the issue only proves what anti-Semites you are.
Judaism, like Islam, is a religion, not a biological distinction. To portray it as such only show how uneducated you are.
Sure, the majority of the posts here have been vicious, but then again so is Natalie's thinly-veiled attack on Jews. We are no longer easily fooled into accepting such commentary as unbiased analysis.
Those of us who have studied the history of the Middle-East know very well the Palestinian role in the war on Jewish refugees who declared their rightful statehood. The Arab world would have none of it, thus reviving centuries of anti-Jewish hostilities. No, it is yours and Natalie's ideas that are warped, and we have every right to tell all of you what you can do with those ideas. Jews do not have to put up with your crap anymore, and we won't!
Anonymous (September 20, 2004 @ 9:43am):
Someone wrote: "On the other hand, I can't believe that anyone is supporting the idea of a majority Jewish state, which would obviously come at the expense of the Palestinians. What if the white people in the United States declared to the world that they wanted a majority white (caucasian) people state..."
This is one of the stupidest and most bigoted comments I've ever seen here. If it's about religion, then consider that the US is a majority Christian state, as are most countries in Europe, and most countries in the Middle East are majority Muslim countries. If you are therefore opposed to Israel because it is a majority Jewish state, you are an anti-Semite.
You're also forgetting that Jews are not just members of a religion but also an ethnic group, like Italians, Irish, Poles, Mexicans, Arabs, etc. Each of these ethnic groups have their own country or countries, generally in places where they lived historically. Israelis now live in a country that is in the same place (though much smaller) than the original independent country in which their ancestors lived thousands of years ago. And the Palestinians? They never had an independent country of their own. There were no so-called "Palestinians" until the 1960s. Before the 1967 war, Arabs who lived in what we now call the West Bank and Gaza Strip did not refer to themselves as Palestinians in an ethnic or national sense, they referred to themselves as Arabs living in Jordanian or Egyptian territory.
Now, as for the ad hominem attacks on Natalie, I agree with the previous poster who said they have no place in an intelligent discussion. Natalie's views may be extremely anti-Semitic and racist, and as someone who knows her, I can confirm that they are representative of her outlook in general, but to call her a bitch just because she expressed her views in a public forum or to threaten her is inappropriate. Worse, the people who do so bring discredit to their cause and shame to those of us who would defeat the Natalies of the world in this debate on the strength of our vastly superior ideas.
Anonymous (September 20, 2004 @ 10:11am):
I understand that Jews are members of an ethnicity and a religion (though the two groups don't always overlap - there are ethnic Jews who are not Jewish religiously, and religious Jews who are not ethnic Jews). To me, this doesn't matter. It's as bigoted to want a majority Christian state as it is to want a majority Muslim state as it is to want a majority Jewish state.
Anonymous (September 20, 2004 @ 3:30pm):
very thoughtful, well-researched, well-written article.
don't let the venom here get to you.
Anonymous (September 20, 2004 @ 3:32pm):
And yet you never hear anyone criticize the US or any of the predominantly Christian countries of Europe for setting immigration policy in a way that is designed to maintain white Christian majorities, or any of the Arab countries in the Middle East for making it all but illegal to be anything but Muslim. You still have a double standard against Jews, and that makes you a bigot.
Anonymous (September 20, 2004 @ 3:36pm):
As the guy who posted the comments about the majority XXX state I can say for sure that I'm constantly criticizing US and European (esp. German) immigration policy for a number of reasons including the ones you stated that "no one ever criticizes". There's no double standard there. It's wrong for a country to say that only this or that kind of people is allowed to live there, plain and simple and it's wrong no matter who does it.
Anonymous (September 20, 2004 @ 7:37pm):
So how much more wrong must it be for Yasser Arafat and his cronies to call for the death of every Jew in Israel? Read the Arabic-language press or listen to sermons from Middle Eastern mosques any day of the week and you'll hear such calls -- and not just from "extremist" sources, but mainstream ones as well.
In any case, the Palestinian state you advocate by inference would be one in which no Jews are welcome. Arabs may be second-class citizens in Israel, but at least they are citizens. Thus, the double standard remains: you criticize Israel when the Palestinians are far more discriminatory, but you refuse to criticize the Palestinians.
Anonymous (September 20, 2004 @ 8:06pm):
For truth, see:
http://www.pmw.org.il/tv%20part1.html#farewell
http://www.pmw.org.il/Latest%20bulletins%20new.htm#050904
http://www.pmw.org.il/tv%20part9.html#bodybrought
http://www.pmw.org.il/tv%20part4.html#honortofamily
http://www.pmw.org.il/tv%20part4.html#bestforhim
http://www.pmw.org.il/tv%20part4.html#marrydarkeye
Anonymous (September 20, 2004 @ 8:37pm):
We call Natalie a bitch because she is a bitch! And an anti-Semitic bitch at that.
Anonymous (September 20, 2004 @ 9:08pm):
You can call Natalie whatever you want but you really lose all credibility by using ad hominem attacks.
Anonymous (September 20, 2004 @ 9:14pm):
I just got done watching the beheading of American Eugene Armstrong. Well, now we can all see what Islm is really all about. Give me one good reason why we should care about Palestinians. Give me one good reason why Muslims deserve any rights at all. Where are all the Muslims who are disgusted by what other Muslims are doing? Why don't we hear them speak out? Because they silently approve, that's why.
Natalie, you really are a bitch. And so is everybody who comes to your defense. You trashy little cunt! You deserve to have a bunch of Jews kick your ass. I hope it happens. I hope you have to hide, just like all the Jews had to hide during to Holocaust. Now you know what it's like to fear for your life. You asked for every bit of it.
As for all you like-minded bastards out there who support her, I hope you liberal assholes get the same. You have finally worn out your welcome. It is time!
Anonymous (September 20, 2004 @ 11:11pm):
Fuck you! You and Natalie lost all your credibility the minute you all decided to persecute Jews all over again. You always fuck with people who can't defend themselves. You may as well just go out and blow yourselves up too. We're sick and tired of hearing liberals bitch because they obviously have nothing better to do. What a bunch of pussies!
Seriously, Jews are such a small percentage of the world population, they can't possibly do anyone harm. As for the majority of the Israeli population being Jewish, hey why not? They gotta have somplace to go to get away from assholes like you. And now you want to fuck with them there? You just don't quit, do you? Fuck off! Go some fuckin' place else and take Natalie with you!
Anonymous (September 20, 2004 @ 11:18pm):
Folks, the "ad hominem attacks" here do not even approach the attacks that Jews here in Madison have put up with. I have seen for myself what so-called liberals have dished out. Then they try to claim that they are not anti-Jewish. What bullshit! Think spitting in some Jewish girl's hair is not anti-Jewish? Think scrawling anti-Semitic graffiti on a Jewish student's car is not anti-Jewish?
Yeah, I agree with the poster who said that liberals have worn out their welcome here. It is definitely time.
Also, I saw the video of the beheading of Eugene Armstrong. And I have NOT seen or heard any Muslims condemning the murder. And these are the bastards that liberals are siding up with. You want to talk about credibility? Yeah, let's talk about credibility, assholes!
Anonymous (September 21, 2004 @ 9:08am):
Well, if you guys want to continue with the personal attacks and the generalizations it's fine with me, just don't expect to win anyone over to your side with such well reasoned arguments. The fact that one group, radical muslim terrorists behaves in a morally reprehensible manner doesn't justify immediate disqualification of any criticism directed at the other side, the Israelis. Your generalizations about muslims shows your total lack of understanding of islam, just as racist attitudes and hatred (which, admittedly is on a totally different level) in predominantly muslim countries shows their complete and utter lack of understanding of what it means to respect other cultures, and the right of Jews to live without fear in any country they want.
There are plenty of reasonable people out there who are able to articulate their support for Israel without having to resort to foul language and ad hominem attacks, but sadly, they seem to not be participating in this dialogue - if you can call it that.
And what's with all of the people saying that Liberal's are on the side of the muslims. I could be considered a liberal but I'm totally against what the Muslims are doing and totally committed to fighting terrorism of all kinds. As far as I'm concerned the governments of Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and pretty much every muslim country is illegitmate and committing gross violations of human rights left and right. We should cut off all ties, and stop all trade with countries that fail to provide basic human rights to their people - including people of other ethnicities and religions, which these countries fail to do. US foreign policy with respect to these countries has been a disaster and we need to stop propping up facist dictators - ie the Saudi Royal family. Please stop making unsubstantiated accusations that liberals somehow support Islamic terrorists unless you have some sort of evidence to back it up because everything I've seen shows that liberals are, if anything, doing more to stop Islamic terrrorism than conservatives who are more concerned with keeping our oil-rich trading partners happy.
Anonymous (September 21, 2004 @ 11:41am):
As Natalie's best friend, and someone who is also Jewish. I know for a fact that she is neither racist nor anti-semitic. On the contrary, she is extremely open to many religions, backgrounds and ideas. Publicly stating those ideas, she has done nothing wrong. Those of you that say nothing but ad hominem attacks show no personal signs of knowledge or integrity...come on people, name calling is something we did in the 4th grade! If you wanted to continue on that path why did you come to a liberal college in the first place. If you read her articles, she didn't attack Jews or Israelis but rather advocated peace and compromise on both sides. If you want a debate then use facts and intellectual arguments because as you know hatred is not causing any good in this world. As a new generation, why not make it a better place?
Anonymous (September 21, 2004 @ 7:34pm):
"Jews are such a small percentage of the world population, they can't possibly do anyone harm"....uh huh, tell that to the people who perished in the Sabra and Shatila massacres. Oh wait, they don't count, do they? Because there's no hypocrisy in (rightfully) denouncing bigotry against Jews out of one side of your mouth and generalizing Arabs as subhuman terrorist scum out of the other. Clearly, there are fucked up "leaders" in the Muslim world who have little interest in peace. But Ariel Sharon hasn't done much to show that he does, either. Yes, there are people on the left, including some who question Israel's right to exist, who need to check themselves and their history. But it's just lame to say that any criticism of Israel makes one an anti-semite. Both sides have done things that are counterproductive to peace. I strongly support Israel's right to exist in peace (and don't think they should ever give back the Golan for that matter), but they've pursued policies and elected politicians that make such a peace less likely, and they're not beyond valid criticism. To answer any such critisism with anti-Arab bigotry and threats of physical violence, as above, is simply appropriating the heavy-handed tactics of the fascists who once oppressed your relatives. Israel itself is, in many ways, the most progressive, enlightened and democratic state in the region, and it deserves better from its "defenders" on this forum.
Anonymous (September 21, 2004 @ 7:49pm):
***maybe a bunch of us Jewish women ought to just come down there and kick your perky little ass***
Oooh, I'm sure she's terrified of a bunch of Rachels in puffy North Face jackets and asspants. Are you gonna throw your mascara and daddy's credit cards at her? Don't let the door hit you on your ass on the way back East. Ya might choke on your bagel.
Anonymous (February 28, 2005 @ 2:54am):
The anti-Israel individuals NEED to get their history straight and make sure what their saying is true. With Jews being only 1-2% of the world population, and having been persecuted throughout history, they rightfully deserve a country of their own. The Israeli state must and will continue to exist! Jews must have a place to call home.
