79 Days to Go
Chinks in the Armor….Take Heart!
By Sherwin Pomerantz
As of today there are 79 days to the opening of the United Nations General Assembly and the vote on recognizing Palestinian statehood. It appears that chinks are developing in the armor and that even among the Arab population in the region, it is not a given that a unilateral declaration of statehood is the way to go.
Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in an interview with the Associated Press earlier this week said that:
"UN recognition of a Palestinian state would largely be a symbolic victory and would not change the reality of the Israeli occupation."
Asked if anything would change on the ground after UN recognition, he said:
"My answer to you is no. Unless Israel is part of that consensus, it won’t because to me, it is about ending the Israeli occupation."
Writing in Kuwaiti newspaper Al Watan, journalist Abdallah al-Hadlaq stated on June 22nd:
"The Palestinians strive to obtain premature recognition for a “Palestinian State” this September despite the danger of derailing the peace talks, which is implicit in a unilateral declaration…..A unilateral declaration will not conclude the conflict but only make matters worse, making it more intense instead of ending it. The Palestinians seem to have lost their keen interest in negotiation aimed at a reaching a deal, and now only want to act unilaterally in ways that will never solve key problems in the current impasse - which can only be tackled through direct talks between the parties concerned. Continued Palestinian obstinacy just complicates the conflict. As the Palestinians press on unilaterally for premature recognition of their ”State”, they ignore Israel’s right to exist peacefully as the state of the Jewish people, recognized and living within its borders. "
Interesting words from the Arab world to be sure, coupled with more and more pressure on the organizers of the next flotilla to abandon their plans. Of course, all of this as the UN continues to play the game as it were. Yesterday and today, in Brussels, the UN’s Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People is hosting what they call the United Nations International Meeting in Support of the Israel-Palestinian Peace Process. Many nations will be represented in Belgium at these sessions except one that was not invited…Israel.
Is it conceivable that the very same UN that is being petitioned by the Palestinian Arab leadership to grant them statehood sponsors a meeting on the peace process here and does not invite Israel? Can any organization that does this have credibility? Perhaps Salam Fayyad and Abdallah al-Hadlaq (quoted above) understand this and realize that even if the UN General Assembly were to accede to the petitions of the Palestinian Arab leadership, the vote would, indeed, be meaningless,.
I am not saying that there would be no fallout. I have no doubt that the fallout would be significant and that the lives of those of us here could turn into a living hell come the winter. But intelligent Arab voices now seem to be speaking out with an understanding of the folly of pursuing the UN vote.
Therefore, it is all the more important that people write to the UN delegates now urging them to vote “no” should this come to the floor of the General Assembly. This not because it is bad for Israel, but because it is bad for the region and recognition at this time would, in and of itself, contribute to the further destabilization of the region.
That, of course, does not let us off the hook either. World Jewish Congress President Ron Lauder in an address to the participants in the International Congress of Jewish Parliamentarians meeting here in Jerusalem this week, castigated the Prime Minister of Israel for not having put forth Israel’s plan for peace. He said that Israel must present a diplomatic plan in order to regain international support and block Palestinian efforts to obtain unilateral recognition for statehood from the UN in September.
As you know I have been saying this for some time as I believe our thrust has to be bi-directional. On the one hand we need to use all of the resources at our disposal to thwart the UN vote while on the other hand the world must be made aware of our diplomatic plan to end the stalemate and bring peace to the region.
Theodore Roosevelt once said “In a moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing to do. The worst thing you can do is nothing.” We need to internalize that concept and fast!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
80 Days to Go
Do People Who Lynch Jews Deserve UN Recognition?
By Sherwin Pomerantz
There are now 80 days to the opening of the United Nations General Assembly and the vote on recognizing Palestinian statehood. Are the Palestinians ready for that should it be granted? Perhaps not.
On Sunday of this week Nir Nachshon, a driver for a moving company here was on his way home to Ma’ale Adumim from Jerusalem when he ran into traffic in the area of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. In an effort to get around the traffic he consulted his GPS system and, to his regret, when following the shortcut ended up in the East Jerusalem village of Issawiya, less than 4 miles from where I am drafting this piece.
As he entered the village someone saw his car and screamed, in Arabic, “Jew, Jew,” and then the trouble began. Speaking to reporters from his hospital bed at Hadassah Hospital – Ein Kerem, after the incident he said “they started throwing rocks and cement blocks right into the car. I realized I was going to die and I started thinking this isn’t the way I want to die.”
When asked about the incident, Nachshon said that just as he made the turn he realized he was in the wrong place but didn’t realize how big an issue it would become. As he said: ”This is Jerusalem, this is home.”
The initial assailant kept calling out the words “Jew, Jew” and each time more people came out of the alleyways to throw whatever they could lay their hands on directly at the car.
Fortunately, some righteous person, Darwish Darwish, a local Palestinian Arab, saw what was happening and understood that Nachshon’s life was in danger. He then plucked Nachshon from the car and took him to his house. He wiped the blood that was now streaming down Nachshon’s face with a wet towel and then told Nachshon that it was not safe for him to remain there. Darwish, a muchtar of the village, had his sons take Nachshon out a back door into a car and drive him to the outskirts of the village where he was turned over to Israeli authorities and taken to the hospital.
In an act of incredible humanity, Darwish later went to Ma’ale Adumim to visit Nachshon and apologize for what happened. He said “I condemn this act; I ask for your forgiveness and invite you to return to the village.”
So the story ends on a happy note but could have ended quite differently save for the actions of one righteous person who saw the enemy and realized “they are us.”
No doubt some people will say Nachshon should not have been in the village at all. But does that address the question? Is making a wrong turn in Jerusalem something that should put our lives in danger? If the anger of the mob living in such close proximity to the rest of us is such that it can boil over in an instant and threaten our lives, can we accept that?
For sure it would be wrong to label an entire people with negative adjectives based on the actions of a few. But this is not the first time that something like this has happened and it probably will not be the last either. The problem goes deep into the educational system where Palestinian Arabs are taught from the earliest years that all of Israel is land that has been stolen from them, that the struggle to retake the land will end only when victory is assured and the we, Jews who have lived here for 3,500 years, have no rightful claim to the land.
I have argued before that the concept of two states for two peoples living side by side in security and safety is something I can support. But events of this type prove that moving forward on this track unilaterally is not in the best interests of either party and a UN vote in September in favor of recognition would be a major problem for Israel. People who attempt to lynch Jews for simply driving into their neighborhoods are, ipso facto, not ready for statehood and self-government.
Do People Who Lynch Jews Deserve UN Recognition?
By Sherwin Pomerantz
There are now 80 days to the opening of the United Nations General Assembly and the vote on recognizing Palestinian statehood. Are the Palestinians ready for that should it be granted? Perhaps not.
On Sunday of this week Nir Nachshon, a driver for a moving company here was on his way home to Ma’ale Adumim from Jerusalem when he ran into traffic in the area of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. In an effort to get around the traffic he consulted his GPS system and, to his regret, when following the shortcut ended up in the East Jerusalem village of Issawiya, less than 4 miles from where I am drafting this piece.
As he entered the village someone saw his car and screamed, in Arabic, “Jew, Jew,” and then the trouble began. Speaking to reporters from his hospital bed at Hadassah Hospital – Ein Kerem, after the incident he said “they started throwing rocks and cement blocks right into the car. I realized I was going to die and I started thinking this isn’t the way I want to die.”
When asked about the incident, Nachshon said that just as he made the turn he realized he was in the wrong place but didn’t realize how big an issue it would become. As he said: ”This is Jerusalem, this is home.”
The initial assailant kept calling out the words “Jew, Jew” and each time more people came out of the alleyways to throw whatever they could lay their hands on directly at the car.
Fortunately, some righteous person, Darwish Darwish, a local Palestinian Arab, saw what was happening and understood that Nachshon’s life was in danger. He then plucked Nachshon from the car and took him to his house. He wiped the blood that was now streaming down Nachshon’s face with a wet towel and then told Nachshon that it was not safe for him to remain there. Darwish, a muchtar of the village, had his sons take Nachshon out a back door into a car and drive him to the outskirts of the village where he was turned over to Israeli authorities and taken to the hospital.
In an act of incredible humanity, Darwish later went to Ma’ale Adumim to visit Nachshon and apologize for what happened. He said “I condemn this act; I ask for your forgiveness and invite you to return to the village.”
So the story ends on a happy note but could have ended quite differently save for the actions of one righteous person who saw the enemy and realized “they are us.”
No doubt some people will say Nachshon should not have been in the village at all. But does that address the question? Is making a wrong turn in Jerusalem something that should put our lives in danger? If the anger of the mob living in such close proximity to the rest of us is such that it can boil over in an instant and threaten our lives, can we accept that?
For sure it would be wrong to label an entire people with negative adjectives based on the actions of a few. But this is not the first time that something like this has happened and it probably will not be the last either. The problem goes deep into the educational system where Palestinian Arabs are taught from the earliest years that all of Israel is land that has been stolen from them, that the struggle to retake the land will end only when victory is assured and the we, Jews who have lived here for 3,500 years, have no rightful claim to the land.
I have argued before that the concept of two states for two peoples living side by side in security and safety is something I can support. But events of this type prove that moving forward on this track unilaterally is not in the best interests of either party and a UN vote in September in favor of recognition would be a major problem for Israel. People who attempt to lynch Jews for simply driving into their neighborhoods are, ipso facto, not ready for statehood and self-government.
Monday, June 27, 2011
81 Days to Go
Flotilla, Shmotilla!
By Sherwin Pomerantz
With 81 days to the opening of the United Nations General Assembly and the vote on recognizing Palestinian statehood the heat in the kitchen has not abated.
Today the Palestinian Authority announced after a late night meeting that regardless of any other initiatives currently being discussed the move to recognition of statehood will continue unabated. I’m not sure why anyone would be surprised at that news, I certainly was not. So the need to express our opinions, in writing, to every UN delegate remains in place.
But the next international crisis is scheduled to take place on Thursday when the next flotilla to break the blockade of Gaza is due to enter Israel’s territorial waters. And what is the planned response here?
• The Prime Minister’s office has announced that foreign journalists travelling on any of the ships of the flotilla could later be barred from entering Israel for the next 10 years. So much for freedom of the press, don’t you think?
• The Minister of Defense has called the flotilla an “unnecessary provocation” as there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He went on to say that the Israeli military intends to prevent the flotilla from landing in Gaza and is prepared to use military force if needed although it hopes it will not be needed. Sound familiar?
• And the official line from the Government’s diplomatic envoys is that an agreement has been reached with the Egyptians whereby in addition to Israel being ready to permit the off-loading of humanitarian supplies destined for Gaza in Ashkelon, the Egyptians are prepared to do the same in El-Arish, just south of the strip. Not sure this will placate the protestors.
Why is our government having trouble seeing that we are heading directly into yet another public relations debacle if we pursue this “same old” approach to such efforts by people who feel committed to their cause? True, the Turkish government has urged the IHH there not to support the flotilla, and the IHH has pulled the famous Mavi Marmara from the convoy. And just as true, some Mediterranean governments have made it known that they will not permit ships of the flotilla from using their docks as launch sites for this effort. At the same time the US has called the flotilla a provocation. But we know that, in spite of all of this, ships are en route and will be in the area on Thursday morning.
What will we do this time? Will we, once again, in an effort to stop the ships from reaching Gaza direct them to stop and, if they don’t, have our young men and women board those vessels and put their lives in danger? For what purpose? To prove what point? To be able to say we have a right to impose a blockade on a regime that is committed to our destruction? Will that matter to anyone if, once again, people on those ships are injured or killed? At this critical time in our history can’t we find some way to turn this situation into a win for us rather than yet another public relations failure? I think we can.
If, as the press as reported, we are prepared to allow the ships to land in either Ashkelon or El-Arish, unload their cargo and then insure safe transfer to Gaza, why not go one step further and capture the narrative on this issue? Why not send out a message now that it is our intention to stop each of the ships and inspect the cargo to ascertain that it is, indeed, humanitarian in nature. If, as the organizers claim, the cargo is composed wholly of humanitarian aid (i.e. no weapons, incendiaries, ammunition or similar materiel) then we should let those ships pass and deliver their cargo to Gaza. Actually, if I had my way I would actually escort the flotilla to Gaza with our Israeli flags flying high and have aerial photographers in place to record the action for posterity and the BBC.
If, as the organizers claim, their only intent is to make life easier for the Gazans and if, as the Gazans claim, all they want is to be able to unload these goods in their port let’s test the waters and see where it takes us. If there are no weapons or related materials aboard, the world might even applaud our approach. If, however, we find contraband on board then the world will know what the flotilla organizers really meant by the term “humanitarian aid.” I think it is worth the chance even though I know a lot of people will disagree with me. Well, it won’t be the first time that’s happened and probably not the last either.
Kirkegaard said “To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself.” I would rather not take the latter risk.
Flotilla, Shmotilla!
By Sherwin Pomerantz
With 81 days to the opening of the United Nations General Assembly and the vote on recognizing Palestinian statehood the heat in the kitchen has not abated.
Today the Palestinian Authority announced after a late night meeting that regardless of any other initiatives currently being discussed the move to recognition of statehood will continue unabated. I’m not sure why anyone would be surprised at that news, I certainly was not. So the need to express our opinions, in writing, to every UN delegate remains in place.
But the next international crisis is scheduled to take place on Thursday when the next flotilla to break the blockade of Gaza is due to enter Israel’s territorial waters. And what is the planned response here?
• The Prime Minister’s office has announced that foreign journalists travelling on any of the ships of the flotilla could later be barred from entering Israel for the next 10 years. So much for freedom of the press, don’t you think?
• The Minister of Defense has called the flotilla an “unnecessary provocation” as there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He went on to say that the Israeli military intends to prevent the flotilla from landing in Gaza and is prepared to use military force if needed although it hopes it will not be needed. Sound familiar?
• And the official line from the Government’s diplomatic envoys is that an agreement has been reached with the Egyptians whereby in addition to Israel being ready to permit the off-loading of humanitarian supplies destined for Gaza in Ashkelon, the Egyptians are prepared to do the same in El-Arish, just south of the strip. Not sure this will placate the protestors.
Why is our government having trouble seeing that we are heading directly into yet another public relations debacle if we pursue this “same old” approach to such efforts by people who feel committed to their cause? True, the Turkish government has urged the IHH there not to support the flotilla, and the IHH has pulled the famous Mavi Marmara from the convoy. And just as true, some Mediterranean governments have made it known that they will not permit ships of the flotilla from using their docks as launch sites for this effort. At the same time the US has called the flotilla a provocation. But we know that, in spite of all of this, ships are en route and will be in the area on Thursday morning.
What will we do this time? Will we, once again, in an effort to stop the ships from reaching Gaza direct them to stop and, if they don’t, have our young men and women board those vessels and put their lives in danger? For what purpose? To prove what point? To be able to say we have a right to impose a blockade on a regime that is committed to our destruction? Will that matter to anyone if, once again, people on those ships are injured or killed? At this critical time in our history can’t we find some way to turn this situation into a win for us rather than yet another public relations failure? I think we can.
If, as the press as reported, we are prepared to allow the ships to land in either Ashkelon or El-Arish, unload their cargo and then insure safe transfer to Gaza, why not go one step further and capture the narrative on this issue? Why not send out a message now that it is our intention to stop each of the ships and inspect the cargo to ascertain that it is, indeed, humanitarian in nature. If, as the organizers claim, the cargo is composed wholly of humanitarian aid (i.e. no weapons, incendiaries, ammunition or similar materiel) then we should let those ships pass and deliver their cargo to Gaza. Actually, if I had my way I would actually escort the flotilla to Gaza with our Israeli flags flying high and have aerial photographers in place to record the action for posterity and the BBC.
If, as the organizers claim, their only intent is to make life easier for the Gazans and if, as the Gazans claim, all they want is to be able to unload these goods in their port let’s test the waters and see where it takes us. If there are no weapons or related materials aboard, the world might even applaud our approach. If, however, we find contraband on board then the world will know what the flotilla organizers really meant by the term “humanitarian aid.” I think it is worth the chance even though I know a lot of people will disagree with me. Well, it won’t be the first time that’s happened and probably not the last either.
Kirkegaard said “To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself.” I would rather not take the latter risk.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
82 Days to Go
Start-up Country?
By Sherwin Pomerantz
So the count is now 82 days to the opening of the United Nations General Assembly and the vote on recognizing Palestinian statehood. There does appear to be some chinks developing in the armor, as it were but time will tell what kind of flexibility we will see on both sides.
Meanwhile, my business partner, Ben Dansker with whom I have been associated for 25 years and whose intellect I highly respect, came up with an idea late last week the made me believe he is the best person to write today’s blog so, with gratitude to his commitment to do this, following is his analysis of where we are as a country. Hope you find it of interest.
=============================================================================
Frequently observers of businesses and corporations as well as academics, researchers, and often just plane pundits and kibitzers will point out that the kind of leadership and organizational processes which a company needs at its inception and its early years often differs sharply from the kinds of skills, people, and leadership needed when a company grows and matures. There is nothing particularly new in this, people have been talking and writing about this for decades. In fact most companies, though often only after a major crisis, do make the kinds of changes necessary to adapt to a new, larger, more mature corporate reality and environment.
It may be that countries are the same. That just as a company often needs a different and perhaps more professional leadership and management when it matures than it did when it was trying to invent itself, to develop a product and get it to market, a country too needs a different kind of leadership than it did in the early decades. Israel at its inception, 63 years ago was led and run by much the same kind of culture that characterizes start-ups. Quick decisions, passion and ideology, and that combination of Israeli chutzpa, chafifiut (loosely translated as amateurishness or carelessness),and faith in an idea, a kind of the world be damned, go it alone sort of approach to problems. The leaders of Israel in its early days were daring, risk taking, passionate ideologues, to be sure, but rarely professionals, not so unlike many of the founding fathers of the United States or so many other democracies.
Israel's population has grown more than ten fold in 63 years, orders of magnitude more than any other country in the world. Its economy has grown as well. If Israel was once called a poor country with a lot of rich people, today it is a rich country, though with unfortunately a lot of poor people. Few countries, if any have had to contend with the challenges to its development and even its very existence as has Israel and in spite of manifold problems, it hasn't done badly in many spheres.
Certainly few of those passionate founding fathers would have imagined the extent of its success in absorbing waves of immigration, of building an enviable technology based industry, of being able to boast one of the strongest currencies and economies in the world. And yet, the culture of governance has not changed, the same lack of professionalism, lack of attention to proper governance processes, the same combination of chutzpa and chafifanut, still characterize the way the decisions are made, the way the country is governed, the way Ministers are selected for ideological and political reasons and not because they know anything about their particular Ministry.
The idea that yihe be’seder,(it will be okay), still pervades our thinking in the face of whatever disasters seem to be lurking.
A more professional and process oriented leadership and governance would not solve the tremendous problems facing Israel, but perhaps it would strengthen Israel's ability to deal with them.
=================================================================================
How right he is!!!
Start-up Country?
By Sherwin Pomerantz
So the count is now 82 days to the opening of the United Nations General Assembly and the vote on recognizing Palestinian statehood. There does appear to be some chinks developing in the armor, as it were but time will tell what kind of flexibility we will see on both sides.
Meanwhile, my business partner, Ben Dansker with whom I have been associated for 25 years and whose intellect I highly respect, came up with an idea late last week the made me believe he is the best person to write today’s blog so, with gratitude to his commitment to do this, following is his analysis of where we are as a country. Hope you find it of interest.
=============================================================================
Frequently observers of businesses and corporations as well as academics, researchers, and often just plane pundits and kibitzers will point out that the kind of leadership and organizational processes which a company needs at its inception and its early years often differs sharply from the kinds of skills, people, and leadership needed when a company grows and matures. There is nothing particularly new in this, people have been talking and writing about this for decades. In fact most companies, though often only after a major crisis, do make the kinds of changes necessary to adapt to a new, larger, more mature corporate reality and environment.
It may be that countries are the same. That just as a company often needs a different and perhaps more professional leadership and management when it matures than it did when it was trying to invent itself, to develop a product and get it to market, a country too needs a different kind of leadership than it did in the early decades. Israel at its inception, 63 years ago was led and run by much the same kind of culture that characterizes start-ups. Quick decisions, passion and ideology, and that combination of Israeli chutzpa, chafifiut (loosely translated as amateurishness or carelessness),and faith in an idea, a kind of the world be damned, go it alone sort of approach to problems. The leaders of Israel in its early days were daring, risk taking, passionate ideologues, to be sure, but rarely professionals, not so unlike many of the founding fathers of the United States or so many other democracies.
Israel's population has grown more than ten fold in 63 years, orders of magnitude more than any other country in the world. Its economy has grown as well. If Israel was once called a poor country with a lot of rich people, today it is a rich country, though with unfortunately a lot of poor people. Few countries, if any have had to contend with the challenges to its development and even its very existence as has Israel and in spite of manifold problems, it hasn't done badly in many spheres.
Certainly few of those passionate founding fathers would have imagined the extent of its success in absorbing waves of immigration, of building an enviable technology based industry, of being able to boast one of the strongest currencies and economies in the world. And yet, the culture of governance has not changed, the same lack of professionalism, lack of attention to proper governance processes, the same combination of chutzpa and chafifanut, still characterize the way the decisions are made, the way the country is governed, the way Ministers are selected for ideological and political reasons and not because they know anything about their particular Ministry.
The idea that yihe be’seder,(it will be okay), still pervades our thinking in the face of whatever disasters seem to be lurking.
A more professional and process oriented leadership and governance would not solve the tremendous problems facing Israel, but perhaps it would strengthen Israel's ability to deal with them.
=================================================================================
How right he is!!!
Friday, June 24, 2011
84 Days to Go
Shades of 1938
By Sherwin Pomerantz
There are now 84 days to go to the opening of the United Nations General Assembly and the vote on recognizing Palestinian statehood. The latest out of the Palestinian Arab leadership today is that even if Israel goes back to the negotiating table with Chairman Abbas, the Palestinian Authority will continue with its efforts to gain General Assembly support. Why not? Its climb all over Israel time worldwide.
The only positive ray of hope over the last few days was US Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District who came out with an incredibly strong statement in support of Israel and America’s obligation to understand that and all it means. You can see for yourself at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7cMxE1oFf0&feature=player_embedded
That offset just a bit the recent announcement that Delta Airlines is having Saudi Arabian Airlines join their Sky Team alliance. No big deal, of course, as most of these alliances are constantly seeking to expand their reach. But in this case the conditions that the Saudis laid down for Delta included a few less than comforting facts. We all know, for example, that the Kingdom does not issue entry visas to Israelis or anyone with an Israeli entry stamp in their passport. Well, I guess that is their right, as obnoxious as it may be.
We also know that people with non-Islamic articles of faith can also be denied entry. So, in addition to not being able to enter the country with a tallit, or tefillin, Christians are also barred entry if they are wearing a cross or any other object that signifies that they are Christians. Carrying a Christian bible is also a no-no, of course. Even that, I guess, is the right of the Saudis, as distasteful as that may be.
But here comes the kicker. If Delta wants to fly to Saudi Arabia with their aircraft (and they are planning on introducing such service shortly) the Saudis have also stipulated that Jews are not permitted on board, even if, somehow or other, they have proper travel documents. Delta, in response to the concern now being voiced by many people in the US has responded that this is a matter for the US Department of State to deal with and they are not going to comment further on the situation. Really?
How will this be enforced? Can you see the scenario? A Jew with a good neutral name like Smith (and there are plenty of us named Smith, to be sure) succeeds in getting a visa to Saudi Arabia. He taxis to Hartsfield Jackson Airport in Atlanta, walks up to the check-in desk and, in addition to presenting his ticket, passport and visa gets asked “Are you Jewish?” Are you kidding me? In America? In 2011? And the Delta agent responds, when questioned, says “I am just following orders, if you are Jewish we cannot let you on the plane!” Just following order….sounds eerily familiar does it not?
A couple of years ago Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was criticized for saying “It’s 1938 and Iran is Germany.” Well, I don’t want to say its 1938 and America is Germany but we need to make sure that does not turn out to be the case. The loyal customers of Delta Airlines throughout the world should be screaming loud and clear that this is how it all begins and if the airline continues its association with Saudi Arabian Airlines under these conditions, that we will all simply stop flying Delta.
Pastor Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemoller who lived in Germany from 1892-1984 was known for his poem of regret which went something like this:
When the Nazis came for the communists, I did not speak out; as I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats, I did not speak out; I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out; as I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews, I did not speak out; as I was not a Jew.
When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.
The clock is running and the process must be stopped at this stage as it has a tendency, one begun, to creep on and grow. Now is the time to act. If you ever use Delta let them know this is not acceptable in a free society. Please do it now!
Shades of 1938
By Sherwin Pomerantz
There are now 84 days to go to the opening of the United Nations General Assembly and the vote on recognizing Palestinian statehood. The latest out of the Palestinian Arab leadership today is that even if Israel goes back to the negotiating table with Chairman Abbas, the Palestinian Authority will continue with its efforts to gain General Assembly support. Why not? Its climb all over Israel time worldwide.
The only positive ray of hope over the last few days was US Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District who came out with an incredibly strong statement in support of Israel and America’s obligation to understand that and all it means. You can see for yourself at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7cMxE1oFf0&feature=player_embedded
That offset just a bit the recent announcement that Delta Airlines is having Saudi Arabian Airlines join their Sky Team alliance. No big deal, of course, as most of these alliances are constantly seeking to expand their reach. But in this case the conditions that the Saudis laid down for Delta included a few less than comforting facts. We all know, for example, that the Kingdom does not issue entry visas to Israelis or anyone with an Israeli entry stamp in their passport. Well, I guess that is their right, as obnoxious as it may be.
We also know that people with non-Islamic articles of faith can also be denied entry. So, in addition to not being able to enter the country with a tallit, or tefillin, Christians are also barred entry if they are wearing a cross or any other object that signifies that they are Christians. Carrying a Christian bible is also a no-no, of course. Even that, I guess, is the right of the Saudis, as distasteful as that may be.
But here comes the kicker. If Delta wants to fly to Saudi Arabia with their aircraft (and they are planning on introducing such service shortly) the Saudis have also stipulated that Jews are not permitted on board, even if, somehow or other, they have proper travel documents. Delta, in response to the concern now being voiced by many people in the US has responded that this is a matter for the US Department of State to deal with and they are not going to comment further on the situation. Really?
How will this be enforced? Can you see the scenario? A Jew with a good neutral name like Smith (and there are plenty of us named Smith, to be sure) succeeds in getting a visa to Saudi Arabia. He taxis to Hartsfield Jackson Airport in Atlanta, walks up to the check-in desk and, in addition to presenting his ticket, passport and visa gets asked “Are you Jewish?” Are you kidding me? In America? In 2011? And the Delta agent responds, when questioned, says “I am just following orders, if you are Jewish we cannot let you on the plane!” Just following order….sounds eerily familiar does it not?
A couple of years ago Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was criticized for saying “It’s 1938 and Iran is Germany.” Well, I don’t want to say its 1938 and America is Germany but we need to make sure that does not turn out to be the case. The loyal customers of Delta Airlines throughout the world should be screaming loud and clear that this is how it all begins and if the airline continues its association with Saudi Arabian Airlines under these conditions, that we will all simply stop flying Delta.
Pastor Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemoller who lived in Germany from 1892-1984 was known for his poem of regret which went something like this:
When the Nazis came for the communists, I did not speak out; as I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats, I did not speak out; I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists, I did not speak out; as I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews, I did not speak out; as I was not a Jew.
When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.
The clock is running and the process must be stopped at this stage as it has a tendency, one begun, to creep on and grow. Now is the time to act. If you ever use Delta let them know this is not acceptable in a free society. Please do it now!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
86 Days to Go
Are We Ready for an Attack?
By Sherwin Pomerantz
There are now 86 days to go to the opening of the United Nations General Assembly and the vote on recognizing Palestinian statehood.
No one really knows what will happen the next day but this week in Israel preparations are being made to make the population aware of the need to be ready for a potential attack on all of Israel. Comforting eh?
So at 11 AM this morning sirens sounded throughout the country and those of us in offices were herded to the “safe rooms” built into each building here. In our case our office is located in a 25 year old building which I actually had a hand in designing when it was the headquarters of LUZ, the Israeli solar energy company that, at the time, built nine solar power generating stations in the high desert of California. The building management came around yesterday to advise everyone that it was the law of the land that when the siren sounds everyone is to leave their work places and go downstairs to the safe room.
At 11 AM the sirens dutifully sounded but, regrettably, we did not hear them because we found out that in this Tech Park of close to 50 office buildings, there is no siren and the closest one is too far away for us to hear the sound. Nevertheless, we knew that at 11 AM this is what we had to do, so we went even without hearing the siren.
When we got there we found two things. First, that the room is way too small for the number of people now working in this building, which has been expanded significantly from when it was first built. We had originally designed the building to house 300-350 people and there are now over 500 people working here. In addition, as in many of these safe rooms (or, more accurately, bomb shelters) given the years of calm that we have experienced, the building management has been using the room as a storage facility for all kinds of things, so there is even less room for the people working here than the design capacity. And finally, there are no supplies for a stay as long as even one hour (i.e. no sanitary facilities, no bottled water, etc.).
So, in terms of giving us a feeling that we were somewhat safe and prepared should disaster strike, it was clear to all of us that (a) we will probably not hear the sirens when they are used to alert us to a real emergency, (b) not everyone in the building will be able to fit into the bomb shelter should such a situation develop and (c) the room, sadly, is not equipped with the basic supplies necessary to permit human functioning for more than a few minutes.
What a difference from last night when I was privileged to be at the opening session of the President’s Conference here held at Binyanei Hauma, the national conference center in Jerusalem. There, everything was perfect. The 60 year old facility had been redecorated so that it looked new, service help was in great abundance making sure the 4,000 participants had food and drink at all times, every high tech communications convenience was available for all to use and all of the glitterati were there to see and be seen. I don’t even want to fantasize about the availability of a bomb shelter there to house the participants at any conference.
And that’s the real Israel. The dichotomous conflict between Israel, the high tech wonder with 3,000 tech startups functioning at any one time and Israel, the country that cannot defend itself against all of its neighbors should the need arise nor provide sufficient protection for its citizens should an attack occur.
It is because of that dichotomy that I am so concerned about what happens the day after the UN vote should it actually take place. And it is the inability of some of my critics to see the possibility of disaster in the making that makes me fear for the future. The civilian defense exercise this week is a critical event that will demonstrate to the authorities where our civilian fault lines are located. Let’s hope that these same authorities can address those issues in the next 86 days.
Robertson Davies, a well-respected Canadian writer, journalist and professor who died in 1995 once said “The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.” Let’s hope our leadership has 20/20 vision.
Are We Ready for an Attack?
By Sherwin Pomerantz
There are now 86 days to go to the opening of the United Nations General Assembly and the vote on recognizing Palestinian statehood.
No one really knows what will happen the next day but this week in Israel preparations are being made to make the population aware of the need to be ready for a potential attack on all of Israel. Comforting eh?
So at 11 AM this morning sirens sounded throughout the country and those of us in offices were herded to the “safe rooms” built into each building here. In our case our office is located in a 25 year old building which I actually had a hand in designing when it was the headquarters of LUZ, the Israeli solar energy company that, at the time, built nine solar power generating stations in the high desert of California. The building management came around yesterday to advise everyone that it was the law of the land that when the siren sounds everyone is to leave their work places and go downstairs to the safe room.
At 11 AM the sirens dutifully sounded but, regrettably, we did not hear them because we found out that in this Tech Park of close to 50 office buildings, there is no siren and the closest one is too far away for us to hear the sound. Nevertheless, we knew that at 11 AM this is what we had to do, so we went even without hearing the siren.
When we got there we found two things. First, that the room is way too small for the number of people now working in this building, which has been expanded significantly from when it was first built. We had originally designed the building to house 300-350 people and there are now over 500 people working here. In addition, as in many of these safe rooms (or, more accurately, bomb shelters) given the years of calm that we have experienced, the building management has been using the room as a storage facility for all kinds of things, so there is even less room for the people working here than the design capacity. And finally, there are no supplies for a stay as long as even one hour (i.e. no sanitary facilities, no bottled water, etc.).
So, in terms of giving us a feeling that we were somewhat safe and prepared should disaster strike, it was clear to all of us that (a) we will probably not hear the sirens when they are used to alert us to a real emergency, (b) not everyone in the building will be able to fit into the bomb shelter should such a situation develop and (c) the room, sadly, is not equipped with the basic supplies necessary to permit human functioning for more than a few minutes.
What a difference from last night when I was privileged to be at the opening session of the President’s Conference here held at Binyanei Hauma, the national conference center in Jerusalem. There, everything was perfect. The 60 year old facility had been redecorated so that it looked new, service help was in great abundance making sure the 4,000 participants had food and drink at all times, every high tech communications convenience was available for all to use and all of the glitterati were there to see and be seen. I don’t even want to fantasize about the availability of a bomb shelter there to house the participants at any conference.
And that’s the real Israel. The dichotomous conflict between Israel, the high tech wonder with 3,000 tech startups functioning at any one time and Israel, the country that cannot defend itself against all of its neighbors should the need arise nor provide sufficient protection for its citizens should an attack occur.
It is because of that dichotomy that I am so concerned about what happens the day after the UN vote should it actually take place. And it is the inability of some of my critics to see the possibility of disaster in the making that makes me fear for the future. The civilian defense exercise this week is a critical event that will demonstrate to the authorities where our civilian fault lines are located. Let’s hope that these same authorities can address those issues in the next 86 days.
Robertson Davies, a well-respected Canadian writer, journalist and professor who died in 1995 once said “The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.” Let’s hope our leadership has 20/20 vision.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
87 Days to Go
Think of it: The United Palestinian Emirates
By Sherwin Pomerantz
In 87 days the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session will open in New York, and unless thwarted in the interim, there will be a vote on recognizing Palestinian statehood. At this point in time it looks as if it will pass if it comes to the floor.
Last night, in the interests of hearing an alternative viewpoint, I attended a symposium presented by people who believe that should the vote be in favor of unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood, the next steps by Israel should be declaring Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria (what is often referred to as the West Bank).
The speakers were well prepared, informed and articulate and in the interests of space I would summarize their points in support of this approach as follows:
• This is a serious alternative that should not be summarily dismissed.
• The argument that the resultant demographics would be a disaster for Israel is not supported by existing studies because, for the most part, they are not credible and fly in the face of standard procedures applied to census taking.
• The Palestinian leadership’s constant rejection of partition, dating back to 1947, and many times thereafter, means that after always refusing that option, it is simply no longer an alternative and should be taken off the table.
• The concept of “winner takes all” does not apply to only one combatant in a conflict between two sides. Had the Arabs won in ’48, ’67, ’73, ’06, etc., they would have claimed sovereignty over all of the land, so why doesn’t that benefit inure to Israel as the winner in all of those engagements?
As always in these discussions, the chasm between theory and application is what makes the decision difficult, if not impossible. The discussants chose not to deal with the practicalities that would have to be addressed as a result of such a decision but chose, instead, to indicate that when Israel did this earlier with the Golan Heights and Jerusalem, while there was opposition among world leaders, in effect, nothing terrible happened as a result. Of course, to assume that this would be the case in 2011 as well is a bit of a jump, but the assumption was there nonetheless. As well, no one discussed what Israel would then do if it found itself, once again, dealing with a minority population that was 1/3 Arab.
The audience, composed primarily of Jerusalemites, mostly religious and originally from Anglo-Saxon countries, was, as expected, supportive of the concept. Never mind the details or what might happen here the day after such a declaration.
But there was one presentation that was more intriguing and seemingly more practical (if one can say that) than all of the others and that was made by Dr. Mordecai Kedar, of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University and who has 25 years of military intelligence experience in the Israel Defense Forces dealing with Arab politics and related subjects. (http://www.biu.ac.il/Besa/mordechai_kedar.html)
His thesis is that Judea and Samaria is an area composed of Arab tribal groups which are centered in seven locations: Hebron, Jericho, Ramallah, Jenin, Nablus, Kalkilya and Tulkarem, each of which has their own customs, operational laws, hierarchy and traditions. He goes on to say that people from one area do not generally move within the West Bank to other areas and rarely intermarry as well.
Given this situation he suggests that these seven regional areas along with Gaza be made into something similar to the United Arab Emirates in the Gulf where each of the emirates are confederated under the flag of the UAE but retain their own individuality. In effect, he is suggesting creating the United Palestinian Emirates (UPE), if you will, but which, unlike the UAE, would not have its elemental parts contiguous to each other. Israel would, under this scenario, control all of the lands outside these eight regional areas which, for Judea and Samaria, would mean that none of the current settlements would need to be abandoned. As to the question of how people would travel, for example, from Ramallah to Jenin given that they would have to go through Israeli controlled territory to do so, Kedar sees this as a “technicality” that can be addressed. Certainly easier said than done.
Would that scenario work? Would the Palestinian Arab leadership accept such an approach? Is there openness on their side to consider an alternative to a contiguous land area? Would having a federated state of separate population enclaves, even with a seat at the UN as the UPE satisfy the craving for independence? Would any leader who agreed to this retain his life after the decision was made? Or would he be seen as having sold his people out to the “other?”
None of us have the answers. What we do know is that most Israelis want peace and are prepared to make sacrifices for it. What we also know is that most Israelis acknowledge that leaving areas formerly held by Israel such as Southern Lebanon and Gaza, has not brought quiet but rather regular attacks (although Southern Lebanon has been relatively quiet since the end of the 2nd Lebanese War). Most Israelis also agree that a Palestinian state on our borders controlling the hills of Judea and Samaria [and their dominance of both the coastal plain and the Jordan Valley] is a potential recipe for disaster. And yet, the majority of Israelis will also say that the only way to peace is two states for two people, side by side in peace and security. With all of these conflicting “givens” it is difficult to see a way out, but the status quo is also not very comforting.
What we need are leaders who understand the need for flexibility. Everett Dirksen, former US Congressman, Senator and later Minority Leader of the Senate, once said “I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be flexible at all times.” He understood what leadership meant and, sadly, I fear those in power today simply do not understand this need.
Think of it: The United Palestinian Emirates
By Sherwin Pomerantz
In 87 days the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session will open in New York, and unless thwarted in the interim, there will be a vote on recognizing Palestinian statehood. At this point in time it looks as if it will pass if it comes to the floor.
Last night, in the interests of hearing an alternative viewpoint, I attended a symposium presented by people who believe that should the vote be in favor of unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood, the next steps by Israel should be declaring Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria (what is often referred to as the West Bank).
The speakers were well prepared, informed and articulate and in the interests of space I would summarize their points in support of this approach as follows:
• This is a serious alternative that should not be summarily dismissed.
• The argument that the resultant demographics would be a disaster for Israel is not supported by existing studies because, for the most part, they are not credible and fly in the face of standard procedures applied to census taking.
• The Palestinian leadership’s constant rejection of partition, dating back to 1947, and many times thereafter, means that after always refusing that option, it is simply no longer an alternative and should be taken off the table.
• The concept of “winner takes all” does not apply to only one combatant in a conflict between two sides. Had the Arabs won in ’48, ’67, ’73, ’06, etc., they would have claimed sovereignty over all of the land, so why doesn’t that benefit inure to Israel as the winner in all of those engagements?
As always in these discussions, the chasm between theory and application is what makes the decision difficult, if not impossible. The discussants chose not to deal with the practicalities that would have to be addressed as a result of such a decision but chose, instead, to indicate that when Israel did this earlier with the Golan Heights and Jerusalem, while there was opposition among world leaders, in effect, nothing terrible happened as a result. Of course, to assume that this would be the case in 2011 as well is a bit of a jump, but the assumption was there nonetheless. As well, no one discussed what Israel would then do if it found itself, once again, dealing with a minority population that was 1/3 Arab.
The audience, composed primarily of Jerusalemites, mostly religious and originally from Anglo-Saxon countries, was, as expected, supportive of the concept. Never mind the details or what might happen here the day after such a declaration.
But there was one presentation that was more intriguing and seemingly more practical (if one can say that) than all of the others and that was made by Dr. Mordecai Kedar, of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University and who has 25 years of military intelligence experience in the Israel Defense Forces dealing with Arab politics and related subjects. (http://www.biu.ac.il/Besa/mordechai_kedar.html)
His thesis is that Judea and Samaria is an area composed of Arab tribal groups which are centered in seven locations: Hebron, Jericho, Ramallah, Jenin, Nablus, Kalkilya and Tulkarem, each of which has their own customs, operational laws, hierarchy and traditions. He goes on to say that people from one area do not generally move within the West Bank to other areas and rarely intermarry as well.
Given this situation he suggests that these seven regional areas along with Gaza be made into something similar to the United Arab Emirates in the Gulf where each of the emirates are confederated under the flag of the UAE but retain their own individuality. In effect, he is suggesting creating the United Palestinian Emirates (UPE), if you will, but which, unlike the UAE, would not have its elemental parts contiguous to each other. Israel would, under this scenario, control all of the lands outside these eight regional areas which, for Judea and Samaria, would mean that none of the current settlements would need to be abandoned. As to the question of how people would travel, for example, from Ramallah to Jenin given that they would have to go through Israeli controlled territory to do so, Kedar sees this as a “technicality” that can be addressed. Certainly easier said than done.
Would that scenario work? Would the Palestinian Arab leadership accept such an approach? Is there openness on their side to consider an alternative to a contiguous land area? Would having a federated state of separate population enclaves, even with a seat at the UN as the UPE satisfy the craving for independence? Would any leader who agreed to this retain his life after the decision was made? Or would he be seen as having sold his people out to the “other?”
None of us have the answers. What we do know is that most Israelis want peace and are prepared to make sacrifices for it. What we also know is that most Israelis acknowledge that leaving areas formerly held by Israel such as Southern Lebanon and Gaza, has not brought quiet but rather regular attacks (although Southern Lebanon has been relatively quiet since the end of the 2nd Lebanese War). Most Israelis also agree that a Palestinian state on our borders controlling the hills of Judea and Samaria [and their dominance of both the coastal plain and the Jordan Valley] is a potential recipe for disaster. And yet, the majority of Israelis will also say that the only way to peace is two states for two people, side by side in peace and security. With all of these conflicting “givens” it is difficult to see a way out, but the status quo is also not very comforting.
What we need are leaders who understand the need for flexibility. Everett Dirksen, former US Congressman, Senator and later Minority Leader of the Senate, once said “I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be flexible at all times.” He understood what leadership meant and, sadly, I fear those in power today simply do not understand this need.
Monday, June 20, 2011
88 Days to Go
Can We Change Our Minds?
By Sherwin Pomerantz
88 days from today will see the opening of the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York with the scheduled vote on recognizing Palestinian statehood.
Over the past months many people have voiced their opinions as to what Israel should do about this issue, what needs to be done to bring the parties to a meaningful negotiation, what might happen the day after the vote and whether there should even be any concern about the vote, to name a few of the items being discussed. In the course of these months, some people actually have positions today which differ from what their positions might have been a month, two months or even a year ago. This writer falls into that category as well.
As a result, the public tends to immediately climb all over the columnists and commentators for being wishy-washy in their approach, for waffling in their opinions or for not being consistent in what they advise. So, for example, in the op-ed piece by Tom Friedman that I referenced in yesterday’s blog, some analysts chided him because he urged Israel to sit down with the Palestinian Arab representatives even if those representatives included members of Hamas, whereas some months ago he indicated that it was folly for Israel to even consider meeting with any group committed to the country’s destruction as a Jewish state.
But politics, like life, is fluid and situations change from one day to the next, so it is quite understandable that people’s opinions might also shift. William Seward, the 12th Governor of New York State and US Secretary of State under former presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson once said: “The circumstances of the world are so variable that an irrevocable purpose or opinion is almost synonymous with a foolish one.”
Therefore, people’s positions on critical issues of the day must change to reflect current realities because politics is neither seen as a science (in spite of the name of the course many of us have taken called “Political Science”) nor accorded the status of religion which is generally controlled by dogma. Rather facts change, realities become altered, hardened positions soften, and sometimes people even begin to realize the incredibly negative ramifications of certain approaches which they once thought were inviolate. And for all of that I say thank the Lord that this is the case because it is only the ability to alter our thinking about any particular issue that makes it possible for us to contemplate a brighter future.
In the Middle East, where an excess of political dogma has so greatly contributed to the strife with which we deal every day, for us to move forward people must be capable of changing their minds and not fear being criticized for doing so that we can ensure survival and growth.
There are those who would say I’m a dreamer, an idealist detached from reality, or even someone who does not understand all the nuances of diplomacy. But I would disagree. The easiest thing in the world is to take a position and maintain that position without wavering even in the face of reality and then cover it with the words “this I believe.” What is difficult is to be willing to constantly examine one’s position on a subject and engage in multiple iterations which have the potential to lead us to a solution. Sadly I fear that the political leadership on both sides of the line (green or otherwise) have simply lost their ability to transition to new positions which may, indeed, have the potential to provide a secure and rewarding life for those of us who have chosen to live in this troubled area of the world. And we, who have little control over the outcome of this myopic vision, will pay the price.
Can We Change Our Minds?
By Sherwin Pomerantz
88 days from today will see the opening of the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York with the scheduled vote on recognizing Palestinian statehood.
Over the past months many people have voiced their opinions as to what Israel should do about this issue, what needs to be done to bring the parties to a meaningful negotiation, what might happen the day after the vote and whether there should even be any concern about the vote, to name a few of the items being discussed. In the course of these months, some people actually have positions today which differ from what their positions might have been a month, two months or even a year ago. This writer falls into that category as well.
As a result, the public tends to immediately climb all over the columnists and commentators for being wishy-washy in their approach, for waffling in their opinions or for not being consistent in what they advise. So, for example, in the op-ed piece by Tom Friedman that I referenced in yesterday’s blog, some analysts chided him because he urged Israel to sit down with the Palestinian Arab representatives even if those representatives included members of Hamas, whereas some months ago he indicated that it was folly for Israel to even consider meeting with any group committed to the country’s destruction as a Jewish state.
But politics, like life, is fluid and situations change from one day to the next, so it is quite understandable that people’s opinions might also shift. William Seward, the 12th Governor of New York State and US Secretary of State under former presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson once said: “The circumstances of the world are so variable that an irrevocable purpose or opinion is almost synonymous with a foolish one.”
Therefore, people’s positions on critical issues of the day must change to reflect current realities because politics is neither seen as a science (in spite of the name of the course many of us have taken called “Political Science”) nor accorded the status of religion which is generally controlled by dogma. Rather facts change, realities become altered, hardened positions soften, and sometimes people even begin to realize the incredibly negative ramifications of certain approaches which they once thought were inviolate. And for all of that I say thank the Lord that this is the case because it is only the ability to alter our thinking about any particular issue that makes it possible for us to contemplate a brighter future.
In the Middle East, where an excess of political dogma has so greatly contributed to the strife with which we deal every day, for us to move forward people must be capable of changing their minds and not fear being criticized for doing so that we can ensure survival and growth.
There are those who would say I’m a dreamer, an idealist detached from reality, or even someone who does not understand all the nuances of diplomacy. But I would disagree. The easiest thing in the world is to take a position and maintain that position without wavering even in the face of reality and then cover it with the words “this I believe.” What is difficult is to be willing to constantly examine one’s position on a subject and engage in multiple iterations which have the potential to lead us to a solution. Sadly I fear that the political leadership on both sides of the line (green or otherwise) have simply lost their ability to transition to new positions which may, indeed, have the potential to provide a secure and rewarding life for those of us who have chosen to live in this troubled area of the world. And we, who have little control over the outcome of this myopic vision, will pay the price.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
89 Days to Go
Do We Know What we are Doing?
By Sherwin Pomerantz
There are now just 89 days left to the opening of the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York and the vote on recognizing Palestinian statehood. To be sure the suggestions as to what to do are flying fast and furious.
What we see in the press and on the blogs generally falls into one of two categories, either (a) people are saying we absolutely must do something and not take a wait and see attitude while (b) others counsel that nothing will happen after the vote anyway so why not just stand on our principles and wait and see what happens next.
Over the last few days I’ve seen three articles that address the dilemma in three distinctly different, but all intelligent, ways.
Lazar Berman, Program Manager for Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington DC think tank, has penned a piece entitled “Might Israel Know What It’s Doing?” (http://www.american.com/archive/2011/june/might-israel-know-what-it2019s-doing) In the article Berman analyzes a whole series of Israeli strategic moves including reactions to Hizbullah in Lebanon, last May’s attempt to break the blockade of Gaza by the Turkish vessel Marvi Marmara, as well as the Nakba and Naksa demonstrations earlier this spring. His conclusion is that while Israel operates in an atmosphere of “no good options” when it comes to these types of situations, he concludes: “Though its responses often seem haphazard and excessively violent, the long view indicates that Israel’s mix of diplomacy, deterrence and force keeps its citizens safe and minimizes extended bloodshed.”
Rabbi Berel Wein, who operates his Jewish Destiny Foundation from offices both in the US and Israel, had an op-ed in last Friday’s Jerusalem Post entitled “The Status Quo” (http://www.rabbiwein.com/Jerusalem-Post/2011/06/615.html) where he makes the case that Jews have lived with status quo situations for centuries and that there are, as well, plenty of examples of this in modern day Israel as well in areas such as religion, elections, the relationship with the Arab world, to name a few. He takes a current look at the logic of those who say, vis-à-vis the expected occurrences in September, that the status quo cannot continue and concludes by saying: “Over the last twenty years, from Oslo through Gaza, all promises of accomplishments and success have been returned as being empty ones. So maybe the dreaded status quo will have to suffice for us for some time yet into the future. Most of life is status quo. Let us make the most of what is given to us at hand.”
Finally, in yesterday’s New York Times Tom Friedman has a piece entitled “What to Do With Lemons” where he describes both Israel and the Palestinians as “lemons” using the vernacular for automobiles that are always troublesome. In his piece, he suggests that it would be a bad strategy to attempt to maintain the status quo as that is not something that answers anyone’s concerns. (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/19/opinion/19friedman.html). Rather, he suggests returning to General Assembly Resolution 181 which, in November 1947, partitioned the former Palestine into two homes for two peoples, described at the time as “Independent Arab and Jewish States.” His proposal is to bring this existing resolution (which, presumably, is still binding) to the Security Council and update it by adding that the dividing line should be the 1967 borders (we all know, of course, that those were not borders at all but simply agreed upon armistice lines) with mutually agreed border adjustments and security arrangements for both sides. His position is that this would give an international imprimatur to a situation that both parties understand will be the end game in any event and something that has been more or less understood in all of the past peace negotiations.
So where does that leave us? Yes, Israel probably did know what it was doing in all of the earlier scenarios that Lazar Berman describes in his article. But just because historically we may have come out of the situations he describes relatively unscathed does not mean that this will obtain in the future as well. Those of us living here certainly remember the feeling of helplessness during the 2nd Lebanese War as rockets rained down on the northern half of the country and we were powerless to stop them. So being secure in the knowledge that we may have known what we were doing in the past is no guarantee that similar tactics will work in the present or the future.
As for maintaining the status quo, that generally only makes sense when either (a) all of the variables are under the control of one country or entity or (b) if others are involved, that they agree to this scenario as well. In our current situation it seems quite clear that there are multiple forces at work both within Israel and outside of Israel intent on making sure that the status quo does not continue. While I do, indeed, have great respect for Rabbi Wein’s intellect and commitment to the destiny of the Jewish people (remember he is the only one of the three writers cited who actually lives here), I’m simply not sure that we have the luxury of deciding to maintain the status quo and coming out of this whole.
That leaves us with Tom Friedman’s approach which is to update General Assembly Resolution 181, which is critical given that the original dividing lines were even narrower than the 1967 armistice lines. It is worth reading the op-ed and much of what he says would seem to make sense except, of course, that he does not mention anything about the status of Jerusalem, the refugee issue or the security situation in the Jordan Valley, all of which he lumps into a sentence that ends “the General Assembly urges both sides to enter into negotiations to resolve all the other outstanding issue.” What is really a bit humorous are the two words that follow that sentence, to wit: “Very simple.” Really?
I certainly believe, as the readers of this blog already know, that neither depending on history to repeat itself in our favor or attempting to maintain the status quo are the best choices for us. Tom Friedman actually seems to begin to address the probably in a manner that may have some potential but it still needs to go further in order to give those of us living here sufficient comfort to move ahead in this direction with a partner that has proven to be significantly unreliable over the last 63 years of our existence as a state. It will be interesting to see the reactions to this on both sides.
Do We Know What we are Doing?
By Sherwin Pomerantz
There are now just 89 days left to the opening of the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York and the vote on recognizing Palestinian statehood. To be sure the suggestions as to what to do are flying fast and furious.
What we see in the press and on the blogs generally falls into one of two categories, either (a) people are saying we absolutely must do something and not take a wait and see attitude while (b) others counsel that nothing will happen after the vote anyway so why not just stand on our principles and wait and see what happens next.
Over the last few days I’ve seen three articles that address the dilemma in three distinctly different, but all intelligent, ways.
Lazar Berman, Program Manager for Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington DC think tank, has penned a piece entitled “Might Israel Know What It’s Doing?” (http://www.american.com/archive/2011/june/might-israel-know-what-it2019s-doing) In the article Berman analyzes a whole series of Israeli strategic moves including reactions to Hizbullah in Lebanon, last May’s attempt to break the blockade of Gaza by the Turkish vessel Marvi Marmara, as well as the Nakba and Naksa demonstrations earlier this spring. His conclusion is that while Israel operates in an atmosphere of “no good options” when it comes to these types of situations, he concludes: “Though its responses often seem haphazard and excessively violent, the long view indicates that Israel’s mix of diplomacy, deterrence and force keeps its citizens safe and minimizes extended bloodshed.”
Rabbi Berel Wein, who operates his Jewish Destiny Foundation from offices both in the US and Israel, had an op-ed in last Friday’s Jerusalem Post entitled “The Status Quo” (http://www.rabbiwein.com/Jerusalem-Post/2011/06/615.html) where he makes the case that Jews have lived with status quo situations for centuries and that there are, as well, plenty of examples of this in modern day Israel as well in areas such as religion, elections, the relationship with the Arab world, to name a few. He takes a current look at the logic of those who say, vis-à-vis the expected occurrences in September, that the status quo cannot continue and concludes by saying: “Over the last twenty years, from Oslo through Gaza, all promises of accomplishments and success have been returned as being empty ones. So maybe the dreaded status quo will have to suffice for us for some time yet into the future. Most of life is status quo. Let us make the most of what is given to us at hand.”
Finally, in yesterday’s New York Times Tom Friedman has a piece entitled “What to Do With Lemons” where he describes both Israel and the Palestinians as “lemons” using the vernacular for automobiles that are always troublesome. In his piece, he suggests that it would be a bad strategy to attempt to maintain the status quo as that is not something that answers anyone’s concerns. (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/19/opinion/19friedman.html). Rather, he suggests returning to General Assembly Resolution 181 which, in November 1947, partitioned the former Palestine into two homes for two peoples, described at the time as “Independent Arab and Jewish States.” His proposal is to bring this existing resolution (which, presumably, is still binding) to the Security Council and update it by adding that the dividing line should be the 1967 borders (we all know, of course, that those were not borders at all but simply agreed upon armistice lines) with mutually agreed border adjustments and security arrangements for both sides. His position is that this would give an international imprimatur to a situation that both parties understand will be the end game in any event and something that has been more or less understood in all of the past peace negotiations.
So where does that leave us? Yes, Israel probably did know what it was doing in all of the earlier scenarios that Lazar Berman describes in his article. But just because historically we may have come out of the situations he describes relatively unscathed does not mean that this will obtain in the future as well. Those of us living here certainly remember the feeling of helplessness during the 2nd Lebanese War as rockets rained down on the northern half of the country and we were powerless to stop them. So being secure in the knowledge that we may have known what we were doing in the past is no guarantee that similar tactics will work in the present or the future.
As for maintaining the status quo, that generally only makes sense when either (a) all of the variables are under the control of one country or entity or (b) if others are involved, that they agree to this scenario as well. In our current situation it seems quite clear that there are multiple forces at work both within Israel and outside of Israel intent on making sure that the status quo does not continue. While I do, indeed, have great respect for Rabbi Wein’s intellect and commitment to the destiny of the Jewish people (remember he is the only one of the three writers cited who actually lives here), I’m simply not sure that we have the luxury of deciding to maintain the status quo and coming out of this whole.
That leaves us with Tom Friedman’s approach which is to update General Assembly Resolution 181, which is critical given that the original dividing lines were even narrower than the 1967 armistice lines. It is worth reading the op-ed and much of what he says would seem to make sense except, of course, that he does not mention anything about the status of Jerusalem, the refugee issue or the security situation in the Jordan Valley, all of which he lumps into a sentence that ends “the General Assembly urges both sides to enter into negotiations to resolve all the other outstanding issue.” What is really a bit humorous are the two words that follow that sentence, to wit: “Very simple.” Really?
I certainly believe, as the readers of this blog already know, that neither depending on history to repeat itself in our favor or attempting to maintain the status quo are the best choices for us. Tom Friedman actually seems to begin to address the probably in a manner that may have some potential but it still needs to go further in order to give those of us living here sufficient comfort to move ahead in this direction with a partner that has proven to be significantly unreliable over the last 63 years of our existence as a state. It will be interesting to see the reactions to this on both sides.
Friday, June 17, 2011
91 Days to Go
What Can YOU do?
By Sherwin Pomerantz
With 91 days left to the opening of the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York and the General Assembly’s vote on recognizing Palestinian statehood people are asking me, ok, what can we do to help? So here goes, a short list of what I urge us to do.
As I have mentioned before I think it is important that delegates to the UN know how those of us who care about Israel feel about this vote. Some of my readers have already done so but it seems to me that if there would be a groundswell of mail to each and every one of the delegates to the UN in New York that at least it will be obvious to all of them that WE CARE! Attached is a now complete list of every delegation, the name of the Ambassador to the UN from each country as well as the address, and, where available, the fax number and e mail address as well. Please consider doing this and doing it NOW.
The American Jewish Committee has started a petition to be sent to Nicolas Sarkozy of France and David Cameron in the UK urging them to vote no. The petition can be accessed at
http://www.ajc.org/c.ijITI2PHKoG/b.7515195/k.1525/Speak_out_against_Palestinian_unilateralism/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?msource=0611UDI2e
Please consider adding your name to this letter and letting these two important figures know how you feel.
If you believe as I do that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not being aggressive enough in stating Israel’s case and that he needs to pursue additional diplomatic avenues with the Palestinians then you can also write to the Prime Minister and let him know how you feel. You can send an e mail communication to the Prime Minister by going to the following site
http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMOEng/Public+Applications/PublicApplications/
and letting him know how you feel. We are confident that every piece of correspondence submitted in this manner gets read.
Finally it may be time to demonstrate. Our people have a proud history of mounting significant demonstrations in support of issues that we hold dear. Many of you recall the demonstrations in Washington DC some years ago on behalf of Soviet Jewry. In Israel large demonstrations in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv have often forced the government to act. It is beyond me why the people of Israel and our brethren around the world are not more vocal than they are about issues that clearly impact on the survival of this country as a Jewish and democratic state. We should be on the streets telling our governments how we feel.
History has taught us all too often that we cannot put our total faith and trust in others to support us and protect us. In 1944, in the midst of World War II David Ben Gurion, soon to be the first Prime Minister of the new State of Israel said “We must master our fate, we must take destiny into our own hands.” Those words are no less true today than they were 67 years ago when he made that statement. The time to act is NOW! Hopefully we are up to the challenge.
What Can YOU do?
By Sherwin Pomerantz
With 91 days left to the opening of the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York and the General Assembly’s vote on recognizing Palestinian statehood people are asking me, ok, what can we do to help? So here goes, a short list of what I urge us to do.
As I have mentioned before I think it is important that delegates to the UN know how those of us who care about Israel feel about this vote. Some of my readers have already done so but it seems to me that if there would be a groundswell of mail to each and every one of the delegates to the UN in New York that at least it will be obvious to all of them that WE CARE! Attached is a now complete list of every delegation, the name of the Ambassador to the UN from each country as well as the address, and, where available, the fax number and e mail address as well. Please consider doing this and doing it NOW.
The American Jewish Committee has started a petition to be sent to Nicolas Sarkozy of France and David Cameron in the UK urging them to vote no. The petition can be accessed at
http://www.ajc.org/c.ijITI2PHKoG/b.7515195/k.1525/Speak_out_against_Palestinian_unilateralism/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?msource=0611UDI2e
Please consider adding your name to this letter and letting these two important figures know how you feel.
If you believe as I do that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not being aggressive enough in stating Israel’s case and that he needs to pursue additional diplomatic avenues with the Palestinians then you can also write to the Prime Minister and let him know how you feel. You can send an e mail communication to the Prime Minister by going to the following site
http://www.pmo.gov.il/PMOEng/Public+Applications/PublicApplications/
and letting him know how you feel. We are confident that every piece of correspondence submitted in this manner gets read.
Finally it may be time to demonstrate. Our people have a proud history of mounting significant demonstrations in support of issues that we hold dear. Many of you recall the demonstrations in Washington DC some years ago on behalf of Soviet Jewry. In Israel large demonstrations in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv have often forced the government to act. It is beyond me why the people of Israel and our brethren around the world are not more vocal than they are about issues that clearly impact on the survival of this country as a Jewish and democratic state. We should be on the streets telling our governments how we feel.
History has taught us all too often that we cannot put our total faith and trust in others to support us and protect us. In 1944, in the midst of World War II David Ben Gurion, soon to be the first Prime Minister of the new State of Israel said “We must master our fate, we must take destiny into our own hands.” Those words are no less true today than they were 67 years ago when he made that statement. The time to act is NOW! Hopefully we are up to the challenge.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
93 Days to Go
Why I Don’t Think this is Alarmist
By Sherwin Pomerantz
It is now 93 days to the opening of the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York and the General Assembly’s vote on recognizing Palestinian statehood.
In this daily countdown to September 14th some of my readers have expressed the opinion that my actions in doing this are alarmist in nature. Others have said that nothing will happen the next day in any event, so why the big concern? Of course, given that I am writing this every day, I beg to differ. Permit me to explain.
We here in Israel have a problem. We live in a hostile neighborhood with:
• Some countries seemingly bent on our destruction or elimination (e.g. Iran and Lebanon [under Hizbullah]);
• Other countries using the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a diversion from their own problems (e.g. Syria);
• A whole host of nations in the region in political transition with forces not so friendly to us poised to take power (e.g. Egypt, Yemen, Libya);
• A former ally (Turkey) whose Islamist leadership is moving away from the West and more to the East;
• And others whose long term intentions are also not so clear (e.g. Jordan, Saudi Arabia).
In addition we have next door neighbors (i.e. the Palestinian Arabs) who on the one hand talk about their interest in a two state solution for this area while simultaneously agreeing to a reconciliation pact with an entity that is avowedly out to destroy us (i.e.. Hamas) and who is still unilaterally pursuing a recognition vote in the UN which most democratic government leaders around the world believe will not lead to peace.
We all know that problems don’t disappear. If we don’t confront them, they may hide for awhile, but sooner or later they will re-appear. Eventually we will be forced to face them and take some action. Whether that action is in the form of solving the problem or accepting it is not important, but rather that we consciously come to a decision about what we are going to do. It is that decision that gives us the ability to again move forward in our lives with added strength and the possibility of happiness. And it is because I don’t see our government consciously coming to such decisions that I am writing this daily blog.
Nobody has any idea about what will happen after September 14th. That is a given. But we do not live in a sea of tranquility. Even the comfort zone we developed for ourselves over the last 18 years since Oslo no longer exists. To act that because the economy is doing well, unemployment is low, quality of life is high and Israel did not suffer unduly from the last economic crisis nothing bad can happen to us is simply a case of Israel believing the lies we tell ourselves. That is a recipe for disaster.
Most of you who get this read the papers so I needn’t list here all of the possibilities that could confront us over the next year. You know about the fear of having our borders overrun with protestors from neighboring countries, the concern that if rockets started raining down on us from every side we cannot protect ourselves from the damage, the difficulties we would face if another intifada broke out in the Palestinian Arab community to name a few. Therefore, as responsible citizens rightfully concerned about our future and that of our children and grandchildren who live here along with the negative effect on world Jewry should Israel falter, we must decide to confront the problem personally while we simultaneously hope that we can goad our government into doing the same.
If as a result of all of this, people see this concern as alarmist, I will accept that accusation. As many of you know I am a traditionally observant Jew and I project to the time, after 120 years, when I stand before my maker and am asked to make an accounting of my deeds. And in that vein I am told “I gave you a brain and a pen and when Israel was in trouble, did you use it?” I want that answer to be a resounding “yes.”
This is one of those times in history when, once again, our people stand threatened. In other times we did not act and we paid the price. We cannot be guilty of that again so, yes, I am ringing the alarms! Let us hope that sometime in the near future we will all look back on this and say it was unnecessary, but as we have no way of knowing that, we simply cannot take the risk of inaction. The price of inaction is simply too high.
Why I Don’t Think this is Alarmist
By Sherwin Pomerantz
It is now 93 days to the opening of the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York and the General Assembly’s vote on recognizing Palestinian statehood.
In this daily countdown to September 14th some of my readers have expressed the opinion that my actions in doing this are alarmist in nature. Others have said that nothing will happen the next day in any event, so why the big concern? Of course, given that I am writing this every day, I beg to differ. Permit me to explain.
We here in Israel have a problem. We live in a hostile neighborhood with:
• Some countries seemingly bent on our destruction or elimination (e.g. Iran and Lebanon [under Hizbullah]);
• Other countries using the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a diversion from their own problems (e.g. Syria);
• A whole host of nations in the region in political transition with forces not so friendly to us poised to take power (e.g. Egypt, Yemen, Libya);
• A former ally (Turkey) whose Islamist leadership is moving away from the West and more to the East;
• And others whose long term intentions are also not so clear (e.g. Jordan, Saudi Arabia).
In addition we have next door neighbors (i.e. the Palestinian Arabs) who on the one hand talk about their interest in a two state solution for this area while simultaneously agreeing to a reconciliation pact with an entity that is avowedly out to destroy us (i.e.. Hamas) and who is still unilaterally pursuing a recognition vote in the UN which most democratic government leaders around the world believe will not lead to peace.
We all know that problems don’t disappear. If we don’t confront them, they may hide for awhile, but sooner or later they will re-appear. Eventually we will be forced to face them and take some action. Whether that action is in the form of solving the problem or accepting it is not important, but rather that we consciously come to a decision about what we are going to do. It is that decision that gives us the ability to again move forward in our lives with added strength and the possibility of happiness. And it is because I don’t see our government consciously coming to such decisions that I am writing this daily blog.
Nobody has any idea about what will happen after September 14th. That is a given. But we do not live in a sea of tranquility. Even the comfort zone we developed for ourselves over the last 18 years since Oslo no longer exists. To act that because the economy is doing well, unemployment is low, quality of life is high and Israel did not suffer unduly from the last economic crisis nothing bad can happen to us is simply a case of Israel believing the lies we tell ourselves. That is a recipe for disaster.
Most of you who get this read the papers so I needn’t list here all of the possibilities that could confront us over the next year. You know about the fear of having our borders overrun with protestors from neighboring countries, the concern that if rockets started raining down on us from every side we cannot protect ourselves from the damage, the difficulties we would face if another intifada broke out in the Palestinian Arab community to name a few. Therefore, as responsible citizens rightfully concerned about our future and that of our children and grandchildren who live here along with the negative effect on world Jewry should Israel falter, we must decide to confront the problem personally while we simultaneously hope that we can goad our government into doing the same.
If as a result of all of this, people see this concern as alarmist, I will accept that accusation. As many of you know I am a traditionally observant Jew and I project to the time, after 120 years, when I stand before my maker and am asked to make an accounting of my deeds. And in that vein I am told “I gave you a brain and a pen and when Israel was in trouble, did you use it?” I want that answer to be a resounding “yes.”
This is one of those times in history when, once again, our people stand threatened. In other times we did not act and we paid the price. We cannot be guilty of that again so, yes, I am ringing the alarms! Let us hope that sometime in the near future we will all look back on this and say it was unnecessary, but as we have no way of knowing that, we simply cannot take the risk of inaction. The price of inaction is simply too high.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
94 Days to Go
Why the Palestinians Should Negotiate
By Sherwin Pomerantz
94 days from now the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York will open and, unless they can be persuaded otherwise, the Palestinian Arabs will have their resolution in favor of statehood presented to the UN. In spite of what will probably be a negative vote at the Security Council, the General Assembly will approve it. And what then?
Akiva Eldar, the Chief Political Columnist for Israel’s Ha’aretz newspaper, had an informative piece in today’s paper where he presented some statistics about the Palestinian economy. Astute readers will recall the praise which continues to be heaped on Salam Fayyad, the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority and the architect of its economic growth engine. While as an experienced former senior staff person at the International Monetary Fund, he is certainly a well respected economist with good intentions, Eldar cites the following facts taken from an UNRWA (the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East) economic report just published:
• Construction jobs in the area controlled by the Palestinian Authority declined 35% in the second half of 2010 compared to the first half of the year.
• Industrial jobs declined 30% during that same period.
• During 2010 unemployment increased by 3.3% and reached 25% at the end of the year.
Now before anyone goes and gloats about these figures, or says “we told you so”, or “we knew all along that they can’t do it” it is critical to internalize the fact that with so many people out of work Israel itself is threatened. People who cannot provide for themselves financially look for ways to release the tension that this causes. In a repressive society that is the rule in the West Bank, the odds are that pent up anger will encourage the populace to turn to the checkpoints that control entry into the areas controlled by Israel or even to march on the settlement communities themselves. And how will they be stopped?
So the Palestinian Arab initiative at the UN may be successful in gaining the recognition of a majority of the General Assembly but, in practice, it could very well create a nightmare for both Israel and the Palestinian Authority. In truth the Palestinian Authority will be faced with some intractable dilemmas. The Authority itself will become irrelevant as it exists under the Oslo agreements which prohibit entry into 60% (i.e. Area C) of the West Bank which would then be considered part of the new Palestine. But if the Authority is disbanded what happens to the 150,000 people it employs as well as their families and vendors from whom they purchase goods? After all, the donor monies that support the Authority will not, prima facie, be rerouted automatically to the new Palestinian state. And will that result in the West Bank turning into Gaza East?
Faced with this doomsday scenario has caused Abu Ala (Ahmed Queria) to present a new diplomatic solution to the problem in order to get President Abbas down from the tree he has climbed and move Israel to a peace conference. At least he understands that winning the recognition objective is no substitute for direct negotiations between the parties. The only question is why it took so long for the Palestinian Arab leadership to understand this.
The challenge now remains for the Palestinian Arab leadership to internalize what some of its members do seem to understand and for the Netanyahu government to internalize, as well, the difficult situation in which we will all find ourselves in mid-September. We can, of course, act as if nothing will change but burying one’s head in the sand does not make the problem go away. That is our combined challenge in the next 94 days.
Why the Palestinians Should Negotiate
By Sherwin Pomerantz
94 days from now the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York will open and, unless they can be persuaded otherwise, the Palestinian Arabs will have their resolution in favor of statehood presented to the UN. In spite of what will probably be a negative vote at the Security Council, the General Assembly will approve it. And what then?
Akiva Eldar, the Chief Political Columnist for Israel’s Ha’aretz newspaper, had an informative piece in today’s paper where he presented some statistics about the Palestinian economy. Astute readers will recall the praise which continues to be heaped on Salam Fayyad, the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority and the architect of its economic growth engine. While as an experienced former senior staff person at the International Monetary Fund, he is certainly a well respected economist with good intentions, Eldar cites the following facts taken from an UNRWA (the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East) economic report just published:
• Construction jobs in the area controlled by the Palestinian Authority declined 35% in the second half of 2010 compared to the first half of the year.
• Industrial jobs declined 30% during that same period.
• During 2010 unemployment increased by 3.3% and reached 25% at the end of the year.
Now before anyone goes and gloats about these figures, or says “we told you so”, or “we knew all along that they can’t do it” it is critical to internalize the fact that with so many people out of work Israel itself is threatened. People who cannot provide for themselves financially look for ways to release the tension that this causes. In a repressive society that is the rule in the West Bank, the odds are that pent up anger will encourage the populace to turn to the checkpoints that control entry into the areas controlled by Israel or even to march on the settlement communities themselves. And how will they be stopped?
So the Palestinian Arab initiative at the UN may be successful in gaining the recognition of a majority of the General Assembly but, in practice, it could very well create a nightmare for both Israel and the Palestinian Authority. In truth the Palestinian Authority will be faced with some intractable dilemmas. The Authority itself will become irrelevant as it exists under the Oslo agreements which prohibit entry into 60% (i.e. Area C) of the West Bank which would then be considered part of the new Palestine. But if the Authority is disbanded what happens to the 150,000 people it employs as well as their families and vendors from whom they purchase goods? After all, the donor monies that support the Authority will not, prima facie, be rerouted automatically to the new Palestinian state. And will that result in the West Bank turning into Gaza East?
Faced with this doomsday scenario has caused Abu Ala (Ahmed Queria) to present a new diplomatic solution to the problem in order to get President Abbas down from the tree he has climbed and move Israel to a peace conference. At least he understands that winning the recognition objective is no substitute for direct negotiations between the parties. The only question is why it took so long for the Palestinian Arab leadership to understand this.
The challenge now remains for the Palestinian Arab leadership to internalize what some of its members do seem to understand and for the Netanyahu government to internalize, as well, the difficult situation in which we will all find ourselves in mid-September. We can, of course, act as if nothing will change but burying one’s head in the sand does not make the problem go away. That is our combined challenge in the next 94 days.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
96 Days to Go
What UN Delegates Owe to Israel
By Sherwin Pomerantz
96 days from now the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York will open and I have been urging my readers for some weeks to write to the heads of delegations in New York urging them not to vote in favor of Palestinian statehood.
Some people are at a loss as to what to say, so here is a brief primer with some examples of what you can use to remind the delegates why they owe Israel a return favor.
Albania- After severe flooding in December of last year, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs delivered 307 family sized tents for families made homeless by flooding there.
Congo- Israel sent 4 tons of humanitarian aid to the country in November 2008 to relieve the suffering of the population in rural areas.
Dominican Republic- Israel sent relief teams to assist in cleanup operations in the wake of Tropical Storm Noel in November 2007.
Greece- Israel sent 52 firefighters to assist in battling major conflagrations there in August 2007.
Haiti- In January 2010 Israel was the first country to successfully setup a fully equipped field hospital just 4 days after the devastating earthquake that struck the country.
India- Israel sent 150 emergency personnel to assist in relief efforts after the January 2001 earthquake in Western India.
Indonesia- In January 2005 Israel sent 75 tons of relief material for the benefit of those made homeless by the December 2004 Tsunami.
Kenya- Israel sent search and rescue teams to Kenya after the bombing of the US Embassy there in August 1998.
Macedonia- Israel sent firefighting equipment twice in 2007 to assist in battling major blazes there in July and August 2007.
Mauritania- Two medical missions sent to the country by Israel in 1999 to treat eye problems among the populace.
Mexico- Israel sent relief teams to assist in cleanup operations in the wake of Tropical Storm Noel in November 2007.
Myanmar- Israel sent relief workers to help local officials in the wake of the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis
Nicaragua- Israel sent relief teams to assist in cleanup operations in the wake of Hurricane Felix in September 2007.
Nigeria- Israel sent medical supplies to Nigeria in March 2006 to battle bird flu.
Philippines- In response to the damage caused by typhoon Ondoy, Israel sent planeloads of medicine to the beleaguered areas in October 2009.
Sri Lanka- After the December 2004 Tsunami Israel delivered emergency food kitchens to help feed those displaced by the devastating wave.
Turkey- Israel sent 250 relief workers to assist in cleanup operations after the August 199 earthquake that hit Turkey, followed by a complete field hospital. After the area was cleared Israel then built a village of prefabricated houses for the survivors.
The list could go on and on. But it is important that when the chips are down nations remember who their friends have been and then respond by returning the favor, if you will. And we needn’t be ashamed to remind them of that.
I’ve done a lot of “Googling” over the last months and I cannot find any examples of comparable Palestinian Arab aid to any of these countries. So it behooves all of us who care about Israel to remind the delegates to the UN that when they need us, we were there. It’s now time for them to return the favor.
Attached is an updated contact list for UN delegates through the letter “N” and later this week we will have completed the list for all countries. Meanwhile, start writing and let people know why it is important that they give us their support.
Walter Winchell, the famous US journalist of the 40s, 50s and 60s once said “A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” Let’s remind nations of who was there for them when they needed us and do it now!
===============================================================================
DELEGATION TO THE UNITED NATIONS
http://www.un.org/en/members/
Afghanistan, 633 3rd Ave., 27th Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.972.1216) afghanistan@un.int
Albania, 320 E 79 St., New York NY 10021 albania@un.int
Algeria, 326 E 48 St., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.759.5274) mission@algeria-un.org
Andorra, 2 United Nations Plaza, 27 Fl., New York NY 10017 andorra@un.int
Angola, 820 2nd Ave., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.861.9295) themission@angolaun.org
Antigua & Barbuda, 305 E 47 St., 6 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.757.1607) unmission@abgov.org
Argentina, 1 United Nations Plaza, 25 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.980.8395) argentina@un.int
Armenia, 119 E 36 St., New York NY 10016 armenia@un.int
Australia, 150 E 42 St., 33 Fl., New York NY 10017-5612 australia@un.int
Austria, 600 3rd Ave., 31st Fl., New York NY 10016 austria@un.int
Azerbaijan, 866 United Nations Plaza, #560, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.371.2784) Azerbaijan@un.int
Bahamas, 231 E 46 St., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.759.2135) mission@bahamasny.com
Bahrain, 866 2nd Ave., 14 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.319.0687) newyork@bahrainmission.org
Bangladesh, 820 2nd Ave., 4 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.972.4038) Bangladesh@un.int
Bardados, 820 2nd Ave., 9 Fl., New York NY 10017 barbados@un.int
Belarus, 136 E 67 St., 4 Fl., New York NY 10065 (Fax 212.734.4810) Belarus@un.int
Belgium, 885 2nd Ave., 41 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.681.7618) newyorkun@diplobel.be
Belize, 675 3rd Ave., #1911, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.593.0932) info@belizemission.com
Benin, 125 E 38 St., New York NY 10016 (Fax 212.684.2058) beninewyork@gmail.com
Bhutan, 343 E 43 St., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.661.0551) Bhutan@un.int
Bolivia, 801 2nd Ave., #402, New York NY 10017 bolivia@un.int
Bosnia & Herzegovina, 866 United Nations Plaza, #585, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.751.9019) bihun@mfa.gov.ba
Botswana, 154 E 46 St., New York NY 10017 botswana@un.int
Brazil, 747 3rd Ave., 9 Fl., New York NY 10017-2803 (Fax 212.371.5716) delbrasonu@delbrasonu.org
Brunei Darussalam, 771 United Nations Plaza, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.697.9889) brunei@un.int
Bulgaria, 11 E 84 St., New York NY 10028 bulgaria@un.int
Burkina Faso, 866 United Nations Plaza, #328, New York NY 10017
Burundi, 336 E 45 St., 12 Fl., New York NY 10017 burundi@un.int
Cambodia, 327 E 58 St., New York NY 10022 (Fax 212.759.7672) Cambodia@un.int
Cameroon, 22 E 73 St., New York NY 10021 cameroon@un.int
Canada, 885 Second Ave., 14 Fl., New York 10017 (Fax 212.848.1195) canada@un.int
Cape Verde, 27 E 69 St., New York NY 10021 (Fax 212.794.1398) capeverde@un.int
Central African Republic, 51 Clifton Av., #2008, Newark NJ 07104
Chad, 211 E 43 St., #1703, New York NY 10017 chad@un.int
Chile, 885 2nd Ave., 40 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.322.6809) chile@un.int
China, 350 E 35 St., New York NY 10016 (Fax 212.634.7625) Chinamission_un@fmprc.gov.cn
Colombia, 140 E 57 St., 5 Fl., New York NY 10022 colombia@colombiaun.org
Comoros, 866 United Nations Plaza, #418, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.750.1657)
Congo, 14 E 65 St., New York NY 10065 (Fax 212.744.7975) congo@un.int
Costa Rica, 211 E 43 St., #903, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.986.6842) missioncostaricaun@yahoo.com
Cote D’Ivoire, 900 2nd Ave., 5 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.781.974) coitedivoire@un.int
Croatia, 820 2nd Ave., 19 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.986.2011) cromiss.un@mvpei.hr
Cuba, 315 Lexington Ave., New York NY 10016 (Fax 212.779.1697) cuba@un.int
Cyprus, 13 E 40 St., New York NY 10018 (Fax 212.685.7316) Cyprus@un.int
Czech Republic, 420 Lexington Ave., #240, New York NY 10017
Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, 820 2nd Ave., 13 Fl., New York NY 10017
Democratic Republic of the Congo, 866 United Nations Plaza, #511, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.319.8232)
Denmark, 885 2nd Ave., 18 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.308.3384) nycmis@um.dk
Djibouti, 866 United Nations Plaza, #4011, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.223.1276) Djibouti@nyct.net
Dominica, 800 2nd Ave., #400H, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.661.0979) domun@onecommonwealth.org
Dominican Republic, 144 E 44th St., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.986.4694) drun@un.int
Ecuador, 866 United Nations Plaza, #516, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.935.1835) missionecuador@nyct.net
Egypt, 304 E 44 St., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.949.5999) Egypt@un.int
El Salvador, 46 Park Ave., New York NY 10016 (Fax 212.725.3467) elsalvador@un.int
Equatorial Guinea, 242 E 51 St., New York NY 10022 (Fax 212.223.2366) equatorialguineamission@yahoo.com
Eritrea, 800 2nd Ave., 18 Fl., New York NY 10017 eritrea@un.int
Estonia, 305 E 47 St., #6B, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.514.0099) mission.newyork@mfa.ee
Ehtiopia, 866 2nd Ave., 3rd Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.754.0360) Ethiopia@un.int
Fiji, 801 2nd Ave., 10 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.687.3963) mission@fijiprun.org
Finland, 866 United Nations Plaza, #222, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.759.6156) sanomat.yke@formin.fi
France, 245 E 47 St., 44 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.421.6889) france@franceonu.org
Gabon, 18 E 41 St., 9 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.689.5769) gabon@un.int
Gambia, 800 2nd Ave., #400F, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.856.9820) gambia@un.int
Georgia, 1 UN Plaza, 26 Fl., New York NY 10017 georgia@un.int
Germany, 871 UN Plaza, New York NY 10017 germany@un.int
Ghana, 19 E 46 St., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.751.6734) ghanaperm@aol.com
Greece, 866 2nd Ave., 13 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.888.4440) info@greeceun.org
Grenada, 800 2nd Ave., #400K, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.599.1540) grenada@un.int
Guatemala, 57 Park Ave., New York NY 10016 guatemala@un.int
Guinea, 140 E 39 St., New York NY 10017 guinea@un.int
Guinea Bissau, 800 2nd Ave., #400F, New York NY 10017
Guyana, 801 2nd Ave., 5 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.573.6225) Guyana@un.int
Haiti, 801 2nd Ave, #600, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.661.8698) Haiti@un.int
Honduras, 866 United Nations Plaza, #417, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.223.0498) Honduras_un@hotmail.com
Hungary, 227 E 52 St., New York NY 10022-6301 titkarsag.new@kum.hu
Iceland, 800 3rd Ave., 36 Fl., New York NY 10022 (Fax 212.593.6269) unmission@mfa.is
India, 235 E 43 St., New York, NY 10017 (Fex 212.490.9656) india@un.int
Indonesia, 325 E 38 St., New York NY 10016 indonesia@un.int
Iran, 622 3rd Ave., 34 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax. 212.867.7086) iran@un.int
Iraq, 14 E 79 St., New York NY 10021 iraq@un.int
Ireland, 885 2nd Ave., 19 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.752.4726) Ireland@un.int
Israel, 800 2nd Ave., New York NY 10017 israel@un.int
Italy, 885 2nd Ave., 49 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax. 212.486.1036) info.italyun@esteri.it
Jamaica, 767 3rd Ave., 9 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax. 212. 935.7607) Jamaica@un.int
Japan, 866 United Nations Plaza, 2 Fl, New York NY 10017 japan@un.int
Jordan, 866 2nd Ave., 4 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax. 212.832.5346) missionun@jordanmissionun.com
Kakzakhstan, 866 United Nations Plaza, #586, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.230.1172) Kazakhstan@un.int
Kenya, 866 United Nations Plaza, #304, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.486.1985) Kenya@un.int
Kuwait, 321 E 44 St., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.370.1733) Kuwait@un.int
Kyrgyzstan, 866 United Nations Plaza, #477, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.486.4654) kyrgyzstan@un.int
Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 317 E 51 St., New York NY 10022 (Fax. 212.750.0039) lao@un.int
Latvia, 333 E 50 St., New York NY 10022 (Fax. 212.838.9018) Latvia@un.int
Lebanon, 866 United Nations Plaza, #531-533, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.355.5460) Lebanon@un.int
Lesotho, 204 E 39 St., New York NY 10016 lesotho@un.int
Liberia, 866 United Nations Plaza, #480, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.687.1035) Liberia@un.int
Libyan Arab Jamahirya, 309-315 E 48 St., New York NY 10017 (Fax. 212.593.4787) Libya_mis_us@foreign.gov.ly
Liechtenstien, 633 3rd Ave., 27 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.599.0220) liechtenstien@un.int
Lithuania, 708 3rd Ave., 10 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.983.9473) Lithuania@un.int
Luxembourg, 17 Beekman Place, New York NY 10022 (Fax. 212.935.5896) newyork.rp@mae.etat.lu
Madagascar, 820 Second Ave., #800, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.986.2827) Madagascar@un.int
Malawi, 866 United Nations Plaza, #486, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.317.8718) Malawi@un.int
Malaysia, 313 E 43 St., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.986.6310) Malaysia@un.int
Maldives, 800 2nd Ave., #400E, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.599.6195) Maldives@un.int
Mali, 111 E 69 St., New York NY 10021 (Fax 212.794.1311) mali@un.int
Malta, 249 E 35 St., New York NY 10016 malta@un.int
Marshall Islands, 800 2nd Ave., 18 Fl., New York NY 10017 marshallislands@un.int
Mauritania, 116 E 38 St., New York NY 10016 (Fax 212.252.0141) Mauritania@un.int
Mauritius, 211 E 43 St., 15 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.697.3829( Mauritius@un.int
Mexico, 2 UN Plaza, 28 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.688.8862) onuusr1@sre.gob.mx
Micronesia, 820 2nd Ave., #17A, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.697.8295) fsmun@fsmgov.org
Monaco, 866 United Nations Plaza, #520, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.832.5358) Monaco@un.int
Mongolia, 6 E 77 St., New York NY 10075 (Fax 212.861.9464) mogolia@un.int
Montenegro, 801 2nd Ave., 2 Fl., New York NY 10017 montengro@un.int
Morocco, 866 2nd Ave., 6 & 7 Fl., New York NY 10017 morocco@un.int
Mozambique, 420 E 50 St., New York NY 10022 mozambique@un.int
Myanmar, 10 E 77 St., New York NY 10021 (Fax 212.744/1279) Myanmar@un.int
Namibia, 360 Lexington Ave., #1502, New York 10017 (Fax. 212.685.1561) namibia@un.int
Nauru, 800 2nd Ave., #400A, New York NY 10017 nauru@un.int
Nepal, 820 2nd Ave., 17B, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.370.3989) nepal@un.int
Netherlands, 235 E 45 St., 16 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.370.1954) netherlands@un.int
New Zealand, 1 UN Plaza, 25 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.758.0827) nzmissionny@earthlink.net
Nicaragua, 820 2nd Ave., 8 Fl., New York NY 10017 nicaragua@un.int
Niger, 417 E 50th St., New York NY 10022 (Fax 212.753.6931) niger@un.int
What UN Delegates Owe to Israel
By Sherwin Pomerantz
96 days from now the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York will open and I have been urging my readers for some weeks to write to the heads of delegations in New York urging them not to vote in favor of Palestinian statehood.
Some people are at a loss as to what to say, so here is a brief primer with some examples of what you can use to remind the delegates why they owe Israel a return favor.
Albania- After severe flooding in December of last year, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs delivered 307 family sized tents for families made homeless by flooding there.
Congo- Israel sent 4 tons of humanitarian aid to the country in November 2008 to relieve the suffering of the population in rural areas.
Dominican Republic- Israel sent relief teams to assist in cleanup operations in the wake of Tropical Storm Noel in November 2007.
Greece- Israel sent 52 firefighters to assist in battling major conflagrations there in August 2007.
Haiti- In January 2010 Israel was the first country to successfully setup a fully equipped field hospital just 4 days after the devastating earthquake that struck the country.
India- Israel sent 150 emergency personnel to assist in relief efforts after the January 2001 earthquake in Western India.
Indonesia- In January 2005 Israel sent 75 tons of relief material for the benefit of those made homeless by the December 2004 Tsunami.
Kenya- Israel sent search and rescue teams to Kenya after the bombing of the US Embassy there in August 1998.
Macedonia- Israel sent firefighting equipment twice in 2007 to assist in battling major blazes there in July and August 2007.
Mauritania- Two medical missions sent to the country by Israel in 1999 to treat eye problems among the populace.
Mexico- Israel sent relief teams to assist in cleanup operations in the wake of Tropical Storm Noel in November 2007.
Myanmar- Israel sent relief workers to help local officials in the wake of the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis
Nicaragua- Israel sent relief teams to assist in cleanup operations in the wake of Hurricane Felix in September 2007.
Nigeria- Israel sent medical supplies to Nigeria in March 2006 to battle bird flu.
Philippines- In response to the damage caused by typhoon Ondoy, Israel sent planeloads of medicine to the beleaguered areas in October 2009.
Sri Lanka- After the December 2004 Tsunami Israel delivered emergency food kitchens to help feed those displaced by the devastating wave.
Turkey- Israel sent 250 relief workers to assist in cleanup operations after the August 199 earthquake that hit Turkey, followed by a complete field hospital. After the area was cleared Israel then built a village of prefabricated houses for the survivors.
The list could go on and on. But it is important that when the chips are down nations remember who their friends have been and then respond by returning the favor, if you will. And we needn’t be ashamed to remind them of that.
I’ve done a lot of “Googling” over the last months and I cannot find any examples of comparable Palestinian Arab aid to any of these countries. So it behooves all of us who care about Israel to remind the delegates to the UN that when they need us, we were there. It’s now time for them to return the favor.
Attached is an updated contact list for UN delegates through the letter “N” and later this week we will have completed the list for all countries. Meanwhile, start writing and let people know why it is important that they give us their support.
Walter Winchell, the famous US journalist of the 40s, 50s and 60s once said “A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” Let’s remind nations of who was there for them when they needed us and do it now!
===============================================================================
DELEGATION TO THE UNITED NATIONS
http://www.un.org/en/members/
Afghanistan, 633 3rd Ave., 27th Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.972.1216) afghanistan@un.int
Albania, 320 E 79 St., New York NY 10021 albania@un.int
Algeria, 326 E 48 St., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.759.5274) mission@algeria-un.org
Andorra, 2 United Nations Plaza, 27 Fl., New York NY 10017 andorra@un.int
Angola, 820 2nd Ave., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.861.9295) themission@angolaun.org
Antigua & Barbuda, 305 E 47 St., 6 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.757.1607) unmission@abgov.org
Argentina, 1 United Nations Plaza, 25 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.980.8395) argentina@un.int
Armenia, 119 E 36 St., New York NY 10016 armenia@un.int
Australia, 150 E 42 St., 33 Fl., New York NY 10017-5612 australia@un.int
Austria, 600 3rd Ave., 31st Fl., New York NY 10016 austria@un.int
Azerbaijan, 866 United Nations Plaza, #560, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.371.2784) Azerbaijan@un.int
Bahamas, 231 E 46 St., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.759.2135) mission@bahamasny.com
Bahrain, 866 2nd Ave., 14 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.319.0687) newyork@bahrainmission.org
Bangladesh, 820 2nd Ave., 4 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.972.4038) Bangladesh@un.int
Bardados, 820 2nd Ave., 9 Fl., New York NY 10017 barbados@un.int
Belarus, 136 E 67 St., 4 Fl., New York NY 10065 (Fax 212.734.4810) Belarus@un.int
Belgium, 885 2nd Ave., 41 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.681.7618) newyorkun@diplobel.be
Belize, 675 3rd Ave., #1911, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.593.0932) info@belizemission.com
Benin, 125 E 38 St., New York NY 10016 (Fax 212.684.2058) beninewyork@gmail.com
Bhutan, 343 E 43 St., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.661.0551) Bhutan@un.int
Bolivia, 801 2nd Ave., #402, New York NY 10017 bolivia@un.int
Bosnia & Herzegovina, 866 United Nations Plaza, #585, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.751.9019) bihun@mfa.gov.ba
Botswana, 154 E 46 St., New York NY 10017 botswana@un.int
Brazil, 747 3rd Ave., 9 Fl., New York NY 10017-2803 (Fax 212.371.5716) delbrasonu@delbrasonu.org
Brunei Darussalam, 771 United Nations Plaza, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.697.9889) brunei@un.int
Bulgaria, 11 E 84 St., New York NY 10028 bulgaria@un.int
Burkina Faso, 866 United Nations Plaza, #328, New York NY 10017
Burundi, 336 E 45 St., 12 Fl., New York NY 10017 burundi@un.int
Cambodia, 327 E 58 St., New York NY 10022 (Fax 212.759.7672) Cambodia@un.int
Cameroon, 22 E 73 St., New York NY 10021 cameroon@un.int
Canada, 885 Second Ave., 14 Fl., New York 10017 (Fax 212.848.1195) canada@un.int
Cape Verde, 27 E 69 St., New York NY 10021 (Fax 212.794.1398) capeverde@un.int
Central African Republic, 51 Clifton Av., #2008, Newark NJ 07104
Chad, 211 E 43 St., #1703, New York NY 10017 chad@un.int
Chile, 885 2nd Ave., 40 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.322.6809) chile@un.int
China, 350 E 35 St., New York NY 10016 (Fax 212.634.7625) Chinamission_un@fmprc.gov.cn
Colombia, 140 E 57 St., 5 Fl., New York NY 10022 colombia@colombiaun.org
Comoros, 866 United Nations Plaza, #418, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.750.1657)
Congo, 14 E 65 St., New York NY 10065 (Fax 212.744.7975) congo@un.int
Costa Rica, 211 E 43 St., #903, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.986.6842) missioncostaricaun@yahoo.com
Cote D’Ivoire, 900 2nd Ave., 5 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.781.974) coitedivoire@un.int
Croatia, 820 2nd Ave., 19 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.986.2011) cromiss.un@mvpei.hr
Cuba, 315 Lexington Ave., New York NY 10016 (Fax 212.779.1697) cuba@un.int
Cyprus, 13 E 40 St., New York NY 10018 (Fax 212.685.7316) Cyprus@un.int
Czech Republic, 420 Lexington Ave., #240, New York NY 10017
Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, 820 2nd Ave., 13 Fl., New York NY 10017
Democratic Republic of the Congo, 866 United Nations Plaza, #511, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.319.8232)
Denmark, 885 2nd Ave., 18 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.308.3384) nycmis@um.dk
Djibouti, 866 United Nations Plaza, #4011, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.223.1276) Djibouti@nyct.net
Dominica, 800 2nd Ave., #400H, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.661.0979) domun@onecommonwealth.org
Dominican Republic, 144 E 44th St., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.986.4694) drun@un.int
Ecuador, 866 United Nations Plaza, #516, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.935.1835) missionecuador@nyct.net
Egypt, 304 E 44 St., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.949.5999) Egypt@un.int
El Salvador, 46 Park Ave., New York NY 10016 (Fax 212.725.3467) elsalvador@un.int
Equatorial Guinea, 242 E 51 St., New York NY 10022 (Fax 212.223.2366) equatorialguineamission@yahoo.com
Eritrea, 800 2nd Ave., 18 Fl., New York NY 10017 eritrea@un.int
Estonia, 305 E 47 St., #6B, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.514.0099) mission.newyork@mfa.ee
Ehtiopia, 866 2nd Ave., 3rd Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.754.0360) Ethiopia@un.int
Fiji, 801 2nd Ave., 10 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.687.3963) mission@fijiprun.org
Finland, 866 United Nations Plaza, #222, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.759.6156) sanomat.yke@formin.fi
France, 245 E 47 St., 44 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.421.6889) france@franceonu.org
Gabon, 18 E 41 St., 9 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.689.5769) gabon@un.int
Gambia, 800 2nd Ave., #400F, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.856.9820) gambia@un.int
Georgia, 1 UN Plaza, 26 Fl., New York NY 10017 georgia@un.int
Germany, 871 UN Plaza, New York NY 10017 germany@un.int
Ghana, 19 E 46 St., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.751.6734) ghanaperm@aol.com
Greece, 866 2nd Ave., 13 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.888.4440) info@greeceun.org
Grenada, 800 2nd Ave., #400K, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.599.1540) grenada@un.int
Guatemala, 57 Park Ave., New York NY 10016 guatemala@un.int
Guinea, 140 E 39 St., New York NY 10017 guinea@un.int
Guinea Bissau, 800 2nd Ave., #400F, New York NY 10017
Guyana, 801 2nd Ave., 5 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.573.6225) Guyana@un.int
Haiti, 801 2nd Ave, #600, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.661.8698) Haiti@un.int
Honduras, 866 United Nations Plaza, #417, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.223.0498) Honduras_un@hotmail.com
Hungary, 227 E 52 St., New York NY 10022-6301 titkarsag.new@kum.hu
Iceland, 800 3rd Ave., 36 Fl., New York NY 10022 (Fax 212.593.6269) unmission@mfa.is
India, 235 E 43 St., New York, NY 10017 (Fex 212.490.9656) india@un.int
Indonesia, 325 E 38 St., New York NY 10016 indonesia@un.int
Iran, 622 3rd Ave., 34 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax. 212.867.7086) iran@un.int
Iraq, 14 E 79 St., New York NY 10021 iraq@un.int
Ireland, 885 2nd Ave., 19 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.752.4726) Ireland@un.int
Israel, 800 2nd Ave., New York NY 10017 israel@un.int
Italy, 885 2nd Ave., 49 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax. 212.486.1036) info.italyun@esteri.it
Jamaica, 767 3rd Ave., 9 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax. 212. 935.7607) Jamaica@un.int
Japan, 866 United Nations Plaza, 2 Fl, New York NY 10017 japan@un.int
Jordan, 866 2nd Ave., 4 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax. 212.832.5346) missionun@jordanmissionun.com
Kakzakhstan, 866 United Nations Plaza, #586, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.230.1172) Kazakhstan@un.int
Kenya, 866 United Nations Plaza, #304, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.486.1985) Kenya@un.int
Kuwait, 321 E 44 St., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.370.1733) Kuwait@un.int
Kyrgyzstan, 866 United Nations Plaza, #477, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.486.4654) kyrgyzstan@un.int
Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 317 E 51 St., New York NY 10022 (Fax. 212.750.0039) lao@un.int
Latvia, 333 E 50 St., New York NY 10022 (Fax. 212.838.9018) Latvia@un.int
Lebanon, 866 United Nations Plaza, #531-533, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.355.5460) Lebanon@un.int
Lesotho, 204 E 39 St., New York NY 10016 lesotho@un.int
Liberia, 866 United Nations Plaza, #480, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.687.1035) Liberia@un.int
Libyan Arab Jamahirya, 309-315 E 48 St., New York NY 10017 (Fax. 212.593.4787) Libya_mis_us@foreign.gov.ly
Liechtenstien, 633 3rd Ave., 27 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.599.0220) liechtenstien@un.int
Lithuania, 708 3rd Ave., 10 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.983.9473) Lithuania@un.int
Luxembourg, 17 Beekman Place, New York NY 10022 (Fax. 212.935.5896) newyork.rp@mae.etat.lu
Madagascar, 820 Second Ave., #800, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.986.2827) Madagascar@un.int
Malawi, 866 United Nations Plaza, #486, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.317.8718) Malawi@un.int
Malaysia, 313 E 43 St., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.986.6310) Malaysia@un.int
Maldives, 800 2nd Ave., #400E, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.599.6195) Maldives@un.int
Mali, 111 E 69 St., New York NY 10021 (Fax 212.794.1311) mali@un.int
Malta, 249 E 35 St., New York NY 10016 malta@un.int
Marshall Islands, 800 2nd Ave., 18 Fl., New York NY 10017 marshallislands@un.int
Mauritania, 116 E 38 St., New York NY 10016 (Fax 212.252.0141) Mauritania@un.int
Mauritius, 211 E 43 St., 15 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.697.3829( Mauritius@un.int
Mexico, 2 UN Plaza, 28 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.688.8862) onuusr1@sre.gob.mx
Micronesia, 820 2nd Ave., #17A, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.697.8295) fsmun@fsmgov.org
Monaco, 866 United Nations Plaza, #520, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.832.5358) Monaco@un.int
Mongolia, 6 E 77 St., New York NY 10075 (Fax 212.861.9464) mogolia@un.int
Montenegro, 801 2nd Ave., 2 Fl., New York NY 10017 montengro@un.int
Morocco, 866 2nd Ave., 6 & 7 Fl., New York NY 10017 morocco@un.int
Mozambique, 420 E 50 St., New York NY 10022 mozambique@un.int
Myanmar, 10 E 77 St., New York NY 10021 (Fax 212.744/1279) Myanmar@un.int
Namibia, 360 Lexington Ave., #1502, New York 10017 (Fax. 212.685.1561) namibia@un.int
Nauru, 800 2nd Ave., #400A, New York NY 10017 nauru@un.int
Nepal, 820 2nd Ave., 17B, New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.370.3989) nepal@un.int
Netherlands, 235 E 45 St., 16 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.370.1954) netherlands@un.int
New Zealand, 1 UN Plaza, 25 Fl., New York NY 10017 (Fax 212.758.0827) nzmissionny@earthlink.net
Nicaragua, 820 2nd Ave., 8 Fl., New York NY 10017 nicaragua@un.int
Niger, 417 E 50th St., New York NY 10022 (Fax 212.753.6931) niger@un.int
Friday, June 10, 2011
97 Days to Go
Why September is Still Important
By Sherwin Pomerantz
97 days from now the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York will open and a number of people have tried to convince me that September is no longer important and is nothing to worry about. I disagree and so, finally, does Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The argument of those saying there is nothing important anymore about September takes as as its logic the facts that (a) the US has made it clear that it will veto any vote in the Security Council to recognize Palestinian statehood by that body and (b) Palestinian Authority Chairman Abbas has acknowledged that the resolution will not get past the Security Council but he does not know how to climb down the tree on which he and his associates have placed him on this subject. While this may all be true, the train to recognition which is travelling with some speed cannot be so easily stopped and, in its path, a lot negative commentary about Israel will be spread in the media and will ultimately be harmful to us here.
But I still believe that world public opinion must be influenced and it appears, according to a story in this morning’s Ha’aretz that “Israel has started mobilizing its embassies for the battle against UN recognition of a Palestinian state in September, ordering its diplomats to convey that this would delegitimize Israel and foil any chance for future peace talks. Envoys are being asked to lobby the highest possible officials in their countries of service, muster support from local Jewish communities, ply the media with articles arguing against recognition and even ask for a call or quick visit from a top Israeli official if they think it would help.”
I have been urging this type of action for the last month and, while I do not take any credit at all for the shift in policy it was good to note that Foreign Ministry Director General Rafael Barak and the heads of various ministry departments sent out classified cables outlining the battle plan to the embassies over the past week, after earlier ordering all the country's diplomats to cancel any vacations planned for September. The contents of the cables reached Ha’aretz and are reported here in full:
"The goal we have set is to have the maximum number of countries oppose the process of having the UN recognize a Palestinian state. The Palestinian effort must be referred to as a process that erodes the legitimacy of the State of Israel...The primary argument is that by pursuing this process in the UN, the Palestinians are trying to achieve their aims in a manner other than negotiations with Israel, and this violates the principle that the only route to resolving the conflict is through bilateral negotiations."
Each envoy was ordered to prepare a focused plan for the country in which he or she serves and present it to the Foreign Ministry by today, June 10. Barak wrote "The goal is to get the country in which you serve to vote against recognizing a Palestinian state. Your plan must include approaching the most senior politicians, mobilizing the relevant force multipliers [such as local Jewish communities, nongovernmental organizations], using the media, influencing local public opinion, and public diplomacy aimed at all the relevant communities."
All I can say is that it is about time. Even if the naysayers among us think that there is no need, or that it will not help, I believe and have believed for months now, that not taking such action will convey the impression that we don’t care, not that we are not worried. But we should care and this is an opportunity to mobilize the impressive resources at our disposal to rally those who care and let those who would oppose us know that we not going to watch quietly while a negative scenario about us plays out in the media and at the UN.
Former Advisor to US Presidents from Woodrow Wilson to Franklin Roosevelt, Bernard M. Baruch once said “Even when we know what is right, too often we fail to act. More often we grab greedily for the day, letting tomorrow bring what it will, putting of the unpleasant and unpopular.” Tomorrow is too late. We must not fail to act and we must do so NOW!
Why September is Still Important
By Sherwin Pomerantz
97 days from now the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York will open and a number of people have tried to convince me that September is no longer important and is nothing to worry about. I disagree and so, finally, does Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The argument of those saying there is nothing important anymore about September takes as as its logic the facts that (a) the US has made it clear that it will veto any vote in the Security Council to recognize Palestinian statehood by that body and (b) Palestinian Authority Chairman Abbas has acknowledged that the resolution will not get past the Security Council but he does not know how to climb down the tree on which he and his associates have placed him on this subject. While this may all be true, the train to recognition which is travelling with some speed cannot be so easily stopped and, in its path, a lot negative commentary about Israel will be spread in the media and will ultimately be harmful to us here.
But I still believe that world public opinion must be influenced and it appears, according to a story in this morning’s Ha’aretz that “Israel has started mobilizing its embassies for the battle against UN recognition of a Palestinian state in September, ordering its diplomats to convey that this would delegitimize Israel and foil any chance for future peace talks. Envoys are being asked to lobby the highest possible officials in their countries of service, muster support from local Jewish communities, ply the media with articles arguing against recognition and even ask for a call or quick visit from a top Israeli official if they think it would help.”
I have been urging this type of action for the last month and, while I do not take any credit at all for the shift in policy it was good to note that Foreign Ministry Director General Rafael Barak and the heads of various ministry departments sent out classified cables outlining the battle plan to the embassies over the past week, after earlier ordering all the country's diplomats to cancel any vacations planned for September. The contents of the cables reached Ha’aretz and are reported here in full:
"The goal we have set is to have the maximum number of countries oppose the process of having the UN recognize a Palestinian state. The Palestinian effort must be referred to as a process that erodes the legitimacy of the State of Israel...The primary argument is that by pursuing this process in the UN, the Palestinians are trying to achieve their aims in a manner other than negotiations with Israel, and this violates the principle that the only route to resolving the conflict is through bilateral negotiations."
Each envoy was ordered to prepare a focused plan for the country in which he or she serves and present it to the Foreign Ministry by today, June 10. Barak wrote "The goal is to get the country in which you serve to vote against recognizing a Palestinian state. Your plan must include approaching the most senior politicians, mobilizing the relevant force multipliers [such as local Jewish communities, nongovernmental organizations], using the media, influencing local public opinion, and public diplomacy aimed at all the relevant communities."
All I can say is that it is about time. Even if the naysayers among us think that there is no need, or that it will not help, I believe and have believed for months now, that not taking such action will convey the impression that we don’t care, not that we are not worried. But we should care and this is an opportunity to mobilize the impressive resources at our disposal to rally those who care and let those who would oppose us know that we not going to watch quietly while a negative scenario about us plays out in the media and at the UN.
Former Advisor to US Presidents from Woodrow Wilson to Franklin Roosevelt, Bernard M. Baruch once said “Even when we know what is right, too often we fail to act. More often we grab greedily for the day, letting tomorrow bring what it will, putting of the unpleasant and unpopular.” Tomorrow is too late. We must not fail to act and we must do so NOW!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
98 Days to Go
Some Rays of Sunlight
By Sherwin Pomerantz
98 days from now the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York will open and New York City will be a good place to stay away from, as the world’s leaders gather for their individual presentations.
But while just days ago it appeared that the Palestinian desire to move ahead with a resolution recognizing statehood was sacrosanct, it now appears as if there is some softening around the edges, so perhaps there is some light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s not a train coming the other way.
Earlier this week after the visit of Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel to Washington, the two leaders held a press conference in the White House. President Obama once again spoke about the peace process here and used the following words:
I thanked the Chancellor for her support for the principles that I laid out last month as the basis for negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. And I want to commend Angela for her personal efforts to bring the parties back to the negotiating table. Just as we agree that both sides will need to make difficult choices, we agree that unilateral actions -- such as Palestinians seeking a vote on statehood at the U.N. General Assembly -- should be avoided.
So while the President made reference to the remarks he made last month on the issue, he did not repeat them but rather made a point of stating that unilateral action by the Palestinians for the UN to recognize their state should be avoided.
As for Chancellor Merkel, she responded by saying:
We talked about the Middle East peace process. I think this was a very important initiative to point out yet again that the United States of America, just as Germany and the European Union, wish to promote a further development of the peace process. We’re saying this to both countries: We want a two-state solution. We want a Jewish state of Israel and alongside an independent Palestinian state. Unilateral measures are not helping at all to bring about this cause, and we agree that we wish to cooperate very closely on this, because as we both say, time is of the essence. And looking at the changes in the Arab area and the Arab region, it would be a very good signal indeed if it came out that talks between the parties are again possible.
She, too indicated Germany’s support for the American position vis-à-vis the UN and reiterated the general framework which has always been the basis of discussions without mentioning specific borders. And she referred to Israel with the phrase “a Jewish state of Israel.”
Couple this with the news out of Ramallah this morning that while Chairman Abbas seems committed to continuing the fight to get the UN to vote in favor of recognition of statehood, a number of senior advisors including Prime Minister Salam Fayyad seem to feel that this action is not in the Palestinian’s long term interest.
David Ben Gurion, Israel’s founding father and first Prime Minister is reputed to have said “In Israel, in order to be a realist, you must believe in miracles.” A statement that still rings true today. We dare not relieve the pressure but realism demands a dash of hope as well.
Some Rays of Sunlight
By Sherwin Pomerantz
98 days from now the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York will open and New York City will be a good place to stay away from, as the world’s leaders gather for their individual presentations.
But while just days ago it appeared that the Palestinian desire to move ahead with a resolution recognizing statehood was sacrosanct, it now appears as if there is some softening around the edges, so perhaps there is some light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s not a train coming the other way.
Earlier this week after the visit of Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel to Washington, the two leaders held a press conference in the White House. President Obama once again spoke about the peace process here and used the following words:
I thanked the Chancellor for her support for the principles that I laid out last month as the basis for negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. And I want to commend Angela for her personal efforts to bring the parties back to the negotiating table. Just as we agree that both sides will need to make difficult choices, we agree that unilateral actions -- such as Palestinians seeking a vote on statehood at the U.N. General Assembly -- should be avoided.
So while the President made reference to the remarks he made last month on the issue, he did not repeat them but rather made a point of stating that unilateral action by the Palestinians for the UN to recognize their state should be avoided.
As for Chancellor Merkel, she responded by saying:
We talked about the Middle East peace process. I think this was a very important initiative to point out yet again that the United States of America, just as Germany and the European Union, wish to promote a further development of the peace process. We’re saying this to both countries: We want a two-state solution. We want a Jewish state of Israel and alongside an independent Palestinian state. Unilateral measures are not helping at all to bring about this cause, and we agree that we wish to cooperate very closely on this, because as we both say, time is of the essence. And looking at the changes in the Arab area and the Arab region, it would be a very good signal indeed if it came out that talks between the parties are again possible.
She, too indicated Germany’s support for the American position vis-à-vis the UN and reiterated the general framework which has always been the basis of discussions without mentioning specific borders. And she referred to Israel with the phrase “a Jewish state of Israel.”
Couple this with the news out of Ramallah this morning that while Chairman Abbas seems committed to continuing the fight to get the UN to vote in favor of recognition of statehood, a number of senior advisors including Prime Minister Salam Fayyad seem to feel that this action is not in the Palestinian’s long term interest.
David Ben Gurion, Israel’s founding father and first Prime Minister is reputed to have said “In Israel, in order to be a realist, you must believe in miracles.” A statement that still rings true today. We dare not relieve the pressure but realism demands a dash of hope as well.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
100 Days to Go
Bright Spots in our Future
By Sherwin Pomerantz
100 days from now the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York will open but tonight begins the holiday of Shavuot and I had to find something positive to write about to give all of us hope for the future, and I found it.
Last night at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies here in Jerusalem, on whose Board of Directors I proudly sit, I saw the future and it was good. I had the pleasure of participating in the commencement ceremonies of the Pardes Educators Program whose graduates, after three years of training here in Jerusalem and at the Hebrew College of Boston, receive a Master of Jewish Education Degree and a Certificate in Day School Education. Next year these young people will be teaching at 12 day schools in the US in Chicago, Greenwich (CT), Rockville (MD), Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Washington, Newton (MA), Hartsdale (NY), Irvine (CA) and, of course, New York City as well.
And who are these young people?
• New Yorker with a BA in Comparative Literature from Brown
• Connecticut native with a BA in Music from Brandeis
• Indiana native with a BA in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis
• Connecticut native with a BA in Human Development and Family Studies from UConn
• Maryland native with a BA in Philosophy from Barnard College and a BA in tanakh from List College of the Jewish Theological Seminary
• Canadian with a BA in Religious Studies and Education from York U
• New Yorker with a BA in English Literature from Queens College and an MA in Linguistics from the University of New Hampshire
• New Yorker with a BA in History and Philosophy from Brandeis
• New Jersey native with a BA in Anthropology and another in Folklore and Ethnomusicology, both from Indiana U
• Maryland native with a BS in Biology from the University of Maryland
• New Yorker with a BA in History of Art and Spanish from Bryn Mawr College
• Canadian with a BFA in Painting, Digital Art and Video Art from York U
• Pennsylvania native with a BA in Sports Science/Athletic Training from the University of Kansas
• Georgia native with a BA in Near Eastern Languages and Literature from Indiana U as well as a JD from Temple U
These 14 Jewish young adults have all departed, if you will, from their chosen fields of study to spend three or more years here in Jerusalem immersed in Torah learning and will now commit at least the next few years of their lives (hopefully more) to imparting the joy they have discovered in Judaism to their students. How I wish I could be one of their students.
In the short homilies each of them gave last night you could see not only their love for learning, their commitment to teaching and their understanding of the texts, but more importantly their desire to share what they have experienced here in Israel during their time here.
UN vote in September or not, the world’s constant criticism of Israel or not, the existential threat we face each day by living here or not, I walked away from those exercises last night feeling that at least in this cohort of young people there is hope for the future and light at the end of the tunnel.
Let’s hope that as we enter the holiday of matan torah, celebrating the giving of the law at Sinai, that the study, reflection, prayer and holiday joy we will experience will renew our strength and prepare us emotionally for the difficult days ahead.
Chag sameach …Happy Holiday….to one and all!
Bright Spots in our Future
By Sherwin Pomerantz
100 days from now the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York will open but tonight begins the holiday of Shavuot and I had to find something positive to write about to give all of us hope for the future, and I found it.
Last night at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies here in Jerusalem, on whose Board of Directors I proudly sit, I saw the future and it was good. I had the pleasure of participating in the commencement ceremonies of the Pardes Educators Program whose graduates, after three years of training here in Jerusalem and at the Hebrew College of Boston, receive a Master of Jewish Education Degree and a Certificate in Day School Education. Next year these young people will be teaching at 12 day schools in the US in Chicago, Greenwich (CT), Rockville (MD), Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Washington, Newton (MA), Hartsdale (NY), Irvine (CA) and, of course, New York City as well.
And who are these young people?
• New Yorker with a BA in Comparative Literature from Brown
• Connecticut native with a BA in Music from Brandeis
• Indiana native with a BA in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis
• Connecticut native with a BA in Human Development and Family Studies from UConn
• Maryland native with a BA in Philosophy from Barnard College and a BA in tanakh from List College of the Jewish Theological Seminary
• Canadian with a BA in Religious Studies and Education from York U
• New Yorker with a BA in English Literature from Queens College and an MA in Linguistics from the University of New Hampshire
• New Yorker with a BA in History and Philosophy from Brandeis
• New Jersey native with a BA in Anthropology and another in Folklore and Ethnomusicology, both from Indiana U
• Maryland native with a BS in Biology from the University of Maryland
• New Yorker with a BA in History of Art and Spanish from Bryn Mawr College
• Canadian with a BFA in Painting, Digital Art and Video Art from York U
• Pennsylvania native with a BA in Sports Science/Athletic Training from the University of Kansas
• Georgia native with a BA in Near Eastern Languages and Literature from Indiana U as well as a JD from Temple U
These 14 Jewish young adults have all departed, if you will, from their chosen fields of study to spend three or more years here in Jerusalem immersed in Torah learning and will now commit at least the next few years of their lives (hopefully more) to imparting the joy they have discovered in Judaism to their students. How I wish I could be one of their students.
In the short homilies each of them gave last night you could see not only their love for learning, their commitment to teaching and their understanding of the texts, but more importantly their desire to share what they have experienced here in Israel during their time here.
UN vote in September or not, the world’s constant criticism of Israel or not, the existential threat we face each day by living here or not, I walked away from those exercises last night feeling that at least in this cohort of young people there is hope for the future and light at the end of the tunnel.
Let’s hope that as we enter the holiday of matan torah, celebrating the giving of the law at Sinai, that the study, reflection, prayer and holiday joy we will experience will renew our strength and prepare us emotionally for the difficult days ahead.
Chag sameach …Happy Holiday….to one and all!
Monday, June 6, 2011
101 Days to Go
Are We Too Arrogant for our Own Good?
By Sherwin Pomerantz
101 days from now the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York will open and, if all goes according to Palestinian plans there will be a vote to grant the Palestinians recognition for statehood. At the moment, it appears that the Palestinians have enough support to pass that motion, but, as my father of blessed memory used to say, “there’s many a slip ‘twixt the cup and lip.”
A significant number of my readers have let me know that they think that I (along with many others) are making too much of this, that the whole exercise is only a side show and that nothing will happen the day after even if the vote passes. Some even accuse me of being in the ranks of those who look to generate panic in anticipation of that vote. I, of course, do not have absolute wisdom, but neither do those who differ with me. So the question remains, is there something we should be doing or do we just sit around waiting to see what happens.
Well, I have never lived my life that way and I believe that, in principle, it is simply the wrong approach because, in this case, it sends our adversaries the wrong message. It may be telling them that we don’t care, but I do care. It may be telling them that it is not important in the grand scheme of things, but I think it is important. It may be telling them that we have no alternative position, and I think that would be an abdication of our responsibility as Israelis. Worst of all, it may be telling them that by not acknowledging the potential for serious problems in the aftermath of the vote, that we are simply being arrogant and I don’t believe we can afford that.
I have been urging for some time that all of us, the private citizens of the world, engage in a letter writing campaign to UN delegates in New York conveying our wish that they not vote in favor of such a resolution and telling them why. I still believe that this is a worthwhile effort and should be pursued.
In addition, I think it was a mistake for Prime Minister Netanyahu to have told the French “no” this week in response to their offer to host a meeting on their soil in which both the Prime Minister and PA Chairman Abbas would participate. Earlier in the week Abbas agreed to go but set out certain conditions that would have to be met before he would attend. I may not be a student of diplomacy, but I fail to see why our Prime Minister could not have also provided a qualified yes in which he would lay out the conditions that would have to be met in order for Israel to be present. In any event, Hamas immediately vilified Chairman Abbas and publicly stated that as members of the PA ruling coalition, they were against attending such a meeting with Israeli representatives and that, in the future, Abbas should consult with them before agreeing to such meetings. Bottom line? Israel missed another opportunity to take the high road by issuing an immediate rebuff to the offer of the French.
We do this kind of thing with regularity. In 2002 the Arab countries submitted a wide-ranging peace initiative which spoke about full diplomatic recognition and an end to the conflict in return for other considerations. There was also a Saudi initiative floated. But Israel never formally responded. Why not? Or perhaps we really are more arrogant than we want to believe.
Our region of the world is changing every day and the standards under which we operated in the past, for the most part, no longer obtain. So while I believe that we must maintain our principles and, like every sovereign nation, protect that sovereignty and make decisions that are in our own best interests, some good public relations would not hurt us either. Our Prime Minister and his advisors missed this opportunity this week and, once again, world opinion will see us at the recalcitrant party. Sadly, another opportunity lost.
Are We Too Arrogant for our Own Good?
By Sherwin Pomerantz
101 days from now the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York will open and, if all goes according to Palestinian plans there will be a vote to grant the Palestinians recognition for statehood. At the moment, it appears that the Palestinians have enough support to pass that motion, but, as my father of blessed memory used to say, “there’s many a slip ‘twixt the cup and lip.”
A significant number of my readers have let me know that they think that I (along with many others) are making too much of this, that the whole exercise is only a side show and that nothing will happen the day after even if the vote passes. Some even accuse me of being in the ranks of those who look to generate panic in anticipation of that vote. I, of course, do not have absolute wisdom, but neither do those who differ with me. So the question remains, is there something we should be doing or do we just sit around waiting to see what happens.
Well, I have never lived my life that way and I believe that, in principle, it is simply the wrong approach because, in this case, it sends our adversaries the wrong message. It may be telling them that we don’t care, but I do care. It may be telling them that it is not important in the grand scheme of things, but I think it is important. It may be telling them that we have no alternative position, and I think that would be an abdication of our responsibility as Israelis. Worst of all, it may be telling them that by not acknowledging the potential for serious problems in the aftermath of the vote, that we are simply being arrogant and I don’t believe we can afford that.
I have been urging for some time that all of us, the private citizens of the world, engage in a letter writing campaign to UN delegates in New York conveying our wish that they not vote in favor of such a resolution and telling them why. I still believe that this is a worthwhile effort and should be pursued.
In addition, I think it was a mistake for Prime Minister Netanyahu to have told the French “no” this week in response to their offer to host a meeting on their soil in which both the Prime Minister and PA Chairman Abbas would participate. Earlier in the week Abbas agreed to go but set out certain conditions that would have to be met before he would attend. I may not be a student of diplomacy, but I fail to see why our Prime Minister could not have also provided a qualified yes in which he would lay out the conditions that would have to be met in order for Israel to be present. In any event, Hamas immediately vilified Chairman Abbas and publicly stated that as members of the PA ruling coalition, they were against attending such a meeting with Israeli representatives and that, in the future, Abbas should consult with them before agreeing to such meetings. Bottom line? Israel missed another opportunity to take the high road by issuing an immediate rebuff to the offer of the French.
We do this kind of thing with regularity. In 2002 the Arab countries submitted a wide-ranging peace initiative which spoke about full diplomatic recognition and an end to the conflict in return for other considerations. There was also a Saudi initiative floated. But Israel never formally responded. Why not? Or perhaps we really are more arrogant than we want to believe.
Our region of the world is changing every day and the standards under which we operated in the past, for the most part, no longer obtain. So while I believe that we must maintain our principles and, like every sovereign nation, protect that sovereignty and make decisions that are in our own best interests, some good public relations would not hurt us either. Our Prime Minister and his advisors missed this opportunity this week and, once again, world opinion will see us at the recalcitrant party. Sadly, another opportunity lost.
Friday, June 3, 2011
103 Days to Go
And What is the Positive Vision?
By Sherwin Pomerantz
With 103 days to go to the opening of the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York and the proposed vote to grant the Palestinians recognition for statehood permit me to think positive for the moment.
Two days ago I wrote about the great gift given to humans, above all other mammals, the ability to think about and plan for the future or, in other words, look into the future with positive vision. No other animal in the species can do that. The comments I received were instructive. Some people felt it was an important insight but others said there is simply no future to be positive about and a few even said, “OK Sherwin, what is your positive vision?”
So let me take advantage of the particular day on which I am writing, Friday, erev Shabbat (the eve of the Sabbath) and Rosh Chodesh Sivan (the 1st day of the Hebrew month of Sivan) to ruminate on that.
I was at an event yesterday where one of the speakers mentioned Simon Sinek`s book “Start with Why” and his theory of leadership. In summary he takes the position that leaders generally know WHAT they want to do and HOW they want to do it, but too often WHY they know this is the third element in their thought process while it should be the first. Sinek sees this as three concentric circles, which he calls the Golden Circle, where the WHY is at the center, the HOW is outside the WHY circle and the WHAT is the most distant circle. His criticism of the majority of leaders is that their reasoning process begins with the WHAT rather than the WHY, where the WHY is what we believe, on what our cause is based and what our purpose is in doing what we are doing. (It might help if you actually drew the three concentric circles on a piece of paper to better visualize this.)
And what does this have to do with our current situation? I think EVERYTHING! Those of us living here, Israelis and Palestinian Arabs know full well WHAT we have to do and even HOW to get it done. But it appears to me that the leadership of both groups, Prime Minister Netanyahu in Israel and Chairman Abbas of the Palestinian Authority are fixated on the WHAT and sometimes the HOW but not the WHY. Sinek makes the claim that people only follow those who know the WHY and he cites giants of leadership like Martin Luther King Jr and Ghandi as classical examples of such people.
If we look at our leaders we see something different. Prime Minister Netanyahu seems always to be talking about the WHAT. Jerusalem will not be divided, Israeli troops must be stationed in the Jordan Valley, we cannot accept the Right of Return of those who left in 1948 and 1967, we cannot live with the 1967 armistice lines as our borders. Chairman Abbas is guilty of the same thing when he says just the opposite, Jerusalem must be the capital of the new Palestinian state, Israeli troops cannot be stationed inside the new state (nor can international forces in that position contain any Jews), the Right of Return is sacrosanct and the 1967 armistice lines must be the new borders. WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT, rarely HOW and never ever WHY!
How much more powerful would it be if the leadership spoke only about the WHY. This is what we know, this is our purpose, this is our cause, this is what we believe. History has shown that leaders who speak about the WHY generate loyal followers who then support their decisions.
This is critically important here because supporting the decisions of the leadership is, in fact, the HOW as critics on both sides of the spectrum say that neither leader can “deliver” his people to support an agreement.
So what is my vision of the WHY?
For Prime Minister Netanyahu it is that I believe that Israel is the legitimate Jewish homeland of the Jewish people; I believe that this land that has been inhabited as well by the Arab population for so many years can only see peace if we learn to live with each other in peace not war; I believe that reasonable people who no longer want to see their children and grandchildren subjected to war can find a way to make peace; I believe that Israel has the strength to prevail but would rather not use that strength in war, but instead in building a sound economy for both parties to this long conflict.
For Chairman Abbas it is that I believe that our claim to this land is as legitimate at that of the Jews who are living here; I believe that my people have a right to live here in peace and dignity that is no less legitimate than that of the Jews; I believe that this land that has been successfully improved by Israelis for the last 63 years can only see peace if we learn to live with each other in peace not war; I believe that reasonable people who no longer want to see their children and grandchildren subjected to war can find a way to make peace.
I could go on but you get the point. When leaders have the courage to speak about the WHY people will follow their lead and great things can happen. When the leadership is talking only about the WHAT, they just trade barbs and we all suffer from that.
Henry Kissinger once said that “The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been.” We need to get where we have not been and that`s the WHY.
And What is the Positive Vision?
By Sherwin Pomerantz
With 103 days to go to the opening of the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York and the proposed vote to grant the Palestinians recognition for statehood permit me to think positive for the moment.
Two days ago I wrote about the great gift given to humans, above all other mammals, the ability to think about and plan for the future or, in other words, look into the future with positive vision. No other animal in the species can do that. The comments I received were instructive. Some people felt it was an important insight but others said there is simply no future to be positive about and a few even said, “OK Sherwin, what is your positive vision?”
So let me take advantage of the particular day on which I am writing, Friday, erev Shabbat (the eve of the Sabbath) and Rosh Chodesh Sivan (the 1st day of the Hebrew month of Sivan) to ruminate on that.
I was at an event yesterday where one of the speakers mentioned Simon Sinek`s book “Start with Why” and his theory of leadership. In summary he takes the position that leaders generally know WHAT they want to do and HOW they want to do it, but too often WHY they know this is the third element in their thought process while it should be the first. Sinek sees this as three concentric circles, which he calls the Golden Circle, where the WHY is at the center, the HOW is outside the WHY circle and the WHAT is the most distant circle. His criticism of the majority of leaders is that their reasoning process begins with the WHAT rather than the WHY, where the WHY is what we believe, on what our cause is based and what our purpose is in doing what we are doing. (It might help if you actually drew the three concentric circles on a piece of paper to better visualize this.)
And what does this have to do with our current situation? I think EVERYTHING! Those of us living here, Israelis and Palestinian Arabs know full well WHAT we have to do and even HOW to get it done. But it appears to me that the leadership of both groups, Prime Minister Netanyahu in Israel and Chairman Abbas of the Palestinian Authority are fixated on the WHAT and sometimes the HOW but not the WHY. Sinek makes the claim that people only follow those who know the WHY and he cites giants of leadership like Martin Luther King Jr and Ghandi as classical examples of such people.
If we look at our leaders we see something different. Prime Minister Netanyahu seems always to be talking about the WHAT. Jerusalem will not be divided, Israeli troops must be stationed in the Jordan Valley, we cannot accept the Right of Return of those who left in 1948 and 1967, we cannot live with the 1967 armistice lines as our borders. Chairman Abbas is guilty of the same thing when he says just the opposite, Jerusalem must be the capital of the new Palestinian state, Israeli troops cannot be stationed inside the new state (nor can international forces in that position contain any Jews), the Right of Return is sacrosanct and the 1967 armistice lines must be the new borders. WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT, rarely HOW and never ever WHY!
How much more powerful would it be if the leadership spoke only about the WHY. This is what we know, this is our purpose, this is our cause, this is what we believe. History has shown that leaders who speak about the WHY generate loyal followers who then support their decisions.
This is critically important here because supporting the decisions of the leadership is, in fact, the HOW as critics on both sides of the spectrum say that neither leader can “deliver” his people to support an agreement.
So what is my vision of the WHY?
For Prime Minister Netanyahu it is that I believe that Israel is the legitimate Jewish homeland of the Jewish people; I believe that this land that has been inhabited as well by the Arab population for so many years can only see peace if we learn to live with each other in peace not war; I believe that reasonable people who no longer want to see their children and grandchildren subjected to war can find a way to make peace; I believe that Israel has the strength to prevail but would rather not use that strength in war, but instead in building a sound economy for both parties to this long conflict.
For Chairman Abbas it is that I believe that our claim to this land is as legitimate at that of the Jews who are living here; I believe that my people have a right to live here in peace and dignity that is no less legitimate than that of the Jews; I believe that this land that has been successfully improved by Israelis for the last 63 years can only see peace if we learn to live with each other in peace not war; I believe that reasonable people who no longer want to see their children and grandchildren subjected to war can find a way to make peace.
I could go on but you get the point. When leaders have the courage to speak about the WHY people will follow their lead and great things can happen. When the leadership is talking only about the WHAT, they just trade barbs and we all suffer from that.
Henry Kissinger once said that “The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been.” We need to get where we have not been and that`s the WHY.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
105 Days to Go
Have We Totally Lost Our Positive Vision?
By Sherwin Pomerantz
Today, Jerusalem Day (i.e. Yom Yerushalayim) is 105 days from the opening of the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York and the proposed vote to grant the Palestinians recognition for statehood.
Although not a legal holiday in Israel, there are many observances taking place on this, the 44th anniversary of the reunification of the city. But the first thing I saw when I got up this morning, firmly on the front page of the Ha’aretz newspaper, was an op-ed by former Minister and Knesset Member Yossi Sarid about the City of Jerusalem. Now while I generally disagree with his politics, I have tremendous respect for his intellect and his writing ability in both Hebrew and English as well. But this morning he went “over the top” as it were by writing an op-ed that was 100% negative about the city, its treatment of minorities, the loss of the non-observant Jewish population, the poverty, and on and on. There was not a single sentence of praise or goodness.
Now I know that this city is far from a perfect place. For the capitol of the country it does, indeed, leave something to be desired. But with all its faults, there certainly are some good points as well. But he chose to ignore all of those and it got me wondering if we have totally lost our ability to vision anything positive?
Among the mammals of the universe, while many are reputed to have high levels of intelligence, only humans can actually vision the future. For example, dolphins are reputed to have very high levels of intelligence. But I can’t imagine a male dolphin talking to a female dolphin about planning for the future, where the kids will go to school, what community they should live in, etc. The same with giraffes. Can any of us conceive of two giraffes speaking about their future lives together? Not at all. In fact, except for humans, all mammals are concerned only with day-to-day existence, finding their next meals, satisfying their sexual desires and keeping their brood alive and safe.
But we humans are given an extra portion of knowledge and reasoning power that permits us to look into the future and plan. More than that, we are even capable of seeing a silver lining in every cloud, of looking at the worst of humanity and seeing the potential good, of sinking to the lowest depths of despair and visioning a productive future. That is a gift reserved for mankind, a gift that must not be squandered.
So it hit me as I was reading Sarid’s column on this 44th Jerusalem Day that he, along with so many others here, has simply stopped using that most unique of gifts, the ability to vision a future, and hopefully a better one than the situation in which we find ourselves today.
In my daily blog counting down to September 14th many of the reactions I am getting, particularly from people who live here in Israel, seem to reflect that loss as well. Regardless of what I say, of what facts I put into these pieces, the reaction remains the same: There is no hope, there is no point in talking, we have nothing to talk about, and no point in sitting down together. How can that be? Have we really lost our capacity to hope, to vision a better future, and replaced that with only negative views of the present? I would hope not.
Martin Luther King Jr once said: “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” This is God’s great gift to humanity and we dare not discard it for the false god of hopelessness lest we sink to the level of the lesser mammals.
Have We Totally Lost Our Positive Vision?
By Sherwin Pomerantz
Today, Jerusalem Day (i.e. Yom Yerushalayim) is 105 days from the opening of the United Nations General Assembly’s 2011 session in New York and the proposed vote to grant the Palestinians recognition for statehood.
Although not a legal holiday in Israel, there are many observances taking place on this, the 44th anniversary of the reunification of the city. But the first thing I saw when I got up this morning, firmly on the front page of the Ha’aretz newspaper, was an op-ed by former Minister and Knesset Member Yossi Sarid about the City of Jerusalem. Now while I generally disagree with his politics, I have tremendous respect for his intellect and his writing ability in both Hebrew and English as well. But this morning he went “over the top” as it were by writing an op-ed that was 100% negative about the city, its treatment of minorities, the loss of the non-observant Jewish population, the poverty, and on and on. There was not a single sentence of praise or goodness.
Now I know that this city is far from a perfect place. For the capitol of the country it does, indeed, leave something to be desired. But with all its faults, there certainly are some good points as well. But he chose to ignore all of those and it got me wondering if we have totally lost our ability to vision anything positive?
Among the mammals of the universe, while many are reputed to have high levels of intelligence, only humans can actually vision the future. For example, dolphins are reputed to have very high levels of intelligence. But I can’t imagine a male dolphin talking to a female dolphin about planning for the future, where the kids will go to school, what community they should live in, etc. The same with giraffes. Can any of us conceive of two giraffes speaking about their future lives together? Not at all. In fact, except for humans, all mammals are concerned only with day-to-day existence, finding their next meals, satisfying their sexual desires and keeping their brood alive and safe.
But we humans are given an extra portion of knowledge and reasoning power that permits us to look into the future and plan. More than that, we are even capable of seeing a silver lining in every cloud, of looking at the worst of humanity and seeing the potential good, of sinking to the lowest depths of despair and visioning a productive future. That is a gift reserved for mankind, a gift that must not be squandered.
So it hit me as I was reading Sarid’s column on this 44th Jerusalem Day that he, along with so many others here, has simply stopped using that most unique of gifts, the ability to vision a future, and hopefully a better one than the situation in which we find ourselves today.
In my daily blog counting down to September 14th many of the reactions I am getting, particularly from people who live here in Israel, seem to reflect that loss as well. Regardless of what I say, of what facts I put into these pieces, the reaction remains the same: There is no hope, there is no point in talking, we have nothing to talk about, and no point in sitting down together. How can that be? Have we really lost our capacity to hope, to vision a better future, and replaced that with only negative views of the present? I would hope not.
Martin Luther King Jr once said: “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” This is God’s great gift to humanity and we dare not discard it for the false god of hopelessness lest we sink to the level of the lesser mammals.
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