Month: June 2009
-
The Jewish Mind in the Age of Obama
“Our best protection is to communicate with the people we are most afraid of.”By Kobi Skolnick
Before becoming a peace activist, I spent years as a settler in the hills of the West Bank, planting trees and cultivating the soil. Some of my family and friends still live there, and I remain deeply connected to them. For this reason, as the Obama administration’s new policies unfold, I am of two minds. I understand the settler perspective, but I have a second view that comes from years of experience working for peace.
My two perspectives are reflected by millions of people in the world. After Obama’s speech on June fourth , one group rejoiced, but for others his words were a dark cloud. For the first group, their hearts were filled with excitement, but others felt the tight grip of fear and distress. Some looked at his words and saw …
-
Obama’s Challenge to the Muslim World
…Obama’s Challenge to the Muslim World
(excerpts below come from here)
The historic significance of President Obama’s speech to the Muslim world in Cairo cannot be overstated.
Never before has an American president spoken to the global Muslim community. His speech marked a major shift in American foreign policy. Obama directly enlisted a religion to build global peace and to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, end nuclear proliferation and stop terrorism.
In just a few sentences he demolished the phony theory of the “Clash of Civilizations,” which insists that Islam and the West must always be in conflict. Instead, he declared the United States is not at war with Islam and outlined a plan for how the conflict can be resolved.
Perhaps most important, he put religion at the core of the peacemaking process. For too long, Americans had come to fear Islam as an
-
An Acceptable Unilateral Action
“So long as our relationship is defined by our differences, we will empower those who sow hatred rather than peace, and who promote conflict rather than the cooperation that can help all of our people achieve justice and prosperity. This cycle of suspicion and discord must end.”
This is an excerpt from President Obama’s speech in Cairo. It is a fairly straightforward statement that most reasonable people would agree on. Obama also understands that it is not enough to simply want an end to conflict and to develop trust. We must also work towards these goals. However, prior to the delivery of this speech many American politicians and pundits criticized President Obama about the first steps towards a more peaceful, just and trusting world. These first steps are acknowledgment of dignity and an authentic apology.
“I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims …
-
Can Obama Turn a New Page in the American Muslim Relationship in the Cairo Speech
…Full article here. Excerpts below from Shadi Hamid’s,
How Can the U.S. President Speak to Two Audiences at Once?
“The anger is real; it is powerful; and to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding.”
So declared President Barack Obama during his celebrated speech on race in March 2008. He was speaking, of course, about America’s history of slavery and segregation. But he might as well have been speaking about the anger felt by millions of Arabs and Muslims – and the tragic legacy of American involvement in the Middle East.
President Barack Obama will give his highly anticipated address to the Muslim world on June 4th. His choice of Egypt as the venue presents risks but also offers the opportunity for a potentially groundbreaking address – one that attempts not only to explain American policy but to
-
A Wall of Fire Between Jews and Arabs: Rabbi Froman Condemns Settler Violence
…Rabbi slams Jewish ‘hooligans’: Rabbis, Yesha leaders, ministers to join forces in condemning recent settler violence
Excerpts:”What happened yesterday is not violation of law and order – it’s much worse,” said Rabbi Menachem Fruman, addressing the torching of a Palestinian field in Samaria by what he referred to as “hooligans.”
“Targeting Palestinians and their property is a shocking thing,” he said. It’s an act of hurting humanity.” Fruman, who is the rabbi of Tekoa and one of the leading religious figures in Judea and Samaria, harshly condemned recent violence, which radical settlers refer to as a “price tag” for the evacuation of unauthorized outposts. The rabbi is joining forces with settler leaders and ministers in condemning acts he characterized as “hooligans committing the crime of hurting Palestinians.”
“There are camps that think it’s a good thing to burn the fields of Palestinians?it shocks me, first of all morally and
-
Welcome to July 4, Iran: A New Obama Gesture
In another very interesting official American diplomatic gesture in the Age of Obama, a cable has been sent to all U.S. Embassies to invite Iranian officials to participate in July 4 parties that are held at each embassy. What a brilliant move, especially before the elections. It is open-ended, unilateral, quietly dispersed to hundreds of embassies to avoid a centralized response, and it is announced right before the elections.
But the traditional fare of these parties, hamburgers and hot dogs, should be hallal, acceptable for Orthodox Muslims. I am serious. The gesture mutatis mutandis is great, but it should be inclusive so that the President of Iran and others cannot say it is an attempt to corrupt Muslims. It could make some hallal meat contractor very happy.…
Recent Comments