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By Israel Zwick, CN Publications, July 19, 2010
http://cnpublications.net/category/zwicks-picks/
Every schoolchild knows the story. The haughty hare challenges the tortoise to a race and the tortoise accepts. During the race, the overconfident hare takes a nap while the tortoise plods slowly along and reaches the finish line. This story has been attributed to a slave and storyteller named Aesop who lived in Ancient Greece during the 5th century BCE.
There are hundreds of such ancient fables that use animal characters to teach moral lessons. Throughout the years and throughout the world, these tales have been used to provide moral education for children. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, these fables were known to the Talmudic sages and may have been the source for some of the 30 fables that appear in the Talmud. They have also inspired Jewish writers in the Middle Ages. The ambiguity of the stories inspired diverse interpretations that have contributed to their popularity and timelessness.
Today, we can use these stories to teach advocates for Israel how to respond to the incessant attacks against Israel from both friend and foe. The story of the tortoise and the hare teaches us that the goal of peace in the Middle East won’t be reached by pompous, inexperienced leaders who believe that they can accomplish in a few years what experienced statesmen failed to accomplish in the last 40 years. The goal will only be reached by plodding along slowly and applying years of peace education to promote acceptance, tolerance, and cooperative ventures that will facilitate peaceful coexistence. Pressuring the parties to sign a “peace agreement’ that they are not prepared for will only push the elusive goal further away from reach. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Fun Stuff, Middle East Report, Opinion, Recent Posts, Zwick's Picks on July 19, 2010 - ח' אב תש"ע at 12:03 am
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As the US is struggling to advance the “peace process,” there are three words that are wholly responsible for impeding the development of peaceful relations between Israel and its Arab population. These words are: “Occupied Palestinian Territory.” These pernicious words have led many in the world to believe that Jews came to Palestine after World War II, drove out the indigenous Arab population, and have continued to occupy their lands. Until this malicious fabrication is dismissed and the international community acknowledges that Jews are indigenous to the region and have every legitimate right to reclaim and settle land anywhere within the borders of the former British Palestine Mandate, there will never be peace between Israel and the Arab population.
Compiled by Israel Zwick, CN Publications, June 24, 2010
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupied_territory
Occupied territory is territory under military occupation. Occupation is a term of art in international law; in accordance with Article 42 of the Laws and Customs of War on Land (Fourth Hague Convention); October 18, 1907,[1] territory is considered occupied when it is actually placed under the authority of the hostile army. The occupation extends only to the territory where such authority has been established and can be exercised. At the end of a war, usually the victorious side is in possession of territory previously possessed by another state. This territory is known as occupied territory. Acquisition of occupied territory is incidental to a war, where the military forces of the occupying power come into the possession of territory previously held by another state. Occupation is usually temporary; and under the subsequent articles of the Hague convention (articles 43, 44, and etc.), and the Fourth Geneva Convention the status quo must be maintained pending the signing of a peace treaty, the resolution of specific conditions outlined in a peace treaty, or the formation of a new civilian government.[2]
Examples of occupied territory include Germany and Japan by the Allies in the aftermath of World War II; Cambodia by Vietnam from 1979 until 1989; Iraq by the United States and its allies after the 2003 invasion, and the territories occupied by Israel after the Six-Day War of 1967.
The Israeli-occupied territories are the territories which have been designated as occupied territory by many international organisations, governments and others to refer to the territory captured by Israel from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria during the Six-Day War of 1967. They consist of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and much of the Golan Heights and, until 1982, the Sinai Peninsula. The West Bank and Gaza Strip are also referred to as Palestinian territories or Occupied Palestinian Territory. Palestinian Authority and numerous international bodies consider East Jerusalem to be part of the West Bank, a position disputed by Israel.
The use of the terms “occupied” for these territories has been disputed. Paul S. Riebenfeld, an international lawyer, who represented Jewish interests at the League of Nations, argued that the West Bank and the Gaza Strip do not belong to any other sovereign state, are part of former Mandate Palestine, and therefore fall legitimately within Israel’s jurisdiction. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Judaism, Middle East Report, News Articles, Opinion, Recent Posts, Zwick's Picks on June 25, 2010 - י"ג תמוז תש"ע at 3:13 pm
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By Israel Zwick, CN Publications, May 28, 2010
http://cnpublications.net/category/zwicks-picks/
According to Google News, there are thousands of articles about the Palestinian boycott of products made in the Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria. The issue is gaining in prominence and its potential for increasing friction between Jews and Arabs in Israel and in the liberated Jewish territories. Palestinian leaders Mahmoud Abbas and Salam Fayyad have been personally involved in promoting the boycott, destroying millions of dollars of goods produced in the Jewish settlements, imposing steep fines on Palestinian merchants who sell these goods, and forbidding 25,000 Palestinian workers to continue their employment in Jewish industries.
Understandably, Israeli leaders have become increasingly concerned. Israeli businesses could lose hundreds of millions of dollars if the boycott spreads in intensity and geography. Some businesses have already been forced to close. Israeli leaders have termed the boycott, “economic terrorism” and a “declaration of war.” While the boycott is ostensibly damaging to the settler enterprise, it could actually develop into a boon for the settler movement while undermining the position of the Arabs in Judea and Samaria. In the long term, the boycott could actually increase the strength and vitality of the settlements in the liberated Jewish territories.
Before explaining the reasons for this unusual claim, I would like to emphasize that I am a strong proponent of harmonious coexistence in multi-ethnic populations. I live in Flushing, NY, which has been cited as the most multi-ethnic neighborhood in the entire United States. When I moved into the neighborhood about 35 years ago, my neighbors were mostly a mixture of Orthodox and Conservative Jews. About 20 years ago, large numbers of Asians mostly from Taiwan and Korea began to move in while young Jewish families were moving out. Relations with the Asians have been amicable. They work hard, maintain their property, support the public schools, and make an effort to be friendly. As the cute, little children pass by on their way to school, they wave and say, “Hi.”
More recently, there has been an increasing influx of Muslims, mostly from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. We see more stores with Arabic writing selling Halal meat and more people with the distinctive Muslim clothing. Several small mosques have opened in the area. To date, there has been no friction with the Muslim immigrants. Jews, Asians, and Muslims shop in the same stores, and walk the same streets without incident. A stroll through the local Queens Botanical Gardens on a Sunday afternoon reveals multiple ethnic groups of all colors and conveys the impression that perhaps a UN convention is being held there. I look around and can’t help thinking how nice it would be if this harmonious coexistence could be transplanted to Judea and Samaria. I was hoping that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s plan for “economic peace” in the territories would inaugurate a new era of mutual cooperation in the territories. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Business and Commerce, Judaism, Middle East Report, Opinion, Recent Posts, Zwick's Picks on May 28, 2010 - ט"ו סיון תש"ע at 7:04 pm
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Compiled by Israel Zwick, CN Publications, April 27, 2010
Editor’s Note: While much of the world shows so much concern for the “plight of the Palestinian refugees” living in Gaza, Judea, and Samaria, little attention is given to the millions of real refugees and IDP’s who are living in tents without food or clothing. The following information was taken from the website, Concern Worldwide, http://www.concern.net/ .
Concern Worldwide is an international humanitarian organisation dedicated to reducing suffering and ending extreme poverty. Since the beginning, over 40 years ago, our focus has been on improving the lives of the poorest people.
http://www.concern.net/sites/concern.net/files/documents/annual-reports/Concern_AR_08.pdf
| Angola | Niger |
| Burundi | Rwanda |
| Chad | Sierra Leone |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | Somalia |
| Ethiopia | Sudan |
| Kenya | Tanzania |
| Liberia | Uganda |
| Malawi | Zambia |
| Mozambique | Zimbabwe |
| Afghanistan | Nepal |
| Bangladesh | Pakistan |
| Cambodia | The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea |
| India | Timor Leste |
| Lao People’s Democratic Republic |
Haiti Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Education, Middle East, News Articles, Recent Posts, Zwick's Picks on April 27, 2010 - י"ג אייר תש"ע at 11:01 am
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No demands are made on the Arabs to promote peaceful coexistence. Only Israel must make concessions and goodwill gestures
By Israel Zwick, CN Publications, March 28, 2010
Soon I will be shutting down my computer for the Passover holiday. I’m grateful for these extended holidays because it gives me a longer reprieve from reading about the incessant condemnations of Israel in the international media. Hardly a day goes by when there aren’t numerous articles that chastise Israel for building Jewish housing or for the way it treats the “poor, suffering, oppressed, tormented, deprived” Arabs living within its borders. Israel even gets blamed for the living conditions of Arabs in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority which aren’t even under Israeli control.
To compensate for all this “brutal aggression” that Israel is inflicting on the “suffering, stateless, disadvantaged, disenfranchised Palestinians,” Israel is repeatedly ordered by the UN, EU, and USA, to make “concessions for peace.” Sometimes the lexicon varies and Israel is asked to make “conciliatory gestures” or “goodwill measures” or “gestures for peace.” Among these concessions that Israel is asked to make are the following, which is only a partial list:
1. Ease the “blockade” of Gaza to allow more goods to get through, preferably on ships carrying “humanitarian” supplies. This should include an ample supply of building materials which can also be used to build concrete bunkers, tunnels, rockets, and armaments.
2. Completely stop building any housing for Jews in Eastern Jerusalem around Sheikh Jarrah, Northern Jerusalem around Ramat Shlomo and Pisgat Zev, or Southern Jerusalem around Gilo. Of course, there should be no restrictions on Arab housing anywhere in Jerusalem because that would be a violation of their humanitarian rights.
3. Remove more roadblocks and checkpoints in Judea and Samaria to make it easier for the Palestinian Arabs to go to Jerusalem for medical visits, shopping, and recreational facilities. It would also make it easier for terrorists who want to blow up buses and restaurants.
4. Relinquish more territory in Judea and Samaria to PA control. This would produce more areas like Ramallah where Israelis are not permitted to go to at all. It would also make it easier to shoot more rockets at Israeli population centers and provide safe havens for fugitive terrorists.
5. Allow PA troops trained by General Keith Dayton to assume more security functions in Judea and Samaria. This would prevent IDF troops from pursuing the fugitive terrorists who have found safe havens in the increased areas under PA jurisdiction.
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Islam, Judaism, Middle East Report, Opinion, Recent Posts, Zwick's Picks on March 28, 2010 - י"ג ניסן תש"ע at 5:01 pm
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By Israel Zwick, CN Publications, March 21, 2010
My wife is telling me to get off the computer because we have to pack for our trip to Israel tomorrow. She says that I’m a news addict. She’s probably right because since I retired two years ago, I spend almost three hours daily reviewing the news on the web, mostly about Israel and the Middle East with a sprinkling of science and health news. Some of my favorite links can be found on the website, CN Publications, www.cnpublications.net. I am most attached to Google News because it enables me to review a selection of the most recent articles around the world according to region or topic of interest. So when I opened my computer tonight to check on the latest news about Israel, this is what I found:
Albuquerque News.Net - 1 hour ago
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has declared that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal. The Secretary-General, meeting with Palestinian Prime …
Ban Ki-Moon’s visit may oblige Israel to abide by UN resolutions Xinhua
Ban Ki-Moon: Hamas Must Stop Rocketing Israel Arutz Sheva
UN chief Ban Ki-moon demands Israel settlements halt BBC News
Radio Netherlands – TransWorldNews (press release)
That is, there were about 9,790 articles around the world condemning Jewish housing in Jerusalem and Judea, significantly more articles than any other topic on the page. To see what all the fuss was about, I went to the lead article from the Albuquerque News and found this:
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has declared that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal.
The Secretary-General, meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad during a tour of the West Bank this weekend said: “The world has condemned Israel’s settlement expansion plans in East Jerusalem. Let us be clear, all settlement activity is illegal anywhere in occupied territory and this must stop.”
So the UN Secretary General claims that all Israeli settlements are illegal but didn’t provide any support for his statement. To find out more, I went to his last statement released on March 9,2010 on the official UN website. This is what I found: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Judaism, Middle East Report, Opinion, Recent Posts, Zwick's Picks on March 21, 2010 - ו' ניסן תש"ע at 1:32 am
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Shirley Zwick, Shprintza bas Yosef, died peacefully in her sleep on January 13, 2010, 27 Tevet 5770 at the age of 49. Below are the eulogies presented by her two brothers at the funeral. Rabbi Michael P. Strasberg officiated at the funeral and burial. Agi and Israel Zwick were unable to attend the funeral because they were in Jerusalem visiting their children.
By brother Israel Zwick
Thursday January 14, 2010, Meadow Park Rehabilitation Center, Fresh Meadows, NY
Shirley was my little baby sister, 12 years my junior. Born to a sick mother, she lacked much of the maternal care, nurturing, and feminine influence that a little girl needs. She had to depend on the three males in her family, a father and two older brothers to raise her. Though we tried, we couldn’t compensate for the loss of a mother. Shirley grew up different from other girls her age.
I wish I could tell you about all the wonderful things that she accomplished in her life, but I can’t. She leaves no flock of children and grandchildren, no published writings, no fortune to bequeath to a university or hospital. Yet she left us with valuable lessons that will endure forever and change our lives.
The closest analogy to Shirley’s life is the story of Bontshe Shveig by Yitzhak Leib Peretz. Written in Yiddish, the story describes a man who endured a life of suffering but accepted his troubles silently. When greeted in the afterworld and offered his choice of reward for his virtue, he asked only for a hot roll and fresh butter for his daily breakfast.
Stricken with a neurodegenerative disorder, Shirley had to endure a number of surgeries, chronic illnesses, and disabilities. Like her mother, she had to endure numerous hospitalizations and subsequent medical treatments, but at a younger age. Consequently she couldn’t marry, have children, or hold a job. But she was never angry or bitter. All she ever asked for or expected were a few basic comforts: a room that she could call her own, simple food items, or a basic recreational activity. She never asked for a trip to Disneyland, the latest fashion clothing, or the newest electronic gadgets. Shirley was happy when my wife brought her a new pair of pajamas and some fresh vegetable soup, when I brought her a few items from the supermarket, and my brother sent her a new CD or DVD.
Despite her physical handicaps, Shirley was able to develop enduring social relationships. She gravitated to others who also had some form of disability or anomaly. Her caring and kindness were readily apparent so she developed mutually beneficial relationships with a number of individuals that lasted many years to her final days. Even when she had to forego her apartment to live in this rehab center, she sought out those that were even less fortunate and tried to help them in any way she could. She did this so frequently that she was often mistaken for a staff member instead of a patient.
Like Bontsche Shveig, Shirley leaves us with an appreciation for the true eternal values and virtues of life. She teaches us that happiness doesn’t require fame, fortune, or power. One can achieve happiness with a few devoted friends, the satisfaction of helping others, and an appreciation for the simple comforts in life. Happiness can be simply the ability to walk outside on a sunny day and enjoy an ice cream, which Shirley could not do.
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Judaism, Recent Posts, Zwick's Picks on January 15, 2010 - כ"ט טבת תש"ע at 12:52 pm
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How to get international support for the Jewish settlements
In his usual tongue-in-cheek style, Israel Zwick presents a plan for obtaining international acceptance and support for the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
By Israel Zwick, CN Publications, December 21, 2009
Though he lived in Chicago, Barack Obama is probably too young to be familiar with Elvis Presley’s sentimental hit song, “In the Ghetto,” about a boy growing up in a Chicago ghetto. He probably is also unaware that the term “ghetto” originally referred to an area in Venice in the 16th century where Jews were confined. Jewish ghettos continued to be established throughout Europe through the end of World War II. Barack Obama may also be unaware that for the last 150 years there have been small Jewish settlements in Montana, where Jews have no cultural or historical attachments. So what does any of this have to do with Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria?
Knowing the dire conditions of urban ghettos, it unlikely that a humanitarian such as Barack Obama would support the establishment of ghettos for any ethnic group. President Obama would most likely also support the rights of Jews to establish settlements in Montana even if they have no historical connection to the land. Yet by insisting that Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria are illegitimate and should be “frozen”, Obama is confining the Jews in Israel to urban ghettos and denying them the right to establish communities in areas where they have strong religious, cultural, and historical attachments.
The USA, UN, and EU, continue to insist that Jewish settlements in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza are illegal and should not be continued. The settler movement has responded with lengthy legal and historical treatises confirming the rights of Jews to live in these areas. All to no avail. The “international community” has decided that this is all “occupied Palestinian territory” and Jews have no right to establish communities there. Of course, Arabs insist on their rights to live anywhere they want to within Israel, Europe, or North America. Only Jewish settlement should be restricted.
Jews have already been expelled from over a dozen countries in the Middle East where they used to have thriving communities. When Jews want to move into Arab areas in the Galil, Negev, or Jerusalem, they are accused of “ethnic cleansing.” The southern city of Eilat has become an expensive tourist resort for wealthy Europeans that few native Israelis can afford. That restricts most of the Jews in Israel to living in “urban ghettos” along the narrow Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem corridor and along the Mediterranean coast. Yet Barack Obama, who would surely support the rights of Jews to live in Montana, sees no problem with denying them the right to live in their ancestral homeland. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Humor, Judaism, Middle East Report, Opinion, Recent Posts, Zwick's Picks on December 21, 2009 - ד' טבת תש"ע at 11:20 am
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By Israel Zwick, CN Publications, October 25, 2009
Since the signing of the Oslo Agreement in September 1993, the international mantra for peace in the Middle East has been “two-states for two peoples; the two-state solution is the only solution.” Unfortunately, the last 16 years has brought only more death and destruction with scant progress towards a resolution of the conflict. Now some of the original proponents of the two-state solution are saying that perhaps it isn’t the most practical solution after all. From simply an administrative, economic, and pragmatic perspective, it doesn’t seem to be a practical solution. In this era of globalization, pluralism, and diversity, establishing two microstates in an area of 28,000 sq. km. appears to be an anachronism. There is an increasing realization that the establishment of another Arab Muslim state on Israel’s border will only create more problems, not solve them. It will reduce economic viability and create conflicts over resources.
While initially this understanding seems encouraging, the alternative proposal is even more ominous. There have been a significant number of proposals from both the Arab and Israeli peace groups that advocate a one-state solution, meaning that Israel should be replaced by a binational Arab and Jewish state. It sounds good: Jews and Arabs will live together in peace with equal rights for all. It’s easy to do, they say. We already have one airport named Ben Gurion, so we’ll build another airport and name it Yasser Arafat Airport. Who really needs all those streets named “Weizmann” and “Herzl?” It’s too confusing. We’ll just rename some of them “Nasser” and “Abdullah.” We’ll just add a red crescent to the flag, add a few Muslim holidays to the calendar, modify the national anthem a bit, and poof, there you have it. Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity for all. Peace, harmony, and tranquility will abound. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Middle East Report, Opinion, Recent Posts, Zwick's Picks on October 25, 2009 - ז' חשון תש"ע at 6:24 pm
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“Perhaps the Peacemaker-in-Chief should speak with the people most involved. Then he may learn that the Palestinian Arabs don’t really want their own state, they just want to complain about not having one. That way they can obtain the benefits from being a poor, suffering, disenfranchised, stateless people.”
By Israel Zwick, CN Publications, October 18, 2009
The internationally acclaimed peacemaker, Barak Hussein Obama, is now eager to achieve tangible results from his peacemaking efforts. Most likely he will concentrate his efforts on trying to get Palestinian and Israeli leaders to sit down together at a table for final status negotiations. Israel will concede land to the Arabs, dismantle Jewish communities, and a peace agreement will be signed. When the Palestinians have their own state, Hamas and Hezbollah will no longer smuggle weapons and threaten Israel. Iran will cease efforts to build a nuclear weapon and will instead become a world leader in alternative nuclear energy. The entire Middle East will become an exemplary model of peaceful coexistence and mutual cooperation. There will be peace and harmony throughout the region. How wonderful!
There is a small, minor snag in this ambitious plan. While the Israeli leaders are ready to go back to the table, the Palestinians still insist that Israel must first cease all settlement activity in eastern Jerusalem and Judea. They refuse to abandon their demands for a capital in Jerusalem and the “right of return” of millions of Arabs to the State of Israel. Israeli leaders could never agree to these demands if they want the Jewish state to survive. That begs the question, “Are the Arabs again missing a valuable opportunity to establish their own state, or perhaps they don’t really want their own sovereign state?” Could it be that the great Peacemaker-in-Chief is actually misinterpreting the will of the people? Let’s find out. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by CNP Webmaster as Middle East Report, Opinion, Recent Posts, Zwick's Picks on October 18, 2009 - ל' תשרי תש"ע at 10:05 pm
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