Weblog Journal

I think my position in regards to Jerusalem has definitely changed. Coming into this course I was extremely uninformed about events in Jerusalem. I knew very little about the Israeli-Palestine conflict. When I did my first blog post at the beginning of the course, I talked about the conflict and said that I didn't think any action was being taken to try and fix the conflict (granted, I didn't know very much at this time). However, as the course went along I realized that there are many individuals, and groups of individuals, who are working diligently to help reduce the level of animosity between the two groups. A fantastic example of this was the Divan Orchestra. Both Edward Said and Daniel Barenboim were/are courageous individuals who have found a way to reduce hostility through music. Even though it's not a permanent cure to the conflict, it still acts as a mediator.

In addition, the Jerusalem Open House was made for both Israelis and Palestinians. Although we discussed in class that the JOH may have been biased towards the Israeli side, they are still welcoming of both groups.

Also, I think my classmates have helped change my views. Our class has many people who are very well informed about Jerusalem, the conflict, as well as Israeli and Arab cultures, beliefs, etc. Our in-class discussions have helped foster an understanding of Jerusalem as a whole. In addition, reading others' blogs has undoubtedly helped me learn and see things from various perspectives. Even though not everything in our blogs can be taken as fact, it gives me a great understanding of how different individuals see the same side of the coin.

I really enjoyed the course and would recommend it to anyone regardless of their background.

Reading Response # 18

The most difficult issue for me during the semester was by far the blog posts/comments. I had never been in a course structured quite like this (even the Human Rights class was laid out a little different!). It takes a while to get used to the transition between simply summarizing a block of text, and diving in deeper. Sometimes it was difficult to voice my opinion on a controversial topic such as religion or politics. At the beginning of the semester I was worried about being judged. However, as the course went along I began to feel much more comfortable posting to my blog. After a while I realized I wasn't the only one who felt a certain way in regards to a topic. Others in the class have the same opinions as me (many have different ones, too). Commenting on blogs was also a bit uncomfortable in the early stages of the course. I was always worried that someone would judge me if I disagreed with something they said. It's just something that you have to get past, however, if you want to get the most out of this course. Similar to the blog posts, after a few weeks I realized that no-one is judging... at least they aren't admitting to it. I've gotten to the point where I don't think twice about submitting a comment; I just do it.

Reading Response # 17

The Jerusalem Open House blog was extremely interesting. Even though the blog didn't provide us with dense information and facts, it was great to hear experiences from individuals our age. For example, one of the posts was written by a Junior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst majoring in Judaic Studies. Hearing from the perspective of someone who is in the same shoes as us allows me/us to relate to them. The Jerusalem Open House seems to offer something for just about everyone. As one intern put it, "The Jerusalem Open House truly does offer something from every person, regardless of age, religion, or language spoken."

When I visited the Jerusalem Open House website, I was intrigued and drawn to the LGBTQ Bill of Rights. I think it's great that they have taken the initiative to really stand up for what they believe in. Within the Bill, they provide some great points in regards to lesbians, gays, gender, sex, and orientation.   For those who are not informed on the topic of LGBTQ, the Bill provides wonderful insight about how "these types of people" are being discriminated against. Even in areas regards to healthcare and identity,  these individuals are being treated as "aliens."

The first thing I saw when I visited www.alqaws.org was, "Palestinian Queer Party." I think what alQaws is doing is spectacular. I am a strong proponent of breaking down the barriers that exist in regards to gays, lesbians, bisexuals, trans-genders, and queers. Seeing that the "LQBTQ Palestinian community is still in its early stages," it is warming to see that they are already taking action. They are engaging in initiatives that make them feel welcome and included. I look forward to hearing from our guest speaker, Elinor Sidi (and/or Haneen Maikey) to learn more about these types of organizations in the Middle East.

Questions:

1.) How long have these types of organizations been in existence?

2.) What measurable progress has been made over the last 20 years? 10 years?

Reading Response # 16

These readings were surprisingly pleasant to read after coming back from spring break. It was nice to hear stories told by a group of unique individuals. The article, "The Promised Gas Masks,"was a wonderful article as a whole. However, one part in particular stuck out above all the rest. On page 89 it talked about the Israelis forcing the Palestinians to stand in straight lines. From what I have seen in films and learned about in history courses, this was strikingly similar to what occurred during the Holocaust. While reading, it actually gave me the chills. I remember watching films where the German Nazis forced the Jews to stand in line. Sometimes they would do nothing but taunt them; but other times they would shoot them down one by one. Although the Israelis may not be gunning down the Palestinians, there is undoubtedly a resemblance (in my personal opinion).

While reading the chapter, "A Dog's Life," I was disturbed by the fact that a dog (Nura) could acquire a Jerusalem ID while a human could not. I'm not arguing that a dog's life isn't valuable, but to deny a human being an ID, while giving one to a dog, isn't right. At the bottom of page 115, there is a short passage that reads, "The Israelis would not give her a Jerusalem ID because her father had a Palestinian Ramallah ID, and the Palestinian Authority would not give her a Palestinian ID because her mother had an Israeli Jerusalem ID." Rather, I think she should be allowed to have two ID's instead of none. Also, near the end of the chapter I was amused by the encounter between the girl and the soldier at the checkpoint. She used Nura's Jerusalem passport as a means of getting by the checkpoint, despite the fact that she herself did not possess one. She used the excuse that the dog had a Jerusalem ID and could not drive herself. The soldier let her through.

I enjoyed these stories because they were insightful, yet humorous at the same time. There haven't been many occasions where we have had the opportunity to laugh while doing the readings. It was nice to be able to appreciate the readings from a slightly new perspective.

Reading Response # 15

The link titled "Channels of Rage: Dissecting the Inner Conflict," was engaging to read. The two main characters, Subliminal (an Israeli-Jew), and Tamer Nafar (an Israeli Arab) were the best of friends. However, in the movie, the conflict is too strong and their friendship is lost over their "inherent differences." Each of these men talks about the violence and conflict that takes place through rapping.

I thought the segment about the media was the most intriguing, personally. We all know that the media has the ability to blow things out of proportion. In this case, "sound bites that contain shocking views polarize and distract, and give media outlets the opportunity to misrepresent and sow fear for the sake of ratings and profits." It shows that we can't take everything we hear as the truth. We have to be able to develop our own opinions.

As I began reading the background on Israeli hip-hop I was surprised to see that "they imitated black rappers with admiration and even envy, but without perceiving the world from a black perspective." In other words, Israeli rappers try and mix in their Jewish/Israeli culture with the stereotypical American "ghetto black culture." I thought the article made a really interesting comparison. So often people don't associate rapping with the Israeli culture (due to ethnicity). However, here in America, one of the greatest rappers is Eminem, a white man. They argue that if Eminem can be successful with his music, then so can Israeli rappers.

I really enjoyed the interview by Jewish rapper Subliminal. He is known as the Jay-Z of Israel, yet most Americans have never heard of him. He even said himself, "I want to get my music outside of Israel." His lyrics, beats, and music videos were very good. I think he (along with other Israeli rappers) could be successful in the American markets if people accepted Israeli rappers more openly.