I recently started subscribing to the Stanford University’s itunes podcast and I just finished listening to a speech by Alan Dershowitz discussing the Mideast turmoil. My impression is that his perspective is an incredibly balanced one — one that I feel (and which he clearly points out) is missing in the larger mideast peace debate.
If I can sum up the viewpoint in one word, it would be pragobjectimatic.
I challenge any of my readers who have their ax to grind against Israel to listen with an open mind. I think you will be surprised with his positions.
I read his book “In Defense of Israel” and it is quite good. You might want to take a gander at it.
I will definitely listen to this and encourage my Palestinian friends to listen as well….I’ll let you know what I think in a few days….
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,531578,00.html
–ouch… a negative mark for all those Palestinians on the Gaza Strip
Your uneven take on this issue disappointments me, you continue to perturb me with your sometimes brilliant insight and other times extreme shortsightedness….
I haven’t listened to the monologue yet, but I will get to it shortly, researching that appellate brief…this is my second priority after that…
You should talk to Rumzi Araj, he’s a second year at the law school. He recently submitted a documentary on the Palestinian struggle to the Sundance film festival…he is Palestinian. Also my good friend Stephen (also a 2L) could school you on this topic, he’s Palestinian too. You could also ask our fellow Lebanese students what they think of Israel bombing the shit out of their once beautiful country.
The Israel government enjoys terrorizing their neighbors. You shouldn’t find yourself supporting any terrorist state.
I just saw one article and though I’d post it. (are you not as repulsed as I am? Or is this kind of activity simply not relevant in the ongoing debate? I’d be curious to hear your answer on that one.)
Furthermore, I don’t know how you extrapolate my position on the issue from the posting of one RELEVANT link. It’s YOUR hasty judgements is what we should be worried about… not my shortsightedness. If I am as “brilliant” as you seem to think (very nice of you to say, by the way)… wouldn’t it be incumbent on you to listen to my point of view instead of write if off ahead of time? I don’t really get the logic there…
I am surprised that someone as brilliant as yourself jumps to this logically ridiculous conclusion that Israel “enjoys” terrorizing their neighbors. This is not the realm of facts or data… but a conclusion based on your own emotion and prejudice. I don’t know how else to put it. Dirshowitz addresses this very absurd notion in his speech. He has been portrayed as “missing his climax” when watching palestinians being killed–a rather sick portrayl of a respected Harvard Law faculty if you ask me . Your comment seems to fall prey to the same twisted logic. I would suggest you pay close attention during that portion of the podcast.
Your gloss of Palestine being a “beautiful country” that Israelies are “bombing the shit” out of is perhaps only a marginally improved position. Is a country’s beauty at all relevant to the issues involved? I think not. Again, there seems to be nothing objective in that position at all.
You know something, I DON’T CARE who’s at fault for the middle east cricis. I could care LESS. What I WANT… is for there to be PEACE (which is what Dirshowitz champions as well). Unfortunately, your attitude and the attitudes of many with your mindset –painting the other side as sick, twisted freaks– is doing very little to further this goal and may be, in fact, a hurdle. Is this kind of attitude in the interests of hte Palestinian people? I think its a fair question.
I don’t know what you were trying to accomplish with this comment… but it certainly didn’t win any credibility to the side it seems you have already chosen.
I look forward to continue this discussion–specifically your opinion of Dirshowitz’s speech.
I don’t think most people actually understand what really goes on in Israel and the PA. I’ve been there a couple of times, met many people, talked to many people, and seen events with my own eyes. Things are never as simple as either side makes them out to be. The Palestinians say, “give us our land and we’ll stop the rockets”. Israel finally does that and the rockets continue, and in greater numbers than before. Israel reacts and bombs them back and all of sudden Israel is the aggressor. Then again, Israel often acts like it is as pure as the wind driven snow, when that’s not close to the case.
Dershowitz is a pretty fair guy. I’ve read “Defense of Israel” and seen him speak. For an opposite perspective, I would recommend Benny Morris. He’s the fairest Palestinian I’ve read, but he’s still pretty biased.
I will get to it shortly!! So busy…I’m known for my objectivity so don’t go painting me all one sided-thats something I am certainly not nor ever will be…why do you have to post the good stuff when I’m so busy!!
And I said Lebanon was a beautiful country Israel bombed not PA. More later!!
right… Lebanon. Sorry to hear you are so busy. I’m a patient guy.
check out the essay i posted in the mean time, i listened to the beginning of the speech on my lunch break (after I downloaded the Itunes application!!) So far I’m not impressed.
welcome to the itunes family! (I can’t believe you didn’t already have it!)
I’m not as tech savvy as you dear boy. I don’t even have an IPod yet.
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I read that essay on Priscilla’s blog…all I can say is “wow”. If there was ever a greater lack of objectivity I have yet to see it.
When an author talks the “crime against humanity…otherwise known as the state of Israel” you know you’re in for some really objective stuff. This is evidenced by sanctimonious allowances to the holocaust that “no one does or should” challenge. I guess the author has never heard the words Mahmoud Ahmedinejad of Iran or the read the official textbooks in Egyptian and Saudi schools. The author goes on to say that the treatment of Palestinians is no less awful than the treatment of the Jews by the Third Reich. Really? Do the Israelis round up Palestinians, pack them into train cars, burn them alive or gas them to death? No, of course they don’t. No, the Israelis are decried because they’re damned if they do and damned if they don’t. On the one hand, Palestinians demand that the Zionists get off their land. Then, when the Jews leave, the Palestinians get all ticked off that the Israelis put up borders crossing to prevent the Palestinians from entering Israel. They even have the nerve to get mad at the Israelis for not sending them free aid in the form of medicine, fuel and food.
So, not only is Israel supposed to leave the Palestinians alone, but they’re also supposed to support the Palestinians into perpetuity.
The author goes on in his ridiculous, fact-less rant to say that Israel’s mere possession of bombs which can “kill three million children” is equivalent to the atrocities of the holocaust. “Absurd” and “imaginative” are the only words I can think of to describe his essay because it is certainly not factual.
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