ISRAEL, GOTHAM CHOPRA, RAHUL KHANNA AND MORE
Kavita Chhibber - November 15, 2005
And I am sure the people on this blog will post their responses in higher numbers and make mine the most accessed blog, now that we have prominent bloggers begging for hits! Shame on you Gotham:)! and yes I'm soliciting hits too..after all you are about to begin an enchanting journey and all because of me!:)
Jokes apart..
I am back in Atlanta after an amazing trip. Since the story has to go to various publications and to preserve its originality, I will refrain from writing a 3000 word blog. What I want to share here may be not so briefly, is my personal perspective and some stories of what turned out to be an eye opener trip in many ways.
There were 12 of us, Indians from different walks of life, nominated by leaders of the various chapters of the American Jewish committee in different cities, to be part of an education seminar to introduce us to Israel. I’m not sure what the criteria for selection was, but the people I met in the group were Indians who were very well read, well connected and knowledgeable for the most part about the Israel- Palestine conflict, lpeople who could perhaps do their bit through their interaction with the Indian government and members of their communities towards better understanding of the land and its people. As I write this a news report that Israel and the Palestinians have reached a deal on Gaza border crossings, according to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice after all-night negotiations, has just hit the media.
What impressed me the most about the Israelis and that includes the Jewish delegation leader Ellen Israelson, was the fact that at no point did any one try to brain wash us or stop us from talking to the Palestine Arab community, some of whom had very scathing comments to make about Israel, and its leaders. Apart from the speakers who we met and who spoke before us, both from the Jewish and the Palestine Arab community, I carried my tape recorder and talked to people on the streets. One of them, a Palestinian Arab vendor selling artificial jewellery had been in prison for participating in the First Intifada (Intifada refers to a series of violent incidents between Palestinians and Israelis between 1987 and approximately 1993). He was scathing both in his disappointment with the current leadership both in Palestine and Israel (“they are all liars-no one cares about the people”) and how his wife an Iraqi has not received a permit to work in Jerusalem because of his prison record. All through Ellen was standing next to us listening to him. She left after some time as she was tired while I stayed on and had a one hour conversation with him in downtown Jerusalem. What was amazing was to find how well read he was-he actually discussed the Kashmir and Indo-Pak partition with me, something I wouldn’t expect a vendor on the streets of India to do.
The next day it was a free for all when we ended up at a Palestine Arab institute, and both the eminent journalist and the Arab professor present there unleashed a verbal flood of the hurt and anger and the frustration they felt for years. The Indians asked them hard hitting questions, the Israeli tourist guide, another amazing man (I will be profiling him next month in the December issue) got into the argument very passionately giving his viewpoint and Ellen tried to share her viewpoint from the Israeli and Jewish perspective in a calmer way.
In the end I had to step in and put a human face to the political wrangling which mercifully brought the crescendo of voices down by a few octaves. The Arabs however could not answer my question of why the Arab community in the middle east isn’t helping them and what has happened to the aid given before. Also why while the Jews have overcome their tragic past and become such a powerful nation, the Palestinians haven’t. They did concede that the monetary aid given previously was not invested properly.
As I walked through the Holocaust museum, looking at the burning candles in memory of 1.5 million Jewish children killed in the holocaust, beautiful faces, their eyes full of hope, innocence and no understanding of the gruesome fate awaiting them, stories and pictures of men and women ordinary and extraordinary people looking down at me from the walls of the gray cemented interiors of the museum, the torture, the personal hand written letters, posted every where, even the dark glasses I wore couldn’t hide the tears streaming down my face..it was the same hearing stories of children and other innocent victims and the day to day poverty and suffering the average Palestinian faces with no respite forthcoming.
The Jewish state is run by brilliant, generous, and incredibly gifted men and women. These men and women also admit that they are insecure, cynical and suspicious, and look over their shoulders each step of the way, because of their past history. Yet surrounded by a predominantly hostile middle east, Israel remains the only democracy in that region. And that is why the Palestinian Arab man could speak so freely and insist I take his picture and put his name in the story.
Hearing the perspective of both the Israelis and the Palestinians was an interesting lesson in how there are two sides to every story and also how the same issue can be seen through a different filter. It was also interesting to see how little respect the average Palestinian has for the memory of Arafat or for the current government of Palestinian President Mahmood Abbas..I heard more in praise of the terrorist group Hamas than Arafat or Abbas.
And yes all the Arabs I talked to hate America..they hastened to add that it was not the people but the government they hated for its high handedness, for the way it trained the Taliban, for the way it bullies weaker nations..why didn’t America invade North Korea? Because they have nuclear weapons..and so it went. The vendor on the street said passionately-"there will never be peace in this region..never..when you talk about the suicide bomber that detonates himself on the streets of Jerusalem do you stop and think why he did what he did? If you take away my freedom, rape my sister, kill my brother and my son, what do you expect, and America is responsible for a lot of this."
On a personal front , as I mentioned before I was totally mesmerized by the haunting beauty of this land and the love and hospitality of the people I met. Many knew of actor Rahul Khanna though they referred to him as Minister/actor Vinod Khanna’s son-many had watched Bollywood Hollywood..some Russian Jews asked me about Raj Kapoor and Nargis. One of the members of the delegation, an attorney from California, Rohit Khanna remembered Gotham with a lot of affection..he said he was running for office and both Gotham and Vikram Chatwal helped out big time with their support of his campaign without knowing him personally and he cannot forget how down to earth and humble Gotham is..and I agree.
Jerusalem is mind boggling..it is breath takingly beautiful and it was a very emotional experience for me, even though I’m not Christian to be allowed to take pictures of the hallowed interiors of the church built over the spot where Christ was laid, the spot where he was nailed to the cross, the place where he stayed strapped to the cross, the stone where he lay after death and the spot where he was buried.
I will be posting all those pictures with the story on my website next month, and I hope you can see the holy city and come closer to all that is sacred for so many people world wide, through my lens and my words.
We were split into groups of twos and threes and hosted for a Shabbat dinner by Jewish families. it was a wonderful experience. We also met some of the 100,000 Indian Jews in the country and heard their stories. We participated in the prayers prior to the Shabbat dinner and realized that the Jews are as loud and sing forever like us..one bhajan/hymn after another..except theirs are in Hebrew!
The Jews love gossip as much as we do, laugh as uproariously at themselves as we do, and go beyond the regular call of hospitality..we were beginning to cringe at every meeting because of the huge amount of food put before us hour after hour. As I touched the western wall, my fingers caressing the stones, I offered a silent prayer for peace, prosperity and good health for the people of both nations and my loved ones. We visited several historic sites, like Masada King Herod’s royal citadel which became a site of the most dramatic and symbolic act in Jewish history, where Jewish rebels, defeated the mighty Romans several times when attacked and finally chose mass suicide rather than be held captive by the Romans
And of course no trip would be complete without shopping in the markets of the old city. Yeah the Jews and the Arabs haggled with us just as we do in Indian flea markets. The men would look at me and say-madaaaam, you from India..you are very beautiful..so I give you special price..and then name an exhorbitant amount..lets say this madaaam refused to be felled by odes to her Indian charms and ruthlessly haggled the guys down! Except for the poor vendor on the street in downtown Jerusalem..there we paid him more than he asked and bought stuff we didn’t need.
And yes some of the seemingly prim and proper leaders of the Indian delegation, let their hair down and had us all in splits..whether it was dancing clumsily on the streets of down town Jerusalem with the orthodox Jews at 1 a.m. at night or in the hotel room one night, when one of the most masculine, happily married guys pretended to do a cabaret and lap danced his way through the room, complaining that he didn’t like dancing with his clothes on..they are all sucking up to me now as I have the risqué pictures on my camera..I think Ellen our delegation leader is going to be scarred for life watching the hilarious contortions of an Indian man pretending to be Madonna in a bikini.
We had only 3 hours of sleep every day, and it was hilarious to see several members nodding off during seminars and prayers..sometimes to be caught red handed.by the Israelis as snores resonated through the room, or a prayer meeting where the Jews turn around in circles as they chant their prayers sitting at times and standing at others, to see a Sikh member seated in a Buddha pose fast asleep, while the Jews twirled singling loudly around him. we tried to convince them that the gentleman was so overwhelmed he was in a meditative trance..dunno if it worked!
I think another myth that Israel isn’t safe has to be shattered. I saw the security and I think its safer to be in Israel today than any other part of the world. The number of tourists has become so large this year that el al the national airlines is overbooking it flights daily by almost 20 percent. some of us chose to be bumped off on our return..
We were out by ourselves till 2 a.m. at times, and not once did we feel unsafe in the streets. people were very kind and helpful..
The education system is mind-boggling with affiliations to Ivy league universities in the US and other countries. the cost a fraction of what one would pay here. Many non Jewish people including Indians are sending their children to Israel for the masters and post doc education.
I hope all of you visit this beautiful country some day. Perhaps the one key thing I returned with and felt we would do well to learn from the Jews, is the way they look out for each other as a community. That is truly extraordinary.
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Posted by Kavita Chhibber at November 15, 2005 03:45 AM
Comments
Wow Kavita, What a wonderful trip. I felt like I was there with you.
My mom is a holocaust survivor and it is very emotional to see those pictures, the proof that it did happen. (Some have denied that it did).
I have never been to Israel as I was always afraid. I have heard many others say the same about the security.
There is a program out there for 18 year old jewish kids to get a free trip there if they have never been. It sounds wonderful. I hope I do get there someday as it is part of my roots.
Love, Joanie
Hillary and her Israeli allies just don't get it!!
"When you put powerless Palestinians behind a wall where life in any real economic sense is unattainable, you wreak pain and anguish, which in turn leads to more anger and resentment toward Israel's brutal policies. Indeed, the wall will not prove to be a deterrent to resistance, but an inciter of defiance."
(From: http://www.counterpunch.com/frank11142005.html)
The above could be an answer to the question: "Also why while the Jews have overcome their tragic past and become such a powerful nation, the Palestinians haven’t."
In fact, the question is wrong. FOr Palestinians, the problem is not about overcoming the past, but it is about overcoming the present!
Kavita,
Thanks for sharing your experiences from your trip to Israel. Looking forward to hear more stories and pictures of Israel
Venky
Dear Kavita,
Welcome back!
I am happy that you had a memorable trip to the Holy Land. But I must scold you, as a loving elder brother would, but please do not take it personally. You are wrong in your assertion that it is a myth that Israel is unsafe.
I am sure that you would not have said this if you had experienced one of those sickening acts of human destruction committed by suicide bombers.
The fact that you had a great, worry-free time there in and of itself does not that make that troubled land safe. I think it's a bit disingenuous of you, my dear sister, to write such *%#@.
Are you saying that all those who have had the misfortunes to have been at the wrong places at the wrong times when suicide bombers struck, felt safe?
Are you implying that the constant images of human carnage we see in the news, with respect to this senseless crime against humanity, is reassuring?
Please keep your head above the level of the sand, my dear sister. I personally will not travel to Israel with my young family anytime soon. And that is how most people in the world feel. It's indeed regrettable, but true!
Love,
Ron.
Hello Kavita and Everyone,
Thank you for a very interesting blog.
I loved the way you described the way everyone was free to speak their mind. That is a very powerful aspect of living in a democracy. As much as I hate that we invaded Iraq, I think that the Iraqis maybe enjoying a little of that freedom, now. We don't know if it will flourish for them in the future. I hope, for the sake of all the people who have died that the Iraqi people will have the freedoms that they deserve.
The world is getting tired of the terrorist's cry of "hate" whoever, and in the name of "so and so" we must kill, using the vulnerable as our bombs. The world knows that if you want change you have to live and work for it. It is the only way.
Thanks every one..najeeb, the present is built on the foundation of the past.. thanks for raising the point...we did discuss both the present and the past with the palestinians at length.,.as Imentioned this is a short overview..the article I will be writing will be much more detailed in the discussions.
ron, thank you for your brotherly scolding..let me however request you to check the stats in the number of suicide bombings that have occurred in Israel in the past one year-i will be provdong stats in my detailed story...again you have to go there and see for yourself-and incidentally acts of terrorism happen every where..israel is no less unsafe or safe as any other country, and frankly seeing their level of military accomplishments-they advice the US govt on how to combat terror in the skies..and there were a lot of facts that we were given to make us realize how things have changed in Israel security wise, i felt very safe there. That confidence has caused a tourist explosion in the country..ever since the security wall was built-it cost the israelis about 3 million and they recovered the cost within the first months of tourists coming to their country immediately after, has done wonders for the country's image.
forgive me for being jetlagged and exhausted today and this will be the last post but please wait for my complete article.
in the meantime I hope all of you will enjoy just this overview of Israel.
You said:
Perhaps the one key thing I returned with and felt we would do well to learn from the Jews, is the way they look out for each other as a community. That is truly extraordinary.
Comment:
Thats true.. and I think in some ways smaller communities like the Parsis, Patels and Gujju Jains also do in Indian context.
It is interesting to note that a few years back the Diamond trade in Antwerp was dominated by the Jews... and in just last few years, almost 50% of it is now in the hands of the Gujju Jains!!
The same principle works in case of Patels and their motel invetsments. A Patel can possibly get millions of dollars worth of investment seed money for his motel within days!
So within this small parochially limited groups the Jewish phenomenon is visible.. just that they do not consider entire India to be their family.. which is fine for they have a formula and it succeeds.
Cheers,
Desh
Personal Blog: www.Drishtikone.com
Hey that is really cool. People who come from history of pain and are good people, as usual, most of the time, even though some don't seem like that right away because they are still angry or something.
The Jewish people have an incredible spirit. The impact of Torah is immense.
Ron, statistically speaking you're 100x more likely to die in a car accident then in a suicide bombing while in Israel.
It is generally a very safe country. Violent crime is very low and terrorism is rare.
You are the victim of media stereotyping. That does not mean that the families of victims are not full of grief, it just means that, statistically speaking, you are highly unlikely to die by terrorism there.
Ted,
If you are implying that what we see in the news is an act of media victimization, are we to ignore the vicious ugliness of those evening news vistas that repeatedly show human carnage and senseless destruction and feel safe about travelling to Israel and then trod into our nearest travel agent's office and book?
Let me repeat, Ted, I will not take my young family to Israel anytime soon, even if you are paying for the trip. It seems that you are helping to sanitize those horribly gruesome acts of terror we see on television in reassuring us how safe it is to travel to Israel, statistically.
Perhaps, statistically, you are more likely to die in a car crash than to die as a result of a terrorist act in Iareal. But, by the same token, you are likely to get away with driving drunk 100x before you are caught. Those are not odds I am willing to mess with, my friend.
Respectfully,
Ron Saywack.
I think as all of us know many things are exaggerated in the media. At the same time, I totally understand Ron's concern and I feel that one must respect that. We all have the freedom to make our choices. I know that I won't hesitate to go back..
I was just looking at last year reports..here is an excerpt from an official report..
"During the twelve month period from August 2003 to July 2004 three suicide bombers launched attacks from areas where the fence has been completed which resulted in no deaths or injuries. In contrast during the preceding twelve months, from September 2002 to August 2003, 73 attacks were successfully carried out from these areas, in which 293 Israelis were killed and 1,950 were wounded. The decrease in casualties was not due to a decrease in attempted terrorist attacks; from August 2003 to July 2004 Israeli security forces prevented dozens of planned attacks in the final stages of their implementation and uncovered 24 explosive belts and charges intended to be used for these attacks. From July 2004 to October 2004 only one suicide bombing has resulted in casualties in areas where the barrier has been built.."
Hope that helps..
Kavita... awwww... thank you for what is a wonderful walk down memory lane for me. While it has been more than 20 years since I visited Israel, I feel right now like it was only yesterday.
It's hard to describe Jerusalem to someone who hasn't been there before, isn't it? *Magical* is about the best I could come up with as well. I remember the power that I could feel from the walls in the Old City which made me burst into tears at one point. It's like the walls radiate light.
I also visited that famous bazaar in the Old City and it's good to know that vendors still offer that "special price, just for you, my friend!".
Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to visit the Holocaust Museum. One day I will get there. One whole part of the Hungarian side of my family was murdered in the Holocaust and every time I see one of those haunting photos I wonder, "Is that a great aunt of mine? a distant cousin?" Thank you for your sensitivity and love towards them all.
Joannie: Yes, you must go some day. You will feel as though you have truly "come home". When my time in Israel was over, the group I was with had to travel by bus to Egypt and I remember looking back out the window at Jerusalem and crying for a long time since I didn't want to leave.
Ron: I don't believe that Kavita or anyone is santizing the horror of the terrorist attacks. I also felt extremely safe while there as there is a military presence everywhere you go. And I had the feeling that every one of them would have taken a bullet for me - a feeling that I haven't had in some other places in the world.
Peace and love,
Sheba
Dear Sheba,
If you re-read my post, you will see that it was not Kavita that those "sanitizing" comments were directed at; it was Ted.
It is great that you all felt safe in Israel. Perhaps some day when my little angels grow up, I may consider going there. I have always wanted to, but never got around to it.
After college, I travelled quite extensively in Europe and went as far as Athens. But never in the Mid-East.
But then life changes, as you enter a new phase. I got married and the little ones came along and now their futures and safety are paramount in my life.
Thank you all for the comments. We can all learn from each other. That is why this is such a great medium. My little girl is calling dad to play a game of catch, so I must go.
Good night, all.
Love,
Ron.
Dear Kavita,
Thank you for sharing your sojourns and insights with us. I do love reading your articles, and that you care, and do read the comments, and respond.
I hope you rest well tonight.
Love and Blessings,
~~ Kate
Dear Kavita
Your post reminds me of my Palestinian driver Mohammed in Amman, Jordan. I was there in 2003, trying frantically to cross over the Al-Karama border towards Iraq.
It is really an irony that what happened during holocaust is something what is being more or less repeated by Israelis themselves in Palestine.
Mohammed's father was killed in an Israeli gunfire in Gaza and that led his family migrate to Amman in search of livelihood and perhaps safety as well. Now Mohammed drove a taxi which happened to be a Mercedes and while I smoked Classic wills, he smoked Marlboro. And apart from daily rentals fixed with him, he never allowed me to pay for the rounds of turkish coffee on the streets of Amman.
After a month, when the time came for me to finally cross over to Baghdad, he was in the heart of his hearts sceptical whether I could make it back. I saw tears swelling in his eyes as he bade farewell to me near the town of Ruwaished. He kissed me in the Arabic style (making kissing sound along the cheeks) and gave me a lighter. Three weeks later when I reached Amman again from Baghdad (God only knows how!), he was so happy that he burst into an arabic dance sequence.
That cigarette lighter is still with me.
Rahul Khanna
We want you back
We need the humour
Its all getting too intellectual and political and analytical
:)
Hi Kavita,
After so many years a mention of Israel,sent me wistfully into the past. I was at the tip of Israel, at Eilat.I remember so vividly the extreme reactions I had experienced at the time. The architecture was solid, utilitarian, no fuss kinda thing, as were even the so called 5 stars.It was as if they had pledged as a nation to leave the frivolities for later, as right now they were on a mission. We were pointed out the palestinian settlements close by and ofcourse the animosity was unmistakable. But two specific details have stayed with me over the years. One was the sight of young girls ,barely in their teens, dressed and trained as soldiers, each one of them carrying a weapon. You saw them everywhere. And now cut to around 7.00pm and the local disco ,these very same girls having discarde their military oufits were dressed in trendies and were having a ball as if there was no tomorrow. The youth there, their capacity to be committed unswervingly to a cause and at the same time live it up to the hilt when opportunity presented,taught me a thing or two on how fragmented we make our lives by not following our this indomitable spirit.
The other priceless experience I had was a visit to a Kibbutz.It was my first ever visual of community living, where a whole clan lived together as an extended family and chores were specifically assigned. Children were looked after collectively as were economic needs.The peace and unselfish stance to this business of living left me wishing that I had been brought up in one. No hassles of me and mine. Everything was shared and so love multiplied. Can you imagine how secure the children would be in such a giving environment?Alas.So here's to Israel.
Thank you all, Kate, Kaveetaa, rahul, sheba.its 4 a.m. in atlanta and 11 a.m. in israel and you can see i'm still on israel time! Kaveeta, I actually went to a kibbutz of Indian jews..there are three kinds the ones we met were the cochin jews..more on that in my story later..we also went to an absorption center where we saw jewish kids from all over the world ages 17 through mid 20s who had left their familes and chosen to come to Israel to study and live there-some hoped their folks would also move to Israel, others said they knew their folks were happy where they were and that was okay..and they seemed to love their caretakers..I cant imagine any parent in the world letting their kids go to an unknown land, with no relatives or friends just because they felt this deep urge to go to the holy land..some actually were from very well to do families.it shows the level of trust the jewish community has for one another.
the young girls are every where and walk shoulder to shoulder with the men, though many of them hastened to tell me they were not teenagers..after high school every one does a stint in the army and then picks up a job and further education..in fact I was told that the Israeli army refused to allow women fighter pilots more out of concern for their safety..what if the plane goes down in army territory and the woman is raped or tortured...one woman sued the army in the israeli supreme court...today they have women fighter pilots as well! I did go to eilat, and the city peretz the man who defeated perez came from.. Poor Perez has such a losing track record that the favorite Israeli joke is even if Perez ran alone he will come second!
Rahul, thanks for sharing your story..people are good every where..its the politics that sucks..we met the palestinian arab mayor of a village(dunno why they called it a village it was more modern than some of our towns..and they were telling us of 40 jewish families that live amongs the predominantly palestinian village in harmony..
Sheba..perhaps the most breathtaking view was sun rise over jerusalem and night over the valley-it was as if thousands of candles were lit just for us...I'm so excited about the pictures I took..most likely the article will be published in january but I will try and put the pictures that I took and several members of the delegation took online for all of you to see.
Ron I can see how much you love your little ones, and of course one may rather err on the side of caution..but I hope and pray that what condoleeza rice has begun will continue and a day will come when the israelis and the palestinians will live together in harmony..
one of the most balanced books I read was from beirut to jerusalem by thomas friedman..as luck would have it he was on the same flight going back to Ny as us..it was written in the late 80s but some of what he said still rings true..i hope those of you who enjoy reading about the issues will pick up a copy..
all of you write so well when you post..if you would like to share your experiences on any thing, I will be happy to publish them in my online magazine...the new issue is online and we stand at 180,000 readers world wide right now.
so please do write to me at kavita@kavitachhibber.com and I'll be delighted to showcase such enormous writing talent I see here
Dear Kavita,
Thank you very kindly for those heartfelt comments. You are absolutely right, I do love my little angels more than words can express.
The girl, Oxana, is seven and her baby brother, Filip, is eight months. Four days ago, on November 12th, he uttered his very first clear words in his little life and it was, dada, dada!
Well, can you imagine how proud that makes papa feel? Mom may be a little jealous, though she does not show it.
Have a nice morning in Atlanta.
Love,
Ron.
Kavita,
your article was really informative but if it could have been written with just a bit of more editing,
it would have attracted many more to read and comment.sometimes sheer length of the article makes many people to skip it without even glancing it over.this is my opinion,anyone can differ.
secondly,interalia u say"something I wouldn’t expect a vendor on the streets of India to do."
i think there are many people like me having small shops doing low buisness in india,who are B.COM,LLB,CAIIB.,and always discuss many aspects
of the world with their customers.
keep it on,u will be a name known to the world
in time to come.(i say this because i can read faces:-).
regards,
girish dalal.
Thank you very much Girish ji, for correcting me on the vendor bit. I was actually not referring to shop owners but the many street vendors selling stuff on the road. It would make me incredibly happy to know that the simple, uneducated but nevertheless interesting vendors who came to sell bangles and peanuts etc on the many streets I grew up on as a child are striding towards an educated and informed future: education is something I feel very passionately about.
Unfortunately Israel is a land that cannot be encapsuled in a nutshell..and this long blog doesnt capture even half its essence, so please excuse the length.
Thank you also for your good wishes for me..it was very kind of you to take the trouble of reading my face..or care enough..
all the best
Ron,
I'm including you on the list of special fathers..and honor your presence among the special dads I paid a tribute to in one of my previous blogs!
Dear Kavita,
It is true, as Girish says - you are an incredible person. A discovery for the world to make! :)
I see integrity in your writing. I love your honesty, and candidness. Even to critical comments, you respond. This I do admire, and much more, your clearness to See, the richness, complexity, harshness, and beauty of Life.
Every post within this blog, each writer, each person - thank you. Today this reading has enriched my being.
Love and Blessings,
~~ Kate
Thank you Kate..you are very kind. I feel that when someone is taking the trouble to post a response to my blog, I must do my best to respond and let them know their words mean as much to me as mine may have to them.
Again its the same thing with criticism. I dont take it personally, but always feel that even criticism happens because a)the person has been moved enough by my words to respond and I'm glad it made him/her think and b) I'm grateful someone cares enough to make a comment that they feel may help improve the quality of my work.
Constructive criticism is always welcome..because new ideas emerge from it and may be a better style of presentation.
All of you are very precious and I think I speak for all the bloggers..I have seen such incredible and thought provoking postings here by readers of our blogs, I'm very enriched..
Another view about Arafat
http://countercurrents.org/pa-nabulsi161105.htm
Kavita,
I regret to say that you have not read much about Palestine, if you claim that Thomas Friedman's book is one of the most balanced books about the issue. Though I have not read that particular book, judging from his other articles, I dare say so.
Then you need to read the book Najeeb before making a presumptous remark about my not having read much about Palestine. How do you know what I have read? Have you been to Palestine or Israel? Just curious to know. As a journalist its my job to read up and research anything I write on but even for me, having a hands on experience was really more of an eye opener than any amount of reading or media reports could have been. You know as well as I that even the media exaggerates, has its own agenda, and so on..even when someone tries to give a balanced view point, we all perceive it through the filter of our own lens and experience. Unless you've been there recently, you are basing your opinion on the reports you read like everyone else. I'm neither Jewish nor Palestinian, and there is no reason for me to take one side over the other. Thomas Friedman is Jewish and he yet he talks about how he lost complete faith in the Jews after the beirut massacre.. Friedman was the only western journalist given access to Major General Amir Drori the overall commnader of Israeli troops in Lebanon.Friedman says when he met him he lost his journalistic objectivity and slamming his fist on the table yelled at drori-saying how could you do this? How could you not know?" Drori had no answers for him, and to quote friedman directly " The next morning I buried Amir Drori on the front page of the New York Times and along with it every illusion I ever held about the Jewish state." The book was written in 1989 and there are still some things there that are worth reading and mulling over..
Things have changed politically and so have opinions..In fact several speakers mentioned that in spite of being experts in world affairs if someone had told them 20 years ago that Israel and India will forge such a strong alliance they would have asked the person to get a psychiatric evaluation!:)
Again you are entitled to your opinion. I simply reported what I saw and heard, none of it was my personal evaluation of Arafat.
Thank you for raising the point though and it will be nice if you would suggest any book worth reading about the issue. I would love to add to my knowledge and I'm sure so would others who may be interested. and keep the discussion going..we all learn from each other even when we diasgree!
all the best
May I also add that Friedman had very scathing remarks about Begin and Sharon in the book as well
Kavita,
Thank you for your account of your trip. I look forward to seeing the pictures. I also love how you are interactive in your string of commenters.
Thanks!
Love, Bo
Kavita,
Hope I have not offended you. I did not mean to say that you have not read extensively about Israel/Palestine issue. I think I should have written that "I doubt you might not have read much about Palestine if ...."
And I have not visited that part of the world yet. No, I have no books to propose too
Not at all Najeeb. As I said I never take comments personally but I also hope none of us presume anything about another without finding the facts..Thank you for caring enough to clarify.It is really nice of you..I'm very anal about anything I write on..you will laugh when I tell you that when I went to interview ravi shankar I went through 30,000 websites on him on the internet even though a lot of them were repititive just to make sure I didnt miss anything in spite of knowing a lot about his life over the years! Before I went on this trip it was the same thing 20 books and internet research and books I took with me to read thru airports and flights ..funnily friedman ended up on our flight and I was standing there clutching a copy of his book from beirut to jerusalem..re reading it again to get a better context of what a 1989 book would mean today!
I mentioned about stepping in to a heated discussion between the arabs and the jews..what made every one calm down was my comment that I am totally exhausted and heart broken at the politicising of a human tragedy that Palestine has become..in all the political games, and he said she said, its the average Palestinian who is living a life of horrifying poverty and violence..please tell me what can all of us do to help there..
we forget the people while trying to be one up on the other politically..
I am afraid I can never be an objective journalist and keep a stiff upper lip when I see little children being blown to pieces both sides of the gaza strip....it was funny when I, one of the three women looked at these men and at one point said pretty loudly..that discussion is absolute fu..king bullsh.t! I still laugh at the shocked silence..I'm very feminine and lady like..but I have a pretty loud voice when I decide to speak up!
Bo thanks for your kind words
Dear Kavita,
For having the purpose at heart and presence of mind to respond to your responders (both pros and cons) makes you very special. Others may cite 'legitimate' reasons such as "too busy" for not being able to do the same. Perhaps, they are right! But you are exemplary of a great one in the making! Greatness always finds a way.
Love, Ron.
Thank you Ron. Its all a question of priority and my responders mean a lot to me..dialogue must never be a one way stream..and I have learnt a lot from all of you. Thanks for being there to make this exchange priceless for me
I have some mates from Israel (hearbreakingly beautiful girls actually) and they are such wonderful, friendly, hospitable people. Never let on about how difficult things are back at home. I have tried to go twice but they asked me not to come during those specific times.
So im hoping to go sometime next year for a wedding come what may.
Your article was fun. good on you.
Thanks Gaurav,
I will be writing some more stuff about Israel shortly.
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Recent Comments
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kavita chhibber commented on ISRAEL, GOTHAM CHOPRA, RAHUL KHANNA AND MORE
Thanks Gaurav,
I will be writing some mor -
Gaurav commented on ISRAEL, GOTHAM CHOPRA, RAHUL KHANNA AND MORE
I have some mates from Israel (hearbreakingly b
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kavita chhibber commented on ISRAEL, GOTHAM CHOPRA, RAHUL KHANNA AND MORE
Thank you Ron. Its all a question of priority a
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ron saywack commented on ISRAEL, GOTHAM CHOPRA, RAHUL KHANNA AND MORE
Dear Kavita,
For having the purpose at
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kavita chhibber commented on ISRAEL, GOTHAM CHOPRA, RAHUL KHANNA AND MORE
Not at all Najeeb. As I said I never take comme
Well sounds like you had an extra-ordinary time, mixing a bit of this with a bit of that, I hope I can go one day and see the things you talk about in your blog, actually I don't know if I really mean that, seems to depressing for me all that Christ stuff, because that's what I was thinking about and what really struck me as amazing and awesome about your trip. I grew up as a Christian but unfortunately I'm more myself now...so anyway, I hope your solicitations work and by the way, send my love to poor Gotham , I laughed hard at his blog about giving him more love, give him a big hug and a kiss and a hand shake from the man from down under, his sister was very kind to him too, it's kind of a surprise love package here for him, I hope you can pass it on and by the way love to you all, you too bloger.