Burden of Peace by MIFTAH 9:30pm Fri Aug 9 '02 Ariel Sharon's wide range coalition government comprised of the extreme right-wingers and the moderate lefties has exhausted all opportunities to offer their people a horizon to look forward towards. Sharon has personalized the conflict and has branded Arafat as an obstacle in the way of peace. Sharon successfully convinced the Bush administration to adopt his mindless view, which meant that they had no responsibilities to work towards a solution, as it is the Palestinians who have to reform, democratize, elect new leadership and submit to Israeli occupation, in order to have peace! print article Sharon's Government is weaker than ever before and the Israelis are tired of Sharon's excuses, placing the blame on everyone but himself. This conflict involves two parties and both parties need to be actively working towards a solution and the greater burden should be on Israel to show good will. Since Israel is the powerful occupier, only they can make peace and offer a rewarding future. Facing economic problems along with inability to acquire Israel's security needs, Sharon's political career seems to be heading downhill. Aware of his lack of political solution and will to make peace the Israeli people voted for Ariel Sharon under the slogan "Rak Sharon" Only Sharon. Only Sharon is brutal enough to completely crush the Palestinians and their leadership. Only Sharon will secure illegal settlements, for he is the savior of settlements, and continues to encourage and offer settlers cheap living on privately owned Palestinian land. This comes courtesy of the Palestinians and the citizens of Israel living inside Israeli territories, also as courtesy of Palestinian and Israeli blood, courtesy of peace, hope and a political prospect. Now that the brutality of Sharon has failed at securing Israelis or offering a peaceful solution, and since the people of the world are not accepting the blaming of Arafat as a legitimate excuse anymore, more people are realizing that as long as there is no justice there can never be any peace. It is truly a simple equation, end the occupation, and give both people some time to heal along with a future to plan in security and peace. Israel has the power to make peace and the burden is on Israel and the US for they hold all the cards. It takes two to tango and Israel should lead. www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=942&Cat... add your comments

Vova go back to your Homeland by Jumana Odeh 9:35pm Fri Aug 9 '02 print comment The plane was full of Russian immigrants, a young Russian shy guy sat next to me. He didn't move, he almost didn't breath! It seems, it's his first experience in the KLM flight from Amsterdam to Tel Aviv, or may be it's a new world for him? He wanted to thank the stewardess when she offered him a drink, but he said: spa. And didn't dare to finish the "spasiba", thanks in Russian! So I volunteered to finish it for him!! After that the conversation started. Actually I've started, I broke the barriers, the silence, the uncertainty. He's just 18 years old, he's coming to Israel not knowing where does it exist on the map! He doesn't know how much Jewish he is?!. He was told that his great- great grandmother might've been Jewish?! He knows no other language except Russian, which he's even shy to use! He has no career yet! He doesn't know, who he is ?! He doesn't know what he's going to do in Israel! Yet, he's coming to Israel! Vova is my daughter's age, whom I called off my conference in Holland to attend her graduation ceremony from the high school. This graduation that I was patiently, silently waiting for the last eighteen years! Eighteen years I was investing in my daughter for her education, health, safety and well-being. Just few days ago I wasn't certain if this day would come or not, since we all were under strict curfew in Ramallh for almost a month, we were shelled day and night, we were put under house arrest without knowing when this horrible situation will end. Dana was so worried about her future, final international exams, and success! We all were so worried, sad, helpless, and uncertain of what would happen tomorrow? Even for a while, we were thinking that we might all die! Who could expect what Sharon is doing? What happened in Jenin and Nablus could happen in Ramallah too! Who would guarantee otherwise?! And tomorrow Dana is graduating after she successfully finished her exams, even she was offered a scholarship to study in the United States (from her beloved Quaker school, which she went to for a long 14 years). But, why do I have such a bitter feeling, I should be so happy ! What did this Russian boy do to me? Why don't I accept him? Is it because he's coming to change the demography of my country! Why don't I have the same feeling that I have had, few days ago when I met with few Israeli X- soldiers in Jerusalem after the ABC night line program, and we both were attending. That day, the young X- soldiers told me about their sad experience in the army in Gaza, they were so bitter about that experience, they believe that what their government is doing to the Palestinians is a war crime, they were satisfied that at least they didn't kill, they sadly admitted that they are few, yet they feel that they have to speak out, we have had a very constructive conversation, where we accepted each other. Why did I have that peaceful, nice feeling towards those kids, especially when one of them asked my permission to call me mom! I felt him so close, with no barriers, what so ever, I felt how human we can be, I could see only the human, young, peaceful spirit in those Israeli youngsters. I felt that I'm agreeing with my own children, that we Palestinians and Israelis deserve to live in peace and dignity next to each other, no matter what!! Why can't I accept this Vova? I think I certainly know why. I'm sure of my feelings. I should tell it to him. You know Vova, it's not fair, that you are coming to my country, knowing nothing about this land, this culture, the language of this part of the world, and tomorrow you'll be the one who has the right to live on my own land, drinking my daughter's water, confiscating my own garden, shelling my house, destroying my daughters school, and I'll be with my daughter, the victims of your aggression. Tomorrow you might become a soldier who might kill my precious daughter Dana, under any name or any color, tomorrow you might serve at a check point where you might prevent me from reaching my patients! Tomorrow Vova you will become usurp, and you will not be able to understand nor explain why? Dear Vova, I don't think that it's fair nor just, you better go back home to your HOMELAND, as we say in Russian: "Vezde chorosho, no doma luocheh", "No Place like HOME"! www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=945&Cat... add your comments

The Murders & President Vova Putin... by Captian Nemo 1:39am Sat Aug 10 '02 print comment In Russia it is forbidden to write in the Russian newspapers about the so called Russian Jews who escape from Israel after they have been locked there and given American & European guns and buldozers to crush the noble Palestinian people and to robb their land, the rest of their land. It is the greatest real estate investment project. What is the childish Enron or World.com in comparison?.. Every ordinary "Vova" is officially allocated approximately US$200.000.00 from the American taxpayers pool if "Vova" agrees to settle in Israel, to become a new "ole hadash". Well, everybody understands, "Vova" - with his penis cut or still whole - does not see USD 200000...Maybe 5000...Just before he gets his first job or kills his first Indian. The rest, let us be kind, let us say the US$190.000.00 is divided between President's Putin and President's Busharon crowds. Vova from the Dutch airplane is not a Russian-American Zionazist today, even if he has better chance to become a Jewish racist than the pilots of the airplane as the pilots had different life and could collect different information which permits to resist political serial killers. Vova's brain is a 100% tabula rasa... Vova would not believe that "oncles" in the White House and Kremlin may multiply US$ 190.000.00 by 8000000 (eight millions) - what is the number of "world Jews" the gang wants to push and close in Israel - and may place that huge sum of American taxpayers money into the sweet accounts of the Swiss, Lichtenstein, USA and Israeli banks. Vova from the airplaine cannot count. He had never owned an American or European bank account. It is not important. He may shoot. The rulers of the Arab countries cannot believe it but Vova may shoot. The question - are the Arab leaders paid from that money pool to avoid translating and reading the anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racist Russian press - and Internet publications?.. It is a big business. Big money. Where there is big, really big money, there'll be found always a huge amount of human blood. add your comments