PEACE TALKS: "Israel's Conflict as Game Theory"
1 June, 2014
For any Peace Talks to come - in June 2014 as relevant as ever
A few years ago Israel released 1000 Arab terrorists, mostly Hamas men with blood on their hands, only to free its one captured soldier, Gilead Schalit.
This year Israel paid a painful price, the release of 86 convicted Arab murderer terrorists, only to bring the Palestinians to the peace negotiating table. Why any price? Does the PA need less an agreement than Israel?
Then Palestinian chief Mahmoud Abbas aka Abu Mazen left the negotiations and in three days announced a new deal with Hamas, obviously hurting all starting points with Israel. Had he negotiated in good faith? Or simply took the merchandise and left without paying?
What is wrong with Israel's negotiations? In June 2014 as relevant as ever. A Nobel Prize winner expert tells what to do.
Israel's Conflict as Game Theory
By Prof. Yisrael Aumann - Nobel Prize Laureate
October 23rd, 2010
"Sadly, Israel ignores the basic principles of game theory.
If Israel would be wise enough to behave according to those principles,
her political status and her security status would improve substantially."
Two men-let us call them Rick and Steve- are put in a small room containing a suitcase filled with bills totaling $100,000. The owner of the suitcase announces the following: "I will give you the money in the suitcase under one condition...you have to negotiate an agreement on how to divide it. That is the only way I will agree to give you the money."
Rick is a rational person and realizes the golden opportunity that has fallen his way. He turns to Steve with the obvious suggestion: "You take half and I'll take half, that way each of us will have $50,000."
To his surprise, Steve frowns at him and says, in a tone that leaves no room for doubt: "Look here, I don't know what your plans are for the money, but I don't intend to leave this room with less than $90,000. If you accept that, fine. If not, we can both go home without any of the money."
Rick can hardly believe his ears. "What has happened to Steve" he asks himself. "Why should he get 90% of the money and I just 10%?" He decides to try to convince Steve to accept his view. "Let's be logical," he urges him, "We are in the same situation, we both want the money. Let's divide the money equally and both of us will profit."
Steve, however, doesn't seem perturbed by his friend's logic. He listens attentively, but when Rick is finished he says, even more emphatically than before: "90-10 or nothing. That is my last offer."
Rick's face turns red with anger. He is about to punch Steve in the nose, but he steps back. He realizes that Steve is not going to relent, and that the only way he can leave the room with any money is to give in to him. He straightens his clothes, takes $10,000 from the suitcase, shakes Steve's hand and leaves the room humiliated.
This case is called ‘The Blackmailer's Paradox" in game theory. The paradox is that Rick the rational is forced to behave irrationally by definition, in order to achieve maximum results in the face of the situation that has evolved. What brings about this bizarre outcome is the fact Steve is sure of himself and doesn't flinch when making his exorbitant demand. This convinces Rick that he must give in so as to make the best of the situation.
The Arab-Israeli Conflict
The relationship between Israel and the Arab countries is conducted along the lines of this paradox. At each stage of negotiation, the Arabs present impossible, unacceptable starting positions. They act sure of themselves and as if they totally believe in what they are asking for, and make it clear to Israel that there is no chance of their backing down.
Invariably, Israel agrees to their blackmailing demands because otherwise she will leave the room empty handed. The most blatant example of this is the negotiations with Syria that have been taking place with different levels of negotiators for years. The Syrians made sure that it was clear from the beginning that they would not compromise on one millimeter of the Golan Heights.
The Israeli side, eager to have a peace agreement with Syria, internalized the Syrian position so well, that the Israeli public is sure that the starting point for future negotiations with Syria has to include complete withdrawal from the Golan Heights, this despite its critical strategic importance in ensuring secure borders for Israel.
The Losing Solution
According to game theory, Israel has to change certain basic perceptions in order to improve her chances in the negotiations game with the Arabs and win the long term political struggle:
a. Willingness to forego agreements
Israel's political stand is based on the principle that agreements must be reached with the Arabs at any price, that the lack of agreements is untenable. In the Blackmailer's Paradox, Rick's behavior is the result of his feeling that he must leave the room with some money, no matter how little. Because Rick cannot imagine himself leaving the room with empty hands, he is easy prey for Steve, and ends up leaving with a certain amount of money, but in the role of the humiliated loser.
This is similar to the way Israel handles negotiations, her mental state making her unable to reject suggestions that do not advance her interests.
b. Taking repetition into account
Game theory relates to onetime situations differently than to situations that repeat themselves. A situation that repeats itself over any length of time, creates, paradoxically, strategic parity that leads to cooperation between the opposing sides. This cooperation occurs when both sides realize that the game is going to repeat itself, and that since they must weigh the influence present moves will have on future games, there is a balancing factor at play.
Rick saw his problem as a onetime event, and behaved accordingly.
Had he told Steve instead that he would not forego the amount he deserves even if he sustains a total loss, he would have changed the game results for an indefinite period. It is probably true that he would still have left the game empty handed, but at the next meeting with Steve, the latter would remember Rick's original suggestion and would try to reach a compromise.
That is how Israel has to behave, looking at the long term in order to improve her position in future negotiations, even if it means continuing a state of war and fore going an agreement.
c. Faith in your opinions
Another element that crates the "Blackmailer's Paradox" is the unwavering belief of one side in its opinion. Steve exemplifies that. This faith gives a contender inner confidence in his cause at the start and eventually convinces his rival as well. The result is that the opposing side wants to reach an agreement, even at the expense of irrational surrender that is considerably distanced from his opening position.
Several years ago, I spoke to a senior officer who claimed that Israel must withdraw from the Golan Heights in the framework of a peace treaty, because the Golan is holy land to the Syrians and they will never give it up. I explained to him that first the Syrians convinced themselves that the Golan is holy land to them, and then proceeded to convince you as well. The Syrians' unflinching belief that they are in the right convinces us to give in to their dictates.
The only solution to that is for us to believe unwaveringly in the righteousness of our cause. Only complete faith in our demands can succeed in convincing our Syrian opponent to take our opinion into account.
As in all of science, game theory does not take sides in moral and value judgments. It analyzes strategically the behavior of opposing sides in a game they play against one another. The State of Israel is in the midst of one such game opposite its enemies. As in every game, the Arab-Israeli game involves interests that create the framework of the game and its rules.
Sadly, Israel ignores the basic principles of game theory. If Israel would be wise enough to behave according to those principles, her political status and de facto, her security status, would improve substantially.
| Obstacle to Peace: Palestinian leadership’s hatred of the Jewish state |
Obstacle to Peace: Palestinian leadership’s hatred of the Jewish state
Settlements are merely a pretext
Take-A-Pen editorial* - Nov.2, Updated December 12, 2010
There is no higher obstacle to peace than hatred. Without fanatic hatred on any side there is always a chance to reach an agreement, even a peace treaty, through compromise. But with fanatic hatred in mind how could any agreement hold? Most Israelis do not hate Arabs, or Palestinian Arabs; some do not hate even terrorists. On the other side those mature Palestinians who have been in personal contact with Israelis, are mostly also ready for peaceful co-existence.
Unfortunately, the Palestinian Arab leadership is much more extremist than its electorate. It still holds, nurtures and teaches hatred towards Jews, and Israeli Jews in particular. One of the many examples is the personal contribution to hatred, incitement and libelous lies of the Palestinian "Chief Peace negotiator Saeb Erekat - read our "Peace Talks with Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat"
Many Arabs hate Jews because that is what fundamentalist Islam teaches them. Many Palestinians hate Israelis - that is the Israeli Jews; they obviously do not hate only envy the Israeli Arab minority for their rights and wealth - because that is what their leadership, their mosque, school and media have indoctrinated them since time immemorial. However, most mature Palestinians who have more experience with Israeli Jews, do not hate them. They mostly know even the value of their neighbors, only they don’t have a voice.
Apparently, the worst hatred is incited against the Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria, called by many - and not fully justified - “Palestinian territories”. But if you think that at least these settlements are hated by all Arabs, think again. Jewish settlements can serve as an economic leverage for their Palestinian neighbors, who know this very well.
*written by Endre *Andre) Mozes
ABC Mini-Encyclopedia
TakeAPen's ABC Mini Encyclopedia for Israel & the Middle East
B
K
L
Q
X
&
- "Cycle of Violence"
- This blurry euphemism exonerates the perpetrators of violence by not naming them and by equating them with the victims. Blame is cast on an anonymous, non-human force. It should be noted that this language is often reserved for cases in which Israelis are victims of Palestinian violence. In contrast, when Palestinians get killed in a shooting incident, the language tends to be direct, such as: “Israelis killed two Palestinians.”
Read More
1
- 1. Israel A to Z - 60 first references to Israel
- This “Israel 60, A to Z’ glossary serves as first reference to 60 frequently discussed issues about Israel in the Middle East, for the public and for the non-professional writer – like the writer of a Letter to an Editor. Its reader can see in one minute the essence of a subject, perhaps also an eye-opener to non-conventional wisdom - in place of politically correct clichés we read and hear far too often through mass media.Read More
A
- A View from the Eye of the Storm
- Talk Delivered by Haim Harari at a meeting of the International Advisory Board of a large multi-national corporation, April, 2004
Read More
- Activists
- This term is often used to describe Palestinians engaging in violent acts such as shooting, rock-throwing or launching mortars. Read More
- Al Aqsa Intifada
- This terminology echoes the Palestinian contention that violence beginning in September 2000 was a spontaneous response to Ariel Sharon’s visit to the Temple Mount and that the Muslim shrine was threatened, neither of which was true. Even some Palestinian officials acknowledge that the violence was neither spontaneous nor a response to Sharon’s trip to the Temple Mount.
Read More
- Antisemitism - or legitimate criticism of Israel?
- No one will deny the historical existence of anti-Jewish hatred and persecution, but few want to believe that it is still prevalent in the modern, post-Holocaust world.
Criticism of Israel, harsh as it can get, may be a legitimate difference of views. However, the establishment of the state of Israel, a Jewish state, has seen also the development of new, disguised anti-Semitism (meaning, in this case, being anti the Jewish people) which takes the form of discriminating and demonizing political criticism of Israel. Where are the limits?
Read More
- Apartheid - or Co-existence - in Israel?
- Read More
- Arab and Israeli Territories
- The size of the Arab and Israeli territories held today by the Arabs and by Israel is not the only issue, but an issue which can not be overlooked. The land mass of the Arab states today is 5,414,000 square miles (14,000,000 km2) as compared with 8,290 sqmi (21550 km2) for pre-1967 Israel and 2,130sqmi for Judea, Samaria and Gaza (total 10,420 square miles or 27000 km2).
This is an Arab - Israeli area ratio of 540 to one. So can anybody seriously believe that what the Arabs and Palestinians want is exactly that 2,130 sqmi, or 0.4 promil, addition to their vast territories and then they want to be sincere good neighbors to Israel?
(data from "A Place Among the Nations" by B. Netanyahu)
Read More
- Arab East Jerusalem
- This term is demographically and historically misleading. Demographically, the eastern part of the city is about evenly divided between Arabs and Jews. The entire Old City of Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount (where the Jewish First and Second Temples once stood) and the Western Wall, is within eastern Jerusalem. Statistical data from many sources, only some of them Jewish, confirm that there were many Jewish residents, institutions and holy sites throughout Jerusalem, including the eastern portion, until 1948 when Jordan gained control of that part of the city. Jordan killed or expelled all the Jewish residents there, and, in an effort to erase evidence of centuries of Jewish presence, destroyed all 58 synagogues. Also in eastern Jerusalem are Hebrew University (built in 1925), the Jewish National and University Library (built in 1930), and Hadassah Hospital (built in 1938). Read More
- Arafat
- Arafat Always Goes Too Far
From: The Wall Street Journal - Europe - Tuesday, July 10
In the '70s, the PLO ran riot in Jordan and Lebanon.
Read More
- Assassination
- To the editor of Financial Times
Dear Madame/Sir,
In the July 27/28 "World news digest" you refer to the (defensive) killing of a captain of the Hamas terrorist organization as "assassination".
Read More
C
- Ceasefire
- ( in Arabic: Ceasefire with non-muslims = "Hudna" ) Read More
- Checkpoints
- Are Checkpoints a humiliation to Palestinians? Are they vital to prevent lethal attacks? The Letter to the Editor below tells the essentials about checkpoints...Read More
- Children in the Middle East
- What we all wish, particularly for the children in the Middle East on all sides, is peace, peace to come as soon as possible.
Instead of this, unfortunately, there are still armed conflicts, in which children are the most defenseless suffering party – and for Palestinian children it is even more so...
Read More
- Chosen people – Israel as ‘God’s Chosen People’?
- If you thought that being the "Chosen People" means privileges, think again. You might want to read this... Read More
- Christians in the Holy Land
- Christian Arabs throughout the Palestinian territories have been subjected to human rights abuses, carried out by Muslims, with little protection from the Palestinian police or courts. Christians, like Jews, are considered to be "dhimmis," or second-class citizens under Islam and not the legal equals of Muslims. Unfortunately, some Christian Arabs blame Israel in public for their problems, out of fear for their safety and for their lives at the hands of their Muslim Palestinian "brothers". Read More
- Christmas Eve in Betlehem
- If someone thought the entire Christian community in Israel was upset that Arafat could not make it to Bethlehem on Christmas Eve during the last years, guess again. Yet this was the impression that you might get from the media, IF you do not take a deeper look. What the Christians themselves say?
Read More
- Co-existence – or Apartheid in Israel?
- ”Co-existence”, peaceful and even friendly co-habitation of different ethnic, religious and other groups, would be the ideal status; unfortunately rarely - if ever, anywhere - fully achieved. There are not many countries... Read More
D
- Demolition of Houses
- House demolitions are frequently attacked by pro-Palestinians as illegal acts against civilians. What is the truth?
The latest IDF (May 2004) push into Rajah is intended to wipe out terrorists nests, to destroy their bomb, chemical, explosives and missile factories, and to find and demolish their tunnels for smuggling war materiel into Gaza. The only way to ensure that the terrorists do not use these houses as safe havens, bases, tunnel exits, hideouts, sniper and ambush sites is to take them down. The way to ensure that these safe houses continue to be used for terrorist purposes is to leave them standing. In defense of the Jewish State, Israel has only one choice: demolition. Read More
- Disputed Territories
- INTERNATIONAL LAW AND THE DISPUTED TERRITORIES
What is the REAL international legal status of Yehuda and Shomron? Is or is not Israel's occupation of the West Bank illegal by international law !?
Read More
E
- East Jerusalem
- ’East Jerusalem’ is a geographic term. To use it demographically and historically, as if it is an Arab part of the city, is misleading. Demographically, the eastern part of the city is about evenly divided between Arabs and Jews. The entire Old City of Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount (where the Jewish First and Second Temples once stood) the Western or Wailing Wall and he remnants of King David’s City, are all within eastern Jerusalem. Read More
- Egypt and Israel
- The connection between Egypt and Israel is the most ancient “international relationship” of Israel. Almost 4000 years ago Israel was not yet the name of a nation but the joint name of 12 Hebrew tribes; those of the 12 sons of Jacob - or Yaakov - who was called also ‘Israel’ since his struggle with an angel in his dream. The Bible tells us that after years of drought Yaakov and his sons go to Egypt, where the Nile can feed all the hungry in the region. In fact they stay there for 400 years and multiply to a large nation whom Moses leads out of Egypt, to their promised land the Canaan, in one of humankind’s best known story, the Exodus. Read More
- Ethics of the Media
- The Society of Professional Journalists' Standards for Ethics require, among other things, that good journalism make a clear distinction between news and views. When the views of the writers and/or the editors of the paper are presented as if news - it is bad journalism. These standards also require that headlines do not misrepresent the content of the article or oversimplify the case out of context. Read More
F
- Fateh - Fatah
- Some important articles form the Fateh Constitution:
Article (12) Complete liberation of Palestine, and eradication of Zionist economic, political, military and cultural existence
Article (19) Armed struggle is a strategy and not a tactic, and the Palestinian Arab People's armed revolution is a decisive factor in the liberation fight and in uprooting the Zionist existence, and this struggle will not cease unless the Zionist state is demolished and Palestine is completely liberated.
Read More
G
- GAZA - Gaza and International Law *
- Since Israel withdrew its last soldier and citizen from Gaza in August 2005, Palestinians have de facto autonomy there. However... Read More
- Guerrillas
- A guerilla is a member of a small group of fighters who attacks an official army. Those who target civilians, such as mothers and their small children driving on their way home or to school, are not “guerillas.” See also, “Activists, Palestinian.”Read More
H
- Human Rights Activists
- Human Rights Activists" is one of the few honorable titles what people and organizations can and recently do grant to themselves without any control. Therefore, while respecting the title and all the good intentions behind, we'd better watch out more what the different self-declared human right activists (HRA) do, and not less, what they do NOT do, before we give them the credit due to the noble title.
Read More
I
- Intifada
- Intifada,meaning Uprising. We know it was not a popular uprising but a terror-wave well-prepared by Arafat and his Palestinian Authority, in co-operation with terror organizations. "Intifada" is actually an Arab-Palestinia propaganda term for their wave of terror, see the PMW report PA: Hiding Terror behind Popular Uprising documenting increased Palestinian incitement directed at the general population, as part of the Palestinian Authority's attempt have its terror war against Israel be perceived as a popular uprising. See also Al Aqsa Intifada
Read More
- Iraq war crimes
- A mass grave being excavated in a north Iraqi village has yielded evidence that Iraqi forces executed women and children under Saddam Hussein.
U.S.-led investigators have located nine trenches in Hatra containing hundreds of bodies believed to be Kurds killed during the repression of the 1980s.
Read More
- ISM or International Solidarity Movement
- International Solidarity Movement (ISM) is an organization active in the West bank and Gaza, the group under whose auspices Tom Hurndall was in Rafah lin April 2003. The organization is self-appointed "peace organization", other than a piece by Toby Harnden in the Telegraph, regularly referred to in the UK as a peaceful human rights organization. This could not be any further from the truth.
The ISM is an absolutely one-sided supporter of the Palestinian and Arab inspirations and actions in the Middle East, frequently also of their illegal activities, in certain cases even of their terror activities, both ideologically (see below) and physically, like hiding terrorists and weapons. Read More
- Israel in the Middle East
- The entire Middle East, from Pakistan to Morocco, is predominantly Arab and Moslem. Israel, in spite of what you might read or hear in the world media, is not the central issue here. The root of the trouble is that most of this region is dysfunctional....
Professor Haim Harari, a theoretical physicist, was born in Jerusalem in 1940 into a family that had lived in the region for five generations. A former President of Israel’s leading scientific institution, the Weizmann Institute. In 2004 he gave a most insightful speech entitled "A View from the Eye of the Storm", which caused worldwide sensation. This backgrounder is abridged from his landmark speech. Read More
- Israeli Settlements and International Law
- The Historical Context Read More
J
- Jenin
- What is the truth about the famous and infamous Jenin battle? After 18 months of armed intifada, in the month of March 2002 alone Palestinian terror targeted and killed 120 civilians in Israel, mostly in the form of homicidal suicide bombings; in cafes, restaurants, religious dinners, school yards and buses. Israel knew the base of this terror campaign: in the already autonomous Palestinian-administered city, Jenin. In April the IDF (‘Tzahal’) entered Jenin, and in a pinpoint operation eliminated the nest of 45 known Palestinian terrorists. Israel lost 24 of its fighters in this battle, because it started hand-to-hand fight instead of easier airborne attacks; to minimize civilian casualties. Read More
- Jerusalem
- Jerusalem is the capital and largest city of Israel, with a population of 732,000 residents, covering an area of over 125 square km. It is located in the Judean Mountains halfway between the Mediterranean Sea and the Northern end of the Dead Sea.
King David (1004 to 970 BCE) united the Jewish nation and chose Jerusalem's site to build the administrative capital of the whole nation (btwn cca 990 to 970 BCE) http://jeru.huji.ac.il/eb31l.htm , in place of the previously unimportant town of the small people of Jebusites. The name ‘Jerusalem' - in Hebrew ‘Yerushalayim' - means ‘He shall demonstrate completeness'. David initiated and King Solomon built The Temple, the house of worship of Judaism, the first monotheistic faith of mankind. Since then Jews have lived in Jerusalem as a majority continuously for three millennia.
The (second) destruction of The Temple came In 71 A.D. at the hand of the Romans (Titus) who seized and destroyed Jerusalem, the Temple, the Jewish revolt for religious freedom and the thousand years old Jewish statehood; renamed Judea as ‘Palestina' and expelled and dispersed most of the Jewish people across the vast Roman Empire. However, Jerusalem has remained, for 3000 years, the centre of Jewish life, alive in the hearts of Jews as the focal point of Jewish nationhood also in exile. Three times a day, for thousands of years, Jews have prayed 'To Jerusalem Thy city, shall we return with joy'
Today the 3000 years old Jerusalem is a vibrant thriving modern city, seat of Israel's government, Parliament (Knesset) and High Court; with universities, wonderful museums, antiquities, modern and ancient buildings, freedom of movement and worship, world class hospitals open to all. Truly ‘A CITY OF GOLD' - as a very popular song quotes a prophet.
Read More
- Jewish refugees - from Arab countries to Israel
- In the years of 1949 to 1952 about 850,000 Jews fled their Arab countries and 700,000 of them arrived to Israel, about the same number as the Palestinian Arabs who fled Israel. We don’t hear too much about these Jews, as if the issue of Refugees after the establishment of Israel should mean Palestinian refugees only Read More
- Jihad
- Jihad is frequently translated as the "Holy War" for Islam. The most spectacular Jihad in history was when relatively small Mohammedan Arab tribes from the Arab peninsula swept over half the known world in the 7th century AD, from North Africa to Central and South-East Asia, and spread their Muslim faith and rule by the sword. This was achieved by extremely well organized total warfare and by totalitarian administrations which followed the conquests. Read More
- Journalistic Code of Ethics
- To International Herald Tribune Read More
- Journalistic Standards
- The Society of Professional Journalists' standards for ethics require, among other things, that good journalism make a clear distinction between news and views. When the views of the writers and/or the editors of the paper are presented as if news - it is bad journalism.
These standards also require that headlines do not misrepresent the content of the article or oversimplify the case out of context.
Read a relevant Reader's letter , making this point
Read More
M
- Manipulation of the truth by Media
- As we all know "news" is a very special commodity. In order to get news, something has to change, to occur, preferably something spectacular. That is why reporters are always looking for action and if by chance the action is minor, it is not hard for a good reporter to make a good story from it anyway. From here to manipulating the news is only a small, but critical step.
The following picture shows how "spontaneous" the "popular uprising" is and how reporters always "happen to be there".
Read More
- Massacres
- Many are the lies spread by the Arab media and enthusiastically repeated by western media about so called massacres that Israel would have perpetrated. One of the major false accusations of massacre was that of Jenin, in April 2002. Here is a sample of a letter sent to a newspaper:
Read More
- Money and Terror
- Anyone trying to understand the long-term success of Yasser Arafat and his thugocracy running the Palestinian Arab terror organizations, has to understand the money trail. Read More
N
- NUCLEAR Weapons in the Middle East
- Question: Everybody, friends and foes alike, believe Israel has nuclear weapons. Why, then, just Iran is not entitled to have them?
At first sight the question seems rational, but the real question is: Who threatens to destroy whom?
Read More
O
- Occupied Territories
- INTERNATIONAL LAW AND THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Read More
P
- Palestinian Crimes against Humanity
- Amnesty International condemns Palestinian attacks as crimes against humanity
July 11, 2002
Read More
- Palestinian or Arab Land/Territories:
- These terms are often misused, erroneously applied to all of the West Bank and Gaza. Appropriate use of this phrase is to indicate those parts of the West Bank and Gaza which are currently ruled by the Palestinian Authority. In contrast, it should not be used to describe portions of the West Bank and Gaza under Israeli control, as these lands are disputed. To prejudge their rightful ownership is partisan and violates a news reporter’s obligation to be impartial. See also “Occupied Territories.” Read More
- Peace
- Peace is Israel's dream, the dream of all Israelis and actually of all Jews, having suffered so much for want of it, praying for peace traditionally three times every day. Read More
- Peace Activists - so called
- To the editor of Time Magazine,
Read More
R
- Refugees, Palestinian and Jewish Refugees
- The Palestinian refugee problem has not been settled, and after 65 years their number is a great many times larger than it was in 1948, all still on the payroll of the UN (UNRWA).
On he other hand, JEWISH REFUGEES NEVER SAW JUSTICE, not even international recognition, says US POLITICIAN:
Read More
- Right of Return
- Professor Amnon RUBINSTEIN, the famous and widely respected legal authority, popular parliamentary leader of the liberal left for past decades answers the doubts about the right of return.
Read More
S
- Settler Woman/Baby/Bus/Home/Body
- The term “settler” as an adjective to modify a child, woman or school bus that has come under Palestinian attack dehumanizes the victim. In light of the dehumanization of the residents of the settlements by some Arab groups and others, to label an innocent victim as, for example, a “settler baby” tends to legitimize the attack. Some media have reported, for example, that a “settler bus” has come under attack, not mentioning that the bus–actually a school bus–was carrying nine- and 10-year-olds. Read More
- Suicide bombing, suicide bombers
- Are they self-sacrificing heros? Are they murderer monsters? Are they murderers but also the victims of their senders? One thing for sure, they are not like the 'kamikaze's: the Japanese kamikazes who directed their torpedos into enemy ships in World War II were soldiers fighting against soldiers.
Read More
T
- Targeted Killings
- Sample Letter on Israel's Targeted Killings
Read More
- Territories
- Letter to Ha'aretz newspaper on the Territories and International Law: Read More
U
- UN - The United Nations
- The UN organization was founded after WWII, following the idea of F. D. Roosevelt, with the purpose of promoting peaceful international co-operation and keeping in bay aggression and war.
Read More
V
- Violence - Cycle of Violence
- Decent people condemn senseless violence and it is often claimed that Israel and the Palestinians are involved in an endless ‘cycle of violence’. This blurry euphemism doesn’t name the perpetrators of violence or the victims, and... Read More
W
- West Bank
- The West Bank of the river Jordan comprises the areas of Yehuda and Samaria, part of the disputed areas.
For legal aspects of the disputed areas look here.
Read More
Y
- Yehuda and Samaria
- INTERNATIONAL LAW AND THE DISPUTED TERRITORIES Read More
Z
- ZIONISM – Ancient and Modern
- The old equivalent of Zionism, the longing of Jews to return to Zion - Jerusalem - as a free people, started 2500 years ago when the Babylonians conquered Israel and took the Jews to slavery in Babylonia. Modern Zionism led to the establishment of the State of Israel. Read More
| The most recent publications |
|---|
| ‘Sex Offender Network in the Swedish Elite’ -Truth, mistake or lie? |
Published August 2014
Mr. Endre Mozes
What would you think while reading this in your paper: "A sex offender network consisting of prominent members of the Swedish elite has been revealed recently in Stockholm. In a country where child molesting had happened too many times in the past, as reported then by daily news and artistic literature alike, it still comes as a shock when undisclosed sources reveal a sex offender network consisting of parts of the Swedish elite, possibly involving past and present cabinet ministers...
|
| PEACE TALKS: "Israel's Conflict as Game Theory" |
Published June 2014
Earlier Israel released 1000 terrorists with blood on their hands, to free its captured soldier, Gilead Schalit. This year Israel released 86 convicted Arab murderer terrorists, to bring the Palestinians to the peace negotiating table. Then Mahmoud Abbas left the negotiations and announced a deal with Hamas. Had he negotiated in good faith? Or simply took the merchandise and left without paying. What is wrong with Israel's negotiations? A Nobel Prize winning expert tells what to do.
|
| Peace Talk Secrets! - Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat |
Published May 2014
Endre Mozes
We don't know much about the representatives of Hamas, internationally recognized as a terror organization. The Palestinian Authority must be much better. Let's see, Dr Saeb Erekat is their official Chief Peace Negotiator. Both direct and indirect peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians through US mediation are suspended for many months now and Erekat has been the leading opponent of renewing the peace talks. He speaks always about the Palestinian desire for just peace and blames Isra
|
| ISRAEL'S PECULIAR POSITION |
Published January 2013
Eric Hoffer, LA Times, May 26th, 1968
The Jews are alone in the world.
If Israel survives, it will be solely because of Jewish efforts. And Jewish resources.
Yet at this moment, Israel is our only reliable and unconditional ally.
We can rely more on Israel than Israel can rely on us.
And one has only to imagine what would have happened last summer [1967] had the Arabs and their Russian backers won the war, to realize how vital the survival of Israel is to America and the West in general.
|
| Finland ’s foreign policy in the process of radicalization? |
Published April 2012
Tomas Sandell
Finland ’s foreign policy has traditionally been characterized by caution and realism. Whereas for a long time our political leaders had to pursue a policy of appeasement, after joining the EU Finland has tried to find a more independent line.
After a number of statements and decisions that drew attention in recent weeks, however, there arises a question: is Finland ’s pragmatic foreign policy being radicalized under the Social Democrats’ leadership?
Shall Finland support the EU-labeled terro
|
| Japanese must tap their 'inner Israeli' |
Published January 2012
|
| Israel and the Apartheid Slander |
Published November 2011
Richard J. Goldstone
|
| Benjamin Netanyahu's Speech to U.S. Congress |
Published May 2011
|
| PEACE – TO COME IN MUSIC FIRST |
Published March 2011
|
| The Guardian's Assault on Peace in the Middle East |
Published February 2011
Ron Prosor
|
In the context of Peace Talks, Prof. Yisrael Aumann - Nobel Prize Laureate writes:
"Sadly, Israel ignores the basic principles of game theory. If Israel would be wise enough to behave according to those principles, her political status and her security status would improve substantially."
|
|
|
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
November 2, 2010
There is no higher obstacle to peace than hatred. Without fanatic hatred on any side there is always a chance to reach an agreement, even a peace treaty, through compromise. With fanatic hatred in mind how can any agreement hold? Most Israelis do not hate Arabs, or Palestinian Arabs; some do not hate even terrorists. On the other side those mature Palestinians who have been in personal contact with Israelis, are mostly also ready for peaceful co-existence. But the Palestinian leadership is nurturing hatred.
|
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
Excerpts from PM Netanyahu''s Interview with Israeli Channel Two News
|
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
30 Aug 2009
Tolkien''s masterpiece is a myth of great power, a battle between good and evil. Real life is not as easy, of course, good often turns out to be evil and vice versa; the Germans fell in love with Nazism, communists adored the Soviet Paradise killing millions. The relevance of this to Israel? Millions today self-righteously wish the worst harm to this small nation. Whatever Israel''s flaws, it stands for values like democracy, freedom, human rights – let''s recognize it for what it is
|
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
2009 August 9
The Israeli-Palestinian peace process has received a wonderful present: TULIP, which is not a flower: three big and respected unions from three continents initiated recently TULIP: Trade Unions Linking Israel and Palestine; with the purpose of uniting trade unions and NGO-s to act against anti-Israel boycotts and to help the genuine Israeli-Palestinian peace process, the Israeli and Palestinian unions, and the workers in the whole region, including guest workers...
|
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
Imagine an annual economic growth rate of 7%, declining unemployment, a thriving tourism industry, and a 24% hike in the average daily wage. Where in today''s gloomy global market could one find such gleaming forecasts? Singapore? Brazil? Guess again. The West Bank.
|
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
|
Key-note speech at the inaugural event of the European Forum of the Knesset (EFK)
By Fiamma Nirenstein - Vice President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Italian Chamber of Deputies
Jerusalem, July 28, 2009
|
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
Take-A-Pen helps you here to get familiar with the new Israeli government’s foreign policy concepts from the first source – instead of the global media’s not always reliable interpretations:
|
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
Peace is Israel’s dream, the dream of all Israelis and actually of all Jews, having suffered so much for want of it, praying for peace traditionally three times every day. Israel’s Peace Process is an important part of the frequently mentioned ‘Mideast peace process’ - but not equivalent to that. Many other conflicts exist in the Mideast and wider region, which are not connected to Israel at all; like between Muslims and Christians, Sunnis and Shiites, Iraq vs. Iran, Kuwait and Jordan – where not in the Middle East?
Israel seeks peace with its neighbors since its birth, and it has found it at least with Egypt and Jordan...
|
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
|
Antisemitism: Italy-Sweden controversy continues
No comments:
Post a Comment