Archive for February, 2012

Internet “Job Meme” Becomes Window Into Popular Perception/Reality for Israel-Palestine

by Christa Blackmon on February 29, 2012 in Society & Culture with Comments Off

The What I Do Meme Formula

Internet memes are an important part of social web culture. But more than just “lol” inducing gifs and and time-sinking YouTube videos, internet memes can provide us with valuable information on what is important to a society and how people perceive themselves and others. They can even function as tools to reinforce the values of different identity groups, rally people around ideas and issues, “guerilla marketing” tactics, and just pure and simple entertainment.

If you have used Facebook at all this past month, chances are you and your friends have shared the wildly popular “What I think I do/What I really do” job meme. And when I say “shared”, I mean completely overtake the Facebook timeline with hilarious/annoying observations on what its like to be a teacher, working in tech support, or a journalist to more obscure versions about casino security, medical transcriptionists, or phlebotomists. The incarnations didn’t stop at just occupations though, expanding into sexuality, religion, hobbies, political affiliations, and even Nicholas Cage. Given the wide breadth of experiences the meme could be applied to, it was inevitable that Israel-Palestine activists of the internet would also take part.

Check out my collection of some of the more notable entries below.

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Does an Israeli war with Iran mean another war with Hezbollah?

by Editors on February 27, 2012 in Arab World, Israel with Comments Off
Hezbollah graffiti in Beirut

Hezbollah graffiti in Beirut / Omar Chatriwala, Flickr

Nathan Patin - Tensions between Iran and Israel over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program may soon erupt into armed conflict. That is if we are to believe key officials in both the American and Israeli governments who have recently made statements to the effect that a preemptive Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, if it is to happen, will come sooner rather than later.

If the big question this spring whether or not Israel is going to attack Iran, the runner-up has to be how Iran would respond. Opinions are varied, ranging from Iran doing nothing to sparking a regional war. While much is still unknown of Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities, there does seem to be general agreement among experts, and certainly also among Israeli leaders, that casualties would be relatively low and thus not enough of a deterrent for an Israeli strike. But ballistic missiles aren’t the only means by which Iran can retaliate. Israel must also consider a possible barrage of missile attacks from Iranian proxies in Lebanon and Gaza.

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Week in Review, Feb 24th

by Editors on February 24, 2012 in Week in Review with Comments Off
Gaza celebrates scheduled release of Khader Adnan

Gaza celebrates scheduled release of Khader Adnan / theIMEU, Flickr

A victory for Khader Adnan (?), a fuel crisis in Gaza, new settlement construction in the West Bank and more in this week’s top #Palestine stories.

Continue Reading “Week in Review, Feb 24th” on Storify…

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Wadah Khanfar: Palestine Still A Central Issue For A Changing Arab World

by Christa Blackmon on February 22, 2012 in Arab World, Politics with Comments Off

Arab Revolutions Televised, Tweeted, and Blogged: The Exit & Entrance Interview with Wadah Khanfar

Last night, I was privileged enough to attend another episode of the Atlantic Exchange series with former director of Al Jazeera, and now head of the new Sharq Forum, Wadah Khanfar hosted by Palestine Note co-publisher Steve Clemons. In addition to getting to sit in the same room as someone has been listed in the top one-hundred most powerful people in the world by Forbes Magazine, those of us in the audience also got to hear from the man himself about some pretty juicy topics. Mr. Khanfar responded thoughtfully and candidly to Steve questions about his reasons for leaving Al Jazeera, his views on the Qatari government, political Islam, and the importance of social media in the “Arab Spring”*.

What I was really looking forward to, however, was hearing what Mr. Khanfar had to say about the role of Palestinian issues in the Arab movements. More on that after the jump.

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When Good People Have Wrong Ideas

by Steve Feldman on February 22, 2012 in Politics, Society & Culture with 7 Comments
Palestinian refugees fleeing the Galilee in 1948

Palestinian refugees fleeing the Galilee in 1948 / Wikimedia Commons

So much of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is caused by the misconceptions held by good people.  I was reminded of this today by a story called the “The First Symptom” by Michael Devolin, which arrived in an e-mail from Jerry Sobel, “Israeli advocate in defense of Israel’s just cause”.

Devolin, a Canadian writer, tells us what Middle Eastern Muslims supposedly believe, “their intended genocide of every living Jew residing in the Middle East,” “Islamic-incited, anti-Jewish hatred and genocide,” and “to wipe out the nation of Israel and all its Jewish inhabitants.”  Is that what Muslims want?  Jews, Christians and Muslims used to live peacefully together in Palestine; they do today in the United States.  Devolin claims that Iranians are seeking genocide of Jews, yet there isn’t even a genocide of the many Jews who live in Iran today.  Even the Hamas Charter says that Muslims, Christians and Jews can live peacefully together.  I wonder what Muslims Devolin and Sobel are talking to; not a single Muslim I have talked to expressed any desire for the extermination of Jewish people.  It leaves me wondering, is a Canadian wrier or an “Israeli advocate”—as opposed to an advocate for all people—a good source of information on what Iranians, Arabs or Muslims believe?

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