“France’s new prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, who was chosen in part for his fluent German, is proving to be a headache in Arabic. When spoken, his family name is colloquial Arabic in many countries for the third-person singular possessive form of the male sex organ.”
France’s Ayrault Creates Anatomical Challenge for Arab Press | Bloombergwww.bloomberg.com
“The potential for embarrassment prompted France’s foreign ministry to put out a statement today as Ayrault took office with the recommended spelling in Arabic.”
Posted on 16 May 2012
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This appeal for funding of the humanities at Israeli universities isn’t misplaced. More money for libraries and languages would be well spent. But Ben-Gurion U. dean David Newman insults the very people to whom he’s appealing. Painting donors as ill-informed is condescending; denying the radical politicization of parts of the humanities is disingenuous. Tell the truth, propose solutions, or remain part of the problem.
Time to promote the humanities by David Newman | JPost www.jpost.com
“Right-wing groups have partially succeeded in selling dangerous ideas to many of the well meaning, but largely ill informed, supporters of Israel from abroad.”
Posted on 15 May 2012
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This caricature at a soggy blog called +972 was drawn by Eli Valley, the “artist in residence” at The Forward, and features Netanyahu raping Obama and eating his limbs. I guess there are people who think this is funny, satirical, or thought-provoking. These are people I would avoid. (On the sad decline of The Forward:
http://bit.ly/JCqoHR.)
The hater in the sky / By Eli Valley | +972972mag.com
“Eli Valley, Artist in Residence at The Jewish Daily Forward, is a writer and artist whose work has been published in New York Magazine, The Daily Beast, Gawker, Saveur, Haaretz and elsewhere.”
Posted on 14 May 2012
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At the end of a long day, don’t you enjoy a bit of hilarity? Well, here it is: a flashback to a piece written by Haaretz luminary Gideon Levy in July. The first three paragraphs. I’m not going to spoil it for you.
Go ahead, click...www.haaretz.com
I promise, you’ll guffaw, laugh, or at least chuckle…
Posted on 09 May 2012
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In honor of so-called “Nakba Day” (May 15), Hamas has commissioned a giant map of Palestine, in a bid to enter the Guinness Book of Records. (Map photo:
http://bit.ly/IRa6M8.) It’s a fantasy map, without the name of Israel, without Jewish cities, towns, villages, and kibbutzim, and full of places that no longer exist. In sum, it’s a monument of Israel-denial, setting yet another record for hate.
Palestinians unveil largest map of historical Palestine | PressTV“High ranking officials stressed the importance of the map to highlight the right of return and the Palestinians’ right to their entire homeland.”
Posted on 09 May 2012
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The new memoir by Bernard Lewis (pub date tomorrow, order here:
http://amzn.to/JVEpgl) is ably reviewed by David P. Goldman. “Our culture has grown too brittle to nurture another mind of Lewis’ depth,” he writes, a judgment that’s true and then some. Lewis is “one of the very last of a race of giants.” How fortunate, then, that he has been with us for 96 years this month—and may he write on to 120.
Bernard Lewis’ Stubborn Hope by David P. Goldman | Tabletwww.tabletmag.com
“With a few strokes in this present book, Lewis severs Edward Said’s head and holds it up to show that it is empty.”
Posted on 09 May 2012
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“Most Egyptians favor overturning the 1979 peace treaty with Israel. 61% want to annul the treaty, up slightly from last year (54%). Just under a third (32%) want to maintain it. Opposition to the treaty has grown significantly over the last year among young people and the highly educated. Support for annulling the treaty has increased by 14 points among 18-29 year-olds and by 18 points among the college-educated.”
Egyptians Remain Optimistic, Embrace Democracy and Religion in Political Life | Pewwww.pewglobal.org
“Results for the survey in Egypt are based on 1,000 face-to-face interviews conducted March 19 to April 10, 2012.”
Posted on 08 May 2012
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Anyone who doesn’t see a looming clash between a Muslim Brotherhood-led Egypt and Israel is wearing blinders and earplugs. This is an election rally for the MB’s presidential candidate, Muhammad Mursi. It’s an anti-Israel hate fest. (Transcript:
http://bit.ly/KCoqKY.) On Sunday, I heard Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough sugarcoat the chaos in Egypt. He’s either disingenuous or a fool.
MB Presidential Candidate Will Liberate Jerusalem | Nas TV via MEMRI
Posted on 08 May 2012
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Even a broken clock tells the right time twice a day. Robert Fisk: “How many tracts, books, documentaries, speeches and doctoral theses have been written and produced about Islamophobia? The problem with all this is that Muslim societies—or shall we whittle this down to Middle Eastern societies?—are allowed to appear squeaky-clean in the face of such trash, and innocent of any racism themselves.” They’re not.
Arab Spring has washed region’s racism out of the news by Robert Fisk | Independentwww.independent.co.uk
“A health warning to all Arab readers of this column: you may not like this week’s rant from yours truly.”
Posted on 07 May 2012
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From The Washington Institute, last night’s debate on Syria, among Fouad Ajami, Peter David, and Theodore Kattouf. Ajami, arguing for US intervention, was in fine rhetorical form, really a must-see, but his opponents put up a fight.
Syria and US Leadership | The Washington Institute for Near East PolicyLansdowne, Virginia, May 5, 2012.
Posted on 06 May 2012
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