Israel Attempting to Ethnically Cleanse East Jerusalem

I. Citation

Israel Attempting to Ethnically Cleanse East Jerusalem
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1205420682016&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
March 13th, 2008


II. Summary

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at a recent speech accused the Israeli government of attempting to ethnically cleanse East Jerusalem of it’s Palestinian inhabitants. The accusation popped up as a result of several recent Israeli actions, including heavier taxes, building restrictions, the closing of several Palestinian institutions, and not too mention the fence constructed on the West Bank so as to separate the varied races. However several persons, including a U.S. State Department spokesman, declare these statements as incendiary. They claim that Abbas is simply overreacting to the situation, and by doing so is disrupting the peace process that the Israelis have been striving for. After a long line of endless conflict, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's spokesman Mark Regev tells us that peace is all they’re aiming for, and that they are trying to mend the ancient grudges brewing still between the Palestinians and themselves.


III. Reactions


a) I think the most obvious theme for this article would have to be State-building, expansion, and conflict. Abas proclaims that Israel is trying to cleanse Jerusalem of the Palestinians, while they claim to be aiding the peace of society. The article describes a political situation in which verbal (and possibly physical) conflict results. This provides at least three of the characteristics present in the theme.


b) The tension between Palestine and Israel is in no way a recent development. For some time now, the two societies have been in conflict, still clinging to the deep-rooted hatred sprouted some years prior. These on-going negative views of each other could be what prompted Abbas to make his speech in the first place. There have been arguments concerning border relations between the arguing two, as well.


c) The author of the article is not specified, but it does tell us that the staff of the news website have written it. The website is one of Middle Eastern roots, so it is most likely to have been written by someone of that descent. We can also assume they are an insider, being that they are writing for the Jerusalem Post, and the event in the article involves conflict in Jerusalem. His or her gender and exact ethnicity, however, is not clear.


d) The point of view for the article isn’t clear. I think it’s more a matter of opinion in this case. To me it sounds as if the author supports the Israeli viewpoint. It seems like he provides us with more examples of how Israel supports peace than how it promotes racism and separation. Although the title of the article suggests otherwise, I believe since he appears to give us more on the anti-Abbas views, that he himself supports that, however that is just my perception.


e) I would like to get the point of view of someone who isn’t in government, but has been affected by the Israeli’s actions. That would be a great way to gain the genuine opinion of the Palestinians about the conflict, and whether or not they feel it is oppressive. It would help see what the people themselves think, as opposed to the person who supposedly represents them.


f) Personally, I agree with the Palestinian President. What really made me form my opinion was the fact that the Israeli government built a racial wall to separate the ethnicities. I can’t see how that could, in any way, be an action towards peace. Separation simply reinforces the idea that they shouldn’t try live amongst one another, but should instead remain intolerant, and keep the hatred that they possess towards the other group. However, I don’t necessarily believe it is ethnic cleansing, but rather a little less extreme than that. Usually when you think of ethnic cleansing, you incorporate it with war and bloodshed, or just an extreme form or effort towards racial intolerance. I do believe, though, that there is definitely a wanting by the Israelis to kick the Palestinians out of Jerusalem.