3/20 reading response

While I don't really know anything about the plight of the LGBT community in Jerusalem, I imagine that living in such a religious city certainly doesn't make life any easier. One of the websites mentioned how recently a member of a gay rights march was stabbed several times by a protester. Reading about this brought up two questions. Is it common for violent acts to be perpetrated against gays in and around Jerusalem, and secondly, if violence is an issue of concern is the Israeli government working to prevent it?
For two reasons I would expect the Israeli government to be more proactive in dealing with violence perpetrated against the LGTB community. The first reason is due to the fact that these issues deal with Israeli citizens. I assume that it would be more difficult to ignore crimes committed against full citizens than non-citizens like in the case of the Palestinians. The political climate in Israel should also lead the government to be quick to deal with these types of crimes. While Israel does have a large and extremely vocal orthodox population a large portion of the population is also secular. I hope that the latter would work to ensure the freedom and protection of all Israelis. Israel did allow gays to openly serve in the military, therefore I would expect social progress to slowly continue within the country.

3/18 reading response

The two pieces by Suad Amiry were rather enjoyable to read. I appreciate how her writing takes on a very casual style yet also succeeds in drawing attention to relevant political issues. As I read these two chapters I began to wonder how the travel restrictions that the Israelis placed on the Palestinians developed. My question cannot really be effectively answered (Israeli policymakers would never publicly state the driving reasons behind their policies), but I am curious though as to what degree Israeli border controls are in place simply to discourage Palestinian movement between the occupied territories and Israel proper. Some Israeli border controls are justified, as an extremely porous border would immediately be exploited by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. While there are logical security measures in place it is also undeniable that some of Israel's border protection procedures have been constructed to merely complicate life for the Palestinian community.
The serious attention that Israel devotes to its security made it somewhat comical to read how Amiry was able to enter Jerusalem by making the outlandish claim that she had to escort her dog along with its Jerusalem pass into the city. I will admit that I was thoroughly surprised that Amiry's plan worked. I would have expected the Israeli soldier to simply deny her entry with little explanation.

3/5 reading response

While rap music is generally not a genre that I typically listen to, I have to say that I do appreciate how this type of music has evolved from its humble beginnings in the American inner-city to become so well known across the globe. I respect how rap is being used by both Israeli and Palestinian artists to convey political ideas in a new and creative way; the music isn't simply glorifying the street lifestyle, which many rap artists have certainly been guilty of doing in the past. Some Palestinians are actually doing the opposite of some of their American counterparts, rap is being used to bring attention to the crime and poverty that have become such major points of concern in impoverished neighborhoods. For the Palestinians living in Israel rap is also about expressing their frustration with the political atmosphere, and how they have been relegated to second-class citizenship. One rapper named Mahmoud Jreri made a comment that serves as a rather effective summation of Palestinian-Israeli's view of their own social status within Israel. Jreri stated that: "having an Israeli passport means nothing...when I go to the airport, they still think I am a terrorist. It doesn't matter what you call us, we live in a racist country." While these rhymes and creative beats are unlikely to significantly change the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, it is impossible to not appreciate those who shed light on this conflict in a new and creative way.  
I was most interested in the website pertaining to HEARTBEAT: JERUSALEM. I see great benefit to be had in engaging young Israelis and Palestinians in a relatively nonpolitical setting. As I read about this program and the Israeli and Palestinian musicians an important question began to surface. Is it common for Israelis and Palestinians to listen to each other's music? It is important to know how much interaction already occurs as this shows what type of roadblocks cultural exchange programs face.

The Walls of Jerusalem

I read an article entitled Israel's West Bank Barrier: An Impediment to Peace? by Shaul E. Cohen. The articled analyzed how Israel's construction of barriers both around and through the West Bank affects prospects for peace. One point brought up by Cohen that surprised me is how some of the most extreme hawks in the Israeli government are actually opposed to the construction of the separation barriers. They believe that physically separating Israel from Palestinian lands limits the chance that they can eventually be taken for Israel.
Overall Cohen takes the stance that the barriers are detrimental for the peace process. Encircling Palestinian communities, and having the barriers move beyond the border demarcated by the green line complicates the creation of a fully independent Palestinian state. By creating a new division a situation develops where people are less eager to support a peace deal. Cohen believes that Israel's construction of the separation barriers has increased the security of the state at the expense of lessening chances for lasting peace.
While I agree with Cohen's point, I do not see the barriers as being the main impediments to peace today. The first problem would be a lack of interest in Israel to halt further settlement construction and really work towards a two state solution. The Palestinian leadership is the other problem. It is unwise to refuse to negotiate with the Israelis unless they freeze settlement construction. The Palestinian leadership should at least try to negotiate with the Israelis to see what gains can be made. It is understandable how Palestinians do not want to see the size of any prospective state shrink, but refusing to negotiate nearly guarantees that a two state solution will not materialize.

Graffiti in Jerusalem

In many ways it is surprising how the art of graffiti has evolved in the United States in a way that is so different from many countries around the world. Thoughtful political graffiti isn't very prevalent here in the United States, and is a development that I consider to be somewhat inconsistent with American Ideals. While imperfect like all other democracies, the United States does pride itself on being a champion of free speech; yet political graffiti is quite rare. In some ways this absence is understandable. Graffiti is the expression of free speech in its most unrefined form; it isn't legal and many murals seldom convey a clear message. It is the anthesis to the carefully written and eloquent speech of the social revolutionary. What makes graffiti somewhat taboo is also what makes it such a fantastic form of art and style of political activism.
While I am somewhat confused as to why political Graffiti isn't more common in the United States, it is easy to understand why Israel's walls have become such magnets for graffiti. The walls themselves are controversial and people naturally want to protest their existence. I suspect that there is a more specific reason why people paint graffiti on walls in the West Bank. The walls serve as literally concrete symbols of Israel's domination of West Bank that is seen as such a tragedy by so many. By coating the walls with messages and pictures, individuals can transform a negative into a positive. Over time, the walls will be seen less as barriers between people and more as canvases for activists and artist to speak their minds.