IU's Living Jerusalem Class is on Fiya

Awesome job Megan and Jenna!
While listening to your presentation Megan, I couldn't help thinking about Pro-Israel vs Pro-Palestinian. I wondered if a person could be both Pro-Israel and Pro-Palestinian. Can I be Pro-End the Occupation and also Pro-Israel and the Jewish state? Terminology becomes increasingly complex with all of these added layers of meaning we have discovered in this project.
Jenna- I thought MuJew was a really interesting concept. I think that this group should not restrict themselves from talking about the conflict. It seems to me that if you don't talk about it then it will inevitably become the elephant in the room. Finding Jewish IU students and Muslim IU students working to find commonalities I think is a step in the right direction. Eventually, I think these students would benefit from a open and honest dialogue about central issues like the conflict.

Truly Setting the Bar HIGH

Chris and Alex--your presentations were incredible!
It is interesting how politics and sports are intertwined. Even though sports can reinforce racism and discrimination like the Beitar Jerusalem club, sports can also serve as a vehicle towards peace. It would be interesting to consider the role of sports in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Chris's presentation emphasized the many mediums people use for self expression. In contested territory, Hip-Hop, Parkour, and Graffiti become acts of resistance. Instead of violence, these forms of self-expression become forms of civil disobedience. Other than the female singer in the DAM hip-hop group there were few examples of women participating in activities like Parkour and break dancing. I'm curious to learn about more forms of self-expression that are used as a means of protest (especially ones created by women).
Truly awesome presentations!

Setting the Curve High for Presentations

Ben and Amber you both had incredible presentations. Ben--I can not believe you summarized all of Armstrong in an organized powerpoint--very well done. When you were talking about movements toward peace I thought of the movie Encounter Point. I watched this movie a long time ago and have been wanting to watch it again. The film is about Israelis and Palestinians working towards peace. Fathers and Mothers both Israeli and Palestinian who have lost their children in the conflict come together to share their sorrow. Here is the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtwYzEK5DOU
Amber--I thought your forum for social change was incredible! It is too easy for people our age to assume we don't have the power to make the world a better place. Your forum promotes the truth that anyone and everyone can create social change.

Presentations Making Me Hungry For Lunch

Congrats Lila, Allison, and Kete. Your presentations were informative and interesting. I have never seen a service in a Mosque before your video. It was interesting to see how IU students felt about Jerusalem and what they knew about the Israeli-Arab conflict. It shocked me that so few students knew about the conflict, especially because the United States is so involved with Israel. It would be interesting to further explore the theme of personal attachment vs faith attachment. Do people REALLY have an attachment to Jerusalem or do they just think that they SHOULD feel an attachment to Jerusalem? Kete, your presentation made me so hungry. I was really interested in the Chefs4Peace. In class we looked at working towards dialogue through music. It is interesting how many avenues can create dialogue and work for change. Being a knitter, I couldn't help thinking about the idea of knitting4peace, because knitters love to knit together over coffee (or at least the knitters I know). Also I have zatar at home and have never used the spice, so you inspired me to try it out in my kitchen. Awesome presentations!

Evaluation Topics

One of the greatest lessons I have learned in this class is what Dr. Horowitz called the "deconstruction of the THE." Every single Living Jerusalem class added a new layer of complexity and meaning. My perspective on Jerusalem and the conflict changes every class. When we were asked to write about solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I strongly supported a two state solution.....now I'm not so sure. I agree with Eitan Grossman that two states will not be equitable or secure human rights for Palestinians. My opinions have shifted through the information I have learned in the course and I am sure they will switch in the future. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to take this course. I want to take this tool of open-minded flexibility with me throughout my life. I also want to stay involved in the Jerusalem Project. This isn't just a run of the mill class that ends at the semester. So topics for evaluation:
1. how can I carry these lessons about forming opinions on topics and open mindedness with me?
2. blog buddies
3. video conferences--the people we video conference with, questions, etc
4. reading material
5. further involvment

Movements Torward Peace

Actions speak louder than words. Many of Israel's laws do not reflect in their actions. For example, even though the Palestinians of East Jerusalem are supposed to have the same rights and services as the Israeli population, they still suffer from inequality. According to the Ir Amim website, Palestinians face a great degree of municipal inequality in planning and education. Through various obstacles, the Israeli government hinders Palestinian ability to physically develop neighborhoods. Despite Israel's free compulsory education law, Palestinian children receive inadequate education; "As of 2009 there was a shortage of more than 1000 classrooms; about half of the parents are forced to send their children to private education that costs money and about 5500 children go to no school whatsoever." Other inequalities faced by Palestinians in East Jerusalem include a nonfunctioning postal service, a lack of sanitation services, a poor infrastructure, extreme poverty, and unemployment. Suspicions have been raised that the inequalities faced by Palestinians are purposefully meant to cause the population to move away from East Jerusalem. If Palestinians move away from Jerusalem, the city’s population will have a strengthening Jewish majority. Ir Amim calls for these inequalities to be reconciled and to end the neglect of Palestinian neighborhoods in East Jerusalem.
In order to restrict Palestinians use of public areas, the Israeli authorities have declared certain spaces in Palestinian neighborhoods as Israeli archeological sites and national parks. As we learned in Armstrong's text, archaeological excavations and building construction have been used as a form of control throughout the history of Jerusalem. I was surprised to find out that this practice still continues today. According to the Ir Amim website, excavations currently occur under homes of Palestinians, which causes damage to their property. The government plans to create nine national parks to surround the Old City. Both archeological excavations and national parks are two avenues to secure Israeli control over the land and disenfranchise Palestinians. The Elad settler organization operates both the excavation sites and the Emek Tzurim national park. Settler groups play an increasing role in the development and maintenance of these sites.
Organizations like Ir Amim and B’Tselem are integral groups that help educate the public about the Occupation. The mission of B’Tselem is, “to document and educate the Israeli public and policymakers about human rights violations in the Occupied Territories, combat the phenomenon of denial prevalent among the Israeli public, and help create a human rights culture in Israel.” Through documentation and education, B’Tselem strives to end ignorance and promote justice. In their media updates, I learned about settler assaults on farmers in a village near Ramallah. In these assaults, stones were thrown at farmers and their olive trees were broken and burnt. Not only is their land stolen from, but Palestinians must also face continual abuse and humiliation.
I would like to ask Eitan Grossman about his involvement in both Ir Amim and B’Tselem. Are organizations like these making a difference to end the conflict? What are these organizations doing right/wrong? What sacrifices must he make in his personal life to create social change? Does he have friends who are settlers? In my research, I felt so inspired by the solidarity and hope of the Sheikh Jarrah movement. Are there any negative aspects of this movement towards equality? What could be done to strengthen the movement? I would also like to learn more about the Anatot settlement and the settler violence. Are the protesters nervous that they will face settler violence on Friday? I’m really excited to have the opportunity to talk to Eitan Grossman. Sometimes I forget that I have the potential to be an agent of change. It is inspiring to meet with people who make such a difference in their communities.

GLBT in Jerusalem

Most of my thoughts about Israel and Jerusalem are overshadowed by the occupation. When I think of Israel, I think about the conflict. For the first time while exploring these websites I started to think about the GLBT communities in Israel and Palestine. I've never considered homosexuality in relation to Judaism. I have never considered what it must be like to be homosexual in the Middle East. In an interview, Yonatan Gher, director general of the Jerusalem Open House, remarked that the Knesset sanctions 700 forms of discrimination against the GLBT community. In this same interview, Liel Kyzer asks the director general many questions that I would like to ask Elinor during our video conference. Some of these questions include: What is it like to be GLBT in a religiously orthodox city? How do Israelis respond to the GLBT community? How do Palestinians react to the GLBT community? What are some of these 700 sanctioned discriminatory acts?
Heteronormativity and patriarchy must be substantial barriers to break in the city of Jerusalem. Heteronormativity and patriarchy seemed ingrained into all monotheistic religions. People who discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation are often religiously devout. For example, most fundamentalist Christians think that homosexuality is a sin. At their core the GLBT community and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict face the same problem. The problem is one of recognition. By refusing to accept their sexual orientation, many people in power deny the rights of members of the GLBT community. This same refusal to recognize the other propagates intolerance amongst Palestinians and Israelis.

Feminism, Jerusalem, and a Few Questions

I often feel that if women ruled the world, there would no more war, poverty, or injustice. Realistically I know that a female-dominated society is not a cure all for the world's problems. Patriarchy does, however, undermine efforts to create peace and equality. In Galit Hasan Rokem's essay Not the Mother of All Cities: A Feminist Perspective of Jerusalem, she writes that, "the relationship to Jerusalem was built in the image of patriarchal marriage"(53). Throughout its history, males have felt compelled to conquer and own Jerusalem. While watching the recording of the video conference between students from Al-Quds, Hebrew University, and OSU, I was shocked with Mordichai's response to this essay. Mordichai is a settler. What shocked me about his response was how much I agreed with him. Before watching this video, I had this idea of settlers as right winged, religious zealots who refused to recognize the rights of Palestinians. Mordichai said that humans have this male desire to conquer and own land. He stated that this desire was ironic because inevitably the land will own us when we die and turn to dust. He suggested relinquishing this control and ownership. My experience of agreeing with the views of a settler is just one example of the many times my perspective has changed in this class. I liked how Dr. Horowitz phrased it as "deconstructing the THE." There is no THE settler. Not only has the Jerusalem Project taught me about the Holy City, Israel, and the conflict, but it has also taught me about myself. I have learned that I am too quick to lump people into categories. Too often I view situations as black and white. In certain situations there is no right vs wrong. In our video conference with Said Murad and David Broza tomorrow I would like to ask: What role music has taken in their life (both performing and listening to music)? How is their music collaboration received by both Palestinians and Israelis? What is the role of music in the conflict? Can music be used to help move towards peace? and How can music act as communication between Israelis and Palestinians?