“Before I built a wall I’d ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offence.
Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,
That wants it down.”–Robert Frost, Mending Wall
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single Palestinian in possession of a Qassam must be in want of an Israeli university into which to lob it. How else to explain this bizarre story:
According to the Jerusalem online newspaper Mynet, Hebrew University’s Student Union Chairperson, Ofer Raviv, recently recommended that a Separation Wall between the university’s Mount Scopus campus and the nearby Palestinian village of Issawiya be constructed. Hebrew University officials suggested that such a wall could be financed by the parking meters located on Mount Scopus and the Jerusalem Municipality has agreed to examine this possibility.
I think it’s the job of student body presidents to come up with whacked out ideas and tell the administration it’s the greatest idea since sliced bread. But it’s the job of the university to reply: “Are you out of your f’ing mind?” Apparently, the first thing happens in Israel, but not the second because the school administrators are almost as ideologically whacked out as the students.
The ostensible reason for the Wall is that the villagers of Issawiya are thieves. Everyone knows that all Palestinians are thieving vermin who will just as soon slit your throat as look at you. So ma pitom, why should anyone be surprised at the sensibleness of such a proposal? The more walls the better I say. If I could build a wall entirely sealing off West Jerusalem from East I would do it. Better yet and to be completely secure, let’s a build a wall around every square block of Jerusalem. I always say: “Good walls make good neighbors.” Or is it “no neighbors?”
What have the Palestinians ever done for us anyway? If they would just shut up and let us transform this land from the swamp it was when we inherited it from them and make it bloom with silicon and wi-fi networks as God intended, we’d all be better off. Or maybe just we Jews would be better off. The Palestinians can’t read anyway so how will computers help them? Aw, f(&k ’em.”
Seriously though, not content with the Separation Wall which appropriates 15-20% of Palestinian land beyond the Green Line, the Hebrew University, under pressure from its right-wing student body president is actually contemplating building a new and improved wall within a wall.
I would like those Hebrew University administrators who squawk about the international BDS movement and the academic boycott to explain how building this wall buttresses their argument that Israeli universities are the bastions of liberalism and the free interchange of ideas. How these institutions of higher learning are the solution to the problem and not the problem itself. How they conduct research that benefits the underprivileged Palestinians and educate their young. Given this contemplated heinous atrocity why should anyone in the world give them or their arguments the time of day?
But but but… I thought Israel was not an apartheid state and that Arabs are not discriminated against!!!
Is there a Hebrew word for Uncle Tom ? Richard, quit being such a self-hating douche-bag and convert to Christianity already. You act like a goyim, it’s time you make it official.
I actually know enough about Judaism to know that you’re an am ha’aretz who doesn’t know that “goyim” is plural and the word you should have used was “goy.” Maybe you’re the one who should be leaving the faith? Or perhaps we belong to diff. faiths and yours is the faith of hate?
Obviously he is not a Jew, he is just another troll trying to pick a fight. Besides, I don’t see what objecting to this wall has to do with being Jewish. In any case, the name-calling was completely out of line. “Self hating douche bag” is a silly epithet, and calling the blog host such a name ought to be cause to ban this person.
I usually don’t even bother publishing most comments like that one & readers won’t even see ’em. But because of the obvious Jewish illiteracy I thought I should highlight the fact that the guy ironically wants me to convert but doesn’t know the most elemental thing about Judaism.
Yeah, he was certainly impressive 🙂 Didn’t even comment on the subject of the blog.
I am grateful that you spare us most of these comments, but it makes me feel sick that you yourself have to look at them before throwing them out. Do not let it get to you!
Yes, I figure that no one wants to see these comments (least of all me). But sometimes I post them if they’re esp. violent or noxious just for the sake of the historical record or to remind us of how despicable & hateful these people can be.
The ridiculous thing about these people is that I give a quick glance at a comment & on reading the first repulsive word or phrase I immediately Spam it w/o even finishing. So even their effort to get a rise out of me is for naught.
I’m sorry to rain on your blogging parade but as to the actual security concerns within the Hebrew University they are numerous and your baser instinct to look for blood in all actions of Israel is ridiculous and immature. The Hebrew University has a sizable population of Arab students, as well as liberal, an religious, and foreign. The village located at the foot of the campus is often part of a web of collaboration in hiding Arab citizens of Israel giving refuge to violent attackers after incidents within the Old City, or nearby neighborhoods with Jewish populations. Numerous Israeli Arabs from the village have been found with blood on their hands, stolen goods such as cars registered in Israel on their way through illegal tunnels are nearly impossible to retrieve once entering this semi-lawless village. The area has become a known nest of underground militancy and human trafficking between checkpoints. Read the news, it’s not so simple.
Of nearly all the terror attacks within Israel over the past 2 years, the criminals responsible for attacking public buses killing children and women and for running down pedestrians, endanger countless innocent lives because of their inability to effect change in their world… they were all either directly from this village or had been sheltered there just prior to the incident. We aren’t talking about nation building, or trying parties that have carried out crimes against their fellow man. We’re talking about attacking highly populated areas to harm to most civilians possible for the express purpose of becoming a martyr.
Is a wall a protective measure with appropriately thought out planning for how this creates a safe institution of learning and societal development, I do not know. You haven’t given any sort of forum to these important questions, just a gut-reaction that walls are bad? I agree that they often are, there is no doubt.
But throwing out hate rhetoric based on the mere suggestion that an institution wishes to protect itself and it’s student body from harm is needless and only causes a greater rift in the world.
Do you understand the sort of security measures taken for every single student to ensure that they have come to this institute of higher education to learn and contribute to their society and that they have not come in a desperate attempt to harm one another to glorify the sickening foreign interest with Middle Eastern blood?
Grow up, the world is imperfect, the world isn’t black and white. Blogging safely outside of the realm of action doesn’t change the world. Building up meaningful measures to ensure mutual stability and security will.
Long and short, a recommendation by a student leader is your basis for rant? I was Jr. High class president and called for a controversial “wacky hat fridays”… so what?
I hardly know where to begin with the lies, distortions & omissions in yr comment. The first sign of the complete vacuousness of yr claims is that you provide no proof whatsoever. So why don’t you back to the drawing board & actually do some research & find credible media sources which support yr claims. Till then you’ve got gornisht, baby.
Just take one fer instance:
You’ll have to excuse me for gasping over the sheer megalomania of this lie. First there haven’t been very many terror attacks in Israel over the past 2 yrs. 2nd, the claim is utterly ridiculous on its face and I challenge you to prove it (once again).
But here is some real information about the injustices, land theft & double dealing from which Issawiya has suffered over the decades. I wouldn’t bore yr pretty little head w. it. It would prove inconvenient to the fictive world you’ve created of Palestinian criminals digging in underground tunnels as they undermine the foundations of Israel:
Now back to your garbage:
You don’t know much do you. A wall is a porous & ill-thought out measure that will do nothing to create a safe institution which hasn’t reported any terror incidents in years.
So what are you nattering on about if you agree with me?
Now here I thought being the progressive individual you clearly are that you were talking about the IDF’s sickening proclivity for shedding that OTHER Middle Eastern blood: Arab.
You just wrote that walls are a bad thing, & now turn around & call this ill-conceived lunatic idea a “meaningful measure.” Which is it?
Sorry to see that yr intelligence hasn’t progressed very much fr. junior high school.
I went into gales of speechless laughter after reading this comment, and I’m grateful that Richard so eloquently addressed the outrageous claims contained within it.
How anyone can, with a straight face, make the assertion that building a wall is for the purpose of security is beyond my comprehension, and I hope also the comprehension of any decent human being. Most walls are actually constructed to physically divide two or more groups of people in an apartheid-like way, ensuring that the groups no longer see or interact with each other. Clearly, the wall that is the subject of this discussion is a case in point, and this commenter has illustrated my point all too clearly.
I see more of the sludge that is racism moving throughout Israeli society, which simultaneously shakes its head in denial. Yesterday an Israeli actually said to me, “Palestinians should strive to be better, not bitter,” and the above comment, combined with this outrageous and condescending statement (which was accompanied by another statement saying that the Arabs should not “lash out” at the IDF) just took my breath away.
all israelis are palestinians
but not all palestinians are jews, some are gazans, some ramallahians, some jordanians