Comments on: Learning from the Ali Baher Affair http://blog.z-word.com/2008/11/the-ali-baher-affair/ Commentary about Zionism, anti-Zionism, antisemitism and the conflict in the Middle East Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:52:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5-RC1.1 By: shriber http://blog.z-word.com/2008/11/the-ali-baher-affair/#comment-2057 shriber Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:52:49 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=513#comment-2057 "He’s a signed up student at the university, and the head of the main representative body for Arab students - to imply that he might somehow be connected with terrorism is out of order." Of course everything connected with terrorism is unfair, Alex. It’s unfair of security at airports to ask me, “a nice Jewish boy,” to take off my shoes before they let me through the gate. From the point of view of security it’s not unfair. Everyone is a suspect until cleared, you, me, Mr. Baher, etc. Remember that recently in England a couple of doctors drove a car full of explosives into an airport hoping to blow it up and kill lots of people. Who would have thought that Doctors would be capable of that? Still, the issue as you imply isn’t whether he was questioned the issue is to find out why a brilliant student like Baher felt the way he did. What does it say about ethnic relations between Israeli Arabs and Jews? I like btw, your comment that: “Far too often, Israeli-Arab leaders are overly concerned with grand nationalist gestures (like meeting Hezbollah/Hamas leaders in Lebanon/Syria), than with getting down to the nitty gritty of the dirty politics that would benefit their people.” It’s a good thing that the media is covering this story and hopefully it will lead to some soul searching. Each side needs to look at its own failings Arab politicos as much as Israeli politicians. “He’s a signed up student at the university, and the head of the main representative body for Arab students - to imply that he might somehow be connected with terrorism is out of order.”

Of course everything connected with terrorism is unfair, Alex. It’s unfair of security at airports to ask me, “a nice Jewish boy,” to take off my shoes before they let me through the gate.

From the point of view of security it’s not unfair. Everyone is a suspect until cleared, you, me, Mr. Baher, etc.

Remember that recently in England a couple of doctors drove a car full of explosives into an airport hoping to blow it up and kill lots of people. Who would have thought that Doctors would be capable of that?

Still, the issue as you imply isn’t whether he was questioned the issue is to find out why a brilliant student like Baher felt the way he did. What does it say about ethnic relations between Israeli Arabs and Jews?

I like btw, your comment that:

“Far too often, Israeli-Arab leaders are overly concerned with grand nationalist gestures (like meeting Hezbollah/Hamas leaders in Lebanon/Syria), than with getting down to the nitty gritty of the dirty politics that would benefit their people.”

It’s a good thing that the media is covering this story and hopefully it will lead to some soul searching. Each side needs to look at its own failings Arab politicos as much as Israeli politicians.

]]> By: Alex Stein http://blog.z-word.com/2008/11/the-ali-baher-affair/#comment-2056 Alex Stein Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:34:46 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=513#comment-2056 Shriber - I think that's unfair. He's a signed up student at the university, and the head of the main representative body for Arab students - to imply that he might somehow be connected with terrorism is out of order. Shriber - I think that’s unfair. He’s a signed up student at the university, and the head of the main representative body for Arab students - to imply that he might somehow be connected with terrorism is out of order.

]]> By: shriber http://blog.z-word.com/2008/11/the-ali-baher-affair/#comment-2054 shriber Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:42:44 +0000 http://blog.z-word.com/?p=513#comment-2054 “According to Haaretz, Ali Baher, the chairman of the Hebrew University’s Arab student body, refused to shake Peres’ hand. Moreover, he called him a “murderer of children”, presumably a reference to Peres’ role in the Qana deaths of 1996’s Operation Grapes of Wrath, in which 106 civilians were killed in shelling from Israeli artillery.” I am guessing that Baher wasn’t referring to anything specific but used a slogan that he knew would wound a President who has been at the forefront of trying to bring about Palestinian and Israel cooperation trough the building of industrial zones, etc. I would also guess that the Police questioning him about his action was due to the past history of attacks at the Hebrew University against students by pro-Palestinian terrorists. It would have been a dereliction of duty on their part had they not questioned him. “According to Haaretz, Ali Baher, the chairman of the Hebrew University’s Arab student body, refused to shake Peres’ hand. Moreover, he called him a “murderer of children”, presumably a reference to Peres’ role in the Qana deaths of 1996’s Operation Grapes of Wrath, in which 106 civilians were killed in shelling from Israeli artillery.”

I am guessing that Baher wasn’t referring to anything specific but used a slogan that he knew would wound a President who has been at the forefront of trying to bring about Palestinian and Israel cooperation trough the building of industrial zones, etc.

I would also guess that the Police questioning him about his action was due to the past history of attacks at the Hebrew University against students by pro-Palestinian terrorists.

It would have been a dereliction of duty on their part had they not questioned him.

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