Research Article: The ICJ's Advisory Opinion on the Consequences of Israel's Construction of a Separation Barrier in the Occupied Palestinian Territories: A Movie in the Right Direction or an Impediment to Peace

Article: THE ICJ’S ADVISORY OPINION ON THE CONSEQUENCES OF ISRAEL’S CONSTRUCTION OF A SEPARATION BARRIER IN THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: A MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION OR AN IMPEDIMENT TO PEACE?1

by: Mustafa Mari2

This article addresses whether or not different scholars believe that the ICJ- the International Court of Justice's involvement has actually helped or hindered the peace process. The article starts by summarizing the legal side of the conflict starting from the British Mandate in 1947. Throughout the peace process, there has been a lack of "reference to humanitarian law or human rights." Both sides have encouraged actions that have violated these laws/rights. 

The article explains that the separation barrier- in 2002 the Israeli government approved of creating a barrier in Israel along the northern part of the West Bank, which will surround 16% of the west bank. The IJC was involved in this process and held a hearing that involved 15 states. The court found that the wall was contrary to international law. 

In 2003, there was an issue that declared that peace cannot be achieved until Israel goes back to respecting the human rights laws. 

The article claims the the interjection of the ICJ actually did hinder the peace process. 

The reason that I selected this article was because it focused on a topic that we have not addressed in class yet- law. Law is usually very clear-cut a dry and does not involve emotions and feelings. In class we discuss topics that do involve these emotions and feelings. However we haven't looked much in international relations or much about NOGs or politics yet. The international court of justice is a very important institution in international relations. Instead of just focusing on how people view the wall, this article steps away from the emotions and focuses on the law aspect. 

I also found this article appealing because it appealed to a lot of terms and ideas that I am currently learning about in my Global Governance class with Dr. Mitzen. In class, we discussed what international law truly means and whether or not it really is a law. After discussing the idea, International law is a law based on norms and traditions, so in fact it is not an actual law- therefore with reference to this problem, does Israel have to follow these international laws? Is it ok they they don't because other countries don't seem to? 

Link: http://journals.ohiolink.edu.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/ejc/pdf.cgi/Mari_Mustafa.pdf?issn=13891359&issue=v7inone&article=373_tiaootdoaitp

Graffiti on the Walls/ Homeland Redefined

As I look back on my trip to Israel, I don't remember seeing graffiti on the walls. Graffiti is a great way to spread a message that would reach millions of people every day. However living in a world full of graffiti would be scary and frightening. Riding my bike with rockets painted on the building behind me or slurs that are attacking one side of the conflict would really impact my life and views as a child.This makes sense though when you talk to Israeli and Palestinian students. The hostile environment that they grew up in really has effected the way that they view the conflict and the way that they view each other.

 Both the negative and positive graffiti both act as propaganda- "We weep for Palestine", "Voices from the Ghetto", "I am not a terrorist." All of these words graffitied on the walls are simple sentences, yet they are so powerful. Reading things like this when ever you pass a building, a wall, a dumpster, will cause this conflict to always be inside your head. 

However, from the other point of view- the people did not want to like the wall, they wanted to hate the wall, so reading hurtful messages and looking at intense images remains a way for those to speak out against the wall in a non violent way, but to show their protest through words and images instead of acts. 

In Noura's article, the idea of homeland was addressed and explained from both the Palestinian perspective of a homeland and the Israeli perspective of a homeland. Although I have learned and studied a lot about zionism and what the Jewish people wanted out of a homeland, I have never learned the palestinian earn for a homeland or what they even consider a homeland. It seems as if someones "right", identity and nationalism have really gotten in the way of peace. Before this class I never really thought about the importances of home. Obviously, my home is where my family is and where I am the most comfortable, but now I am starting to realize that my home is more than just my house. My home is my community, my school, my actions in the community, the place I pray, the place I eat etc. 

Parallels and Paradoxes

For this blog I decided to pick out a few quotes that inspired me/ had a lot of meaning to me, my life, and my views. 

"Let us not forget that until May 15, 1948 we were all Palestinians- Jewish Palestinians, Muslim Palestinians and Christian Palestinians"- Daniel Barenboim 

This is a very interesting and yet probably a controversial idea. It is true that before Israel was a nation that everyone that lived there lived in the land of Palestine. However, because of the conflict, the history and the birth or Israel, Israelis would now consider themselves to be Jewish Israelis as opposed to Jewish Palestinians. But this quote goes back to the idea that we are all human beings that live together in this world and therefore should treat everyone with respect because we are all the same. In one of my other classes we talked about nationalism and identity and how the idea and purpose of nationalism results in immoral actions/ideas. One puts their national identity first when making decisions when really everyone in the world should be united.

"It's not only possible to have multiple identities but also, I would say, something to aspire toward"- Daniel Barenboim 

 This quote relates back to our previous blog and made me think of what I wrote about. I have two major identities that make me who I am- Italian and Jewish. However I also have my interests and hobbies that make up my identity. I am a poli sci student. I am an AEPHI sister. I am a big sister at home. I am an israel-activist. I am a fashionista (or at least strive to be). I am all these identities and that is what makes me who I am. 

"There was an Israeli group, and a Russian group, and a Syrian group,  a Lebanese group, a Palestinian group, and a group of Palestinian Israelis. All of them suddenly became cellists and violinists playing the same piece in the same orchestra under the same conductor"- EWS 

The reason that I picked this quote was because I felt it really exemplified the purpose behind the orchestra but also the purpose behind this class. We are all students are Ohio State, we are members of the class, doing the same assignments. But we are all from different backgrounds and religions. There are Palestinian students in the class and there are Jewish students. But there are also christian students, catholic students, muslim students, and non religious students. But every tuesday and thursday at 9:35 we are the Living Jerusalem OSU class, all learning from the same teacher. Our class is a Parallel.

Italian Jewish Girl

                                  WHAT I CONSIDER HOME

What do you use your ladle for? In my house we use our ladle to stir either the tomato sauce for the lasagna or the broth for the matzoh ball soup. We have two different types of balls in my house- meat ball and matzoh balls. This is who I am. I love music, everything from folk to country to classical. I love obama. I love fashion. I am passionate about Israeli politics. I want to live in NYC with the rest of my family. I am currently listening to Johnny Flynn and First Aid Kit. I am probably similar to most of you, yet I am also probably very different.  

My political beliefs/ why people think I'm an inside hippie.

From my grandma- plays the Hatikva when you pull the cord.

The food in my kitchen. 

In my dresser for safe keepings

Worn around my neck.

    

Protecting my apartment in columbus.



This is who I am.

                       

Ishaq Shami and the Predicament of the Arab Jew in Palestine/ Leper, Lunatics, and Saints

Ishaq Shami and the Predicament of the Arab Jew in Palestine 
     Being an Arab Jew is an "oxymoron." I loved this idea because it is very true. In today's society, most Arabs are seen as muslims and Arabs and Jews do not get along. I thought that Shami's story was very interesting because being an Arab Jew is like living two different lifestyles with two different beliefs in two different worlds. Today, how can one really be an Arab Jew? You are forced to pick due to the tension and the conflict.
      However, I think that Shami did an excellent job in discovering both sides of his culture. He learned Arabic and Hebrew and brought a novel that was written in hebrew but portrayed a palestinian narrative voice to society. I never knew that when the first waves of the diaspora occurred that many Arab Jews felt torn between their culture and their religion. I always assumed that being Jewish trumped all. Today, being Jewish is both a culture and a religion. As a citizen of the U.S. and because I am Jewish, I am considered a Jewish American. But if I had to pick between my american culture or my jewish heritage, I would pick my jewish heritage because I feel like jews all around the world share the same lifestyle, as opposed to all Americans. 
     Until reading this article, I never knew that any Jews were welcomed by the Palestinians. However, the First Palestinian Congress of 1919 rejected zionism and zionist immigrants but welcomed those Jews that were already Arabicized. This makes me question whether religion played as big as a role in the Arab-Israeli conflict as everyone puts it out to be. 

Leper, Lunatics, and Saints 
     I think the word nativism that is addressed in this article really speaks out to what we have discussed in class about what land belongs to who. Nativism also relates nationalism and history. The diaspora and right of return led to a rise in both Jewish Nationalism and Palestinian Nationalism. History has displayed that when one culture feels threatened by another, they all join together and ignite nationalism. 
     For example, the Zionists attempt to to establish claim to Israel through biblical heritage, the Palestinians began a movement of nationalist revivalist writings.  Therefore, anything that the Zionists claimed to be true to the biblical sense, the Palestinians contested by "stressing present-day continuities between the biblical heritage and Palestinian popular beliefs and practices." I think this illustrates how each side was really trying to prove what was theirs instead of wanting to share it. 
     I also thought it was interesting that all 3 religions believed in saints- I thought that saints was only something the the Catholic sect of christianity believed in. 

Last 4 Chapters

For me, the last 4 chapters were of much more interest to me than the rest of the book because the focus was on the more modern history of Jerusalem rather than ancient history. I never knew or really thought about how the modernization of Jerusalem occurred. I found it very interesting that the ottomans/ the ottoman leader Muhammad 'Ali was responsible for bringing a modern way of life to the people, such as modern medicine, education and technology. 

Also, I never realized that the Jews had some control over modern Jerusalem even before they were given Israel. They held government positions and had some influence in politics. They felt as if they were "not in exile" and that they were not highly discriminated against, with such things as special taxes geared only towards Jews. 

I was very happy to read the last two chapters and I am very happy that these chapters were included. I think they did a nice job of giving the details of the formation of the state of Israel. I am glad that the class will read this because unless studied, a lot of people don't know much about the process of in which Israel was formed or the conflict that occurred throughout the formation. I think this will help others understand more why Israel was formed and how it came to be. 

Project Idea

w/ Robyn Silver

We are going to make a video/documentary using imovie. We will interview people from all religious Jewish backgrounds who practice different sects of Judaism. For example we will interview two different rabbis, orthodox students and reform students, and individuals who are connected to Judaism culturally instead of religiously.

Possible Questions:

How would you feel if Jerusalem was no longer part of the Jewish homeland?

Why is it part of who you are?

What does Jerusalem mean to Judaism?

Have you ever visited Jerusalem?

How did you feel different about your religion after you visited Jerusalem?

Jerusalem has a lot of meaning to other religions too, how do you feel about sharing the city with this other religions?  

What if the Western Wall was part of Palestinian territory?

Possible People:

Rabbi Ben Burger (modern orthodox), Zollman at chabad (traditional orthodox, very religious), Sarah (chabad- Rabbis wife), Karen Cohen (Israeli living in U.S.), friends living in Israel, Nathan Meese, Regan Siegel, random friends in the Jewish community/people at hillel, Ilana Nurko.

Chapter 11-13

When I was a freshman at Miami I took a history of pre-modern civilization class. The class was completely different than what I thought it was going to be. The teacher focused heavily on religion- especially Islam. I was pretty annoyed because if I wanted to learn all about religion I would have signed up for a history of religion class. However, as the semester went on, I realized that the reason we focused on religion is because religion was so intertwined with with politics, power and life. 

This notion is expressed in all three chapters of the reading. I was surprised to learn that to the muslims and to the religion of Islam, Jerusalem is only the third important city. This makes me question the modern rights to the city of Jerusalem. To the Jews, Jerusalem and Israel is the only important city. However the muslims have Mecca, a city that they could always call their homeland- why do they have to have the "right" to both cities. As much as the conflict going on in Israel isn't about religion it is about religion. 

In chapter 12, Armstrong discussed how the Christians really showed their political power and influence over Jerusalem through the fact that they put a lot of effort in developing in Jerusalem special to their faith. This helps explain some of the reasonings behind the crusades- the christian knights felt as if it was their duty to fight for their city (272). The crusades happened hundreds of years ago- yet religions and cultures are still fighting over the city. For example, "for six hundred years there had been tension between Jews and Christians, particularly regarding the status of Jerusalem.  Will people ever stop fighting over the city? If it has equal importance to all three religions- three religions that realistically share the same G-d then why can't people get a long and realize that even if Jerusalem is part of Israel/a Jewish state that it can still be meaningful to all religions.