Here is a link to a review from NYTimes

Old Jaffa article from the NY Times

Table of contents for Special Issue: Hearing Israel: Music, Culture and History at 60

Here is a  fascinating and informative article from Variety

Attached is a link to a youtube video of a Ma Kashur Music video.  Ma Kashur is an Israeli sketch comedy group that also releases music albums.  (Their website is here: but it is only useful if you understand Hebrew).  This is the only music video I could find of theirs with English subtitles.  And I apologize at the poor quality and the lack of sync in the audio, however, lucky for me this happens to be one of the more fitting songs for the class.

The song is about how at the turn of the century a Zionist council in Basel was discussing a homeland for the Jews with Theodore Herzl.  The British offered the Zionists a refuge for the Jews in Uganda, but in the end it was agreed upon to give the Zionists Israel.

The song, cites the current issues in Israel, and asks Herzl, “What was wrong with Uganda?”

Discuss:  Does the Jewish homeland have to be in Israel?  Did you like the song?  What do you think is true about the song and what is exaggerated for the sake of humor.  How does this question relate to this class?  Also, feel free to answer why not Uganda?

This is our response to the Martyrdom Poster article as we will be unable to be in class on Tuesday.

Martyrdom posters in Hashhash’s piece primarily function to change death from a pointless loss to something of a beginning. Secondly, they function to awaken a national consciousness. I would argue that this mirrors the larger function of increased religiosity in more downtrodden societies. As people lose hope for this life, they turn to faith and their own hopes or beliefs in a better life somewhere else. Palestinian resistance movements have utilized this hopelessness to facilitate their own violent agendas.

Just as, during the crusades, Christian monks traveled with soldiers to ensure them of their holy mission, these Martyrdom posters ensure people of the religious validity of their missions. I emphasize the religion in Martyrdom posters as it appears that religion and righteousness is the primary theme of these cultural products. This is exemplified not only by the Qur’anic verses but also by the placement of the portraits of the dead in the distant sky, as described by Hashhash, and the references to Islamic holy places.

Hashhash addresses issues of gender, questioning the validity of femininity in resistance movements. Though many posters feature martyrs that are not adult males, martyrdom posters described in this poster portray martyrs in a similar template throughout many different posters. The author asserts that martyrdom in these templates is almost necessarily masculine.

The article also points out that these posters are hanged in public spaces that may or may not actually be public. He does not really address, however, the issue of Martyrdom posters that are not public. Hashhash shows that public posters foster national consciousness, but I would add that private, family posters, like the the one I put up in my blog post from Gaza add an interesting facet to this larger issue. I suppose these posters are for fomenting familial ties the same way that public posters are meant to foster Palestinian national consciousness. I would also add that martyrdom posters are very community based, as they hang in the area where the martyr lived and where the martyr’s friends and family still live. It is, as Hashhash said,  a celebration of the martyr’s sacrifice, but I think it is interesting that it is a community celebration not for some anonymous dead hero, but someone who everyone knew. When I would ask a Gazan who the martyr on the poster was, they would point to his or her old house (or where that house once stood), and tell me all about them. This is the power that these cultural products have to forge a community ethic.

The excerpt that we read by Leila Khalili, particularly the part that talks about the Hezbollah video game, got me thinking about how video games relate to the Israel-Palestine issue. Video games are increasing in popularity: an activity that was once reserved for nerds and shut-ins is now being adopted by everyone.  In 2002, the United States Army released a video game titled “Americas Army” with the purpose of getting new recruits. The reason I mention this is to demonstrate how organizations are trying to use video games to spread ideologies.  Some people see video games as harmless entertainment comparable to watching a movie, while others believe that violent video games encourage and train the player to recreate the scenarios in real life.  In my research, I found three interesting games that pertain to the Israel-Palestine issue.

Underash:

“Underash” is an Arab developed game where you take on the role of “Ahmed” a young Palestinian stone-thrower living in the occupied territories. The game slowly progresses to the point where the player is killing Israeli soldiers as opposed to simply throwing rocks. Note the developer’s reason for creating the game.

Article

Global Conflict: Palestine

In this game, you play the role of a journalist during the 1967 war. You begin the game embedded with an IDF unit but depending on the choices you make; you can either remain on the side of the IDF or choose to fight for the Palestinians.

Video:Global Conflict: Palestine

Peacemaker:

In “Peacemaker”, the player takes on the role of either the Israeli Prime minister or the Palestinian president. Your main goal is to bring about a solution to the conflict either through violence or by peaceful means.

Video:Peacemaker

Do you think video games are an effective medium to recruit members to a cause? Is there a double standard when it comes to video games? Do you think “Underash” or “Specialforce” (Hezbollah game) would be seen differently if you were to take on the role of an Israeli?

Think about Palestinian resistance culture: do you think the video game “Underash” falls under the category of non-violent resistance or do you think it promotes violence?

What are your opinions on “Global Conflict: Palestine” and “Peacemaker”? Do you think these games promote Peace or simply force people to choose factions? Imagine yourself as a Palestinian or an Israeli playing the video game- what would they think of these games?

Palestine Remembered

Marcel Khalife is a Lebanese oud player, widely known in the Arab world and an outspoken activist for Palestinian rights. He has faced criminal charges three times for his song I am Joseph, O Father, which puts a poem by the renowned Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish to Khalife’s own original composition. In the poem, Darwish adapts a line from the Qur’an. Sunni Muslim clerics in Lebanon took offense, claiming that singing any verse of the Qur’an was “absolutely banned and not accepted.” However, the judge found Khalife innocent. When searching for this song, I found this video.

Think about the images that are set to the music (also be sure to read the description on the side of the video). Then watch this interview with Khalife (sorry about the sound and video quality, it is the only version I could find).

How do these two videos connect to our discussions in class? More specifically, think about our discussions in the very beginning about the importance of popular culture in studying this conflict. Also think about the Palestinian (and more generally, Arab) songs we have talked about so far in class; what are the similarities and differences (think style, lyrics, themes, etc.)? What is the importance of Khalife’s message both in the song and in the interview? Do you agree?

The translation of the full Darwish poem can be found here.

I just read this article on Al Jazeera about some controversial Israeli films that recently screened at the London Film Festival. Thought it was relevant to our class given the films we have watched and the topics discussed:

http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2009/10/20091031142820116973.html