Yesterday I got queried about my opinions on Cablegate, the latest Wikileaks revelations. The subject? Their Israeli content. In an article in today’s edition of Rome newspaper Il Riformista, by Milanese journalist Anna Momigliano. My ten shekels appear at the end.
Rumor had it that he was only selling apartments to Israelis. His first question to me, as he sized me up: ”Medaber Ivrit?” (Speak Hebrew?)
Unfortunately, his apartments were dreadful. Typically decrepit former homes of East German government officials, there were holes in the wall.
“Before I got into real estate, I sold mobiles in New York,” he said. I thought of him when I found this brochure on my hotel night table.
Leftist, pro-Israeli. Rixdorf, late November.
Leftist, anti-Zionist. Neukolln, late October.
I normally don’t take to demonstration photos. As a magazine editor, I’ve often found them overused, less evocative than they’re intended to be. Still, given the pictures of the violence at Friday’s S-21 demo here in Stuttgart, today I walked down to Schlossgarten park and proceeded to snap away.
The park was full of protestors. Some were manning info tables, talking to reporters, distributing pamphlets. Others sat on tree branches high above, watching a police detachment protect a busy bulldozer. Even though the focus was Stuttgart, it was clear everyone was thinking about Germany.
Though nuclear power remains a subject of intense debate for Germans, it has long since been dropped by most Americans. It only appears in public discourse in relation to government concerns about weapons of mass destruction, for example, in Iraq, North Korea, or, most recently, Iran.
As refreshing as it is to see the topic taken up as an environmental issue, there is still something unfamiliar about it. I find it difficult to separate the discussion from security considerations, particularly as they relate to Israeli anxieties. Clearly, a number of Germans see it as a security issue, too.
I’ve always enjoyed collaborative writing. Since April, I’ve written three essays about Israeli politics with my friend Keith Kahn-Harris. Our newest article, In Search of an Israeli Left, was just published by open Democracy.
Northern Bavaria is not known for its anti-occupation politics. Highway rest stop, Frankenwald area, 18/6.
Berlin is full of flags. Cafe Szimpla, Friedrichshain, 17/6.
On Thursday, I took part in a discussion about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent trip to Washington. Broadcast yesterday, on Russia Today, the twenty-six minute program is now available on YouTube.
Two new pieces today, for France 24. One is a short collaborative article, with a paragraph quoting me (via phone). If you read French, it’s the piece on Gilad Shalit, featured in the lower left hand corner of the screenshot above.
The second is a long form editorial, about a controversial home video of Israeli troops dancing to the tune of Kesha‘s amusing “Tik Tok”, in Hebron. See the photo on the top right. Both articles are in English, French, and Arabic.
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The very first German translation of my work has been published in the new edition of the Telegraph. Entitled “Actually Existing Israel,” the essay is a summary of one of Israel vs. Utopia‘s main points. This same article is also scheduled to appear in the Polish edition of Le Monde Diplomatique later this year. Download a PDF of the German version.
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