The Israeli/Palestinian Conflict is one of the most pointlessly ideological and political conflicts of all time. While there are many opinions about how the Conflict should be resolved, the majority of people on both sides actually agree on a surprising amount of the issues. So if everyone agrees on how this should end, why is it still continuing? The politicians are unable to make really tough decisions and compromises. It's likely that whoever is involved in the final negotiations of the Conflict will be labeled a traitor or sell-out or betrayer etc., and that will be the end of their political career. And what's the point of solving a decades-old conflict if you get no glory? But whether or not either side has a bold enough leader, the people themselves know what the end solution is going to look like. Here are my ideas about the core issues:
Borders:
Palestine will include the Gaza Strip and most of the West Bank, which is east of the Green Line of 1967. In recent negotiations Israel has offered up to 97% of the West Bank, I think I read in the "Palestine Papers" recently released by Al Jazeera and The Guardian. There is talk of including some of the Arab villages along the Green Line in Palestine, but it seems as though many of these Arab Israeli do not want to lose their Israeli citizenship. I suggest that these Arab villages along the border have local elections to determine which state they will belong to. This will involve some trust among the Palestinian and Israeli leadership, since both sides would have to be OK with having all, none, or some of those villages.
Jerusalem:
Israel is not giving up the Old City. Ever. There are some neighborhoods of Jerusalem along the edge that I think Israel should and would be able to give to Palestine. The Arab residents of East Jerusalem are mostly Jerusalem residents, not Israeli citizens (which requires renouncing other citizenships and swearing allegiance to Israel), so Israel would not be revoking their citizenship if their neighborhoods became part of Palestine. Without busting out a map, I think it's fair to say that Arab neighborhoods on the periphery of Jerusalem should go to Palestine, and adjacent Arab neighborhoods. It's unlikely Israel would agree to give away Arab neighborhoods that are surrounded by Jews.
Settlements:
There are a few major settlements which Israel should keep, like Maaleh Adumim and Ariel. They can either have Israeli-controlled freeways going straight there, or the existing roads (with ramps into Palestinian land) can be maintained by Palestine. Maaleh Adumim is close to Jerusalem, but Ariel is farther out, so maybe a few solutions can be employed for the different situations. The rest cannot be controlled by Israel. The residents of the smaller settlements should be given 3 choices: 1. remain citizens of Israel living abroad, 2. become citizens of Palestine, 3. move back into Israel proper.
Refugees:
"Palestinian refugees" are different from any refugees in the world. While a refugee is normally someone who has been displaced from their home during a conflict, Palestinian refugees are those who lived their for only two years or more, giving refugee status to many more people than would otherwise have received it. Be that as it is, The Arab refugees of 1948 should be given either Israeli citizenship, financial compensation, or even citizenship to other countries, as some have suggested. Their descendants probably won't get anything, since Israel is not going to let in massive amounts of non-Jews, just as the Palestinians don't want tons of Jews in their country. Call it whatever you like, but that's how it is. Furthermore, Jews who were expelled from Arab countries in 1948 should also be given financial compensation for their property. It is unlikely that many Jews would want to return to countries like Iraq and Algeria.
So it's not that complicated. None of my ideas are original. From what I heard from OneVoice, a majority of people on both sides agree on most of the issues. At this point it's all politics. We need two leaders who can step up to the plate, who are willing to risk their careers and lives for an end to this conflict. The rest is details.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Sucky Israeli Names
Anat
Osnat
[someone's at the] Dor
[sock] Dror
Udi
Uzi
Moran
Or
Gal[l]
Tal
Guy
Inbal
Inbar
[sc]Rotem
Nimrod
Shai
Alon
Dudi
NEW 1/25/11: Nir
Mai (my)
From Aliya: Snir
from Shiranne: Ofir
Osnat
[someone's at the] Dor
[sock] Dror
Udi
Uzi
Moran
Or
Gal[l]
Tal
Guy
Inbal
Inbar
[sc]Rotem
Nimrod
Shai
Alon
Dudi
NEW 1/25/11: Nir
Mai (my)
From Aliya: Snir
from Shiranne: Ofir
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Room 3
There are 5 children in Room 3, and 2 teachers. This is a room for children with Autism. It smells like diapers because only J. is toilet-trained. The lights are off because R. is sensitive to the flickering of fluorescent lights. There is no art on the walls or decorations of any kind. Each classroom at this school is supposed to have a teacher with a credential in Special Education, and other aides. Because this teacher has 10 kids--two of whom frequently attack each other-- the class was divided into two rooms. The credentialed teacher rarely visits Room 3.
T. has Autism and is non-verbal. He can communicate using a PEC book, but we don't know where it is. When we go to the gym in the afternoon, he enjoys bouncing a ball from atop the stage, careful to let it bounce on the corner. He wants someone to return the ball to him, but he doesn't interact with them. For severely autistic people, other people are tools to get what they want. They don't understand that other people may have feelings that are separate and different from their own. When he is happy he toe-walks and puts his thumbs in his ears and tousles his hair. He vocalizes nasal and vowel sounds. When provoked, he is likely to grab another person hard around their arms and grit his teeth, looking distressed. He does not like to wear shoes. When he cooperates with us when we try to run goals with him, he gets Cheetos. He mostly eats Saltines for lunch.
B. is one of my favorites. Many children came to school in various stages of neglect and disarray, but B. always has on a clean 'fit, and he smells good. He is non-verbal. If he has Autism, it doesn't matter; his severe mental retardation eliminates any chance for development. At 12 he still wears a diaper, and he always will. B.'s main behavior is "mouthing." That means he puts thing in his mouth and chews them. It was B. who bit me on my second day at the school. My future co-teacher failed to warn me. When available, he has a chew-toy tethered to his belt loop. Because of his low muscle tone, he is not very strong. He can't clap his hands. When we put on Tele-Tubbies, he makes happy retard noises and spins around and flaps his hands. He prefers Skittles as a reinforcer for good behavior. He is able to feed himself chicken nuggets.
S. is six years old and weighs well over 100 pounds. He is non-verbal and has Autism. When he is aggressing, he can pinch you so that it draws blood. Changing his huge diapers is quite challenging. He enjoys rolling Play-Doh into small pills, and lining up cars. He is fat and has eczema because of his diet. Many people with Autism are highly sensitive to certain sensations, especially when it comes to food.
F. is the oldest in the class at 13. We're not sure when they'll put him in a different class. We never run goals with him. He is very strong, and is extremely dangerous when provoked. And when dealing with people with Autism, any demand can provoke them. He sits in a corner all day and "stims." That means he does self-stimulating behavior. F. enjoys the sensation of a toy car rattling in his hand, so he does that all day. We do not change his diaper. He eats rice with cut up hot dog. He will hunt down every grain of rice that escaped his mouth and eat it. One teacher makes up data so that it looks like we've been running goals with him.
K. does not have Autism. He does not have a diagnosis. My best guess is that he is psychotic. His clothes are dirty and don't fit. He is dirty. He is highly verbal and enjoys making other people uncomfortable. Once when trying to get out of working he declared to the teacher that his nipples were hard. He also pinches people's noses. He bolts, and he can run fast. He is terrified of rats. He burned his house down at age 6, or so I heard. When the school notified his mother that he needed more meds, he came in bearing a dirty Advil box with pills of different colors and shapes. No one was taking care of him, and because of his disturbing behavior, he was unable to make connections with any staff. Although his behavior was the most disruptive and dangerous in the class, he was only given a 1:3 aide. Oakland Unified was unwilling/unable to pay for him to get 1:1 care.
In Room 3 I saw the worst of special education. I saw incompetent and possibly abusive teachers. I saw schools powerless to help needy children. Ultimately the school has to act in its own (financial) interest, which meant leaving 5 severely disabled children with 2 aides lacking any formal training in special education. Since two of the kids were 1:2, and three were 1:3, that means that theoretically one teacher can work with one child and supervise the other, and the other teacher can work with one child and supervise the other two. That is just not possible. I saw the school at its worst, parenting at its most dysfunctional, teachers with no motivation or training, and kids with no grown-ups to care for them. It was a dark and smelly room indeed.
T. has Autism and is non-verbal. He can communicate using a PEC book, but we don't know where it is. When we go to the gym in the afternoon, he enjoys bouncing a ball from atop the stage, careful to let it bounce on the corner. He wants someone to return the ball to him, but he doesn't interact with them. For severely autistic people, other people are tools to get what they want. They don't understand that other people may have feelings that are separate and different from their own. When he is happy he toe-walks and puts his thumbs in his ears and tousles his hair. He vocalizes nasal and vowel sounds. When provoked, he is likely to grab another person hard around their arms and grit his teeth, looking distressed. He does not like to wear shoes. When he cooperates with us when we try to run goals with him, he gets Cheetos. He mostly eats Saltines for lunch.
B. is one of my favorites. Many children came to school in various stages of neglect and disarray, but B. always has on a clean 'fit, and he smells good. He is non-verbal. If he has Autism, it doesn't matter; his severe mental retardation eliminates any chance for development. At 12 he still wears a diaper, and he always will. B.'s main behavior is "mouthing." That means he puts thing in his mouth and chews them. It was B. who bit me on my second day at the school. My future co-teacher failed to warn me. When available, he has a chew-toy tethered to his belt loop. Because of his low muscle tone, he is not very strong. He can't clap his hands. When we put on Tele-Tubbies, he makes happy retard noises and spins around and flaps his hands. He prefers Skittles as a reinforcer for good behavior. He is able to feed himself chicken nuggets.
S. is six years old and weighs well over 100 pounds. He is non-verbal and has Autism. When he is aggressing, he can pinch you so that it draws blood. Changing his huge diapers is quite challenging. He enjoys rolling Play-Doh into small pills, and lining up cars. He is fat and has eczema because of his diet. Many people with Autism are highly sensitive to certain sensations, especially when it comes to food.
F. is the oldest in the class at 13. We're not sure when they'll put him in a different class. We never run goals with him. He is very strong, and is extremely dangerous when provoked. And when dealing with people with Autism, any demand can provoke them. He sits in a corner all day and "stims." That means he does self-stimulating behavior. F. enjoys the sensation of a toy car rattling in his hand, so he does that all day. We do not change his diaper. He eats rice with cut up hot dog. He will hunt down every grain of rice that escaped his mouth and eat it. One teacher makes up data so that it looks like we've been running goals with him.
K. does not have Autism. He does not have a diagnosis. My best guess is that he is psychotic. His clothes are dirty and don't fit. He is dirty. He is highly verbal and enjoys making other people uncomfortable. Once when trying to get out of working he declared to the teacher that his nipples were hard. He also pinches people's noses. He bolts, and he can run fast. He is terrified of rats. He burned his house down at age 6, or so I heard. When the school notified his mother that he needed more meds, he came in bearing a dirty Advil box with pills of different colors and shapes. No one was taking care of him, and because of his disturbing behavior, he was unable to make connections with any staff. Although his behavior was the most disruptive and dangerous in the class, he was only given a 1:3 aide. Oakland Unified was unwilling/unable to pay for him to get 1:1 care.
In Room 3 I saw the worst of special education. I saw incompetent and possibly abusive teachers. I saw schools powerless to help needy children. Ultimately the school has to act in its own (financial) interest, which meant leaving 5 severely disabled children with 2 aides lacking any formal training in special education. Since two of the kids were 1:2, and three were 1:3, that means that theoretically one teacher can work with one child and supervise the other, and the other teacher can work with one child and supervise the other two. That is just not possible. I saw the school at its worst, parenting at its most dysfunctional, teachers with no motivation or training, and kids with no grown-ups to care for them. It was a dark and smelly room indeed.
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