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One world, many dreams By Haaretz Editorial Tags: Beijing Olympics, China The 29th Olympic Games open in Beijing today - the biggest event in our little global village and the oldest ceremony in the history of humanity. The motto chosen by the host country, "One World, One Dream," plays into the festive, pure and somewhat kitschy atmosphere that the Chinese organizers have sought to create, as organizers of the Olympics have done since ancient times. In recent days the expected declarations have been made about the need to distinguish between sports and politics, but Beijing 2008 is one of the most political events of our era. First, because this is the first Olympics held in a non-democratic country since 1980 - when the free world boycotted the Moscow Games. Second, because seven years have passed since the decision was made to grant China the right to host the Olympics, during which time the other question at the center of deliberations only became more acute: Should a totalitarian state like China be allowed to host an event based on the principles of brotherhood, free competition and fairness? Advertisement The Chinese leadership likes to draw parallels between these Games and those in Tokyo in 1964 and Seoul in 1988, when the Asian hosts showcased their political maturity and economic success to the world. China can pride itself on its impressive successes at meeting the targets it set for itself in preparing to host the Games: It built some of the most advanced sports installations in the world, significantly contained the air pollution over its capital, and even challenged the weather and forces of nature. One can see on billions of television and computer screens around the world the new shape of the Chinese empire - a dynamic, successful and optimistic country. However, behind the scenes, China continues to respond with brutal toughness against anyone who disrupts its plans. During the weeks before the opening ceremony, the authorities intensified the oppression in Tibet, blocked entry visas for foreigners who criticize its policies, and arrested thousands of citizens whose legitimate protest against the preparations for the Games was liable to embarrass Beijing. The human and global implications of the Games will be known only the day after the Olympics. Will the Olympics of "One World, One Dream" change the host country? Will the Beijing Olympics of 2008 usher in a new dawn? The answer will be provided by 12,000 athletes and 23,000 journalists from 200 countries, who will report home each day, every hour, about what they saw in Beijing. These observers must not avert their eyes from the regime's possible injustices against freedom of expression and movement. But they should also not fall victim to predetermined political views, and instead remain open to possible surprises. Fairness is a fundamental principle of the Olympic Games; now the guests from the West need to serve as an example of this. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Going for the gold Israel's athletes made a forceful debut on the opening day of the Olympic Games. Cooking vs. driving As Ramadan nears, Hamas bans the use of cooking gas to fuel vehicles in the Gaza Strip.

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