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Honorary citizenship of the moon By Amira Hass Tags: Israel, Daniel Borenboim  Click here for more articles by Amira Hass "Daniel Barenboim, the world-renowned Israeli pianist and conductor, has received Palestinian citizenship" and a Palestinian passport, the Haaretz English edition reported on Monday, using a Reuters story. The Ynet version said that the Palestinian Authority had granted Palestinian citizenship to Barenboim, whereas The New York Times reported that the Argentinian-born Israeli pianist and conductor had agreed to accept Palestinian citizenship and an honorary Palestinian passport. The passport was given at the conclusion of a concert in Ramallah, in appreciation of the way (and this is the present writer's version) in which Barenboim has for years linked musical initiatives to his clear opposition to the Israeli occupation; of his willingness to come and visit Ramallah at a time when most Israelis see it as a bastion of terror; and of the way in which he became friendly with prominent Palestinians who were not popular with most Israelis, like Edward Said. Advertisement He received citizenship, he agreed to receive citizenship, citizenship was granted. What difference does the wording make? It could just as well have said that the PA granted Barenboim citizenship of the moon, since the PA has no authority to grant citizenship (or in its more correct definition: Palestinian residency) to anyone. Not to Yasser Arafat, not to Mahmoud Abbas and not to an 80-year-old refugee woman who lives in Ein el Hilweh in Lebanon and continues to miss the almond tree that her grandfather planted in the village of Lubia (today's Kibbutz Lavi). Arafat and Abbas, like several thousand other Palestinian Liberation Organization activists who returned to Israel in 1994, received their "Palestinian citizenship" and their Palestinian ID card (written in Arabic and Hebrew), because Israel permitted it. Because an Israeli civil administration clerk in the typed their details into the computer of the Israeli Interior Ministry, so that the ministry would permit the Palestinian Interior Ministry to print the ID card in its printing house, so that the data would appear on the computer screen of the last of the soldiers at the smallest of checkpoints. The PA has no power to grant Palestinian residency to those who were born in pre-1948 Mandatory Palestine, nor does it have the power to grant residency to those born after 1948, within the borders of the State of Israel. It does not even have the power to restore residency to about 400,000 people who were born in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip after 1948, and Israel did everything possible over the years so that they would lose their right of residency: It issued injunctions limiting their right to stay abroad, prevented their return from abroad in time, did not take into account those who were not present during the population census of August 1967. Tens of thousands of them are living today in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, in their homes, in their villages, but without official papers: They had temporary travel documents from various Arab countries when they went to study or work abroad. They returned to their homes as tourists. The temporary documents are no longer valid, and they are prisoners for all extents and purposes in their cities of residence. If they are caught at the checkpoints they will be expelled. Only through an exhausting process of "family reunification," which is controlled by Israel, can several of them become "citizens" of their homeland. During the past seven years only recently has the process been approved, for about 3,500 people, out of at least 65,000 in a similar situation. The PA does not even have the power to change the residential address from Gaza to Ramallah unless an official in the Civil Administration (and behind him a member of the Shin Bet security services, and behind them the Israeli interior and defense ministries) approves. So does the "PA grant citizenship to Barenboim"? In spite of the wealth of information published in recent years, especially in Haaretz, about Israel's control of the Palestinian Population Registry, the facts are not absorbed. The PA is seen as a "state" with the sovereign right to grant "citizenship." For Israelis in particular it is hard to understand the extent of our domination over the Palestinians: After all, every Jew in the world has a right to come to Israel, and within a few days to become an Israeli citizen and to live not only in Israel proper but in any illegal settlement and any illegal and unauthorized outpost. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Disturbing trend Jewish Agency says Anti-Semitic acts in Jan. 2009 triple last year's records. After the war IDF gains in Gaza have softened Israel's stance on Shalit deal.   1.   Genocidal enemiis need to be controlled and even occupied... 10:10  |  Joel Stein 16/01/08   2.   Honorary citizenship 10:19  |  Ralph 16/01/08   3.   ARABS HAVE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST JEWS FOR CENTURIES ! ! 10:34  |  Lou Knee 16/01/08   4.   for ONCE, hass is completely correct 10:46  |  Michelle 16/01/08   5.   Amira Hass the Dominatrix of Haaretz 10:49  |  Henry Moore 16/01/08   6.   don`t u know, pals claim the moon already, mohammad flew there?? 10:57  |  mary for jews 16/01/08   7.   Amira Hass doesn`t get it at all 10:57  |  David 16/01/08   8.   amira does not understand the word illegal 10:57  |  v hardman 16/01/08   9.   #1 Whooooosh! What was THAT, cries Joel.. 11:00  |  Johnboy 16/01/08   10.   One way of making illlegal Israeli immigrants legal 11:01  |  John 16/01/08   11.   Arabs humiliated by Israelis for 60 years 11:02  |  Ahmed 16/01/08   12.   Amira Hass & her usual... 11:04  |  Miriam H 16/01/08   13.   #5 immigration 11:04  |  Warren 16/01/08   14.   SOMEBODY tel Amira about the hourly Qassems.A non fashionista 11:13  |  PETER SM 16/01/08   15.   Citizen Barenboim 11:40  |  Gabe 16/01/08   16.   #14 PETER SM refuses to address the point 11:42  |  Johnboy 16/01/08   17.   Any of you lot ever been ordered around by foreign soldiers? 11:43  |  Michael 16/01/08   18.   Arabs humiliated by Israel 11:48  |  Richard 16/01/08   19.   #10 john the green man and the line is illegal 11:58  |  v hardman 16/01/08   20.   #17 dear michael and the palestine mandate 12:03  |  v hardman 16/01/08   21.   Some people here ... 12:34  |  Edith 16/01/08   22.   # 7 Amira 12:35  |  Gaby K 16/01/08   23.   Amira Hass, you have my support 12:39  |  Edith 16/01/08   24.   Amira Hass # 5 12:39  |  Lisa S 16/01/08   25.   And feeble minded persons should be locked up or worse 12:39  |  Michael N 16/01/08   26.   THE AMERICAN STANDARD OF ACCURACY 12:45  |  indrajaya 16/01/08   27.   # 7 Amira Hass 12:46  |  Larry B 16/01/08   28.   Amira Hass is great. More Jews like her would lead to peace 12:56  |  US taxes fund Israel 16/01/08   29.   Palestinians can keep Barenboim 13:14  |  Allon Cohen 16/01/08   30.   Johnboy, the intolerable conditions are the results of the 13:15  |  chris w 16/01/08   31.   Peace is the fruit of Justice. 13:23  |  jack 16/01/08   32.   #28more rubbish !us taxes do not fund isreal 13:35  |  v hardman 16/01/08   33.   One Jewish State is Solution 13:44  |  Rafi 16/01/08   34.   What interest does Israel have... 13:45  |  Denise Thompson 16/01/08   35.   Amira & her problem with Israzel 13:49  |  Barbara B 16/01/08   36.   # 18 Arabs humiliated 13:56  |  Michael B 16/01/08   37.   Cham al hayareach 13:59  |  Rowan Berkeley 16/01/08   38.   #30 Chris whacks up Another Straw Man 14:05  |  Johnboy 16/01/08   39.   Amira & her friends 14:14  |  Malcolm ex Harrogate 16/01/08   40.   3 Lou Knee,30 chris w. the shoe is on the other foot! 14:15  |  lakshmi 16/01/08   41.   Arab accountability 14:44  |  Denise Thompson 16/01/08   42.   The Hypocracy of the Claim of "Jewish"State 14:54  |  Yaakov Sullivan 16/01/08   43.   Hey Sullivan, do you know the official names of Egypt and Syria? 15:11  |  George 16/01/08   44.   You are kidding, right? 15:12  |  Joe 16/01/08   45.   #14 Michael 15:13  |  Uzi 16/01/08   46.   Jack 31, don`t you know that over 95% of Palestinians are Muslim? 15:21  |  Terry 16/01/08   47.   The average Israeli is a stupid racist warmonger 15:22  |  POP 16/01/08   48.   Strangle Arabs Death Mercenaries Reservoir occupying Jewish Lands 15:22  |  Joseph E . 16/01/08   49.   to Denise Thompson #34 15:22  |  zeev 16/01/08   50.   Only a few more decades and Hass will retire... 15:35  |  Fortuna Benmayor 16/01/08   51.   The Palestinians are already de-facto citizens 15:35  |  Velvl Shmerlson 16/01/08   52.   amira is an "amira"a princess" 15:38  |  a.j. 16/01/08   53.   Denise 41 if Pals took hold of their own lives the IDF`d shoot. 15:41  |  Michael 16/01/08   54.   How ARAB LEAGUE has treated Haas Pals 15:46  |  B 16/01/08   55.   mary for jews 15:59  |  Rozz 16/01/08   56.   Arab and Jewish define different things 16:00  |  Yaakov Sullivan 16/01/08   57.   to Denise Thompson #41 16:05  |  zeev 16/01/08   58.   Can Anyone Recall any other State 16:17  |  Joseph E . 16/01/08   59.   Hass next in line for Eurabia fiction award 16:18  |  Bob 16/01/08   60.   45 Oh dear, Uzi, have I touched a nerve? Good. 16:21  |  Michael 16/01/08   61.   #6 mary for the jews 16:22  |  Jimmy 16/01/08   62.   The Pals continue their hatred 16:24  |  Meir 16/01/08   63.   #51 Velvl Shmerlson 16:26  |  Boycott 16/01/08   64.   #56 Sullivan, you are wrong 16:39  |  George 16/01/08   65.   `indefensible` borders nowhere to be found 16:45  |  bozhidar balkas 16/01/08   66.   Hass`s "proof", the arabs gave a 5th columnist "citizenship" 17:16  |  smarter then hass 16/01/08   67.   Joel Stein - The same rhetoric was said of jews 17:31  |  Euro 16/01/08   68.   Ahmed, fewer Arabs have been killed by Israel 17:37  |  Jacob Blues 16/01/08   69.   As opposed to the average Arab, POP? 17:43  |  Jacob Blues 16/01/08   70.   Yaacov, of course you question Israel as a Jewish state 17:46  |  Jacob Blues 16/01/08   71.   No Euro, you`re wrong 17:57  |  Jacob Blues 16/01/08   72.   Another big moral equivalency lie 18:03  |  Denise Thompson 16/01/08   73.   Looking in the mirror finds the occupation a harsh landscape 18:09  |  Jacob Blues 16/01/08   74.   All that said, there are significant pieces of the puzzle missing 18:26  |  Jacob Blues 16/01/08   75.   Yeh, right, jacob blues, right 18:40  |  Yaakov Sullivan 16/01/08   76.   Isralies do not want peace. so they not get peace 18:42  |  omolll 16/01/08   77.   Yaakov - thou art a simple white racist. 18:51  |  Ofer Maimon 16/01/08   78.   As it is... 19:01  |  Jeff 16/01/08   79.   orthodoxy, conservative, reform, and `leftist` 19:02  |  Mark 16/01/08   80.   Always the Jews, never the ayrabs. 19:10  |  Mark 16/01/08   81.   Can we talk about civility on both sides? 19:12  |  de d 16/01/08   82.   # 47 Pop 19:32  |  Mansour M 16/01/08   83.   Hass & the palestinian citizenship 19:41  |  Berrouria 16/01/08   84.   Hass & the palestinian citizenship 19:41  |  Berrouria 16/01/08   85.   Hass & the palestinian citizenship 19:41  |  Berrouria 16/01/08   86.   .. the Arabs are waging a war to illiminate Israel ... 19:52  |  felix 16/01/08   87.   Amira is jealous of Barenboim - she also wants PLO passport 19:56  |  Feiglin Supporter 16/01/08   88.   Jacob Blues & Yaakov Sullivan,JB what`s with you?The Arab states 20:03  |  lakshmi 16/01/08   89.   Maimon are you a person of colour? 20:04  |  Yaakov Sullivan 16/01/08   90.   Felix 86 a war to illuminate Israel? 20:24  |  Michael 16/01/08   91.   omoll #76 20:46  |  Bamber G 16/01/08   92.   Talk is cheap Lakshmi, and worse yet, lack credibility 21:05  |  Jacob Blues 16/01/08   93.   NO-GO ZONES for non-Muslims in Britain (& across Europe) 21:16  |  Linda Rivera 16/01/08   94.   NO-GO ZONES for non-Muslims in Britain (& across Europe) (2) 21:20  |  Linda Rivera 16/01/08   95.   Jew-HATERS WICKED LIE of Occupation. Return STOLEN JEWISH LAND 21:22  |  Linda Rivera 16/01/08   96.   Jacob Blues - No not their method 21:36  |  Euro 16/01/08   97.   Jacob Blues 21:38  |  Me 16/01/08   98.   Linda Richmond aka Linda Rivera 21:40  |  Yaakov Sullivan 16/01/08   99.   Wide open and still closed eyes 21:56  |  siem 16/01/08   100.   lakshmi you are unintelligent uninteresting vapid 22:11  |  nicholas 16/01/08   101.   to felix #86 - hogwash 22:28  |  zeev 16/01/08   102.   Who created these problems? 22:35  |  Joseph 16/01/08   103.   to Joseph #102 23:24  |  zeev 16/01/08   104.   Let`s see to Euro, money lending = suicide bombing 23:27  |  Jacob Blues 16/01/08   105.   Me, yeah, I forgot about that 23:31  |  Jacob Blues 16/01/08   106.   Creativeness of the higher self, the oneness of the human race. 23:39  |  Maureen Ann 16/01/08   107.   #64 George, you are wrong (re nationality) 23:54  |  Ben Alofs 16/01/08   108.   Send Barenboim to Gaza to embrace the.. 23:56  |  Avi 16/01/08   109.   92 Jacob Blues,my,my are you saying that israel is wonderfully 23:58  |  lakshmi 16/01/08   110.   100 nicholas,you obviously hope to glean some wisdom from my 00:00  |  lakshmi 17/01/08   111.   to Fortuna Benmayor #50 00:30  |  zeev 17/01/08   112.   Citizenship 00:41  |  Isca 17/01/08   113.   #17 michael 01:07  |  duncan 17/01/08   114.   to Nicholas #100 `Lakhshmi...` 01:10  |  Colin Wright 17/01/08   115.   Amira is completely wrong 01:19  |  H50 17/01/08   116.   Ha`aretz kisses Amira`s ass,...again. 01:29  |  akiva (zionist) 17/01/08   117.   colin wright we have to be a little discerning 01:52  |  nicolas 17/01/08   118.   to Joseph #102 - 2nd try 01:55  |  zeev 17/01/08   119.   Amira Hess Has to learn more Mideast History 02:03  |  Dagma 17/01/08   120.   To Joseph # 102 - WHO CREATED THESE PROBEMS 02:11  |  Dolly 17/01/08   121.   #93 Linda Rivera 02:13  |  Boycott 17/01/08   122.   to lakshmi #88 02:14  |  zeev 17/01/08   123.   Why will the right refuse to admit what they are? 02:19  |  Mark Lincoln 17/01/08   124.   A racist state 02:26  |  Janice 17/01/08   125.   the moon and zionism 02:31  |  paul 17/01/08   126.   To Gabe # 15 - Sorry Mr. Barenboim..... 02:37  |  arrabella 17/01/08   127.   Yassir Suleiman aka Yaakov Sullivan, let`s play the game 02:38  |  Genuine Tosefta 17/01/08   128.   #64 Utter tosh, George 03:04  |  Johnboy 17/01/08   129.   Honestly, Amira 03:05  |  Colin Wright 17/01/08   130.   #13 + #24 re: our Lucky Country 03:16  |  Henry Moore 17/01/08   131.   to Joseph #102 - 3rd try 03:24  |  zeev 17/01/08   132.   to lakshmi #88 - 2nd try 03:28  |  zeev 17/01/08   133.   JOHNBOY.If YOU don`t understand does not mean its not there. 04:10  |  PETER SM 17/01/08   134.   Why is Slowman so slow on Fridays? 04:27  |  Amira Hass 17/01/08   135.   Ineterstingly all those areas fly Pal flags,have Pal police and 04:28  |  PETER SM 17/01/08   136.   EURO "Money lenders"? Jews were not allowed or restricted from 05:15  |  PETER SM 17/01/08   137.   Palestine is Not a Country and it is Palestinians to Blame 07:07  |  Efox 17/01/08   138.   Amira, You are a true person of peace. 07:17  |  Davide 17/01/08   139.   Same rubbish... 07:32  |  Ricardo 17/01/08   140.   appears the State of Israel did not renew Amira`s passport 08:13  |  avigdor 17/01/08   141.   # 85 Hass & the palstinians 08:36  |  Sassie R 17/01/08   142.   Reply to #108 Kingdom of Jordan as Pal state 08:44  |  Joseph 17/01/08   143.   Gaza is Jew free and Amira has no more 09:22  |  Israel 17/01/08   144.   "RICARDO"???. Interesting you found corruption"EVERYWHERE" 09:34  |  PETER SM 17/01/08   145.   #128 johnboy 13:04  |  duncan 17/01/08   146.   to PETER SM #14 14:34  |  zeev 17/01/08   147.   to PETER SM #135 15:35  |  Willy 17/01/08   148.   # 61 ANOTHER CRUADER? CHRISTIAN? 15:53  |  Petra 17/01/08   149.   # 94 lINDA AUSTRALIAS PM, JOHN HOWARD HAS ASKED MUSLIMS TO LEAVE 15:58  |  Petra 17/01/08   150.   # 97 WHAT COMICS ARE YOU READING? 15:59  |  Petra 17/01/08   151.   # 104 JACOB EXCELLENT REPLY, !!!!!!!THANKS!! 16:02  |  Petra 17/01/08   152.   # 100 Nicholas are you from Vanouver B.C.? 16:03  |  Petra 17/01/08   153.   # 137 Efox YES! Perhaps we should give them the boot. 16:05  |  Petra 17/01/08   154.   Amira, The whole fantasy about Israeli power is.. 16:30  |  dutch 17/01/08   155.   to Joseph #142 01:00  |  zeev 18/01/08   156.   to Joseph #142 - cont. 02:19  |  zeev 18/01/08   157.   to Joseph #142 - (1) 09:22  |  zeev 18/01/08   158.   #140 Amira, Re caged birds 11:32  |  dutch 18/01/08

Read & React Livni: Israel should strike Hamas again to halt arms smuggling Responses: 44 Amir Oren: 'Decisive' Gaza offensive merely rehearsal for next crisis versus Iran Responses: 8 Netanyahu: Likud-led government wouldn't build new settlements Responses: 36 Akiva Eldar: Saudi plan offers Israel united front with Arab states against Iran Responses: 10 More Headlines 13:40 Livni: Obama can use Gaza op success to alter Mideast reality 11:52 Egypt to Hamas: Take Gaza truce before Netanyahu is PM 12:30 Veteran ultra-Orthodox MK Avraham Ravitz dies aged 75 11:24 Iran MPs plan Gaza visit to praise Hamas resistance against 'Zionist offensive' 12:54 Sky News joins BBC in refusing to air Gaza fundraiser 13:16 Lecturers say IDF officer who justified Gaza strikes should not teach law 10:14 Nine held for allegedly attacking Israeli Arabs in Upper Nazareth 10:36 Netanyahu: Likud-led coalition wouldn't build new settlements 13:17 IDF rabbinate publication during Gaza war: We will show no mercy on the cruel 12:12 Survey: Most Israelis want Benjamin Netanyahu to be prime minister 10:35 Haaretz probe: Unknown overseas sources paid MK Lieberman NIS 2.5m 10:51 2 hurt, 1 seriously, after light plane crashes near Beit She`an 04:42 EU presses Egypt to take action against Gaza arms smuggling 11:27 Number of laid-off Israelis set new high in December 07:41 U.S. businessman Guma L. Aguiar gives $8m to Nefesh b'Nefesh 07:43 Program launched to bring all Jewish teachers worldwide to Israel 04:43 Court to state: Let foreign media into Gaza when borders open Previous Editions Select Day 25 jan 23 jan 22 jan 21 jan 20 jan 19 jan 18 jan 16 jan 15 jan 14 jan 13 jan 12 jan

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