To understand Jerusalem, Lula should walk through it
Only on foot will the Brazilian president really feel Jerusalem and the essence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
By Daphna Golan Tags: Israel news Middle East peaceIn the name of the tens of thousands of people stuck in horrible traffic jams thanks to the visit of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden to Jerusalem, I can only hope that Brazilian President Lula da Silva intends to make his pilgrimage on foot. Jerusalem is a compact, beautiful city, and from his hotel Lula can reach every landmark on foot, without imposing further on us Jerusalemites.
We remember previous visits that led nowhere but still held us up. Just as Americans can recall where they were when Kennedy was murdered, we know where we were for each traffic jam caused by a terror attack or by a VIP delegation, or, as with the visit by Barack Obama, a terror attack and a VIP delegation.
It may be that being stuck on a bus in the capital because of an honored guest is not the biggest thing one can complain about in a city perpetually on the verge of an explosion. But as well as important visitors to stymie our movements, we also have daily jams thanks to the construction of the light rail, a train that is still in the station, yet in whose honor the entire city has spent years being excavated.
As such, the greatest gesture of friendship that Lula da Silva can bestow upon us Jerusalemites is to walk. Firstly, this is a great way to meet the locals - of all ethnicities and nations. Secondly, walking is good for the health and for the environment, and thirdly, on foot one can really feel Jerusalem and the essence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
A pleasant stroll along the walls of the Old City is a walk along the green line. It gives the pedestrian a chance to have impressed upon him exactly how impractical it is to draw a border through the center of Jerusalem, and how the green line blurs and disappears under the tracks of a train designed to bring closer the residents of Pisgat Ze'ev, the largest settlement in Jerusalem. On foot, Lula can see the separate buses for Jews and Arabs, who are occasionally, briefly, thrown together. And if he sticks around until Friday afternoon, Lula will be able to samba his way from West to East Jerusalem with the hundreds walking and dancing to Sheikh Jarrah to the tune of the drums of war.
It is safe to assume that the Brazilian president, unlike the marchers and drummers, will be allowed to reach the three Palestinian families who have been sleeping for months outside their homes, now occupied by the Jewish settlers who curse and beat and mock them. The Brazilian president has no doubt seen equally distressing images of homelessness, racism and discrimination, but perhaps a man so proud of the good relations between Jews and Arabs in his native country could spare us some words of wisdom? Maybe instead of expending so much effort on separation, building walls of hate, and superfluous Jews-only construction in a poor and unemployment-ridden city, could Lula show us how to build with recyclable materials, something at which Brazil excels, as well as direct us to a life of samba and dialogue?
The massive jams caused by Biden's visit ended with a light slap on the wrist for the timing of announcement of new construction in Ramat Shlomo. Biden, the vice president of a superpower which doles out billions to Israel, made his protest felt with his hour-and-a-half tardiness for dinner with the Netanyahus. We Jerusalemites, forever late thanks to important guests sealing off our streets and a light rail plan going nowhere fast, dream that Lula's visit will be less gridlocked and more meaningful.
For if Lula's arrival can indeed signal hope for a life of peace and equality between Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem, then our hours trapped in interminable traffic will surely pass more delightfully.
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That's very hypocritical coming from someone living in a *rich* country. Brazil, unlike what you think, isnt in 18th century, where the population was split in 0.1% rich landowner exploiters, and 99.9% slaves. We have a large middle class, who struggles hard every day, crushed under the heavy hand of the state, which happily distributed our tax money to their populists policies, while we have to fear for our very lives. We don't have martyrs, dying for religion or other causes, just regular fathers, mothers, who work hard every day, and die miserably, or lose their children, at the hand of bandits, over a robbery, or something more ignoble, only to have these very bandists protected by your idol Lula as "victims of the society". Our arrogant and megalomaniacal president will gladly spread the idea that the "rich" are to blame for his own incompetency. Blame the rich? So what's next? Expropriate the lands and give them to the poor? Organize them in soviets?
...end construction/ development for one group only, end legally enshrined discrimination, move to one person one vote accross the whole country; Then no need to divide the country/ build these walls, establish a bantustan etc.
"Here in Brazil we can not walk in the streets without being robbed, murdered or kidnapped. There is no security and the big cities of Brazil are in completely control of the drug dealers. His government can not provide security for his own people" Hmmm, sounds like you are part of the elite in Brasil which has kept so many in poverty - now you want Lula to solve problems that you, the rich elite has caused...???
lol to Karl
Brazil, like other American countries, has killed most of its indigenous population. The genocide is still going on in some parts of the Amazon region of north western Brazil. Does Daphna Golan really not know this?
I am confident that as of today the situation in the Middle East may be different. If people become returning to the past as a deterrent instrument of peace, there will always be suspicions, weapons and nuclear bombs. President Lula knows this, knows that there is mutual distrust, and he knows that will not easily join separate human beings for decades. The Brazil stands as the mediator of a peace process that can be built above any economic interest.
Also, many Palestinians can't even walk to their farms lest they be shot or attacked by settlers - roads where only jews and use and towns where only jews can live - all this in a small area of land that they wish to have their own state in - an aspiration that every jew should sympathize with.
He refused Israel inviation to Herzl.s grave. All brazilians newspapers are talking about how bad was this (maybe he dont know who wa Herzl...my president is not a wisdon person). I just dont understand why all israeli midia shows him as a friend,a pecae something.. The man is Iran.s president friend and is against Israel.
Incompetance? If Iran had Israel's abilities, human capital etc... it wouldn't have needed to sign NPT to gain Nuclear Technology, it could have figured them out for itself. Failing this, why should Israel make up for Irans inability? That is Iran's issue and not Israels. If Iran wants Nuclear weapons tell them to follow these steps and TONY Silver you should be on board or am I mistaken, and you only profess 1 type of legal morality? 1: Give back all technology related to Nuclear fission and fusion 2: exile all experts on the topic and destroy any written knowledge available on the topic. 3: back out of NPT 4: DO IT YOURSELF, ONCE YOU ARE NOT IN NPT, NUCLEAR COUNTRIES WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO SELL YOU NUCLEAR TECH. BUT WHY SHOULD IRAN BE BOUND BY THE LAWS IT WILLINGLY ACCEPTED WHILE UNDER NO DURESS? OH WAIT I FORGET, BECAUSE JUST BECAUSE THEY AREN'T AS SMART AS THE ISRAELIS THEY DESERVE A CHANCE AT MAKING GOOD AT THE IRANIAN PROMISES TO WIPE ISRAEL OFF THE MAP.
This nutty woman writes "or, as with the visit by Barack Obama, a terror attack and a VIP delegation" Instead of naively judging Obama by the words of various propaganda, his relationship with Israel should be judged by his actions: 1. Obama approved $30 billion in US aid for Israel over the next 10 years 2. Under Obama's watch, the US & Israel had the biggest ever bilateral military exercises 3. Under Obama's watch, the US rejected the Goldstone report 4. "Judge a man by the comany he keeps" - Obama's Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel (son of Israeli parents) served in the IDF as a civilian volunteer. And VP Biden, in his nearly 40 years in the Senate, has an unblemished record of supporting pro-Israel legislation US presidents from Reagan-GW Bush have bluntly condemned East Jerusalem/WB settlement construction. Yet Obama is the only one Israelis dare to call an enemy of Israel, despite complete evidence to the contrary. This kind of ungratefulness & hypocrisy is simply pathetic
see the Mount of Olives and realise that no Jew will ever look there and see a Palestinian state.
The Brazilian president is reportedly scheduled to visit the grave of Yasir Arafat during a visit to Ramallah.
President Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva, who arrived in Israel on Sunday, refused to visit Herzl's grave, which is part of the itinerary for visiting foreign officials this year in honor of the 150th anniversary of the father of Zionism. The Brazilian president is reportedly scheduled to visit the grave of Yasir Arafat during a visit to Ramallah.
viva Lula!
I mean that happens daily - should that get out in the wider media - I would how Catholics and Christian in Europe and throught the Americas will react to their Jews?
A casual walk through the streets and neighborhoods of Jerusalem will reveal a peculiar one-sided integration. Arab residents are walking down the streets of Jewish neighborhoods, renting and buying apartments in Jewish neighborhoods, work in Jewish neighborhoods and frequent Jewish malls and cafes. No Jew can ever enter an Arab neighborhood without a possible mortal danger to his or her life. Arab teenagers often occupy whole playgrounds in Jewish neighborhoods, almost to the point of evicting resident children. If a Jewish child ever entered an Arab neighborhood alone, he would certainly be beaten to death with his head bashed in, like Koby Mandel (OBE)
Only a fool would trust this man. He is a corrupted president and his word means nothing. He stands side by side with Hugo Chaves, Fidel Castro and now with the president of Iran. He is so pathetic and corrupt and so full of himself. Here in Brazil we can not walk in the streets without being robbed, murdered or kidnapped. There is no security and the big cities of Brazil are in completely control of the drug dealers. His government can not provide security for his own people. However this stupid and corrupted man has the arrogance of telling Israel what to do or not do... Tell him to go back home and take care of his own country where people can not walk in the streets without risking being robbed, rapped or kidnapped. Come back home, Lula! Corrupt president!Come back home, Lula! supporter of murders like the Castro brothers of Cuba! Come back home, lula! your corrupted government stinks! you have no moral to tell Israel what to do!Come back home lula! You can not fool Israel
Lets hope it will not cause a "dolorosa" traffic jam. This man of vision, with the simple outlook to life will breath fresh air into the already stagnant atmosphere in the Holy City. This man will keep no one waiting. He will outshine VP Biden in every sense. Welcome to Israel Mr.President.